Chapter Nine: Wormhole
The following days were unbearable. There was no way I could avoid Data since our duties demanded we work together. On one particular day, I was assisting him at the science station investigating a strange wormhole that had suddenly appeared 50 kilometers off the starboard bow. Since the Enterprise was traveling at warp five and by passed it, the captain had the ship double back to investigate.
For hours, things proceeded with about as much excitement of drying paint. Then suddenly, a small object emerged from the wormhole. Initially, we thought it may have been a probe we sent in hours earlier, but upon zooming in on the object, I immediately knew what it was and I was beside myself with excitement. For moments, I couldn't even speak.
"Data, what do you suppose this object is?" Capt. Picard asked with a puzzled expression etched on his face.
Before Data had a chance to answer, I finally regained my ability to speak.
"It's a laptop computer, Captain! It's from my century!" I exclaimed, all but jumping for joy. I was very happy to see something familiar. As silly as it may sound, seeing that worn laptop made me feel like I was home… if only for a few moments. At the same time, it filled me with the hope of returning home, to my own century.
I noticed that Data regarded me in a manner that indicated slight shock and irritation that I had interrupted him.
"Yes sir. It is a small portable computer. Such devices were initially constructed in the twenty first century." Data replied.
"Please captain, beam it aboard. It might hold the key to why I ended up here. It might also help me to get back home!" I implored, feeling Data's eyes burn into the back of my head.
"Very well, beam it aboard." the captain ordered after thinking for a moment, "Let's see what we can learn from this computer."
Data noticed my extreme happiness, but it was clear he didn't share it.
"Captain, the computer appears to have been damaged; there is no guarantee that we will be able to extract any information from it."
The captain and the rest of the bridge crew were shocked at Data's negative reaction.
"Yes, Data, I am aware of that possibility. However, I believe there's no harm in trying, especially it there's a chance it will help us to determine if we can return Kadalynn to her world after all." Capt. Picard replied.
"Yes, sir." Data replied before beaming the device aboard and leaving the bridge to retrieve it from the transporter room.
"Captain." Counselor Troi said with great concern upon Data's departure, but as she leaned in, she saw that I was watching her and changed her mind about speaking to him at that moment, "I'll tell you later."
'What did she sense?' I wondered as fear began to take hold of me, 'What did she sense in Data that made her so concerned?'