When the day's commitments were done, he could at last return to his quarters and get some sleep. When he got there, without getting lost this time, he found someone waiting outside his room.
"Lara!" he exclaimed, neglecting his volume.
She smiled and hugged him. "Sorry I didn't come sooner."
"Nonsense, it's only been a few days," he said.
"I've heard some interesting things about your roommate," she told him.
"I'm sure you have," he said grimly. "Here, come in."
He held his identification card up to the sensor and the door slid open.
Data looked up from his desk and offered a programmed smile.
"Data, this is Lara, my sister," Charles introduced her.
Data rose and shook her hand. "I am Data."
"I must say, Data," she began. "I have heard a lot about you."
"Intriguing," Data mouthed.
She looked over at Charles. "You know, it really is rather exciting, Data. I have never seen an android close up."
"You know that I am an android?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, smiling. "I think the whole academy knows now. You're a bit of a celebrity."
His circuits told him that that was a compliment, so he gave a curt nod of acknowledgement.
"What's the time?" she pondered.
"Nineteen-hundred hours," Data replied quickly.
"Wow," she sighed. "Twelve hours of school. Never thought I'd have to say it." She grinned, but only Charles seemed to get her joke.
"Are you not enjoying your time here?" Data asked, confused. "I understand that humans are somewhat fickle."
She raised an eyebrow. "No, of course I am enjoying it. It is brilliant."
"Then, why-?" Data began.
"It just came as a bit of a shock," she reasoned. "All of this intensive training."
Charles nodded.
"I do not think that this is the common schedule for Starfleet recruits," Data said. "The first three weeks are usually the most vigorous."
"Only twenty more days then," Charles murmured.
"Anyway, I had better get going," Lara said. "Maybe I will see you tomorrow."
When she had gone, Data returned to his work.
"What are you studying for?" Charles asked him. He looked at Data's computer screen and grinned. "We are not doing that for months," he pointed out.
"I know, but I wish to be prepared," Data replied.
"There is being prepared and then there is... what you are doing," he opined, rolling his eyes at Data's keenness.
As the hours ticked by, it grew darker outside. Charles retired to bed but Data stayed awake.
When morning came around, Charles had managed to have a more trouble-free night's sleep than the previous night. He got up and stretched, looked at the clock and made a face. Half past five. He thought about going back to sleep but he had already stood up and was wide awake. So he made his way to the shower, dried, got dressed, sorted out his hair.
He wondered for a short while what it was that Data did in the night when most people were asleep. Did he sleep? Did he recharge?
"Data," he called to him as he combed his hair. "Do you sleep?"
Data looked up. "Sleep, sir?"
"Yes." Charles nodded. "Like humans."
Data thought for a moment. "I do not sleep as most living organisms do, no."
"Then what do you do? To get energy?" Charles asked, wondering if asking him if he recharged would be flippant.
"I organise my files, condense my data, write reports," Data replied. "But to supplement my energy resources, would be unhelpful. I have recycled energy reserves."
"So you don't need sleep?" Charles enquired.
"I can approximate sleeping patterns," he said.
"Could you do that from now on?" Charles asked, trying to sound polite.
"I could, yes," Data replied simply.
"It's just that, well, it is quite hard to sleep when I can see you stood there," Charles explained. "Anyway, I'm hungry. Let's go to the mess hall."
"I do not eat," Data said as they walked.
"Then do not eat," Charles said.
They came to the mess hall and sat down. Charles had caught sight of Lara and her friends.
"Hmm," they heard one of Lara's friends say as they sat down. "I can't think."
"Morning, ladies," Charles greeted them, drinking his coffee.
Lara glowered at him. "Hello, Charles."
Her friends greeted Charles as well, then went back to whatever they were talking about.
"I am Data," he said, smiling.
"Data?" one of the company repeated. "Oh, you're the robot."
"Android," Data corrected her.
"Oh, yes, android," she amended, with a sympathetic smile.
"So, what are you doing in our ten minutes of freedom?" Charles asked.
"Trying to think of famous scientists," Lara replied.
"Who do you want?" Charles started. "Einstein, Newton, Kepler."
"No, it's alphabetical," Holly told him, taking a bite out of her toast.
"What letter are you on?" he asked.
"A," Holly replied.
"Come to think of it," Charles began. "I can't think of any."
"If I may?" Data interjected.
They nodded and he continued. "Al-Hazen," he offered.
"Al-who?" Charles frowned.
"He was one of the foremost minds on optics," Data explained. "A fifteenth-century Indian scientist."
"Well, that's A covered," Holly said. "How about B?"
"Beau Brummell!" Lara blurted out.
"Who on Titan is he?" Holly exclaimed.
"I do not think Beau Brummell constitutes a scientist," Data observed.
Lara frowned. "He doesn't?" She drank her tea then set it down.
For the benefit of the others around the table, Data took it upon himself to explain the subject in question. "Beau Brummell was a nineteenth-century fashion icon, if you will. He pioneered the wearing of trousers, as opposed to breeches, bymen and was a close friend of Great Britain's King George the Fourth."
"See, he pioneered the wearing of trousers," Lara said defensively.
"Okay then," Charles interjected, worrying that he was going a bit mad."C is next."
"Charles Darwin?" Holly suggested.
"Last names," Lara specified.
"Oh, well, we can use him for D," Holly decided.
"How about Zefram Cochrane?" Charles inputted.
They all agreed on that and continued with their game, tripping up a little on X, Y and Z.
"Anyway," Charles said after their little game was over. "We'll likely be late for lessons if we don't get a move on." He picked up his leftovers on the tray, shoved it in the waste recycling unit, then stood by the door, waiting for Data.
Data ambled over, clearing up the rubbish left by lazy cadets on the way.
Charles frowned when the android came closer. "You shouldn't really be doing that," he told him.
Data looked confused; whether he was or not, Charles did not know. "I do not follow," Data let on.
"Well," Charles began, scratching his nose. "You're a cadet and they are cadets. That puts you on the same level, right?" He waited for an answer.
The tiny cogs seemed to be turning in Data's mind. "Level?"
"Feudally," Charles explained. "Status-wise."
"Your first definition would not be appropriate," Data said. "The Feudal System was most prominent in Medieval England, and it was erradicated in the fifteenth-century. However, it has been adopted by numerous civilisations, notably, the Nikazi and the Confederation of Anipion. The structure states that-"
Charles waved his hands. "I know what feudalmeans," he exclaimed. "Go with my second definition, then."
Data nodded. "Yes, we are the same as regards status."
"Then, why did you clear up after them?" Charles asked.
"I presumed that it was the right social response to the situation," Data replied.
Charles sighed and motioned himon. "Come on, we'll be late as it is."
So they went off down the corridors, when Charles suddenly stopped. He looked at his timetable and swore. Data gave him a look.
"I don't believe it!" Charles cursed.
"Sir?" Data inquired.
Charles folded his timetable up messily and stuffed it into his pocket. "It was a D!"
"Sir?" Data held out his hand. "May I?"
Charles handed him the creased paper.
"I presume you are referring to this?" Data asked, pointing to a grid on the timetable.
Charles nodded and moaned. "It was a D, not an O."
"You are meant to be in the da Vinci room, not the Oppenheimer room?" Data pointed out.
Charles took the paper back and groaned. "Off I go then. I take it you're heading in the right direction?"
"Yes," Data confirmed. "Oppenheimer."
"I've wasted enough time as it is," Charles decided. "Floor twelve," he muttered to himself, speeding up the corridor, bumping into more than a few dazed and perturbed cadets along the way.