Disclaimer: I do not own the song Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin, the Star Trek franchise or Star Trek: The Next Generation.
My child arrived just the other day
He came into the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you, Dad
You know I'm gonna be like you
I should have devoted more time to Lore when he was first activated. I was so excited that one of my creations could truly think for himself! Yet, in that excitement, I became so enamored with the idea of improving upon Lore's perfection that I didn't pay enough attention to him. I locked myself up in my lab, ignoring Lore's incessant questions and never ending attempts to imitate me. Of course, I spent time with him! How could I not! But it was nowhere near the type and length of time that it should have been. In my blind pursuit of invention I turned over the majority of Lore's education and socialization to poor Juliana.
In retrospect, I should never have done that. I'm sure Lore loved Juliana but I was still his father and for whatever reason, the silly young android wanted to be like me. I was his indisputable favorite; when I spoke he seemed to hang on to every word. I should have been the one to guide his development. I should have been his mentor. But in my own mind, I simply didn't have the time.
My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
On the day of Lore's first "birthday" I presented him with a holographic program that would simulate different athletic games. His reflexes had improved greatly and I thought that he was certainly ready to begin utilizing his superior skills of "hand-eye" coordination.
Having received his gift and thanked me as Juliana had taught him to, my boy looked at me with curiosity, "Father, I've been wondering, why can't you teach me how to play games such as these? I've observed the behaviors of the colonists and the knowledge of sports is usually imparted by the father." I hesitated to respond. Somewhere deep down a voice urged me to take the time but that small feeling was soon quieted by a stronger voice reminding me of the overwhelming number of experiments that I still needed to attend to. Juliana cast me a disapproving glare as I explained this to Lore. My forgiving innocent son merely nodded and turned to ask his mother if she would teach him how the games were played.
Well, he came from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please"
It seemed that I had blinked. One second my creation, my son, my Lore was looking at me with wide and wondrous eyes attempting to imitate the timbre of my voice as I told him his name and the next he was sitting at my dinner table seething with rage as he described the intentional attempts that the communications specialists had made to discredit him. When I first saw that placid face, the face molded after my own, I had never thought that I would ever see it contorting in murderous fury.
"I hate them, father! These pathetic humans refuse to acknowledge my advanced capabilities! They feel threatened by my superiority!"
I placed my face in my hands. I had demanded that Lore try to find some kind of occupation so that he could contribute to the colony. I had hoped that seeing Lore helping them in their daily lives would have allowed Lore to find a place of acceptance among the residents of Omnicron Theta…I was wrong. Juliana had warned me of this. She had argued that Lore's pride and the colonists' bigotry were a bad mixture; Lore working as a communications assistant would be a catalyst for the reaction, mark her words. I had marked her words, even as I insisted Lore give the communications job a try.
I knew Lore was more than capable. He was possibly the most brilliant humanoid in existence; he was outgoing, ambitious and sensitive. He was so human. So much like a young, human, man. My son was everything I had ever dreamed of being, he was all that I had ever hoped to achieve and more. I was so proud of him. I just wanted him to learn to interact with people.
"Lore, listen to me, these people are afraid of what they don't understand! They're idiots, you have to treat them as such!"
My son bared his synthetic teeth, "Do you know how hard that is for me?!" Lore screamed. "No, I bet you don't! You don't even know me!"
His disrespect caused my temper to flare, "I am your father! You will listen to me!"
"Yes, Daddy." He snapped, sweeping out of the room with a snarky sneer…I knew that he hadn't heard a word I said. He simply wasn't interested.
I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me
Lore and I were so alike. We were both tinkers and inventors; both proud and ambitious…that wasn't my programming. I had designed him to develop his own personality. Now it was Lore who had experiments to run, now it was Lore who did not wish to engage in querying conversation…Most of the time Lore hid in the private lab I had given him.
Even as the years had passed Lore's relationship with the colonists never improved. I saw the pain that Lore felt; I saw the alienation and the hatred directed towards him because of what he was. How could I have been so cruel as to give a creation that would experience nothing but hate and fear the ability to feel that anguish to such an extent? I should have shielded Lore from it at the very beginning. When I began work on Lore's "brother", I decided that it was wrong to give a creature born to be hated the ability to perceive that hate. I decided to shield his brother in the way that Lore should have been protected. I decided to spare this new android the pain of emotions.
When I told Lore about his brother, he stared at me in shock before walking away mumbling something about having things to do. "Lore, we need to talk!" I said to his retreating form. "You could help me." He released a breath of air and eyed me over his shoulder. "Why would I?" He asked icily as he continued to walk away. How could I have known that he thought I was trying to curb his dreams and ambitions by creating another to take his place? I didn't realize that he thought I was replacing him; fixing my "mistake".
I couldn't have known. I didn't know my son. My son didn't know me. At the time the words, "Like father like son," appeared bitterly in my internal monologue. I should have gone after him, I should have explained myself but I figured I could do it later after Lore cooled off. Unfortunately, "later" never came.
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you comin' home son
I don't know when, but we'll get together then, Dad
We're gonna have a good time then
I never gave Lore the time he needed so now he has stolen away the last of it. As I lay here dying in Data's arms, I feel a delirious haze sweep over me. If I had been available for my son I doubt this would have happened. My son still emulates me and that is truly the tragedy: I should have taken the time to teach him myself, I should have stopped him from growing distant, I should have told him why I chose to leave Data without emotions….I should have placed him before my experiments, before my ambition, before my desire for respect and revenge. Instead, I modeled all the traits that make him the monster that he is today.
I always hoped that someday he would come home. That someday we could try again. But now I know, my son will never come home and now I will no longer be there to wait for him.
Elsewhere….
Lore smirked as he thought of a stupid human tune; he paused a moment at the irony of it and then began to hum…
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you comin' home son
I don't know when, but we'll get together then, Dad .
You know we're gonna have a good time then…..