Earl was standing on the corridor not far from the observation lounge waiting for Juliana to come out, and glared at Jones hostilely, who was watching seemingly utterly satisfied as Data was led away by the Security guards. He then looked at the old man and raised his eyebrows expectantly.
Earl stepped up to him "You think you've won, right? You think you've taken revenge that Emma made you a cuckold, ha? The fact remains a fact, you know. You've been made ridiculous by a machine." he taunted.
"Oh, I've won." Jones smirked "I've won the moment the Admiral accepted my proposal of bringing the Enterprise here."
Earl frowned at him suspiciously tilting his head to the side "You've always been so arrogantly sure of yourself, that my stomach turned every time I saw that self-satisfied grin of yours. But finally, Emma did leave you, despite all your machinations and manipulation. You're right in one thing: Epsilon Four is not far from a revolution, and when it comes, you'll be drowned in your own arrogance."
Jones chuckled patronizingly "And you're hoping to live long enough to see that, right?" he stepped closer to the old man and this time looked at him with a dead serious expression "Aren't you forgetting something? I have the military police of an entire planet looking only for your hiding place, and once I learn where it is, all of you, all of your pathetic group of resistance will be dealt with. One by one, according to his merit. Now, remember one thing, old man: I will be the one to press the button at your execution."
Earl smirked at him without even feeling his pulse rising from the deadly threat: "You've always been very good at waving your dick. You see, though it might be enough for your groupies, for me, you rather seem like a little boy trying to figure out what his tiny willie is for. Try something else!"
Jones raised his eyebrows appreciative of the old man's guts, but then his lips were pulled into another one of his trademark smirks: "How about this? Guess who was there with your son in his last moments. Guess who saw him draw his last breath. Guess who heard him calling tearfully for his daddy in his last moment - just as he disappeared into thinair!"
Earl gaped at this shocked "It was you! You son-of-a..."
"Oh, you think, I'm finished?" Jones cut in closing the distance between them "I haven't even started!" his voice hardened with a cruel edge, and he had an unpitying glint in his eyes that Earl knew very well "We haven't even talked about that little boy whom you took under you wings. What's his name? Gary? He likes painting over billboards - and hanging out with Starfleet officers, am I right?"
Earl couldn't cover his shock and distress. He knew the boy had been arrested with Picard and Doctor Crusher, but also knew that he was never released... "What have you done to him?" he whispered with blazing eyes.
"Oh, personally, I did nothing. Only watched for a little while as the interrogators tried to get out of him where your hiding place is. Well... it must make you very proud to know that he protected your little secret - with his miserable little life."
Earl simply grabbed his collar and raised his fist to hit him, but suddenly felt strong arms around him as he was caught from behind and dragged a few steps away from Jones.
"Hey, stop it!" he heard a male voice from behind, but couldn't recognize it as he kept on struggling - he needed to kill this man! He HAD TO!
"You son-of-a-bitch! He was only a child! You monster!" he shouted in desperation.
Jones adjusted his suit completely ignoring Earl and gave a tight smile to his saviour "Thank you, Commander Riker!"
Will gave a slight shake to the still struggling old man "Stop it! You hear me?!" he ordered.
At that, Earl suddenly felt dizzy as an overwhelming wave of exhaustion washed all over his body, and he knew he would have collapsed, if Riker hadn't held on to him. He gazed up at Will, who was shocked to see the utter desperation on the old man's face. Will slowly let him go, and the old man put a hand to the wall to steady himself.
"You okay?" Will asked, but Earl didn't feel himself up to answer him.
Jones looked at his gasping nemesis patronizingly "Don't try to wake pity by faking a heart-attack, old man!" he glanced up at Will going on "You see, Commander? This is the Resistance! Violence is the only language they speak! If it's no use, they try to wake sympathy with lies and stage-acts!"
Earl gaped helplessly out of words and gazed up at Riker visibly scared to see his reaction. The Commander stood there with a hard expression on his face for a moment longer, before taking the few steps between them and Jones. He looked deep into his eyes:
"You really think I'd buy that an elderly man as Mr. Mils would try to attack you without a compelling reason?" he asked on a dangerously low voice to which Jones only chuckled, and Will's blood suddenly boiled by seeing his reaction "You seriously think you can take ANYBODY on this starship for a ride just because the Admiral trusts you? You might have your connections in higher places, Mister, but take this for granted: you have no allies on the Enterprise!"
Jones stared into his eyes for a long moment with a sincerely amused expression on his face, and then chuckled again "Don't you worry yourself, Commander! I have just the allies that I need!"
Will stood his gaze then raised his chin high "In this case, hold on to them tight, because you won't find new ones amongst this crew." he growled with a tight frown, then turned and walked up to Earl.
"I'll escort you to your quarters, Mr. Mils." he told the old man who shook his head.
"I need to wait for Juliana." Earl said on a hollow voice.
"Very well. Then, I'll keep you company." Will declared and turned his head to stare into Jones' eyes challengingly.
Earl nodded gratefully and tried everything to keep his mind away from the crippling revelations that Jones was his son's murder, and that Gary was dead too! He had to blink back his tears as he pressed his back to the wall to try to get a grip.
"Reporting as ordered, Admiral." Maddox stood at the door of the observation lounge still a little preoccupied. When the Admiral called him to this meeting, he'd just been packing his last belongings and was ready to leave the soonest possible to get as far from his place of defeat as he could. Then as he walked up to the entrance of the lounge, he met the hostile gaze of Commander Riker just to be distracted by a stranger looking at him with odd curiosity. He frowned to himself confused as he stepped through the threshold still feeling the penetrating gaze following him until the doors closed behind him.
The Admiral turned to him and motioned him inside "Thank you, Doctor. Come in."
McKinnley, Picard and Juliana were still standing at the tall windows of the room, so Maddox walked up to them. The Admiral turned to him "I'll need you to run a full diagnostics on Commander Data to determine whether there is a malfunction in any of his systems, especially, his ethical programming."
Maddox frowned taken aback "We ran a full diagnostics on him last night, and found no problems, but of course, if you wish, Admiral..."
Picard cut in frowning "I still object to this treatment, Admiral and won't let Data to be put through any kind of ordeal of examination without a compellingly good enough reason!"
"You'll have your reasons, Picard, soon enough!" the Admiral rasped and looked at Maddox who stood there still confused "Doctor, tell me, do you remember the circumstances surrounding the decision about whether Mr. Data could be allowed to attend Starfleet Academy? You were there in the committee, and according to the records, you were the only one who objected to his admittance."
Maddox frowned still perplexed searching in his memories: "Of course I remember, Admiral. Though to be precise, there were several arguments for and against his admittance. At first, some of the members of the committee were just as reluctant as I was. They argued that we cannot guarantee the safety of an android's crewmates as he is stronger and more intelligent than anybody that ever got admitted. The Daystrom Institute then determined that Data has a basic conscience and several safety mechanisms that prevent him to use unnecessary violence AND allows him to use deadly force ONLY if he is in lethal danger. So these objections got discarded."
"Just as yours were, Doctor."
Maddox nodded seemingly uncomfortable "That is correct, Admiral, however... my initial argument against Data's admittance that he was not sentient has since been proven wrong. So my objections became just as moot as all the others proved to be, when Data was first examined."
The Admiral looked at Picard "I've studied the records created during that committee sitting, and I can assure all of you: the android's admittance was more like an experiment on the part of Starfleet than anything else. No one knew what exactly the outcome of this experiment might have been, but the committee trusted the findings of the Daystrom Institute. Now these finding have been refuted by Mr. Data himself by his alarming behaviour during the Epsilon mission. I think we can safely conclude that the early objections now have to be re-evaluated!"
Picard gaped now infuriated "He did what he had to do! What any of us would have done in his place! You just heard Doctor Maddox! What is there to re-evaluate?!"
"He is NOT just any of us!" the Admiral snapped "He's a cybernetic device with deadly speed and strength and mental prowess that enables him to out-think us, if we give him the opportunity!" he turned to Maddox "This is why I want you to check him out thoroughly! We might never be sure whether those safety mechanisms are still intact! I have a strong suspicion that he managed to override them! And I need you to prove that suspicion!"
Maddox gaped at him taken aback and suddenly had no idea what to answer.
Juliana watched the Admiral appalled by all of his paranoia and prejudice. Though it was not unfamiliar to her: she witnessed the same thing on Omicron Theta, when the colonists became scared of Lore being so completely human - and more than a human! But for god's sake, Data served a lifetime in Starfleet, risked his life countless times for his crewmates! And now this distrust?! He received the treatment of an inanimate object, worse than an organic criminal would! She couldn't keep her mind off of the question: if a loyal Starfleet officer like Data was treated this way, what would happen to HER, if once her true nature were revealed?
"Admiral!" she finally cut in not bearing to listen to this any longer.
All eyes became fixed on her, and she looked around clearly upset as the Admiral told her "Go ahead, Doctor Tainer." he nodded politely.
Juliana took in a shaky breath and gathered all her cybernetics knowledge to at least attempt to defy the Admiral's doubts.
"Admiral, what you've just described that you're afraid of is a so called unfriendly-AI." she started on a silent voice "An Artificial Intelligence that might achieve the point of singularity, a certain level of intelligence, where its creator cannot foresee how he would react to a certain situation. Admiral, I understand that you're not fully versed in cybernetics, and I have to admit that my knowledge is slightly out of date too. However, Doctor Maddox can confirm what I'm about to say. To create a friendly-AI, you do not only need a few safety mechanisms. Those are important too, of course, but only part of the whole. From the very beginning of the design of the algorithms, of the teaching process of the newly created neural net, you have to build up the AI in a way that the final result would be a friendly one. Data's father and I have gone to great lengths to do that! We had a very bitter lesson to learn from: Data's brother, Lore, became an unfriendly-AI. We learned from him that creating a friendly-AI is much-much more than a few safety tricks in the code. This is exactly why Lore cannot be salvaged. His programming was designed on principles that were wrong from the beginning! But Data is different! If you ask anybody who know him just a little, the first trait that they would point out in his character is his overwhelming wish to become human! To be at least LIKE a human. As much as he can possibly be. It is in every one of his actions, his emotions, this is the basis of his character. THAT is the greatest safety an AI could ever have: the admiration toward his creators, and the belief that his only way to develop is through emulating humans. Though this IS a limitation in his evolution - it would significantly slow it down - still this is the guarantee you're looking for. This is the guarantee that he'd never try to hurt or out-think his creators. So please believe me, when I say: we, Doctor Soong and I, did not commit the same mistake twice. Data is not Lore. And can never be!"
Picard watched the elderly lady in silent amazement: he never knew Data's greatest wish to one day become a human, was something previously programmed by his creators! He suddenly wondered whether Data knew about it or not...
Despite her convincing explanation, the Admiral eyed Juliana doubtfully. He then looked at Maddox, who gave them a slight nod:
"Doctor Tainer's telling the truth." he said on a colorless tone.
The Admiral frowned coldly "Thank you, Doctor Tainer for your scientific opinion. We'll let you know, if we need your contribution again."
"But..." she gaped shocked at the treatment. It was plain that she was dismissed.
"Please, give us the space to discuss the matter." he told her on a tone that suggested that he did everything to remain polite with a lady - at the end of his patience. Juliana looked at Picard with desperation clearly written on her features. The Captain gave her a small nod and hoped that she would understand that he was just as determined to protect her son as she was. Finally, she conceded and left the men alone.
"Doctor Maddox, proceed with the examination." the Admiral ordered making both the cyberneticist and the Captain gape in shock.
Picard stepped in front of him "Admiral, you have just listened to the refutation of all your doubts. Doctor Tainer and Doctor Maddox both confirm that this examination is unnecessary!"
"I don't care if a hundred cyberneticists refute what I can see with my naked eyes!" the Admiral snapped "Your android has managed to rewrite his programming and is now a threat to all living creatures around him!"
"This is a witch-hunt! This is outrageous!"
"These are my orders, Picard! Your android will remain confined in the brig, where he doesn't have the means of the ship's computer, which might enable him to conceal his tampering in his safety routines, and rewrite his programming in a way that would comply with our requirements! Once Doctor Maddox determined how far he can be trusted, we can decide on his fate. Personally, I'd be the most relieved, if he was handed over to the Daystrom Institute." he turned to Maddox "Proceed, Doctor! Dismissed."
Maddox blinked completely dazed "Yes, Sir!" he said and left them alone.
Before the Captain could say anything, the Admiral barked at him too "You too, Picard. I suggest you should count your blessings that you got away with as little as a reprimand today, and stop pushing this or any other matter any further." he growled.
The Captain stood his ground "As I've already told you, Sir, you may try to silence me, but I will not allow my comrades to be mistreated. And I keep myself to it, Sir!" he straightened his back, with his chin high - almost as if he was about to salute - then left the old man alone with a determined glare.
It seemed that Jones was only waiting for that, because in a moment's time, he appeared in the doorway of the observation lounge.
He cleared his throat to call the Admiral's attention who was standing at one of the windows and stared outside seemingly deep in thought. He then glanced at the new-comer startled:
"Premier."
Jones stepped in "Admiral. Forgive me for intruding. If I'm disturbing you, I'll leave."
McKinnley took a step away from the windows "No, Premier, of course, you're not disturbing me. What can I do for you?"
Jones walked up to him to stand opposite the old man "I'd like to thank you for providing me an opportunity to defend myself from the accusations."
"Oh, don't mention it, Premier. I'm the one who is sorry that I had to jeopardize our good relations in order to keep to the rules. But... I have to be fair to all parties involved."
"That's perfectly understandable, Admiral!" Jones nodded empathically "You're in an unenviable situation. Let's hope that once we've signed our contracts, all things will settle."
McKinnley nodded "I hope that too."
Jones then glanced out of the window with a thoughtful expression "Speaking of which..." he stepped to the window to look down at his planet below "There's but one thing I'd like to settle, Admiral. One thing we already have a treaty for, as we've never discarded that treaty between the Federation and Epsilon Four to begin with."
The Admiral frowned confused "And which treaty would that be?"
Jones looked at him with his features hard as stone "A Treaty of Rendition, Admiral."
Realization ran through McKinnley's features as he locked gazes with Jones "Hmm... I understand that you want to get a hold of your convicted criminal, Premier Jones."
The younger man turned back to him nodding "I need Earl Mils to be arrested and surrendered to us, to the people of Epsilon Four. So that we can prosecute and punish him for his crimes. As long as he is on Federation territory on this ship, I can do nothing. But he has committed unforgivable crimes against my people, only to gain power and personal revenge. And I need to put an end to his machinations!"
The Admiral frowned "Personal revenge?"
Jones nodded looking into the old man's eyes "He used to be my wife's close colleague... Despite the difference in their ages, he tried to seduce her throughout the time they've known each other. Finally, he managed to lure her into joining the Resistance - if in anything else, he failed. He's always held a grudge against me, out of jealousy that Emma remained faithful to me. Well... at least she was, as long as we shared a life."
The Admiral watched as pain appeared on the other man's features and saw how he tried to conceal it. "I see no reason why your request couldn't be granted, Premier." he answered finally "Please, hand in an official petition, and from then on, it is only a matter of time, a couple of days at most, until we get the confirmation from the Federation. And then you can take your criminal with you to Epsilon Four."
Jones extended a hand appreciatively "Thank you, Admiral! You have my utmost gratitude."
The Admiral shook his hand with a satisfied smile that at least they could resolve one matter - out of so many still remaining...
