Just a short little part, but there's more to come. How will Lore the computer become Lore the android? What might Graves have in store for Lore, Charlie, and unfinished D-6? Stay tuned! :)

Part Eleven

At the Omicron Theta Science Colony…

Juliana pressed the door chime again, then again. Then again.

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" she snapped. "We both know you're in there, Eileen. Open this damn door and talk to me!"

The floral-print curtain was pushed back and Eileen Forrester's flinty eyes peered through the decorative window.

"I don't open my house to strangers," she said coldly, her voice muffled by the door that stood solidly between them. "Get out of my yard, Dr. Martin. Or, should I say 'Mrs. Soong'?"

Juliana clenched her teeth.

"Look, I know you're angry, and you have every right to be," she stated. "But I need your help! You're the only one who—"

"You lied to me, Juliana," Eileen said, and Juliana felt a sharp pang at the genuine hurt she heard behind the anger in her friend's voice. "You and that…that fugitive you married! The pair of you have been actively deceiving this colony from the moment you arrived – living under a false name, taking advantage of our hospitality! Don't expect our sympathy now your flimsy house of cards has finally collapsed in on you!"

"You may not believe this, Eileen, but we didn't have a choice," Juliana said, her voice tight and sincere. "My husband is not a criminal, but he's been forced to live like one to preserve the integrity and the dignity of his work, and our family. And I have the evidence to prove it."

She held a data file up to the window.

"My son has been compiling this data for years, on his own, without our knowledge. I found it saved in his workstation, and it took me this long to break his encryption code. This is the reason he and his brothers were kidnapped – the reason for my husband's arrest! This information proves Noonien's work is and always has been his own. It was his supervisor, Dr. Graves – the current head of the Daystrom Institute! – who had been borrowing from Soong's notes, not the other way around! You're a lawyer, Eileen – the best in the colony; in the whole sector! You're supposed to uphold the truth, defend the innocent! That's why I've come to you with this, you and no one else!"

Eileen frowned behind the window, but Juliana could tell some of her anger was beginning to fade, replaced by a growing curiosity.

"If Soong's so 'innocent,' why did he run away time and again?" she asked warily. "Why did he allow his name to be slandered, assume a false identity, and never even try to fight back?"

"He did it to protect our boys," Juliana said.

Eileen scoffed.

"You mean those robots and computers you two were always tinkering with?"

Juliana pursed her lips.

"If you know of Noonien Soong, you know his work goes far deeper than that," she said. "Please, Eileen, let me in. I'll show you Lore's data and tell you everything you want to know. Just say you'll consider taking our case."

The curtain swayed back over the window and Juliana watched it slowly still, a frustrated bubble of helpless rage swelling deep within her. Keeping her shoulders straight, she turned on her heel and marched down the front steps to the garden path, fighting to blink the stinging from her eyes.

"Juliana."

The scientist turned slowly, her features carefully composed.

Eileen stood in the doorway.

"I'm not making any promises," she said.

"I'm not asking for any," Juliana told her, a buffeting wave of hope and relief nearly causing her to sway on her feet.

Eileen sighed and stepped back, leaving the door open.

"Come on," she said. "I'll make some tea."

To Be Continued...

Thanks for reading, and for your birthday wishes! I did have a pretty fun birthday even if I did have to celebrate it far away from home. I did a lot of stuff in town I hadn't done before, like playing golf and visiting the aquarium at feeding time. :)

Thanks again, and thanks so much for your reviews! They help me keep my work and my writing in perspective and for that I'm enormously grateful.

Until next time! :)