SALVE ROMA! A Felidae Novel - By Akif Pirincci Page 0,66
been developed and improved for millions of years, into technology. The humans try to wangle its secrets out of nature and use them for revolutionary new products and technologies. But now and then it didn’t adhere to learning by watching. In certain fields we animals totally outperform the beautiful new technologies – and we’re not copyable. It would safe a lot of expensive research if one just installed the eligible organ of the animal on the sluggish technology.«
»You mean, the killer removes our ears to convert them into highly sensitive directional microphone or something like that? Don’t get mad at me, but I thought of that myself.«
His glorious image of the detective di artiglio seemed to crack.
»I know that, my friend. But the thing with the uber-ear would just have been too simple. No, it is about what’s inside the ear, or else inside the inner ear. The answer to our problem is the vestibular organ, which is located upon the cochlea and keeps our sense of balance happy. It is some kind of measuring instrument, which collects data on space and acceleration. The sensor works – in extremely simplified terms – according to a water level’s principle. It consists of several water-filled chambers, the inside walls settled with sensory cilia. At the change of positions the fluid begins to move and stimulates the cilia, which instantly report to the brain. Similarly, it works with humans. But in us, this thing has been intensively propagated. We are able to saunter on a garden fence with such somnambulistic grace as if there was no gravity, we are able to perform such acrobatic stunts as if we had the rare gift of flying, and we can ease us through expensive china so elegantly as if it was pure magic. According to observations of Giovanni and a female fellow called Blixa, the killer prefers young victims with a marvelous sense of balance, even among our kind. The connection needs no comment.«
»Nice theory«, Antonio said and ruffled his whiskers. At that he seemed to be pretty upstage. I could read in his face that he believed my story to be wacky. But maybe there was a shriveled, envious chappy stirring inside him, because I had come up with the idea first. His thin face with the giant ears looked the most attractive with this put on skeptical pose.
»Somehow sounds like Dr. Frankenstein. But let’s assume the vestibular organ really is the object of desire. And let’s also assume that this really is the hooded guy’s miracle – Giovanni has told me about his – then the most important questions still remain unsolved: How is a human able to make use of it? What’s the use of a tenfold, for all I care even hundredfold more efficient sense of balance? And: Into which stupid device does he install something like that anyway?«
Now it was my turn to play the upstage, not to say the offended one, as my epochal thoughts were questioned, yes, secretly smiled at. And to be honest: I didn’t have a clue what I should reply to him. This really sounded like Dr. Frankenstein somehow.
»I once read that a self-steered missile needs a technical counterpart to a balance system, because it has to be to know if it’s rising or descending or chancing its speed at any time.« I lectured roughly. »This work is usually adopted by a gyrometer. But if one could short out the vestibular organ of our kind with an extremely high-duty computer, this thing like us would be able to, uhm, keep his head up and level, correct its body according to its head’s position and to land on all fours – even when it’s in free fall.«
I smiled innocently as if I had given him a song and dance. »As if«? I just had given him a song and dance!
»Well, well, a self-steered missile, which adjusts the body in accordance with the position of the head and then lands on four paws«, Antonio said, and this time he put on a very, very worried look. He probably frantically tried to remember the nuthouse’s phone number.
»Okay, maybe I slipped too much phantasy in it«, I tried to save the situation. »I mean, it was just an inspiration from a dream ...«
»Never mind. I just want to know one thing« he said and almost seemed upset at that. »Don’t such gyrometers already exist and do quite a sufficient job or not?«