Chapter Text
“Chief science officer’s personal log, supplemental.”
“It’s finally over. The absolute longest day of my life, that is. Why did the Captain even agree to come to Zella IV? To stress his favorite science officer with mounds of work? I see how it is, Captain, I see how it is.” You leaned back in your chair as you messed around with the PADD you were holding. Haphazardly pressing buttons, you sighed. “And to think... I’ve still got an entire report to write for him...”
Just in the nick of time, you hear a ding at your quarter doors. Whoever was there was about to become your savior. “Oo, come in!” You jumped up excitedly, tossing your PADD to some random corner in the room. You’re probably never going to see that thing again.
“Well, well, well, you seem awfully excited,” Deanna remarked, stepping through the door and making her way over to your couch.
“To see you? Of course I am!” You teased, plopping down next to her. “Or maybe I’m excited to possibly have a valid excuse not to do my work right now.” You said, causing the woman to raise her eyebrow. “So? What is it? You didn’t only want to stop by to see my beautiful face, did you?”
“Oh, I suppose so.” She giggled. “I wanted to make sure you are doing alright, I know you’ve been working a lot lately.”
Righttt. Now you understand why she came over.
One might think that having a betazoid for a best friend would be a good thing. Truthfully – it’s not. The second you feel even an inkling of negative emotion, here comes the dear Counselor Troi to give you a pro bono therapy session.
“Alright. All of this work has been stressing me out. I feel like every time I get a single moment of peace; there’s a new assignment. I can’t catch a break. I hate it here.” Rolling your eyes, you slumped deeper into the sofa. “Is that what you wanted me to say?” You added, sarcastically.
“That depends. Is that honestly how you feel, or are you purely saying that to try to get me to leave?”
“...Both.”
The brunette shook her head while she stood, making her way over to your replicator. “Chamomile tea, please.” After a moment, she took the cup and returned to her seat. When she attempted to hand you the drink, you glared at her. “Here, honey. I know this is your favorite. Take it.” She insisted.
“Are you seriously trying to bribe me with tea?” You sassily remarked.
“Come on, would you rather sit here puddling in despair with or without a delicious drink by your side?” Deanna smirked as she scooted closer to you, gesturing towards the tea. You dramatically sighed, turning and snatching the cup in a quick motion.
Sipping your tea, you decided to truly speak your mind. After all, what’s the point in even hiding it around a betazoid? “D, why must you always do this to me? I don’t want to talk about my feelings. I’m tired.”
“I know you are. That’s why I’m here. I want to help.” Your friend looked at you, with a hint of woe on her face.
You’ve known Deanna since the Academy. You know, and trust, her better than anyone else in the world, and she you. But, lately, all you’ve talked to her about is how you feel. Sometimes you wish she was less “counselor” around you, and more “friend”.
“Look... I appreciate that. You know I do. But I can’t do this right now, okay?” You spoke, voice in a hushed tone. You know that Deanna loves helping you more than anything, and the last thing you wanted was to upset her.
She hummed for a moment. “Fine. I’ll drop it. On one condition.”
“One condition?” You questioned.
“Skip the tea. Let’s go get chocolate sundaes!” Deanna jumped up from her seat, skipping towards the door.
You set your tea on the table in front of you and slowly rose. “Fiiinneee. But I’m eating your cherry.” You nudged her as you both left your quarters, making your way to ten-forward.
Holding your PADD, you stared absentmindedly at the doors of the turbolift. Sleep hasn’t exactly been generous to you this past week, and the whirring sound cascading around you was not helping your immense exhaustion.
The woosh of the door opening jolted you out of your thoughts. When you stepped onto the bridge, you looked towards the ops station, making a note of the ensign manning it. Reminding yourself of the task at hand, you turned towards Captain Picard.
“Captain.” You greeted and held out your PADD. “The report on Zella IV, per your request.”
“Ah, lieutenant, thank you. I’ll get to reading it.” Picard spoke as he took the PADD from you. Your Captain was, most of the time, a man of few words and sharp focus. You were always thankful for that, but especially now, considering you were in no mood to conversate.
You simply smiled and turned on your heels, making your way back to the turbolift. Rubbing your temples, you leaned against the back wall and spoke your next destination, silently dreading it.
Speeding down the hall, all you could think about was the long nap you were going to take once your shift was over. Lost in your thoughts once again, you hastened around a corner a bit too fast to notice the other person turning the corner.
Crashing into some yet-known person, your head spun. You could feel the wind being knocked out of your sails, and your balance dissipating. You shut your eyes tight, preparing to be sent straight into the ground. However, your untimely fall never came.
Instead, you felt a pair of hands wrap around you, holding you up. “Lieutenant, my apologies. I was not aware of your presence.”
And with those hands, came a voice. A voice that you recognized.
“No, don't be sorry, Data. It was my fault. I should’ve been paying more attention.” You awkwardly chuckled, looking up towards the android.
“On the contrary, I believe it was I who should have been paying att-”
“Okay, okay, it’s fine. I guess it was both of our faults, then.” He nodded, seemingly satisfied with your solution. You then looked around for a moment, not sure of what to say next. Looking down, you realized that he was still holding onto you. “Oh... you can let go, I’m fine.” Conceding to your request, Data dropped his arms. “Are you? I mean, are you fine, too?”
“Yes, lieutenant, I am...” Data paused, looking like he was stopping himself from going into one of his whole android tangents. “...fine.”
You smiled gingerly. “Great... So, uh. What are you up to? Aren’t you supposed to be on the bridge...?”
“That is correct, I am on my way there, as I have recently returned from an away mission.”
“Away mission? I didn’t know there was going to be one. I thought we already got everything we needed from Xella IV.”
“Indeed, we have, however, the mayor wished to speak to Commander Riker one last time before we departed.” He explained. Well, of course she wanted to see him.
“Ohh... that makes sense. What a pity. If only we’d be able to stay here longer, she’d have more time to thirst for him.” You giggled. Data tilted his head in confusion, not seeming to understand. Before he could question, you piped up. “Thattt was a joke... Kind of. Anyway, I guess I should go. I’ve got... You know... Sciencey stuff to do.”
You said your goodbyes while you parted. Making your way back down the hall, you had a realization. Data should’ve heard you coming around the corner, considering his ‘superior hearing.’ How did he still manage to bump into you?
Entering the science laboratory. Sitting at your station, you looked at the panel before you. You weren’t one to normally be distracted, especially while working. But...
Data. Lieutenant Commander Data, Chief of Operations.
You joined Starfleet to discover, to explore, to learn. Yet, after all the time you’ve spent serving on the Enterprise, there was one thing – one person – you couldn’t wrap your mind around, no matter how hard you tried.
You work with him almost every day. But that didn’t change anything. You still held the same amount of curiosity about him as you did when you first met.
When you first met... What a chaotic day that was...
All you could hear was the click of your heels on the floor. However, what was circulating in your mind was a lot louder. Being assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise was no simple feat. It’s the Flagship of the Federation, after all.
This was your first day here, and it had already been going wildly. Earlier today, you came over from the U.S.S. Hood, alongside Commander Riker, whom you’ve served with for years, and your guys’ trip here was less than easy. Not to mention, the meeting with this mysterious ‘Q’ person. You wanted a break from all the hecticness.
Entering the turbolift, with no real plan for destination, you weren’t expecting what came next. As the doors went to close, a hand suddenly shot between them, causing them to open back up. Aside from the fact that you just got your skin scared off, you were also shocked by the person that the doors revealed.
“Ah, Hello there.” The mysterious man spoke. He appeared paler than a ghost, which was saying a lot, considering how you were the one he had spooked straight. Looking you up and down, the man tilted his head.
You were taken back once he spoke your name, asking if you were the correct person. After you confirmed so, you asked how he knew. “I have read the records of every member of this crew, and added their names and faces to my memory bank for easier identification.” The yellow-eyed man spoke.
“Memory bank...?” You mumbled, shaking your head in confusion, though choosing not to press further on the matter. “Well, anyhow, that’s actually a good idea. Guess I probably should’ve done that too. But I didn’t. So... who are you?”
“I am Lieutenant Commander Data.”
“Data? That’s your name?”
Before he could respond to your question, you backtracked. “Well. Of course it is. You probably wouldn’t have said that if it wasn’t.” You trailed off. Realizing that the turbolift wasn’t even moving, you turned to Mr. Data. “So, what deck?”
As Data answered, the lift took off. The two of you sat in silence while it slid across the ship. It wasn’t an awkward silence, though. In fact, it was sort of calming. The turbolift slowed to a stop and Data headed for the doors. But, as he stepped through, he turned back to you. “Lieutenant, I am heading to the Holodeck, would you care to join me?”
And with nothing better to do, you accepted.
Entering the holodeck, you were immediately bewildered. Sure, you had been in a holodeck for training before, but you hadn’t spent a whole lot of time in a recreational one. And this program in specific? It was beautiful. Lush trees and bushes surrounded you. The green scenery was definitely a contrast to the halls of a starship. You could faintly hear a river coursing somewhere ahead of you. You followed behind The Commander, the two of you maneuvering through the forest.
Eventually, you reached the source of the sound. Stopping right on the edge of the creek, you bent down. Swishing your fingers through the water, it was ice cold to the touch. And incredibly realistic.
You looked up towards the Commander, noticing him hovering above you. You smiled and motioned towards the water, inviting him to join you. Following suit, he kneeled down and copied your movements in the water. Satisfied, you removed your hands, as did he.
As you both continued down the stream, you eventually reached a rock formation, perfectly creating a crossing through the river. Data seamlessly hopped across the rocks, but you weren’t too quick in following him.
Noticing your hesitance, he paused. “Would you like assistance in crossing?” He spoke, reaching his arm out. Taking it in yours – you noticed something strange. Your hands were sopping wet, naturally, considering they’d been in the water a moment ago.
But his weren’t. They were dry as could be.
Holding your questions until after you were across the rushing waters of doom, you pranced across and soon landed on the other side. Still holding his hand in yours, you furrowed your brows. “Your hands, they’re not wet... How?”
“My skin is waterproof, Lieutenant.” Data responded casually, like what he said wasn’t completely perplexing to you. Following along the trail, you silently questioned how that was even possible.
Soon before you stood a large tree, and inspired within you an idea. “Hey, Commander, have you ever climbed a tree before?”
“I have not. Have you?”
“No... But I have always wanted to... So, let’s do it!” You smiled as you rushed over to the base of the tree, looking for a safe way up. Data came up behind you and placed a hand on your shoulder. You turned to face him and he spoke.
“Perhaps I should go first.” A bright idea. If a tree branch randomly decided to give out, he’d be the one falling, not you. You stepped back, giving him plenty of space to make his way up. He proved not to need it, seeing as he jumped straight up the tree, from ground to branch. “Take my hand, I will pull you up.” He spoke, reaching his hand out yet again.
Though it was certainly not the most conventional way of climbing a tree, you kept quiet and took his hand. Doing as he said he would, Data pulled you into the tree without struggle.
“Wow, jumping that high... Being able to pull me up like that... You’re pretty strong, sir.” You lightheartedly remarked, settling into a branch of the tree.
“Indeed, Lieutenant. I possess superior strength and agility to that of a human.”
Now that was the cherry on top of the very confusing cake. “Um... what?”
“Indeed, Lieutenant. I possess superior stre-” He began to repeat himself, but you quickly stopped him.
“No, I- I heard what you said. But I don’t understand, sir. Are you- are you not a humanoid?”
“I am an android.” He explained as if you were supposed to magically know what that meant. Dumbfounded, you stared at the “android” in front of you, waiting for a further explanation. And an explanation you got, a pretty long one, at that. Data spoke to you about his identity, his ‘superior’ functions, his lack of emotion, and even his creator, Doctor Soong. You know, the entire spiel.
“Well... can’t say I’ve ever heard of anyone quite like that before. And trust me, I’ve heard a lot.” You chuckled. Looking at your new android companion, you noticed a look of disorientation on his face. Ironic, considering that was probably exactly what you looked like a second ago.
Expressing his confusion, he spoke. “Why would I not trust you? You are an accomplished scientist – I do not doubt your extensive knowledge of alien life forms.”
“Oh, no, I wasn’t saying that... You know, that’s merely a saying. It’s not meant to be taken sincerely.” You delicately explained what you meant. You were a bit surprised that he didn’t know what you meant.
“Ah, I understand. Apologies, I am not familiar with many human ‘sayings.’” He clarified.
You tried biting your tongue, but you couldn’t help it. “How? I mean – no offense, or anything, but didn’t you say that you were like... Really smart?” You asked, genuinely curious.
Data shook his head. “I am incapable of experiencing offense, Lieutenant,” he continued, answering your question. “Though I have acquired a vast library of knowledge – rhetorical devices, such as irony or sarcasm, I often fail to understand.”
“Oh... well, alright then. Guess I’ll have to pump the brakes on the sarcasm around you, it’ll totally be so easy.” You laughed, before having a realization. “Wait... that was sarcasm. Sorry.”
“There is no need to apologize, Lieutenant,” Data peered down at you, pausing for a brief moment and tilting his head. “Inquiry, ‘pump the brakes?’”
“To stop. You know, cause, the brakes on a vehicle make it stop...” you explained. “Not good with idioms, either?”
“Good with?” You watched while his eyes flickered left and right. “Ah. ‘Good with.’ Being skilled or proficient in a particular area or activity,” he spoke in a cadence as if he were reading from a book. “No, I suppose I am not ‘good with’ those either.”
And so, presented before you was this machine who could probably rip through a hundred men before breaking a sweat, yet couldn’t understand basic humanoid literary devices. Great.
“Well, don’t worry, if there’s ever something you don’t understand, you can always ask me.” You smiled, attempting to lighten the mood. Your mood, that is, considering Data didn’t seem to have much of a mood at all.
“Thank you, Lieutenant, your support is appreciated.”
“Oh, please, no need for the formalities. We’re friends now, call me by my name!”
“Chief? You there?”
Snapping you out of your memories was the sound of one of your fellow officers.
“Oh... Ensign. Hey... Sorry, I was-”
“Spacing out instead of doing your work? Yeah. I noticed. That’s alright. Been there, done that.” Your subordinate chuckled. “Although... If it’s not too much of a bother... I was hoping you’d be able to help me out with this scan... Please?”
Nodding, you walked over to the Ensigns station, and sat down, readying yourself to work again. Though, in the back of your mind, your thoughts still lingered on Data. They tend to do that a lot. You’d deny it profusely if asked straight up, but deep down, you couldn’t shake this odd feeling about him.
Not a bad odd feeling, just... Something you didn’t know how to describe.
Whatever. All that reminiscing was going to have to wait for another day, because, for now...
...you had a job to get back to.