Edited and modified from its original version, because the author has a bad habit of forgetting what she writes.

The Chee Chronicles: Chapter Three: "Step"

Camis was undaunted. Downright enthusiastic. He had all the confidence in the world in me. Flattering, really, he'd only known me a few minutes.

I was not so confident. 'Learning' was something only true, sentient, thinking creatures could do. An android learning? A synthetic machine learning? Among most species it was impossible.

Rolee must have read my thoughts. "Don't worry. Chee have been capable of learning for some time now. Lubis's wife invented it, and goodness knows, he should have enough practice by now."

"Absolutely," Bermez agreed. "You should only worry if Lubis is and idiot and forgot to progra..." Bermez paused. "You know what? Start worrying."

"Oh, quit. You're scaring Sendo," Lubis said. Pause. "What do you MEAN I'm an idiot?" he yelled.

Rolee shot me an amused smile. "Camis, shouldn't you begin?" he asked. "I am sure we're all very anxious. Sendo most of all."

Camis's big golden eyes blinked. "Oh yes, of course!" Those floppy ears bounced wildly as he nodded. I wondered vaguely if he would ever grow into them. "All right, Sendo, watch me. This is how you walk."

Camis lifted his right lower paw off the ground. "First you pick a lower paw up," he explained slowly. He lowered his paw to the ground a short distance from him. "Then you put it down at a distance." He picked up his other paw and repeated the process. "An' then jus' repeat that. And you walk!" he said cheerfully. He demonstrated a few times.

"Very good, Camis," Rolee said. "Now it's Sendo's turn."

I sort of stalled for a little while. "Pick up, put down? There has to be some distance?"

"Yes, that's right," Camis said, no trace of impatience in his voice. Just the sweet music of youth and happiness. It vitalized me. It made me, a cold pile of metal, an android, a machine, feel real. This child's happiness made me feel alive.

I wondered if he would be happy if I tried to walk. Or better, if I actually managed it? It might just be worth it, if I could keep this innocent, happy creature happy...

I lifted my paw, and paused. Everyone held their breath (Well, except Rolee. Chee don't breathe.). I set my paw back on the ground, a few inches away.

Camis cheered. "Yes! Perfect, Sendo!" The little one's bright eyes shone like a sun. His ears flailed madly as he hopped up and down. His muzzle drew back in a huge grin.

All that and just for setting my paw down?

Rolee turned to me, looking pleased. "It's good to see then happy, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

"Now, that wasn't hard, was it?" Bermez asked. "Just repeat that."

I did. Lift up my paw, and set it down a little ahead of me.

And I walked! I had moved almost a foot of distance! I had done it!

Lubis, Camis, Bermez and Rolee all cheered. "Absolutely wonderful!" Camis exclaimed. "Now, try it quicker! Don't pause!"

I did what Camis said. Lift up, set down, lift up, set down... I walked around the laboratory with little to no grace at all, but who cared? I was walking! I could walk! I had learned to walk! I had done what only sentients could do! I had learned! I was as good as any sentient creature in the galaxy!

As I continued my first journey, I got to thinking: What if I sped up a little? What would happen if I put some force into it?

I tried it. I put more distance between my steps. I quickened them. I pushed off harder from the ground, and before I knew it...

"He's running!" Lubis cried. "Look at that, he just learned to walk and now he's running?" Lubis laughed. "Bermez, my dear brother, who's an idiot now, huh? I not only programmed him to be capable of learning, I programmed him to be capable of curiosity, intelligent thought, and to be able to solve problems!" Another gleeful giggle. "Only a few Chee are that advanced!"

"Yes, yes," Bermez muttered. "Just Rolee, Onanee, Malon, Ionos, and Niomee." Bermez straightened his back. "And, if you recall, I programmed Onanee, Malon, and Ionos. Rolee is yours, and Niomee was programmed by Dach." He smirked. "And I distinctly remember my notes on Chee-Onanee missing... and you were the one who took them."

Lubis blushed a little. "Guilty."

Rolee grinned. "Then, you were the one who took Chee-Ionos's plans after I was finished, were you not?"

"Guilty again," Lubis sighed. "Okay, maybe I am an idiot."

"Cha," Bermez chuckled. "You were smart enough to know who wasn't an idiot."

Camis interrupted, "Now can we go out and play? I want to show Sendo off!"

Lubis nodded. "Go ahead, and show off my handiwork." Pause. "Based on Bermez's notes," he added reluctantly.

"Come on, Sendo!" he called, dashing out the door. "Run carefully, we'll be in trouble if we break something."

We were in the mainroom, when another Chee stopped us. "And where are you off to?" she (according the higher-pitched voice) asked.

Camis groaned. "Niomee! This is Sendo, he's my Chee, tell Mama I love her, I want to show my friends, I love you too, I promise I'll clean my quarters, you and Mama are the greatest, may we please go play?"

Chee-Niomee giggled. "You are such a flatterer, Camis!" She smiled. "Girls will love it." She looked at me, and smiled again. "You look like a good model," she decided. "Lubis and Bermez's work?" I nodded. "I'll get Dach - Camis's mama - to double-check you. Never know what Lubis will forget. Now go, run along and play. I hear young Pemalites and childish Chee at the door!"

"Thank you, Niomee, love ya lots!" Camis called over his shoulder. He flung the door open, and revealed four people, two Pemalites and two Chee.

The taller Pemalite was male, you could tell because his fur was a darker gray. His ears were less floppy than most, and his eyes were a light purple. He drew his muzzle back in a bright grin.

"So, Camis has gotten himself a Chee!" the tall Pemalite said. "It's about time, since his father and uncle, Bermez, are the premiere engineers and builders when it comes to robotics." The tall male rested a hand on the Chee at his side. "I am Pemalite-Coli and this is Chee-Onanee. We live just a few patches away, to the west."

"And we live about that far away, to the north," piped up the other Chee, her voice female. "I am Chee-Malon."

"And I am Pemalite-Labra," the smaller, female Pemalite said. Her voice sounded pleasant, and her coat was sleek and glossy. Labra's eyes were a vivid green.

Onanee looked at me curiously. "What is your name?" Another female.

Camis spoke up. "He's Chee-Sendo and he's very smart!" Camis proceeded to tell my walking story.

Everyone laughed a little. Malon turned to me. "It's not a big deal," she said pleasantly. "Lubis and Bermez -- they always program their Chee without some basic fundamental mechanic."

"Right," Onanee said. "They use it to test if we can learn, and as a big joke. They are always trying to top each other with what they leave out. I could not speak, for example."

"That was amazingly funny," Coli snickered. "Lubis was yelling, and pleading with Onanee, trying to get her to answer, and she tried, but she couldn't..." He smiled fondly at the memory. "He was so angry when Bermez cracked up laughing, and explained... That's how Onanee got her name. They thought it would be funny, you see, to call her 'loud laughter.'"

"And it is very funny," Malon continued, "because Onanee is not very loud at all!"

Labra giggled a little, before picking up with: "Unless she is being dramatic, because then is when she makes us laugh the loudest!"

Onanee gave them all a reproachful look. "Why is it," she implored, placing a forepaw to her forehead, "that I allow myself to be, not only seen with, but degraded by, such commoners?" She sighed loudly, and made a big deal of shaking her head, earning herself a good round of laughter, even from me.

Coli looked at me. "I guess Onanee is not losing her charm!"

"Or lack there of!" Malon joked.

Camis's big golden eyes looked up at me, and rolled. "They're idiots," he said, "But they are amusing ones, are they not?"

I chuckled. "Cha, I could not think of better entertainment than being around these fools."