Androids Don't Laugh
By Red Geode
Geordi carefully removed the fried circuit, releasing the powerful odour of scorched metal. The surrounding diagnostic lights were ominously dark.
He moved to the adjacent table where a replacement circuit waited in its sterile casing with newly replicated brightness. Dr. Pulaski glanced over
at Geordi's sudden movement. She had kept at a moderate distance so far, so as not to disturb Geordi's careful work. The man lying on the biobed
was one patient she was not fully qualified to work on; hence Geordi's presence in her sickbay.
Geordi unceremoniously dropped the burnt circuit on a pile of similar bits and then negotiated the removal of the last replacement circuit from its box.
He walked back over to his unconscious best friend and then noticed Dr. Pulaski's furtive glances in his direction. He couldn't fully suppress a tiny,
knowing smile as he bent to insert the connector circuit in the side of Data's head. Without looking up he said, "I'm almost done Doctor, you can come back over."
The Doctor was at Data's side immediately, tapping her communicator as she watched Data's slack features for any sign of animation, "Pulaski to Captain Picard."
A disembodied voice responded from the vicinity of the Doctor's chest, "Picard here, how is Commander Data?"
"I'm just about finished with repairs sir," Geordi said, his hands still making small, deft movements inside Data's head. As he removed his hands he said,
"there," aloud so the Captain could hear. "We're ready to reactivate him now, sir."
"Very good Mr. LaForge, we're on our way, Picard out."
Doctor Beverly Crusher and 'the Horde' arrived a few seconds before the Captain and Riker did, Commander Maddox was still looking a bit miffed
as he frowned at Data's still form. Geordi figured he was probably still upset that Data had insisted Geordi be the only one to do the actual repairs.
'The Horde', as Dr. Crusher unlovingly referred to them, consisted of three cyberneticists from the Daystrom Institute; Commander Maddox, Dr. June
Almeric, and Dr. Peter Tipple. Commander Maddox had offered his assistance the second he had heard Data's name mentioned on the injury list after
the crash of the Enterprise D, and his two young assistants were just as crazy about Data as he was. They had been enjoying the benefit of examining
and experimenting on Lore, the other Soong type android currently housed in the bowels of the Institute, within certain limitations. Even without
emotions, or perhaps because he had none, Data kept a stern eye on any proposed experiments and used a firm hand to exercise his veto power over
any questionable experiments, which had been part of the agreement when he handed Lore over to the Institute. Another stipulation had always been
that Lore could not be reactivated under any circumstances so the eager scientists always jumped at the chance to observe a conscious Soong-type
android, meaning Data. As an added bonus, Geordi suspected that June was hot after Data for more than professional reasons, and it made him extremely
protective of his friend. They reminded him of vultures more than he cared to admit.
Counselor Deanna Troi hurried over to the crowd, now numbering nine people clustered around Data, lying insensate at the center of the anxious
gathering above him. After the crash of the Enterprise D, all the crew, excepting Worf who had his own new duties to attend to, had opted to stick
together, mostly to support the Captain and Data. Worf had gone on to Deep Space Nine, and Data had failed his psychological evaluation. The emotion
chip caused erratic behavior and wild mood swings, and although it was nothing that was unusual for the average two year old, it wasn't exactly
becoming of a commanding officer to burst into uncontrollable tears in the middle of a psych evaluation. The emotion chip was causing the problem,
and Geordi couldn't remove it as it was now fused to Data's neural net.
Commander Maddox and his team had helped develop a way to repair the chip and surrounding pathways as well as give Data some options, but even
that was a trial as Data wouldn't let them anywhere near him without Geordi around. Commander Maddox's attitude towards Data had greatly improved,
but Data's keyed up emotions had made him fearful and untrusting of the Daystrom institute and especially of Commander Maddox. It was quite
understandable after all he'd been through; the newness of his emotions and his inability to control them, but even Geordi got frustrated with Data when
he had flat out refused to go to the Daystrom Institute much less submit to the procedure inside its walls.
Geordi had felt as if he were talking to a pouting three-year-old. Data most emphatically WOULD NOT go in there. Luckily the chief of Starfleet Medical was
an old friend, and at Captain Picard's request had opened her sickbay to them for this express purpose. Geordi had always marveled at the Captain's
ingenuity at dealing with others. When Data had sat down and folded his arms, no matter what anyone said he simply wouldn't budge. Even patient
Deanna had gotten exasperated, but the Captain had simply gone to Dr. Pulaski and come up with another option.
Before switching him on Geordi used a delicate needle-like instrument to reopen several of Data's organic fluid conduits in his head with a few practiced
twists. He smoothed the flap of 'skin' back into place and turned Data's head towards him with a gentle hand on his jaw. He opened the flap on the other
side of Data's head and repeated the quick twists. He looked up at the others to indicate his readiness for the final step and reached around Data's body
to press his fingers into the small of Data's back, pressing the switch he found there. The fluid conduits were a brilliant solution, they carried Data's own
organic fluid closer to the surfaces of his body and brain, allowing the tiny nanites in Data's clear, sticky 'blood' to flow into the damaged sections and
repair what Geordi couldn't. As an added bonus, Data's bioplast sheeting could now be repaired in this manner as well, simply by allowing the fluid a more
shallow access.
At the press of the switch, Data took a breath, a distinct change from his usual instant jerk into a sitting position. Geordi frowned a bit. It was an odd,
unexplained change. His gaze darted to the open flap in the side of Data's head. The lights arrayed inside it started to glow and then they resumed their
sequential flashing as his systems checked out one by one. Geordi resealed the flap with a sigh of relief.
Commander Maddox smiled in triumph as he found the pulse in Data's wrist, pressing his fingers against the pale skin and lifting his arm slightly so Data's
fingers uncurled a little. Data's eyes slowly opened and he stared back at the other faces around him, almost all of which were smiling. He blinked as he
became aware of just who was holding his wrist. The commander quickly let go as though suddenly gaining good manners, and Data turned his golden
eyes towards his best friend.
"Geordi?" he queried, "Did you remove the chip?"
"Hi Data," Geordi glanced at the other scientists, "No, we didn't, you can just turn it off and on now."
Riker spoke up from between Deanna and the Captain, a broad grin on his face, "That should help you pass the psych tests until you can control your
emotions better." Data nodded, as guileless as ever.
"It's good to have you back with us, Data." The Captain said softly.
"You can say that again!" Geordi enthused, followed by all of the bridge crew crowding the three scientists out as everyone started talking and laughing
at once, Dr. Pulaski included, patting Data on the arm and providing him with an opportunity he desperately didn't want to miss. He switched on his chip
as he sat up and glowed with pleasure.
Commander Maddox and the other two felt like strangers at a family reunion, but even they couldn't keep themselves entirely unaffected when Data's
laughter rang out, clear as a bell, and as open and free as a child's.