Chapter Seventeen
Lights had come on in the small room as Maya and Annabel approached the open doorway, but aside from that it was hardly a welcoming space. As with most areas of the complex, it had sterile white walls and fixtures, but like the lounge area it also had the feeling of having been neglected for some time. There were two small consoles, one with a large white nodule on it that showed the only sign of activity: a very slight glow deep within it.
Once the main power was restored, however, both consoles purred into life and glowed reassuringly, helping Maya forget that they were very far from any other living being. And she quickly focused entirely on the work, first running a quick tricorder scan and then opening up an access panel in the main console, settling into a thorough check of the equipment.
When the footsteps sounded, she did not at first even look up, still absorbed in the work before her. "Sorry, I don't have much to report yet," she began, assuming that Data was one of the new arrivals. "But everything looks intact, at least." Then she finally stood, focusing on the new arrivals, and her half-smile faded at once, as she realized that the sound she had taken for Data's footsteps actually belonged to Lore.
He made no attempt to convince her that he was Data, either, simply standing with his arms folded, smirking confidently at her. "I thought you might want some help."
Maisie 418 and Herman 37 still stood on either side of him, both with a sense of awaiting further orders, but otherwise seeming unaware of anything Lore was doing. "Annabel, bring Data here, please," Maya said, calmly, though her posture was tense.
"No, Annabel, stay here," Lore barked, and the android froze in mid-step, perplexed. "You see?" Lore went on, turning to Maya. "Even these supposedly autonomous androids can barely function. They obey whichever order they received last – or maybe whichever order is the loudest," he added, smirking again. "All I did was tell these two that I wanted to leave, and they let me. They just followed along wherever I went. So don't count on any of them for help. Not that you'll need it, I promise. I came here because I wanted to talk to you."
"About cybernetics?" Her gaze drifted towards the doorway, and Lore didn't miss the glance.
"Oh, I'm sure we can find a more interesting subject then that," he said, moving to keep himself firmly between her and escape. "Whatever else I might be, I'm never boring." Then his grin faded. "But I suppose my brother's told you all sorts of terrible stories. You can't take him too seriously when he talks about me. He's determined to make me into the evil twin. I'm afraid we've really never gotten along the way brothers should."
"You mind if I keep working?" she asked, nodding to the console.
"Of course not, Maya," he said, magnanimously. "Isn't that what my brother called you, Maya?"
"Yes," she replied, shortly, kneeling back down to work.
Lore seemed ready to resort to taunting again, but he stopped himself, instead making a show of being serious. "You know he's madly in love with you, of course. Or at least the emotion chip is making him think that. You might not want to count too much on his feelings."
Maya blinked and turned to look up at him. "You're giving me advice on relationships?"
"And why not? He's my brother, I know him better than you do."
"I know you pretty well, too." Her left hand twitched faintly and she instinctively reached into the console to hide the movement, working rapidly for a few moments as the hum of the machinery changed slightly.
"What did he tell you?" Lore asked, suspiciously.
Now she stood and looked at him with sudden anger. "You experimented on Geordi." The next instant her defiance was replaced with confusion, though Lore was already too distracted by his own ranting to notice.
"I knew he'd filled your head with lies and half-truths! It's always the same. Everyone believes every word he says and by the time he's through no one will listen to me. Can you imagine how frustrating that is?" At last he turned to look at Maya again, struck by an idea. "But he'll listen to you, won't he? He'll do anything if he thinks it will keep you safe. You're the answer." Again he grinned. "I knew I liked you."
Almost before he'd finished speaking he reached out to grab her arm. Panicked, Maya scrambled away from him, ducking around the console and trying to cut over to the doorway. But Lore, realizing at once that she was moving too fast for a human, hurried to cut her off again. "Leaving so soon?" he asked, then laughed as he watched Maya backpedal. He strode forward as she moved, finally all but pinning her against the far wall "Ah, I'm glad you've changed your mind. Now I simply have to talk to you. You're not human at all."
Maya's only response to this was to brace herself against the wall and push him away from her with all her new strength. Though he was off-balance only for a moment, Maya took the chance to run for the door once more. Lore caught up to her just as she was about to step into the hall and brought her down with a tackle. Instantly, she lashed out with one foot, catching him squarely in the face and snapping his head back. But he still had hold of her other foot, just, and she wasn't yet able to break free.
"Oh, you are feisty," he said again. "But I have to know: Who created you? Not my brother, he doesn't have the knack. Though to be fair, I don't really have it, either." He grinned crookedly. "And you're never one of these Midian androids," he added, nodding to the other three, still watching uncertainly. "You're far too human, if you'll pardon the expression."
"If I'm so human, than you shouldn't want anything to do with me," she pointed out. "Let me go."
"Gladly. If you promise not to try to run away again." His smile widened. "You're thinking about kicking me again, I can tell. Go ahead. You're as strong as I am, or close to it, but we're also both equally difficult to damage. And you don't have the same reach or leverage. I can outrun you if I have to."
"Annabel, get Data, don't stop for anything!" Maya suddenly yelled. The android obeyed instantly, running from the room before Lore could stop her again.
But this time, Lore didn't even attempt to stop her, only laughing. "Are you sure that's what you want, Maya? Do you really want my brother here? Even with the emotion chip he still has no sense of humor. You'd have a lot more fun with me."
"You think so?" she asked.
"Yes, now you're happy to talk, to stall until my boring brother gets here. But I'm serious, Maya. Just imagine what we could do together! If you know about the Borg then you know I had them following me. It was my brother who ruined that. He was too weak to rule with me, but you? You're made of sterner stuff. You could do what needs to be done. With the Midian androids, we can crush the Federation. Half the galaxy would kneel to us. Think of it. We could have everything, do anything."
"Anything." She considered the word, meeting his gaze, then attempted to retrieve her foot again. This time Lore let her go, though he stood quickly, clearly prepared to resume the chase if necessary. But though she stood as well, she only moved back towards the console, Lore again following her closely as she began to work again. "I suppose you can do quite a lot. But there's just one thing..."
"What?" he demanded, suspicious but now hopeful as well.
"Can you bring the dead back to life?"
Lore was instantly scornful again. "What are you talking about?"
"I just wondered if you could, that's all," she said, smiling a little. Then she took a step back, reaching out and pushing him sideways, towards the console. He was in no danger of falling, but was off-balance enough to reach out to catch himself on the panel. The instant his hand touched, a crackle of energy shot through him, enveloping his body, and Maya quickly stepped back, feeling the power of the charge.
After several moments, Lore toppled backward and lay still. "I hope that h-hurt," she said. Her arm twitched as it had before and she turned to stare at it, putting her other hand over it as though to hold it down.
Finally the silence was broken by the sound of running footsteps and Data burst into the room. The realization that Lore was apparently quite incapacitated, and more importantly that Maya was alive and unharmed, slowed him abruptly and he went over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders as though reassuring himself that she was real. "Are you all right? What did he do?"
Maya shook her head. "N-nothing, really. He just t-talked a lot. Be c-careful of the console," she added, nodding towards it. "I had to br-break it a little." She sighed in frustration, all too aware of how she sounded.
"Are you certain you are all right?" Data asked, worriedly, and she shrugged.
"Yes. I d-don't know. I'm all right for n-now, anyway," she said, then looked down at her hand as it twitched again, though not as dramatically as earlier. "I'm b-better."
Then Arzin arrived, panting, and stared at Maya for a moment as he caught his breath, "You're all right," he finally managed, surprised. "Not that I'm not glad... but Annabel said there was a fight."
"There was. I g-gave him quite a shock," she added, managing a smile. "I was able to r-rig the console so that the surface w-was electrified."
Tricorder still in hand, Arzin made a quick scan of the fallen android. "No energy readings at all," he reported, and Data nodded.
"Like mine, the Midian androids' bodies are designed to shut down under a sufficiently powerful energy discharge, to minimize the risk of damage. He has effectively been switched off."
"Well, at least that's one less thing to worry about," Arzin observed.
"I would like to take Maya back to the laboratory, so that Norman may check her systems again," Data continued. Maya sighed again at this, but made no other protest.
"Yes, go," Arzin said. "We'll take care of him," he added, nodding at Lore, and under the Trill's direction the remaining Midian androids lifted Lore up. "At least it'll be a lot quieter around here now."
A short time later, Lore was lying inert on a table in the cybernetics lab – under a tarp that Arzin had put over him, the Trill saying that he had felt like he was being stared at – while nearby Maya sat patiently, waiting for Norman to finish his scans while Data and Arzin watched. As he had suspected, Norman finally shook his head. "There is nothing wrong with – her higher motor functions. I can find – no more explanation for any uncontrolled movements or difficulties with speech."
"So I'm j-just having a nervous breakdown, then," Maya said, dryly.
"Considering everything that's happened, it would be stranger if you didn't show any signs of stress," Arzin said quickly. "Just a few hours ago, you were..." He trailed off awkwardly.
"Dead?" Maya asked. "It's all right, you can s-say it. Though I suppose it would be m-more accurate to say that a few hours ago I was a free-floating mass of electrical impulses in Data's b-brain." Seeing Data look crestfallen, she immediately shook her head and reached for his hand. "I'm sorry, I sh-shouldn't joke like that."
He took her hand gently. "No, your summation is fundamentally correct. And you often used darker humor to cope with difficult situations. I understand."
"I m-meant what I said before... whatever else happens, I'm still g-glad to be here."
"And seriously, it hasn't even been a day," Arzin said, lightly. "You have to let yourself get used to everything again... preferably when there isn't some sort of crisis happening every couple of hours, though of course luck hasn't been with us there."
Maya laughed tiredly. "No, it hasn't."
"Life on board the Enterprise was frequently – hectic," Data said, with a hint of nostalgia.
"Then m-maybe crises will be good for me. You know, something familiar to help me remember." She and Data shared a smile.
"Perhaps you should – rest," Norman suggested.
Maya looked at him in surprise. "Do I n-need to rest?"
"No. But the psychological habit of rest may still be present for some time. Your mind – still believes that it is in a human body. Your new body is equipped with a low power mode that – simulates sleep, for this purpose."
"I didn't g-get to that in the manual yet. I'll have to t-try that. It seems odd, but..."
"Yes, you should," Data said hopefully. "You can sleep in the lounge."
"Well, I didn't mean now," Maya said, as though this should have been obvious. "The network is still d-down, I have to finish."
"I will do that," Data said at once. "You should rest."
But Maya shook her head stubbornly. "I wouldn't be able to sleep with the job half d-done anyway. It's better if I just finish it."
Data smiled. "You have always been reluctant to leave work half-completed. On two occasions when we were working late on a project, you fell asleep on your couch because you were so determined to finish."
Embarrassed, Maya shrugged awkwardly. "Then I suppose I haven't changed all that much, at least as far as that goes. But really, I'd rather work."
"Why don't you work with Maya, Cap – Data," Arzin corrected himself. "The first thing that needs to be done here is to finish mapping the new pathways, and I can finish that up myself."
"Thank you, Arzin," Data said sincerely. "That would be most helpful." And again, the tics and stuttering were beginning to fade, forcing him to conclude that having a useful occupation was extremely important to Maya at the moment.
And with that settled, she was more than happy to go back to work, standing up eagerly. "Norman, is there more than one relay station? I had to... make some unconventional alterations to the one I was w-working on, to help me deal with Lore."
"There is only one relay station. It was – not suitable for our network even in emergencies once our numbers passed a certain point. Is the console – non-functional?"
"Yes," Maya admitted, "but it can be fixed. I still think that will be the quickest way to get the network back, even if it isn't the best option. As far as I can tell, the interference is all focused on your systems, so the relay should be clear of that."
"How – can I assist?"
"It might be best if you stayed here," Data suggested. "I believe the others find your presence – comforting. But perhaps you could monitor the interference and let us know if anything we do seems to affect it. If possible, I would also like to trace it back to its source, and perhaps you could assist with that as well." He made a quick adjustment to a nearby console. "This is the frequency for my communicator. You can contact us that way."
"Agreed." He hesitated, then added a stiff, "Thank you."
"You are welcome," Data offered, with a slight smile. And with that, he and Maya turned to go back to the relay station.
They walked in silence for a time, until Data finally ventured a comment. "I am very sorry that Lore frightened you. I am afraid that is – not unusual for him."
"I think I was more frightened after it was all over," she admitted. "Then I had time to think about what might have happened."
"That is often the case."
There was another brief silence before Maya added, "He was trying to convince me to help him. After he realized I was an android – when I was trying to get away from him, he saw that I was moving too fast for a human – he started talking about his plans to use the Midian androids to take over half the galaxy. I don't know why he thought I would want any part of that, but..."
"Lore has always been extremely ambitious," Data replied, delicately. "Therefore he tends to assume that others must have similar goals. Do you recall my telling you about Lore? You seemed to find his name somewhat familiar."
"No, not exactly familiar," she replied, slowly. "I just got a sense that he was – well. Someone to be careful of, let's put it that way. It's hard to believe you're related."
"Thank you, Maya," he said, clearly pleased.
She smiled in reply, but also seemed troubled. "There was something – well, you know. A couple of times I've said things without thinking and they turned out to be things that actually happened. And when – when Lore asked me what you had told me about him, I said, 'You experimented on Geordi'. Did he? Did that happen?"
"Yes," Data said, though the admission pained him. Even after all this time it was difficult to discuss. "Lore... forced me to assist him."
"I'm sorry," Maya said sincerely, then paused, her frown deepening. "Nano-cortical fibers," she added, in a confused, wondering tone.
Data stopped in his tracks at this, and Maya also came to a halt, alarmed without knowing exactly why. "What? What is it?"
"I did not tell you that detail," Data said, slowly.
"But you must have," she said, though realization was already dawning.
"No. Even at that time I was – not comfortable discussing the incident, and I left out many specifics. I did not tell you that."
"Some of these memory fragments are yours," she said, clearly not yet sure how she felt about that.
"That is the logical conclusion."
"Well. No wonder I'm confused," she said, with a faint smile. "I've got two sets of memories to sort through."
"I did not anticipate that possibility," Data admitted, and Maya spoke up quickly.
"No, why would you have? It's hardly your fault," she said at once, then paused thoughtfully. "Come on, work always makes me feel better," she added, beginning to walk towards the relay station once more.
With the power off, it was a simple matter to reverse the rewiring of the console and the two of them to set to work on repairs. Most of the time passed in companionable silence, only the occasional question asked or suggestion given. At first Data was vaguely uneasy at the quiet, but it reminded him of earlier times when they had worked together on repairs and experiments, and he soon began to enjoy the time together. He even felt a hint of disappointment when the network finally came back to life, though he was also very pleased for the sake of the Midian androids.
Maya also seemed quietly satisfied at their success, though it was soon clear that this was not the breakthrough they had hoped for. "I see why they stopped using this, even as a backup," Maya observed, frowning. "This was never designed to handle more than four thousand androids, possibly six thousand in an emergency. It's automatically connecting as many as it can, but that won't be much, compared to how many there are."
"It is unfortunate," Data agreed. "But it will be of some help. The androids still functioning all seem – most uncomfortable without any connection among them."
"They don't seem to be able to do much, do they?" She stared down at the console as she spoke, her tone unreadable.
"I am sure they would have helped you against Lore had they realized the seriousness of the situation," Data replied. "In their confusion-"
He broke off as Maya looked up at him and shook her head. "No, that isn't what I meant," she began, then sighed, searching for the right words. "I – I feel a little like them right now. Lost, not sure what to do. Right now I don't have anything to – to draw on, either. No past experiences to help me through things. Every time something has started to feel like a memory, it's slipped away." One finger began tapping out a nervous rhythm on the console, and she stared at it as though the hand belonged to someone else. "I feel as though I'm running on sheer instinct, and – it's tiring. And nothing even feels quite real yet."
"It will likely take some time for you to fully adjust to your new sensory input." Though he was doing his best to seem reassuring, he feared he only sounded as deeply unhappy as he felt. "Everything should begin to seem more real soon. And even if your original memories never return, that too should improve with time, as you form new memories to draw on."
"Time, I know. Time." Managing a smile, she pulled her hand deliberately away from the console. "I'm being impatient."
She had never been inclined to impatience before, though this did not seem the time to mention that. "That is understandable. But now that the task is finished, perhaps you should rest now."
"I am tired," she sighed. "It seems so strange, to still be tired. We have to stop by the lab first, though, see how things are going there."
"Of course," he replied, stepping over to her and offering his arm as he had years ago, before they had stepped into the holodeck to solve a mystery.
As she had then, for a moment she only stared in confusion. Then, slowly, she put her hand on his arm, her frown turning thoughtful.
"We have walked like this before," Data said, helpfully, as they fell into step together. "But I should ask – is it frustrating? When something seems familiar but you cannot identify it?"
"Yes, a little," she admitted. "It isn't entirely bad, though. Sometimes it's reassuring to know that my memory is still trying, at least. Though apparently sometimes I'll get one of your memories instead," she added, delicately. "It's all very awkward, but – I suppose we'll have to get used to it."
He put his free hand over hers where it rested on his arm. "I am afraid there are a great many things that you are having to get used to right now."
"Well, why else would I be this tired?" she observed wryly. "Engineering problems are nothing. The more complicated, the better. It's psychology that's exhausting."
"You never cared much for psychology."
"I believe you. Not that I doubt you in general, of course, but that statement feels particularly accurate."
"You did have some difficulty in working with Counselor Troi. You found sessions with her – uncomfortable. You once told me that you had never understood the common human urge to discuss one's feelings and relationships, and it was difficult for you to do so with her."
"Sounds like I might not have been her favorite patient, either. I feel like I should apologize. Except I can't, can I? I can't go back to the Enterprise or Starfleet. Neither of us can."
"No," he replied, sadly. "I no longer wish to go back in any case, after everything that has happened here. And I am afraid that I also did not fully consider your legal status."
"I'm officially dead," Maya said, with both wonder and unease, as well as a hint of dark humor. "And... stolen property?" she guessed, glancing down at herself. "Misappropriated, at least. But don't apologize," she added quickly. "You were about to apologize again, weren't you?"
Data admitted that he had been.
"You went into uncharted territory. Unexpected things happened, as they generally do in uncharted territory. Things will get better." This last sentence was quieter, spoke almost to herself, and she briefly leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Resting may make more of a difference than you expect," he said, reassuringly. "It might at least help relieve some of the stress you have been feeling."
Their stop at the lab was brief; all was well there and the androids were more their usual selves. Leaving Arzin and Norman to continue working on the problem, Data excused himself to get Maya settled. When they arrived at the lounge, she looked around with a sigh. "Those benches really don't look comfortable, do they? Not that that matters now."
"No. You could sleep anywhere. Though having a place to lie down has always seemed preferable to me."
"Nothing wrong with being traditional." She sat on the nearest bench, then laid down, stiffly. "Now I need to find out if I can make this low power mode work. I'm not used to working with cybernetics just by thinking about them."
"I will stay with you until you fall asleep," Data promised, and Maya laughed.
"I feel like a little girl who doesn't want to take her nap," she said, then grew serious. "But I am a little nervous. What if this doesn't help?"
"Then we will try something else," he replied, simply.
She sighed again and closed her eyes, but there was also a faint smile on her face. "All right, fingers crossed." After a moment, she sighed again. "I don't think this is working." The next moment, Data heard the faint hum of her systems fade a little as she fell asleep, at least in her way. He smiled, squeezing her hand gently, though he was not sure that she would be able to feel it.
"Sleep well," he said, quietly, wishing he had a blanket to put over her even though she did not need one. "I will check on you in an hour."
