THIS STORY IS MARY SUE! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT!
Author's Notes: Written while still on a Star Trek kick, this is Data's fear from Star Trek Generations. Again, way longer than it should be. I can't help it. Kinsellan flits are the creation of Jessica Dragontamer.Trivia and In-Jokes: The bit about Data finally "getting" every joke he's ever heard and finding them funny is exactly what's happening. She just doesn't know it. The dialogue in Sickbay came from a shooting script.
Lisa didn't go over to Amargosa Station with Geordi and Data, though she wanted to. She could tell he was amused by something, maybe finally "getting" every joke he's ever heard and finding them funny, she didn't know.
Lisa, her Kinsellan flit, Jamie, said telepathically, something is wrong.
As always, he was right. Suddenly, she felt something else. Intense emotions, practically every one in existence, overwhelmed her, causing her to fall to the floor. Only one emotion remained, now: Fear. Intense, crippling, fear. So powerful as it was, she had to lie there and get it under control before she could finally stand. Data's emotion chip must have malfunctioned and, now, something was wrong on the Station.
She left Data's quarters, leaving Jamie behind, and dashed to the bridge. She made it there just in time to see the Amargosa Star collapse. Captain Picard came out of his Ready Room.
"Report," he said.
"A quantum implosion has occurred within the Amargosa star," said Will. "All nuclear fusion is breaking down."
"How is that possible?" asked Picard.
"Sensor records show," said Worf, "the Observatory launched a solar probe into the sun a few moments ago."
"The star is going to collapse in a matter of minutes." Will said.
"Sir," Worf reported, "the implosion has produced a level-12 shockwave."
Troi stood up. "That will destroy everything in this system."
The comm. system activated. "Transporter Room to Bridge. I can't locate Commander LaForge or Mr. Data, sir."
"Have they come back to the ship?" Will asked Worf, walking up to his station.
"No…" said Lisa. She already knew.
"No, sir," confirmed Worf. "They are not on board."
"How long before the shockwave hits the Observatory?" Picard asked.
"Four minutes, forty seconds."
"Number One."
Will nodded. "Mr. Worf."
"Aye, sir."
"Data's in trouble. I'm going, too," said Lisa, following them to the turbolift.
"What do you mean Data's in trouble?" Will asked after telling the turbolift where to go.
"His emotion chip…it's malfunctioning. He's afraid…oh, he's so scared." She wrapped her arms around herself, shaking. She was still being affected. Will put a hand on her shoulder.
The three of them grabbed phasers and beamed over to the Observatory. The place was a wreck, with debris strewn everywhere. A comm. system activated and a woman's voice could be heard saying, "Soran, transmit your coordinates."
"This way," said Lisa, pointing, as she heard the beeping of controls. Will took the lead, followed by Worf and she pulled up the tail as they walked down the corridor. Peering around them, she could see Dr. Soran pulling out a weapon and Data cowering between two pairs of large probes.
"Data!" she cried as Soran fired his weapon, the beam hitting the wall behind them. They took cover as the deadly beams ricocheted around the room.
Soran skittered behind a control panel and Lisa took that chance to crawl to Data's side, where he immediately wrapped his arms around her, clinging tightly, shaking with terror.
"It's okay," she said, trying to calm him in the middle of the firefight. "It's okay. I'm here."
"What the hell's he doing?" Will shouted.
Captain Picard's voice filtered through the comm. system. "Enterprise to Commander Riker. You have two minutes left."
"You hear that, Soran?" Will demanded. "We got a level-12 shockwave coming in. We got to get out of here!"
Soran responded by firing at him again. Data cringed and tightened his grip every time a shot rang out. Will began crawling towards them, dodging the shots as Worf covered him.
"Data," he said to the cowering android, "see if you can get to Geordi."
"I…" he gasped, "I cannot, sir."
"Let me go." Lisa told him. "I'll go."
"No!" Data shouted, unwilling or unable to release his grip on her.
She stifled a cry as his vice-like grip became too much. "Data…" she said quietly, trying to keep her voice under control, "you're hurting me…"
The woman's voice came over the comm. system again. "Prepare for transport."
Soran moved quickly to where Geordi was lying unconscious and without his VISOR, although Lisa could now see it was being held in Soran's hand. He took a couple more shots at them before a gold transporter beam took him and Geordi away.
Will hit his comm. badge. "Enterprise, get us out of here!"
The transporter beam overtook them and they found themselves safely on board the Enterprise.
"Commander Riker's team is aboard, sir," the transporter chief informed the bridge.
Lisa looked down at the trembling android in her arms. "We're safe, Data. It's all right. We're back on the Enterprise."
Will looked at the both of them. "Data, what happened?"
"I…" he said, slowly releasing his hold on Lisa's arms, "my emotion chip…overloaded my positronic relay…I believe I was…afraid." He and Lisa stood. He wouldn't let go of her hand.
"You should go to Sickbay."
Lisa nodded. "I'll take him. Come on, Data. Come on."
Gently, she led him out of the transporter room. His emotions were erratic. He seemed depressed, remorseful and full of regret, and also a little preoccupied.
"Data?" she said softly, squeezing his hand. "Hey…what's the matter?"
"I…I am overwhelmed with…feelings of remorse and…regret…concerning my actions on the Observatory. I wanted to…save Geordi…"
"But you were afraid. It's normal, Data. There've been times I've wanted to do something, but was too afraid to do it."
"Lisa…"
"Hey," she said, putting two fingers on his lips, silencing him. "It's okay. Come here." She pulled him into an embrace. "It'll be okay. He'll be fine. You know Captain Picard is doing his best. Come on."
She broke the hug and they continued to Sickbay. Data sat on a bio-bed, still holding Lisa's hand, while Dr. Crusher examined him, removing a panel on the back of his head. Lisa gently rested her head on his shoulder. They were both silent while she worked, though Data began scanning himself with a tricorder.
Worf and Will entered not too long after Beverly started closing the panel.
"How is he?" Will asked.
"It looks like a power surge fused the emotion chip into his neural net," reported Beverly.
"Will that be a danger to him?" asked Worf.
"I don't think so," said Beverly. "The chip still seems to be working. I'd feel better if I could take a closer look, but I can't remove it without completely dismantling his cerebral conduit."
Lisa shot her a dirty look none of them seemed to catch, just daring her to remove that chip. Now that they had the same feelings for each other, nothing was going to change it. She'd help Data deal with the emotions.
Will turned to Data. "Looks like you're stuck with emotions for a while. How do you feel?"
"I am quite…preoccupied with concern about Geordi," he replied. Lisa patted his shoulder.
"We all are, Data," said Will. "But we're going to get him back."
"I hope so, sir." His expression was still one of concern as Beverly pulled Will aside.
"Will, I checked into Dr. Soran's background," she said, taking him over to a wall monitor. Her voice faded into the background as Lisa turned her attention to Data.
He seemed to be studying the tricorder readings, though his eyes weren't really focused on the instrument. She was worried about him. She took his hand and forced him to look at her.
"Hey," she said softly, gently touching his face. "Don't worry, Data. It'll be all right." Was it her imagination, or did she see tears in his eyes? She hopped up onto the bio-bed beside him, putting one arm around his waist and holding his hand with the other. She tried to use her presence to comfort him, tuning everything else out until Will's voice broke in.
"That was the mission where James Kirk was killed."
Curious, Lisa slid down off the bio-bed, walking over to where Beverly and Will were reading Dr. Soran's profile. She saw that he'd been on the Lakul, the ship the Enterprise-B had tried to rescue from an energy ribbon seventy-eight years ago.
"I was there," she said. "Soren was on that ship?"
Beverly nodded and turned back to Will. "I checked the passenger manifest of the Lakul. Guess who else was on board?" She worked the controls and Guinan's image appeared on the screen.
Will and Worf left Sickbay and Lisa went back to Data, taking his hand again.
"I've no reason to keep you here," said Beverly to him. "Go to your quarters until I speak with Captain Picard."
"Thank you, Doctor," said Data quietly, letting Lisa lead him to their quarters. Spot was there to greet them, but a look from Lisa told her to keep some distance for a while. Even Jamie watched from afar.
"Sit down," she said gently. "Data, talk to me. Tell me what you're feeling."
"I wanted to save Geordi, Lisa. I…did not expect to experience fear."
"Fear is an emotion, too. Just like amusement. Like love. It's a part of having them. It's a part of being human."
"I…do not think I can control these emotions…"
"Sure, you can. And I'm going to help you. I promise. I love you, Data."
He looked at her, and golden tears were shining in his eyes.
"Oh, Data…" Touched, she put her arms around him. "It'll be okay. Shh. Shh. It's all right. I love you."
"I love you, too…"
The End