Khanda; The Blade of Wisdom, Cutting through Ignorance

Chapter One; Depositio

Depositio. Noun. 1. Testimony. 2. Lowering of voice. 3. Degradation.

The allegations were serious enough that Starfleet decreed that the trial be held on Earth, in the courtroom attached to headquarters. They had judge, jury, and high security holding cells. The Enterprise was recalled to the Alpha Quadrant summarily, and was soon in orbit around the homeworld. They had to shuttle down to headquarters, the building too heavily shielded to allow transporting either in our out as a security measure. Two shuttles left the Enterprise, one holding a security detail and the accused, and one with the android Second Officer, Commander Riker, Commander La Forge, Counselor Troi, and CMO Crusher. As Captain, Picard had volunteered himself to act as defence but Data, stricken with horror at the thought of his Captain learning the details of his assault, turned him down in favour of Riker. At least the First Officer had seen his pitiable state, was at least tangentially aware of what had happened. In an uncomfortable meeting he had outlined the events to Riker, a half hour that ended with neither able to meet the other's eyes.

The shuttle journey to the surface was a sombre one. There was little conversation, each person absorbed with their own thoughts, and in Troi's case, burdened with the oppressive atmosphere of negative emotions. Data's fingers twined and tangled in his lap, his jaw flexing rhythmically.

Upon arrival they were assigned rooms, and told to prepare their notes. There were few formalities here, military precision reigned, and the trial was due to begin in two hours. With little else to do, the group headed for the lounge and sat quietly, discussing sotto voiced.

Geordi could see that Data's breathing was more rapid than normal, his internal temperature higher than average. A sure sign that the android was under considerable strain. He reached out and put his hand on Data's shoulder. Data flinched, then shook his head with a sigh. Geordi removed his hand.

They were called through to the courtroom and shown to their seats, opposite the accused and his lawyer. Fajo had called in an old friend of his, another Zibalian, and the two looked smug. Troi scowled as she sat. One hardly needed to be an empath to tell how those two were feeling, it was written on their tattooed faces. She took the seat closest to Data, Riker on his other side, flanking him like guards.

The judge called them to order, and Riker stepped up to read the charges. Kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, actual bodily harm, rape... the list was long and disturbing. Fajo's lawyer stepped forward and renounced the claims as fiction, on the simple grounds that it was impossible to harm a machine, and that the charges should be mitigated to theft and property damage. The jury murmured amongst themselves, but quietened swiftly as Riker called Data to the stand.

"Will you tell us all, please, what happened? We know this is going to be difficult for you, so take your time."

Data took a deep breath before looking up at the judge and jury.

"Your honour, I would like to begin with a brief explanation of a part of my positronic brain. As this case is in many ways unique, I will attempt to explain the various key aspects of my programming and physiology which have a direct bearing on the nature of the events, and the effects thereof, as and when they occur in the testimony. However, to begin, I have recently acquired and installed a chip which enables me to feel human emotion. As a result of recent events, our Chief Engineer and I have altered my neural pathways to provide me with a means of activating and deactivating the emotion chip on demand. I would like, first, to turn the chip off, in order to provide you with a factually correct account of all that occurred while I was in Kivas Fajo's captivity. Once that part of my testimony is complete, I shall activate the chip in order to provide you with a description of how these events have affected me emotionally. With your permission, sir?"

The judge looked slightly stunned. "Go ahead."

Data's head twitched to the side and almost immediately his face flattened into an impassive mask. He straightened his back and squared his shoulders.

He spoke frankly and bluntly about the beatings, his inability to move or defend himself. He described Fajo's self-pleasuring and delight at the discovery of a homosexual relationship, and the abuse he meted out when his requests were denied. He spoke candidly of his decision to acquiesce to the Zibalian's demands in order to avoid further damage, to attempt to remain able to escape should the opportunity arise. The description of the oral sex act he performed on Fajo in return for repair was equally blunt and technical, and he made it clear to the jury that he was under duress at the time. The description of the hours of isolation and immobility was, perforce, short. He described Palor Toff and his lust for 'pretty things', the refusal to reveal the identity of his lover and the subsequent beating. He described the breakdown of his mental faculties as a response to the overwhelming conflict between his subroutines, and the rape perpetrated on him as his mind broke. He gave explicit detail of the alien's sex and calmly detailed the rough treatment that damaged him internally, causing a shutdown. His blank gaze swept the jury as he described coming online lying on the floor, battered and terrified, and being forced to crawl to his tormentors because he was too weak to walk. His impassive face never twitched as he told them how Toff had abused his mouth, how he was forced to bite him to get free, how Toff had attempted to joint his arm from his shoulder.

"They immobilized me again before they left, and I realised that I had run out of options. I opted to activate the transmitter again, as I was reasonably certain that I would not survive another beating in any case. When the transmission was again picked up on the scanners of the Jovis, Fajo whipped me again, flaying my back, cutting my face and removing part of my ear. The Enterprise had also found the signal and luckily they were able to beam aboard the Jovis and rescue me, taking Kivas Fajo into custody."

There was a long pause at the end of his testimony, where Data looked impassively across the courtroom at the Zibalians. The judge shook his head a little.

Riker stepped forward again. "Data, would you move on to the second part of your testimony, please?" His bearded face was drawn and pale. He didn't want to ask this of his friend, but the necessity of it was obvious. If Fajo's case hinged on convincing the jury that the android had no feelings, they would have to prove otherwise.

"Of course, sir." Data's head twitched as he activated the emotion chip. The change in his body language was immediate and dramatic as his head drooped and his shoulders curved, as if his whole body was curling in on itself. He drew a shuddering breath through clenched teeth and stared down at his hands for a moment to try and compose himself.

"Can you explain to the court, please, how the events that you described have affected you?" Riker's voice was gruff, sterner than he had intended in an attempt to hide his own emotions.

"Of course." Data raised a trembling hand and ran it across his face. Across the courtroom Fajo snorted derisively.

"I have never before been treated with such barbarity. I have been unable to resume my duties as a Starfleet officer, and I find little joy in my spare time. I suffer from nightmares and flashbacks, which are adversely affecting my personal life. I am anxious and depressed, and have considered the equivalent of suicide as an escape from the negative consequences of being unable to forget the torment I suffered at this man's hands, and those of his co-conspirator."

"Thank you, Commander. No further questions." Riker nodded brusquely to the judge and took his seat. Fajo's lawyer bustled over to stare at the android, and Data clenched his jaw.

"There are some aspects of your testimony that I require clarification on, if you will." The lawyer clasped his hands and stared at Data. "You have been involved in a homosexual relationship, correct?"

"Yes."

"And this relationship, it's sexual? You're intimate with each other?"

"... Yes." Data looked down at his hands, clasped tight before him.

"So you find pleasure with this man? In having sex?"

"I... yes. I do not under..."

"Is this a function of the emotion chip?"

"That is correct."

"Where did the chip come from?" The lawyer had picked up a PADD, was perusing some notes.

"From my father, Doctor Noonian..."

"Sorry, your what?"

Data's eyes flicked from side to side in agitation. "He asked me to refer to him as father. Doctor Noonian Soong, my creator."

"But, you are a machine. You share no genetic material with the man, because you are not biological, yes?"

"Uh... Yes." Data stammered.

"So Soong made you, and then he made the chip, correct?"

"Yes."

"Tell me about your sexual behaviour programming."

The jury murmured. Data grimaced and knotted his fingers. "I am programmed with a series of subroutines that govern my sexuality, including a... a database of, of positions and..."

"Are there any limitations on this set of subroutines? Specific instances when they will refuse to 'switch on'?"

"Yes." Data whispered.

"I see." The lawyer put down the PADD. "You claim that the sexual contact between you and my client was non-consensual, but you also said that you became aroused. Was that arousal due to the activation of the sexual behaviour subroutines?"

Data swallowed. "Yes, but..."

"So the implication is that this was a circumstance where it was appropriate for the subroutine to activate, correct?"

"It... no, I... It did, but I was not..."

"So you enjoyed it? You were aroused?"

"No! I, I, I did not consent..."

"But surely if this is a situation not to your liking, you would not have been programmed to react the way you did? Is it possible that your programming allows you to be treated in such a manner?"

"No, no, no, I..."

"To me, it's perfectly simple. Either your programming allows for this, and you have no autonomy and are simply a machine, or on some level you enjoyed what was happening..."

"NO!"

"Objection!" Shouted Riker, leaping to his feet at the same time as the judge banged his gavel. The jury were muttering, casting sidelong glances at each other.

"That is enough. I cannot approve of this aggressive line of questioning." The judge barked at the Zibalian lawyer, who bowed his head contritely and murmured, "No more questions, your honour." as he moved back to sit next to Fajo. He murmured something in Fajo's ear and the trader smiled.

On the other side of the room Data was moving towards his own seat. He was trying to stop the spasmodic tremors that were shaking his limbs. He realised that he was breathing hard and his circulatory system was racing, and he closed his eyes for a moment to try and steady himself.

"I wouldn't want a broken toy anyway." Said Fajo. His voice wasn't loud, but he pitched it across the room.

Data's trembling legs gave way and he lurched forward, Riker darting sideways to grab him and prevent him from falling. The android retched reflexively and covered his mouth with one hand as Riker helped him into his seat. "Are you alright?" He asked, and Data shook his head. Riker looked at Troi, her face pale, and at Crusher, whose cheeks were flushed with anger.

"I request a recess." He said to the judge, who nodded acquiescence.

"Fifteen minutes." The judge banged his gavel.