Guinan's Thoughts.

Ten forward was quiet, then again it was the night watch and as a result not many people were here, either they were in their quarters or at their posts.

Guinan, the El Aurian bartender, walked around the room, picking up cups, plates, glasses and cleaning up. Night times were the best times to do some basic chores, besides it gave her a chance to think.

Guinan had been around for a long time, she'd visited Earth before their atomic age and their first warp flight, as one of the many travellers of her people she'd explored a great deal of the Human race, both its customs and its faults.

She remembered the author Sam Clemens, known to the public as Mark Twain, she remembered the way he'd jumped to conclusions that turned out wrong.

Why would time travellers from a more advanced age suddenly decide to invade their own past ? That made no sense.

As time passed, she continued to watch. She witnessed the birth of the Federation and at times it worked, at times it didn't.

Data's case was one of those that didn't.

Guinan would be stupid if she didn't understand the implications and the potential of an army of Data's or androids like him.

Data was a marvel of cybernetics, he was a genius, he was everything many cyberneticists dreamt of. One of his body parts would be enough to trigger a revolution.

Had the Federation succeeded this time then an army would be created - a new species. Guinan had spent a lot of time with Data, he was okay, a bit unemotional but that was understandable considering he had no emotions.

A new species - one whose rights and privileges would always be below the surface. Guinan looked around the room - ten forward was one of many such places, large with chairs and tables. She could picture a version of Data, a number of Data's, actually, serving drinks.

A group of Data's working in an environment where normal organic life forms would be killed, working diligently to build a new outpost.

An army of Data's on board a starship. That was excellent, since Data's track record with starships was next to none.

But there was a downside.

Expendibility. One Data was indispensable, an army was not.

There was a word, Guinan knew, but prayed never to hear it from an outsider looking at the Federation.

Slavery.