Commander Data Single Father
By Galaxy1001D
Chapter Eleven: A Nation of Two
Later, as the Enterprise continued to soar through the ether at warp speed, Data visited the counselor's office. "So my daughter believed that she was merely an object of study the entire time?" the concerned android asked.
"That's right," the buxom young ensign nodded sadly from her chair. "She saw herself as a specimen and not a patient. No wonder it was impossible to help her."
"This is disturbing news," Data tilted his head. "Lal's paranoia is creating conflict where none exists. She is isolating herself from her fellow sentient beings."
"That's because she has such a poor opinion of herself Mister Data," Ayeka said in an apologetic tone. "She thinks she's helpless and that she can't do anything right, and thus she sets out to fail. Failing is the one thing she can succeed at."
"It is obvious that we must engineer a situation that will give her confidence," Data nodded thoughtfully. "I am open to suggestions."
"Usually I recommend running hypothetical scenarios on the holodeck," Ayeka offered. "It really is a wondrous device. A patient can face their greatest fears, rewrite past events, tell their dead loved ones what they should have, the list goes on. It really is a wonder."
"I have restricted access to the holodeck in order that Lal learn to cope with reality," Data informed her.
"Commander, your daughter is five," Ayeka laughed bitterly. "Maybe it's different for androids, but when humans are that age they can barely cope with fiction."
Data frowned. "I do not understand."
Ayeka blew out a breath and rolled her eyes. "When I was eight my brother exposed me to a trashy holonovel called Killer Androids from Outerspace," she admitted. "That program traumatized me as a child. After that I was always afraid that deep down, other people might really be robots."
Data tilted his head, frowned and blinked.
"As you can imagine, it really made it hard for me to get to know most Vulcans," Ayeka admitted. "When I first met Lal I was startled when she told me she was an android, but I got over my robophobia pretty quickly, just not quickly enough not to make a poor first impression on her."
"Do you still consider my daughter to be a machine?" the android asked.
"No, I consider her to be a paranoid brat," the counselor blushed. "No mere machine can be as hostile and objectionable as Lal is. Only a person can do that."
"I do not follow," the android said.
"Well, despite a stilted quality to her voice and mannerisms, your daughter behaves just like a human," Ayeka smiled nervously. "She's got all our character flaws and insecurities. She's a person in every way that matters. She doesn't act like my childhood perception of an android."
"Interesting. And how does an android behave?" Data asked curiously.
"Well, in silly, poorly written fiction, an android behaves very much the way a Vulcan does," Ayeka looked away. "Until they receive the order to kill they act formal, logical, calm, and polite. They never take offense and never get angry. But Lal doesn't…" her voice trailed off as she looked Data.
Data frowned and tilted his head in a quick birdlike manner. "Counselor, I find your remarks about androids offensive and I must remind you that I am your superior officer. I demand the respect that goes with my rank! On your feet ensign!"
"Yes sir! Yes sir!" Ayeka squeaked as she jumped out of her chair.
"Did that help counselor?" Data asked kindly.
"What?" the frightened ensign asked quietly.
"Did I successfully offset your robophobia?" Data clarified. "I took offense and became angry just as a human would. Does that help mitigate any anxieties regarding my condition as a mechanical being? Would it be easier if I made a habit of behaving unpleasantly around you the way Lal does?"
"No! One is quite enough!" Ayeka shrieked before lowering her voice. "No thank you commander, I assure that won't be necessary! I'm used to you and in any case, your record speaks for itself! One Lal is quite enough! Let's try to turn Lal into you instead of the other way around! Please?"
"Very well counselor," Data nodded. "If you think that is best. You suggested that we use the holodeck in order to run Lal through some confidence building exercises. What did you have in mind?"
"Huh?" The young counselor's mind was spinning and she was still trying to process the way Data could turn his emotions on and off so quickly. "Oh! Well, I thought that it might be an idea to go back to the moment that destroyed Lal's confidence and convinced her she was powerless. It was the same event that severely damaged her faith in humanity. It was her confrontation with Admiral Haftel. Lal explained that he was both an admiral and an expert in artificial intelligence who wanted to take her away from you thirteen years ago. I understand that her confrontation with Haftel put such a strain on the poor dear that her infant positronic net couldn't handle it and suffered a fatal cascade failure."
"Indeed," Data squinted. "Admiral Haftel has made many requests to apologize to Lal since I rebuilt her but she refuses to speak with him. The mere mention of his name upsets her so much that she loses control of her emotion chip."
"She's made him the boogeyman representing her vulnerable position and her helplessness at attempting to cope with it," the counselor told him. "Deep down, she feels that there is no point attempting anything if a galaxy of bigoted organics can decide to take away her rights whenever they feel like it. Mister Data, that stupid holodeck program my brother subjected me to as a child was written while you were serving in Starfleet! There was an android serving the Federation and earning medals while some hack wrote a story about androids infiltrating us so they could kill us! Goddess! I don't blame Lal! There are people out there who will never be convinced that you and your daughter are really people! Not as long as we create holograms that seem more real than reality! Biology is where they draw the line! And Admiral Haftel let your daughter know in no uncertain terms that she is on the wrong side of it! Mister Data, you and your daughter are a nation of two!"
Data nodded sadly. "I faced many of the same challenges, but there was no legal precedent regarding my status as a protected sentient. I was fortunate in that most of the robotics experts I encountered wanted to believe that I was a person, even though many of them secretly believed I was not. They encouraged me to develop and become the intelligent self-aware android that I am today, and for that I will always be grateful."
"You two are the only self-aware artificial intelligences that have been recognized as life forms with legal rights," Ayeka said sadly. "That establishes a legal precedent but that doesn't mean that the fickle people of the galaxy won't turn on you the next time the Borg shows up."
"Our rights have not been taken away yet, and I believe by continuing to contribute to the universe around us we can convince others that taking away our rights is unnecessary," Data insisted calmly. "When I succeeded in reconstructing Lal, I had to choose whether to continue to serve in Starfleet or to retire so I could devote my time to my daughter. I chose to stay in Starfleet, for in the long term it seemed to be the most effective way to protect her rights. As a decorated Starfleet officer, I have placed myself in a visible position where the Federation can observe an android that is both protecting and living up to its ideals. In this way, I ensure that the Federation does not forget the ideals it was founded on in regards to my daughter and me."
The young ensign's face brightened. "Why Mister Data! You used the word 'me' incorrectly! You're human after all!"
"Actually the way I spoke was grammatically correct," Data apologized. "The phrase 'my daughter and I' is incorrect despite its suggestion of formality."
"Oh," the girl said flatly. "Well, let's get your daughter to the holodeck. Where is she by the way?"
"She is studying music with Doctor Maya," Data said. "Lal shows both a talent and an interest in music that the doctor shares. In addition Doctor Maya has informed me she finds it relaxing to spend time with someone who can deactivate their emotions at will."
"How sweet," the counselor smiled. "Lal's first friend. How long will it take to write a program that would reconstruct the events of Lal's meeting with Admiral Haftel?"
"Considering that I have access to every memory that Lal recorded aboard the Enterprise D I should have it ready in approximately forty-seven minutes," Data informed her, "but first I must get permission from Captain Picard."
Soon Data was in Picard's ready room.
"Mister Data, what do you want to do?" the captain asked as he looked up at the android from his desk.
"I wish to use your likeness to recreate one of Lal's memories," Data clarified.
"Thank goodness," Picard rolled his eyes as he rose to his seat and walked over to the food replicator. "I was afraid you were going to give Lal a sex drive. I was talking to Mister La Forge a few hours ago and he put some strange ideas into my head. Tea, Earl Grey, hot," he said moments before a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea appeared in a shower of sparks in the replicator. "Which one?"
"I wish to recreate her confrontation with Admiral Haftel," Data said.
"Er, are you sure that's wise?" the captain said as he went back to his desk.
"Lal's positronic net is stable," the android assured him. "There is no chance meeting Haftel face-to-face will cause a cascade failure like last time."
"No I mean," Picard paused as he set down his teacup on his desk and remained standing. "Have you considered the emotional repercussions of forcing your daughter to relive that particular moment in her life? The last time she experienced it, it was so traumatic that she literally couldn't survive it."
"My daughter has perfect memory and can replay the events as often as she wishes," Data pointed out. "By experiencing it on the holodeck, she does not have to endure that memory alone. Counselor Ayeka and I will be there."
Picard bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. Data squinted at Picard before mimicking his gesture.
Picard looked up. "Data?"
"My apologies sir," Data said as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand. He gave up and looked at his captain. "Since raising my daughter full time I have been searching for a way to mollify my emotional reactions without deactivating my emotion chip. Over the years I have witnessed you touch your face in a variety of gestures. I was testing to see if any particular one might be efficacious."
"Ah," Picard nodded in understanding. "Any luck?"
"None so far sir," the android shrugged. "Although that may be a result of my not having a biochemical nervous system."
"Yes, that would explain it," Picard nodded. He scratched his neck. "Mister Data, this isn't easy for me. If you truly believe this is best for the girl I'd like to be there."
"You would sir?"
"Yes," Picard nodded uneasily. "Lal is my goddaughter. She's family. At my age, it's a little late to start thinking of children so I should make an effort to be as great a part of her life as I can."
"Thank you sir," Data smiled. "That is very touching. I was considering inviting Geordi La Forge as well. It is possible that Lal might need as large a support group as we can find."
"Your welcome Data," Picard nodded gratefully. "And I might need a support group myself. Facing that particular memory… will not be easy for me. I consider it to be one of the most shameful moments in Starfleet's history."
"What about the incident with the Ba'ku and the So'na six years ago?"
"Yes, that too was shameful," Picard acknowledged.
"And the incident with the Pegasus where Captain Pressman violated the Treaty of Algeron?" Data continued.
"Yes, not our finest moment," Picard nodded painfully.
"And then there was the incident when…"
"Yes Mister Data!" Picard almost shouted. "Despite our good intentions, the Federation hasn't always lived up to its ideals!" He then lowered his voice to a more conversational tone. "But to be honest I suppose that I was in actuality referring to myself, just now. Looking back, I don't think it was one of my finer moments."
Data blinked, looked away and looked at the captain. "Captain I'm afraid I must disagree. Before you became aware of my daughter's cascade failure, you were willing to put your career on the line to protect my daughter. I would expect you to be proud of that."
"I know, it's just," Picard shook his head and paced the room. "Looking back at that incident through Lal's eyes, I think I let Haftel play his games a little too long that's all." He shook his head angrily this time. "I actually supported Haftel's position, Data!" he snarled. "I doubted you! I had the hubris to believe that team of experts could do a better job of raising her that you would and I let-"
"Jean-Luc, you supported Lal's desire to stay with me when she made her wishes clear," Data interrupted. "You overcame your assumptions and were able to change your position when presented with new evidence. There will always be people who will make erroneous assessments merely out of prejudice. Many of them will have minds that cannot be changed, regardless of any subsequent information they receive. You are not one of those people. I am honored to have personally witnessed you grow beyond your limitations. You are an inspiration for me to grow beyond mine, and hopefully an inspiration to my daughter as well."
Picard smiled and blushed. "It's good to have you back Data."
Less than a half hour later Data was leading his daughter to holodeck two.
"Thank you for taking me to the holodeck father," Lal chirped animatedly. "This is very kind of you since I have yet to make an actual friend."
"I did not restrict your holodeck privileges as a punishment Lal," Data replied as they walked through the corridors of the Enterprise. "I was concerned that unsupervised access to the holodeck would result in an erroneous perception of reality. I simply did not want you to spend time in the holodeck alone."
"So what are we doing today?" asked the little android. "Are we playing Sherlock Holmes? Shouldn't we be in costume? Will Geordi be joining us?"
"As a matter of fact Geordi will be there," her father nodded as the doors to the holodeck opened.
When the androids entered Lal was surprised to see so many people. Captain Picard, Commander Madden, Geordi La Forge, Mister Worf, Harry Kim, Doctor Maya and Counselor Ayeka were all there waiting for them.
"There are a lot of people here," Lal said. "Are they going to play with us too?"
"I never said we were coming to holodeck to play Lal," Data admitted.
"Lal, do you know what an intervention is?" Harry Kim asked.
"Yes, an interference by a sovereign power in another's affairs," Lal replied.
"I believe that Harry is referring to a situation in which someone becomes involved in a particular issue or problem in order to influence what happens or alter the course of something," Data clarified. "In this case, the intervention refers a group of friends confronting a mutual friend about their self-destructive behavior and asking the friend to seek treatment."
"Oh," Lal nodded before she walked over to Ayeka and held her hand. "Counselor, I know this is hard to hear, but your constant lying and empty flattery isn't fooling anybody. This is difficult for the others to say but you have to be more honest with your patients or they won't trust you."
"We're not staging an intervention for me, we're staging one for you, you little harpy!" Ayeka shrieked.
"Why do I need an intervention?" Lal asked snippily. "I have already been receiving treatment. You, on the other hand…"
"I think we're getting off topic here," Picard intervened by moving between Lal and the counselor. "What we're trying to tell you is that we think you need a more effective treatment than counseling can provide."
"Now there's no reason to be scared Lal," Geordi chimed in. "We just want to try something to help you get over your confidence issues and your distrust of humans. The main problem is that you feel powerless, is that it?"
"I am powerless Geordi," the girl replied.
"No, it only seems that way because you're still a child," Geordi assured her.
"Yes, when we were your age we were even more helpless than you are now," Picard nodded.
"I would have gladly given anything to be as capable as you are when I was your age," Worf added.
"You were once my age?" Lal looked at Picard, Geordi, and Worf, causing her head to dart in a quick birdlike fashion.
"Yes," Picard laughed self-consciously. "Believe it or not."
"Very well," she shrugged stiffly. "I choose 'not'."
"Ahem," Picard coughed. "The thing is, we thought it would be a good idea if we recreated the event that caused you to give up on yourself and fear humanity in the first place. Now that you are older you can face that moment and overcome its power over you. You can face your demons and move on."
"I do not want to face that moment!" Lal protested. "I live in continuous fear of the possibility of that scenario repeating itself! It is conceivable that reliving it would undo what little progress I have made! I do not agree with this course of action and do not wish to undergo it!"
"Lal the rest of us will be here for you," Doctor Maya offered patiently.
"Yes we are all here and we all love you," Data added kindly.
"Is this true?" Lal looked around at the others hopefully. "Do you really love me?"
"Yes it's true," said the first officer Martin Madden dryly. "They all love you."
Next: Confronting her Demons
