Picard returned and warped away with the UFP flagship; everyone had mingled from both ships satisfactorily; this would help morale greatly. Excelsior hung around the border a little while longer while we did some basic housekeeping. Amanda received our new orders. "Captain - Starfleet kept their word; we're to proceed to the Visar region; very deep beta quadrant; totally unexplored. In fact I'll have to Q jump us there." I laughed at that. "Q jump. I like that."
Wesley showed me a tablet. "This is the Xon design that Amanda and I have come up with. As you can see it's a variant on Data's proven design; physically/positronic. The problem has always been stable neural pathway construction; but with Amanda's powers and nanotech this won't be a problem." It was so super nerd/geek; I loved it! I crossed my arms over my chest. "Timeframe?" Wesley looked over at Amanda. "That depends on you captain," said Q Amanda. "If we proceed to the Visar region sooner over later we can finish building him there." "I trust your judgement." Wesley said, "We also wanted to know if you wanted him to be emotionless like Data." That wasn't a bad idea. Data's sense of detachment had proven invaluable on countless occasions for the Enterprise crew. "As the good captain would say - make it so."
We saw no other reason to delay. We made sure everything/everyone was good to go; then our resident Q jumped the ship. It was a seventeen thousand light year jump we were talking about. It was awesome. And there was literally nothing around but us space and the many suspected civilizations living here just waiting to be first contacted/studied. Out here we were the federation...I loved it!
Scan away! Those were my standing orders. The more we mapped and sooner the better it would be for our knowledge base. I went down to the cybernetics lab where Wesley and Amanda were working their combined genius to make another Data like android (although it wouldn't look like Data! No offense Data!); his internal mechanics would definitely possess a Soong inspired signature; especially in the positronic sense. He would look like a human male though; a thirty something if you will.
Outwardly the finishing touches were already done; thanks to replication and Q magic. I came down with a tricorder; the scientist in me was ever curious. Wesley was running diagnostics on Xon's positronic elements when we arrived. "Report Mister Crusher." "He's nearing completion. Based on what we've seen of his early AI personality matrix indicators he'll lean in the tactical direction; that was randomly arrived at." "That's fine; we still don't have a permanent tactical officer in that sense. Donatra is just filling in with that for now." "Yes sir. Despite his older appearance we should start him out at ensign due to his lack of experience." "Agreed." Amanda could always snap her fingers and give him experience but I wanted Xon to learn that organically; naturally.
"How's the mapping going?" "Standard and usual. Many would find it boring; not me." Wesley smiled. "I couldn't agree more captain." I activated my tricorder and tapped into the ship's real time scanning of this rich sector. I gave him the device so he could see it for himself. "Wow. These dark energy star clusters are fascinating. Stellar cartography is going to have a field day with this stuff." "Yeah." I smiled broadly. "Our large array of scientists are ticked off because they can't get enough sensor time; they're damned near clamoring over each other to get it. I love it!" Wesley could only nod/smile the same. We were currently engaged in "pure" exploration. No BS; no crises; no galactic stupidity. Just exploring strange new worlds and boldly going and all of that jazz. Every molecule we mapped; every bit of stardust that was cataloged increased our knowledge. Nothing was trivial in this way! "That" was what it took to make one an explorer. Absolute passion for getting past the unknown and teeth grinding attention to detail were hallmarks of an explorer.
Amanda came in with a tricorder in her hand. "Sir; I'm ready to make the final positronic enhancements on Xon's brain." "By all means." "Respectfully sir, you should say 'make it so' regularly like Captain Picard does," said Wesley, bent grinning. "Okay; make it so." Amanda held up her hand and snapped a godly finger...
Xon's eyes flashed open. "Cogito, ergo sum..." His first words ever; Latin. Descartes' "I think; therefore I am" quote. That could have been humor on his creators' part. I'd leave that in the eye of the beholder.
He looked at each of us in turn. "Lieutenant Wesley Crusher; Lieutenant Amanda Rogers...Captain Diana Prince; multiversally known as the wonder woman." "Welcome to life; and welcome to the star ship Excelsior - Ensign Xon," I said. He nodded slowly. "Yes; I'd like to serve in Starfleet, as my distant kindred Data does. Would that be permissible?" "Your commission has already been logged as official," said Amanda. "You're one of us; and since Data's sentient rights were honored years ago that will apply to you as well." "I am grateful." Wesley removed his restraints.
Xon stepped down to the ground for the first time. He was not in uniform yet. He looked around the lab. "I am truly alive..." "Yes Mister Xon, you are," said I. He then looked down at his plain threads. Amanda grinned and snapped her fingers. In a flash he was in a gold uniform with his ensign pin. "Now that's more like it," said Amanda. Wesley said, "Are you okay assuming the tactical officer position?" "Yes sir," he said. "My AI determinations were correct there. I also never wish to experience emotion. While I admire Data's quest to become more human I am most satisfied being emotionless. I will serve myself and you all best this way as an evolving artificial life form. Is that agreeable?" Wesley laughed and put a hand on Xon's shoulder. "You bet it is."
We went with him to the bridge to introduce him to his long term shipmates and his station. This dream team kept getting better yet! I had wanted this for so damned long; now I had it... No brother BS; no sadism/insanity; just hard science... Thank the gods!