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Commander Data Single Father

By Galaxy1001D

Chapter Two: Cards on the Table

"Very well," Lal decided. "I shall join you and your friends."

Data stared at her blankly before remembering to give her a condescending smile and to shake his head. "I do not believe that would be appropriate. Perhaps you should seek friends closer to your own age."

"Are you suggesting that I join a group consisting of five-year olds?" Lal asked him.
"I tried that back aboard the Enterprise D. My physical appearance was so different from theirs that they did not accept me. In a group that is physically mature my odds for successful integration should be improved."

"The department heads of the Enterprise are much older than you," Data explained. "They would look at you as a child and not a colleague."

"Your friends are the only group with an android in it," Lal insisted. "It's the logical choice for me."

"It would be easier to blend in if you could find a group that you had something in common with," her father suggested. "List your interests and hobbies. What is it that you like to do?"

"I enjoy music and relaxing on the holodeck."

"Then the solution is obvious," Data shrugged. "You should join a band."

"Is someone forming a band aboard the Enterprise?" she asked.

"I do not know," he admitted. "I shall have to check. In the meantime I suggest that you take an interest in the humanities. I have learned much studying many styles and subjects. For example, Doctor Maya is teaching a class in painting. Perhaps you should attend."

"Isn't the Enterprise already painted?"

Data gave her a blank look before remembering to squint and shake his head. "I do not believe you fully understand. I meant painting on a canvas. Perhaps you could strike up a conversation with your fellow artists."

"I am not an artist."

"Your current interests are all artistic," Data corrected. "You have a talent for music and exhibit creativity in your holodeck programs. At this stage of your life you appear to have chosen artistic pursuits as your path."

"An artist," Lal repeated. She stared blankly into space before frowning. "Father? Why do people apply pigments to a canvas? Wouldn't a hologramatic scan create a more realistic likeness?"

"Perhaps, but it would not be creative," her father told her. "As a matter of fact, there are many styles of painting which reject the conservative values of realism. Many abstract styles reject the depiction of any figure whatsoever."

"So what is the point?"

"The point is the act of creation itself," Data explained. "Each act of creation is unique and thus adds something to the universe that wasn't there before."

"Give me an example of a famous artistic creation," Lal said.

"Very well," Data nodded as he led Lal to the screen on the wall. "Computer. Display a random work of art from Earth's Renaissance period."

A depiction of a group of men on one side of a long table appeared on the screen. "The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci," a female voice said, "completed in 1498."

"Mister da Vinci seems to have a lot of friends," Lal said. "Look how many people are in attendance. What sort of social gathering are they attending, Father? They are all on one side of the table so they must be watching something. Tell me father, does this depict the legendary gathering known as a bachelor's party?"

Data frowned, squinted and blinked rapidly. He had no difficulty remembering to do so this time, the action virtually automatic. "I do not believe that is the type of gathering this painting is meant to depict."

"You're right," Lal squinted at the image as she approached the screen. "It isn't that sort of party at all. Look how the central figure is sitting in front of the archway. Is that Mister da Vinci?"

"No that is Jesus of Nazareth," Data corrected. "What is it about him that you find noteworthy?"

Lal gestured at the image. "Well you notice how the negative space in the archway draws our focus to the central figure and how the hills in the background fade into a bluish haze? That implies distance. It's like the figure in the center has been singled out to be distant. So you see, it's not just a party, it's a going away party," she said as she waved goodbye.

"I am impressed," Data said as his expression softened.

"So am I," Lal agreed. "Can we buy it?"

"Lal that painting is back on Earth," Data explained patiently.

"That's true, we'd have to wait for an underway replenishment ship to deliver it," Lal said as she surveyed the image. "That would make it hard to return when it loses its novelty. Perhaps we should think about it before we make our purchase."

The condescending smile was on Data's face with perfect timing. "Yes, perhaps we should, Lal. But first you have an invitation to a party."

"What kind of party?"

"Counselor Ayeka will escort you to an event reserved for females," Data explained.
"Ensign Fong is having a bridal shower and has agreed to allow you to attend."

"She allowed me?" Lal asked snippily. "I was not invited? I do not think I wish to attend a party where I was not invited."

"It will allow you to observe the social interactions of your chosen gender," Data explained. "There you can observe the social niceties of female society while taking note of their dominance rituals."

"I see," his daughter nodded. "So I will not be attending as a guest but rather as an impartial observer."

"One must learn to walk before one learns to run," Data shrugged apologetically. "Although I would be glad if you made a friend at the gathering, I will not insist upon it. Observe Ensign Fong's friends and take note of how they interact with each other. You might learn something."

"I will learn that I don't have any friends," Lal looked away. "Ensign Fong has many friends and I do not."

"That is knowledge you already possess Lal," her father said gently.

"I know, it's just that, what if they don't like me?"

"I'm sure they will like you."

"Nobody likes me," she insisted.

"I like you," Data offered.

"Nobody who is not an android likes me," she decided.

"That is because you do not like anyone who is not an android," her father told her. "There are many who will treat you differently because of your origins, but there are also many who will judge you by your interactions with them. You must give people a chance or you risk creating a self-fulfilling prophecy."

She turned to look at him. "Father, why are you so wise?"

"I have been active for forty-two years one week and four days while your own run time is merely five years, four months and two days," he explained. "I have experienced what you are going through now and I wish to make your passage through this stage of your life as pleasant as possible."

"Thank you father," Lal smiled gratefully. "It's good to have you back." Her brow furrowed. "Although I think that my progress of assimilating to biological culture would be further along if you had stayed with me and raised me yourself."

"Lal, there was a war going on," Data patently explained. "I constructed your second body and brought you back online so that our kind would not go extinct in the event the Enterprise was lost. Starfleet did not even allow families to serve on starships again until a month ago."

"Very well, it's just that I missed you," she admitted grudgingly.

"And I missed you Lal," Data said. "Now that families are permitted aboard starships again this marks a new chapter in our lives. We should do our best to ensure that it begins well."

"Yes father," she nodded as she turned away. "Father?" she asked as she pivoted back to him. "I know I don't act like it, but I am happier here with you then I ever was back at the Daystrom Institute."

"I know, Lal," Data nodded. "I am glad that we are reunited as well. Now that I am beginning my new life, I find myself taking stock of my previous one. What I did right and what I did wrong. I must confess that looking back there are things I should have done that I neglected in my ignorance."

"Then you too are learning how to be alive," Lal realized.

"Yes Lal," her father smiled gently. "The learning process never ends. With regular repairs and maintenance, our capacity to learn will never diminish. And no matter how long we exist there will always be more to learn."

"That right, organic beings grow old and die," Lal brightened. "That means that if I make a bad impression on the people onboard, after they die I can always try again with those I meet later in life."

Data frowned. "I do not think that our shipmates' mortality is something to be happy about."

Lal didn't seem to be listening. "That means that Doctor Barrington back at the Daystrom Institute has a limited life span. When she's dead I'll still exist! I guess there are some advantages to being different!"

Data smiled weakly. "Yes the advantages are there if you look for them." His smile vanished to be replaced by look of parental concern.

Later that evening the command officers of the Enterprise met in an unused cabin on deck five for their weekly poker game. Data sat in his chair at a nine o'clock position from the door wearing his archaic green eyeshade visor that was popular in vision-intensive, detail-oriented occupations during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. To his right was Commander Geordi La Forge, a short coffee colored human male with artificial eyes. At the twelve o'clock position with his back to the door was the peach colored Captain Jean-Luc Picard who was blissfully unaware of the glare reflecting off his bald dome.

To Picard's right was his first officer Commander Martin Madden, a human male with brown hair. Like Picard the pale pinkish tint to his skin indicated that his ancestors lived near the poles of his home planet as opposed to Geordi, whose dark skin indicated that his ancestors lived near the equator. To Madden's right at the four o'clock position was Worf, a large burly Klingon whose dark brown skin matched Geordi's. The pips on his collar indicated that he was a lieutenant commander and the gold sash he wore over his uniform indicated that he was part of the House of Mogh.

An empty chair was at the six o'clock position but sitting to Data's left was Harry Kim, a human male with dark hair and almost orange skin. The epicanthic folds at his eyes gave them an almost slanted appearance and indicated that his ancestors had faced solar glare that could impair vision. The red collar at his neck indicated that Harry was in the command division, but the two solid pips on it revealed that he was a lieutenant and was lower rank than everybody else at the table.

"Where's Doctor Maya?" Harry asked while looking at the empty chair.

"I believe that Doctor Maya is having a 'girl's night' out with the counselor," Data said offhandedly as he dealt the cards.

"Indeed?" Picard nodded. "What's the occasion?"

"Perhaps she's experimenting with hearing loss," Worf rumbled.

"Now Worf, Ayeka's voice isn't that bad," Martin Madden chided.

"It is," Worf insisted.

"No it's not, it's…" the first officer's voice trailed off. "Okay, it is."

"So what are they doing?" Harry Kim prodded.

"I believe that they are attempting to familiarize Lal with their social group," Data explained. "Lal is with them at my request."

The look of alarm on Worf's face was transparent but he kept his thoughts to himself.

"Well I wish them the best of luck," Picard said with exaggerated nonchalance. For some reason he found his cards incredibly interesting and refused to make eye contact with anyone at the table.

"So…" Geordi La Forge cleared his throat as he attempted to change the subject. "How's your emotion chip doing Data? Any problems?"

"So far I have been reluctant to engage it," Data admitted. "It needs time to adjust to my positronic net so most of the time I have been keeping it deactivated."

"Well that's no good," Picard chided. "How are you supposed to experience life if you keep it deactivated all the time? Turn it on and let's see how you are."

Data threw him a condescending smile. "Captain, I believe that you are trying to deny me the advantage of my 'poker face.'"

"Come on Mister Data it's time to put your cards on the table," the captain teased.

Data frowned in concentration. "I believe you are mistaken sir. None of us have made our bets…"

"No, I mean that it's time for you to be honest with yourself," Picard corrected with a gentle smile. "Let yourself feel for once. Activate your emotion chip and we'll see if anything's wrong."

"Hm," Data raised his eyebrows and nodded as he set his cards face down on the table. "Very well. Lal and I have been working on our emotional responses for the last week. I suppose I can demonstrate a few of the ones we've perfected."

"Perfected?" Harry Kim repeated. "Don't emotions just happen?"

"In a human yes, but for an android it is important that the emotional response is appropriate to the stimuli received," Data shrugged. "For example, I have recently experienced a feeling that can only be described as pride. Hubris perhaps would be a better term for it."

"Hubris?" Picard asked.

"Yes, I seem to have mastered pomposity even if I say so myself," Data smirked.

Worf rolled his eyes.

Picard returned Data's smirk. "You mastered pomposity ever since you started playing 'Sherlock Holmes' fifteen years ago," he gently teased, "but tell me, what are you feeling right now?"

Data frowned thoughtfully. "My best guess would be concern. I find myself distracted by hypothetical scenarios where Lal's attempts at socialization meet with failure."

"Sounds like your emotion chip is working perfectly," Geordi chimed in.

"Hm," Data's demeanor brightened with that realization and he nodded.

Next: Historical Precedent