After John finished his shower, he got dressed and headed to Ten-Forward for some lunch. As he ate a salad filled with salmon chunks, he scanned the room for Lieutenant Reese. She wasn't there, which was just as well; spending more time with her would be playing with fire. John wasn't sure he could live with himself if something happened between the two of them.

Once he was done with his salad, he sat there pondering what he should do next. His holodeck session wasn't until 17 hundred hours, the bridge and engineering were off limits to him, he didn't feel like bowling or swimming, and he couldn't go back to the gym, because Doctor Crusher had said he needed to take it easy for a few days.

John sighed heavily. Who would have believed that one could get bored on a ship this big?

He was about to get up and put his bowl into the recycler and then maybe wander the ship aimlessly, when the doors to Ten-Forward opened and Data walked in. John perked up at this sight. His first encounter with the Enterprise's second officer hadn't gone so well; but as he stood, he hoped this time would go better.

"Mister Data," John called as he walked over to the bar.

Data looked up from the drink being placed in front of him, and turned to face John.

"Hello, Mister McClane," Data said by way of greeting. "What can I do for you?"

"Well," John began, "I was wondering if we could just talk for a while. If you have the time." Boy, that was a real awkward thing to say, John thought as he waited for a response.

"I am available right now, yes," Data replied. "About what did you wish to converse?"

"Well, I've always been interested in you, what with you being an android and everything."

Data considered John's statement for a moment with a curious expression on his face. Then like a light bulb turning on, realization dawned. "Ah!" Data said. "Your familiarity with me stems from having watched me on your television; your boob tube. I find it most fascinating that I am nothing more than a character played by a human actor in a show for other people's entertainment. It seems that Shakespeare was more right than he realized when he said that 'all the world is a stage'."

"Well, you seem as real to me as anyone else I've ever met," John replied.

"I will take that as a compliment," Data said as he took a sip from his drink.

"Tell me, Data," John started, "What's it like not having emotions?"

"As I have only ever been without emotions, I do not feel I can adequately describe what it is like, as I have no basis for comparison."

"Oh, right," John said feeling a bit foolish. "Well then, maybe you can answer this: Why is it that you can't say contractions?"

Data was about to reply when his comm badge beeped.

"La Forge to Data. Can you please come to transporter room three?"

"I am on my way Geordi," Data said as he stood up. He looked at John. "I apologize, but I must return to work. Perhaps we can talk again later."

"No problem," John said.

He drummed his fingers absentmindedly on the bar as he watched Data walk away. Time to find something else to do.

The next few hours kind of Sucked. With nothing in particular to do, John did mostly nothing. He stared out the window for a little while, watching the stars pass at superluminal speeds. He tried to focus on each star as it passed by, but gave up trying when his head started to hurt from the effort.

Next, he went back to his room to listen to some music. When the computer asked him to specify what type of music, he asked it for something current. That had been a mistake. Once he got the computer to stop the noise it was pumping through the speakers, he had settled for Creedence Clearwater Revival. After listening to the mighty John Fogerty belting it out for a while, John realized that his holodeck time was approaching. This of course served to further slow the passage of time, as the anticipation joined in with his boredom to drive him further into the arms of insanity.

A few minutes later he could no longer stand it, and he decided to head over. Maybe the person using the holodeck ahead of him had left early.

When he arrived there, however, it was quite apparent that the holodeck was still in use. By this time John was really starting to lose it, and it took all of his self-restraint to not throttle the next crewman who passed by him in the corridor.

Finally, after what seemed like eons, the sound of the holodeck doors opening caught John's attention, and he practically pounced at the entrance.

Poor Lieutenant Barclay nearly had a heart attack as he stepped out from his latest escapist fantasy.

John had just enough time to toss off a quick 'sorry', before he was in the holodeck, with the big doors closing behind him.

He had several dozen ideas on what program to start with vying for supremacy in his mind as he raised his head upward to address the computer.

But as he was about to open his mouth, his comm badge beeped, and the voice of Picard flooded his ears. "Mister McClane to the bridge."

There was only one logical response that John could think to give to the Captain's untimely request. "OH SHIT!"