Welcome to Gaia! ::

The excitement was contagious. "You think so?" she asked, genuinely pleased that Nita approved. "I think it might be very helpful, especially to newcomers. Of course they'd have to find out about the Island first but..." She sighed. "After that, though..."

Smiling, she shook her head and held back a laugh. "No, not at all! It's a huge project...I haven't even be keeping to it as much as I should." She clapped her paw-like hands together, the feeling strange as it no longer really felt like she had human hands. "I could use your help! You've probably met a lot more people than I have..."

Kikue glanced around Nita's room. She didn't see a computer anywhere. "It's on a computer file though...but I think, if I give you the entry fields I'm using...you can probably do the same thing and then I can enter into the computer." Already she was becoming more excited, thinking about it as a real possibility. It was give Nita something to work on, as well as Kikue herself. In the end it would surely be beneficial to all the others on the Island. How will we use it? Everyone will need a copy...it's the best way. But if new people keep coming...and if someone does not to live in their own duplex room...we will need a way to keep it updated.

She wasn't sure how to do that yet, but she knew something would come to her. The focus right now was attaining the all-important information first. They could do so much with it. No doubt the labs had it all on file, but what good was that to everyone else? We need a system...a way to communicate and begin to know about each other. This is the first step.

Kikue looked thoughtful. She hadn't thought of the surveys before, but she had been able to gleen most of the information she needed from merely talking to the people. "I'm not sure about surveys...it's a good idea. I don't want someone to get the wrong idea..." She frowned, her whiskers twitching. It was obvious that someone, at the very least, would probably accuse her of 'giving in' to the labs; resigning to her 'fate.' It's like what I talked to Zach about...but I doubt every single person will agree. What then?

Kikue held up a clawed fingre enthusiastically. "I still think it's a good idea, though. And I can show you how to use the program, it's relatively easy." Already she was becoming more excited, thinking about Nita staying over in her room and working on this together. They could talk about things too, it would be fun!

But those select few people...what about them? Kikue rubbed a paw pad on the ridge of her nose. "I know there will probably be some people who disagree with this...when I talked to Zach, it came up then too...someone will have something to say about it. Someone will have the accusation that this is allowing the staff to gain a foothold, simply because we aren't trying some plan of escape." Her whiskers twitched, and she looked Nita in the eye. "I don't agree with it. But I suppose we should be ready to hear it."

Kikue smiled, flicking her ears. "Yes. And the survey would probably be the quickest and easiest way to gather what we need. So maybe we should do it anyway. There's always going to be someone who disagrees, but the with the duplex list we'll at least have a name and room for everyone." Kikue didn't like to think that someone would turn down the survey. There was nothing to be gained from doing that. But stubborness and pride kept people from doing things since the beginning, and that was going to change now. We'll just have to be ready for it.

"But I think it'll be really helpful. I've wanted to see it finished since I started it." The enthuasiam was back again; Kikue couldn't help but be confident. With Nita helping her it would go so much faster, not to mention be more fun.

"Maybe we could spend time in each others' duplexes to work on it," Kikue said, holding up a finger again to illustrate that she had an idea. She smiled again. It was like when she had talked to Natsumi -- ideas of spending time, working on things, giggling about things...why did it appeal to her so much? It had never meant much before, at home... Even as the cat in her tried to retreat from the socialization, she still wanted some of it. Kikue. Herself. I am me.

It leaked through noticeably then. An embarrassed look crossed her face as she met Nita's blue eyes. "You know...when I was in the labs...my birthday passed. I didn't know it until I woke back up in my duplex and could actually figure out what day it was... It's strange to think that it happened and I had no idea... I don't think I've ever felt so different after a birthday before." Her tail rested on the bed, curled around her body.

She had never been anything but human before being fifteen. Surely that was what made it all seem like a dream sometimes.

"...the jungle gets kind of lonely..."

A tiny bead of guilt formed in her chest. If only she had the resolve that she had had at home -- the resolve to still do everything she needed to do. It had been waning here, and she had begun to slack on even studying from the textbooks she'd brought. Sometimes it felt like there wasn't a point, but she would rally against that thought as quickly as it surfaced. I should have come more...to visit her. But...blaming myself won't do anything. If I can help now, in the present, that is what's important.

"I'm sixteen," Kikue said, titling her head and putting a paw on her her whitened hair. When I remember what I was doing on my last birthday, this really feels like it must be a dream...

Kikue smiled again, then she gave Nita a small thumbs-up. "We can do it. Let's work on it together."

Nita's response to her age was something Kikue had rarely ever seen -- if someone had thought it, they never said it to her. Her parents had rarely ever expressed anything like Nita had. She secretly wondered what Nita's age was, too, but it didn't feel polite to just ask it right out. Kikue almost didn't know what to say; she a almost a little embarrassed, but she rose to meet Nita's challenge immediately. "I am ready," she said, smiling too. "But only if you are." Gah. She wasn't much for trading friednly banter. But it was true.

Kikue thrust out her paw to Nita, to shake on it, her smile broadening. She was confident. This was going to happen, and it would change things.

Kikue shook Nita's hand back, and with that she stood immediately to her feet. She still had no shoes on them -- there didn't seem to be a point anymore. "Okay! I can get the input fields without a problem. I don't have a printer..." A thought came to her, and she had to pause once she realized it. "Oh...I almost forgot. Everything I write is in Japanese, since I was sure the labs would be watching me either through cameras or something else. Everything on my computer is in Japanese, too, and my written journals." She looked at Nita thoughtfully. "My computer isn't on a network here, so it should be safer...I can translate the database into English for you. The program itself will still be in Japanese but if I do a write up of the fields it should be okay, ne?"

Kikue smiled again. "You can type in English for the input. I can go do a write-up now...we can meet up again and trade what we have. Do you think that'll be good?"

Kikue nodded cheerfully, standing right up off the bed. The excitement to start immediately was impossible to ignore; she hadn't felt so driven for what must have been weeks. Or longer. "Yes! I will. I think I'll go start on it right away. I will come back later with a list of people I have a few things written down about already, too."

She bowed to Nita out of habbit, straightening up quickly. "And I hope you enjoy the bamboo!" The smile didn't leave her face.

Kikue took the hug in stride, enjoying it. Once at the door, she gave Nita one back, hoping it was all right. With that Kikue turned, almost feeling like she should give a military salute -- she held off, but the mental image amused her. "I will see you soon," she said cheerfully. After waving goodbye, she moved fast down the duplex stairs, heading for her own. Ideas were brewing in her mind, and she needed to keep track of them all.

Whatever the outcome is...this will change things as they are now.

I want to see what we can do!