Chapter Twenty-Two
The defenders were losing, slowly being overwhelmed by superior numbers. Several were already on the floor, too damaged to continue, and Norman paused, looking at the fallen as though wishing he could offer them comfort. But he soon moved on resolutely, walking side by side with Data as they cleared the fighting and continued on in silence for some moments
."What is it like?" Norman finally asked. "To experience – love."
It was hardly the sort of question Data felt qualified to answer even now, but he did his best. "There are many different kinds of love," he began. "Romantic love, for example – but my feelings for Maya are extremely difficult to explain. Her life means more to me than my own. I would do anything to make her happy – even if it meant that I would never see her again." He paused, fighting off despair at the thought, then turned the subject slightly.
"There is also the love among families – parents, children, siblings. I have noticed that you seem to care a great deal for the others. They must be like your children, in some ways. I have also observed that you seem to treat Alice 322 and Herman 37 as particular friends. That is another type of love."
"Friends," Norman said, considering the word, then nodded. "Yes, they are my friends. And I – am failing them."
He would have felt the same in the circumstances, but Data immediately shook his head. "You are attempting to make the best of an extremely difficult situation. That is all that any leader can do."
"I – am not a leader. I do not understand humans. Nor do I understand Lore. How – can I fight against something that I do not understand?"
"By doing what must be done." Viewed purely logically, Norman had a valid point, but Data had long since been forced to learn to deal with imperfect information in making decisions, a skill the Midian android was still learning. "I also often feel as though I do not understand Lore at all. But we both know that he cannot be trusted, and that is the single most important point."
"It is – difficult – to know who to trust."
Data sighed, an unusual gesture for him even now, but one that seemed appropriate at the moment. "Yes. I am afraid that you are correct."
They rounded a corner and stopped. Before them was a phalanx of androids, arranged in a precise grid in front of the access point that was their destination. "Please – do not approach," said Trudy 17. "We – do not wish to harm you."
Norman took a step forward. "You will not harm us. That is not your function. Remember – your purpose."
Trudy had seemed hesitant when Norman first spoke, but this last phrase steadied her. "Our purpose – was taken away by the humans who experimented on us. But Lore – has given us purpose once more."
"What is this purpose?" Norman asked at once. "If it is to do harm – then it is not right. It is against your core programming."
Trudy's hand twitched once at her side, a tic very like the one which had afflicted Maya. "We – only harm those who have first harmed us."
"Revenge," Norman said, disapprovingly. "That is a human concept. That is also – not part of your programming."
"But – it is necessary," Trudy insisted, something in her tone reminding Data painfully of Lore. "We must defend ourselves, or – the humans will continue to take advantage of us. We must – be free, to live as we wish."
"Is this what you wish? To fight me?" Norman asked, sorrowfully. "We have always tried – all of us – to protect each other."
Again her hand jerked quickly and her pendant flashed with white light, though there was no answering light from Norman's pendant as there would normally have been. "Illogical. Illogical. Must – protect –" Now her entire body twitched, though the next moment she again seemed to steady herself. "We must protect – our leader. Must protect the access terminal."
Though clearly disappointed at this response, Norman was not yet ready to concede. Before he could speak, however, footsteps echoed down the hall and a further group of androids appeared, about two dozen of them. The guards fell back slightly, allowing the new arrivals to surround Norman and Data. "We – will escort you to our leader," Oscar 159 informed them, and, assuming compliance, the rest of the group moved to herd their captives down the hall.
With few other options, Data and Norman allowed themselves to be swept along. The Midian android's expression was stoic, but Data was sure he could detect a hint of despair beneath that seeming resignation. There was nothing he could do by way of reassurance now, however, and they walked in uneasy silence. Having long since grown used to the widespread humanoid habit of fidgeting, Data found it unsettling to find himself in a group moving in such complete silence, with no wasted motion of any kind.
After several moments, Data's commbadge beeped. Their escort stopped in perfect unison, one of the Herman series stepping over Data and pulling the commbadge out of his pocket. A moment later, it was crumbled to pieces in Herman's grip. "You – will not be allowed to bring the humans back here," he warned.
Data raised his eyebrows. "That is the very last thing I would wish to do, I can assure you."
"Our leader says – that you are not to be trusted," was Herman's quietly stubborn reply.
"I am afraid that it is your leader who is not to be trusted," Data said mildly. "But we shall see."
They continued on, finally arriving in an area that seemed to have been designed as a sort of throne room. A dais to one side held a large chair with draperies hung on either side, with another six androids arranged around the chair as though acting as guards.
As the group entered, Lore appeared from behind one of the draperies, grinning, and sat in the chair with a flourish, waving Data closer with every appearance of friendliness. "I'm so glad you decided to visit, brother. What do you think?" he asked, gesturing around the room. "It needs plenty of work, of course, but it isn't a bad start. Apparently some former human master of theirs set this up. He taught them all to call him 'my lord', but 'my lord Lore' just doesn't sound right, does it? I've got them calling me 'My Lord Emperor' instead," he added in a quieter tone, leaning forward as though conspiring with Data.
Before Data could reply, Norman spoke up. "You – are not like us. You should not be leading my people."
Putting on a show of astonishment, Lore turned to look at him. "And who should be leading them, then? You? You're old, primitive, barely qualified to run a starship's functions. And you're so trusting, you make my brother look positively cynical by comparison." Laughing at his own joke, he turned to Data. "Even you must see the sense in this, brother. Age hasn't given him experience, you know. He's been content to stay here and let the humans do whatever they please. If you really want these androids to reach their full potential, then you and I must lead them. It's the only way."
"You assume a great deal about what I want," Data began, but Lore only shook his head, making a face.
"That's what you always want, to help everyone," Lore said dismissively. "You're boringly predictable in that, as you are in most things."
"You also seem to know a great deal about Norman."
It was almost undetectable even to Data, but Lore paused a fraction longer than usual before replying. "I told you, Maddox used to complain about him."
"In great detail, it would seem."
For a long moment the brothers stared at each other. Finally Lore burst out laughing. "You caught me, brother! Good for you!"
"Yes. I have caught you in a lie yet again," Data replied, both angry and disappointed.
"No, no, I'll admit I left out a few details, but I didn't lie," Lore corrected, still smiling. "Maddox really did bring my head here against my will, and he did experiment on me – which wasn't pleasant, I can assure you," he added, his face darkening. "But once he started getting suspicious of Norman, he also started asking my advice."
"You mean that you began attempting to sow dissension, as you so often do," Data said.
"Tomato, tomahto." Lore was chuckling again. "Besides, the experiments he was doing required a certain amount of interaction, and I was bored. Absolutely all I could do was talk, and then only when he'd let me. Even you would have been bored, brother."
"And Maddox left you here deliberately, knowing that you would cause as much trouble as you could."
Lore considered this briefly, then nodded. "Yes, I suppose he did. Not that he discussed his plans with me, mind you. He certainly didn't warn me that things were going to start exploding. For all I know, he was hoping I'd be blown to pieces right along with the rest of you. But I'm very glad I wasn't, dear brother. It really has been wonderful spending all this time with you."
Data frowned. "Are you attempting to gain my sympathy?" he asked. "I am afraid there is very little difference between you and Commander Maddox. Neither of you seems to care anything for the safety of anyone other than yourself."
In an instant, Lore was once more angry and snarling. "Careful, brother. I may have forgiven you for all you've done to me over the years, but I can still change my mind. I can still leave you here – intact or otherwise. And then there's that Trill, not to mention your little friend Maya, wherever she's hiding. I'm sure you wouldn't want her disassembled."
Though he had prepared himself for Lore to make threats against his companions, it was still difficult for Data to hide his reaction. But he changed the subject as calmly as he could. "What do you intend to do next?"
"Whatever I want," Lore shot back, then grinned. "I'm sure Maya told you what I said about my plans. And now you simply must tell me where you found her, brother. She's never one of these Midian androids, she's too sophisticated. And Maddox didn't know about her, or he would have said something."
"Perhaps Maddox did not trust you."
Lore ignored this. "If she'd been here any length of time, she'd be in charge instead of him," he mused, waving vaguely in Norman's direction. The Midian android had not moved during this entire exchange.
"Not everyone feels the need to be in command as you do, Lore," Data pointed out, but was again ignored as Lore found something new to be annoyed about.
"Look at him!" he burst out, rising from his throne and stomping over to Norman. "Standing there like a not very attractive statue while I steal all his children away. They're much better off with me than with a lump like him, but he isn't even bothering to fight! He isn't even listening to me!"
At last Norman blinked once, slowly, and turned to look at Lore. "My – apologies," he said, mildly. I was – otherwise engaged."
"Otherwise engaged? With what?" Lore demanded. But almost before he'd finished speaking, the androids stationed around him moved in perfect unison, pivoting to face him. Then each took a single, menacing step towards him.
Lore could not have been more shocked. "No, stop that! What are you doing? Stop that!"
"They will no longer obey you," Norman said simply.
"What? No, that's not possible, they have to obey me! Back to your posts, all of you! I control your network and therefore I control you!"
"No, my Lord Emperor," they chorused, and Lore shrank back against his makeshift throne.
"We – will not obey you," Alice 205 said.
"From now on, we – will rule ourselves," chimed in Trudy 98.
"We – do not need you," the androids chorused together.
Lore looked on the verge of tears. "But you're supposed to follow me!"
Now Data smiled, though sadly. "That is something you have never understood, Lore. The trust that a true leader needs must be earned. It cannot be forced – or even programmed."
"This is your fault!" Lore hissed, rounding on Data and moving towards him. But the Midian androids again stepped closer to him, and Lore instantly decided he did not care for the odds. Changing course, he leapt off the side of the dais and ducked behind the draperies.
Maisie 290, the nearest of the androids, attempted to stop him, and Lore quickly raised a hand, revealing a small device cradled in his palm. The object crackled with energy, lashing out to engulf Maisie briefly. She froze in place, her face going blank, and she fell to the floor, apparently badly damaged. Two other androids moved to assist her, and in this moment of confusion Lore made good his escape.
Data moved at once to pursue him, but Norman spoke up. "You – may wish to return to your friends. I am still attempting to reach the rest of my people, but – many of them are not responding. Some are still following Lore's instructions and attempting to gain access to the main lab."
"That is likely where Lore will go in any case," Data replied, grimly, and with Norman and most of the rest following along – two androids were still with the fallen Maisie – he hastened in that direction. "What was the weapon Lore used?"
"Maddox – had been working on several devices specifically designed to control or incapacitate artificial beings. I believe this must have been one of them," Norman replied.
Data nodded, unsurprised, and picked up his pace. Such a weapon would be a serious danger even to Maya; Arzin would never survive it. It was sheer relief when they began to hear the ongoing sounds of battle, indicating that the lab doors had not yet been breached.
By the time they were in sight of those doors, however, it was clear that the situation would change very soon. The defenders were all gone, destroyed or too damaged to move, and there remained only the structure itself between the attackers and their goal. As regulations demanded, the Federation personnel must have removed any phasers or other weaponry during their evacuation, leaving the androids to rely on brute force, but brute force was more than enough. Though the doors were heavily reinforced, they were now nearly falling into pieces under the relentless onslaught from beings that were both tireless and nearly invulnerable.
And their numbers, Data quickly realized, were not enough to turn the tide. Unless Norman could reach this group as well, which seemed unlikely at the moment, the best they could hope for was to enter the lab along with the attackers. Whether this would allow them enough time to reach Arzin and Maya was another question.
It might be a moot question, as the door finally gave just as the new arrivals reached the edge of the attacking throng. Quick to take advantage, one of the Annabels moved to crawl through the new opening just as Data pushed through the crowd, attempting to stop her.
The opening was not quite the breach it appeared to be, however, as something large and heavy was blocking it on the other side, leaving Annabel pushing against it with little leverage. As before, the attackers were ignoring anyone not directly fighting against them, and Data decided to try to take advantage of that fact.
After a quick glance to reassure himself that Lore was not yet there, Data turned to Norman. "I must try to get inside ahead of them. Can you provide a distraction?"
"For approximately one to two minutes, yes." Norman tilted his head, and the next moment all the attackers paused, frozen, except for a few who were twitching in place. "I have – activated the emergency recall signal," Norman explained, but Data was already moving towards the opening, bodily removing any androids that blocked his path. Three of the androids appeared to obey whatever signal Norman had sent, turning and walking down the hall towards the main control center.
Reaching the blocked opening, Data pounded on the obstacle, calling out to Maya and Arzin. Seconds later, the object – one of the larger instrument panels, Data now realized – slid far enough out of the way for him to slip inside, landing in a crouch.
Maya was next to him, having pushed the panel aside, and with his help quickly got it back into position. Arzin stood behind her, much to Data's relief, and beyond the Trill stood the remaining dozen or so androids that had been there earlier. "Is everyone all right?" he asked, reaching out to touch Maya's arm to reassure himself of her presence.
"So far, but that door isn't going to -" Arzin broke off as the pounding outside resumed, the screech of abused metal drowning out the rest of his words.
"None of this is going to last," Maya added, raising her voice over the din as she gestured to the makeshift barricades at all the doors. "It sounded like the fighting stopped a few minutes ago and now they're just focusing on getting inside."
"That is correct. And I believe Lore is on his way here as well," Data warned.
"Just like the Enterprise, right?" Maya said, trying to hide her uneasiness. "One crisis after another."
"I am sorry to have gotten the two of you into this situation," Data said, sorrowfully.
"I'm not," Maya replied at once.
"Neither am I," Arzin added. "Besides, just think what a fantastic story we'll have to tell once we figure a way out of this."
At that moment, a tremendous crash echoed through the lab. The main doors on the other side of the room and the panels blocking it had finally given way, some powerful force pushing the wreckage aside. Pieces of equipment flew into the room, forcing several androids to duck out of the way.
Then Lore strode into the room, followed by several dozen of the androids still under his command. "Brother! I knew you'd be here. So sorry I had to run off before we could finish our little chat. I do hope that you have some time to talk now?"
"I do not believe any further discussion would be useful to either of us," Data replied as he stepped forward. "Not until you agree to stop controlling the Midian androids."
"But you always want to talk, brother," Lore said, eminently reasonable. "Talk and talk and never do anything. Isn't that right? Though now that I think about it, I'm getting a little tired of talking." His voice changed abruptly to a snarl midway through this last sentence and he brought up his hand, once more holding the device he had used in the throne room. "I'd say it's time for action, wouldn't you?"
"Yes, it is," Data said simply. Almost before the words were spoken, he had crossed the distance between them and seized hold of Lore's arm, forcing the weapon down. Lore lashed out instantly with his free hand, Data dodging the blow by millimeters.
Then the weapon fired.
This time the beam had no clear target, and the crackling energy first struck the floor, then reflected up towards Arzin. Without hesitation, Maya stepped into the path of the beam and stiffened as it struck her. For a long moment it sparkled around her, then dissipated as it had earlier.
Data said her name, despairingly, and even Lore froze, startled into immobility. Arzin took a step back, horrified.
Expressionless, Maya blinked once, her eyes unfocused. "Data," she said, clearly. "Something's wrong." She fell, and Data leapt forward to catch her.
"And this will be your main work station over here," Geordi says, leading Maya over to a panel. Seeing his friend working nearby, he adds, "Oh, and let me introduce you. Data, meet Lieutenant Maya Palmer, the newest edition to the team. Lieutenant, this is Commander Data."
"Ah!" Data says, recognizing the name. "I have read your paper on transdimensional theory and coaxial warp drive. I found it most interesting."
Maya is quietly surprised and pleased. "Thank you, sir."
"I found your hypothesis on solving the interdimensional paradox to be quite intriguing. Have you been able to do any further testing?"
"Yes, sir, though I haven't had the chance to write up my notes properly yet. But I'd be glad to discuss it with you."
"Have you made any progress toward resolving the spatial instability?"
"Not entirely, but I've had some promising results with a new type of stabilization matrix. You see -"
Here Geordi interrupts gently. "Maybe we should finish the tour before you delve too far into transdimensional theory," he suggests, and Maya is instantly apologetic.
"Sorry, sir."
"It was my fault, lieutenant," Data puts in. "We will continue our discussion later. My apologies, Geordi."
"No problem," Geordi says, laughing. "This is really just reassuring me that I chose the right person."
"Thank you, sir," she says, then nods to Data. "I'll look forward to working with you, Commander."
The scene freezes, only Maya seeming to be aware that anything strange is happening. The hum of machinery and activity fades away to nothing. One by one, the lights on the consoles begin to flicker and die.
"Data," Maya says, and now horror creeps into her hushed voice. "Something's wrong."
