Chapter 7
Data smiled as he spotted Tasha in the hallway after leaving the captain's quarters.
"Hello Tasha," He called motioning her over.
"Data?" Tasha asked after reaching him. "Can I ask you something?'
"Anything Tasha." Data answered gazing deeply into her eyes.
"Will you come to the surface with me?" Tasha blurted out almost nervously.
"Why?" Data asked confusion lining his pale face.
"I want to show you something."
"What is it?" Data asked his smile melting.
"It is a surprise." Tasha smiled mysteriously.
"Alright, just let me inform the captain-" Data told her as he went to tap his badge.
Tasha grabbed his arm. "No, no. Just…trust me." She insisted.
Data smiled again warmly. "I do trust you."
"Okay then. Show me to a transporter room."
Once on the surface Tasha gestured for Data to follow her. They walked for a while in silence before Tasha stopped abruptly.
She turned to Data. "This is wrong." She muttered.
"Data looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"I should not have gone through with this." Tasha turned desperately to Data. "You must leave now! Go back to your ship!"
"It's too late for that." An eerie voice echoed.
A dark figure loomed behind a tree nearby and slowly walked into the light.
"Lore?" Data gasped shoving Tasha behind him. Lore smiled wickedly. "Did you miss me, brother?"
"How did you get here? I thought I disassembled you." Data demanded.
Lore snickered. "Our naive young brother got ahold of my remains."
"What did you do to B-4?" Data asked suspiciously.
Lore shrugged. "Besides borrow his ship, nothing."
"What do you want Lore?" Data asked.
"What do I always want?" Lore snapped back. "I want revenge on the favored child." He smiled deviously. "And that is exactly what I have gotten my dear brother."
"What do you mean?" Data asked a little nervously.
"You haven't figured it out yet have you?" Lore smirked. "I guess I overestimated you Data. You were too blinded by your emotion chip to see the truth." Lore strode over and leaned in toward Data's face. "She doesn't really love you." He whispered. "She's working for me." He quickly grabbed Tasha's arm and yanked her in front of him.
"No," Data answered. "You are wrong."
Tasha looked at Data tears glistening at her eyes. "I am sorry Data." She cried.
"She isn't your Tasha." Lore smiled seeing Data's dismay. "She is no more of a human than you are." Lore pulled up Tasha's left sleeve and pressed on her arm. A panel opened revealing wires and metal, much like the inside of Data's own arm.
Data looked away pain etched on his face. "I had my suspicions, but I dismissed them. I should have listened to myself."
"Oh so you did notice a few things," Lore mocked him. "Like maybe that she only copies what she sees? Or that she can't use contractions much like yourself?" Lore grabbed the Tasha android by her hair and ripped something out of her the back of her head.
"NO!" Data yelled. The Tasha android fell to the ground, eyes wide in anguish.
Data dropped to the ground and lifted her head. "Tasha," He whispered his voice quivering.
"Data," She moaned. "I-am-sorry. I am not…your Tasha."
"Shh it is ok." Data soothed. "Everything will be alright."
"No," Tasha answered. "I am-to-cease functioning." She opened her eyes for a brief moment. "I did-love you. It was not in my programming-" She stopped and cringed in pain before looking him in the eye one last time. "To love-or feel pain…but I-do." She paused for a long shaky breath.
"I hope you find your real Tasha-someday." She managed before she stopped functioning forever.
"Tasha," Data exclaimed losing control of his emotions and letting a tear fall from his eye and onto Tasha's shirt. He gently brushed his fingers across her face before laying her back on the ground. He locked eyes with Lore with anger blazing in his eyes.
"You monster!" He screeched and launched himself at Lore knocking him to the ground. The two android's rolled over and over on the floor of the jungle fighting it out.
"I was wrong again about you brother dear." Lore added as he dodged a punch from Data. "You do have a temper." Lore pinned Data to the ground a moment later. "How does it feel brother to be betrayed? How does it feel to lose someone that you care about desperately? Are you still happy about your emotions now?" Lore jeered.
Full of anger Data yelled and turned full force on Lore unleashing his true anger on him. Data grabbed him by the throat and lifted him in the air.
"So this is how it's going to end," Lore continued his mocking. "You're going to kill me. Maybe you're more like me than you think."
Data stopped for a moment overcome with emotion. "No, I won't kill you. I won't give you the satisfaction." He jabbed his brother in the side where he knew his off button was. Lore slowly powered down as Data dropped him to the ground with disdain.
At that moment Captain Riker and an Away team beamed to the surface. "Data!" Will called running over. "Are you alright?"
Data nodded. "Yes sir. I sustained minimal damage."
"We couldn't get a lock on your comm badge." Will informed him. "Is there something wrong with it?"
Data blinked. "I believe that Lore had something to do with it."