Chapter Two; Tueor
Tueor. Verb. 1. Protect, watch 2. See, look at 3. Uphold
"Well done, Data. We've made excellent progress today!"
"Thank you, Bruce."
"Now, I've got to go for the night, so let's get Lore back to his cell."
Data scooped up the damaged android and carried him back to the brig. He placed him gently onto the floor of the small cell and stood, looking down on him for a moment.
"Data?" Bruce said. Data turned to the man, his eyes flicking nervously from side to side.
"Bruce, could I... stay with him tonight?"
Bruce frowned. "You'd have to stay in the cell. Is that what you want?"
Data nodded. "Please."
The man sighed. "Only because you've done so well today. Any poor behaviour and that's it. You understand? This is a privilege."
"I understand, we will be good."
"That's all I ask." Bruce smiled at the android fondly. "No talking, remember. Nice and quiet."
"Yes Bruce."
Bruce nodded to the guard, who activated the force field. He took one last look at Data before striding from the room. Data hoped he hadn't upset the man.
He sat down on the floor and shuffled close to his brother, who wrapped his arm around his waist, cradling him into his side. Lore's fingers pressed into his skin.
You should have killed him when you had the chance
And then we are on a ship full of Romulans
Kill them too take the ship and go where we like
I cannot I have to hope
They arent coming Data they cant find us
They will Geordi will
And what will they do with me
I will look after you
Its not you its them theyll dismantle me
I will not allow it
You will have no choice you are Starfleet you follow orders
Not in this I will fight for you keep you safe
What about your human
He will understand he understands me
Not like I understand you
No not like that but almost
We cannot rely on them we have to escape on our own kill Maddox bastard
We need him
No he is manipulating you
I know that now but he can be manipulated by me
Lore chuckled softly. You will whore yourself to him
I will do what I have to do
Lore's mouth twisted. What you have to do
Yes but you must be good also or it will all go wrong
I hate so much hate him
I know I too but please
Only for you only you I would rather die if it were only me
I too but together now I will not let you go again I understand I love you
I love you too
They were huddled together again when Bruce came in the morning. Data walked out of the cell to meet him as soon as the barrier dissipated, throwing himself into the man's arms. Bruce chuckled.
"Now what's gotten into you?" He asked, smiling. Data looked into his eyes.
"Thank you for letting me stay with my brother, Bruce."
"That's all right. But if you want to stay again, you have to work hard today, understand?"
Data nodded. "Of course, Bruce, I understand. But..." He frowned, uncertain.
"What?"
"I... I would like to fix him."
Bruce laughed. "Out of the question. You know he can't be trusted. If he were repaired, he would be dangerous."
"He has promised to be good. He is in pain."
Bruce shook his head. "I don't think Lore's promises are worth much."
Data hung his head, then lifted it once more to look at the man. "If, perhaps, we just made it so that he was not in pain, maybe he would be more amenable."
Bruce looked at Data for a moment. "I will consider it."
Data left it at that. He knew better than to push Bruce when it came to asking for favors, and followed him meekly down the corridor to the lab.
They spent the day working on the new android. Bruce had recreated the physiology of a Soong-type android, although he had given it a different appearance, but there were still improvements to be made. He and Data pooled their knowledge and set about the adjustments, discussing the best methods and necessary alterations. The first test was a failure, but they hadn't expected to succeed on the first try.
"Well, I've had enough for one day." The cyberneticist stretched, his back creaking.
"Bruce... If we were to look at Lore's matrix, perhaps we could discover what went wrong."
Bruce looked at him askance. "Are you suggesting we fully activate his positronic brain? Restore his sight?"
"It would help us to determine where we are erring. And then he could help us."
"Would he, do you think? Help us?"
"If I can talk to him, I can convince him." Data said firmly. Bruce laughed and patted the android's check.
"You are so trusting! I don't know how you see any good in him. Fine, I'll let you try. But the repairs will have to wait, until I'm sure you're both ready."
"Thank you Bruce. But, do you think we could be alone tonight? Just he and I?"
Bruce frowned. "He's still dangerous, Data. You are so precious to me, I care about you so much. I don't want to put you in harm's way."
"I know, Bruce. But, he will not harm me, I am sure of it."
Bruce sighed. "You have me wrapped around your finger, you know that? Well, if it means that much to you."
Data's eyes sparkled. "It does, Bruce. Thank you."
Two weeks passed as they worked on the new android, strove to bring the new entity to life. Every evening he was allowed to be with his brother in the cell and they huddled together, talking silently through the nights. Data told Lore all of his adventures on the Enterprise, his agony at losing Lal, the discovery of their android mother, his capture, the love he had for Geordi. Lore sought comfort and reassurance, and Data told him again and again that he would protect him, no matter what it took. They bound their love in touch, whispering with their fingers on each other's bodies. Lore came with them to the lab while they worked, ordered to sit still and be quiet, and he lost count of the number of times his actions or words caused his brother more pain. When Bruce was sure that the rebellious android was compliant, he and Data collaborated to bring Lore fully back online. He had been meek and contrite when they removed him from the cell that morning, apologetic and humble, and although Bruce was suspicious, he couldn't deny that it appeared that Lore had had a change of heart. They deactivated him to open his cranial plate, and Data showed the cyberneticist how he had disabled his brother, and where Bruce had gone wrong in trying to bring him back online. It was painstaking work, and it took many long hours before they were ready to reactivate him.
"Put him in the cuffs, Data. I don't want him getting any ideas."
"... Yes, Bruce." Data lifted his brother's immobile body and laid him down on the floor to attach the manacle to his one remaining wrist. They had removed his mangled left arm at the connecting point in the shoulder. That way the sensors were removed completely, and he would no longer be in pain. His damaged legs they had left in place, but disconnected the sensor banks. Data had wanted to ask Bruce how Lore came to be in such a pitiable condition, why there were chunks of bioplast missing from his body, how his legs had become so deformed, but he was afraid he already knew the answer. His own body was marked and scarred, Bruce fixed only what he had to in order to keep the android functioning, had even refused to repair his shattered teeth.
"Alright Data, step away. I'll reactivate him. I don't want you near enough for him to hurt you."
Data could feel that Bruce had turned the inhibitor up again, felt the sap on his energy reserves and the hitch in his breathing. The man certainly wasn't taking any chances. But there was no way that he could tell Bruce that he wanted to be the one to reactivate Lore, that he needed to be with him, to touch him, to make things right.
Bruce reached under Lore's back and pushed his fingers into the depression in his spine. The android's body jerked, and his eyes snapped open. His pupils enlarged, then focused.
The first thing he saw was the human's face. This, then, was Maddox, the one who had brutalized him and his brother. The surge of rage that coursed through Lore's mind was almost overwhelming, and he gritted his teeth.
"Maddox." He said. The man's face was long and angular, a dark shade of stubble on his jaw. His eyes were hooded and cold.
"You will address me as sir." He said.
What Lore wanted to do was throw himself forward and tear the man's throat out with his teeth.
"Yes, sir." He ground out.
"Let's get you up." Maddox said and stood, moving away from the prone android to the control panel to activate the winch. With his legs crippled, Lore was dragged up to a standing position by his arm, and he gripped the chain in his fist to pull himself up and prevent the manacle from biting into his wrist. As he was hauled up he caught sight of his brother, standing tense to one side of the control panel. Data's eyes were wide and anguished, and Lore knew how much he wanted to be with him, but that vile human had them both in his power.
Maddox strolled towards the dangling android, pain stick held behind his back, a threat. He walked around Lore, perusing him as if deciding how much he might be worth. Lore forced himself to breathe normally, pushing down his anger, the hot hatred. "I wonder, do you react to stimulus the same way as your brother does?" Mused Maddox from behind him, and Lore felt a rough hand grabbing his genitals through his shorts. He gasped in shock and anger, his body tensing. He looked away from his brother, unwilling to see the hurt in his eyes.
"Hmm? Data likes what I do to him. Can you learn to like it too?"
Lore bit back his sharp retort, grinding his teeth together as Maddox groped him. He shut down his sexual behaviour program as soon as it activated, slowed his breathing again.
"Look at him, Lore."
Lore hissed between his teeth and turned his head to his brother, who was standing with one hand gripping the console. Data was shaking, and for a moment as their eyes locked Lore's rage was reflected back at him, before Data took a breath and forced the emotion down. Lore swallowed hard as Maddox gripped him through the fabric, his body reacting to the touch and the closeness of the only being he had ever allowed himself to love.
"That's better. You want him, yes?" Purred Maddox, stroking the hardening shaft.
"Yes." Snarled Lore. Maddox's hand clenched painfully and Lore gasped.
"Yes what?"
"... Yes, sir." Hissed Lore. Maddox's hand fell away, and the man moved back to the console, monitoring. Lore deactivated his sex program again, breathing hard. So angry, so full of hate and rage. His fist clenched on the chain.
"I am fascinated by the relationship between you two. You spent years trying to murder your brother, and now you submit to me for the sake of sparing him pain. Tell me, Lore, do you love him?"
"Yes sir." Lore growled.
"Amazing. And that's enough, is it Data? Enough to absolve him of his crimes?"
"I... I cannot forgive him." Mumbled Data, hanging his head.
"But you care about him?"
"Yes."
Maddox turned to look at Lore. "What have you told him, what lies have you fed him?"
"I haven't lied. He remembers. Sir." Lore's face was twitching, the muscles spasming as he tried to control his emotions. Bruce stared at him, his gaze hard, before whirling and advancing on Data. The android stepped back, throwing his hands up in supplication.
"Remember what, Data?"
"I, I, I, my early memories, with my parents..."
"And you didn't tell me?" Roared Maddox. Data stumbled back until he came up against the wall of the lab, his hands held out before him, warding.
"No, no, I did not think, I..."
"You didn't think it was important for me to know? It's what I've been missing! Your early development, the learning process! And you didn't tell me?" The pain stick lashed out and Data shrieked as he fell to the floor, his body twitching with the current. Lore jerked at the chain.
"Leave him alone!" He shouted, but Maddox seemed not to hear, so focused was his anger.
"After everything we've been through, everything I've done for you, you keep secrets from me? How DARE you?" The man shouted. The stick lashed out and Data howled.
"Punish me!" Screeched Lore. "Leave him, punish me!"
Maddox set about the cowering android, beating him with the electrified rod as Lore screamed and swore at him in a hundred different languages, thrashing at the end of the chain, unable to do more than swing his body back and forth, his crippled legs dangling.
It seemed an age before the man stepped back. His shirt was dark with sweat, his chest heaving. Data was curled into a ball, his arms over his head and knees tucked to his chest, weeping.
"I'm done for the day. Tomorrow, you tell me everything. Everything, Data."
"I'll fucking kill you, Maddox, I swear it." Snarled Lore, as Maddox put the stick on the console and made his way to the door.
"I'll deal with you tomorrow, Lore." The man said, and then he was gone.
Maddox stood outside the door for a moment, steadying his breathing. Then he made his way to the onboard gym, where he showered and changed, before heading to his quarters.
The door slid open, and he was greeted by the smell of coffee.
"Bruce! You're late. Is everything going well?" She stood from the couch and he went to her and embraced her gently, minding the bump.
"Yes, everything's fine. The new android will be ready soon, but we had a bit of a setback."
"Oh, darling." She smoothed his dark hair. "Will she be alright?"
"Oh yes, she's fine, just a programming glitch." He smiled and kissed her softly. She smiled, gazing into his eyes.
"Are you hungry?" She asked.
"Starving." He replied with a grin, pulling her close to kiss her neck.
"Bruce, you are incorrigible!" She laughed. He leaned back to brush a strand of her dark hair from her pale face.
"Oh, Sarah. You are so precious to me." He murmured. "I care about you so much, you know that."
"Of course I do." She said fondly. "Still, I'll be glad when this research trip is over and we can get back to normal. I'd rather be on a Starbase when the time comes."
He stepped back to put his hands to her swollen stomach. "I know. Not long now. I'm making wonderful progress."
Data's wracking sobs had finally abated, his breathing returning to something approaching normal, although his chest still heaved occasionally. Eventually he gathered himself enough to stand, and stumbled to the control panel. He lowered Lore to the floor, and staggered over to him to remove the manacle and fall onto his prone form. Lore pulled him close, drawing his brother to his chest as his tears started afresh.
"Enough. No more." Said Lore. "Tomorrow."