Chapter 3

Twenty minutes before on the Enterprise . . .

"Data?" I turned to find Geordi standing in my quarters. "What are you doing? The experiment starts in ten minutes! We have to get to engineering!"

"There is no turning back is there?" I asked, somewhat in a daze. Geordi sighed.

"Data . . ." he tried to think of something encouraging to say, but I could tell he was just as worried as I was. "The future depends on our discovery of space and time travel! And if this works, the future generations-"

"But what do we get Geordi?" I interrupted him. "A name in a text book? I am already listed in several of them. Fame? I'd much rather not have fame, than even have the slightest chance of losing my friends."

"You know you can't turn back now. You need to conduct the experiment. We need you to. You are the only person who is capable to make it back. Anyone else wouldn't even have the chance that you have Data."

I knew that I had to do it. There really was no turning back. I ran my fingers through Spot's fur, for she was sitting on my lap. Then I slowly stood up, and walked out of my quarters.

"Data," Geordi called out. "Where are you going?"

"To begin an experiment, the ones who have to conduct it should be present to do so. Right?"

Geordi smiled. "You son of a gun." He ran to catch up to me. "Let's get going," he said, with a little laugh. Together, we stepped into the turbo-lift.

"Deck sixteen." I said aloud.

"Today, we make history." Geordi said. I nodded in agreement

"Are we ready to create the void Mr. Laforge?" Picard asked Geordi, somewhat impateint

"Just a couple more minutes Captain, and it'll be purring like a kitten." He responded.

After a few short minutes, the void had appeared in front of me. It made a loud, windy noise, as if we were trapped in a blizzard.

"Is it stable?!" I yelled to Geordi.

"You should have five minutes Data! Hurry!" Without another word, I stepped into the void.

I looked around me. There were humans everywhere I looked.

"Earth," I whispered to myself. As I looked around, I saw many tall skyscrapers, including the Empire State building.

"I am in New York City!" I cried with joy. I looked around in awe and wonder. All doubt and fear filled emotions were gone. I traveled back in time! Just as I was to look at my tricorder, I felt someone attempt to take it out of my belt. I turned to find a small girl, who seemed very poor, wearing nothing but a ragged hooded jacket and denim pants.

"Excuse me sir, I-I am very poor, I hate to ask but, can you please spare some change for me?"

I did want to help the poor child, but thus I was without the correct currency, or any at all. And I was far too busy to find any for her.

"I am sorry, but I do not have any money on me," was what I thought to be a valid response.

"It's okay," she replied. No longer focused on her, I took out my tricorder, and checked the status of the void. A wave of worry and fear crashed over me. I only had 23.49 seconds until the mas would collapse!

I ran. I did not care whether they saw how fast I was going. My life depended on the speed at which I was running. But then, a blockade of citizens were walking in the opposite direction as I was. Their numbers were so much, it almost seemed like I was drowning. All the sudden, the mass disappeared.

It had collapsed.

All emotion was gone now. All but a deep depression. The feeling caused me to fall to the ground, and sit there. I felt so alone in the universe. I did not want to move. Nothing would move me.

"You son of a B****!" I heard a man say.

"Get outta the middle of the sidewalk you dumb***!" another citizen shouted.

Nothing would move me. Or so I thought. Again I saw the poor girl, who was begging. I gave her a look, indicating that I did not want to be bothered. But she grabbed my hand anyways.

"I am very sorry but I really do not have any . . ." she squeezed my hand tighter.

She did not want money. She wanted to help. I let her pull me up and take her to an alley.

"I am confused to why you brought me here." I said, trying to be unemotional.

"Don't be so formal," she said. "Take a seat! I just wanna get to know you, 'cause you actually seem like a nice person." What else could I do? I sat next to her.

"You aren't from around here are you?" she asked me, even though it seemed like she knew the answer already. I just let out a sorry laugh.

"Nowhere near it."

She then asked, "Why so gloom?" I looked at her. And tears emerged from my eyes. I couldn't hold them back.

"I-I lost, all of my friends. My family. I'll never see them again." I looked away, trying to wipe my tears.

"You know," she said, trying to keep conversation going, "I lost my parents when I was twelve. A tragic house fire. Ever since then, I have been living here in this . . . thing." She motioned her arms around the alley.

"I am sorry," I replied. I wanted to say more, but nothing could come out. So I stared out into the street, watching all the feet move across the sidewalk. But then I felt her arm around my neck.

"It'll all be okay. I promise," she assured me. "My name is Rae. What's yours?"

"Data," I replied.

"That's a new one," she said, referring to my name. "I have a feeling that we are gonna be good friends Data. That is, if you are willing to stick with me. We both have no one, so why don't we fix that? Deal?" She stuck out her hand, indicating a handshake. I looked at Rae and shook her hand.

"Deal." I replied. She was the only person I had anymore. She knew how to survive in the worst situations, and with my superhuman knowledge and strength, we were the key to each other's survival.

At the time, it seemed that we were meant to meet.