CHAPTER FOUR

The Galaxy Class Starship Enterprise moved closer to the probe. Captain Picard asked Ensign Crusher to patch the probe's sensors in with the Enterprise's. Wesley had taken over from Data at ops when the android had gone off duty, and with a few taps on his console, the sensors were ready. He informed the captain. "Ready and waiting for your order, sir."
"Very good, Ensign. Mr. Worf, scan the anomaly. Determine whether or not that is a doorway to the mirror universe we encountered a year ago. If not, then I would like to know where it leads."
"Aye, sir." Worf said and tapped his console. He brought up information from the ship's computer and walked over to one of the science stations. "I am scanning the anomaly now, sir. It seems that the hyperstrings on that side of the rift are different to here; there should not be a difference. The 'space' should be the same if this is part of our universe." Worf tapped a few more controls and brought up different information. "I am going by the data we collected the last time. It appears that the space over there represents the same universe we encountered before. The computer is compensating for any occurrences over the last year, such as pulsars or novae." He waited a second or two while the computer finished what it was doing. "Sir, the probability that it is the same universe is ninety seven point three percent." He turned around to face his captain, then added in a low voice so Wesley Crusher wouldn't here. "The boy we brought back from the probe is also from that universe."
"Very well, Mr. Worf, thank you. All senior staff report to the conference lounge please." Picard said over the comm system and to the officers present on the bridge. They all moved into the conference lounge and waited a few moments for Dr. Crusher, Commander La Forge and Commander Data to arrive.
Crusher and La Forge appeared a few moments later and took their customary seats around the table. Picard motioned for the meeting to begin and then looked to the empty seat beside La Forge and sighed. "Mr. Data. You were called to come to the conference lounge five minutes ago. Where are you?" He waited for a response and looked puzzled at Commander Riker when he didn't get one. It was unlike Data to not be punctual for anything or to go somewhere without his communicator badge.
"Data." Riker called.
"Computer. What is the location of Commander Data please?" Picard asked beginning to feel edgy.
"Lieutenant Commander Data is not on board the Enterprise." Responded the computer coldly. The level of anxiety in the room went up a notch and Troi could feel it pressing against her mind; it was a rather uncomfortable sensation, as everyone stared at each other in surprise.

Aboard the imperial starship, Dr. Crusher and La Forge took Data into the lab near engineering, and strapped him onto a vertical diagnostic bed. Geordi reached out and twisted off the android's cranial lobe, revealing a positronic brain with twinkling lights. Crusher scanned the positronic brain using a tricorder and quickly found where the android's memories were located. Apparently Data's creator had not only used the appearances of humans to model his android upon but also their internal physical structure as well since Crusher found that his memories were stored in the cerebrum; which is where human memories are stored also. Geordi picked up a tool and started working towards accessing Data's memories whilst Crusher linked Data up to the computer using an optical fiber wire. Information came up on the screen and began to scroll as it displayed the sum of Data's memories. Geordi watched the screen as he moved the tool around; a message came up saying 'PROTECTED FILE'. Geordi stopped and turned to Dr. Crusher. "I think we just found what we're looking for. I'll just... turn this... and then... there you go." Geordi said smiling at his work.
"What did you do?" Crusher asked as the file became accessible on the screen.
"I used a multi modal sorting technique, I learned at the Academy, to access Data's memory banks."
"Well, it certainly worked, this looks like a file Data can't access himself. It must contain important information that maybe he isn't ready for yet. Here try this." Crusher passed him a neural stimulator that was primarily used to find out what was going on in a patient's brain when brain damage occurred. Geordi placed it on Data's forehead and the file became accessible on the screen. Crusher read and Geordi began to get excited as he found what he was looking for.
Geordi ordered Lieutenant Hessan to come into the lab and gave her a copy of the information.
"Get this back to the diagnostic teams in engineering. It is the information that is needed to get the positronic brains of the androids working. Get them working as quickly as possible. Dr. Crusher and I will tidy up here and be down shortly. Hurry up." Hessan saluted, took the information chip from La Forge and went back to main engineering.
"Well, that wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be." Crusher commented. "We still have to re-program Data so he'll co-operate with us though." Dr. Crusher said to Geordi.
"All we have to do is add this to his programming." Geordi said holding up a small chip, "I constructed it earlier. It gives him memories of our captain saving him from destruction in the other universe. He will remember pledging his loyalty to the Empire." Geordi grinned enormously and Crusher gave a wry smile back to him. Geordi placed the chip in a small groove in Data's positronic brain and carefully replaced the cranial lobe. Crusher pressed the android's off switch and he came back to life. Geordi unstrapped him and he jumped down from the diagnostic bed.
"Are you finished?" Data demanded. Geordi noticed the android's features had changed, he looked sinister and like he was someone to be reckoned with. Data had a slight curl to his lips and he waited for a response from the engineer. Crusher noticed that his eye colour had changed to a dark mustard yellow and that gave her a creepy feeling, she would not want to get on the wrong side of him.
"Yes, sir," Geordi said saluting. He whispered to Crusher. "I forgot to tell you that Data believes that he is this ship's second officer, the captain told me to program him like that."
"Well then," Beverly thought. "You are free to go, Lieutenant Commander." Crusher said to the android. The doctor had a rank of commander and therefore out ranked the android. Data saluted her, turned and left the lab. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Crusher immediately asked Geordi when Data had left the lab.
"I forgot that the captain wants to see what one will be like as second officer- while we are trying to get these others functioning, then Data will be returned and I don't know what the plan is after that. Do you?" La Forge asked in a hushed voice so no-one else would be able to hear him asking about things that didn't concern him, that in itself could be dangerous if it got back to the counsellor.
"Me?" Crusher asked incredulously. "I don't get to know anything, in fact I'm on his hit list at the minute. He wants to get rid of me, so don't ask me anything. I'm not likely to be here for much longer." They both turned and went about their business.

"Not aboard the Enterprise?" Picard snapped, not wanting to believe what he had just heard the computer telling him. "Where is he then? How long has he been gone?"
"Lieutenant Commander Data was transported off the Enterprise at twenty- two hundred hours." Responded the computer calmly.
"Where was he transported to?" Geordi asked concerned that his best friend was missing.
"Unknown," was the computer's cold and uninformative response.
"Well it seems that we have a new problem on our hands. Any ideas as to where Data is?" Picard asked the officers sitting around him.
"The probe, he could have transported himself there." Worf suggested fuming at the fact that he was the security chief and he hadn't known that Data was missing until now.
"For what purpose though?" He didn't get a response. "Besides, it isn't like Data to beam off the ship without notifying someone. Any other suggestions?" Picard asked looking around him.
"Maybe there is a ship on the other side of that spatial rift. One we haven't detected because we didn't scan for." Riker offered.
"It is a possibility. I don't sense anything but we should scan straight away to determine if there is or not." Troi said trying to give her colleagues some hope.
"Mr. Worf. Go and scan for any ships or anything large enough to be a ship, on the other side of the rift. We'll stay here and discuss what we're here for." Worf got up and headed out onto the bridge. Picard turned back to his officers and spoke. "First of all. How is the boy doing, Doctor?"
"He is stable and is likely to remain so. He hasn't regained consciousness yet-, which I think is a good thing; I don't really want to talk to him any time soon. I scanned him for any viral infections they might have given him but there are none that I can detect."
"Thank you, Doctor. Counsellor, do you sense anything strange aboard this ship or a ship that might be out there?"
"No, Captain. I can only sense that the level of anxiety aboard this ship is very strong. I can't sense Data anyway and as for another ship, I think that the interference from the anomaly is having an effect on my empathic ability. I'm sorry I can't be of more help." She told him, slightly disappointed in her abilities at times like these.
"Very well. Mr. La Forge, will you work with Worf and find a way to seal that rift out there. Everyone else just keep your eyes open, I don't want anyone else to go missing. Number One, I want you and Counsellor Troi to see if you can find out where Data has beamed to. Any questions?"
"Will you be contacting Starfleet Command, sir?" Riker asked.
"Yes, I'll do that immediately. Anymore questions?" He waited. "Dismissed then," he said when he didn't get a response. They went back out onto the bridge. " Anything yet, Mr. Worf?"
"Yes, sir. I am picking up a faint ion trail going through the anomaly, also on the other side I am picking up a large ship about five thousand kilometers away. It is about the size of the Enterprise. I think that Commander Data may have left on a shuttlecraft."
"Are any of our shuttles missing, Mr. Worf?"
"No, sir, which leads me to believe that he didn't go willingly."
"Why did we not detect a ship before, Lieutenant?"
"I am scanning using a low band width, Captain. We did not try this the last time and we don't usually use our sensors in this manner."
Picard nodded and headed for his command chair. "Start scanning with a low band width as well as the usual scan, Worf. I want to keep track of whatever is on the other side of that anomaly."
"Aye, sir."

Data appeared on the bridge of the imperial starship and Picard got up out of his command chair to greet him. Data walked briskly down the ramp to the command area. "Commander La Forge and Doctor Crusher have obtained what they need from me in order to get the other androids functioning, Captain."
"Very well, Commander. Go and get a uniform from stores and then come back up to the bridge." Picard said looking distastefully at the way the android was dressed. Data walked back up the ramp and into the turbolift. He walked with a sort of insubordinate swing that made him look like a thug.
"Stores," he ordered and the turbolift proceeded.
Picard turned to the crew on the bridge and activated the ship wide communication system so that everyone would hear what he had to say. "Now hear this." He bellowed in an authoritative voice as he continued, "Data, the android, is now this ship's second officer and is to be treated in exactly the same manner you treated the previous second officer. Is that clear?" He didn't wait for any response from the bridge crew, as they knew better than to interrupt. "Anyone who does not treat him with the respect due to him will be severely punished. I will see to it myself. Picard out." With that he shut off the communication and sat back down, contently in his chair.

Data got to stores within minutes and was fitted with a uniform straight away. He wore tight black trousers with knee high black leather boots. His uniform top had a high necked black collar with three pips on it to signify that he was a second officer and a lieutenant commander. The rest of the tunic top was a dark mustard yellow colour that matched his eyes. The top was sleeveless and showed off his impressive muscular android physique. Data wore a gold sash around his waist that sported a large ceremonial dagger on one side and a phaser on the other.
Data was given a black tattoo just above his right elbow to distinguish him from the other twenty-five androids that were all identical to him in every way. The tattoo was of a Starfleet badge symbol with a dagger piercing it. The storesman gave Data a similar metal pin badge to wear on the left side of his chest. Data looked sinister and evil in his new uniform, he tossed his old one to the storesman, telling him to hang on to it before storming out into the corridor.
As Data walked along the corridor he was saluted by various crewmembers, he gave the same gesture back to them in a sloppy manner, and continued on towards the turbolift. Data went back up to the bridge.
"Ah, Mr. Data. Can I see you in my ready room immediately." Picard said moving towards the door and with Detaith hot on his heels. Picard went in and Detaith tried to follow. "No, Mr. Detaith, you stay outside."
"But, sir. Can you really trust him?" Detaith asked, protesting.
"I don't know, that is what I'm about to find out." Picard went in and sat behind his desk, Data strolled in a moment later.
"Sir?" Data said questioningly.
"Sit down." He ordered and Data complied. "What do you remember of the last few weeks and how you came to be aboard this ship?" Picard asked to see if the memory chip that La Forge had installed was functioning.
"I was left floating in space by my so called friends in the other universe, for communicating with an alien known as the Crystalline Entity. I was caught in a spatial rift in this area of space and would have surely been torn to pieces if you had not come along when you did. I pledged my loyalty to this universe and to you for saving my life."
"Will you ever go back on your word, Mr. Data?"
"No sir, being an android I can not as my programming will not allow it. You have my full co-operation and loyalty."
"Very well, Mr. Data. You will be the ship's new second officer; you won't need to be taught much as you already have years of experience aboard a starship. I want you to go over this file first however. Find out how things are done aboard this Enterprise. I expect you to function aboard this ship as if you had been on it for years. Is that clear?" Picard said handing a small information chip to the android.
"Perfectly, sir."
"Dismissed then," Data got up, turned and went back out onto the bridge. Picard followed and stopped in the doorway to speak to Detaith. "The answer is yes, Mr. Detaith, we can trust him, implicitly." Detaith nodded his head and went up the ramp as Picard sat in his command chair again.
Data sat at a console behind the area of command on the bridge, going over the chip Picard had given him. After about ten seconds, he was fully versed on the workings of his new ship. He wandered down to the command area and saluted Picard.
"I have reviewed the information chip and understand how this ship should function, Captain."
"Good. I am impressed, that didn't take long at all." Picard noted.
"I am capable of carrying out sixty trillion different functions per second, and have a storage capacity of eight hundred quadrillion bits, sir." Data responded matter-of-factly.
"Impressive. Well sit down, Mr. Data." Data took a seat on Picard's left, which was reserved for the ships second officer, and observed.

Data sat for about forty-five minutes then got up. "I should go and check on Mr. La Forge to see if he has got the other androids functioning, sir." Picard nodded his approval. Data saluted and then made his way to the turbolift.
"Mr. Data, bring an android back up with you, I want to see one for myself." Picard told him, looking over his shoulder. Data nodded and entered the turbolift.
"Main engineering." He said and the 'lift proceeded. Data got out at engineering and went to look for Commander La Forge. He went into the large bay and saw the twenty-five androids lined up. La Forge spotted Data and went over to him.
"Data, glad you could come." La Forge said rather cheerily. Data did not look pleased and his features changed to annoyed as he slowly approached the engineer.
"You will address me as sir. I outrank you and if you do not want to suffer the consequences of my actions, before I inform the captain, I suggest you observe protocol."
"Yes, sorry sir." Geordi said as he stood to attention quickly- Data was the same rank as La Forge but he was the second officer and that outranked the chief engineer. "I have a report if you want to here it, sir."
"Of course. Why do you think I am here?" Data asked impatiently.
"Come this way, sir." Geordi led Data over to one of the androids. The ensign that was working on the android turned and saluted the engineer; he just looked at Data. Data moved with lightening speed and grabbed the man by the throat; he thrust him up against the bulkhead. Data reached out and touched the badge on the man's chest. The ensign squirmed in Data's grasp as the pain ran violently through his body. Data held the badge pressed in for what seemed like an eternity to the ensign. The ensign's face began to turn blue, as the grasp of Data's hand around the man's throat became tighter, cutting off his supply of oxygen.
"You will salute me the next time, Ensign or I can terminate your existence quite easily. Have you got that?" The ensign struggled to nod his head and Data let his body drop to the floor, the ensign lay gasping for breath as Data looked down at him. La Forge looked a bit perplexed but he regained his composure when he saw the android's glance slide towards him. "Give me that report now." Data ordered Geordi.
"Yes, sir. Well, all of these androids now possess the sum of your programming, and we have corrected the fault in each of their positronic brains using the information we obtained from you. All we have to do now is turn each one on, and program each to bring them up to date with what has been going on recently. It should be about twelve hours before the androids are ready for duty." Geordi reported quite quickly for fear of what the android might do to him if he had the opportunity.
"Very well. Turn this one on, I want to see it function." Geordi reached down to switch the android on. The android sat up straight and blinked a few times. Data informed the android of who he was and what he was doing here. The 'new' android stood up and slowly turned around, looking about with newfound curiosity.
"They are also like me?" The 'new' android asked pointing to the other androids sitting in a line behind him, and cocking his head to one side with interest at what he saw.
"That is correct." Data informed him. "Are you functioning within normal parameters?"
"Yes." The android said after performing a quick self-diagnostic.
"Very well then." Data turned to La Forge. "He will come with me to see the captain. Go and get him some clothes to put on." Geordi went to get a black jump suit from a drawer in engineering, that would normally be worn when crawling through service crawlways on the ship.
None of the androids had been clothed because they had to be tested first, before they were allowed to leave- so it was not necessary to give them any. La Forge returned soon after and gave the clothes to the android. The android put on the jump suit and he and Data went to see the captain.

A/N: Please leave a review. Thanks