Data was on the bridge, tending to his duties at the helm during Alpha shift. The Captain, along with the rest of the bridge crew were mostly silent, with Riker mumbling orders every so often. This lack of activity did nothing to help Data's mind from wandering to the events that had taken place over the past few days.
Kayla, after taking him to the observation lounge, showed him how to identify when someone is upset when they're trying not to show it. The entire process had left Data with even more follow-up questions, but he promised to work on it anyway. Then, upon discovering that he has attempted poetry, demanded that he read some of his work to her.
"Well that was… interesting."
"'Interesting' seems to be the most common identifier used by the crew regarding my work."
"Yeah, well… You follow all the rules to writing poetry, but it's still missing that fundamental quality that makes it such an important and influential art form."
"I understand that it is lacking. I do not, however, understand how."
"Why don't you try writing about something you truly care about?"
"But I do care about Spot."
"You hardly have any emotions as it is. How could you possibly care about a made-up cat?"
"Spot is not fictitious."
"…What."
"Spot is a real cat."
"Whose cat is it?"
"He is my cat."
"You have a cat?"
"I believe we have just established that."
"Don't get cheeky with me, Data."
"Data?"
"Hm?" he answered, focusing on Geordi who was sitting at the console next to his.
"Why are you smiling?"
"I did not notice."
Geordi regarded his friend with a confused and suspicious look. "You hummed when I called your name. You never hum."
Data blinked in surprise. "I did not notice that either. I believe I might be 'picking up a few things', as Kayla would say."
"Kayla? That girl in your class?"
"Yes. She has been teaching me about emotions and how to be more human."
"I see…" Geordi trailed off, turning back to his console, looking pensive.
"Is there something bothering you, Geordi?" asked Data.
Geordi shook his head a little. "No, not really… I just—You seem a little different somehow. I can't really put my finger on how, though."
"Is there anything specific you have noticed?"
Geordi hesitated for a moment before answering. "Well for one thing, you seemed to be distracted for a moment there. Which in itself is strange because I know you can process millions of different kinds of information input while carrying a reasonably normal conversation with me. Distraction doesn't make any sense."
Data paused, looking for an appropriate response to the statement. "Your observations are not incorrect—" he flinched at his use of double negatives—"However I must remind you, Geordi, that while my primary processors could, in theory, be preoccupied with a specific issue, my subcircuitry is more than capable to handle several other issues in conjunction with my primary functions."
"Yeah, yeah, I know that…" Geordi chuckled. "I have, quite literally, been inside your head my friend. There still seems to be something off about it." He turned his attention back to the viewscreen. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a crush on someone."
Data's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "I do not understand; why would I wish to crush somebody?"
"No, I meant—Ugh, just look it up. 'Earth colloquialism' should do the trick."
Data eyes flicked back and forth while he tried to retrieve the information.
"Ah. Crush; noun: An intense infatuation for someone, especially someone unattainable or inappropriate."
"Yup, that's the one," said Geordi without taking his eyes off the screen, which Data took as the end of the conversation. He mimicked his friend's stance as he got back to the task at hand as well. Data considered Geordi's suggestion. While it was obviously meant to be taken as a 'joke', Data found himself oddly reluctant to let the thought go.
Could it be possible? Being infatuated with… No. It was impossible to have a 'crush' on someone without any discernable emotions. And yet, his fascination with the young human girl was real enough to, for the first time since he's been activated, doubt himself.
Young. The word echoed through his processors like an ugly whisper. Data ran through the events that had occurred since the arrival of Kayla, and realized that if he were a human male, approximately 87.2 percent of their interactions would be considered deeply inappropriate.
It was this realization that caused to detect the anomaly 0.34 seconds too late.
The Enterprise lurched, causing everyone on the bridge (with the exception of Data) to tumble forward. Data's hands pressed furiously away at his console as the rest of the bridge crew scrambled back to their stations.
Captain Picard shouted order after order in quick—yet not panicked—succession. Data's eyes snapped to the viewscreen, surveying the imminent threat. In front of them was a giant, black, smudge. It measured approximately 40.3 light years in width, and 23.7 light years in height. But… Data checked and re-checked the calculations on the monitor.
"Sir."
"Can it wait, Commander Data?" asked the Captain, gaze fixed on the anomaly in front of the Enterprise.
"Sir, if my calculations are correct…" Data lifted his eyes to meet Picard's. "The anomaly is a mere 0.012 millimeters in depth."
"How is that possible? It might as well not even be there," Geordi uttered in shock. "How can this… whatever this is, cause the Enterprise destabilize to such an extent?"
"I do not know."
Picard's lips formed a straight line as he pressed the comm button on his Captain's chair. "Counselor Troi to the bridge," he ordered quietly.
"On my way," came her soothing yet alarmed voice through the system.
Moments later, she strode through the turbolift doors and took her place on the left of the Captain. Just as she made contact with the chair, the Enterprise lurched again, nearly causing her to tumble off the seat.
"What is it?" she asked, her eyes wide.
"We do not know," answered Picard. "Do you feel sense anything from the entity? Any form of consciousness?"
Deanna closed her eyes and scrunched up her eyebrows in concentration. "Nothing so far, but…" she brought her hand to her temple, as if somehow the motion would amplify her abilities. "I cannot discern it from the crew of the Enterprise, if there is something there."
Data observed how Riker rubbed his beard in disappointment, deep in thought, and how Picard pursed his lips, doing the same. It briefly occurred to Data that he has not yet observed the people around him to discern their emotional state and succeeded at doing so.
"Permission to make a suggestion, sir," said Data.
"Granted," Picard answered without lifting his eyes from the screen.
"Perhaps we should attempt to move closer to the entity and gauge its reaction. From the reactions it had seemingly imposed on the Enterprise, I calculate the major risk factor of this course of action at 2.3%."
"I think he's right," Riker glanced at the Captain.
Picard took a few moments to mull the suggestion over, and then gave a slight nod in agreement. "Make it so. Quarter impulse, Lieutenant LaForge."
"Quarter impulse straight ahead, sir."
The ship inched forward, the tension on the bridge becoming palpable the closer they got to whatever it was. Seconds ticked by, and so far nothing had happened.
"Hey, you okay?" Data raised his eyes to see Geordi looking at him with concern.
"I am functioning within my normal parameters," Data answered automatically.
"Are you sure? Because you're denting the console," Geordi looked pointedly at where Data's hands were close to crushing his station. Data looked down, noticing for the first how tightly he was holding onto the console. He let go of the sides immediately, raising his hands in front of him, staring at them.
"I appear to have… I appear to have some sort of dysfunction. I do not understand. My positronic net shows no signs of malfunction." And, another thing… Data faltered in constructing his sentence. He hesitated. He could only ponder the implications of that for a few moments before having to return his attention to Geordi.
"Well if you want, I can check you later, but for now I think we should just—" just then, the Enterprise came to a sudden halt.
"Yellow alert," barked out Picard just as Geordi said: "Why didn't the warp stabilizers prevent the fall?"
They all heard a groan come from Deanna's mouth. Diverting their attention to her, they saw her kneeling on her hands and knees on the floor, her head hung low.
"C-captain," she looked up into the void, eyes welling up in tears. "I can hear them. I can hear them all," she whispered.
"All of them? Are you implying that this, this entity consists of more than one conscious being?" asked Picard, narrowing his eyes at the said entity as if that would reveal all of its mysteries.
"It—aah," Deanna gasped in pain. "It's not made up of more than one being. They're inside."
"If the readings correspond with what Counselor Troi is saying, I would hypothesize that the anomaly is an undiscovered variation of a black hole as seen in terms of quantum mechanics," said Data.
"Quantum mechanics?" Picard muttered to himself. "The gateway to an alternate reality?"
"Precisely, sir."
Picard pondered the new information for a few moments before turning back to Deanna and, after Riker had helped her back into her chair, asking, "Can you tell me how many of them are there?"
"One thousand fourteen."
The ship went completely still.
"That is the exact number on the Enterprise," Picard said quietly. "Does this—are we—in there?"
Deanna seemed to be doing better now, starting to get used to the doubling of her mental periphery. "There is a chance. From what I can feel, there are a lot of familiar thought patterns emanating from inside the anomaly, however all of them are slightly different."
Data looked down in his lap, something occurring to him. "… Must be the truth," he mumbled. He looked up. "Sir, I believe Counselor Troi may be right. According to the sole facts available to us, an alternate version of the Enterprise crew is most likely somehow inside the anomaly."
"Wouldn't that mean that to them—or, us—we would be the ones inside the anomaly? If they even sense it?" asked Riker, arms crossed.
"It would appear so. Perhaps their Counselor Troi is reaching the same conclusion about us," added Data.
"Captain," interrupted a young Lieutenant by the name of Georg Rashida.
"Yes, Lieutenant."
"Status reports from all decks have arrived. No fatalities, but there are 16 minor injuries and 1 critical condition."
Data tensed at the thought of who the critical condition might be. He had the sudden, irrational fear that it might be Kayla, despite the chances of that being extremely slim. She was located in the civilian section, which is one of the most shielded areas on the ship. Even so, her chances would have been 0.0098%; therefore Data really had no reason to be so worried.
Worried? Data stilled. How could that be possible? There was no way to explain the… the sensation he was experienced in that moment. And yet, that odd negative feeling of concern and anxiety were clearly being processed and interpreted by him as those precise things.
"Captain, I wouldn't advise going any closer towards the anomaly," said Riker. "For the safety of Counselor Troi and the rest of the crew."
"Agreed. Lieutenant LaForge, heading one mark four five, Warp 2."
"Warp 2, sir." As Geordi was punching in the digits, Data turned in his chair to face the Captain.
"Sir, may I be excused?"
Picard and Riker exchanged a look that Data didn't even try to interpret, but Picard nodded in consent. Data stood up and headed towards the turbolift. Before he got there, it slid open to reveal a disheveled and panicked dark haired boy with striking green eyes: Rekku, Data realized.
He looked at Data with wide eyes, approaching him quickly. A weight settled in Data's chest, already knowing what the boy had to say.
"Lieutenant Commander Data, sir," Rekku licked his chapped lips in distress. "It's Kayla." Rekku closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "She's hurt."
As always, I hope you enjoyed :). All mistakes are mine, and I'm sorry. I simply don't have time to look it over... senior year in IB is just above being mangled by a wild horde of rabid beavers in terms of pain. Hopefully once I finish the story I'll go back and edit things, but just bear with me :)
Reviews and favorites are still supremely appreciated! Also, send me your ideas and what you would like to see happen. I could use the extra boost of creativity and inspiration. See you next Monday! (Hopefully)