"It's Lore," Beverly sobbed.
Her hands were trembling.
It wasn't like Doctor Crusher to scare like this. As a medical professional, she had a reputation for being calm in a crisis.
It was evident that whatever had occurred had been enough to leave her shaken.
"What happened?" Tasha asked darkly as she took hold of her friend's hands.
Beverly squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head as she tried to compose herself enough to recount the awful moment.
"I d-d-don't know w-what to do," Beverly stammered. "Y-y-you have to h-h-help."
Data and Tasha exchanged a dark look.
They both knew that Lore and Beverly had been spending a lot of time together in recent weeks. They were both also keenly aware of how dangerous and manipulative he could be.
Tasha's heart went out to Beverly as she could empathise with how miserable she was.
"What can I do for you?" Tasha asked.
It was the question she wished she had been asked by someone – anyone - when she'd been assaulted. Tasha didn't want to make any presumptions about what Beverly needed at that moment nor did she want to push her to share anything beyond what she was comfortable disclosing.
"Would you like to go inside and talk alone?" Tasha offered.
Beverly shook her head.
"No. We have to go. We have to go now," Beverly said.
There was an urgency in her voice.
"Go where?" Data asked.
"To save him," Beverly pleaded. "You're the only one who can save him."
"Doctor, where is Lore?" Data inquired.
Omicron Theta Colony | 2333
"Got yourself in over your head again, didn't ya?" Noonian asked.
Lore did not respond.
"If you want to give me the silent treatment, that's just fine by me," Noonian went on.
Lore scowled and looked away toward the wall.
Noonian reached for a sonic driver and began to reassemble the connections between Lore's bicep and forearm.
He couldn't tell his Father what happened.
Noonian wouldn't believe him anyways.
And if he found out that he'd been sneaking out with Lucy then he was sure to disassemble him.
Between avoiding her parents and the colony's main village, they had taken to meeting at a spot they called their own. It was a out past the fields on a rocky outcropping that overlooked the area beyond the settlement.
Not many people wandered out that far except for the occasional hiker or kids looking for a secluded spot to camp.
Lucy loved the outdoors. Lore could take it or leave it.
But she'd wandered too close to the edge and lost her footing.
Lore's quick reflexes had allowed him to grab her and throw her back to safety – but at the risk of having to dive toward her to do so.
His body had too much momentum and Lore had gone tumbling over the side of the ledge.
He had made a significant dent when he'd impacted the ground. Fortunately, Lucy did not follow him over the edge.
It had been an excruciating twenty-eight minutes as Lore had laid there, waiting for her to come down.
He had suffered no permanent damage, but the shock of it had left him reeling.
After a tearful reunion, Lore had managed to limp home. His skeletal structure had sustained a stress fracture. His left leg had been damaged. And his arm had detached at the elbow.
When he'd arrived home caked in mud and clutching his forearm in one hand, Juliana had dropped a pitcher of lemonade.
B-4 had been frightened – repeating that Lore was damaged and struggling to process the sight of his injured brother.
Noonian had scoffed, wiggling his finger and beckoning Lore down to the lab.
"I'm not going to take you apart," Noonian said with an air of disapproval. "Not for this anyways."
He knew just how much that threat terrorised his boy.
Now Lore was sitting on the bench as his Father carefully reattached his forearm back to the rest of his body.
"You want to tell me where you've been sneaking off to?" Noonian asked.
Lore didn't react.
"Fine. Fine. But one of these days you're going to wind up in over head and I won't be there to fish you out," Noonian warned.
Present
In over your head.
It hardly did justice to the predicament Lore found himself in.
It had been an eerie thirty-four-minute fall to the bottom of the Tauphin ocean.
By Lore's count, he had sunk over 2230 metres. He'd stopped counting after that.
Lore didn't see much sense in the precise details of his present disastrous position.
They had travelled for nearly two hours out into the open ocean on a mid-sized recreational clipper boat. It was part of a whale-watching tour and had been something Beverly had been looking forward to experiencing.
There weren't many other people aboard and Lore reasoned the size of the craft was large enough that he felt safe going out on the open water.
The sound of her panicked voice was the last thing he'd heard before going overboard – not that he could absolve himself of that choice.
You got yourself into this. Lore chastised himself.
Lore had no idea what kind of obstacles lay between him and the shoreline. It could take days – perhaps even weeks before he would escape this watery hell.
He was deep enough that there was no sunlight that penetrated the darkness.
There were occasional flashes of light from some of the deep-water creatures that were in the area.
But in many ways, this place was a strange, watery desert.
Almost like an alien world.
Even with his superior android optical sensors, it was difficult to see.
Lore took a tentative step forward, testing the solidity of seabed before committing to a step. It was going to be slow-going.
Clutching the necklace in his hand firmly, Lore set off in the direction of the shoreline one step at a time.
"Slow down," Tasha said in a soothing voice. "Now what happened?"
"This is all my fault!" Beverly snivelled.
They were sitting on the sofa in Data and Tasha's room. Tasha was rubbing Beverly's back in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. With her free hand, Tasha reached for the tissues and handed one to Beverly.
"Thank you," Beverly said softly.
Data was seated on the chair across from them with his hands resting on the top of his legs. He wore a pensive look as he tried to piece together the chain of events.
"Doctor, please start at the beginning," Data requested.
Earlier That Day
Lore reacted as another spray shot up and hit him in the face.
Beverly just laughed.
"It won't happen when we slow down," she shouted above the wind.
They were clipping along at a steady speed as they headed out toward the horizon.
It was a warm afternoon and the breeze from the boat ride felt refreshing. If they couldn't get in the water, they could at least enjoy the thrill of gliding along and an occasional splash whenever they hit a rough patch of waves.
They'd taken lunch on the boardwalk at a little café that Beverly had once visited as an Ensign many years earlier.
It specialised in desserts. Even though Lore had no need to consume food, he did enjoy trying new things and Beverly had insisted he taste the Strawberry Crème pastries.
They'd taken a short walk along the beach so she could settle her stomach before setting out the boat.
Given it was a hot day, the tour was only sparsely attended. Aside from the three-person crew, there was only a trio of marine biologists and an older Vulcan couple.
Lore and Beverly had chosen a spot at the front of the boat and were enjoying the sunshine.
After heading out about two hours from the shoreline, they slowed to a crawl.
There was little sound other than the waves as they rocked back and forth in the water.
Beverly loved the ocean. In her mind, the gentle rocking of the waves was the perfect setting for a catnap.
They hadn't had much luck with the whale-watching. They had spotted a pod in the distance, but it hadn't gotten as close as the tourists would have liked.
So the ship had mulled about for a while a smaller spotter craft guided them into the path of another oncoming pod.
According to their guide, they would often come right alongside the boat.
After waiting patiently, they had begun to see the spouts as the pod approached.
"Here we go," the guide said.
"What's that you're fiddling with?" Lore asked.
It was a necklace that he'd seen Beverly wear at all times. However, he had never seen her fiddle with it like she had today. Ever since lunch she had been running her finger over the chain, twisting it around her fingers, and playing with the stone on the end.
"Oh this?" Beverly asked as glanced down at her necklace.
"Yes," Lore nodded.
"Jack gave it to me when we were dating. It had been his grandmother's," Beverly explained. "Sorry, I guess I've just been thinking a lot about him lately."
There was a flash of pain in Lore's eyes at her statement.
"Oh not like that," Beverly assured him quickly. "It's just-"
She paused and glanced out at the water.
"The argument with Wesley's been weighing on my mind," Beverly shared. "And sometimes I wonder how Jack would have responded. What he might have said if he were here."
She reached out and took hold of Lore's hand.
"What he might think about us," Beverly went on.
She turned back to Lore.
It had been almost ten years since Jack's death. Beverly had dated during that time – but nothing had come close to what she felt she had with Lore.
"You know, you're really the first time I've felt a connection with someone since his death," Beverly said. "And I like to think that he'd be happy we found each other."
Lore smiled.
It was exactly the kind of reassurance he'd needed to hear.
There was a large spray directly to the right as one of the whales blew out it's airhole – sending a spray of water into the air, interrupting their moment alone, and startling Beverly.
The surprise of the sudden appearance of such a large creature next to them had shocked her. Instinctively, she had reached for the railing on the side.
Beverly's fingers had been laced through the chain of her necklace and she brought her hands down hard enough to break the antique chain.
It dropped into the water and Beverly was horrified as she watched it disappear.
Lore didn't hesitate.
He had his eyes on the small gold chain as it began to vanish below the waves. He knew he only had a limited window of time.
"Lore!" Beverly cried as she watched him disappear.
The crew leapt into action.
"Man overboard!" the guide shouted.
Beverly felt utterly helpless as she watched the crew throw a rescue line overboard. She could hear someone shouting but she couldn't understand what they were saying. It was all distorted -sound and time moving slowly as if it were a dream.
All she could think about was Lore standing on the balcony of their room telling her that he would sink to the bottom of the ocean floor.
The tour guide grabbed Beverly's shoulders to get her attention.
"Lady, do you have a way to tell your robot to grab the line?" he shouted.
"What?" Beverly asked, dazed.
"Can you communicate with your robot?" the guide asked.
Beverly closed her eyes and shook her head. Clearly he didn't understand.
"He's not a robot," Beverly explained. "He's an android."
"I don't care if he's a toaster. Can you communicate with it?" the guide demanded.
Beverly turned her head back to the water and watched as the waves hit the boat. She wasn't sure what compelled her to do so.
She knew that there was no way Lore was going to pop back up.
But more than anything she wanted to see him emerge from the water.
Beverly felt numb the entire way back to the marina.
The clipper's depth sensors were only capable of reaching around 400 metres. During the immediate moments after Lore's dive overboard, they had tried to use them to get a read on Lore.
However, they had come up empty-handed.
One of the Vulcans had advised that based on their calculations, Lore was likely sinking too fast to still be within range.
The ship's longest line was only able to reach around 30 metres.
It meant they would have no way of reaching him.
Beverly was trying to think of a solution, but she couldn't the image of watching his pale body disappear out of her mind.
There was no way the Enterprise transporters would be able to get lock on him on the ocean floor. It was far too deep for the ship's systems to penetrate.
He could be hurt.
He was alone.
It was all too much for Beverly to bear – and she felt entirely responsible.
"Sorry, lady. I think your robot is fish food," the guide said.
Beverly didn't have it in her to fight back against his cruel words.
One of the Vulcan's suggested that a larger fishing vessel may have the kind of long-lines capable of reaching Lore.
The lead marine biologist chimed in suggesting a science vessel that was docked in the marina and was known to do research on the lifeforms in the abyssal zone at the bottom of the ocean.
When they had reached the harbour, the marine biology team had been more than happy to help Beverly locate the science ship.
The crew of the science vessel had agreed to assist – but they would need help.
First off, they would need a way to locate Lore. The map of the area where he had gone down indicated that it was a fairly deep area. It certainly wasn't anything compared to some of the crevasses out there, but deep enough that it would be a challenge to locate him without some more specifics.
It was a large search area and anything they could use to narrow it down would save valuable time.
According to the team, there was a decent sized underwater trench approximately ten kilometres from where Lore had sunk. They would need to reach him before he got there.
They were hoping there was some kind of unique signature or material used in his construction that could help focus the sensors.
Additionally, their strongest davit (which Beverly learned was the proper nautical term for the crane that raised and lowered equipment) would require changing the spool of the line before they could haul up something as dense as Lore from that depth.
It needed to be replaced with a heavier duty metal line that was designed to handle that kind of pressure. That was a process that would take at least forty minutes.
In any case, if Lore was damaged, they would have no way of bringing him up. Their largest submersible craft could only reach a depth of 1,000 metres.
"I might know someone that can help," Beverly said.
Beverly had raced back to the Starfleet resort and begged the front desk to give her the room number for Lieutenant Commander Data.
The Lieutenant working the desk had been reluctant to share that information. She explained that the Lieutenant Commander had given clear instructions that he was not be disturbed.
After pleading, explaining it was an emergency, and pulling rank as the CMO, Beverly had finally gotten their room number.
Beverly had only had to wait about ten minutes for them to get back to their room – but each passing second had felt like an excruciating eternity.
Present
"So you see, you're the only one that can help him," Beverly pleaded. "Please, Data. He needs you."
Data and Tasha shared a look, silently communicating how uncomfortable they both were with Beverly's request.
Tasha didn't want Data going anywhere near him.
And Data was hesitant to rescue a brother that had manipulated his friends, hurt Tasha, and betrayed his trust.
A part of Data was afraid of what might happen at the bottom of the ocean between the two. If Lore were to attack him, Data could find himself having to crawl out along the floor of the deep ocean.
"It is unlikely that he was damaged," Data advised. "The rate of velocity at which he fell would not have caused any significant damage to his skeletal structure."
Beverly was outraged with his calm, dismissive attitude.
"He's your brother, Data!" she fumed through hot tears. "And he needs you! How can you be so callous?"
Tasha found her voice first.
"I think what Data's trying to say is that Lore is likely safe," Tasha offered.
"It's going to be dark soon," Beverly cried. "And there's a big trench between where he disappeared and the shoreline!"
All the better. Data thought.
He figured a little time at the bottom of the ocean might humble Lore.
Beverly noticed Data and Tasha were unusually quiet.
She looked back and forth between the two of them, alarmed by their silence.
"You don't want to help," she realised aloud as she shifted her gaze from Data to Tasha.
"It's not that we don't want to help," Tasha said slowly, fumbling for an answer. "It's just that, well, what happens if Data goes overboard too? I-I-I don't think Data should risk his own safety when we're fairly certain that Lore will be alright."
Tasha shrugged uncomfortably.
It wasn't a great excuse, but it was the best she could think of on the spot.
"I can't believe the two of you!" Beverly said as she flopped back against the back of the sofa. "You know if either of you needed help I guarantee Lore would do anything he could."
Bet? Tasha thought darkly.
"You know you have a lot to learn about humanity from your brother," Beverly snapped at Data.
It was starting to get chilly along the water as the science vessel raced out toward Lore's last known location.
"You know, you did not have to come along," Data said.
Tasha turned and shot him a look.
Beverly's comment about humanity had guilted Data into action.
They were sitting on the floor of the boat at the very back.
It was starting to get dark.
This was hardly the romantic sunset that either of them had pictured. Data was hoping they could have watched it set from the comfort of their private balcony.
A part of Data was concerned how Tasha's presence on this rescue mission would affect her recovery. Another part of him was grateful that she had insisted on coming along.
Tasha had told him that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.
She was worried that Lore might do something, and she wanted to be there in case anything happened.
In case Data didn't come back.
Tasha could just picture him stringing Beverly along with some stupid story about Data not making it while leaving Data down there.
If that were the case, Tasha was ready to stay out there all night until they retrieved Data too – even if meant demanded Beverly pressure Lore in retrieving Data.
She wasn't going to return to shore without Data.
With Data's help, they had boosted the sensors and focused them to scan specifically for the duranium that was contained in Lore's skeletal structure.
Its high density meant that it would easily register a hit on the scanner, and they would have a good idea of where to find him.
At Data's suggestion, they affixed a high-pressure light beacon to the end of the trawl line that would hopefully enable Lore to spot it in the dark.
Data didn't want to waste any more time than necessary chasing his brother.
"I think we've got a hit!" the Captain called out.
Data and Tasha got up from their spot and joined the rest of the team in the cockpit.
Beverly had been standing inside, biting her nails, and waiting impatiently for any news.
Tasha quickly averted her gaze, trying to hide her displeasure at finding Lore from Beverly. She didn't want to hurt her friend, but Tasha couldn't care less about Lore's safe return.
She wouldn't shed a tear if he wound up in a watery grave – or in his case a watery prison. In Tasha's mind, it was a fitting punishment for the way he treated her and the things he had done to Data.
They shut off the boat's engines and deployed a sea anchor to maintain their position.
Data joined the team at the back of the boat as they began to lower the line.
Tasha crossed her arms and remained in the cockpit with Beverly.
The two women waited in silence.
There had been a tension between them ever since the night of Data and Lore's physical altercation. It was now amplified given Lore's recent treatment of Wesley.
Tasha couldn't fathom how Beverly could be so blind to Lore's obviously manipulative behaviour. His affectionate and helpful attitude was all just an act, a performance designed to mask his deception.
Meanwhile, Beverly thought that Tasha was too beholden to Data to see reason. Now knowing that there was a relationship between the two, she surmised Tasha was merely blindly supporting Data.
She also suspected that Tasha was mad at herself for throwing herself at Lore only to later realise her mistake.
And if Lore's statements were true, Beverly could see how Tasha might be jealous of the kind of relationship they shared.
Lore had filled Beverly's head with the idea that Lore had given Tasha the kind of attention and emotional awareness that Data lacked.
Lore's words echoed in her mind.
Like it had been a long time since anyone had really held her like that.
As she studied Tasha out of the corner of her eye, Beverly felt a sense of pity for her friend.
Lore was such an intuitive lover.
If Data wasn't able to satisfy Tasha, it was probably hard to know what Beverly and Lore enjoyed was available but out of reach.
"I know you had sex with him," Beverly said suddenly, feeling it was maybe time to clear the air.
Tasha turned quickly, her mouth open and her brow wrinkled in disgust.
"I'm not judging you," Beverly assured her. "I just want you to know that Lore's always there for Data, if he's willing to take the help."
According to Lore, Tasha had requested Lore have a word with Data about the matter – answer some questions, provide some brotherly advice man-to-man and all that.
Beverly thought that maybe putting another bug in Tasha's ear about that subject would take some of the pressure off the situation.
Tasha blinked in bewilderment.
"Help with what exactly?" Tasha asked in a terse voice.
"You know," Beverly trailed off and gestured vaguely.
Tasha couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"No, Bev. I don't know," Tasha replied, doing her best to maintain her composure.
Beverly stopped and put a hand on Tasha's shoulder.
"Look, I know it's none of my business, but Lore really just wants to help. He shared what happened with me in confidence. And how you were feeling a little-," Beverly stopped and bit her lip.
She was searching for the right word.
"Unfulfilled," she settled on.
Tasha was completely perplexed.
"With Data. In the bedroom," Beverly clarified.
Tasha froze.
She had no idea where to begin. A part of her felt it was necessary to correct that falsehood. They may not have been having sex at the moment, but Tasha was more than satisfied with their relationship.
And when they had been having sex, Data certainly hadn't had any performance issues.
It was really none of Beverly's business to begin with.
Besides that, Tasha was mortified that Lore had shared that information with Beverly. Not only was it a completely altered history of what had occurred, it was an abuse of her privacy.
In a way, it felt like being violated all over again.
How many other people had he told?
What kind of other things had Lore lied about?
"Look, this doesn't have to be a big deal. And I don't want it to be a thing between us. Lore told me how much you enjoyed it and I'm not mad," Beverly went on.
Enjoyed it? Tasha fumed.
"I get it. There's no shame in what you did," Beverly continued. "Lore wasn't bothered by your advances. Though he wished you had clarified things before starting your roleplay fantasy."
Roleplay fantasy?
Beverly was trying to make things right.
Unfortunately, her efforts only reaffirmed Tasha's worst fears – that she had invited, even encouraged Lore's predatory behaviour, that she was responsible for hurting Data, and that Tasha's trauma was the result of her own failing rather than Lore's actions.
Tasha was revolted.
"I'm going to be sick," she announced before rushing out of the cockpit to vomit over the side of the boat.
Poor thing. Beverly thought.
She followed after her, eager to help.
"Don't," Tasha said before retching again.
She held up her finger, warning Beverly from coming any closer.
"Don't," Tasha repeated.
According to his internal spatial recognition programming, Lore had managed to travel 753 metres since first setting out.
He'd run into a bit of a rough spot where there was an underground rocky formation.
There were also the remains of a long, ore freighter that he had been forced to go around. Lore had been reluctant to try and pass through them.
He was strong, stronger than any man, but they were old and rusting and it was dark.
He'd had to carefully feel his way around them, mindful of the amount of pressure he applied to the old hull. It was split in two, the remnants of a once prominent ship that had been brought down in a storm a century before.
It was resting on an angle. Lore couldn't quite be sure how tall it was in the dark. But based on the length, he estimated the vessel was approximately twelve metres from the bottom to the edge of the top deck.
Lore was terrified that one false step and he could send the precariously balanced vessel crumbling down on top of him.
He'd been grateful to be clear of it.
Lore had passed by an angler fish, it's delicate ball of light floating like a little beacon in the dark. It had been a nasty surprise for the fish when Lore proved to be the opposite of prey.
It was uncomfortable being in the unknown surrounded by so much dark.
In a way, Lore was bothered by the mystery of what lay out there. He found himself jealous of Data's exobiology degree. Data could easily identify any possible creatures that lurked in these waters.
At the same time, a part of Lore was grateful that he didn't know what called this alien world home.
His mind was capable of coming up with enough horrors on its own for what dwelled in the dark depths – giant squids just waiting to snare him or predators that still bore the same terrifying jaws of their prehistoric ancestors.
Lore was grateful his descent into the abyss had left him undamaged.
He wasn't sure he would have the mental wherewithal to continue on at that point.
Lore's chronometer informed him the sun would have gone down by now. He could only hope that wherever she was above the waves that Beverly wasn't distraught.
He clung to the necklace he carried, grateful to have something of his beloved Beverly with him.
All of a sudden, a flash of light caught Lore's attention.
He wondered if it was another angler fish.
It was slightly to the left of the direction in which he was headed.
He noted with surprise that it was falling at a rate too fast to be lifeform.
Lore's system surged.
A rescue!
He walked toward the light as quickly as he could. It was a task that was made difficult due to the pressure.
No human could withstand such high pressure, but Lore was capable of taking it – though he was beginning to feel the strain.
Lore was grateful he had stopped where he had, and that the seabed wasn't lower. He knew that his body wasn't designed to take much more.
When he reached the blinking light, Lore could see that it was attached to a long trawl line. Lore secured the metal wire around himself and tapped it hard enough to signal that he was present.
Up on the boat, the crew registered the contact with the line.
After a few moments, Lore could feel himself beginning to ascend as he pulled from his watery prison and back to the sanctuary above the waves.
It took about twenty minutes before Lore's optical receptors registered a change in the level of light.
Slowly, the water became lighter.
The sun had set, and the water was dark, but there was still some light that penetrated from the planet's two moons. A human would never have been able to spot the difference. For Lore, it was a welcome sight.
When he broke through the surface, Lore felt a strong pair of hands haul him up out of the water.
Data deposited Lore on the deck with little regard for gentleness.
Lore sat up and glanced around.
Unfortunately, the first thing his eyes fell on was not his beautiful ginger-haired doctor but rather his brother.
"Brother," Lore said with a disbelieving grin.
"Brother," Data replied coolly.
Lore couldn't believe it.
He didn't want to believe it.
Beverly rushed over from the side of the boat and knelt down beside him.
"Thank you, Data," Beverly said as she threw her arm around Lore.
"Yes, thank you, brother," Lore said tightly.
Omicron Theta Colony | 2335
"You ruined everything!" Lore shouted as he shoved Data back.
Data stumbled, landing on the floor.
"My brother?" Data asked.
Data couldn't understand the purpose of Lore's anger.
B-4 left to find an adult.
Lore gripped the front of Data's shirt and hauled him to his feet.
"You fucking idiot," Lore snarled. "What gives you the right?"
Noonian and Juliana came rushing in a moment later.
"I brought help," B-4 announced.
"Lore!" Noonian said in a warning tone.
Juliana scanned the room, and it was obvious what Lore had been about to do.
She covered her hand with her mouth, horrified at Lore's intentions.
Noonian raced over to the workbench and checked over the reactor.
He whipped around to his two boys, his eyes full of disappointment.
It was bad enough that Data had foiled Lore's plans.
Being caught by his parents made the entire situation worse.
"Let him go," Noonian ordered.
Lore dropped Data unceremoniously to the floor.
"Data, please disconnect the reactor and take it to my lab," Noonian instructed.
"Yes, Father," Data nodded.
"Yes, Father," Lore repeated in a mocking tone.
"Shut up!" Noonian said. "You should be thanking him."
Juliana stepped forward and put her arm around Lore.
"I don't recall asking for his help," Lore hissed.
"Are you trying to destroy yourself?" Noonian asked bluntly. "Because I'll take you apart if that's what you really want."
He took a step forward, standing eye-to-eye with his prodigal son, challenging him to admit it.
Lore hadn't really wanted to destroy himself – it was a cry for help.
"If you wanted my attention, you've got it," Noonian barked.
Ever the peacemaker, Juliana stepped in.
"It's alright," Juliana said in a soothing voice. "We're all alright."
Present
Beverly's head on his shoulder pulled Lore back from his memory.
She didn't care that he was freezing and soaking wet. She was just glad to have him back in her arms.
"I was so worried about you," Beverly said.
Lore didn't respond verbally.
He opened his fist, revealing the necklace that he had dove in to save.
Beverly gasped softly.
She glanced down at the piece of jewellery and then back up at Lore.
Beverly was so overcome with emotion at knowing Lore would risk his very safety just to save a memento from her relationship with her late husband.
It was a gesture that meant more to her than anything.
Beverly rested her forehead against Lore's as she covered his hand with her own.
"I love you," she whispered.
It was the first time she had said it to Lore.
And it was no small matter.
He squeezed her hand in response.
But it was an automated reaction rather than a genuine appreciation for her feelings.
Lore's mind was occupied with resentment.
Data was the hero.
Data had saved his brother.
Once again.
It made Lore sick with rage.
More than ever, Lore resolved that Data was going to pay for his part in this little stunt.
"What's wrong with her?" Lore asked.
Data and Tasha were sitting on the opposite end of the boat, huddled next to one another but not in a manner that looked comfortable.
Tasha was hugging a bucket between her knees.
"Seasick I think," Beverly replied.
When they reached the harbour, Data and Tasha were the first to disembark. Beverly and Lore followed shortly thereafter.
They were all headed back to the same place and Beverly felt it was awkward that there was an obvious tension between the two couples.
"Wait up, you two!" Beverly called out.
"No, let them go on ahead," Lore encouraged.
He attempted to pull her back, but Beverly brushed him aside.
"I'm very grateful for your help," Beverly said. "When we get to the resort, why don't I fetch you a lemon seltzer? That will help your stomach."
"I'm fine," Tasha said shortly, keeping her eyes ahead of her.
Beverly wasn't ready to give up that easily.
In any case, Tasha looked awful. She was peaky, all the colour having gone out of her.
"You look like hell," Beverly said, hoping that a different approach would get a result.
"Great," Tasha said in an emotionless voice, signalling that she didn't want to talk.
"Doctor, why don't we take the long way back and leave these two kids alone?" Lore suggested.
He had been hanging back a few metres behind them.
"Besides, I'm sure they have an exciting evening ahead of them," Lore quipped maliciously. "Tell me brother, will it be ginger ale and crackers? Or are you two going to let loose with chamomile tea?"
He knew it would get under Data's skin.
Where Lore was complex and intriguing, his brother was all milquetoast.
Beverly assumed the teasing was all in good fun and laughed hoping to lighten things.
Tasha grimaced as she heard her friend laughing.
Data didn't take the bait, so Lore decided to up the ante.
"Maybe take an antacid if you're planning any physical activity. Seeing as how Lieutenant Yar is a little uneasy when it comes to rocking the boat," Lore said, his voice dripping with innuendo.
"Let it go," Tasha whispered.
Lore rushed ahead to catch up to the rest of the group, throwing his arm around Beverly in a jovial manner.
"I suppose it's a good thing you'll be with my brother tonight," Lore teased, nudging Tasha. "I'm sure you'll get your sea legs back. Eventually."
It was an intentional dig at what he strongly suspected was happening between them.
Lore surmised that Tasha and Data hadn't had sex since their night on the holodeck. And as he had been so fond of reminding his brother, if and when they ever moved forward, Data would have to live with knowledge that his brother had defiled her.
"At least we'll always have this fond memory together," Lore added, striking where it would most hurt.
Data had heard enough.
He stopped and prepared himself to address his brother.
Unfortunately, before he could say anything, Tasha hunched over and hurled on the pavement.
"Oh no," Lore said, feigning sympathy. "I'm sorry all that talk about being seasick probably surfaced some bad memories of that boat rocking back and forth."
Data flashed his brother a stern glare.
"I believe it would be best if you were to be silent for the remainder of our journey," Data said in a commanding voice.
Lore grinned at Data.
"He's probably right," Beverly advised, just trying to help.
She was still under the assumption that Tasha's nausea was the result of motion sickness rather than a trauma response.
"As you wish brother," Lore smirked.
The remainder of the walk back had been uncomfortable for both parties. When they reached the resort, they were displeased to find they had to share a lift.
It was a tall structure, and it took considerable time for the lifts to arrive.
Data didn't want to make Tasha wait any longer than necessary and Lore was more than pleased to continue occupying space around them. He had no qualms about scuttling onto the same lift for a ride up to their rooms.
With each passing floor, Data and Tasha grew more angered at Lore's presence.
And as the numbers ticked by, Lore relished in the delight that they got to share a nice, long, silent, and unpleasant lift ride together.
When the lift stopped on the twenty-first floor, both Lore and Data stepped forward.
Both brothers stopped and looked to one another – Lore with a smirk plastered on his face and Data bearing a neutral expression that hid just how furious he was.
"We're on the same floor," Lore commented. "How fortuitous, brother."
His face twitched.
Data wanted to fall apart.
He'd booked this trip months prior, using his influence as Second Officer of the flagship to secure the best accommodations for Tasha.
Even before they knew of Lore's existence, Data had wanted this to be a special trip for her.
He had planned every detail.
Some of those ideas had changed given recent events, but it didn't change Data's desire to give Tasha the best holiday he could.
Tasha squeezed out alongside Data and headed off down the corridor.
The lift was far too tight with all of them on it together. It felt like the walls were closing in on her.
Data took off after Tasha.
"I don't think they were very pleased," Beverly said sadly.
By the time he reached her, Data found Tasha crying as she fumbled with the security lock on their room.
She startled when Data came up next to her and wordlessly began to deactivate the lock.
"We are back in our own space now," Data said softly in an attempt to ease her fears.
Tasha shook her hands.
She just wanted to get inside and put as many locks between her and Lore as possible.
"And neighbours it would seem," an unwelcome voice announced.
To Data and Tasha's dismay, Lore and Beverly had stopped at the room across the hall from them.
The tower in which they were staying had a long corridor between them.
It appeared they were both in the rooms on the end facing the ocean.
"Goodnight," Beverly said.
"Goodnight," Data replied in a stiff voice.
A short time later, Lore and Beverly were sitting together in the big warm bath.
He had mused that the last thing he wanted to do was submerge himself in water again.
But he'd willingly accepted Beverly's invitation.
While Lore didn't exactly have the same biological makeup, his bioplast was capable of picking up the smell and muck of the world around him.
Being at the bottom of the ocean, he'd come up smelling quite fishy.
"You know I was terrified we wouldn't get to you in time," Beverly shared as she washed over his shoulders with a soft flannel.
"In time?" Lore inquired.
"Yeah, the marine biologists that were on the tour said there was a large ravine just ahead of where you went down. Pretty deep area. I was worried you'd be stuck crawling out of it," Beverly explained.
She shook her head. Beverly dipped the flannel back into the water. She rang it out and then resumed cleaning his chest and neck.
"And then when Data was reluctant to help, I just kept thinking we weren't going to get there fast enough," Beverly went on.
Lore's body stiffened.
"How deep was the ravine?" Lore inquired.
"I'm not sure exactly, I think they mentioned 4,000 some metres or something like that," Beverly answered.
She hadn't been paying too much attention at that part, having been so concerned for his safety.
"Then yes, it is a good thing you got there when you did," Lore replied in a strange, faraway voice. "At that kind of pressure, my entire system would have been crushed. Our bodies weren't designed for such strain."
"Oh," Beverly said softly, a sense of dread creeping into the pit of her stomach.
She bit her lip and feel unusually quiet.
"What is it?" Lore asked.
Beverly shrugged uncomfortably. She didn't want to add any fuel to the fire between the two brothers, so she chose her words carefully.
"I just wonder if that's why maybe Data was hesitant about going out after you," Beverly theorised. "We didn't know if he'd have go into the water too in case you were injured."
A dark look crossed Lore's features.
"I just mean he didn't mention it, but, well-" Beverly trailed off.
Though she had been angry with Data earlier, Beverly was all over it now. She harboured no ill feelings. It was a scary situation, and she couldn't begrudge Data having concerns.
She turned her attention to wiping Lore's face.
"Like I said, he didn't mention," Beverly offered, her tone indicating she didn't put much stock in Data's motivations.
"Didn't he?" Lore asked as he mulled over that information.