The halls of Star Fleet headquarters were unnaturally quiet as red lights illuminated the walls to a deep shade of pink while Picard and his team sprinted through. They knew that by now the Enterprise had informed the officials of the station and a widespread evacuation was more than likely taking place. Each of them were silent, their phasers drawn, ready to fight to save so many lives…including Heva's.
Data kept his gaze forward, searching the halls for any sign of Heva or Lore. Every circuit in his body burned with a fiery hatred toward Lore and he found himself anxious to face him when the time came.
As they rounded one of the corners ahead of them they heard voices. Jean-Luc raise a fist in the air signaling them to slow down. As they quietly began to sneak forward toward the voices, they listened and all of them froze as they recognized the one speaking the loudest.
"Please do not treat me as though I'm some sort of fool, Admiral. There is nothing you can do to stop us. I am going to release this virus, not only on this station, but on the entire planet below us. Isn't that right, my darling?" Heva's voice casually drawled out.
"Indeed." Lore replied, chuckling evilly. "Regardless of what you give me, how much you've cooperated with my orders, or how well you think you would do in the future…you all will die along with the rest of your precious Federation. And we..we will rule over the new era together bringing order and sweet, SWEET justice at last."
Data nearly leapt forward, his phaser raised, before Picard threw his arm out to stop him. "Not yet." he whispered urgently. "I understand you're angry but now is not the time for vengeance." Slowly, he crawled forward while the Admiral began to plead with Lore.
"If you want more respect or recognition or even a place among us as an equal you will have it! Just please reconsider this! What will it accomplish?"
Lore let out a hearty laugh and as Jean-Luc rounded the corner he saw him push the Admiral back and place a foot on his chest. He rested his arms on his angled knee and grinned down at him. "It will accomplish the perfect world. The perfect universe! Soon, only beings of absolutely flawless nature will consume the galaxy and spread until nothing else remains. Those of you that remain will be the slaves instead and all will be just as it always should have been." With his last word, he threw a hand dramatically in the air and he looked back at Heva, smiling. He lowered his hand to reach for her and she walked forward to take it when Jean-Luc finally stood.
Heva and Lore looked at them as they all filed out, pointing their phasers at them as though looking at guests coming in for a party; their smiles never wavering. "Why, Captain…and my dear brother! So nice of you to join the celebration. We were just about to inaugurate the new era. Perhaps you would be interested in a small taste of things to come?" He reached over and pulled a small detonator out of Heva's uniform pocket. He shook it from side to side between his thumb and forefinger before gripping it and letting his thumb hover above the button.
"Brother." Data cried, reaching an arm out and gently placing his phaser on the ground. "Please…reconsider what you are planning to do. These people are not what you came for…take me instead." Data looked at Heva, searching for the slightest gleam of concern in her eyes. Her expression was blank aside from the smirk she wore on her tiny, pink lips. Data turned away from her and back to Lore, who was scowling at him.
"You are of no interest to me…'brother'." Lore spat at him. "I've found a companion who is loyal and doesn't question my motives. She doesn't fret with her own humanity. Her eyes are set on our goal without question. She can accomplish more for me and our cause than you could with your pathetic quest to become something you will never reach. Heva is my link to my own personal quest, and she will be for the rest of her pathetically short life."
Data felt the fury begin to burn and attempted to keep control in order to keep Lore unaware of Will, who was now sneaking behind him miraculously undetected. "Lore, I swear to you if you let Heva go and take me instead I will not even utter a single doubt to you and I will help you in whatever way you wish me to help. So I ask you to change your decision. Take me and return Heva to the Enterprise as she was."
"I am not going anywhere with you, Data." Heva interjected. She stepped forward and took Lore by the hand, sending Data's confidence plummeting into pure blind rage. "Lore is different, charismatic, a genius all his own. And there is nothing you can do to take me away from him. We're over, Data. A brand new beginning is in store for me. It's something you could never give."
She turned to Lore and drew close to him. Just before their lips touched, Data let out a cry of fury and retrieved his phaser. He aimed at Lore and fired but instead hit Heva, who Lore pushed in the line of fire. "HEVA!" Data cried out as he watched her slowly fall before him and hit the ground.