Chapter 1: Gone

Geordie La Forge sat at his position in engineering attempting to fix the multiple errors on the computer. If it wasn't for the immediate need for his attention he would be sitting in Ten Forward right about now, drowning his sorrows in a glass of synthahol. His best friend was gone. Forever. And he didn't even have time to grieve because of his duties. Sometimes he hated being in charge.

The crew had had a small gathering in the Captain's quarters the previous day but it somehow felt too brief, too quick a way to say goodbye. Data had been Geordie's best friend for as long as he'd been on the Enterprise and he wasn't going to forget him so soon just because he wasn't human.

"Bridge to La Forge", it was the Captain's voice.

"La Forge here".

"Could you report to the main bridge ASAP, I have an assignment for you".

"Acknowledged".

Geordie stepped out of the turbo lift onto the main bridge where the Captain, Commander Riker, Worf and Counsellor Troi were standing with Data. No, not Data, B-4. The android they had found on the planet in the Kolaran system.

"Geordie", the Captain stepped forward, "I would like to assign you to the duty of showing B-4 the ships systems; tell him our protocols and anything else he might need to know in order to work comfortably on the Enterprise".

Geordie shifted on his feet slightly and looked at B-4 who stared back nonchalantly, "With all due respect Sir, I don't think I'm ready to be around another android so soon".

B-4 tilted his head to one side, "Do I make you uncomfortable Sir?"

Geordie sighed, "A little. You just look so much like Data. It's just a little soon".

B-4 frowned slightly, "Soon Sir? How long would be sufficient to mourn the loss of the other android?"

Riker placed a hand on B-4's shoulder, "I don't really think you can put a time limit on these sorts of things".

B-4's eyebrows rose, "Ah, I see. Because I bear a resemblance to the other android it is difficult to be around me. Should I leave?"

A small smile spread across Geordie's face, "No. No, it's fine. I'll give you the tour, come on".

~ o o O o o ~

Fzzzt! Fzzzt!

What was that noise?

Fzzzt!

He sat bolt upright with one fluid motion. Fzzzt! Sparks shot from the side of his head as he tried to remember where he was and what he was doing. He couldn't. He stood up, a little shakily as his right leg was almost exposed down to the wire, and looked around. He seemed to be on a planet, not unlike Earth. Grass covered the ground like a large blue carpet and trees fanned out around him in a large, lazy loop.

He stood for a moment trying to process any malfunctions or errors but he was in need of immediate repair. Something pale caught his eye; it lay in the grass about ten feet away like a large dead fish. He walked over and picked it up. It was an arm, his left arm to be precise. It had been torn from the elbow and various wires and fluids dripped from where it was ripped.

"Hey, you!" A voice came from the East, getting closer, "Hey!"

"Greet- Greet- Gr-", he couldn't find the right words to say, they seemed to be stuck in a loop in his circuits. He twitched slightly as the owner of the other voice came forward.

It was a small boy aged around eight. His eyes widened as he took in the stranger's appearance, "Wow. You must be the robot! Data right?"

Something clicked. Data, that was it. That was his name. He remembered that much at least. Another spark shot from his head as he nodded in response.

"Boy oh boy, Papa actually did it! He saved you from that ship!" The boy stepped closer to Data and held out his hand, "I'm Tim".

Data's head clicked to one side for a moment and he looked down at the boy's hand. He held out the unattached arm and the boy laughed as he shook it vigorously.

"Come on! Papa will want to see you. Maybe he can fix your arm too", Tim turned and rushed off the way he had come, Data followed clumsily, his right leg dragging slightly behind him.

They arrived at the village a short while later; small wooden houses circled a large stone well in the centre of the village and a few market stalls leaned lopsidedly inside the circle. Tim gestured towards one of the smaller houses and Data stepped inside. It was dark inside, lit only by a few electrical bulbs hanging naked from the wooden ceiling.

"Well look at that!" A short, stocky man aged around fifty stepped from the shadows with a look of awe on his face, "It worked! My transporter beam really worked!"

Data frowned, confused, "What am- Where- Wh-", a few more sparks fizzled from the side of his head.

"Oh do excuse me", the short man wiped his hand on his tunic and held it out before drawing it back a little embarrassed, "My name is Sando and this is the planet Unat. Our short range sensors detected your life force on that ship and well, I couldn't resist having a look at you. It seems I was just in time too".

Sando stepped forward into the light and placed a warm hand on Data's face, he peered into the circuitry that continued to shoot blue sparks, "I think I can fix this. Our technology isn't anywhere near as good as where you come from but I think I can improvise here", he looked towards the arm Data was holding, "I don't know about this though, it looks pretty damaged".

Data frowned and looked around, "I. Must. Leave. N- Now".

Sando pursed his lips and placed his hand on Data's shoulder, "There's no rush. I'll fix you up and then we'll see what's what okay?"

"Please. I need re- repair-".

"Yes yes, I know. I'll repair you, don't you worry", Sando pressed down on Data's shoulder so that he was forced to sit, "You can't leave Data, don't you understand? Your technology could change our lives forever. You can't deny us this chance to step into the future. We need to study you, to understand how your circuits and motors function. You're going to save us from poverty, from starvation. We need you Data".

Sando smiled widely and stepped into the other room, leaving Data to sit silently, contemplating his future on this desolate planet. Alone.

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