Star-Struck

Disclaimer: Star Trek is not mine. Neither is Data, despite the fact that I love him to pieces.

"Captain, could you come to the ready room? A matter of some urgency," said Riker, sticking his head out the door.

Picard looked up from a panel he was studying, surprised. "Yes, of course, Number One," he said. "Andrews, you have the bridge." He stood up, noticing most of the bridge crew were not sitting in their usual places ("Ah, the usual bunch; the Counsellor, Yar, Data, La Forge, Worf… they're all there already", he thought to himself. "Very interesting.")

He walked into the ready room, and sat at the seat at the end of the table that was his. Around him, the rest of the bridge crew already sat, as he had thought. And, there was another woman sitting there. She was wearing a yellow uniform, with the pips of a Lieutenant Commander. She had lots of reddish hair middling between orange and auburn bound up in a messy knot at the back of her head, and big brown eyes that seemed to take everything in at once. She was sitting and chatting gaily with Deanna as the Captain walked in, and did not notice him until he sat down and cleared his throat.

"Number One?"

"Ahh, yes," Riker said. "We have been assigned a new bridge crew member while you were in the holodeck, sir. Admiral Prestley was here to introduce her and let us know of her specialty – she holds a Computer Qualification A-3, and works in Engineering. If I may introduce – Captain, this is Lieutenant Commander Melisandre Asimov. Melisandre, this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard."

Melisandre stood up and saluted. "At your service, sir, now and always."

Picard stared at her. He didn't get how suddenly they'd assigned him a new crew member – oh, so be it. "Greetings, Lieutenant Commander. I trust you have been shown around the ship?"

She shook her head. "No sir, Commander Riker told me you would do so yourself, as an introduction. He said you usually do so for new bridge crew members."

"Oh. Yes, I had forgotten. Apologies."

Deanna stifled a laugh. The Captain, flustered? Not usual, at all. There was no one like Picard to keep cool.

He stood up. "Well, if that's all, I have a tour to guide. Come, Asimov." She stood up in silence and walked out after him.

"So this is the medical area, laboratories are on our left, patient rooms, quarantines, and storage closets on our right." Picard strode down the hallway, not noticing that Melisandre, being far smaller than he, was jogging to keep up.

"Captain? Sir, please, do slow down!" Melisandre panted. Picard came to an instantaneous standstill and noticed the girl's red head bobbing at his shoulder as she tried to catch her breath.

"Oh, dear me, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting I'm not with Riker – that man's legs are impossibly long even for me to keep up with," he said apologetically, "I shall remember. Shall we go on to the engine room?"

Melisandre's face lit up. "Oh, Sir! I would be honoured to see the great Enterprise's engine room." As they started down the hall again, she breathed out "Engine Room." This was something unbelievable, to her. A Galaxy Class starship!

They came to a halt outside the engine room. "Would you like the honours, Lieutenant?"

Melisandre stared at him. He mentally kicked himself and looked down, away from the surprise in the big warm brown eyes. "You mean, sir... to activate the entering code? Myself?" she gasped, breathless. "Oh, Sir!"

He could help smiling at the grin she had on. "Go on, then, Asimov." He gestured at the touchpad next to the door.

Melisandre strode to it, head high, touched the pad, and said in a ringing voice, "This is Lieutenant Commander Asimov. Open Engine Room doors."

The computer beeped. "Identification accepted. Opening doors." With a whoosh of air, the door slid open.

She laughed with joy, and strode in, a grin from ear to ear. "This is fantastic!"

After Picard had taken her over the ship and shown her around, she found her way to her quarters on Deck 13. They were small but very comfortable, with a small desk, a series of shelves and drawers, and a bed in the corner, with a small table laid out with some information viewers. She also had a computer terminal for research. She plopped down on the bed with sigh. Scarcely had she gotten comfortable when the door buzzed.

"Oh, fine. Come!"

There were a few hesitant footsteps, and an almost timid male voice asked, "I am not bothering you, am I, Lieutenant Asimov?"

She shook her head, and then realised the man (whoever he was) couldn't see her do so. "Not at all! Come in."

The man came to the door, and she was surprised to see he had yellow eyes and pasty white skin. "Hello, Lieutenant. My name is Data, and I am a positronic android. When I heard your last name I became quite intrigued."

"Good heavens," Melisandre breathed, "This ship just keeps getting more and more exciting. First, a glorious engine room, and now a real android! Come sit down, Data! Oooooh...."

Data smiled, and sat down beside her on a chair. "Is your surname truly Asimov?" he asked, curiously.

She grinned back. "Yep! Direct descendant of the great Isaac himself, at your service."

"But that is most intriguing! Isaac Asimov created the basic foundation for the creation of androids." said Data, studying her intently.

"Yes... my father always said that I carried on the gene. I always had a way with computers, you see..."

"Fascinating," he said. "And do you really... find the computers interesting to you? There are not many who truly have a connection--"

"Data, dear," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "There is nothing I love more than computers. Excepting possibly yourself." He got up to leave, but just before he reached the threshold of the room Melisandre gave up and hugged him tightly from behind. "Data, you are definitely the dearest thing ever. I'm so pleased I have this chance to serve with you!"

Data smiled again, and with a tip of an imaginary hat strode out of the room. Just before the doors to her quarters closed, she heard a passing crewmember ask, "Hey Data, why the happy face?"

She then flopped back onto her bed. "Whew, what a day! What a ship! And an android! How lovely!" she murmured to herself. Then she giggled. "Data is such a sweetie. I really do have to figure him out more." With that, she put her head down and fell asleep.

Next morning, bright and early, she was on the bridge at a computer terminal working on the ship's computer and running diagnostics. Whistling absentmindedly, she didn't notice the rest of the crew members come in, and continued working until a deep amused chuckle startled her. She spun around.

"Oh! Worf! You gave me quite a scare." She grinned, and playfully punched his shoulder.

He smiled back. "And good morning to you, 'Lise." He winked and went back to his station.

As Natasha and Deanna came up they both greeted her and she felt very pleased to have been stationed at such a wonderful ship with such a great crew. Towards early evening she stopped, and went to the ready room, where Riker and Picard were having a discussion over drinks as to the best defence against a cloaked Romulan attack, as a mental stimulation. She smiled as she stood to report.

"Report, sir." Picard waved her on. "Ran a series of diagnostic programs on the ship's computer, sir, and found that—"

"Please, Lieutenant, there is no need for so many 'sir's," Picard said with a smile.

Melisandre blushed slightly. "Sorry, si--. Sorry. Anyways, I found while running the diagnostics a bit of a blockage in the information flow and I was able to remove it with a bit of rephrasing the access program."

Riker looked up suddenly. "Would this blockage by any chance cause a delay in retrieval of information with regards to early human scientific trials?"

"In one, sir," she said.

"Ah. Very good that it's done, it had been bugging me for a couple of days."

Picard nodded. "Well done, Asimov."

She nodded. "Thank you, sir. Also, I think the best tactical evasion for a cloaked Romulan ship would be to wait until they lower their shields to fire and to lock on instantly with photon torpedoes and phaser beams."

Riker got up and clapped her on the shoulder with a wide smile.. "Very good indeed, Lieutenant! Just what I was thinking." He inclined his head to Picard. "Captain." With that he swept out.

Picard stood up and was about to leave when Artanis stopped him. "Sir, if I may... I would like to propose an experiment on Data's thought processes."

He stopped and turned around. "Oh? Go on, Asimov."

"I would like to test his performance against himself. I have a hypothesis as to the workings of his positronic circuits that I would like tested."

Picard raised his eyebrows. "And how would you propose to do this?"

"I would have him connect to a simulation of a chess game. Just regular chess, not the 3D one or any other variant, the standard game from old Earth. I would have him play against himself at high speeds, and see his reaction."

"Interesting. Permission granted, Lieutenant, and do inform me of any findings you may have." With that, he exited the room, leaving Melisandre quivering with excitement.