Chapter 2
It was late when the android got home. He had been out helping Piper and, although he had a clock, always knew the time, he had ignored it and pretended to lose track. "Father, mother I'm home!" He said looking around. As he set his stuff down and walking into the kitchen, grabbed an apple, although he didn't need to eat, and then went up to his room. As he walked in, he took a bite and looked up to see Dr. Soong sitting on his bed.
"Lore this stealing has to stop, and it's going to stop now," the scientist said deciding it was best to get straight to the point. "I … I haven't been stealing, haven't stolen anything!" Lore snapped back, growling as his mouth twitched. Noonien rolled his eyes as he stood up. "Computer open closet!" The scientist snapped, and at once all the stolen possessions that Lore had taken over the last couple weeks since his activation fell to the floor. There was everything from jewelry to school books and pencils, music boxes and graded papers. "This is all stolen and I know it is!" Noonien snapped picking up a small golden music box that played Hushabye Mountain, and looked up at Lore. "No! Piper gave that to me! That's mine!" The android snapped back pointing to the music box, but he knew his father didn't believe it by the look in his eyes. "Lore, baby you can't steal it's wrong," Juliana said standing at the door. "I didn't steal it!" Lore said, tears in his eyes that swelled then fell down his cheek as he walked out of his room and slid down the handrail before walking out the door.
Lore sat on the beach with a sigh, he was at least 15 miles from home, and he made sure to stay out of sight of anyone passing by. In the distance he could hear Tom Handy and his parents calling his name, but he ignored it. Biting his lip, the young android picked up a rock and lay down on the sand looking up to the stars. He wanted to be with his mother, but decided against going home. He studied the rock before sitting up and throwing it into the lake, then lay back down looking at the stars, the breeze ruffling his bronze colored hair.
He stood up, putting his hands in his black jumper pockets and was about to leave when he heard a strange jingling sound come from a cave at the edge of the beach.
"Hello?" He called as he walked over and stood at the entrance of the dark cave, but there was no answer. He hesitated before walking in, his eyes automatically adjusted to the dark of the cave.
The android sighed. "I can hear you breathing," he called although the breathing was very faint. Whatever it was, he knew it probably couldn't answer. Walking around a corner, not far back into the cave, Lore could see a small being lying on the rocks. He walked over and knelt down next to it, or rather a her, a young girl with shoulder length white hair. Her eyes were, for a brief second, a faint lime green before irises appeared a beautiful ocean blue. He sighed and picked her up, noting that she was cold as ice.
"Are you alright?" The android asked as he sat down, hoping to warm the girl up a little. "I n-need e-energy from anything l-living," the girl mumbled weakly as she leaned against Lore's chest, and for the first time in a century, the girl felt safe. "There's a colony 15 miles from here filled with energy, I'll take you there. The colonists are envious and full of energy you can have," he replied cradling the weak child in his arms. "You … You're a … a?" She started to say, but couldn't think of the word. "Android," he replied softly finishing her sentence.
At her request, Lore obeyed and set the child down, staying close just in case she needed his help. As Lore took her hand, a small force locked around their wrists. The young android tried to pull away, but couldn't. He looked up to her face in horror, and looked straight into her eyes, which turned white, her irises disappearing leaving the room in a faint white glow. Lore's eyes did the same, although he didn't know why. Everything around him, except the girl, was cast in black shadows and white light.
Just as suddenly, the light in both their eyes turned a fiery red, filling the room with an orange glow. Lore wanted to close his eyes and turn away, but found that he couldn't move.
Fifteen minutes past before everything went back to normal or Lore wished it had gone back to normal. Instead, the android found that he could read the child's mind, heard every thought in her head. "Kairi, your name is Kairi," he said pointing at her, and then watched as she disappeared. "Wait?" Lore called, but it was too late, Kairi was gone.
/Oh no! / Lore thought as he stood up and looked around. /I'm still with you Lore. I have passed my power to you, use it as much as you can, for anything you want. / Kairi's voice called pulsing through Lore's positronic mind. All the thoughts running through his head, the android felt as if he'd known Kairi forever, for centuries, although he knew it wasn't possible. He knew where she came from, how many she had in her family, what she truly was, and he was no longer afraid of her, not that he'd really been afraid to begin with, only a little.
As the days past Lore's powers grew immensely strong every time he used them. Everywhere he went, the android could hear every thought from every colonist, could control their minds to make them do whatever he desired, and he could talk to his friend, Kairi, the crystal entity, telepathically.
The colonists were becoming more terrified of Lore, and he knew it, enjoyed their fear. Even seeing Lore in the streets alarmed them and sent them running to their homes, locking and closing the doors. The powerful android was very talented at hiding his enjoyment of scaring the colonists. Of course none of this helped the Soong family. Noonien found the more he tried to help Lore, the more damage it seemed to cause.
Lore waited until nightfall before leaving the house, using his telekinesis to unlock the harness, then walked out the door. Grabbing a bag, the android looked around to make sure there weren't many stragglers before walking into a random house. Instantly, he knew how many people were in the house and what they were thinking about in their sleep. There were three people there, the youngest was a 17 year old boy named Riley.
"Wake up call," the android whispered before walking into the boys room and put his hand over his mouth. "Shhh," he whispered as the boys eyes snapped open. The boy nodded and closed his eyes tightly, but Lore squeezed his hand causing the boy to give a painful moan. "Quiet, open your eyes!" Lore snapped as his golden irises disappeared so that only a faint white glow was left. The boy tried to look away, but he couldn't. In an instant, he felt his insides start to boil, literally. Everything in Lore's vision, a giant blur, even the boy. The his eyes went fiery red casting a fiery orange glow on the walls, and Lore stopped when the boy went limp before putting everything he could into the bag.
Next Lore moved onto the parent's room, repeating the same thing with the parents he had done with the boy. Once the family was dead Lore took anything he could fit into the bag, and then walked out. He was sure to make it look as if the family had died with a deadly sickness before leaving to return home. He stopped at a park and emptied the bag onto a picnic table to look at what he had stolen, seeing as he hadn't paid attention to what he took.
/Kairi what do I do with all this stuff, I can't take it home/ he thought examining a small diamond encrusted locket necklace with I love you Mom engraved in silver. Inside was a picture of the family that he had just used the power of the crystal entity on to murder. /I'm sending you a starship and a crew, they'll obey everything you say. To them you have been their captain for years, kidnapped during a mission. The name of your ship is the Legend, you'll know everything you need to when the time comes/ the crystal entity replied through telepathy. Lore sighed as he examined a strange glass ball with a weird looking animal cut on the inside. What about mother, he thought, although with this thought he shielded his mind from Kairi.
After reviewing everything, Lore set for home. It was almost two in the morning, 1:48 AM to be exact. With a sigh, Lore slung the bag over his shoulder. /They're still three days from Omicron Theta/ Lore thought back biting his lip as he walked home. /Just try and hold in there my pet, you'll be fine. / Kairi said in his head. Lore nodded, although he wasn't so sure about the whole thing.
Back at home, Noonien and Tom Handy were arguing about Lore. "This has to stop Noonien. Lore's out of control and you know it, he's emotionally unstable!" Tom said shaking his friend lightly, but he could tell the cyberneticist didn't believe him. "The only problem Lore has is stealing, and believe me Tom, I'm working on it!" He snapped as Tom growled. He knew Noonien Soong could be stubborn when it came to his work.
"Everyone's been talking, and they told me to tell you something … something important…" He stopped and looked at Data; there was still a long of work to be done on the android. "The city council said that I have to tell you to either shelf Lore or they'll destroy him themselves. You decide which one you want for your son!" The man snapped before walking out into the deserted looking town.
/Tell me my pet, how do I return to Omicron Theta, send me the coordinates/ the crystal entity thought to Lore. The android tilted his head and stopped as he thought about the coordinates. /Did you get all that? Sorry everything flashes by so quickly, but I am a machine/ Lore thought tilting his head in the opposite direction. The crystal entity replied through telepathy with the same jingling sound he had heard in the cave. It was meant as a grateful gesture. /There is one thing I request Kairi, one of the colonists here, her name is Piper. I ask that you leave her to me, please. Like you she is my friend./
Noonien had finally decided, although it had taken some time. He couldn't bear losing another child, but he also knew that it was wrong and horrible parenting to let Lore get away with such reckless behavior. "We have to, I don't know what else to do here," he said apologetically to his wife. There were tears swelling in Juliana's eyes, then fell in a stream down her face. She bit her lip and nodded, although she didn't want to lose Lore either, she couldn't let Lore get away with such behavior as well.
It took a while for the crystal entity to respond, but she agreed as Lore thought of Piper, how beautiful she was. /Ooohh she is lovely, / Kairi thought. Lore gave a light smile as he walked home, kicking a small pebble as he walked up the walkway.
When Lore got home that night, after telling the crystal entity how to get back to Omicron Theta, he walked into his room and sighed. The android wasn't surprised to see his father sitting on his bed. "You're thinking of taking me apart," the android said as he set the bag down. "Sorry Lore, but you leave me no choice. You promised your mother and me that you'd stop all this stealing nonsense and sneaking out. All you've done is make it worse." Noonien snapped. "And I can bet that the bag is full of stolen objects. One more thing, where'd you get these strange powers anyway? I know for a fact I didn't give them to you!"
Lore sighed trying to think of what to say. /Now what? / He thought waiting for the crystal entity to answer, but there was no reply. "I can't explain it really, I just … just have them," he said shrugging his shoulders and looked at the floor, purposely avoiding eye contact, avoiding his father seeing the tears in his eyes. "Please don't do this father, think of mother. It'll destroy her; she's … still soar about losing B4!" The android replied, growling when his mouth twitched, as Juliana walked in, her eyes and cheeks swollen from crying.
The cyberneticist shook his head with a sigh. Lore had been the fourth android to fail, well at least the second to actually live, in a way. "Sorry Lore, but perhaps I'll be able to fix you someday boy," he said as Juliana and him stood over Lore's dissembled body. "We still love you darling, we're sorry!" Juliana called before running out of the room, Noonien sighed and followed slowly. "I promise I'll fix you someday."
