"Sir, I checked everything I could think of and compared those readings to the scans Data took last night. I didn't find anything unusual," Geordi told his superiors.
The android shuffled his brows affirmatively. He had reached the same conclusion.
"What about your dream program, Data?" Riker asked. "Could that have been triggered somehow? After all, what you experienced sounds very much like a dream."
"Nightmare more like," Commander Lombardi chimed.
"Agreed. The imagery was disturbing," said the android, turning his chair towards the men. "But I am confident that it was not a dream. I ran a complete diagnostic. I have also forgone activating the program in several weeks. My internal chronometer, sub-processors, and visual circuitry are operating normally. Everything that I have examined suggests that the experience was real."
Cupping his armrests, Lombardi leaned back and observed the table. Riker studied the senior officer thoughtfully. The spacedock's aging Commander was nearing retirement. He was unaccustomed to eventful mornings beyond a late night scuffle or unscheduled repair. More importantly, the Operation's sub-Chief, Yules, was unable to verify Commander Data's findings. It wasn't that he didn't believe him. He simply didn't know what to do.
"Is it possible that the lighting failed?" he jokingly suggested.
Data hesitated. Sarcasm was still the holy grail of humorous and condescending communication. Although he was better at recognizing it, determining an appropriate response was often very difficult.
"Sir, I am reasonably certain that what I observed was not a result of failed lighting. The lighting in my location would suggest that the systems were functioning at the time. It also had no impact on the darkness. It was impenetrable - akin to a black hole without the gravitational effect. It was as if the corridor was being consumed by nothingness," the android explained.
"But it receded. That's when you opened your eyes and saw Ensigns Potts and Tal-Mae, right?" Riker clarified.
"Yes, sir. That is correct. Only, I was unaware of their presence until I heard someone address me."
Smiling a bit, "Then you were hallucinating ," Lombardi said.
Wil frowned. He didn't care for the assumption that Data's intel was unreliable. It was very likely that he was incapable of hallucination.
"Commander – sir, "Riker began. "I trust that Lt. Commander Data saw something."
"But the evidence," said Lombardi, gesturing halfheartedly. "... doesn't support that claim. Not a single member of my crew or yours witnessed it! The computer indicated nothing unusual and the residual scans from this morning have turned up zilch. It appears that Commander Data saw a ghost!"
It was now Geordi's turn to frown. Lombardi wasn't taking the situation or Data seriously.
"Sir," said Data, politely raising his finger to object. "The standard model for the ghost phenomenon is defined as the disembodied soul of a dead person believed to be an inhabitant of the unseen world. I have found this hypothesis to be unfounded, given the visual ambiguity, nature, and untestable conjecture it requires. That said, I am confident that what I experienced last night was not a ghost. Nothing about the experience fits any known concept."
Riker's frown twitched into a faint grin. Leave it to Data to point out the obvious.
"Thank you, Commander, but I was being facetious," Lombardi replied, seemingly less amused. "I only meant that without any evidence or leads how do we proceed? That is why we're here, isn't it? To launch an investigation?"
Data shared a glance with his shipmates.
"I agree, Commander," said Riker. "We don't have much to go on right now. Still, I think it only prudent that Mr. Data and La Forge be allowed to pursue all avenues starting with a detailed examination of the corridor in question."
Commander Lombardi nodded.
"Very, well. Interview who you must and review whatever you like. You will have this facility's full cooperation."
"Thank you," Riker said standing. "Gentleman, let us know what you find."
After the meeting, Data and Geordi returned to the corridor outside of Nook's. They scanned the walls, computer panels, and flooring thoroughly using tricorders, residual scanners, and specially designed frequency monitors to detect discrepancies. Over the course of several hours, they reviewed chronometer readings, particle fluctuations, and examined the surrounding matter for molecular variances but found nothing; nothing that would indicate anything had changed. If the hull of the corridor had vanished, it seemed unlikely that it would've rematerialized in the exact same fashion. Even transporters skewed patterns. Whenever someone or something was transported, it rematerialized with a .0000002 variance.
"Data, I just don't get it," La Forge sighed. "We've scanned every fiber - every micron of this hall and I still don't see anything!"
"I am forced to agree," he replied, lowering his tricorder.
The android appeared somewhat disappointed that their investigation had proved fruitless. He was convinced that what he experienced was real, but the lack of evidence suggested otherwise. This resulted in an equally pressing question. Had he malfunctioned?
"Commander Lombardi may have been correct," Data reluctantly admitted. "Maybe it was a trick of lighting."
"C'mon now. You don't really believe that," Geordi told him. "I like Lombardi – most people do, but he's a cushion jockey. He wouldn't know a real anomaly if it bit him on the foot!"
"Cushion jockey?" Data repeated.
Geordi chuckled.
"I only meant that he's a caged lion – used to easy living. He's not an explorer! But in his case, it's understandable. I mean ... the man is what – 87? He hasn't worked aboard a starship in 33 years! Even then, he surveyed planets for colonization," he pointed out. "Frankly, Lombardi strikes me as a little out of touch. When Captain Picard was here last month, he said the Commander was going to retire around the commencement of the new Enterprise. Honestly, that's probably a good idea."
Data nodded. Perhaps, it was time for the aging Commander to step down, but he wasn't sure if he agreed with Geordi's analysis of him. His service record indicated that he worked alongside many distinguished scientists and helped to pave the way for several aspiring officers. Rather than accept a post at Star Fleet Command, Lombardi opted to serve out the remainder of his career aboard Alpha. He seemed to enjoy life among the stars. He wasn't an adventurer in the truest sense, but he had served the uniform well. Furthermore, not wishing to accept his observation at first mention suggested a certain respect for the scientific method.
"Look who's coming," Geordi grinned, alerting Data to the attractive waitress stepping off the turbo lift.
Data's eyes flickered pleasingly.
"Good evening," Geordi waved, drawing a small smile from the woman. "Starting a new shift?"
"Yep. It's about that time," she said. "What are two elites like yourselves doing out here? Don't tell me that Lombardi has you repairing conduits!"
"I experienced something very strange last night. We are here to investigate," Data answered.
Zoe swelled with interest.
"Really?" she said, walking over. "What happened? Was it after I left you?"
Smiling, Geordi turned to his friend. He hadn't mention that part.
"Yes," said the android, ignoring Geordi's curiosity. "It happened right afterwards. I was alone in the corridor when suddenly a void appeared. It consumed everything."
Zoe made a show of looking around.
"Well, whatever it was sure didn't hang around! Everything looks fine. The floor and walls are still here; no missing bulkheads. That's always good. How did you escape?"
Data paused. He deduced that Zoe was teasing him, but proceeded anyway.
"I did not. The anomaly closed in on my position," he said, pointing to the area he had been standing. "Then consumed me as well. When I reopened my eyes, it was gone."
Geordi respected his friend's honesty, but maybe complete honesty wasn't the best policy in this situation. It was easy to see that the waitress was more amused than intrigued.
"Mm," she replied, teetering on a laugh.
The tone in her voice and the unmistakable glint in her dark green eyes drew a pang from the android, which prompted him to look away. He wasn't sure how to describe it, but he was calling it embarrassment; a dreadful type of self-doubt. Thankfully, he was incapable of blushing but that didn't stop his best friend from noticing his plight.
"Data did experience something," Geordi defended. "We just haven't been able to figure out what."
"Maybe the lights went out?" she casually suggested, much to the irritation of the engineer. "The station has been around almost thirty years! Something was bound to break eventually."
Before Geordi could respond, Data interjected.
"That is one possibility," he admitted. "But we have yet to verify what happened."
Zoe shook her head. Star Fleet's finest were all the same. They'd probably travel the quadrant in search of a specific needle in a specific haystack when the sewing kit was under their noses all along.
"Well, good luck. I hope you solve the big, bad mystery! As for me, I better go or I'll be late for my shift. Feel free to stop in for a drink if you're feeling up to it," she smiled, turning from the men as she spoke.
Intrigued, Data watched Zoe sashay into Nook's with hope in his eyes. He wasn't sure if her offer was genuine, but he was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he would take her up on that offer.
Geordi observed his moonstruck friend with a disbelieving grin. "Oh, you've got it bad. Really bad."
The android's face twisted into a puzzled expression.
"C'mon, Data! Can't you see it? You're completely smitten! I suspected something last night, but now I'm sure of it!"
Data dropped his chin and began plugging figures into his tricorder.
"I would not characterize it that way," he said.
"Oh, no? She practically laughed in your face and you just stood there like a starry-eyed cadet! I'm telling you. You-are-smitten! Don't get me wrong. She's pretty and quick on her feet. I only wish she was a bit friendlier."
Data's head shot up.
"You are mistaken, Geordi. Zoe is friendly. I am certain you would agree if you knew her better."
The assertion was met with a scoff. It was pointless to try and convince a smitten man, even an android, that his beloved was anything less than stellar.
"Just take my advice and be careful. A woman like that will chew a man up and spit him out!"
Data opened his mouth to say something, but paused. He valued his friend's input, but this time he didn't ask.
"I appreciate your concern, but I am in no danger of being chewed. While it is true that I … admire Zoe, she does not seem to notice. More importantly, I believe that I am an adequate judge of character. There is no cause for alarm."
Geordi surrendered with a nod. Naturally, Data was right. He was an excellent judge of character, more than capable of figuring things out on his own.
"Fine. I'll go along with that, but remember that love is both blind and blinding. Try to keep that harder-than-titanium head on straight and those superior eyes fixed on something solid," he said, nudging his friend. "Now, let's go back to the lab and see what we can dig up!"