Second Officers Log, Stardate 43057.4: The emergency supply mission to the Epsilon Omega Terraforming Colony has been completed without incident. A planet wide drought has struck the colony, causing the crops to fail and destroying the terraformers attempts to set up a stable water cycle. An away team beamed down to the planet approximately 3.24 hours ago to inspect the damage, and will return at 0700 hours. The planet has reverted to the same desert-like terrain it had when the terraforms arrived, rendering over four years of work futile, yet the colony residents seem eager to continue their work on Epsilon Omega.
Data finished his log entry and leant back slightly in the Command Chair. This night, like most others, he had the Bridge. His internal chronometer told him there were 32 minutes of the Night Watch left before Commander Riker relieved him. Data peered over the dim Bridge to his usual Ops Station, seeing the console perfectly even from this distance. The average surface temperature of the planet had begun to plateau at forty three degrees Celsius, 'lower than expected' he idly observed.
"What is the status of the away team?" he asked the Bridge at large.
"They're just leaving the City Hall, according to sensors, Commander." The Junior Ensign, who sat at Ops announced, turning in her chair to face Data. He nodded curtly, as another ensign behind him began speaking.
"Sir, Commander La Forge says the away team has finished their inspection, and is ready to beam up."
"Make it so." Data said with an experimental smile. He suspected it didn't look quite right, if the Ensign's double take was anything to go by.
A few seconds passed as Data stared at the view screen contemplatively. The subtleties of human facial expressions still, apparently, eluded him. He had learned to recognise over six hundred subtly different expressions, but using even a simple one in the correct context was proving difficult.
"La Forge to Data" his combadge chirped.
"Yes, Geordi?" Data said, tapping his combadge.
"We've finished up on Epsilon Omega; the drought has just about wiped everything out down there. Hopefully the supplies we've delivered will keep them going until they can grow some food of their own." The sound of a turbolift door opening and closing echoed quietly in the background of Geordi's communication. "However, Dr Price tells me there's nothing they can do to stop this happening again."
"Very well Geordi, I will note it in my report. Data out." Data replied, tapping his combadge again. He immediately began mentally writing his report for the Captain.
The rest of the Night Watch passed in relative normality, the only exception being an odd energy blip right at the edge of sensor range. The turbolift doors wooshed open at 6:59am and Commander Riker strode onto the Bridge. Data rose from the Command Chair.
"You have the Bridge, Commander." Data said, stepping aside. Riker nodded.
"Thank you, Mr Data. Anything to report?" he asked, leaning against the Ops Station to observe the desolate, sandy planet that filled the view screen.
"The away team have completed their inspection, and have returned to the Enterprise. Commander La Forge believes the colonists will be able to continue terraforming the planet with the supplies we have delivered." Data relayed. Riker nodded again, walking toward the Command Chair. Data quietly inhaled a breath.
"Sir, there was also an energy spike, 16 minutes ago, located on the boundary of our long range sensor sweep." He said, tilting his head.
"Do you know what it was?" Riker asked, getting up almost the instant he sat down, and headed toward the Ops Station once again.
"No, sir. We were unable to rule out a system malfunction, and the anomaly disappeared before a secondary scan could be completed." Data said from where he stood beside the Conn. Riker hummed thoughtfully, peering over the Ensigns shoulder.
"It looks like we'll be heading that way anyway." Riker said, returning to his chair. "The captain wants to drop in at Starbase 23." Data nodded as Riker prodded at the controls on the arm of his chair. "Computer, begin Day Watch. You're relieved Commander."
Data dipped his head and turned toward the turbolift as the Ensigns began their rotation.
He arrived at his quarters exactly three minutes, fifty two seconds later. Spot was curled up, sleeping on the sofa, with her paw over her eyes. He regarded her for a moment, watching as her ears twitched. He thought about waking her up to feed her, but almost instantly decided against it. Instead, he went to get a shower; not because he particularly needed one, but it seemed to him that most humans tended to have a routine about these things.
After his shower, he had to replicate himself a new uniform. Ordinarily, he would have worn the same one he'd just taken off, seeing as he didn't sweat, or eat, or make much mess at all, so his clothes never really needed cleaning. Some exceptions, of course, being when he was crawling around in jungles with the away team, or dragging himself through the Jeffries Tubes deep in the bowels of the Enterprise. This time however, Starfleet had just issued a new uniform to all Starship personnel, replacing the old one-piece jumpsuit with a slightly looser two-piece collared pullover and pants.
Data stood in front of his replicator, wearing a black vest and shorts that Geordi had told him most of the crew used as pyjamas, waiting for his new uniform to be brought into existence. As he retrieved his shirt, Spot trotted over to him, meowing, and padded her claws into his foot.
"What is it, Spot?" he asked, reaching down to scratch her behind the ears. She meowed again, and wound herself around his legs. "Ah." He retrieved his now fully formed pants from the replicator. "Feline supplement number seven." He said, pulling his shirt over his head.
He placed the bowl down in front of Spot, and finished getting dressed.
"Commander Data to the Bridge." Captain Picard's voice said from his combadge.
"On my way Sir." Data replied almost immediately, smoothing his tousled hair back into its usual style as he pulled on his boots.
Data arrived on the Bridge just as Councillor Troi was stepping out of the adjacent turbolift. Captain Picard was seated in his chair, with Commander Riker sat on his right, and an empty chair to his left.
"-on screen ensign." Picard was saying as the turbolift doors opened. The Councillor greeted Data with a smile, and took her seat next to the Captain. Data stepped sideways to the nearest vacant science station along the back of the Bridge, quickly retrieving and reviewing the recent sensor logs. It would appear the Enterprise was investigating the peculiar sensor blip that the Night Watch had detected. They were currently trailing along the edge of a wide asteroid belt, scanning for the energy signature. Data looked over to the view screen.
The surface of an asteroid was magnified to almost fill the screen. Something glittered on the surface in the light from a distant star, shimmering as the Enterprise slowly moved by.
"Is that what's causing the signal?" Picard asked, looking to the Ensign at ops.
"Aye sir." He replied. "We're viewing the Ultraviolet spectrum, overlaying the visible."
"So that glittering…" Riker began asking, before trailing off as he noticed Data turn toward the view screen.
"The positronic signature, commander." The ensign replied. "There are several asteroids nearby with the same phenomenon."
"Captain." Data said finally, stepping away from the science station and onto the main Bridge.
"Ah, Mr Data." Captain Picard said before Data could start asking questions. "I suspect you'll want filling in on the details."
"It would be appreciated, sir." Data replied, still examining the view screen with rapt interest.
"That energy signal you detected." Riker began explaining. "We decided to look into it on our way past." He looked to the view screen. "Turns out it was something after all."
A million possibilities ran through Data's brain, most of which highly improbable. It was time like these that he wished he had what humans called intuition; then he might have a feeling about what was happening. As it stood however, all he had to go on was cold hard fact.
"Take us within transporter range, Mr Gawelski." Picard ordered.
"Aye sir." The Ensign at the Conn replied.
"Lieutenant Bronn, prepare to beam up anything on these asteroids with something that even resembles a positronic signature." Picard sighed, looking to Data again. "Any ideas what it could be, Mr Data?"
Data walked to the Ops Station, as the Ensign hurried out of his chair. He tapped the controls, viewing an in depth scan report of the collective signatures.
"They appear to be mechanical parts." Data said at length. "Perhaps… parts of a vessel or…" he wracked his brain for ideas as he reviewed more sensor logs, compiling the information together. "Total mass of approximately ninety two kilograms. Sir," he turned away from the console to face the captain. "the positronic signature is consistent with my own."
"What do you mean Data?" Councillor Troi spoke for the first time.
"I would have to conclude that the energy readings are coming from a Soong-Type Android." Data replied.
"But, there are over twenty distinct signals!" Riker said, watching as the view screen zoomed out to reveal a spread of shining energy blips covering three asteroids.
"Yes, there are, Commander. Judging by the pattern of the energy sources, it looks like the scatter from a high velocity impact." Data replied.
"Gentlemen, if you'll follow me." Captain Picard announced, rising from his chair and heading for the turbolift. He tapped him combadge as Commander Riker and Data followed him inside.
"Commander La Forge to Transporter Room Three."