X.
Once Geordi knew about Data's date, he had fixed up the holodeck and met him to walk down to Counselor Troi's office to inform her of the good news.
"I bet you're excited now, Data." He said, smiling at his friend.
"Yes, I am, Geordi." Data replied, taking a small leap in his step, making Geordi laugh. "I have never felt such a stimulating thing in my whole life. I feel like I'm….like I am…"
"On 'Cloud 9' ?" Geordi asked.
"Where is that?" Data asked.
"No, it's an expression." Geordi explained. "It's something people say when they are extremely happy."
"Ah…" Data said thoughtfully. "I'm on Cloud 9!" he shouted.
An Ensign doing program work nearby jumped and looked at them nervously. But Data just smiled back and repeated himself. "I'm on Cloud 9! HAHA!" Again, he added a small leap in his step and turned into sick bay.
They entered the counselor's office and regaled the news to her, which made her very pleased. "Oh, Data! I am so happy, this is good news. You may just begin your first intimate relationship with a woman tonight!" She reached over and gave Data a small hug, which he returned. This made Geordi double take in surprise.
"What are you two going to do?"
Data turned to Geordi. "I am unsure, counselor. Geordi is the one who set up a holodeck program for us. He informed me that I would be knowledgeable about the events that will occur there once I saw what he had prepared for us."
"Is that so?" Deanna inquired. "Well can't you at least tell me, Geordi?"
Geordi nodded. "Yes, of course. I'd be delighted." He leaned over and whispered into Deanna's ear. Her smile grew wider and wider until she had to let out a small laugh of amusement.
"I don't find this to be fair, Geordi." Data said. "I would like to know what I am doing on my date as well. After all, it is MY date."
The other two just smiled at each other before Deanna replied. "Trust me Data, we have covered this sort of thing for you before. You'll know."
At 09:00 on the dot, Data stood outside of the holodeck with a pink carnation in his hand, waiting for Heva to arrive. He had decided to replicate some casual apparel for the occasion. So he was dressed in casual slacks, a long sleeved blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, tucked in of course, and a pair of sunglasses. Geordi had told him that they were unnecessary. However Data learned in a conversation with Ensign Yakowlski, that sunglasses were attractive to women.
He stood with a hand in his pants pocket, attempting to look laid back and mellow. He nodded at every passerby with a smile, wishing that each of them was Heva.
Finally, she turned a corner and he couldn't help but let his mouth gape. She herself had replicated some apparel for the date. She wore a medium length summer dress, a pattern of blue roses covering the entirety of it. The straps had small bows at the top of the shoulder, laying lazily off to either side. The neck of the dress extended down to a decent level in an oval shape. The dress itself tightened at her waist and flared out down to her knees. Her hair was still down, but one side had been clipped up in the front, making a small hill on that side of her head. Her eyes had a light shade of sky blue shadow on them, the lashes seemed to be fluffed and her lips had a light pink gloss on them.
Her very presence seemed to take him by surprise, but the thing he seemed to be paying attention to the most was her eyes, which were fixed on his like they had never seen them before.
He straightened up his posture and held out the carnation to her. She stood directly in front of him, making it touch his chest before she took it. She was so close that when she looked up at him he could see every fleck of gold in her eyes.
He tried to smile but his expression slacked and his mouth seemed to have lost control, but he managed to speak. "Shall we?" he asked, motioning to the holodeck door. Heva nodded. "Of course, we shall." He held out his arm and she took it. Smiling, he pushed the button to open the doors and they entered.
Inside, there was a sunset, a grassy hill with a single tree upon it, and a small lake. The sun's purple and orange hues reflected on the water in rippled paint colors. The air felt like a cool summer evening, a light breeze occasionally giving a pleasant air to their skin from the light warmth.
Beneath the tree was a red and white checkered blanket, an old fashioned picnic basket, two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine. Data laid the blanket out for them, smiling, knowing that Deanna and Geordi were right. He certainly knew what to do here.
Heva sat on the blanket, removing her shoes and picking up a glass. Data sat beside her and put the basket between them then turned to grab the wine and his own glass. "Normally I do not drink alcoholic beverages," he said, pouring her glass first. "However, I find that a special occasion like this one is one where I can make an exception."
Heva smiled and raised her glass. "To the first date." Data hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. Heva sensed this and confirmed what she was doing. "A toast, to the first date." Data put a hand to his head for a moment then gave a nervous chuckle. "The first date." He repeated and lightly tapped his glass against hers.
She took a small sip and watched him. He took a sip himself, savoring the bold taste of the wine in his mouth. "Taste is an interesting thing." He said. "It's one thing to distinguish things by how they look, but how they taste? It's a thing I have yet to fully understand, but I do enjoy it a lot." He looked over at Heva, who was watching him intently.
"You're an interesting person, Data." She said. Data stared, gripping the neck of the wine glass a little more firmly. "Most people would think an android could never have a personality. But you are living proof that they're wrong. I've only known you for a few days, but I find you to be a very kind, very driven individual."
Data set down his glass, looking off into the sunset in deep thought. "I have hardly just started developing it. Such a compliment means more to me than you can comprehend, Heva." He looked back at her, a gentle smile on his lips.
She returned his gaze and nodded. "It's no problem, I meant every word." They stared at one another for a little longer before Data reached into the basket. Inside were tuna fish sandwiches, a Caesar salad, and some finger cheeses. They ate them slowly, sipping glass after glass of wine, talking to one another about their lives. Data had never experienced such a thing. Being alone with one person with the purpose of building knowledge of one another was an incredible thing. He found that he didn't want the date to end.
"What was your promotion ceremony like?" Data asked her. Of course, by now Heva was so loopy from the wine, she mostly giggled her answers at him, but this question prompted a thoughtful look to come over her face. "It wasn't a ceremony really." She replied, slurring her words to an extent. "My commanding officer took out a new button, put it on my collar and said 'Hey! You're a lieutenant now. Go along now, have fun.' Well, not really like THAT but that's the jest of it." She let out a small hiccup and dropped her glass, thankfully it was empty.
"I think I should take you back to your quarters, Heva. You are quite intoxicated and require rest." Data said, standing. He was about to tell the computer to end the program when Heva stood and fell into him, knocking him into the tree. For a moment they remained still, when Data realized his arms had found their way around Heva and she was looking up at him. He felt as though he couldn't speak.
"I…I'm sorry, Data. How clumsy of me." Heva said, though she didn't move.
"It's…quite alright, Heva." He whispered, still staring into her eyes. He wasn't quite sure what was going to happen…then Heva's head dropped back onto his chest and she let out a loud snore. He looked up and let out a few grunts of frustration, scolding himself for stalling what could have been another wonderful experience.
He reached down and lifted Heva into his arms, walking out of the holodeck he instructed the computer to end the program. He carried Heva back to her quarters and lay her down onto her bed. She curled up against her pillow and moaned softly. Data reached for the blanket and covered her with it, making sure she would be warm.
"Well," he whispered. "Good night…Heva…" he ran a hand over her hair and sighed. "Why must you be so beautiful? Don't you know that you consume my thoughts with it?" He stood and headed for the door, pausing to take one last look at her. She looked so peaceful, her eyes closed and her face relaxed. He wondered what she might be dreaming, then he left to go to his own room for the night.