"Go ahead, fire," Fajo says.
The disrupter thrums in Data's hand. The whirring of its circuitry is imperceptible to most organic life forms. But he is not an organic life form. The buzz of the electricity that runs through the weapon like blood through veins is as apparent to him as the biochemical lubricants that hiss through his interior.
It is discordant. It creates imbalance. More of his thoughts are being allocated to the disruptor than are optimal. He would rather be paying attention to his thoughts about the lapling.
The lapling prefers voiced consonants to unvoiced. She also prefers open, dark vowels, to closed, bright ones. The optimal combination of consonants and vowels cause the lapling to stand up and eat more, and also to emit a purring sound, indicating pleasure.
When he spoke to the lapling, the thrumming of his circuitry was more harmonious. The lapling creates balance.
Fajo is discordant. Fajo creates imbalance. Fajo has murdered. Varria, a being as unique as Data, was exterminated because of Fajo's obsession.
Query: obsession. How does obsession of this nature begin? When does it become pathological? Search systems for any similarities in historical figures, personal acquaintances, and self. Run query.
Fajo will not harm Data. Fajo wants Data to entertain him. In order for Data to be entertaining, Data must be unharmed.
Data can survive without food, without air. He could survive even in the cold vacuum of space.
Variables: probability that Fajo will harm me. Probability that Fajo will harm others on this ship. Probability that I will escape. Probability that I will be rescued. Probability that Fajo will lose interest. Probability that Fajo will release me.
The queries whiz by, distracting him from more agreeable thoughts. He would rather think about the lapling, or about his painting (Search Odilon Redon, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, and Frida Kahlo. What is missing?), or about the joke Geordi told that he still does not understand (Did you hear about the guy who cut off the left side of his body? He's all right now.), or about the proper technique to execute the trills in Giuseppe Tartini's Violin Sonata in G minor (Search Isaac Stern, Michael Barenboim, and Nicola Benedetti. Cross reference and mark similarities and differences of technique).
But this must be attended to, or balance cannot be restored.
Fajo will continue to commit murder if I do not do as he wishes. Murder is unacceptable. Following Fajo's orders violates my dignity as a sentient being. Following Fajo's orders is unacceptable. Fajo must be stopped. Self-defense is acceptable. Margin of error, zero point five percent.
Data raises the disruptor, and puts his finger on the trigger. "I cannot permit this to continue."
He pulls the trigger, and his mind calms back into homeostasis.
The lapling prefers dark vowels. Query….
Dialogue is quoted from the Star Trek TNG episode: The Most Toys