10

The Enterprise reached Alpha Centauri four days after the double date and Leah promised to visit again as soon as she could. Maryam suspected she would have more than one reason to do so but, with little time to persuade her friend to give her any details of her moments alone with the Chief Engineer, she had to let the topic rest for the time being.

Hours later, the Communications Officer was in her quarters putting the last hairpins in her hair before she checked her dress uniform. She would have preferred to wear a civilian attire to the wedding but sticking to the uniform code saved her a lot of time; this had been a regular working day, with all the tasks and problems she would be presented with at any given time, and all officers attending had only been given the evening off for the event.

In the five years since the start of her Starfleet career, she had never attended a wedding on board. They took place often, in particular among non-Starfleet personnel, but it was never an occasion one of her acquaintances happened to be celebrating.

However, Keiko had personally invited her to her wedding with Chief O'Brien, and she was almost certain the invitation was due to the fact that she was a bridge officer and a friend of Data's. He was taking on the role of father of the bride for the ceremony. It had been a kind gesture from the bride and Maryam thought it would be interesting to do something different for once.

"Go and have some fun, Maryam," she said to her reflection in the mirror.

With the combadge as the last touch on her attire, Maryam Sanger left the room, making her way to Ten Forward.


"I've never felt so nervous in my life!" Keiko stated while looking around for her shoes.

Spotting them next to the armchair he sat on, Data picked them up, stood up and offered them to the bride.

"Are you questioning your decision to marry Chief O'Brien again?"

"No, of course not!" she replied, putting on the first shoe, "Looking back now, I don't even know what I was thinking when I… Oh, well, you know."

"Your exact words were-"

"That's okay, Data," Keiko interrupted, with both shoes now on her feet.

She looked at him with a smile, walked up to him and put her arms around him.

"Thank you so much for doing this."

He hesitated before placing his hands on her arms.

"It is my pleasure," he said, trying to comprehend what nervousness would feel like. Perhaps a human man or any other organic sentient being would feel it if they were to accompany a bride to the altar.

She parted with him, holding his hands in hers.

"To think that, if it wasn't for you, Miles and I wouldn't have even met," the bride said.

"That is not correct. There are one thousand, one hundred and forty-seven people presently on board the Enterprise. By my calculations, without my interference you would have met Chief O'Brien seven hundred and thirteen days, eight hours, twenty-six minutes and five seconds after you first boarded the ship."

Keiko laughed before she replied, "Okay, then it would have taken us much longer to meet if it wasn't for you."

She then walked over to the bed and picked up the traditional Japanese headpiece that would complement her wedding dress, placing it on her head.

"So, are you bringing a date?"

With a slight tilt of his head, which he had recently learned was not as smooth as he had assumed, Data frowned.

"Why would I bring a… date? I am unable to accompany two people to the wedding at the same time."

"You're walking me down the aisle, but you still could have brought a friend to keep you company throughout the reception."

"My friends will be there: Geordi, Counselor Troi, Commander-"

"I know, Data. I mean someone like… like Jenna, I guess," she said, sighing, "I'd like you to find someone special, to have what Miles and I have."

"A companion willing to become my spouse?" he asked, his eyebrows raised, "I have not met such a person yet, but marriage is a matter I have considered."

Keiko's eyes widened, a sign of surprise or disbelief, he couldn't tell.

"A-are you saying you'd like to get married someday?"

"Indeed. I believe I have much to offer a potential mate," Data explained.

He asked himself whether his other friends would have the same reaction to the idea of him celebrating a union with a life partner, as any human would.

She placed her hands over her heart for a moment.

"I know you do. I just can't wait for that potential mate to find you," she replied, embracing him once more.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Data offered his arm to the bride before they left her quarters.


Maryam stood next to Dr. Crusher and across from Commander Riker and Troi. While everyone waited for the bride to arrive, she noticed the small signs that indicated the relationship between the First Officer and the ship's counselor went beyond simple friendship: the look in his eyes that no other woman on board was ever the recipient of, her hand on his arm whenever she laughed at something he said. The two months that had passed since Maryam's arrival had been productive in terms of getting to know some of the other officers better, but there was a long way to go if there was ever a chance of building solid friendships. Still, the unspoken intimacy between William Riker and Deanna Troi was so obvious now that the Comms Officer wondered how she had missed it before.

Something shifted in the air and the chatter in the room died down. The doors opened to reveal Keiko in all of her bridal glory accompanied by Data wearing his dress uniform.

The last wedding she had attended had been Leah's four years before and Ethan had been her plus-one. She remembered thinking whether she and the then lieutenant-commander would ever be capable of committing to that level. That version of her was distant now, little more than a blurred memory.

Perhaps it was the light, the general mood in the room, the happiness both bride and groom seemed to exude when they finally met before Captain Picard that was making her see the Second Officer of the Enterprise in a very different way. It was difficult to pinpoint the exact thing that had changed about him as he stood only a few feet away from Keiko, on the spot the father of the bride would be had he been able to attend the wedding. He was Data, the Soong-type android, the outstanding Starfleet officer, the only one of his kind; he had been created to learn, grow and evolve, and yet remain reliable and unchanged. Data was a constant presence in the life aboard the ship, inspiring empathy and friendship in others whereas he could feel none. There was no beginning and no end to his life journey, no ups and downs that could make irreparable damage to the person that he was. Why, then, did he look different now? When had this shift happened and why hadn't she noticed it before?

"Since the days of the first wooden sailing ships…" the captain started, Keiko and Miles mirroring the solemnity of the event.

Maryam tried to put this feeling in the back of her mind so she could focus on the ceremony. She managed to pay attention to most of it, but she would still throw the occasional glance at him, who was oblivious to it. Data seemed to be observing every detail, every moment as though he had never witnessed a wedding before; maybe he hadn't, she couldn't be sure.


Data had a particular interest in social gatherings, where he could undertake a more comprehensive observation of human behavior. On the Enterprise, civilians and Starfleet personnel came together in such occasions, building a more informal atmosphere; food and drink was shared, conversations on various topics were held and music was played.

"So, have you found a partner yet?", Dr. Crusher asked, drink in hand, as the last notes decorating the bride and groom's first dance faded into the next song.

"I have not," he replied, examining the room, "I have failed to consider the potential shortcomings of a real dance partner as opposed to a holographic one."

"Data, it's just a dance. All you have to do is lead, no complex calculations involved," Beverley stated with a smile Data recognized as being the same she often gave her son, Wesley, "Just go and ask a girl to dance."

After a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder, she walked away to join Captain Picard and the newlyweds.

Redirecting his focus towards the bar, he saw Maryam waiting for a drink among several other guests. She seemed to be unaccompanied in that moment and the Second Officer determined that her stature and physical proportions made her the most suitable dance partner to his own build. He made his way across the room just as she turned away from the bar with her drink.

"Oh, hey," the Comms Officer greeted him, taking a sip of the green beverage, "How was it, to be father of the bride today?"

"It is a great honor to accompany a bride to the altar, where she will start a new life as a married woman," he stated, replicating Commander Riker's words when he informed him of Keiko's request.

Maryam smiled at him, "It is, indeed."

He wasted no time in voicing his proposal.

"Would you like to dance?"

Her smile disappeared and he read a hint of surprise in her facial expression.

"Oh, sure," she said, looking around for a place to put her drink down, "I didn't know you could dance."

"I did not," Data replied, offering his arm to lead her to the center of the room where other people were already dancing, "Until this morning."

"This morning?!" the shock in her voice was heard by some of the other guests around them, but Maryam soon collected herself.

"You learned to dance this morning?" she continued, placing one hand in his and the other on his shoulder.

"Yes."

Data held her waist, careful not to tighten his grip just as Dr. Crusher had advised him, and began leading.

It was clear she had prior experience. Her feet moved with confidence; her posture was nearly perfect.

"Are you sure you never danced before today?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes, I am. It would be impossible for me to forget."

"Of course it would," she said, suppressing a laugh.

There was silence between them for fifty-two seconds, during which her eyes seemed to scan his face.

"Is there a reason your eyes are yellow?"

It was an unusual question coming from a friend. Strangers were more inclined to question his appearance than any person who knew him well.

"No," was his answer, "Does the color of my eyes trouble you?"

"No… I just wonder," the hand on his shoulder shifted, "why Dr. Soong would create you so human in nature but not in the exact likeness of a human."

There was also a shift in Data's positronic brain. No other person had ever referred to his nature as human; it was often assumed, with accuracy, that all of his behavior had been learned. He did not, however, correct Maryam.

She continued observing him as if she had never paid attention to his facial features. He didn't know what the correct way of proceeding was. Should he offer a comment on her physical appearance as well?

They had danced two full songs and she broke contact as the second transformed into the third.

"That was fun. You're a very good dancer, Data."

"Thank you. Your performance was adequate as well."

The junior officer smiled and started to walk away from the dance floor. He followed her.

"I'm tired. I think I'll be turning in for the night. Tomorrow's business as usual," she informed him before placing a hand on her mouth, an attempt to hide a yawn.

"Shall I accompany you to your quarters?" he offered. He was so accustomed to her presence by now that he often found himself extending the time they spent together.

"Sure. I'd like that."

They left Ten Forward, the music and chatter dying out behind them. There was silence again, broken only by the sound of their shoes with each step they took. Maryam locked a thin strand of hair behind her ear, then rubbed her arms.

"Are you uncomfortable with the temperature on this deck?" he asked.

"Uh? No, the temperature's fine," she said, at first showing signs of being distracted, then looking down at her arms and dropping them to her sides.

"I do not wish to intrude, but I am available to listen if there is something you would like to talk about."

He and Maryam entered the turbolift, she voiced the desired deck.

"Thanks, Data… Everything's okay, I'm just tired. I had an early shift, then worked on my research before getting ready for the wedding…" she trailed off before letting out a sigh, "It's been a long day."

When the turbolift stopped on Deck Five, he noticed she rushed out of it as if late for another commitment. He had no trouble catching up and soon they had reached the door to her quarters.

"This is me," Maryam stated as she avoided looking at him directly.

"Are you sure there is nothing you wish to share with me? I am your friend," Data insisted, having learned that support was a key component of solid friendships, such as the one he had with Geordi or Counselor Troi.

"I'm sure."

There was a smile on her lips, but it was not like her standard smile. It seemed to lack something, but he couldn't identify what that something was.

"Very well. Goodnight."

He turned around to make his way back to the lift.

"Data, wait," her voice called, only seven feet behind him.

The android faced her again, believing she had changed her mind about sharing her concerns.

Maryam walked up to him, closing the distance between them until she was only 7.8 inches away from him. This was much closer than they had been when dancing at the wedding.

She looked at him, into his eyes. He identified her familiar features, the exact measurements between her eyes and her nose and her mouth and both cheeks firmly engraved in his memory. He could hear her struggling to maintain a steady breathing.

"Data," she said, "I'm going to kiss you."