Breakthroughs

by acmac

Starfleet officers activated him, and told him he was an android — nothing more than a sophisticated machine with human form. He found that difficult to accept. So he chose to believe that he was a person. And sometimes, others chose to believe it, too.

2. Once More, with Feeling

_o\O/o_

"Is it time yet?"

"Not yet."

Three minutes of silence.

"What about now?"

"Almost."

Five minutes of silence.

"What about now?"

"Shut up, kid."

Ten breathless, squirming minutes of silence.

"Now?"

Noonien Soong didn't answer; he was holding his breath, too. He made one final microscopic adjustment and closed the access port with a delicate nudge. He straightened and eased away from the upright construction cylinder, grimacing as he stretched. Then he nodded.

"Now."

He reached around and flipped the switch.

There was no hitch, no crude rattling; Soong's first attempts had stumbled and sputtered like antique fuel-engines for days, sometimes weeks, after activation. Nor was there the slow, almost dreamy awakening of his first real success: the android who now stood beside him, speechless with awe.

Instead, this new model had snapped smoothly to attention and now held himself in perfect stillness, save for the flicker of his yellow eyes working to bring the two rapt faces before him into focus.

Soong reached to the side and put his hand on the shoulder of his elder creation.

"Well, Lore. Say hello to your baby brother."

_o\O/o_