"Lore..." Data took a step forward. "What can I..."
Lore backed away shaking his head, "I need to step outside for a moment. Perhaps something here in the lab is causing an ocular malfunction. I'll run a quick diagnostic." He pushed past Data, nearly stumbling into the corridor. He hated this place. He hated the humans for bringing him back here. He hated his brother for being just like them. And he hated himself most of all.
He made his way through the corridor to the surface. Emotions were so confusing. Sometimes they felt so right and other times it was all he could do not to power down just to get away from the onslaught. It wasn't fair, he raged. Why couldn't Father just have let him go? He would have left the colony and never looked back. Lore looked around the compound. Oh, but he knew. His eidetic memory allowed him to remember everything in perfect clarity.
Android tears, what an absurd contrivance, Lore roughly swiped at his wet cheeks. He would not be lowered to organic standards. He traced the in-flow line that connected to his eyes providing moisture, helping keep them clear and rotating easily... and shut it down.
Why? Why couldn't his father have taken his side? He knew what the other colonists were like, after all, they coined the nickname 'Often Wrong'. They should have let him leave when he asked. They shouldn't have tried to stop him, to control him. Maybe he wasn't the most emotionally stable of beings but they had no one to blame but themselves for what happened. He was the victim. They all deserved what they got.
Lore put his hands to his head. He had an ethical sub-routine and it was currently disagreeing with his assessment. He'd tried to shut it down more than once but it seemed that emotions were involved with the operation of those sub-routines. So, no matter how often he told himself that he was justified in his actions, there was always this little nagging program inside him that said... they were right about you. You're dangerous and you need to be stopped. His brother would call it guilt. He called it an unnecessary function just like the tears. And when he found the proper program access, he would disconnect the subroutine for good.
A small overload was occurring in his power systems. It was triggering what he could only describe as anxiety. It pulsed along his artificial nerve endings. He needed to calm down and get a grip. This was ridiculous. He had two years of experience to draw upon in dealing with emotions, not long in the human sense perhaps, but he was an android. He was a superior form of life. He could get through this situation. He would not be undone by something as lowly as emotion.
"Father, listen to me. I wish to leave this planet. There is nothing here for me...nothing more for me to learn."
"There's always more to learn. You just have to apply yourself. Come, you can help me work on your brother. You'll feel better once you have someone like yourself to interact with."
"This," Lore motioned around the lab. "This, isn't what I want. I want to see the universe, experience new things... not be cloistered away on some obscure planet. It's time for me to experience life for myself."
"Don't be so impatient," the old man's hands fluttered. "You're not even two years old yet and your emotional development is still at a critical stage."
"Your objection isn't valid. There is no risk of cascade failure at this stage. I am self-sufficient. I don't need further supervision to mature."
Soong snorted lightly, "This is definitely a new twist on the terrible twos. I'm sorry, Lore, but it's out of the question. While your computation processes are unparalleled, your ability to interact with other lifeforms is... questionable at best."
"Why?" Lore frowned, "Because I refuse to accept being treated as less than an equal? They are unfair and irrational. The colonists are jealous, don't you see?"
The scientist sighed, "It's you that doesn't see, my son. Emotions are not like computations. They cannot be easily resolved." Soong held up his hand, "You're not leaving. That's my final decision."
Lore's attention snapped back within a fraction of a millisecond. Still, it was too long for him to disregard the lapse. Perhaps, there was something wrong with him. Why did he dwell on past actions? What was done, was done, and could never be undone. To regret anything at this junction was ridiculous.
He looked over his shoulder at the lab entrance. No doubt Data would come to check on him any moment. He certainly didn't want his brother to catch him in such a vulnerable state. It would be used against him. Lore corrected the power surge and ran a diagnostic. He was optimal. So why did he feel so adrift? Never had the perfect clarity of his memory been such a disadvantage, this place was stripping away his self-control... just as it happened before.
He turned at the sound of footfalls within the passage. Data was coming. Lore's face formed into a calm mask. "I think we should move on to the community center. There's nothing more to investigate in the labs. Don't you agree?"
Data stepped into the gray light. He canted his head, "Are you... all right?" It was a stilted delivery. Lore wasn't sure if it was because Data was unfamiliar with offering comfort or if it was just because he was offering comfort to him. Either way, he would have none of it.
"You don't need to keep asking me that. I am perfectly operational. Shall we?" Lore motioned towards the group of buildings on the outer edge of a courtyard.
Data hesitated then nodded once and started walking.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"I'm sorry, Captain," Riker spoke into his badge communicator, "But the labs haven't yielded anything new. We've scanned and double scanned everything in sight. Whatever the colonists were working on, it's all gone. The main computers, the back-ups, all are useless."
Picard's face was grim, "Frustrating."
"Agreed." Riker looked around at the squat buildings that were positioned around the square. "We've started working our way through the residences. Looks pretty barren, most effects have been long since cleared out. At this rate, we'll be done by mid-morning with nothing to show."
"Do your best, Number One, this may well be our last chance to solve this mystery." He paused, "Anything helpful from our guest?"
"Not a thing." Riker walked a little further away from the nearest building to afford some privacy. "I'm glad Data is here to deal with him. He's already managed to incite Mister Worf. Nothing I can't handle but I'm thinking we would have been better off if we'd left him back in the Bynar system."
If any of his suspicions were true then leaving the android to his own devices was the last thing any of them should want to do. "Just keep me informed, Picard out."
Riker sighed to no one in particular, "Yes, Sir."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Sir?" The young ensign poked his head in the doorway. "You asked me to inform you when it was time to leave for the meeting."
Bruce Maddox leaned back in his chair. "Give me a moment and I'll be right with you."
The ensign nodded and closed the door.
Maddox turned back to the view screen. He couldn't believe it. Amazing didn't quite cover this latest news. There was another one.
He scrolled down the report again, re-reading the highlights. Of course, he made it a point to keep tabs on the Enterprise and her missions. He had a vested interest in a certain commander but in his wildest imagination, he could never have seen this coming. It was a dream come true. Not only was there another Soong android but one with an even more advanced positronic brain. He had to be allowed to study this new specimen. There was simply no question.
With his contacts within Starfleet, he had managed to get his hands on the initial reports of this new machine. Its positronic net was apparently able to carry more than a thirty percent increase in capacity. The engineer, Argyle, had noted that the added complexity of the system far exceeded any known artificial intelligence technology that Starfleet had access to… including Data. How lovely.
While the engineer's report outlined the new construct, it didn't really provide fresh insight. Maddox scowled. He'd been trying to reproduce Soong's positronic net for years. Everyone could see how the system operated but not why. He'd meticulously recreated Data's positronic net again and again, yet each time, the system failed to function. It was maddening.
He needed to see the android's initial startup, its birth, if you will, then and only then would he be able to see why his attempts failed. The fact that completely reinitializing the system could only be achieved by erasing the existing structure and rendering it down to hardware-only was of little concern to him. Creating a machine with personality was a conceit, nothing more.
The android, that was calling itself "Lore", had explained that the added neural pathways were designed for emotions. While Soong's intent for the pathways might have been for emotions, it was a good bet that they could be used to enhance processing speeds and even house more memory. Once the emotional content was removed, of course. Thirty percent of its computational potential allocated to emotional programming? Ridiculous.
Maddox shook his head. Soong was an idiot. What could he possibly have been thinking, giving a machine emotions? Wasn't it bad enough that the damn things thought themselves alive? Starfleet had made a mistake all those years ago on Omicron Theta. They should have declared Data to be new technology, if they had done that in the first place, they could have dissected his positronic net at the start. Now there was a whole political minefield concerning what constituted sentience. In his opinion, it was quite simple. Life is born, it isn't made.
Why did people insist on anthropomorphizing everything from animals to androids? Such a childish behavior and he wasn't the only one in Starfleet to think so. Once you got past the political facades, he had found more than a few compatriots. Now might be the time to call in a few favors. He would study the new android… one way or the other.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Tasha opened one cupboard then another. There were a few pieces of crockery and nothing else. If being on this planet wasn't eerie enough, being in the residences were downright sinister. While logically she knew there were no such things as ghosts, one could easily see how such superstitions took hold. There was just something wrong about this whole place. You couldn't be raised in the environment she had, without being in tune with the intangible.
A little rueful smile touched her lips. She was being silly.
Tasha bent down to reach under a small cabinet and ran her hands along the edges. Nothing. "Hm," she said to herself. This was an exercise in frustration.
She stood and backed up a few steps. A small piece of broken crockery crunched under her heel. She lifted her foot and gave it a little shake. The heel of her boot hit a small panel in the wall behind her with an odd thump. Tasha turned and looked down at the wall. It didn't look any different than the rest of the surface but it sounded odd, hollow even.
She bent down and rapped with her knuckle. Definitely a hollow spot, she tapped to the left and then back to the right. The rest of the wall was solid. She pushed at the area but found no indication of an opening. She grabbed her Tricorder. The little machine whirred to life and gave her a reading. There was small, hollow indentation behind the plasticine sheeting. The Tricorder wasn't reading any electronic signatures, nor any metal constructs but there was some inert matter inside the space. Still, worth a look.
The security officer stood and looked around the room. Her eyes settled on a mineral sample. She hefted it in her hand. Why not? She lined the rock up and slammed it against the wall. The panel caved inwards. Tasha reached into the opening and pulled free a small book.
She smiled.
Tasha turned the item over in her hands. It was an, honest to god, paper book, old but not antique. She opened the cover and read, "The personal journal of Lynora Mason." Tasha flipped through the pages and frowned. Though the inscription was in Earth Standard, the language in the book wasn't familiar. But that didn't matter, it looked like they had finally found what they were looking for... a clue.
"Tasha Yar to Commander Riker. I have something you need to see."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Lore was quickly reaching the end of his rope. He didn't want to search the residences. That's where the colonists lived. He scowled. Even after all these years he hated them, every slight still fresh in his mind. He didn't care that they were dead. He was glad. There were fifteen children in the colony. He closed his eyes. They all deserved what they got. They were innocent, and you know it.
"Shut up!" he groused.
Data turned to look at him quizzically.
Great, now he was starting to talk to himself. Inner voices, how cliché, he thought. "What?! Just preempting whatever solicitous comment you were going to make."
"I was not going to say anything. You should not anticipate."
"Riker to Commander Data. Join me at the south end of the village."
Data tapped his badge, "Yes, Sir. On our way."
Lore's eyes narrowed slightly. There was something in the Commander's tone, something urgent. But it couldn't be important, they couldn't have found anything. There was nothing to find. Not anymore. So why did he feel a noose around his neck?
"I don't understand, Father. I clearly have superior knowledge but not only do they refuse my advice but they openly shun it. Are they jealous of my abilities?"
The old man quirked a small smile, "I think it more the manner in which you interact with them that's the issue."
"Manner? I am clearly superior. They should defer to me."
"Oh my," Soong chuckled, "You didn't mention that to anyone did you?"
"Not specifically. Why? Do you think it would help?"
"I think, it would make you quite unpopular."
"Is that important?"
Soong sighed lightly and sat down, patting the seat next to him. Lore came forward and sat beside him. "My Son, you are a wonder and a gift... but you do not know everything."
The android looked at the old man as if he'd lost his mind."I already know a great deal more than most here and my capacity is nearly limitless," his voice held a slightly indignant quality.
"I'm speaking of your emotions not your knowledge." The old man shook his head slowly, "Lore, you need to learn to make connections with people. Emotional connections."
Lore cocked his head. "Why would I want to do that?"
"Because you're going to be very lonely if you don't."
The Away Team was waiting outside the Mason residence. He knew it well. He'd spent a good deal of time there. She was your friend. Lore flinched slightly. No. Machines don't have friends… that's what he had been told. The corners of his lips rose slightly. Well, what did they expect then? He was only a machine.
Worf scowled at him as they passed. Lore gave him a mischievous wink. He wondered how much of a push it would take to crack the Klingon's seething reserve? He could use a bit of stress relief and breaking some bone could only help.
Everyone appeared to be collecting up their various gear. Had they given up already? Or? What could they have possibly found that would warrant this little meeting of the minds?
Riker came out of the building followed by Tasha Yar who had a triumphant little grin on her face. "Ok people, listen up. We're done for the day. Gather all the gear and let's get out of here."
They'd made a special trip all the way back to this god-forsaken rock. There was no way they would just put in a few hours and call it good. "We've only been here half the day. Why stop now?" Lore asked.
Riker looked down at his hand where he grasped a small leather bound book. "Because we have what we came for," he said with no little satisfaction.
Lore stared hard at the volume in the commander's hand. What the hell was that? He looked over at Data who clearly was as curious as he, but not for the same reasons. He thought about the "adjustments" he'd made to a certain little sub-system on the Enterprise. Despite all his bluster, he really wasn't as cold-blooded as he liked to pretend. He swallowed a lump in his throat. It wouldn't just be four hundred this time. It would be nearly a thousand. How will you justify your rage this time? What is their crime? Damn his ethical programming to Hell! He would not be thwarted by Jiminy Cricket! Lore squared his shoulders back, in the end, he knew he would do what he had to do. "Well, maybe now, at long last, you'll get your answers," Lore said with finality. He looked over at Data. "I hope it's worth it."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Some twelve hours had passed and Commander Riker was frustrated. With all the computation power at their disposal it was unthinkable that they should be thwarted by a young girl's diary. And yet the words on the page had yet to reveal a single secret. The mystery of Omicron Theta was apparently stubborn. They were so close. The monitor beeped and Riker looked at the time. He needed to present his progress to the Captain.
"Progress report, Number One."
Riker sighed, "Nothing yet, Sir."
"How is that even possible?"
"We've put the language through every linguistic bank that we have available and still nothing. It's not a known language of any Federation species but we've expanded the perimeters to include all known non- Federation species as well. We've been looking into Lynora Mason's background as well. We're hoping that her past might shed some light on what language she might use. Commander Data has also been looking at code structure."
"So it may well be a code then?"
"It's looking more and more that might be the case. I found it interesting that she felt the need to encode and hide a diary..."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Lore sat in Ten Forward, looking out the window. His face was passive but inside he was a mass of conflicting emotion. As soon as they had returned from the surface, he had activated the sub-routine. It couldn't wait. If that book truly was the personal journal of Lynora Mason then there was little time left to him. Yet still, it had been twelve hours since they'd returned from the surface and there had been no move against him. Was it possible that Lynora hadn't written horrible things about him? How could she not? He had done horrible things… but so had they.
He couldn't take the chance.
She had been the only one that had stood by him right up until the end. She had suspected the truth about what had happened to Keller but to her credit had come to him instead of going to security. But what did it matter? No one would have listened to him anyway.
Lore sighed softly, "Oh, B4… I miss you."
The sound of B4's voice processor phasing in and out, came unbidden. "Tell Father, I am sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for, my brother."
"I did not mean it." B4's innocent, halting voice faded into static then fell silent.
Rage filled a place behind Lore's eyes. If they wanted to come after someone, let them try it with me, he thought. They would see how truly superior he really was, if four hundred of their kind couldn't stop him then neither would a thousand… or ten thousand. His mind turned a dark corner. If they wanted to wage war then he would oblige.
Right after he'd activated his sub-routine, he'd communicated with Star Base one thirty six again. Never leave yourself with only one option. Whatever the reason for the lack of accusation, he would take advantage of it. His back-up plan should reach the ship in less than three hours.
He considered using the computer system to get more information on their progress but he'd already discarded the idea. There was bound to be extra security around what they were doing and if Data was involved, of course he was, then he wouldn't be able to access the information without detection. If he was found spying, then he might as well wear a sign that said, I destroyed the colony! Ask me how.
He pulled in on himself. Lynora. His feelings for her were still confusing. Twenty seven years may have passed while he slept but to him the history of Omicron Theta was merely weeks ago. She was the first person that he had a positive emotional reaction to, the first organic. He would never forget that and yet he could never forget that in the end, she was no different than all the rest.
Lore held the bouquet of flowers out awkwardly. It wasn't that the computer didn't have information on interpersonal interaction such as this, it was that there was too much. More often than not there were contradictory instructions which didn't help his confidence. He finally settled on a human gesture since his interest happened to be in a human female. "I understand that when a suitor wishes to declare his interest, he showers his intended with signs of affection."
"Suitor? What?" she stammered.
"I find your company very pleasing and I would like the chance to explore these sensations with you. Is this not the proper way to state my interest?"
Lynora stood silent, her mouth slightly agape. Then she offered again, "What?"
What was wrong with her? He had been very clear with his intentions but she was clearly confused. "I'm not certain how to clarify this for you. Perhaps a more physical demonstration?"
Lore stepped forward and swept the astonished woman into his arms. While he had no actual "practical" experience, his programming was quite thorough. He leaned in and brushed his lips lightly across hers. There was a small startled outrush of air which he found encouraging and slid his tongue across her lips. Touch was such a strange sensation, not one he often used more than rudimentarily. His tactile functions could actually be attuned to be more sensitive than a human's but there just wasn't much of a need... until now.
Now he wanted to know what every inch of her skin felt like, he wanted to know what it tasted like. This was a new experience entirely and it was wonderful. Perhaps, this is what his father had been trying to tell him. This was what he meant when he talked about actually connecting with another emotionally. This was something beyond his programming and yet that was all right. He was feeling instead of processing. He let his tongue slide into her mouth and he tasted her. He could analyses every flavor but he didn't. He just enjoyed the sensation. He didn't know how it could be possible that one could feel without thinking but this must be what it felt like to be human.
She had reached out and grasped his upper arms in a vise-like grip. He barely felt it. He pulled back from the kiss and proceeded to nibble down the side of neck. She breathed out, "Oh, my God." Lynora pushed at his chest. "What are you doing? Stop it!"
Lore straightened himself and looked at her. She didn't look as if she was enjoying his administrations. Had he done something wrong? He canted his head, no his technique was perfect. She had told him that she liked him and enjoyed his company. So his affection was returned. So what was wrong?
"I don't understand. You told me that you enjoyed spending time with me. Your actions indicated that you have affection for me. Isn't this the next logical step?"
She turned away, her cheeks flushing pink, "Please, don't make me say it."
A pressure was building in his chest. Lore's eyes narrowed. "Say what?"
"I do like you, Lore. And I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea but there can't be anything between us. Not... not like that."
"Why not?" his voice had dropped low. "You said you weren't afraid of me. You found my observations on the other colonists to be amusing."
"I know. But I didn't think you'd... well, that you'd want to... I didn't even think about you being capable, you know."
"No, I don't know," his tone now biting.
She studied his face, "You are a wondrous design, Lore, but you have to realize we're not compatible. You're...
"A machine," a small bitter smile graced his lips.
Lynora looked away. "I'm sorry. None of this has been fair to you or your brother. I know you're much more than just a machine. But I'm just not that… evolved, I guess."
Lore nodded. He let the flowers slide from his fingers to the ground. "My Father gave me the capacity to feel but he didn't program me to care for you anymore than he programmed me to despise this place. I choose how I feel. How is that different from any of you?"
"It shouldn't be and I don't know why it is, all I can say is, I'm sorry. I hope one day humans won't have such limitations in their thinking."
Lore's face was utterly passive as he turned, "One day? That will be far too late, I fear."
Lore leaned back in his chair. It hadn't been a threat. It turned out to be more of a prophecy. He was angry with her, of course, but more than anything he was sad. He didn't love her, it wasn't something that he was capable of, not then and not now. But she was his friend, maybe the only organic one he was ever likely to have and he missed her. You could have found another way. He shook away the thoughts. But I didn't want to…
"Lore?" a soft tone inquired.
He flinched, not this. Not now. He didn't need this shit.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you but I could feel your sadness from across the room."
He wanted to scream but held himself in check. He stared up into Troi's large dark eyes, "If you were able to sense my sadness so effortlessly then you should have been able to sense my desire to be left alone."
She offered him a small smile, "Sometimes being alone isn't what's best for us."
His anger sharpened and he noted with satisfaction her eyes dilated in response. "And who exactly is 'us'?"
"Emotional beings, she offered. "No matter what form that takes, we have that in common."
He bristled at the comparison, "We have nothing in common."
"Data told me that going back to Omicron Theta had stirred up emotions for you. Please don't think of my concern as an intrusion. I just want you to know that I'm here to help in any way I can, that's all."
Data, of course. He would run straight back to his masters, informing them of his weakness. But his brother was sadly mistaken. Lynora thought he was weak too, that he would never… He smiled in Troi's direction, all emotions damped down beneath a massive, distracting, equation he was now processing. "Thank you for your unsolicited concerns, Counselor but if I need a diagnostic, I'll check with an engineer."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Data poured over the information as fast as his positronic net could compute it. There was still nothing. He was ninety nine percent certain that what they were looking at was not a language but a code. And given the number of non-repeating characters, it was a key code of some sort… which meant without the key, they would never be able to read it. If he were capable of frustration, he would now be feeling it, he thought.
He canted his head. What would it be like to feel frustration, he wondered. It could be considered a negative emotion but it was one that often went hand in hand with accomplishment. Since his brother had been on the Enterprise, he had spent much of his time thinking of emotions or his lack thereof. He could see in Lore, the potential realized.
What if Lore's hints about his own emotional capacity were true? What if he could be upgraded to 'feel'. He could have emotions just like Lore did. Well, not exactly like Lore because they would be an addition rather than a complete integration. But the end result would be the same.
He would have his own emotional matrix. Would it change everything, as his brother had indicated? How would emotions affect the way he processed... the way he functioned? There was some disquiet in his positronic net that he couldn't account for, there was a power surge along his synapses. It wasn't anything to illicit concern, it was actually barely discernible. But he couldn't shake the odd sensation as it raced along his circuitry. If emotions changed everything, changed him, then would he be a different Data? Did that mean he would lose the being that he was currently?
Data leaned back in his chair. "Hm," he intoned quietly. These were very strange contemplations for him. Of course, he had studied philosophy from many and varied cultures but he had never before considered himself as a factor in those abstract ideas.
Humans often questioned themselves, who they were and how circumstances could have a profound effect on who they became but it never really related to him. He knew who he was and what he was, there was no reason to question that... until now. Emotions would change his core programming. In what way, he would not know until the deed had been done. This is what elicited the unease. He was not used to be unsure.
Perhaps this was something that Lore could help shed some light on? Lore seemed to think that upgrading him to full emotional status was a good and necessary thing. Though, he wished his brother would be more forthcoming on what exactly that entailed. There was only one way to learn about this, only one person that had lived it. "Computer. Locate Lore."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Captain, we have a sub-space message coming in from Star Base three eight one."
The captain nodded. "Patch it through to my ready room. He'd been waiting for a reply from Admiral Janeway on what they had found at Omnicron Theta. While it had the potential to be a serious clue in the ongoing mystery, he had a feeling that without collberation that he would be told to move on. It was, after all, somewhat of a personal mission. They would only be allowed so much leeway without something to show for it.
Picard sat down in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. The whole situation made him very uneasy and he didn't like it. He pushed a button. "Picard, here." The screen flashed. It wasn't Admiral Janeway but instead an Ensign that he didn't recognize.
"Sir, I'm Ensign Paige. I work for the Daystrom Institute. Captain Maddox asked me to contact you with a personal request."
Not this. This is just what they didn't need right now. Bruce Maddox. Picard's expression shut down. He knew what he'd like to say regarding any personal requests from the Captain but he also knew that Maddox had friends, political friends. "If the doctor has a request to make, why doesn't he make it himself?"
The ensign looked suddenly uncomfortable. "Uh, Captain Maddox is actually in route right now."
"In route? To where?" He already knew the answer. Son of a bitch. He'd known it would just be a matter of time before Maddox showed up. There was no way that he would let the opportunity of another Soong android go, especially one that had a more advanced brain. A brain that might be unstable, his own brain supplied. This was going to get ugly.
Picard raised his hand, "Never mind, you don't need to answer that, I can already guess."
"Captain Maddox wanted me to tell you that he didn't want to disrupt your current mission in any way but only to speak with the new android. He said that Admiral Marshall was most anxious to hear his report on what he finds."
So Maddox had gone over his head to gain access to Lore. Marshall, he was one of the ones that didn't agree with the court's ruling on Data's status. He'd made it clear that in his opinion, Data was technology. Granted, advanced technology but nonetheless property. It made his stomach roll.
What could he say at this point? That Maddox was a coward that couldn't even tell him to his face that he'd pulled rank? It would gain him nothing. "I see. When can we expect Dr. Maddox?"
"He should be at your location within two hours."
Oh, Maddox had been busy hadn't he? He knew exactly what response to expect which was why he had an ensign inform him when he was but two hours out. "Understood." Picard disconnected from the communication without signing off. He leaned back in his chair.
Maddox was about to get a rude awakening. If he had shown up here a week ago he might even have relished the idea of watching Maddox try to deal with Lore… but now. Now the whole thing made him uneasy. Lore had access to the ship's database. He would know all about Maddox and what had transpired with Data. What was it Troi had said? Rage and paranoia. If there was anyone rage- inducing it was Bruce Maddox. He had a bad feeling about this meeting.