Chapter 2: Discovered fears

Captains Log: Stardate: 50128.2

The Enterprise has successfully traversed the immense asteroid field and has stopped at the edge of the nebula, where we will conduct tests. The radiation has diminished to levels which I am more comfortable of, sure that there will be no harm to my crew or the ship. The shields are holding up nicely against the barrage of small debris which litters this area of space, and I am confident they will continue to protect us as we enter into the unknown.

Commander Madden has begun to fit in nicely on the Enterprise, commanding the ship well. The commendations his previous Captain left still lead me to believe there's more to Madden than a connoisseur of hysterics. He has demanded respect and authority already since he began his tint on board and I commend him on his efforts to get along with the crew.

End log.

Captain Picard leaned back in his chair and released a sigh. He had just come into his private domain to relax and catch up with reports from around the sector. There had been rumors about a secret government alliance with a race who called themselves the Klatorians. Not much was known about them, however from what the reports said they could be dangerous.

He put down the PADDS and stood, stretching his muscles before walking over to the replicator.

"Tea, Earl Grey, Hot." He spoke softly to the machine, and waited with practiced ease as it hummed to life, the molecules coalescing to form a mug of the amber liquid. As he moved to stand by the viewport, he became lost in thought of yesterday, as he often did around this time of a new adventure. The door chimed, shaking Picard out of his reverie. Clearing his mind and getting back to business he sat down at his desk and said,

"Come."

The door opened to show the ships newest member of the crew, Councilor Stacy Gralden. She was a highly respected member of Starfleet Medical and came highly recommended by Councilor Troi. At the age of 49, Stacy had become one of the top leading councilors in the Fleet, and had been instrumental in the victory against the Dominion.

She stopped in front of his des and stared at Picard, her dark amber eyes intensified by the minimal lighting.

"Hello Councilor, welcome to the Enterprise, I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to meet sooner." Picard said with a hint of regret in his voice.

"I understand the priorities a ships' Captain must make Sir." She acknowledged with a nod. "I hope I am not interrupting anything." She added.

"No, not at all, I was just reviewing some of the ships reports." Picard replied, nodding towards a chair in front of the desk. "Please, have a seat Councilor."

"Thank you Sir." She replied with a nod, sitting down and placing a pad on the desk. Her eyes were roaming around the Captains face; he could feel her energy pouring into the room. "I have been reviewing my list of patents and have come across a name I'm unfamiliar with." She handed the pad over to Picard so he could take a look.

His eyes roamed the pad for a few seconds, his heart beating slowly as he read the name "B-4" He frowned for a second, not quite sure what the councilor was getting at when she spoke again ,

"I do not quite understand why the machine is in my patients list. I was under the impression it would become the property of Starfleet Corps." She spoke clearly, no hint of inflection in her cool, calm voice.

Picard could tell that this was not going to be an easy meeting. He closed his eyes for a second, remembering the time when Data had been called a 'machine' At the time, Commander Maddox, a scientist who thought it would be "good for the scientific community" to take Data apart and conduct expansive tests on him. Thanks in due part to Captain Picard, Data was found sentient by the Judge Advocate and was a full pledged member of Starfleet. Maddox was ordered not to conduct his tests, and Data was free to live his life.

Picard stopped his reminiscing and looked at Gralden. She was looking back at him with intense eyes, as if daring him to speak. He was a little surprised by this action, no crew member of his ever dared to look at him this way. He was a little taken a back by how easily Gralden had called B-4 a machine, when in fact he was a sentient as Data. He cleared his head, knowing he had to act fast and said,

"Yes B-4 was with Starfleet Corps, but they found it would be best if he served on board the ship his brother served on, to help him in his recovery. They have removed all unnecessary devices from him and feel he is fit for duty."

Gralden frowned, her eyes squinting slightly as she replied, "He is a machine Sir. I'm sorry, I've read the history of Commander Data, and know how he was made sentient by the Judge Advocate a few years back, but the rule doesn't apply to this situation." She shook he head, exasperated and continued "I honestly wouldn't know how to treat him."

Picard almost let out a sigh but stopped himself. He should have known something like this would happen, but not this soon after Data's' passing. He stood, placing his hands behind his back as he walked over to the fish tank and looked inside, searching for guidance.

"B-4 is a sentient being; he can think and talk for himself, without outside help." He paused knowing e would have to tell her sooner or later. Turning back to look at her he continued, "During our last mission, Data transferred all his memory into B-4. This was before we figured out Shinzons' true intentions. By doing this, Commander LA Forge and I believe that Data lives on through B-4."

Gralden listened, a look of utter confusion on her face as he finished, "So, let's see if I get this straight Captain. Data, knowing he was about to die transferred his memory into B-4? That doesn't make sense. B-4 is nothing like Data Sir."

Picard shook his head, a small smile creasing his feature, "No; but that doesn't mean he is starting to remember things that only Commander Data would know. Starfleet Command feels that if B-4 can remember everything, there may be a chance for B-4 to assume the duties of his brother."

"So, my job is to help him remember? I didn't know Commander Data at all, just what I read in Science journals and reports." She gave Picard a slight grin, "I'm something of a Science buff." She explained before continuing, "Wouldn't Commander La Forge is better suited for this?"

"Yes, Commander LA Forge has already been helping B-4, however right now he is more concerned over Engineering and his duties and has asked me for help." He didn't add that Geordi was consumed with the work of keeping the shields and deflector dish online to prevent the radiation from killing them all. He walked back over to his desk and sat down, placing his hands on the tabletop. "You will have to help B-4 remember. Since he is staying in the Commanders quarters, I suggest you start there. Start slow and see where it takes you." He finished with authority in his voice.

Gralden looked as if she was about to protest, but knew it as futile. She nodded once and stood from hr chair, taking the pad off the desk. "I'll try my best Sir." She spoke softly knowing she was overruled. Picard nodded, his eyes turning warm and replied,

"Thank you, that's all I ask. Dismissed."

With a nod, Gralden turned and walked out, the door whooshing shut behind her, leaving Picard alone with the silence which consumed him lately. He released the sigh that had been building up and leaned forward, bringing up Councilor Graldens history on his desktop computer. He was extremely curious about this woman now. Forgetting about B-4 he immersed himself in her records, his tea long forgotten.

Commander Geordi La Forge rubbed his ocular eyes as he stared at the readings before him. A bead of sweat dripped down his back, sending a cold shiver through him.

"Dang it's warm in here. Vorik, what does the Internal temperature read?" he asked his second in command of Engineering. Vorik, who was standing beside him, was perfectly calm and poised, used to the extreme heat as he tapped some commands into the display.

"The Internal Temperature indicates a 9.39 degree increase inside Engineering within the last 59.1 minutes Sir." Vorik stated stoically.

Geordi frowned. It wasn't uncommon for the temperature to increase a few degrees with the main Engineering room, but almost 10 degrees wasn't normal. Tapping a string of commands into his screen he brought up the main ships systems. All the readings looked nominal. He sighed and turned to look at Vorik,

"Set the temperature back to normal, and monitor it. I doubt there's anything wrong, probably a glitch in the new systems. Not uncommon when they haven't been properly tested." He said, his forehead glistening.

"Yes Sir." Vorik replied, turning back to his command post.

The small crisis adverted and his shift over Geordi turned control over to Vorik and headed out of Engineering. He could feel the condensed circulated air turning around him, cooling him off nicely as he walked towards the lift.

"Ten Forward." He announced to the interior of the turbo-lift. He stood near the wall, humming to the air around him. A few seconds later the door whooshed open and he walked out, heading for the double doors ahead of him.

Ten Forward was the main lounge for the Enterprise-E. Situated on Deck 10, it took up most of the deck, and was the only room in the ship which allowed Synthehol. Many of the crew sat on the outer edge of the room talking in hushed voice. A few nodded at Geordi as he entered and gestured for him to sit with them, but he shook his head and grinned walking up to the bar. The bartender, a new addition to the civilian crew walked up and said,

"What can I get you?"

"Synthehol thanks." Geordi replied, not looking up. The bartender placed the cold mug of ale on a coaster and said causally,

"You look like you lost your best friend Sir. Wanna talk about it?"

Geordi looked up suddenly and chuckled softly, then sighed. "I dd. Loose a friend I mean. But I'm okay." He looked up into the blue eyes of the bartender and said, "Thanks though,"

The bartender gave him a goofy grin and shrugged, "No problem. He was a good man." He replied, a sad twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah, he was. How did you know him?" Geordi asked, trying to get a good look at hi through the glare of the overhead lights. He was thankful for someone to talk to.

"Who didn't know about Commander Data? He was somewhat of a hero to B'Elanna." She was devastated when she heard."

Geordi frowned, looking at him closely again, realization suddenly dawning on him. "B'Elanna? As in B'Elanna Torres of Voyager?" he grinned, putting his hand out to shake, "I guess that'd make you Tom then eh?"

Tom Paris grinned like a school boy, shaking Geordis' hand as he replied, "The one and only. Good to finally meet you Geordi." He looked serious again and looked past Geordi, out towards the stars. He had aged remarkably since his 7 years stint on Voyager. His eyes were more profound and there was an odd seriousness about him. Geordi guessed having a daughter would do that to a man.

"How is B'Elanna?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink.

Tom grinned, back to his normal self and replied, "She's great! Working hard on the new ship design for Starfleet Command."

"That new one that uses Transwarp technology? I've been reading the reports on her." Geordi replied, eyes misting slightly as they always did when he talked about ships.

"That's the one." Tom nodded, "She's really a busy though; what with taking care of a ten month old and work. I felt guilty about leaving to volunteer my time here but she told me not too worry. My mom is helping her out so I don't feel so bad." He finished and refilled Geordis' glass. He fished for something in his pocket and removed a photo, showing Geordi. "Here's a picture of Miral, she's growing so fast." He said with love in his voice.

Geordi took it and looked at it, his ocular eyes zooming in on the face of a happy smiling Klingon child. She looked adorable, as she appeared to be crawling towards the holocamera.

"She's beautiful Tom, looks like her mother." He stated with a grin. Tom laughed joyfully, placing the photo back in his pocket and nodded,

"Thanks goodness for small favors eh? Could you imagine a smaller version of me running around a Starship when she's older?"

"From the stories I've heard from your stint on Voyager, no I couldn't." Geordi answered laughing along with him.

Geordi felt himself loosening his tense shoulders. It felt good to laugh again, really laugh. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed like this. Wait, yes he did. A pang of guilt crept over him as he remembered the last time Data and him were in the Holodecks. Pushing the sad thought from his mind and looking up at the Chronometer, he realized he would be late for his meeting.

"Hey, I'd love to stay and chat Tom, but I'm about to be late for my meeting." It was great seeing you again." Geordi said, getting up and grinning. Tom placed his empty cup in the recycler and said,

"You too. We should hang out one day. I'll show you Sandrines."

Geordi nodded and waved as he said, "Sounds like a plan Tom. See you later." With that he walked towards the exit, his mind now on his next task.

He stared at the computer terminal in front of him, his memory chips struggling to remember something important. Spot. A cat. His cat. A memory came flooding into his circuits and his external processors clicked on. Standing, B-4 walked up to the replicator and stopped, cocking his head.

"Cat supplement number three." He told the replicator, his voice oddly mechanical. The replicator hummed and a bowl of yellowish food materialized before him. Picking it up he walked to the corner, where Spot was patiently waiting, almost as if she knew he wasn't his normal friendly self. Captain Picard had wished for Spot to be in B-4's care, as he felt it would help him in his learning process. It appeared to be working too; since they had left Sector 001, B-4 had remembered that Spot liked playing with a fake mouse ate supplement number three and slept at the foot of his bed.

B-4 stood watching Spot ate a blank look in his golden eyes. According to his internal chronometer his friend…. He paused, his internal memory chips working hard again…. Commander Geordi La Forge would be arriving in approximately 3.29 minutes. Looking down, B-4 watched as Spot washed her, licking slowly at her paws. He turned and walked towards the living area where he stood and waited for the chime.

"Enter." B-4 announced exactly 4 minutes later. The door whooshed open and Geordi entered, his ocular eyes glinting happily.

"Hello B-4, how are you?" Geordi asked walking into the living area and stopping in front of the android.

"I am functioning within normal parameters." B-4 replied with proper efficiency.

Geordi frowned, B-4 had sounded exactly like Data had whenever he was asked that question. Remembering that Data was still inside B-4 somehow, Geordi smiled and gestured towards Data memorabilia.

"Shall we get started? I thought today we could look at some of Data's musical things; see if anything jumps out at you." He said gently, walking up to Data's old violin, still in its case beside the music stand.

B-4 cocked his head in that way which meant he didn't get something and asked, "Why would something jump out at me?"

"It was just a saying, like it's raining cats and dogs, it doesn't mean anything." Geordi replied, chuckling to himself as he remembered how Data used to ask him things like that.

"Oh." Was all that B-4 could say as he walked slowly up to the music stand, and started staring at the sheet music before him. He glanced at the notes, comprehending the brass scales and high pitches with his memory. As if by someone else's hands, he picked up the violin with practiced ease, placed the thick end on his neck and began to pay Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "Choral" Geordi stared unblinking as B-4's fingers eased the bow back and forth over the sensitive instrument. He tapped his commbadge, not to message someone, but to record the music for Captain Picard at a later date.

When B-4 finally stopped playing, he placed the Violin back in its case and stood back, as if admiring a piece of art.

"That was wonderful B-4." Geordi said with awe in his voice. B-4 turned and nodded at him, and Geordi was sure if he had an emotional chip in his head he would have smiled.

"Thank you Geordi." He replied with another nod as he turned to face the trophy case once more, gazing at a book which Captain Picard had given Data two years prior. He picked it up with steady hands and turned it over carefully, as if it would fall apart.

"Captain Picard gave this to me…I mean my brother, did he not?" B-4 asked, turning to look at Geordi, who had a look of elation on his face.

"Yes, he did. Do you remember where?" Geordi asked.

B-4's eyes glazed over for a split second, then something clicked in his head and he nodded once. "Yes, in Ten-Forward. It was a party of some fashion…a birthday party for my brother."

Geordi smiled, his eyes bright with glee as he nodded, "Yes that's exactly right B-4, what else do you remember?"

"A Romulan battle cruiser appearing out of the stars attacking the ship without warning. A Red alert sounding as we all went to battle stations. Something happened but I can not remember what it was." B-4 sounded apologetic, but Geordi shook his head,

"That's great B-4; you're starting to remember Datas last year aboard the Enterprise, before the Reman attack. You're on your way to remembering more, I know you can do this B-4."

B-4 stopped suddenly, his body freezing up as if he had been hit with a phaser blast from behind. Geordi was about to call for help when B-4 began to move, walking towards his desk and opening a door. Inside he found a wooden case, and he opened it to find medal shining brightly under the lights above.

"I remember these medals. Starfleet Command Decoration for Gallantry, Medal of Honor with clusters, Legion of Honor, and the Star Cross. I got them by my dedicated service to Starfleet."

Geordi was behind B-4 when he stopped abruptly and glanced at him with curious eyes. "Data?" he asked, hope in his voice.

"Yes Geordi, I have returned."