A/N: Set immediately after Code of Honour. Thanks for reading. Despite Code of Honour being one of the most cringeworthy episodes of TNG, there were some brilliant Data/Tasha moments in that episode. Yes, I will go down defending this ship. This story explores those moments and some missing scenes. This is an amateur fan-made work of imagination.
This is a retelling of TNG Season One. My attempt is to weave in missing scenes and a few original adventures to expand on the first season. It's a little AU and a bit of a rollercoaster.
Part One of "The Complication" series, this is the fic that launched the series. Be sure to check out the other fics set in the same universe!
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It had been 3 days, 8 hours, 42 minutes, and 7 seconds since Tasha had returned from Ligon II.
Presently, the Enterprise was en route to Styris IV to deliver the vaccine. Data had only read about Anchilles fever. While he had never witnessed it first-hand, he'd read enough to know that it's particularly contagious nature coupled with the high mortality rate meant that Anchilles fever could sweep through a world in a matter of weeks.
Captain Picard bid his officers a good evening as their shift ended. Data would be on night watch on the Bridge later. He had several hours before his shift. Ordinarily, Data would hang around to run through his daily report with Lieutenant Baker that would take over his position at Operations for the swing shift.
"My report is available on the console. Have a good shift, Lieutenant," Data said with a short nod before turning to the turbolift.
He hoped he could catch Lieutenant Yar in the turbolift to initiate a conversation.
In a few long strides he was almost to the door before he was stopped by Commander Riker.
"You're off somewhere in a hurry, Mr Data," Riker said with a smile. "What's the rush?"
Data did not turn around. Tasha met his eyes briefly before casting her gaze down to the floor. The turbolift doors closed and Data knew he'd lost his chance.
"I have night watch on the Bridge later, sir," Data said. "And several tasks to accomplish before then."
Riker laughed and Data caught the next turbolift off the Bridge.
He'd calculated 326 instances in which he could make contact with Lieutenant Yar naturally to initiate a conversation.
143 minutes after Tasha had returned from Ligon II, Data had attempted to initiate conversation after their briefing following her return. At that time, she had told him she wanted to return to her quarters and to be left alone after the incident. As he analysed her, he could see she was fatigued from the ordeal. Data also suspected that there was an emotional toll that she did not wish to discuss publicly.
So, Data had waited several hours and then shown up at her door.
"Yes, sir?" Tasha said as she stood stiffly in the doorframe.
"I came to see if you were alright," Data explained. "I have read that human emotions of past traumatic events can be triggered when-"
"I'm fine," Tasha said as she cut him off. "I'd just like to be alone."
Data had left that evening confused about their interaction. His behaviour had seemed to cause Tasha annoyance. Although he could not feel emotion, Data found that the idea that his actions had caused Tasha frustration had preoccupied his neural pathways.
As a result, Data wanted to ask Lieutenant Yar to help him understand how to avoid doing so in the future. Since she had been irritated by him coming to her quarters, Data had decided to find a time to initiate the conversation in a setting where they would be together naturally.
But she had skipped her usual holodeck workout yesterday morning, she had failed to show for the weekly poker game and had swapped security sweep locations with Ensign Hernandez. All in all, he had made 138 attempts thus far and none had been successful. While he had initially theorised this could be due to random chance, he was sooner beginning to think she was avoiding social gatherings altogether.
Data decided to return to his quarters. Sitting down to his workstation, he turned on some music to analyse and pulled up his reading for the evening. There were reports of a Valdore-type Romulan ship that had been spotted several times in the last month deep into the neutral zone. Captain Picard had asked Data to review the report in anticipation that the Enterprise may be called to investigate further.
Data's door chime triggered, and he called out for whoever it was to come in.
Geordi entered his quarters.
"Hey, Data," Geordi greeted as he approached the workstation.
"Hello, Geordi," Data replied.
Data could tell from Geordi's facial reaction that he did not enjoy the music.
"Ugh, what is this?" Geordi said with a grimace.
"Thomas Tallis. 1525. Salve intemerata. A five part acapella choral arrangement that-" Data stopped himself. "Computer please cease playback."
"Thanks," Geordi said with a grin.
"Can I help you with something, Geordi," Data said as he set down his PADD.
"Yes," Geordi replied. "I've got a new holodeck program and we've both got a few hours to kill before your shift begins."
"Geordi, how long is this program?" Data asked. "Will we reach the conclusion by 20:00?"
"Well yeah," Geordi shrugged. "Wait a minute - you don't start night watch until 23:00. Got a hot date?"
"Hot date?" Data repeated blankly. "Oh, I see, a romantic outing with a highly desirable partner that," Data didn't finish his sentence. "No, I do not."
Geordi threw a large coat and hat at Data.
"Then suit up and I'll see you down there," Geordi said with a large grin.
Data met Geordi outside of the holodeck. He was pleased to see that Miles O'Brien would be joining them. Data liked Chief O'Brien. He was a good friend and one of the few people that had treated Data as person rather than a machine.
He mused to himself it was probably for the best that he could not feel embarrassment. He'd gotten a fair share of looks from the Enterprise crew he'd met on his way to the holodeck. Data had identified the long blue frock coat as early 19th century British Royal Navy. The insignia designated a rank of captain. The coat was long enough that it came down past his knees. It was heavier than a standard Starfleet uniform and Data found that movement was more difficult.
"Looking good, Data," Geordi said as he adjusted his hat.
"I do not understand the function of this bicorn hat," Data said. "It serves no practical purpose, and it appears to be only for ceremonial or decorative purposes."
"Well, you know what they say about big hats," O'Brien winked as Geordi chuckled.
"Is that humorous?" Data asked as he attempted to process what had caused the laughter.
There was a short pause. Data realised within 0.004 seconds this was not a topic that O'Brien or Geordi was willing to explain. Therefore, he began accessing his neural network to understand the phrase.
"Ah! I see. A joke playing on a colloquialism regarding the size of male feet and their relationship to the size of-," Data stopped as his modesty programming took over.
Cocking his head to the side, his curiosity was now in overdrive. Within a matter of milliseconds, Data was processing many different questions.
"Chief O'Brien, where did you obtain such information about my anatomical structure?" Data asked seriously.
Had Tasha said something? Data pondered.
One of the thoughts that he processed was the possibility that Tasha had mentioned this fact to Miles. Humans had a predilection for engaging in what could be described as 'gossip.'
He knew that she considered Chief O'Brien a friend.
The idea seemed to contradict her request to pretend that their intimate coupling had never occurred.
It certainly wasn't the first time such a contradiction had occurred in recent weeks.
On the whole, Tasha's behaviour had increasingly seemed to conflict with her instructions that 'it never happened.'
Since the polywater infection, Data had noticed Tasha observing him on thirty-nine separate occassions when she didn't think he was looking.
She frequently dodged him on the Bridge, become flushed in his presence, and avoided eye contact.
But on the rare occassions that he had managed to catch her gaze, it was as if Tasha struggled to look away.
While Data was no expert on human behaviour, it seemed odd.
It left him perplexed.
And now this.
"Whoa, Commander. It was just a joke," O'Brien said quickly.
"Computer load holodeck program La Forge Ross Expedition," Geordi instructed the holodeck computer.
Stepping through the arch, Data noted the drop in temperature and a strong wind. The three men found themselves standing on the deck of a wooden ship.
"Get those sails down lads!" A man called out.
"The Ross Expedition," Geordi explained. "And welcome aboard the Terror. She is a Vesuvius-class bomb vessel. Don't you love it?"
"I gotta hand it to you, Geordi," O'Brien smiled as he watched the crew work to pull the sails down.
"Mr Blanky, have you completed your report on this ice?" one of the men said as he approached Chief O'Brien.
Geordi turned to O'Brien to explain his role in the simulation.
"Thomas Blanky, ice master aboard the Terror," Geordi stated. "You're the best there is and you'll need to determine if it's safe for us to proceed."
"Because of the pressure. You're worried the pack ice could crush the ship," O'Brien said nodding as he finished Geordi's thought.
"Precisely, Mr Blanky," Geordi said before turning to Data. "And you are Captain Francis Crozier."
"So, I am the captain of this expedition," Data said as a statement of fact before turning to the crewman that had addressed O'Brien. "I will require a schematic of this vessel."
"Ah-no," Geordi laughed. "You're the captain of this ship but I'm the Commander of the expedition, James Clark Ross. And today we're going to find the Ross ice shelf."
Data had greatly enjoyed his time with Geordi and O'Brien. O'Brien had nearly fallen overboard after a particularly heavy gust of wind. While Data was not impacted by the cold, both of his companions had been awfully glad to feel their fingers again after the end of the program.
Their location of the ice shelf had taken a little longer to find than Geordi had planned. Data bid a quick farewell to his friends. He calculated he would not have sufficient time to change out of his costume and be outside of turbolift 14 when Tasha would emerge between 20:03 and 20:09 from spending time with Doctor Crusher and Deanna Troi. Data knew the three women would spend time together twice a week between 18:30 and 20:00.
He considered the possibility that the encounter would seem less natural given his attire. Deciding the reward outweighed the risk, Data set off at a hurried pace as his long legs carried him quickly to the corridor near turbolift 14.
Rounding the corridor, Data found himself face to face with Tasha sooner than he had anticipated.
"Excuse me, Commander," Tasha said as she tried to move past him, avoiding his eyes.
While Data would normally have stepped to the left, knowing Tasha would go right, he instead decided to step directly in her path to simulate a naturally occurring "run in."
"Lieutenant Yar, may I speak with you?" Data asked.
"Commander, I'm off duty, I'm tired, and uh," she looked up at him and truly took in his appearance for the first time, "and what are you wearing?"
"Lieutenant La Forge, Chief O'Brien, and I just completed a holodeck program in which we replicated the 1839 polar exploration expedition of James Clarke Ross to-" Data tried to explain.
But he couldn't ignore the signs in Tasha's face that she was completely knackered.
Data stopped and shifted gears.
"The mild swelling under the orbit of your eyes indicates that you are suffering from fatigue. I have no wish to detain you from rest but would like to schedule a time to talk," Data explained.
He was being earnest.
He had no wish to delay her from getting rest but desperately desired to speak with her.
"What's this about Data?" Tasha countered as she crossed her arms.
Data blinked. He was unsure if she was referring to his request to talk or the act of finding her in the hallway.
"You weren't coming from the holodeck this way. Your quarters aren't down here. I know you've been trying to catch me the last three days," she said.
"I would like for us to converse. Specifically, I have nine questions that I would like to discuss with you. I believe my actions have caused you frustration. I value your friendship and I do not wish to lose your companionship," he explained scientifically.
"Nine questions?" Tasha sighed softly and looked away contemplating his request.
Looking back, she met his yellow eyes. Allegedly, he was emotionless, but Tasha felt like she could read his face. His eyes were full of consideration and concern.
"How about I stop by your quarters tomorrow at 19:00?" Tasha asked. "But no hats."
Data pulled his hat off and nodded.
"Tasha, would it be alright if I changed our scheduled meeting to include eleven questions?"
"Goodnight, Commander," Tasha said as she moved past him and returned to her quarters.
2 hours, 53 minutes, and 41 seconds later Data was seated in the command chair on the Bridge.
They were still about six hours away from reaching Styris IV. They were moving at Warp 4 and Data would oversee the initial deployment of the vaccine upon their arrival.
Data enjoyed the night watch. It had provided him with valuable command experience. He would often contemplate his existence during his time on night watch. After 26 years in Starfleet, Data had experienced a decorated career. He valued his time on the Enterprise. Data often pondered if and when his time on the Enterprise would conclude and what his next path would be.
He knew he would outlive his friends.
Whenever the thought arose, he would rationalise it by reminding himself that their experiences would live on within his memory banks. His neural pathways began to contemplate the fact that Tasha could have been lost on Ligon II.
Although he could not feel sad, the thought of being unable to see or converse with Tasha could only be described as emptiness.
"Sir, we're receiving a subspace communication from Styris IV," Ensign Asfour said. "Infection levels have reached a critical state. One of the colonies has broken quarantine and is attempting to invade a non-infected colony. This is a disagreement over resources. They are concerned that without the vaccine, any infiltration will result in devastation."
"Ensign, what is the population of the colony and what is the size of the invasion force?" Data asked.
"The colony has a population of 228,300 people," Ensign Asfour explained. "The invasion force is estimated to be approximately 7,000 strong and armed with moderately advanced technology."
"Increase speed to Warp 7. This will move up our arrival time. Please alert the transporter room and medical to be ready for immediate deployment upon our arrival," Data ordered.
Leaning back in the chair, Data accessed the files on the quarantined colonies and began to analyse all available information about their weapons specifications. His eyes darted back and forth quickly. The colony had moderately advanced weaponry but nothing that would be a match for the Enterprise. The colony was shielded and would be capable of holding out against the invading force. As a precaution, he would order a security team to accompany the medical team for distribution.
As night watch went on, Data continued to process the information coming from the planet. The images of the plague showed great suffering. He recognised a greater significance in Tasha's actions to secure the vaccine.
"She won't budge," Tasha said as she entered the room. "She loves him. Without reservation."
Naturally, she turned to address everyone as she spoke. Making eye contact with Data, Tasha quickly snapped her head back to Captain Picard before adding, "and she thinks I love him too."
A look of confusion fell onto Data's face.
"Most interesting," Data thought aloud.
Tasha turned to look at him.
"Do you?" He asked firmly.
Tasha kept his gaze. Her face was unchanged, but Data could sense a subtle change in her eyes. He was unable to determine if this was embarrassment, what humans called "smiling with their eyes", or a hint of both.
"Of course I don't, Data," she replied firmly. "As Troi pointed out to me, he's attracted to me. Sure, it feels nice be desired. but that's entirely different."
Data looked away and cocked his head as if deep in thought as he tried to process the contradiction of the tone of her voice with the barely perceptible curve of her lips into what humans called a "smirk." It was as if Tasha was amused by his question but the tone of her voice indicated professionalism and offense.
"Computer please end music," Data said as the sound ceased.
Data had replayed his memory of the encounter on Ligon II a total of thirty-nine times.
He had found it was increasingly difficult to process at his maximum efficiency. A sizeable portion of his neural network had been overwhelmed in trying to understand the interactions that he and Lieutenant Yar had shared both on and after the events surrounding her abduction. He was typically capable of processing several pieces of music simultaneously while reading or engaging in other mental processes.
He had run several self-diagnostics and determined he was not malfunctioning.
Although he could not experience anxiety, he would describe his current state as "unsettled." While his capacity to process information was still significantly higher than humans, it was being eaten up by thoughts of Lieutenant Yar.
Closing his eyes, he accessed his memory bank to replay the interaction that had left him the most puzzled.
"How sad for you. You've lost everything." said Tasha. Her tone seemed to be a mix of both sympathy and disgust.
"I have my honour," replied Lutan looking away.
"It's such a waste," Tasha said as she shook her head.
"Do you want him?" Lutan's ex-wife said turning to Tasha.
Lutan looked hopefully to Tasha.
Tasha cocked her head to the side with a look of unpleasantness.
"Eh, no," Tasha answered quickly as Data determined the look was most certainly disgust. Her nose had wrinkled briefly much in the same way it had when Commander Riker had insisted they try Akutaq at one of their poker nights.
She shook her head.
"There would be-," Tasha struggled to find the words. She blinked before quickly adding "complications."
The door chimed and Data left his workstation to answer it.
Tasha greeted him professionally and Data invited her to come inside.
"You appear to be uncomfortable," Data said.
He had registered a slight hesitation in her voice when she greeted him, and his suspicion was confirmed by her continued avoidance of eye contact.
"May I offer you something to drink?" Data said as he indicated to the replicator.
"No thank you, Commander," she replied. "I'd like to get straight to the point."
"Ah, yes," Data acknowledged with a controlled nod.
He looked at her seated on his sofa and then down to the floor. He cocked his head to the side as Tasha watched him with curiosity. He said nothing.
"Uh, Data?" Tasha prompted.
"I am sorry, Lieutenant Yar," he replied. "For the first time in my existence I am...unsure...of whether I should sit next to you, on the chair to the left, or stand."
"Why are you unsure?" Tasha asked very seriously.
"I do not wish to make you uncomfortable," Data confessed. "And I have observed that my presence appears to cause you discomfort."
"Sit, stand, makes no difference to me," she replied as she shrugged. "But please hurry in making that-"
Tasha trailed off as Data sat down quickly on the chair to the left of his sofa.
"Right," Tasha nodded. "So, what's this all about?"
"I would like to ask you eleven questions to help me understand-" Data started to explain but stopped when Tasha waved her hand.
"What kind of questions? And why are they so important to you? Because if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were feeling bothered," Tasha said as she raised her eyebrows.
"I am incapable of feeling," Data said educationally before adding, "Both during and after the events on Ligon II I have found that a significant portion of my neural network has been preoccupied in attempting to understand our interactions. I do not want to lose your companionship and my analysis had led me to conclude my presence has caused you frustration. I would like to understand why so that I may adapt my behaviour to ensure it does not continue to cause you discomfort."
Tasha closed her mouth as she realised it was open.
"Furthermore," Data continued. "I hope that your well-being has not been damaged by the events that transpired on Ligon II. At times, I have struggled to comprehend the inconsistencies between your verbal and physical communication. It is my hope that in discussing these, you will help me to gain an increased understanding of your feelings."
"My feelings?" Tasha said as she made eye contact with him for the first time.
Data nodded.
"My feelings," Tasha repeated as she continued to maintain eye contact with the amber-eyed man.
'Android.' She corrected herself internally.
"Not human emotion?" Tasha questioned.
Data had frequently expressed his desire to better understand and emulate human behaviour. But his wording had caught her attention.
"That is correct," he replied. "While I have often vocalised my desire to be human through increasing my comprehension of human behaviour, in this instance my questions are specific to your feelings and how my actions impact those feelings."
"I think this is a lot bigger conversation than we have time for," Tasha said as she slapped her knees and rose to stand.
"I fear I have made you uncomfortable again," Data said as he studied her.
"A little," Tasha replied dryly.
"I find I now have twelve questions," Data said inquisitively as he looked away. His positronic brain was struggling to process anything other than conversation at hand.
"Data? Data?" Tasha said as she approached him. Her eyes were wide with concern.
Data snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at her.
"I am sorry, Lieutenant. As I said before, I am unsettled by the amount of processing my neural net is utilising to-" he trailed off. "I find myself preoccupied and unable to, as you would say, 'shake it'."
"I've never seen you like this, Data," Tasha said as she took in his appearance.
While he certainly could not naturally display confusion or concern, Tasha could read the signs on his face that he was processing a large quantity of information simultaneously.
It was a look that she'd seen come across his face before - typically on the Bridge - when he would rapidly scan reports or schematics to theorise on solutions for complex problems. His eyes were flitting back and forth at a rapid pace. His head movements were beginning to grow erratic.
"Data, stop," Tasha said in what she hoped was a soothing tone.
"May I begin with my questions or would that cause you further discomfort?" Data asked as his eyes continued to flit from side to side.
"Lieutenant La Forge to Data's quarters," Tasha said as she touched her combadge.
"You are concerned that this preoccupation will impact my ability to perform my duties," Data stated.
He shook his head as if he were shaking a bad thought away. He looked down to the floor and that back up at her to meet her eyes.
"I think you should talk to Geordi about this," Tasha said slowly. "I'll stay until he gets here."
"I now have thirteen questions, Lieutenant," Data said.
Tasha knew he was an android. She knew Data maintained that he could not feel emotion.
But there was something in the way his eyebrows were creased that made it look like his eyes were pleading with her for help.
"Would you like to ask one of your questions while we wait. A short one?" Tasha asked in hopes that this distraction would bring Data back to normal.
"Yesterday you stated 'no hats' as a condition of our meeting. I have analysed over fifty years of fashion on Turkana and found no negative cultural associations to hats nor any negative cultural associations to hats among humans and humanoid peoples. Is your aversion to hats a matter of a personal dislike for them, do they evoke a feeling of unease, or am I not aesthetically pleasing in a hat?" He asked in earnest.
Tasha's mouth grew thin as she tried to supress a smile. She wanted to laugh but his face remained so sincere and concerned.
"It was just a joke, Data. Banter," Tasha confessed. She felt an odd sensation. Knowing that her casual comment had cause such a response was overwhelming.
The door chimed and Geordi came in bearing a look of concern.
"Data? Tasha?" Geordi asked as he took in their appearance. "Whoa, Data. I'm sensing a marked increase in your neural network activity. Your energy output has increased, and it seems like your temperature regulation function is struggling to keep up with this increased activity."
Geordi's VISOR could read the increase in brain activity and heat coming from his friend. Geordi had never seen Data in such a state.
"What happened, Data?" Geordi asked as he ran his tricorder along the side of Data's head.
"I find I am struggling to control a sizeable portion of my processing capability," Data stated factually.
"So, what's happening? What's eating up all your processing capacity?" Geordi asked as he kneeled next to Data and put his hand on his shoulder.
Data looked from Geordi to Tasha before returning his gaze to Geordi. To Geordi, it seemed like Data was judging Tasha's reaction or seeking permission before responding.
"I would rather not answer that question," Data replied stoically. "I have run a complete self-diagnostic several times and found there is no malfunction."
"Well can you give me a hint? I'm not sure how I can help if I don't know what's going on," Geordi said in an exasperated tone.
"As I said, I am struggling to control a sizeable portion of my processing capability. I find that my neural net is...preoccupied...with analysis over my behaviour surrounding some recent events," Data answered.
This answer was less than satisfying to Geordi. It wasn't much to go on.
"What's on your mind then, Data?" Geordi asked in an attempt to get more information.
"I would rather not answer that question," Data repeated much to Geordi's frustration.
"So, you found him like this?" Geordi said as he looked up at Tasha.
"Lieutenant Yar did not find me like this," Data explained. He did not understand that his seemingly innocent comment would cause frustration in both Geordi and Tasha.
Tasha crossed her arms and looked away. Geordi sighed.
"I am sorry. I did not anticipate that my explanation would cause annoyance to both of you. As I endeavour to fulfill a request from a friend, I find that the complexity of doing so is exasperating my attempts to normalise my functioning," Data rattled off. "It is not my intention to cause either of you this frustration."
Tasha growled.
"Data, this is my fault," she said as she turned back to look at him. "I think you should set up a time to talk with Counsellor Troi about these questions. If you are exploring your humanity-"
"Respectfully, I am not exploring my humanity and Counsellor Troi will not be able to answer my questions," Data interrupted politely.
Geordi stood up and took a step back from the chair. He looked back and forth from Data to Tasha sensing there was something more going on between the two.
"So, these 'questions' are what's on your mind then, Data?" Geordi asked.
Data nodded and he theorised Geordi was thinking carefully about how to choose his next words.
"But you can't tell me what these questions are," Geordi said as his mouth curved into a frown. "And you think this may be a security risk, Tasha?"
"Correction," Data interjected. "I will not tell you. I feel that to do so would cause feelings of betrayal and I would prefer to avoid hurting a friend."
Tasha felt warm. Data was right. She was frustrated. But it was not solely his doing. She was also frustrated with herself.
"This doesn't seem like an Engineering issue," Geordi said he wagged his finger between the two of them.
"I believe that is correct," Data replied as he stood up. "But there is an Engineering solution to this problem."
Data stepped over to his workstation and opened the second drawer. He produced a small blue pouch.
"This is a formulation consisting of ground Andorian moon rock, black rock salt from Suraya bay, as well as a mineral sediment known as 'Dead Sea Minerals' from Earth. If you place it in pool of water it is said that it can decrease stress, alleviate insomnia, and soothe pain in humans," Data stated as he extended his arm and held the pouch out to Tasha.
She took the pouch from him and blinked, unsure of what to say.
"I thought you may find it useful following your fatigue after recent events," Data explained.
"Th-thank you," she said with a hesitant smile. Data responded with a quick nod.
"And I think that's my cue," Geordi said as he motioned for the door.
"Geordi, please wait," Data said turning to the engineer.
Data explained to Tasha and Geordi that he would like Geordi to remove several of his memory engrams. Geordi had been curious about the engrams Data wished to have removed.
Data had technically answered his question. Despite this, Geordi suspected the answer was intended to fulfil the request without giving away the subject.
Data's answer had been clinical.
The engrams were in relation to a total of approximately nine days' worth of time. Data assured the two that critical mission files would be relearned following the procedure. Geordi had questioned why it was necessary to remove such a large span of his memory. Data explained that in the grand scheme of his positronic brain, nine days was infinitesimal.
"Moreover, the process of isolating and removing only the selected portions necessary would require approximately three hours. Rather, removing these nine days at once would only require about twenty minutes," Data explained to Geordi.
"Why didn't you ask me to do this sooner?" Geordi asked as he sensed there had to be reason Data had not previously made the request.
"Because these engrams contain memories I consider to be of great value," Data answered honestly as he met Tasha's eyes.
"Well, it seems like these are pretty important to you," Geordi surmised aloud. "What if we were to download them to save them for another time? That way they won't bother you for the time being, but you don't have to lose them forever."
Geordi wanted to find a way to help Data. It was clear there was something very important to Data about all of this.
Geordi's gut was telling him something had occurred between Tasha and Data.
He didn't want to speculate about the nature of what had occurred. It was evident it had left both of them with a sense of awkwardness.
Finally, Geordi worked up the courage to say what he was thinking.
"Look, I don't want to dance around this," Geordi said sternly. "Clearly something happened between you two. I don't know what it was. And I don't want to know what it was. But I don't see why you need to wipe away nine days. Even if you were to isolate and remove whatever it was that happened between you two, that doesn't take care of the very obvious feelings of frustration this is causing."
Geordi was looking directly at Tasha. She shifted her weight from her left to right foot. Her arms remained crossed and her lips were pursed.
"Can't you just wipe stardate 41209.2?" Tasha asked Data directly.
"No," Data said flatly. "Even if we were to isolate and remove the seventy-one minutes in question from stardate 41209.2, it would not suffice in resolving this issue. A significant portion of my neural net is occupied with processing questions that have arisen based on interactions and observations over the last nine days."
Data frowned.
"You both continue to have difficulty in understanding this issue. Has my explanation been insufficient?" he asked.
Geordi answered 'yes' the same time Tasha answered 'no.'
"Data I can tell you a struggling with something. What do you want," Geordi asked sympathetically hoping his android friend would be able to pick up on the plea in his voice.
"I would like to understand why my actions have caused annoyance as I seek to revise my behaviour so that I do not cause either of you further distress," Data stated. He blinked twice before continuing, "I would also like to inquire as to your physical health and emotional wellbeing, Lieutenant Yar."
"I'm fine, Commander," Tasha replied.
She was uncomfortable when it came to discussing her feelings. She supposed it had a lot to do with her traumatic childhood on Turkana.
Tasha had always been able to compartmentalise her feelings and pour herself into her work.
And although she had many friends among her crewmates, she had always been a largely independent person.
But mostly what unsettled Tasha was that as the Chief Security Officer aboard Starfleet's flagship, she felt that she had failed her post with the polywater incident. She'd taken advantage of Data. Her failure was the cause of all of this.
Tasha asked Geordi if he would give them the room for a moment. Geordi nodded in understanding and stepped out into the corridor.
A moment of silence fell on the pair. Tasha traced her left foot in a circle on the carpet.
"Look, Commander-" Tasha said after a moment but was interrupted by Data.
"I have noticed you alternate between addressing me by my rank and my name during off-duty hours. Prior to the incident on stardate 41209.2, you did not engage in this behaviour," Data said without looking at her.
It was unlike Data to avoid eye contact. His programming was designed to mimic human behaviour, so he had no difficulty maintaining eye contact and his blinking program ensured it seemed natural.
He went on.
"I have deduced that I am responsible for your frustration but my lack of understanding regarding human social interactions has left me at a loss on how to rectify the situation so as to avoid further harm," he explained. "I initially believed that your preference was to behave as if the polywater incident had never occurred and so, on the advice of Captain Picard, I followed your lead."
Tasha froze. Data had told Picard. She was utterly speechless.
"But I have struggled to rationalise the difference between your verbal and nonverbal communication since that incident. Particularly, I am struggling to understand your communications with me on Ligon II and immediately afterward," Data said flatly.
Data looked at her for the first time since Geordi had exited the room.
"Am I the 'complication' of which you spoke?" Data asked.
