Chapter Eleven - Nemesis
Harper's office was not a relaxing place, the next day. Sadie seemed to get into everything. Harper found herself laughing at the pup at least as often as she was scolding her, though. Data called to check on his 'baby' at 11:45, so Harper was able to slip away with said baby at lunchtime.
Harper went with Janet to purchase a leash, a dog bed and feeding bowls for Sadie at a pet store that allowed the recipients of the items to be with you while you shopped. The leash confused Sadie. Harper was so afraid that she would get away from her and get hurt or killed by a car (not something Harper would have wanted to see for many reasons) that she felt it was needed and was relieved to now have it. Harper and Janet talked about Friday as they drove back to work with bags of fast food and even some special treats for baby Sadie.
Data was glad the drive from his office to Harper's was short. When the workday ended, he was ready to see her and begin his real day. He did enjoy his Earth job, but it was not as...fulfilling as his career in StarFleet. His life here was...almost nothing like his life had been on the Enterprise. He was not challenged here as much in the area of intelligence, but he was emotionally challenged constantly.
He got out of the van and headed for Harper's office. He wondered at her office door being closed. Data's knock was quickly answered by the one voice that could fill him with desire. He grinned at the sight of Sadie bounding away from the door as he opened it.
"Look Sadie, it's daddy!" Harper said in a high-pitched voice that was reserved for talking to children or young animals. Harper came out from behind her desk and grabbed the puppy off the floor. Cooing at her, she headed over to Data. "See baby, here's daddy."
Data felt aches in places that should not be aching as Harper moved close enough for him to wrap his arms around her. He wanted a kiss, but Sadie was now fighting to reach him.
"Were you a good girl today, Sadie?" he asked the pup as he took her from Harper. The puppy's reply was a lick on his face and a whimper.
"She was a good girl, mostly, but she did have one accident. And it had to be on papers I needed. I was forced to write a letter asking for a second copy." Harper grinned and tickled the puppy under her new collar.
"She has on a collar. There is also a..."
"Tag. It has her name and your name and address just in case she gets lost. I also bought her the other puppy trappings." Harper pointed at the bed, bowls and the leash she had bought during lunch. Data looked surprised.
"How did you get all of these things? I had the van today." Data asked her, as though that was not the normal state of affairs. Data believe he had to protect Harper from being in a car wreck by driving, as his ability to avoid an accident would be superior to hers. It was the same for the showers he took with her to keep her from drowning in the bath.
"We went with Janet. She agreed to puppy-sit, by the way. She needed some things for her little monster too, so she didn't mind. Sadie's not sure about her new bed, but she stopped being afraid of it about an hour ago." Harper reached over and caressed his cheek warmly.
Dog? What dog? The thought went through Data's mind, but he was holding the squirming puppy, so it would be difficult to convince anyone he had forgotten her.
But the look in Harper's eyes...
"I missed you," he confessed.
"It's only been nine hours," she reminded him.
"Nine hours, thirty two minutes and seventeen seconds...way too long." He leaned over the puppy and kissed Harper lightly on the lips. Surprisingly, Harper chose this moment to take hold of his face with both hands and tease him... with her tongue, she lightly traced his lips. He tried to touch his tongue to hers, but she grinned and pulled away slightly, only to move back and kiss him deeply after a wink.
"Does this office have a lock?" he asked, putting Sadie down and grabbing Harper around the waist. "I think we will need it after that." His expression was very serious not to mention determined.
"You've got to be teasing! Here? Now! Jayden, the floor? We can't, there are windows, people will see even with the blinds." She had her hands on his chest, halfheartedly trying to fight him off, but the scent of him always made her weak.
"You are the one who was teasing. I have been reading the books you have on your bookshelf. You have books from one author that could be considered...romance." His eyes were quite suggestive.
Harper's eyes went wide. "You have to be kidding me! You read those? You stop right there! The first one I read of hers was more suspense and action with some romance. I didn't even realize that she was considered a romance novelist until later. I found the first one on the bookshelf at work one day and I was bored!" She looked very defensive.
"You could not have been bored while reading them. They are...I believe the proper term would be...steamy."
Harper laughed, nervously. "I was...now you listen to me, Mister, we are not having sex here! I only have three more days to be employed here, don't get me fired!"
"Your lips says 'no, no' but your eyes say 'yes, yes," Data said in a sultry voice that shocked her.
"You have been watching too much TV! And how many of those books did you read and when did you read them!?" She looked aghast.
"All that was on that shelf, meaning every book that was there. There were six of that author's books and I read them Sunday while you were at work. I do have a question. There was a passage in one of those and in one of the fan fiction stories were the woman was held down, or physically restrained in some way, yet she is not disturbed. Rather, both characters found it to be sexually stimulating. Does this have any basis in reality?"
~ I should have just closed the blinds and let him have me, ~ she thought. ~ It would have been a hell of a lot easier than explaining this. ~
She sighed heavily. "I'm not sure I can explain this to you, and I really don't think it's something we should talk about here." Reluctantly, Harper pulled herself out of Data's arms and began picking up Sadie's new items. She handed them to a confused Data. He sighed and allowed her to load him down with stuff, but decided he would not allow her to sidetrack him later.
Once they were home, Data took Sadie outside and Harper made herself a light dinner of salad and bread. She ate alone while Data played with Sadie in the living room. Data had changed clothes, which was fortunate as the puppy climbed all over him. He was lying down on the floor as he had seen Harper do once yesterday. Sadie seemed to love this. Data knotted a torn piece of the ruined chair and was using it as a chew toy for her.
"I do not understand how you see this piece of fabric as a threat, but you do seem to enjoy your attempts to intimidate it. No Sadie, you must not bite me. You could hurt Harper if you bit her, so you must not believe you are allowed to bite either of us. Good girl, Sadie. That is good. Bite the fabric. Do you suppose the lady of the house will ever join us? Is she hiding from us, Sadie?"
"I am not hiding!" Harper called from the dinette.
"She does not want to talk to me about the question I asker her earlier. But I must speak to her about it, though it may require that you go to sleep while she answers."
"I now think I know the dangers of introducing the joys of sex to an inquisitive android!" she called, sounding impatient.
"Then this is a joy?" His question caused her to groan with frustration. She stomped to the sink and rinsed off her dishes. Once done, she stomped into the living room with her hand on her hips.
"Are you trying to drive me crazy or is this a new talent?" she asked, exasperated.
"I believe that we had agreed that both of us were already...off kilter. Why would wanting to know more about the actions I described drive you crazy?" he asked innocently...sort of.
"You are not fooling me. You know this turned them on. What was the fan fiction you were thinking of? As I know which of the novels you are referring to." Harper moved into the room and Data came to his feet. Sadie looked disappointed.
"It involved 'Data' after Lore had kidnapped and used the chip on 'him'. I was not having sexual dreams at this time, but the writer of this story thought I was."
"I know the one you're talking about. I...I rather liked that one."
"It was-" he sounded shocked, but she interrupted anyway.
"-Hot!" she finished for him. "The thought of being forced into sex does not appeal to me, Data. But that is not what happens if you role-play and one partner is playing the dominant role. No pain, no crossing over lines that have been agreed upon before hand, and you stop if someone is uncomfortable. What about that sounds bad?" She could not believe she was doing this, but she walked around him with a suggestive expression on her face. She added a little sway to her walk and touched him with a finger on his chest, just once in a while.
"I cannot say any of it sounds...bad, however, I still am not certain I understand the difference between this and...forcing sex or rape?" Data really was confused now.
"Do you want to rape me, Data?" she asked evenly.
"NO!" he answered, sharply. "My ethical routines would not allow me to force myself on you, or any female." He sounded appalled. She nodded her agreement.
"But would you want to have sex with me right now?" she asked. "No waiting until after my shower, no worrying about Sadie or anything else...just taking what you want." Her tone was very suggestive. He was stunned.
"How is that not rape?" He seemed close to overload or something.
"Because I would be agreeing with it," she whispered in his ear. "Remember when you stayed in my room when Melody was here and you were having an erotic dream? I took advantage of that fact. I sort of forced you, but I was certain that I had your approval. Was it wrong, what I did to you that morning?" Data's breath caught at the remembered sensations of that morning. He had wanted her so intensely. Needed to feel her...kiss her...touch her...hear her tell him that she loved him. He needed this now too. He felt the rush of desire take him. He reached for her, but hesitated. Data's ethical program was rearing it objecting head.
"Take me," she whispered. His ethical program suddenly ceased its objections. He grabbed her and pressed her body to his. How did she do this to him? She had such an unexplainable affect on him. He did not need sex. Why was it that it seemed as though he did when she was around? His kisses were hungry. He wanted to lower her to the floor, but snippets of their conversation yesterday and some this morning ran through his head.
Harper still believed that he wanted to marry her because of the insurance. He had to dissuade her of this notion. He pulled back from her.
"No, I am not proceeding with this correctly. I have read and heard of numerous marriage proposals and none of them were for exclusively logical reasons. I believed that you would not accept my proposal if I did not have a practical reason to support it, but I see now that I was mistaken. It seems since arriving here I have had more emotional situations to deal with than before. My success rate so far is low." Data caressed her cheek, running his hand back into her hair.
"I wish to become related to you due to my feelings for you. You mentioned thinking of us as a family, I wish for us to officially be one. Love is my motivation, Harper, not our finances." Harper smiled a pleased, but also knowing smile.
"I knew that, but it was good to hear you say it."
Data let out a sigh of release. She always seemed to be one step ahead of him, but she never made him feel inadequate. She just made him feel...human.
"I believe I am to formally request your hand. But your family should approve of me first. I will ask you again, once I have secured their acceptance." Data almost sounded as though he was bragging that he would easily gain her family's okay but he could be in for a surprise.
He kissed her again, but this time his kiss was more tender and gentle. Sadie found that 'mommy' and 'daddy' wanted little to do with her for a while and her instincts told her that she should not disturb them.
Later that evening, Harper called her mother back to verify that she, Jayden and Sadie would be arriving after midnight on Friday. Data and Sadie were watching TV, so Harper decided to play around on the Internet for a while. Her curiosity about the movie and whether Brent Spiner had been able to write Data out of the story was getting to her.
She had to know for sure.
It took some searching, but she found a new interview with Spiner that revealed it all.
Data dies!
Even though "her Data" was roughhousing with Sadie just five yards away from her, she covered her face with her hand. She fought back tears, because Data, her Data, would be alerted and want to know what was wrong.
Did he already know? Had he wanted to know?
Should she tell him?
Her head was hurting. Her fears that they would go to the theater together, but she would leave alone engulfed her again. The closer the day came, the more she thought about it. This was the first time in her life she was NOT looking forward to seeing something that involved Star Trek.
"Harper? Are you ill?" Data still had Sadie in his arms, but he was moving towards her. Fortunately she had already backed out of the interview, but was still on the board where it was posted.
"No, I'm not sick. I just have a headache."
He put Sadie down. "Can I get you some medication?" he asked, coming to her side. He was so sweet and thoughtful. So alive.
"No sweetie, I'm...fine." Her voice broke, but she tried to make it look like she was congested and just coughed.
"Are you aware there is a full disclosure interview with Spiner on this site, Harper?" he asked, indicating the screen of the computer. With clouding eyes, she nodded. "We knew it was what he wanted to do. He assisted in writing the script. He was bound to get his wish to see to his character's demise." He did not sound happy, but close to resolute.
"Why!? Why couldn't he just stop playing you? He didn't have to kill you off!" She burst into tears and stood to cling to Data.
"He is not necessarily me, Harper. The interview does state that 'Data' dies to save the Captain." He sounded like this was acceptable.
"Forgive me, love, but Picard is an old man who is past his prime. He had done his service to the universe, his time is over but yours is just beginning. First officer and then a captain yourself. There is no limit to what you could have done! If Spiner had just said, "Okay last movie, I'm done." It would have been fine. He's even saying that he could come back for the next movie to play B-4. What kind of sense does that make? He doesn't want to play an android who is supposed to be strong and young looking, but he will come back to play his twin like brother who looks just like Data? That's bull shit!" She was ranting and he could see that she was close to screaming.
"Perhaps we should not see the movie," he suggested.
Harper looked as though he had slapped her. If seeing this movie could cause Data's erasure from this timeline, she doubted her presence would affect it one way or another. She had to go with him and she knew he would go...sooner or later, he would go.
"No, I want to see it. I may not release your hand throughout the whole thing, and perhaps for days afterwards, but I think we should see it...together!" She said this firmly, but her voice was still threatening to break. He wrapped her up in his arms.
"Why is it that this is my demise, yet you are more upset that I?" he asked gently.
"We have switched around and you are now more crazy than I am. Sorry about what I said about Picard...I know you would give your life for him and he you, but I just happen to be in love with you so my views on this are very slanted."
Data chuckled. "I know." He pulled her closer to hug her. "If you met him you may not believe that the captain was past his prime. He has an indomitable will," Data added. Harper chuckled.
"Yeah, but Will's not going to be there anymore since he's getting promoted, so that won't help," she teased.
Data looked down at her and shook his head. "Tomorrow, we should go to the bookstore and find you a joke book," he chided back.
"Yeah, yeah, I need new jokes..."
As it turned out, they did end up in the bookstore. Friday they took Sadie to Janet's house and headed for the theater to buy the tickets. The movie was not set to begin for an hour and a half, so they went to get Harper something to eat. She was finished quickly with two tacos, so they headed for the book, music and movie store.
Harper was shocked to see the novel for the movie was already out. Data picked up some of the other novels and...read them.
"This never happened...nor did this...something like this happened, but the names, dates and circumstances were just slightly-"
"Lee!" Harper exclaimed, softly. She didn't want to use his 'given' or 'assumed' name since both of those would or could be recognized...there was a fan nearby. Harper came over to Data's side, with the book in her arms.
"You two going to see it?" The fan, a young man, about twenty-one, with dark hair and glasses, asked. He had a sharp eye and a nice smile, Harper noted.
"Nemesis? Yes, in twenty-
"We are going to the next showing. You?" She glanced at Data, giving him a look that left no doubt that he had to stop reciting the exact time. Data just stared at the book in her arms.
"Been thinking of nothing else for weeks. You're getting the book too, huh? Hope it's faithful. Some of them have taken liberties and others are just word for word rehashes." The fan had one of the novels that Harper had already read in his hand. Harper wrinkled her nose, unconsciously...she had hated the book, but she would not mention this to the guy. He might just like it...none of her business...
"I get them for clarity. If there is a line I don't remember, I have the book."
"You now have me, though," Data reminded her. She grinned.
"Yes, I guess that between the two of us, we should remember the whole movie." Her expression cautioned him against correcting her, but Data just rolled his eyes and tried to tug the Nemesis novel out of her arms.
"May I see the novel, please?" He asked politely.
"Not a chance. You'll read it," Harper admonished. He looked confused.
"Is that not the point of having it?" he asked. The fan grinned.
"Yes, but you will read it all right here. You are not going to read it just minutes before we see the movie!" Data furrowed his brow at her. The fan looked puzzled.
"He can read that fast, or do you mean skim?"
Harper shrugged. "He took a speed-reading course. He was top of the class. He can read a book in...minutes." She was insulting Data. He looked right at her and looked quite put out. She just sighed.
"Can I have the book?" Data asked again.
"No! Now is there anything you want to buy or are you just going to read everything here and lower this fine store's profit margin?" she teased. Data grinned.
"Has anyone ever told you that you look like Brent Spiner? Or Mr. Data?" the fan asked...Data. Harper made an effort to not react to the guy's question. She exchanged a quick glance with the android beside her.
"My friend, Harper, noticed that when we first met. However, I am not Brent Spiner. There have been reports that he had one goal in mind in his assistance in creating this movie. My goal would not have been the same." Data said, factually.
"I should say not!" Harper echoed vehemently.
"So, then you heard the rumors about Data's..." Both Data and Harper were nodding. "Death," the fan finished. "I'm Charles, by the way," he told them. Both of them had been named, so they did not offer their names again.
"I'm still really upset by the news, but he heard that 'Data' saves the captain and thinks that makes it okay. I'm not sure I agree. Have to see it first." Harper looked from Charles to Data and back.
"I know what you mean, Harper. Data's my favorite character. He rocked in 'First Contact'! The 'resistance is futile' line when he's about to break the coolant open was so cool! Well, almost time. Hope you guys enjoy the movie. Nice meeting you, bye." Charles waved and headed for the checkout counter with his book.
"You need to change your hairstyle, love. He was right. You look too much like...Data." Harper grinned up at him; Data just stared back at her. He leaned close to her ear.
"There is a very good reason for that," he said grinning.
"Yes, but you and I are the only ones who are supposed to know that," she scolded.
"And Melody," he added.
"Stop evading the issue. You look too much like a very beloved fictional character," she said exasperated.
"Fictional?"
They sat in the back of the theater. Charles saw them and waved from the middle of the theater. The lights soon went out and the previews began. Data was confused about these, as this was his first time in a theater.
The film finally began. It was...dark.
The wedding reception part was interesting, but the 'Data' on the screen seemed...unmoved.
B-4's discovery was fun, but the line 'I feel nothing...' delivered by Data regarding the other android being given all of Data's memories, gave two people in the back of the theater...pause.
Data's loss at the near end of the movie caused Harper to need tissues. Her companion handed them to her and put his arm around her shoulder. He whispered consoling words in her ear, but for some reason, his reassurances that 'he' was still here, did not lessen her tears.
During the brief gathering in Data's honor, Riker spoke of his first meeting with the android and the tune that Data had been whistling. Will could not remember the tune...but like many others in the theater, Harper could.
"Pop goes the weasel," she muttered.
"Correct. I am still unable to do the tune justice," Data whispered back.
The film ended and Harper jumped to her feet. Data was hard pressed to keep up with her race from the theater without pushing people aside. He did have to ask the pardon of many that he made his way past, though. He did not catch Harper until she was almost at the exit. He pushed open the door for her and took her hand to lead her to the van. Once he had opened the car door for his housemate, he pulled her to him. Harper sobbed against him.
"How could Geordi just let him go? Why was Data so reserved for the whole movie? What was that line about feeling nothing about? I have never seen the crowd so quiet at the end of a Star Trek movie and I have seen them all in the theater." She was close to hysterical. Data helped her into her seat. He closed the door and got in on the driver's side.
"I find it surprising that you had time to even notice the crowd's reaction. You left very quickly. Geordi took the actions he was ordered to take. I am his superior officer, Harper."
"But 'Data' was defying orders!" she argued.
"True, but he would still have to follow my orders." Since Data could talk and debate this with her and drive, he headed the car towards Janet's house to retrieve Sadie. "Will the book have the movie retold word for word or will there be differences?" Data asked her.
"Should be some differences. Some of the scenes that they deleted should be there, why?" She asked him.
"Please hand me the book. I am hopeful that it will explain some of our questions." During the next red light, Data read the book. He looked stunned and Harper asked why. Data handed her to book.
"Page 59. Open the book and read from "No, I do not mind." and read from there to the next page." Data instructed her.
"It says, "No, I don't mind." And it's supposed to be you saying it," Harper noted.
"I assume that is what is called a typo." Data did not smile at this. The vibes she was getting from him told her that he was decidedly unhappy. She read.
"What the Hell! The chip is ruined? But...it was mentioned in 'Insurrection'." Harper had just read a part of the book that stated that Data's emotion chip had been overloaded and destroyed by the Borg Queen sending more sensation than it could handle to Data.
Data glanced over at her. "I think we just found a significant difference in the timelines Harper. The chip is still in my head. I have emotions and I have mapped out what my father did to create it. If it were destroyed, Geordi and I could indeed recreate it. Once I decided that I wanted to keep the chip and continue using it, Geordi and I felt it was necessary to take steps to ensure that we understood it should another problem arise. We found the chip was intended to fuse to my neural net to prevent removal. We found out how to remove it, but I rarely turn it off. I believe...and Counselor Troi concurs, that my growth as an emotional being requires that I experience them."
Harper stared at the words on the pages of the book. "I can't believe they would even want to do this. Gene Roddenberry would have never wanted to steal Data's emotions from him once he was given them. This is...I can't...This is just wrong. The chip was mentioned in the last movie."
"Yes, I remember. The captain asked Geordi if the chip could be the cause of my malfunction and Geordi informed him that I have not brought it with me. This is also unlikely. Why would I partake of a mission and not even bring my chip with me? From what I understood of the originally assigned mission, emotions would not interfere. If emotions hampered certain efforts, I could have simply deactivated it. Leaving it behind serves no logical purpose." Data sounded like he was straining to make sense out of all of this. Harper could sympathize.
They arrived at Janet's house and collected Sadie, who was quite pleased to see them. Data spoke sweetly to the puppy and took her out for a quick visit before they began the journey to Harper's parent's house. Harper thanked Janet and hugged her a final good-bye.
"We'll miss you at work on Monday," Janet told her, sadness creeping into the woman's voice.
"I'll miss all of you too, but the rest will be good. Thanks again for watching Sadie."
"No problem. If you two want to go out again and need me, just call." The two women hugged and Harper left.
Several of this day's events were depressing her. The movie, the new revelation about Data's emotion chip, and her last day at work. This had been an emotional day and it wasn't over yet even if it was almost 11:00.
Once Sadie was safely in her travel cage, Data and Harper belted in and the trip began. Data handed his new cellular phone to her so she could inform her mother that they were on their way. Harper hated cell phones, but it was his money too...hell now most of it was going to be his...
The call completed, Harper relaxed into her seat looking like she was pondering...or brooding over the day. Thursday she had emptied her office so they would not take unneeded items with them to Alabama. The only things she had taken today were a few pens and a picture. The picture was of Jayden Soong. Harper had taken it a month ago. Data had been sitting on the couch when she came up to him with her camera and told him to activate his holo-disguise. He was wearing black jeans and a black silk shirt that Harper bought for him on her way home from work one day. Data was confused when she got the picture developed and then framed. He had no idea how she had taken it to work without his knowing, but he saw it on the corner of her desk one day when he had come to take her home.
He had paused at the sight of his framed image. He had looked at it when she picked up the picture at the store, but had not thought about what he had seen. In the picture, he was of course looking at Harper...and he looked happy.
"Okay sexy man, I want you to smile pretty for the camera for me. Show me those nice white teeth and those nice fake eyes. Too bad I can't take a picture of those eyes of sunshine, but that would cause too many questions." She had snapped the picture and he had been thinking of asking her about her comment, but he had not been given the opportunity.
"Harper," Data said now. "What is your opinion of my eye colour? Is it aesthetically displeasing?" he asked. She looked into his blue eyes.
"No, Blue is fine. I have blue...well gray, but they look blue if I wear something blue."
"No, you misunderstand. I was referring to my eyes, not Jayden's eyes."
Harper smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes...oddly. "I love you, Data. From the top of your overly perfect styled hair to your golden toes. Your eyes are part of you and I love them...the yellow ones, just fine. Why?" she asked. She sounded distant, even while telling him that she loved him, she sounded faraway.
"Overly perfect styled hair? You would prefer...messy?" he asked, confused and concerned.
"No, but a part on the side or even in the middle would not cause you to suffer from systems failure. I just think you need to work on Jayden looking less like Data. Why did they have to kill him? This truly does not make any sense to me. Sorry, changed the subject. I think I'm stuck in a feedback loop or something." She looked away from him and stared straight out the front windshield.
"I am not able to explain why the script for the movie was written as it was, other than to state that the authors felt it was a good story. I can agree in certain areas, but I do object to the assumed destruction of my chip before my own destruction-"
"Death." Harper corrected.
"I am a machine, the word-"
"I know damn well just what you are and I repeat-Death! You are a self-aware, growing, evolving mostly inorganic life-form. You are alive now. If you were not, that would be dead." She was angry. He was not sure if she was angry with him or still affected by the events in the movie.
He decided that he would let the matter go. If it made her feel better to hear dead instead of destroyed, it was a small compromise.
"Very well, then I remind you, Harper, I am not dead and I will meet your family with the exception of Melody, for the first time this weekend. Is there anything I should know to prepare for this meeting?" He hoped this would distract her. She was silent for a moment, thinking.
"Daddy loves trains. Mom loves cats. You and she have that in common. They both love Star Trek, but I love it more than them. Daddy introduced me to it, but I went further than he expected."
"I would not disagree with that assessment," he teased, affectionately.
She sighed. "Brinna and Brandon are not fans. Brin thinks I wasted my time even watching it. My writing had her completely disgusted with me." She still did not look at him and her voice was lacking her usual spark.
"I wish that you would continue your writing at times. I know you are tempted to work on them." He looked over at her, but she just shook her head.
"With you looking over my shoulder? Not a chance." She stated flatly.
"I could watch TV in the bedroom. Or take Sadie for a walk. I have been thinking of purchasing the supplies in order to resume my painting. I could give you some privacy so we are not 'attached at the hip' continually." He looked over and finally she returned his gaze.
"I'll think about it, Data. But since I'll be home alone more now, I may just work on them while you're at work and out of my hair." She tried a teasing smile, but she still missed the mark.
She slept for over two hours off and on during the trip. Data kept quiet and let her, since he was worried about her. Even in her dozing, she woke up regularly. Her sleep was plagued with upsetting dreams she told him once she gave up her quest for rest. They stopped to let her stretch her legs and give Sadie a break as well. Data tried to talk her into stopping somewhere for food, but she refused. She had not eaten her dinner well and this just added to Data's apprehension.
She remained silent for the remainder of the trip. Data worried in uncomfortable stillness.
The Ista household, home to Harper's parents, was dark when they arrived. Harper had a key, so she unlocked the door while Data saw to Sadie and tried to keep her from barking. Harper's mother was waiting for her in a recliner in the living room when she entered the house. The older woman woke and lifted her head.
"Good, you made it. Where's this mystery man of yours?" Marie Ista asked as her daughter came across the floor to hug her mother.
"He's outside, walking the puppy. You could have gone to bed, Madre." Harper hugged her and took in the familiar scent of home and her mother.
"I had to make sure you guys got here, didn't I? Turn on the light in the corner. I want to see this man when he comes in." Harper sighed, but moved to follow her mothers order.
Data came in the house seconds later. He was whispering words of praise to Sadie.
"You were a very good girl. You are a sweet girl, yes you are." He cooed over the puppy until he noticed that he was the center of attention. "Mrs. Ista, I assume?" he said, looking up.
"You got it. Jayden what was your last name again...tired," Harper's mother asked as he came into the room, still holding the puppy.
"Soong. I thank you for inviting me to stay in your home, Mrs. Ista. I hope the short notice caused you no inconvenience. I see that our late arrival has. I apologize."
Marie looked from him to Harper. "Is he always this formal?" she asked.
"Mostly. He will loosen up in a year or two, I hope. What room do we get?" She asked changing the subject.
"You get yours. He sharing?" her mother asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Yes, he is." She turned her attention to Data. "Let mom have Sadie, Jayden. We can bring in our things and then we can all go to bed. I'm wiped!" Data nodded and handed the puppy to her mother.
"Be a good girl, Sadie," he cautioned his pet before smiling sweetly at her and handing her down to Marie.
Marie found herself grinning at this exchange.
Harper's old room in her parent's house was larger than the one they had at home. The bed was a queen size, smaller then the one at home. Data liked the idea that this would mean less room for her to roll away from him at night. It had been hours since he had kissed her and suddenly he longed for one, but now was not the time.
They finished unloading the car, including bringing Sadie's travel cage to their room. The couple returned to the living room to find Sadie checking out the room and Marie watching her.
"She's a sweet little thing. Well, let's get some sleep. We can catch up in the morning when Daddy's up to hear too. Glad you got here safely. I look forward to getting to know you tomorrow, Jayden. Good night." The older woman nodded to them both and left the room.
In their room, Data and Harper pulled nightclothes out of bags and dressed for bed. Harper finally joined him in the bed and he could not suppress the need to kiss her any longer. He greeted her with hungry kisses. Kisses that spoke of need and desire. Love and passion. At first she seemed to respond, but all at once, she stopped him.
"I'm really tired, love. I can't tonight. I have to sleep." The sadness that had been in her eyes since the character of Data had leaped from the Enterprise to the Reman ship, sealing his fate, stared back at him. A thought occurred to him...she was mourning again. But this time she was mourning him.
He loosened his hold on her and she rolled over to face away from him. He wanted to again assure her that he was alive and here, but she knew this. Repeating it was futile. He wanted to hold her, but as his sexual response was still on automatic, he was reluctant to do so. He rolled on to his back. Sadie had been displaced by Harper's move, so she padded over to her master. The pup came to rest at his side, between them and went back to sleep with a puppy yawn.
Data analyzed his feelings about the movie with the additional information in the book overlaid in his mind. He thought of the exchanges that he had seen between his doppelganger and his friends' doubles. The moments between 'Data' and B-4 had also been interesting, yet impossible. The three prototype androids that had come before himself and Lore had never been even that functional. Data had spoken to his 'mother' extensively regarding her recollections on this subject. He felt that the information of what went wrong for his father would help Data avoid the same failure in the future. While Noonien Soong had not fully explained the failures to his wife, Juliana understood enough to make it clear to her son that the three prototypes had suffered failures that would make it impossible to even turn them on again...Just like his daughter Lal. They were gone, non-functional, as Harper would say...dead.
The scenes that followed the explosion of the Scimitar replayed in his brain. His friends reactions to 'his' loss...he wondered if they were really experiencing these feelings in his timeline. He had not exploded in a blaze of glory, but he was gone. Was time moving on for them? Moving on without him? He had no way of knowing. He glanced over at the still woman beside him. He knew that she was not sleeping, but was trying to convince him that she was. He knew that she was mourning his character's loss even thought she had the real thing. It must be confusing for her.
Harper had been emotionally invested with his character for many years. Had written stories that...
That had to be a big part of this, Data realized. Her stories. How could she reconcile the character's death in her stories? If she followed the pattern of mourning, she would most likely deny the happenings in the movie. Data could not argue with this reasoning, since he intended to see that he used the foreknowledge of the events that took place in Nemesis to prevent as much as he could from happening. While some of the losses may be needed to better relations with the Romulan Empire and the Federation, he thought it would be possible to reduce the losses on the Enterprise and prevent his own loss. If it came down that it was not possible, Data would indeed give his life to protect his friends and the ship, but surely he could make sure that Geordi constructed two to the ETUs...
The book had hinted that Data was capable of emotion without his chip. This had been the only part of the book that had been shocking to him. Harper was struggling to deal with a death, but Data was startled by his reaction to something that he had always considered impossible. But there had been fan fiction that also had gone in this direction. Data felt that it was something that he should explore for himself. Emotions without his chip. The structure of his brain supported growth, of course, and emotional growth was something he was still working on. This was perhaps something that he would be working on for the rest of his live...no matter how long or short. But knowing what the chip did and how it allowed him to...feel, was it possible to bypass the chip and still feel? Could his brain develop the connections that enabled emotional responses, were the neural nets reforming...reshaping him into a being that was able to feel more like a human could feel? Would it one day become an innate ability and not just impulses that came from a tiny chip in his brain? Thinking over the problem and turning hundreds of theories and facts over in his mind, Data realized that yes, it was possible, perhaps even...likely!
The corners of his mouth slowly crept upwards. He could not see it, but his eyes were also full of excitement and unexpected pleasure. He was going to have to begin experimentation in line with this hypothesis. Perhaps not this weekend, but soon. He reached over and gave Sadie a pat. She whimpered. She was dreaming, yet Harper was still awake.
Data rolled over carefully. He resettled his puppy against him, staring past her towards the woman whose shoulder the moonlight illuminated.
"You are not sleeping, Harper," he said, softly. He had often been teased about his predilection for stating the incredibly obvious. Even the Worf character had teased the Data character in the movie about this. But it was a good way to let her know she was not fooling him.
"Keep seeing the explosion. Geordi's face as you began to run. They're going to bring you back as B-4, and I don't like that idea." She rolled over to face him. Even in the dark, he knew her expression was grim. He reached over and ran a finger down her cheek.
"In the Star Trek timeline of this world, that seems likely. That bothers you. Why?"
"He is not you," she said with conviction. "I think it is an insult to believe that he could ever become you. Even the Data in the movie said as much. Shinzon was not Picard and B-4 is not Data, even with all of his memories." Data pulled her closer until she had her head resting on his chest. Sadie nestled tightly between them.
"I have all the events of this and the prior movie to take back with me, Harper. Q allowed the captain to remember his experiences and I believe that he will allow me to retain the record of mine. I will use the knowledge to prevent what I can. The result of these events seemed to be leading to greatly improved relations with the Romulans. I must do what I can to insure that outcome, as it has been long desired. Ambassador Spock was willing to give his life for reunification. I too see infinite advantages to an alliance with our long time enemies. The Dominion wars took a devastating toll on the Federation. This would be a highly beneficial event for both sides. I must do everything necessary to ensure that it comes to pass." He spoke softly, but firmly.
"But you would also be a great benefit to those future proceedings. Your past dealings with the Romulans, your dealings with Spock. Your untimely death could lead to the breakdown of those talks-" She sounded pleading and close to tears.
"I am not a diplomat, Harper. That is the captain's forte, not mine. Commander Riker is also quite gifted in this area, but I am not. I assure you that I will attempt to forestall my death, but should it happen this way, it would please me to know what the result could be." He kissed her forehead. "I will try to survive the day, Harper," he assured her.
"But I will never know if you do," she observed. Now the tears came. He held her while she sobbed. He could not promise that his existence would not end in this way. He could only promise to do everything in his power to prevent it...if he was not destroyed even sooner in his timeline.
It took some time, but after thirty-two minutes and twelve seconds, Harper's fierce grip on him finally relaxed and her breathing slowed. She slept. Data sighed and allowed himself to also relax. In the middle of this bed, three different beings huddled together. Three members of a family. Three beings who loved one another. In a moment, they were all dreaming.