In the engineering lab Beverly gazed at the android head. It gazes back at her.
"I think you have nicer eyes." she said to Data.
Data stood with Picard, Riker and Geordi.
"Our eyes are identical, Doctor." he said.
The android was in a framework rig that held the various body parts in place. The parts were not yet assembled
"Geordi?" Riker said.
"Well, he seems to have the same internal mechanics as Data but not as much positronic development. The neural pathways aren't nearly as sophisticated. I'd say he's a prototype. Something Dr. Soong created before Data." he said at work analyzing the torso section.
"Do you have a name, sir?" Data asked the head.
"I am the B-9." it said.
"Be-nine. Dr. Soong's penchant for whimsical names seems to have no end." Picard said.
"You have a fuzzy face." the head said to Riker.
"Keep me informed, Number One, and, please, put him back together." Picard said trying to ignore the head then left.
Geordi and Data began to reassemble the B-9 piece by piece like the Tin Man as:
"Can you tell me how you came to be on the planet where we found you?
"I was taken from my homeworld by people called the
"PakJeds." They are fat. They traded me to a ship belonging to the "Bolians." The "Bolians" are blue. They put me in a seat and asked me questions. Then they were attacked by another ship..." B-9 said blankly.
Time passed and still the B-9 is yammering blandly away, more fully assembled. By this time Beverly was thoroughly bored.
"Then people called the Delviciansans picked me up. They have long teeth. They asked if I do anything to help them. I told them I could do whatever they wanted. They asked me to clean out the matrix manifolds. I told them I did not know what an Matrix manifold looks like." B-9 said.
"Excuse me. I have some diagnostics to run on some medical scanner things." Beverly said.
Then she quickly left.
"And after they showed me the "engine manifolds." Then they showed me something called a "plasma mop"." B-9 said.
More time passed and still the B-9 was yammering away. He was almost completely assembled by now. Riker is bored out of his mind.
"... then the "Cardassians" put me into something called a "garbage chute" and I went out into space again -"
"Worf to Commander Riker. I have the tactical manifests ready, sir." Worf said through the combadge.
Riker quickly tapped his comm badge.
"Worf! Wonderful! I'll be right there!..." he said then stood. "Duty calls, gentlemen. Carry on."
Then he left.
"Fuzzy face is gone." B-9 said.
"Yes, please continue." Data said.
"I was in space for a long time. Then a ship belonging to the
"Talosians" picked me up. They asked me where I came from. I told them people called the "Pakleds" took me from my homeworld. They are fat..."
Geordi groaned.
More time passed and still the B-9 was yammering away. By this time Geordi was slumped in a chair and only Data was listening. The B-9 was now fully assembled.
"Then I opened my eyes and saw you."
The B-9 was finally done with his tale.
"Do you know who I am?" Data asked.
"You are me."
"No. My name is Data... I am your brother."
In the crew lounge Riker and Deanna were having dinner with Worf.
"... and after the ceremony on Betazed, three entire weeks for our honeymoon." Deanna said to Worf.
"We're going sailing on the Opal Sea. We've booked an old-fashioned solar catamaran. Just us and the sun and the waves." Riker said.
"It seems a very... soft honeymoon." Worf said.
"It's meant to be relaxing." Deanna said amused.
"A Klingon honeymoon begins with the Kholamar desert march where the couple bonds in endurance trials. If they survive the challenge they move on to the Fire Caves of Fek'lhr to face the demons of Gre'thor."
"Well, that sounds relaxing too." Riker said.
"It is... invigorating."
Then they saw Data enter the lounge, carefully leading the B-9.
"So they've got him up and running." Riker said.
"He's a very unusual android." Worf said.
"Runs in the family." Riker said smiling.
They watched as Data lead the B-9 to a table. Data instructed him to sit. The B-9 sat and stared forward placidly. Data showed him how to use a napkin.
A note of concern passed over Deanna's face as she watched Data and the B-9.
There was something strangely poignant in the twin androids. One a bundle of curiosity and intelligence; the other somewhat like a slow, simple child.
In the ready room Picard was at his replicator unit.
"Earl Grey, hot." he said.
Then a cup of tea appeared and he took it as the door chime sounds.
"Come." he said and Deanna entered. "Counselor."
"Do you have a moment, sir?" she asked.
"Of course, sit down."
He sat at his desk and she sat across from him.
"It's about Data I've watched him with the B-9 and I'm troubled. Data's desire for a "family" is very strong. I'm afraid he may be investing too much in the B-9."
"You're speaking of emotional investment?"
"The B-9 is like a slow child, sir. And Data, in his own way, has assumed the position of a parent or guardian. I'm afraid he has expectations based on his own experiences. He'll be disappointed when the B-9 cannot meet those expectations."
"As much as we care for him, Deanna... we have to remember that Data isn't capable of disappointment.
"I don't believe that, sir. We've shared many disappointing journeys.
They sat there quietly.
"I'm going to miss you." he said.
"And I you."
Then they were are interrupted by a comm signal:
"Captain, you have an Alpha Priority communication from Starfleet Command." Riker said on comm.
"Acknowledged..." he said and Deanna stood. "... I'll talk to Data."
"Thank you, sir." she said and left.
Picard activated his desktop view screen.
Admiral Kathryn appears on Picard's monitor
"Admiral Janeway. Good to see you." he said.
"Jean Luc... How'd you like a trip to Romulus? All expenses paid?" she said.
"With or without the rest of the fleet?" he said smiling.
"A diplomatic mission. We've been invited, believe it or not. Seems there's been some kind of internal political shakeup. The new Praetor, someone called Shinzon, has requested a Federation envoy."
"New Praetor?"
"There's more, as always. He's Reman." Picard was surprised. "Believe me, we don't understand it either. You're the closest ship so I want you to high tail it over there and hear what he has to say. Get the lay of the land, If the Empire becomes unstable, it could mean trouble for the entire quadrant.
"Understood."
"We're sending you all the intelligence we have, but it's not much. I don't need to tell you to watch your back, Jean Luc."
"Not with the Romulans."
'Perhaps I should get Wesley then.' he thought and quietly chuckled thinking about that.
"The Son'a, the Borg, the Romulans, the evil Soran and that pesky Nexus. You seem to get all the easy assignments!" Janeway said smiling wryly.
"Just lucky, Admiral."
"Let's hope that luck holds. Janeway out."
The transmission ended and Picard sat for a moment, intrigued.
"We're going to need a genius for this and there's only one person that will know how to do this."
So he called Wesley on his PADD. He knew Wesley kept one with him to keep in touch with them all.
"Captain?" Wesley said when he answered standing in the living room at home.
"Mr. Crusher, we have a mission to go to and we need to put the whole team back together. You're included with that."
Wesley stood there in shock.
"Why?"
"Because there's something going on and Admiral doesn't have much intelligence about it. Which means we need someone like you with us."
He thought about for a second and nodded knowing he was right.
"Alright sir. I'll help you with it. It's going to be good help reminding myself what I'll have to do when I get on the Titans."
Picard could see that he was going to miss them but nodded.
"See you on the bridge. Captain out."
Then he got to the bridge.
He went to his command chair when he got there.
"Lay in a new course... Take us to Romulus. Warp eight." he said to Helm shocking the crew.
"Aye aye, sir. Course plotted and laid in..." Helm said.
"Romulus?" Riker said.
"I'm afraid the Opal Sea will have to wait, Number One... Engage."
The Enterprise jumped to high warp, disappearing in a flash of dazzling light.
"We also have someone coming with us for a little reminder on what he's going to do on the ship he'll be on soon."
"Who?" Riker asked with an idea who.
Then there was a sound.
"Ensign let them in."
So he did as told and there now on the step as Riker thought was Wesley Crusher.
So Picard stood up and walked over to him.
"Welcome back to the Enterprise Mr.- excuse me, Lieutenant Crusher."
Wesley smiled at his new name.
"Thank you sir." he said smiling and shaking hands. "It feels good to be back."
Then he looked at them all determined.
"Get me my old clothes and combadge."
Everyone smiled and then someone went to show him his quarters are still there.
When he got in his room he put his old clothes on, looked at himself in the mirror thinking. Then he went back to the Main Bridge.
When he got there he looked at everything he could and then sat down at the ensign like he used to.
"Alright, let's see what we can do." he said.
In the observation lounge Data conducted a briefing for the senior officers. Monitors currently show an image of Romulus and Remus in orbit around their sun.
"As you can see the habitable half of Remus is always in darkness because, like Mercury, one side always faces the sun. Due to the extreme temperatures on that half of their world, the Remans live on the dark side of the planet." he said.
Various grainy and unclear new images appeared to illustrate Data's words.
"Almost nothing is known about the Reman homeworld, although intelligence scans have proven the existence of dilithium mining and heavy weapons construction."
Very obscure images of Remans appeared, the crew could barely make out the monstrous figures.
"The Remans themselves are considered an undesirable caste in the hierarchy of the Empire."
"But they also have the reputation of being formidable warriors. In the Dominion War, Reman forces were used as assault troops in the most violent encounters." Riker said.
"Cannon fodder." Picard said grim.
"Then how did a Reman get to be Praetor? I don't get it." Geordi said.
"We have to assume he had Romulan collaborators." Riker said.
"A coup d'etat?" Picard said confused.
"The Praetor's power has always been the Romulan fleet. They must be behind him."
Picard considered this.
"What have you learned about Shinzon?" he asked Data.
The images ended and had no images of Shinzon.
"Starfleet intelligence was only able to provide a partial account of his military record. We can infer he is relatively young and a capable commander. He fought seventeen major engagements in the war. All successful. Beyond that, we know nothing."
"Well... it seems we're truly sailing into the unknown. Keep at it. Anything you can give me would be appreciated. Dismissed."
Then the meeting broke up.
"Number One is coming to one more mission as is councilor Troi so we want all of us together again. You now finished school so I want you to show us what you went to school for and get a family reunion."
He nodded.
"Yes sir."