VI.

Three days had gone by since the first away mission. They went to each of the six remaining planets, each one turning up the same as the first. It wasn't like anything Picard had dealt with before. An entire solar system wiped out, supposedly by the Borg.

He had sent a transmission back to headquarters hours ago. But his own words kept repeating in his head.

"This is Captain Picard. We have reached the unknown solar system. We have sent away teams to each of the planets, only to find entire civilizations wiped out on each of them. It is a genocide, a species called the Frugians is now all but gone. Lieutenant Brookes was able to speak to two of them right before death to get information. According to both, a mechanical and human like species attempted to assimilate them into their form and when they resisted, they were murdered. It is unclear whether or not this is indeed, the Borg. However, we are requesting to further remain here to find the cause of this brutal deed. Please reply as soon as possible. Picard out."

He stared for a long time out into the purple and grey haze of the system, thinking that it couldn't possibly be the Borg. Borg have no need for killing a race that had neither weapons nor hostile intensions.

The doorbell beeped at him. "Come in."

Commander Riker entered, nodding at the captain. "I was hoping you would still be here, sir."

"What is it, Will?" Jean-Luc asked, a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

Will understood at once that the captain was being interrupted in deep thought, but continued anyway. "Sir, the latest away team came back from the other side of the third planet. They found eight Frugian survivors and I had them beamed aboard. They wish to have an audience with you and Lieutenant Brookes."

Picard looked at Riker, his brow furrowed. "Brookes? Why her?"

"According to them, they had a telepathic link with the female on the first planet, their culture says that anyone in the presence of a dying one is a sort of…relic, a momentum of the one who died. It's of importance to them, they said."

Picard nodded, "Send them in, I will contact Brookes. Get Data in here too, I want him to help us in keeping record of this encounter, and have someone prepare a guest quarters on the holodeck for them."

Will nodded curtly and left.

"Captain to Lieutenant Brookes."

"Yes, sir?"

"I want you to report to my ready room. Is Data with you?"

"No sir, he's having a meeting with Counselor Troi."

"Alright, I will call for him myself."

"Aye, sir."

He stood from his chair, replicated a cup of Earl Grey, and waited patiently. Eager to find out just what was going on in this system.

"Come in." Deanna said, ruffling through pads to find her notes on Data's progress, sure that this was who had come to see her.

Sure enough, Data entered, looking extremely unsettled.

"Data, are you alright?"

That word again, Data thought. This time, though, he could not lie. He was certainly not alright. "No, counselor, I am certainly not." he sat down on the couch, Deanna joining him.

"What is it? Is it Heva again?"

Data hesitated before giving a curt nod. "Yes…I am troubled with thoughts of her. I remember on her second day here, she became intoxicated and I was bent on helping her to get better before having an audience with the captain when we entered the solar system."

Deanna nodded, urging him to continue.

"When we were looking at the view screen, at a vast view of the system…I felt compelled to just look at her. I took in every tiny detail of her, right down to her rank buttons. I slipped, saying she was beautiful. Then I felt I couldn't stop staring at her. My concentration began to dwindle and I once again desired to do nothing but be close in proximity with her. Earlier today, I met her in the hall and I tripped. The same thing happened the other day, after our last meeting here. I find myself losing balance, slurring speech, or lacking concentration even when she isn't around."

Deanna grinned, patting Data on the knee. "Data, it's common for a person with an infatuation to focus on nothing and nobody but the person in question. It shows that your attraction is increasing. This is a good thing. You are experiencing a genuine sexual and emotional attraction to Heva Brookes."

Data looked up at her, a wide eyed look on his face. "Did you say…sexual? But…I have found no feelings in arousal in my…my…"

"Your genitals?"
"Yes. I haven't felt anything arousing in them since they were installed. Especially not around Heva, at least…not that I remember."

Counselor Troi stood, retrieving a pad from her desk and began loading data into it. "I'm taking note of this. I know you haven't felt any sexual urges just yet, Data. But I have a feeling that you will, especially if Lieutenant Brookes starts to show an attraction back toward you."

Data looked away, feeling the blushing sensation rise into his face again for about the thousandth time it seemed. "I'm certain that the lieutenant won't be interested in having sexual intercourse with me. I am an android, an inferior form to a real man."

Deanna was shocked to hear this from Data. He never showed a low self esteem before. He looked up at her. "Is feeling inferior a part of infatuation as well?"

She nodded. "Yes, all kinds of emotions incorporate into falling for another. Feeling less than what you are, like you're not good enough for them. You sometimes feel frustrated, even angry about things. You lack concentration, you even lose interest in things you once loved because you want to share the moment you are in with them."

"Do these feelings subside?" Data asked.

"Sometimes." Troi replied. "Other times they don't, at least not until you are with the one you want to be with."

"With?" Data asked. "What does it mean to be with someone?"

Deanna considered this question, looking around for a way to answer it. "Well…" she started. "When you call one another boyfriend or girlfriend. When you do things together as a couple. When others around you call you a couple. When you say to one another that you either like or love each-"

"Love." Data interrupted. Deanna looked at him, listening closely. "You told me that it might take a long time before that feeling works it's way into my feelings for Heva…how will I know when I am…well…when I am in love with her?"

He gulped and Deanna observed his expression. It was an expression of longing. She had never seen it on his face before. It was as though he was begging her to tell me that he was already in love. It had only been a little under a week since the Lieutenant had arrived, but it wasn't uncommon for even people to fall in love that quickly. Even to a counselor, it takes a split second. It was very possible.

"Well, Data. Would you give anything to be with her? Would you give up even your career, your life if it meant she could be happy?"

Data cocked his head to the side and stood. He stared for a long time out the window into sick bay, and through to the window out to space. He thought of what it meant to be happy, to be in joy of the things you have, where you are, the people you're with, and who you are in general. He wondered if he ever got "with" Heva, if she asked him to leave Star Fleet with her so that they could be happy, to be in joy. So she, herself, could be happy. The image of her smile came to his mind and it in turn gave him one. "Yes…yes I would. If it meant she could smile, the way she does now, I would give up Star Fleet, I would give up my entire existence even for her to be happy. Even if I could never be her…her mate. I would want her to find one that makes her smile like that."

Deanna looked up from her pad. "Data, I think you are in love with Heva Brookes."

Data turned to her.

"Is that even possible with how little time that's passed since we've met?"

"Of course!" Deanna gailed. "Even humans fall in love this quickly. Who knows, she could feel this way as well. Have you told anyone besides me?"

Data shook his head. "I have not. I have thought of telling Geordi, but I fear he will find me to be…comical in my feelings for her."

Deanna walked up behind him and turned him toward her. "Data, Geordi is your best friend on this whole vessel. If anyone would want to know of your accomplishments, it would be him. You should, it would increase trust in your friendship as well as make Geordi pleased with your progress with the emotion chip."

Data thought on this, and nodded. "You are right, counselor. Thank you. I will tell Geordi as soon as I am off duty."

"Good."

"Riker to Data."

Data pressed his badge. "Go ahead, Commander."

"The captain wants you and Lieutenant Brookes to join him and our guests in his ready room."

"Yes, sir."

"After that, you are off duty for the next three hours, understood? You need a bit of a break."

Data smiled. "Aye, sir. I'm on my way now."

He nodded at Deanna and left, only to return "Thank you again, counselor." and give a hug to her. This caught her by surprise but she felt happy that he was expressing such a friendly gesture to her.

"Your welcome, Data."