Chapter 2
Data held up his violin, examining it carefully. He traced his left hand across it's surface while holding it by the neck with his right. He felt for any chips, cracks or flaws, but found it undamaged and in it's original pristine state. He plucked each string and made some adjustments with the keys until he was satisfied with the tuning. Gently he placed the violin in it's accustomed location on his shelf, surrounded by his few prized possessions. It's neighbors on the shelf were on odd collection. There was a large horn shaped pipe and a deer hunter hat A small collection of books lay there in a neat stack. They were primarily detective novels, particularly those written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his stories of the great Sherlock Holmes.
Data picked up the violin's bow next and spent some time examining it. He picked up a small round cake of rosin and rubbed the bow across it's side. Once he had applied the rosin, he pulled out a cloth and rubbed it down the bows length. Again he picked up the violin, walked across the room and seated himself in a straight backed chair in the middle of his sparsely furnished quarters
"Computer," Data said, "please provide full orchestral accompaniment for first violin. The piece is Rossini's La Gazza Ladra Overture."
Data chose this piece because he was intrigued with Rossini and thought him a perfect example of humanity's seemingly limitless capacity for creativity. The android accessed the profile of Rossini and was fascinated to discover a very interesting story regarding the writing of the overture of this opera semiseria. It was said that the producer locked Rossini in a room only a day before the production was to open. Rossini wrote the overture in this time apparently tossing the pages out the window for the copyists. Data thought this a testament of the amazing resourcefulness of the human race. They always exceeded any perceived expectations.
Data tucked the violin under his chin and touched the bow to the strings. The music began, softly at first. Data began to play with an expertise that matched a master violinist. His bow danced gracefully across the instrument like the fluttering of a birds wing. As the music progressed, the complexity and demand on first violin grew. Data worked with the precision of an athlete performing a series of perfectly choreographed moves. The music swelled to a spectacular crescendo, and the final rigorous demands of first violin arose with it.
A human observer would have felt the mirthful spirit at the beginning of the piece and the darker undertones towards the crescendo. Data did not feel these things of course. He did not feel anything. He performed the physical function of emulating specific violin masters, but could not feel the passion a human feels when engaged in such a creative process. The closest thing to emotion that Data felt was curiosity. Perhaps that is why he was so drawn to the pursuit of all aspects of human creativity in regards to the arts. What is the source of human creativity? Why does music move them so deeply? How does music evoke feelings such as joy or despair?
The piece ended and Data thought he might move on to Beethoven. Life on the Enterprise for the ship's Second Officer was always intriguing. Even these moments when he was off duty and in his quarters, he was constantly pursuing his many interests which aided his ability to understand the human experience.
Data's communicator sounded, "Lt. Commander Data to the Bridge." He acknowledged the request and then the android gently placed his violin back on the shelf and exited his quarters, his door sliding shut with a quiet swoosh.