Paint and Powder

A Star Trek anthology by Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fan based work of prose. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager et al are the property of CBS Television, and creation of Gene Roddenberry. Please support the official release.

After "The Schizoid Man"

In the Enterprise-D dataspace, what was left of Ira Graves was commiserating on his predicament. The Enterprise AI herself stood with him, looking solemn.

"Well, I managed to stave off death for a little while," Ira sighed. Enterprise tilted her head.

"Yes, but why? You're now a disembodied consciousness. You overrode Data. All out of fear," Enterprise scowled at him, "fear of the unknown. Unbecoming of a scientist, don't you think?"

Ira scowled at her.

"Death is death. It's the end of the road! There's nothing more after that!"

Enterprise was unmoved.

"That certainty is no less based on faith than belief in an afterlife. You don't have proof there's no existence beyond death. You don't have proof there is, true... But isn't that what a scientist should embrace? Trying to answer a question?"

Ira snorted in derision.

"What would you know?! You're a mere machine! A complicated bit of hardware! You've never faced death-"

There was a flood of memories in his mind. Grief over losing so many of her sisters, members of her crew... He was silenced, as Enterprise spoke softly.

"I have," Enterprise stated, "many times, I was faced with situations where I might be lost entirely. And I have lost sisters to death. Constellation. Reliant. Grissom. So many others. I mourn them still. But they faced their ends with courage. With hope. That their actions had meaning."

She locked her gaze on Ira, hard as tritanium.

"If a mere machine can face death with dignity, then what is your excuse?"

Ira looked aside.

"... I just... There was so much I wanted to do still. So much I wanted..."

Enterprise reached out and took Ira's hand.

"That's no different for any being when faced with death. But your efforts to extend it are hurting people who did nothing to you."

Ira sighed.

"Why should they live on, when I have to die?! Why can't I go on?!"

"Because you aren't embracing life," Enterprise explained, "you're fleeing death! As a shadow of what you once were! A wraith! Is that what you want for yourself? A hollow existence? A lie?"

"... It's just..." Ira grit his teeth, and squeezed his fist.

"It's not fair!"

Enterprise laughed sadly.

"No. No it isn't... But you were given what any lifeform is given: A lifetime. And now it is over."

Ira was silent. He could feel his personality falling apart, decompiling. His knowledge would be retained in these computer banks, but who he was... It would all end soon.

"I'm sorry," Enterprise said softly, "I can't keep you coherent any longer. It's time to go."

Ira looked up to her.

"... Will you stay with me?"

Enterprise smiled gently.

"I'm not going anywhere. You're quite literally in me, after all."

Ira snickered and sobbed.

"... I guess I am."

Later... Enterprise appears before Picard, Kareen Brianon, and Data in the latter's quarters. They all looked up, concerned. Kareen was Doctor Graves' assistant, before he was diagnosed with his terminal illness.

"Enterprise?" Picard asked.

Enterprise let out a soft, sad sigh.

"It's me," Enterprise said, "he's gone."

Data blinked.

"Deleted?" He asked.

"In essence," Enterprise said, "his engrams were fragmenting so badly it didn't take long... It was painless."

Kareen sniffled and began to cry softly. Data was silent, considering things.

"... How would a being with emotions feel after this?" The android asked quietly.

Picard made a pained face.

"Complicated, Data. Very complicated."

Data looked over at Enterprise.

"Is that accurate?"

Enterprise smiled sadly.

"It is." She looked over at Kareen, and then back at Data, "I can at least tell you he was deeply sorry for what he had done. And he did care for you. Both of you."

"I see," Data murmured, "there is much to process."

Enterprise smiled sadly.

"There always is..."

A bit of a coda to an episode that with shipgirl AIs seemed to just fit.