Disclaimer :: I don't own anything Star Trek. Or Data... though I wish I could... But Starfleet ruled that he is sentient and, therefore, not property.
Dream 8
"Grab him!"
They seized the android by his arms and forced him back, into the containment unit, Picard on his right... Data on his left. The unit's cables sprang forward and the officers jumped back as they wrapped Data's new twin in their black tentacles, immobilizing him. Shutting him down.
Data felt a pang of sorrow - or was it regret... Yet another of his family who would have to be repaired before reactivation.
He felt Picard's eyes on him... Data only had eyes for his trapped and immobile, deactivated sibling...
Picard's voice: "Commander Riker, prepare to take the android into custody aboard the Enterprise."
…
They entered the small cantina aboard the station...
Data following Commander Riker and another officer...
They were clean again - after their scuffle aboard the alien vessel - and had completed a full debriefing. They'd gone for a drink... But Data's mind was lingering on his brother, in custody abroad the docked Enterprise... restrained and deactivated in a secure unit in his lab.. eyes blank... body limp and motionless...
The cantina was small and narrow, lined on either side with booths suited for four to six people. On the left were three booths, abutted by the bar, which was located directly inside the doorway at the bottom the bottom of a short flight of steps. On the right were four booths, at the far end a jukebox sat silent of music.
The place had a cold, militant feel to it, colored in dark greys and browns - a kind of dingy warmth... Concrete and steel and brick...
Data followed Riker and the other officer downs the steps... past the bar... a vaguely familiar young woman sat in the middle booth on the left, across from an alien man of a very broad build and approximately two meters tall. He wore civilian clothes and long, dark, curly hair. He set a foaming glass of beer in front of the young woman - and waved at Data... as Riker was nodding to the bartender...
Data took no heed of the pair, following Riker past them to the last booth on the left in a vacant, mechanical manner, devoid of acknowledgement.
Riker sat in the far bench and scooted in to allow Data to sit on his left - looking toward the bar... the man... the back of her head... The other officer taking a seat in the opposite bench...
As he conversed with Riker, Data was only vaguely aware of the topic of conversation...
...his brother restrained in that secure unit in his lab...
...his brother shoved by Data's own hands into the alien containment unit...
His mind kept replaying the sequence of events over and over...
Somewhere in his periphery a synapse was tingling, vaguely aware of the young blond looking around at them.
...vaguely aware that they were in twenty-third century style uniforms - comfortable, black trousers and a long-sleeved, gold, crewneck, cotton tunic...
The alien waved again...
Data looked up at him...
"I got you a beer." He pointed at the heady draught he'd set before the woman.
Data stood - "I'll be right back, Commander." - and walked to the nearby booth, sidling in next to the young woman to face the bulky, alien man.
...behind him Commander Riker continued the conversation with the other officer...
...and the blond was watching him with what he'd learned was compassion and empathy...
He picked up the beer and took a drink -
"Someone's got something to tell you," the man said.
Data looked at her... and cocked his head, recognizing... but so vague...
She took his glass from his hand and set it down on the table...
Data shifted to get up, uncomfortable... What was the point if he couldn't have the drink? He didn't want to hear her pity. He didn't want to be told rude truths about his foolish feelings.
But she took gentle hold of the upper sleeve of his shirt - And he faltered and stopped... something catching in his chest...
And she pulled him closer to her...
Her hand still holding the cloth at his bicep, he gazed into her feeling, grey eyes... eyes offset by the blue science officer's uniform she wore... Soft, grey, familiar eyes...
"It's okay. It's all going to be okay."
Her whisper is full of understanding. No judgement. No lecture. No pity.
Then she kissed him - her lips pressing gently to the tip of his pale-gold nose...
Data relaxed at the delicate and intimate gesture.. His shoulders eased some of their tension... The vagueness of her identity faded - no longer just some fellow, familiar crewmate... but... *her...
...it felt as if her kiss lingered against his skin...
...Data gazed at her for a long, eternal moment after she pulled away, her mouth blessing him with a warm, loving smile...
...her fingers still holding him close by the fabric at his bicep...
...his skin tingling of her kiss...
...warmed by her kiss...
...gold powder dust on her lips...
~.oOo.~
AN :: i am very ware that this is very different from every other chapter in this piece, but the thought to use it wouldn't go away and i rather like it's juxtaposition to Data's other dreams. this is actually a dream *i had* back the end of may, so cleaning up my initial write up was... interesting. (this would be the "polishing" and "serious clean up" i mentioned in my profile updates *rolls eyes at self*) ...also like that it's a little skew into other realms of Data's dream-landscape... the alt. uniform ref'd is cut like the '09 reboot, but in cotton vs. that horrid underarmor-sport-looking-nylony stuff...