Author's Note: And now the conclusion.
This chapter is all about healing and reconnecting – both in the sense of connection with one's self (Data and Kareen) as well as Data reconnecting with Tasha.
There's a brief glimpse of Tasha's dark side in this chapter. I don't want to give away too much in terms of what's to come later er: Turkana.
Just know that Tasha is capable of anything when it comes to protecting her loved ones (something we'll see again with the likes of people like Kivas Fajo, Ardra, the Soongs… basically anyone that threatens Data).
Data sat up and glanced around.
I am in the Brig.
Data recognised the cell walls and forcefield that functioned as a door.
Fitting. He thought.
Data glanced down at his hand. He made a fist and then retracted his fingers, testing if he were really in control.
Data quickly pulled himself up and walked to the edge of the cell.
"I must speak with Captain Picard," he requested.
Lieutenant Wu was currently on duty.
"I'll let him know you wish to see him," she responded with no great sense of urgency.
"I need to see him now, Lieutenant," Data insisted.
There was no telling how long Data had before Graves regained control. He suspected Geordi had scrambled his neural pathways with a focused plasma blast. Data also surmised that the shock of that experience had temporarily stunned Ira Graves allowing Data to resurface.
He had to make the best of his time.
"Lieutenant, I must speak with him now. This is a matter of great urgency," Data said.
"I will let him know," Lieutenant Wu repeated.
She wasn't just giving him a line. She had sent a written communique to the Bridge relaying Data's request. It was standard procedure for any department seeking an audience with the Captain.
"Lieutenant, you must tell Captain Picard that there is another force occupying my mind. I suspect that through the use of an advanced and untested neural transference process-"
Lieutenant Wu blinked slowly as Data quickly blurted out all the information he felt was relevant. She only understood about half of what Data was saying – and he sounded deranged.
Data could see that she wasn't buying it.
"Uh huh," Lieutenant Wu nodded. "I'll be sure to let the Captain know."
"Forgive me, Lieutenant. But I do not have time to wait," Data said.
In a flash, he punched through cell wall to reach a panel that housed the power circuits for the forcefield. He ripped them clean out and then stepped through.
Before Lieutenant Wu could even draw her phaser, Data had incapacitated her with a well-placed neck pinch.
"I am sorry," Data said as he set her down against the wall.
Data removed her combadge and immediately headed for the door. They had taken his communicator upon his detainment. Data knew there was one message he had to be sure to relay.
"Data to Lieutenant Yar," he said.
There was no response.
"Tasha, this is Data. Please respond," he said, greeted only by silence.
Data had no idea that Tasha's combadge was sitting on the table back in her quarters. She had removed after she was relieved of duty – and there it had sat ever since.
"Computer, what is the present location of Captain Picard?" Data asked.
"Captain Picard is in Sickbay," the computer responded.
Data ordered the lift to deck twelve. There was another task he wanted to see to before he lost all ability to say it.
"Computer, begin recorded message for delivery to Lieutenant Yar," Data instructed.
There was a small beep as the computer signalled it was ready. Data had no way to know how much time he had. With a sinking feeling, he realised it was all too familiar a theme in the course of their relationship.
With so little time and so much to say, Data sought to optimise his message. Something that would leave no doubt in Tasha's mind.
"Iu anwylyd," Data said. "Mowhr aith brònwyan."
The words were Turkanan. Data had always admired how Tasha's native tongue had a way of expressing such profound emotion with so little effort.
The lift ground to a halt on deck 12.
Data had no sooner gone three steps when he froze, unable to move.
No.
He could feel the control of his body draining away. Data could literally see the door to Sickbay.
Ira rocked his neck side to side as he regained control of Data's body. Without a second thought, he detached the combadge Data had taken from Lieutenant Wu.
Ira crushed the communicator. It dropped to the floor as he turned on his heel and stepped back onto the lift.
"If Graves really has managed to create this bridge – and I agree that all the evidence points in that direction – how do we know he hasn't permanently damaged or deleted Data?" Picard asked.
"We don't know," Geordi said.
"No, he's in there," Tasha asserted.
She was certain Data was still in there somewhere.
"Alright, let's work from the assumption Data is still in there," Picard said. "How do we extract Graves? How do we free Data?"
Geordi fell silent.
He had no idea where to start. They barely had the technology to even identify that Graves was in there. Geordi and his engineering team had spent days going over Data's schematics and scans with a fine toothed comb.
They had found nothing out of order.
"I don't know if we can," Geordi said. "In any case, we would need Graves's help. We may even need equipment from his planet."
Geordi's expression darkened.
"And I seriously doubt Graves is going to be willing to help in that endeavour," Geordi added.
Kareen tapped the button to call the lift. She was due to meet two team members from the Stellar Cartography department in Ten Forward. They were helping her to prepare for her interviews on Starbase 6.
"Hello, Kareen," Ira said, peeking out from a small alcove near the lift.
"I don't want to see you," she said, refusing to turn around.
The lift opened. Kareen was about to step through to her salvation when Ira swept by – looping his arm around her own and pulling her onto the lift.
"Deck twenty-seven," Ira ordered.
"Let go of me!" Kareen protested, trying to push him away.
Ira did as she requested. After all, there was nowhere she could run. They were trapped together on the lift.
"Is it not time we stopped pretending?" Ira asked.
"Leave me be," Kareen said.
"I cannot. For I find that I am enamoured with you, Kareen. I have been for some time," Ira said.
He reached forward and cupped her face, smiling.
"My stargazer," he said fondly.
Kareen was thoroughly spooked. It was Data's face. There was no doubt about that. But the way he was looking at her, the way he spoke – it was almost like Ira.
"Data," she said.
"You know who I am," Ira said.
Kareen shook her head, refusing to believe it.
"I am here," Ira said. "So no more tears. No more sorrow. I am here and I will always be here."
To his dismay, Kareen recoiled.
"Why would you do this, Ira?" she asked, horrified by his actions.
Ira was stunned. He had hoped that in finally revealing his true identity that Kareen would come around. Instead, she only looked upon him with disdain.
"I transferred my mind into Data's neural net. I never imagined how much of myself I would retain. My feelings, my dreams," Ira shared.
He chuckled.
"And I never thought it possible that my senses would somehow be enhanced," he went on. "Life tastes sweeter. Colours are more vibrant."
Ira had been completely blown away by Data's level of perception.
"You won't get away with this," Kareen said.
Ira clenched his fists.
"I did this for you, Kareen. For us," he explained. "So that we can finally be together. And we can be together forever."
Ira didn't understand why she was crying. He was the one that had ended his life early in order to seize upon the opportunity. He was the one that had risked everything to be with her.
"This is my body now," Ira proclaimed.
Kareen shook her head in disagreement.
"You're not the man I loved," Kareen said.
Her words cut into Ira in a way he had never anticipated.
"Do you not see? Something wonderful has happened. I can breathe without pain. I will never face death again," Ira said wildly.
There was a dangerous gleam in his eye as Ira tried to justify his actions. It was a look Kareen knew well. He had always placed his own vanity and ego above everything – including her.
"Think of the things I will accomplish over the next century, the next thousand years!" Ira declared.
Kareen was speechless.
"Well, say something," Ira demanded.
"You always cared about yourself more than anything," she remarked.
Ira could tell her was losing her. His plan to win back her affections by revealing himself had backfired. Once more, it seemed he had only succeeded in driving Kareen further away.
Ira reached for her hand and brought it toward his chest.
"There is no need to worry. I will create an android body for you, too. We can witness the end of time together," Ira said.
He squeezed her hand as if to convey how desperate he was not to lose her.
"Why are you crying, Kareen?" he asked.
He couldn't bear to see her upset.
"I can love you now. I can love you the way I have longed to. It wasn't right before, but now I can be everything you want me to be," Ira said.
"No," Kareen sobbed. "I loved Ira Graves. Or rather, I loved the man he could have been."
She looked him up and down, her expression full of regret.
"But he made a choice to give that up," Kareen spat.
She tried to pull her hand back, but Ira refused to let go.
"I don't want you to put me into a machine. I want to live my life.. ah!" Kareen cried out.
She hissed as Ira's grasp clenched her hand.
"Ira! Ow! You're hurting me!" she shrieked.
He hadn't even been aware of the amount pressure he had applied. Just like with Tasha, Ira had been unable to balance his emotion against his physical output.
Ira immediately released her hand.
"Kareen," he breathed. "I am so sorry."
The lift ground to a halt as it reached deck twenty-seven. Ira had intended to take Kareen to visit one of the large view windows. He felt the site was only fitting.
But his dreams of finally sharing a romantic moment alone were dashed as he stared at Kareen clutching her broken hand.
"I hurt you," Ira said.
"What have you become?" she asked, her voice full of pity for the man she had known.
Ira backed off the lift.
"I would like you to come with me, Kareen," Ira said. "I promise I will love you. I will make you so happy. Please give the chance to-"
"You already had the chance," Kareen said just before the lift doors closed.
Ira was left standing alone as Kareen returned up to the saucer section of the ship – away from Ira and out of his life.
"He's in the Brig now. We can hold him there indefinitely while we search for options," Geordi said. "I just, I don't feel right about it, you know?"
Imprisonment went against everything they believed in. There had been no trial, no conviction warranting such a charge – not that they even knew what to call this crime.
Was it theft? Was it murder?
It was unusual that Jean-Luc feared there was no crime to adequately charge Graves.
"Perhaps captivity will compel Graves to help work out a solution," Tasha said.
She didn't care if Graves had to rot in a cell. She wanted him to suffer for what he had done to Data.
"Captain, I'm worried that this may be a bigger problem than we're prepared to deal with here," Geordi confessed. "Data's our best cybernetics mind. With him out of commission, I would really need to tap resources from the Daystrom Institute."
"You say that in a way that makes me think you believe that to be a poor course of action," Picard observed.
A dark look passed between Geordi and Tasha.
"What is it?" Beverly prompted.
"Maddox is in prison," Picard said.
"Ira Graves, the foremost cyberneticist emerges after a lifetime of isolation," Geordi began.
"He's bridged the gap between man and machine, successfully transferred a consciousness," Tasha said.
"It's like science fiction come to life," Geordi pointed out. "And I don't think the folks at Daystrom would be in any hurry to get rid of Doctor Graves."
"Mmm," Picard said, scratching his chin.
Geordi and Tasha had a point. Involving the experts at Daystrom could very well place Data in further danger.
Suddenly, the communications system pinged.
"Bridge to Captain Picard," Riker's voice rang out.
"Number One?" Picard responded.
"Mr Data has escaped from the Brig," Riker said. "He's on deck twenty-seven. With your permission, I'd like to send a Security team to intercept."
Jean-Luc tapped his communicator.
"Negative. I'll handle this myself," Picard said.
Ira was staring out at the inky expanse of space when he heard the lift open. Even at a distance of fifteen metres, he could identify the breathing.
"I can hear you coming, Captain," Ira said, taunting him. "My ears are better than the average dog's, you know."
It did not intimidate Jean-Luc.
"I know who you are and what you have done," Picard said as he approached him.
Graves made no move to flee. Not that it mattered – he could easily overpower the Captain if he wanted to. In the spirit of resolving the matter peaceably, Jean-Luc had come alone and unarmed.
"I came here to speak with you. And I would also like to speak with Data," Picard said.
"I cannot allow that," Graves said. "Data no longer exists."
Jean-Luc came to stand next to Graves, joining him at the view window.
"I don't believe that's true. I think Data is in there. And I think he's fighting to survive," Picard said.
Graves fell silent.
"Surely with your superior intelligence and all the resources at our disposal we can find a mutually beneficial solution that would allow you to continue on while-"
"No!" Ira snapped angrily.
It would take him years to build another stable positronic matrix that could support his vast knowledge and memories. In any case, Ira also knew he would never be able to create an equally sufficient body that could match Data's capabilities.
After experiencing life with Data's sense of perception, Ira could not bear to return to his previous existence. Everything would seem so muted.
He didn't have Soong's talent when it came to body work.
"I exist now. Only me," Ira said.
"I understand you desperation. You were dying," Picard acknowledged. "But you had no right to do what you have done."
Picard was still working under the assumption that Graves was a man that could be reasoned with.
"I had every right," Graves said with complete confidence. "I am a man. I am one the greatest men to have ever lived. There is no question of who must live. Data's sacrifice enables my work to continue."
Graves smirked.
"Even Data would understand that this is for the greater good," Graves remarked.
Jean-Luc frowned as he eyed Graves. He looked smug, completely sure of himself with zero sense of remorse.
"Why did you not ask Data? Why was it necessary to invade his body without his consent? Why the deception?" Picard asked.
Graves did not respond.
"I believe you know why," Picard went on. "Even if you are unwilling to admit it, you recognise this is wrong."
"I do not usually permit others to speak to me in such a manner. Who are you to judge me?" Graves hissed. "You are lucky I am not a violent man, Captain."
Jean-Luc raised an eyebrow.
"Not a violent man?" Picard asked. "As we speak, Miss Brianon is being treated for a broken hand."
He had run into her on his way out of Sickbay just as Beverly was starting treatment.
"Broken in two places," Picard went on.
"That was an accident," Graves said. "I never intended to harm her."
"And Lieutenant Yar?" Picard pressed. "Was that an accident as well? A smashed wrist due to too much force because you lack the experience with Data's strength output - I might be able to believe."
Anger began to boil up inside of Ira.
"But I have a hard time understanding how your hand mistakenly closed around her throat," Picard continued. "You're lucky you didn't kill her."
He was rather sore about the injuries Tasha had sustained and was hoping to make an appeal to the last shred of scruples left inside Graves.
"I stopped, didn't I?" Graves asked in a terse voice. "I never wanted to hurt her."
"Hmm," Picard responded, nodding slowly.
Ira was quickly growing annoyed with Picard's infuriatingly calm attitude.
"You mean you did not wish to harm her physically," Picard said. "Because you seemed to have no regard for upending Data's life, destroying their relationship."
Ira inhaled sharply.
"I didn't know," Ira said in a voice that seemed to absolve himself of culpability.
He squared his shoulders. He wasn't about to give up.
"Before me, Data was nothing. A walking tin can with circuits for intestines. He was pathetic. I have made him greater than he could ever hope to be," Graves said wildly.
"Perhaps he does not wish to be great?" Picard proposed. "You know they were planning to wed. Privately."
Picard had no wish to out their plans to another – but he figured that Data and Tasha wouldn't mind given the circumstances.
"So much of their lives has been played out as a public spectacle. I don't know if you retain Data's memories or not, but you should know that he was far more than the tin can you imagine," Picard said.
Ira could vaguely sense things – but he couldn't tell if they were memories or not and he struggled to piece together information.
"Data is one of my finest officers and a dear friend," Picard said. "He saved countless lives, worlds even with his intelligence and creativity. He is a remarkable life form."
Jean-Luc paused.
"And on many occasions, he has been the voice of reason on my Bridge," Picard added.
Graves's arrogant attitude began to evaporate.
"No one can deny the great significance of your work. Your legacy has and will continue to inspire generations of cyberneticists," Picard said. "It was sheer dumb luck that you encountered Data. He offered more than you could have ever dreamed possible."
"A gift from the universe," Graves said. "My gift. And I seized upon it. Fortune favours the bold, Captain. And I have never been afraid to do what is necessary for my success."
Graves may have been maintaining the same bluster, but his tone had shifted. He was far less sure of himself now as his pesky conscience snuck in.
Ira's heart felt heavy.
"You may not have fired a phaser or plunged a knife into Data, but you have taken his life," Picard pointed out. "As long as you occupy his body, you take away his life."
Ira swallowed hard.
"His dreams. His plans. And the fallout is not merely limited to Data," Picard continued. "What of his friends? His place on this ship? What of Tasha?"
Jean-Luc shook his head.
"They want a family. Would you rob them of that simply so you can go to Freecloud? Visit Risa? Chase women?" Picard asked, referencing all the travel bookings Graves had made using Data's Federation credits.
Framed in such a light, Ira's grand plan was hardly flattering.
"We know not whether it is the damage from Darnay's disease or the fact a positronic matrix is not designed to hold two distinct minds, but these bouts of uncontrollable anger will continue," Picard said. "Our Doctor Crusher and Lieutenant La Forge agree on that much."
Ira temporarily stopped breathing. It was like the wind had been knocked out of him.
"What do they know?" Graves spat.
"They know that your condition will continue to deteriorate," Picard said with certainty. "It is not a question of if, but when."
In uploading his mind to Data's body, Ira had only prolonged the inevitable.
"Now if you were willing to work with us, we may be able to find a solution that could buy you time to-"
"NO!" Graves shouted.
He rolled his shoulders and smoothed out his uniform as he regained his composure.
"This is the solution," Graves said.
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage. And then is heard no more," Picard remarked, reciting the Scottish play.
He turned to Graves.
"You must decide how this will end," Picard advised. "It is entirely up to you how your story will end, Doctor Graves."
"No! No! No!" Ira said, storming back from the window.
He was done listening to this man and his futile soliloquies.
"Data is dead. I will live forever. I have cheated death," Graves shouted.
He was raving.
"And you can choose to try and end your life with dignity, to go out in a way that is honourable, or you can stay on this course of selfish destruction!" Picard said, raising his voice.
He shot Graves a hard look.
"Your mind will continue to fail. How many more people will be hurt in the process? How many more accidents? How long before one of those accidents results in you killing someone?" Picard fumed.
Graves struck him so hard that there was an audible thump.
Jean-Luc slumped to the floor, unmoving.
Ira froze, his chest heaving.
How long before one of those accidents results in you killing someone?
Graves knelt down and was relieved to find the Captain was still breathing.
Small miracles.
Rejected by Kareen and now responsible for attacking three people, Graves was in fight or flight mode. It was only a matter of time before they came for him.
Graves backed away from the Captain's body. His mind was singularly focused on one thing.
I must get out of here.
"He's on the move," Worf reported as he monitored Data's access to the lift.
"And the Captain is not moving," Beverly said with a hint of alarm.
"You think he's going to make a break for it?" Riker asked.
"Wouldn't you?" Worf asked in response.
With the Captain incapacitated, command fell to Riker.
"Doctor, take a medical team down to the Captain. Try to stay clear of Data," Riker ordered.
He didn't want any more casualties.
"Where's he headed? Speculate," Riker requested.
"The lift is travelling back up to the saucer section," Worf reported.
All of a sudden, power on the ship fluctuated. The Bridge terminals went dark.
"I've lost power, sir," Worf said. "Something is interfering with our system."
Over in Main Engineering the rest of the team was trying to figure out a way to safely deactivate Data.
The lights and consoles flickered for a moment before the emergency power systems activated.
"He's probably found an access terminal on one of the lower saucer section decks. I suspect he's trying to prevent us from tracking him," Geordi said.
"He's going to be looking for an escape route. A way off the ship," Tasha said.
It was the only thing that made sense. He had nowhere left to go on the Enterprise. And now that the Captain had revealed that they had discovered the truth, Ira had no reason to maintain the deception.
"We're too far out of range for the transporters. The nearest shuttlebay would be deck seventeen. After section," Miles advised.
"Then we can't let him reach it. Use the onboard security lockouts to create a forcefield grid. At the very least, that will slow him down until we can get into position," Geordi said.
"No," Tasha said suddenly.
It would only take moments for Data to override the system. Confronting Data would put too many lives at risk – including Data himself.
"He wants an escape route. I say give him what he wants," Tasha said.
Geordi frowned.
"Are you out of your mind?" Miles asked.
"We lock down access to all other possible escape routes save for one," Tasha explained. "Chief, can you use the site to site transporter to beam me into that shuttlebay?"
Miles nodded.
"Aye, I could do that but-"
"I can adapt a phaser to release a high energy burst. The frequency would be very painful to Data and temporarily disorienting," Tasha said, describing her plan. "I will try to deactivate him. If that doesn't work, I-"
Tasha paused and bit her lip.
"I owe this to Data," she said.
Ira was in a small alcove that housed a secondary Engineering access point. His hands danced across the console as he tried to determine the shortest route still open to him.
In spite of his efforts to strip power from the Bridge and Engineering, it seemed they had managed to enact a grid system that prevented access to most of the escape routes.
There were no doubt Security teams already moving in to intercept at those locations.
Ira chuckled.
There was one smaller shuttlebay that remained open. He figured the crew must have overlooked it in their haste to cut off his escape routes.
Fools. Ira mused.
Ira glanced up down the corridor before padding across the carpet into the shuttlebay. He strained his ears for any sound of approaching enemies.
It was a small shuttlebay that house only two miniscule shuttlepods. They featured two seats and minimal cargo space. Ira recalled reading about these craft in his research into Data's role on the ship.
They were typically reserved for short-range travel and had a maximum speed of warp one.
It was disappointing.
At that rate, it would take Ira nearly four weeks to reach the nearest inhabited world that was big enough to offer a functional Starport.
Beggars cannot be choosers. He lamented.
He was about to step into the shuttle when Ira's body was hit with a rather painful force. It was irritating, but not strong enough to debilitate him.
Ira turned around and scoffed in disbelief.
"Fucking gum on a shoe," he remarked. "I cannot wait to be rid of you."
"Let him go," Tasha ordered.
Ira laughed.
"It is over," Ira said. "Do you not see that I have won? You cannot stop me!"
"I wouldn't be so confident if I were in your position," Tasha warned.
Ira sneered.
But the look was quickly wiped from his face when he saw where Tasha's hand was resting.
"Let him go," she repeated.
Her hand was hovering on the manual release switch. With one pull, she could blow the entire shuttlebay out into space.
"You do not want to do that," Ira cautioned.
"Release Data," Tasha urged.
Ira cocked his head to the side.
"Why do you care so much about a piece of machinery?" he asked. "You will find other love. Surely, you would prefer the company of a person to-"
"Data is a person," Tasha insisted. "And he happens to be the person I love. No one deserves to usurp the life of another simply for their own advantage. Now let him go."
Her face softened.
"Please," she begged.
Graves's eyes narrowed as he wordlessly conveyed his defiance.
"I'll do it," Tasha warned.
"You would kill yourself for love? Pathetic," Graves said in a dismissive voice.
"No," Tasha replied honestly.
"That's what I thought," Graves said as he took a step closer.
Tasha's hand shot up.
"There is nothing Data fears more than a cage. I know him well enough to know that he would rather die than be trapped in one," Tasha said. "If I cannot extract you from Data, then I will do what I must and that includes sacrificing my life to save him from a lifetime of imprisonment."
For a brief moment, there was a flicker of fear in Graves's eyes.
He realised she was serious in her determination.
"The cold of space will not kill me," Ira pointed out. "This body can withstand those conditions for an extended period of time."
Tasha lifted her chin.
"You're right. It wouldn't kill you. Not right away," she acknowledged. "But sooner or later you'll drift into a large object or wander into the gravitational pull of something - maybe a sun."
She shook her head, eying him up and down as she sized him up.
"And even you can't survive re-entry without the protection of a shuttle's shield," Tasha said.
Ira hated that she was right.
"And when that moment finally comes, Data will be at peace," Tasha went on.
Her voice changed, shifting to a side that Data had never seen before. It was a part of Tasha she thought she had left on Turkana long ago. It was a side of Tasha that she had vowed to leave behind.
Now faced with a last chance to save Data, Tasha was unafraid to reveal her inner wrath.
"And until then you will drift in space. A prisoner in the same body. You will know exactly what it feels like. You will have to face the same fate that you have inflicted on Data," Tasha said in an uncharacteristically cold voice.
Ira felt an uncomfortable twinge of panic as he came to realise that this was no idle threat. Tasha had come to terms with the fact that if she could not save Data, she would be sure to take her revenge on Graves.
"I don't know what the closest planet is. But I'm sure you can calculate it. You'll have plenty of time while you're drifting toward your death," Tasha spat. "You're so afraid to die. And unless you release Data, you will have to suffer a long, slow march on the way to your greatest fear."
Ira shivered at the thought.
"And you will be as powerless to stop it as you have left Data," Tasha concluded.
She glared at him with utter contempt.
"See how you like it," Tasha snarled.
Without warning, Data dropped to his knees. His body convulsed, rolling around on the floor and jerking violently.
Tasha stood firm, cautious this was a ruse.
Data pulled himself up to his knees and glanced up at Tasha.
He blinked slowly and then frowned.
"Tasha?" he asked.
She eyed him with suspicion.
He tried to stand – only to stumble as his leg could not support the weight.
"Tasha, please," Data said, crawling toward her.
Tasha kept her hand on the manual activation switch. Data clutched her leg as he tried to crawl up.
"Tasha," he repeated.
"How do I know it's really you?" Tasha demanded.
"I love you," Data said.
For a second, neither of them spoke. Tasha wanted to believe this was Data, but she knew Graves was tricky.
"Not good enough," she said, expecting that the real Data would respond with some fact or bit of information only he could recount.
She grunted as Ira snapped – one hand on her throat and the other on her wrist holding the switch.
"I do not have time for this," Ira said.
He scowled.
"You really are far too persistent," Graves said.
To his shock, Tasha smiled.
"When I was a little girl I used to gaze up at the stars," she managed to choke out. "Fitting I would die among them."
Ira paused, his grip loosening ever so slightly.
"With you," Tasha rasped, his hand crushing her windpipe.
Just as she made to pull the switch, Ira slammed her head back against the metal wall. The blow was enough to knock Tasha out and she sank down to the ground.
Ira breathed a sigh of relief.
He had managed to stop her before she could activate the manual release.
If the notion of death had been scary, the thought of drifting slowly toward his death, trapped in his own body was more like his own personal layer of hell.
He clutched his arms and torso, confirming he was still in one piece and not drifting listlessly out in the expanse of space.
Ira glanced out the shuttlebay door.
He had been seconds away from slipping out into nothingness.
I used to gaze up at the stars.
As Ira marched toward the nearest shuttle, Tasha's words echoed in his mind.
"Stargazer," Ira remarked, tapping the console to powerup the shuttle.
Stargazer.
Ira sat there, seconds away from his escape – yet unable to move.
He had risked everything to be with Kareen. At the time that he'd transferred his consciousness into Data, there had been no guarantee it would work.
Unlike the vast computer network he had designed and tested through numerous simulations, Data was a complete risk.
And Ira had been willing to take that risk for the chance to share a life with Kareen.
It was true – death frightened him. He'd spent nearly his entire life working on a way to cheat death because he could not bear the thought of no longer existing.
But in a moment of hope, Ira had taken the ultimate gamble with his life solely for the chance to find love.
Sure, it was a miscalculation of epic proportions. Ira had wrecked a relationship, destroyed Data's life and reputation, and shattered his own memory in the eyes of the one woman that had ever truly cared for him.
Ira closed his eyes and took a shaky breath.
He glanced back over Tasha's body that was slumped near the wall.
Just like his own devotion to Kareen, Tasha had risked everything on a last-ditch whim to do the right thing – the best thing possible - for the person she cared about.
It wasn't just terribly romantic – it spoke of something deeper, an understanding between souls.
Perhaps Data was not so different from him after all?
Ira powered down the shuttle. And in a rare moment of clarity, he scooped down and picked Tasha up off the floor.
"Jean-Luc," Beverly said.
Captain Picard's eyes fluttered open.
He surveyed the room as Beverly tried to keep him still.
"Emergency lighting," Picard said. "What's happened?"
"Lie still," Beverly urged, placing her hand on his shoulder as she tried to gently guide him back to the floor.
"Beverly, please," Picard protested, pushing away her attempts to administer medical care.
He sat up.
"How long was I out?" Picard asked.
"We estimate about ten minutes, sir," Beverly said. "Whoa, whoa. You need to lie down. You took quite a blow."
"Later," Picard said as he pulled himself up to his feet.
"Captain!" Beverly protested.
She chased after Picard as he marched down the corridor toward the lift.
"Jean-Luc!" Beverly said in her sternest doctor's voice.
He stopped and whipped around.
"Right now as we speak, Ira Graves is holding Data hostage. He's violated a member of my crew in a way that I cannot begin to understand," Picard said.
He was seething.
"And he's probably looking for a way off this ship. I cannot allow that to happen," Picard said.
He tapped his combadge.
"Picard to Bridge," Picard said.
"Captain?" Riker responded.
"Lock down the shield grid. Stop any outgoing vessels. Lock out Commander Data's access codes," Picard ordered. "Cut off all access routes to any escape options – shuttlebays, the Captain's yacht, waste disposal."
There was a burst of static.
"We're trying, Captain," Riker's voice cut back in. "We're having some difficulties with power stability."
Geordi cut in.
"Graves scrambled most of our central command functions," Geordi said. "We just managed to restore ship-wide communications."
"We've locked down all access routes save for the small shuttlepod bay on deck seventeen," Miles said.
Miles, Geordi, and the rest of the team on duty in Engineering were working overtime to try and restore full access to both Engineering and the Bridge.
"Lock it down!" Picard ordered.
"Captain, be advised Tasha went there to intercept him," Geordi reported. "She wanted to try and force him to one location."
Jean-Luc couldn't deny the logic in that plan.
He stepped onto the lift with Beverly in tow.
"Deck seventeen," Picard barked.
Please hang on. Ira thought as he glanced down at Tasha.
He'd repeated that mantra the entire lift ride up to deck two.
"Computer, access the communications array in room 7173. Deck nine," Ira barked.
Kareen's guest quarters.
"Override communications lockout command authorisation seven – nine – two- one- four – six – nine – zero – five – five," Ira rattled off as he gently set Tasha down on the sofa.
He had little time.
While he verbally worked to hack into Kareen's computer, Ira manually input a series of commands on Data's replicator.
He returned a moment later with a cold compress and a neural stimulant to try and keep Tasha's wounds in check.
"Computer, authorise file. Playback begin," Ira said.
Kareen was in her quarters and growing ever more concerned about Ira's behaviour. She had reported her encounter immediately to the first duty officer she found.
After a quick stop at Sickbay to see to her wounded hand, he had escorted Kareen back to her quarters where she was ordered to remain.
The lights were flickering, consoles and atmospheric controls were fluctuating.
Kareen felt like she was responsible for all of it. The misplaced guilt threatened to overwhelm her.
Worst of all, Kareen knew she was helpless to stop it.
Ira's hand trembled as he attached the output cable to Data's positronic brain.
Ira tapped the communications array.
"Medical team to Commander Data's quarters," he said before disconnecting the channel.
No turning back now. Ira thought.
Jean-Luc and Beverly were just about to step off the lift at deck seventeen when they heard the ship-wide page.
"Medical team to Commander Data's quarters."
It was Data's voice – but there was no telling if it was Data or Graves.
Jean-Luc and Beverly exchanged a glance.
"Captain, did you-" Riker began to ask.
"We're on our way, Number One," Picard acknowledged.
"Computer, deck two," Beverly ordered.
Ira closed his eyes and took a slow breath.
It was a shame that Data's quarters had no window for he would have liked to have looked out at the stars one last time.
He tried to concentrate, to allow enough loss of control to try and reach Data. There was a momentary surge through his system as he felt himself establish a connection with Data.
It was strange to have a conversation within his own mind.
"I have never been one to be considered cordial," Ira said. "In fact, I'm a right arse."
Data said nothing.
"You have no reason to trust me. And I have no right to ask," Graves acknowledged.
"That is correct," Data said, guarded.
"But I would ask that you make no attempt to interfere with what I am about to do," Graves requested.
He could feel his own head cock to the side, physically mimicking Data's reaction as Data considered this request.
"Why?" Data inquired.
He felt he needed more information before he could make a decision. Strangest of all, Ira knew this. He could sense it.
Graves chortled.
Ever the scientist. Graves mused.
"Data, I want to make this right. At least, I want to try to set this right," Graves pleaded. "But I must warn you that this is untested."
"You intend to transfer the wealth of your knowledge and memories to the Enterprise database," Data realised.
For the first time since their duality, they could clearly perceive one another with a clarity that had previously been only sporadic and muted.
"I'm going on a one way trip," Ira acknowledged.
Damn it felt good to use a contraction again. He thought.
There was no telling what would result from this attempt.
"You spent years building the database on your homeworld with careful consideration for the preservation of your mind. The Enterprise computer is not designed to handle such information," Data said.
He was keenly aware of the difference given his own experience in downloading the logs and records of the colonists from Omicron Theta.
"Your information will be retained but the essence of you will be lost," Data warned.
"Data, I think I've lost most of who I am already to this damn disease," Graves confessed.
It was a relief to finally admit.
"You know why I bring this up," Ira said.
"Yes. There is no guarantee the transfer will be a success. It could overload my positronic matrix and destroy, well, me in the process," Data answered.
The sheer amount of memory necessary to hold a human neural pattern was tremendous. A quick dump could overwhelm the computer and create dangerous feedback. And there would be only one place for that to surge to discharge.
Data.
"I will only proceed with this if you also agree to take that risk," Ira explained. "I didn't ask you before. But I am asking you now."
Data hesitated.
He was desperate to regain full control of his own body.
"How do I know you will not simply try to remove me instead?" Data asked.
"You don't," Graves agreed.
Ira smiled. He could feel Data knew he was being honest. There was no use in pretending – Ira wouldn't be capable of maintaining a second deception, not in his mental state.
"This may extinguish my existence," Data said, weighing his options.
"It could," Ira said, concurring.
"Doctor? Would you not rather try and return to your lab? You would have the equipment necessary to complete the transfer in a way that would preserve you, your personality, the spirit of your memories," Data suggested.
A part of Data felt compelled to offer such mercy even in light of his own treatment.
"I would be willing to share my body long enough to return to your-"
"No, Data," Graves said, stopping him. "I neither deserve nor am capable of such an ask."
Ira was quite certain he would even be cognizant enough for the return journey. Even as they spoke, he could feel his mind slipping away.
"It is a frighteningly sad thing to lose yourself," Ira said. "A fate I wish on no man – but one I have nonetheless imposed upon you."
He paused.
"I would like your permission to try, Data," Graves said.
He opened his eyes and glanced over at Tasha.
"We have one chance," Ira said.
If they didn't try (and soon) Ira would no doubt be detained and deactivated. Even with the wealth of knowledge from sources like Daystrom, there would be no saving Data.
The egg heads in the cybernetics division would likely futz for years to come – leaving Data trapped in limbo and Ira with him.
"We can do this together or we can likely wind up together somewhere in a box in the basement of a lab," Ira pointed out.
And there was nothing Data feared more than a box.
"Are you not afraid?" Data asked.
"I'm terrified," Ira confessed.
"So am I," Data replied.
Jean-Luc and Beverly were partway between deck four and five when the lift ground to a halt.
There was an unnerving moment where the power fluctuated. The lift moved again for a moment before stopping. The lift fell dark for a moment before the emergency lighting came on.
Jean-Luc was about to tap his combadge and ask for a status update when Geordi chimed in.
"Captain, we're detecting a massive energy drain on deck two," Geordi reported. "The location of origins appears to be Data's workstation."
"La Forge?" Picard prompted, urging him to elaborate.
"I don't know, Captain. Whatever is going on there is eating through a ton of memory," Geordi said.
"You better get up here, Mr La Forge," Picard ordered.
Beverly and Jean-Luc rushed into Data's quarters – Data was on the floor near his workstation. There was a cable still connected from the exposed side of his head to the computer terminal at his workstation.
Tasha was unconscious on the sofa.
"A moderate head injury," Beverly said, scanning Tasha with her tricorder.
She was breathing and had a steady pulse. There was a decent sized wound on the back of her head. From the angle, Beverly suspected her head had hit a solid surface with considerable force.
Jean-Luc carefully approached Data's body. It appeared motionless.
Tasha stirred as Beverly administered a stimulant to try and revive her.
"Whoa, easy," Beverly said as she attempted to stop Tasha for leaping off the sofa.
"Graves is-"
"I believe Ira Graves is dead," Picard said from his position next to Data's body.
"Data?" Tasha asked aloud, scanning his body for any sign of life.
Jean-Luc did not immediately respond. He didn't know what to say.
Instead, he dropped his eyes to the floor as he shook his head.
Tasha brushed off Beverly's arms as she rushed over to Data's side. Ira Graves had been right about one thing – she was persistent.
"We need Geordi to get up here with his toolkit. Help me roll him over," Tasha said. "Have you tried his activation switch? Sometimes he just needs-"
She was trying to flip Data on her own. Under normal circumstances it took tremendous effort. With a wrist that wasn't fully healed, Tasha was struggling.
Working in tandem, they managed to get Data on his side.
Tasha's fingers found his switch. Holding her breath, she flipped it off and then back on again.
Data's body jerked.
He sat up and blinked slowly.
"Data?" Tasha asked.
He did not respond. Instead, he glanced around the room to take in the surroundings. It was like he was viewing them for the first time.
Data stood up and ran his hand along the surface of the workstation to get his bearings.
"Data?" Picard prompted.
Data turned his head in the direction of the Captain's voice. He studied him for a moment before walking right past the Captain to examine a painting on the wall.
"Data?" Tasha tried again.
She stepped over to him and tentatively reached for his face. Data didn't even seem to notice. Tasha gently guided his attention in her direction.
"Data, are you alright?" Tasha asked.
He cocked his head to the side, staring for a moment before moving on to the plant in the corner.
Tasha swallowed the urge to panic. She recalled the last time Data's mind had been occupied by a foreign entity.
A mind probe from the Edo's godlike overseers had scrambled his positronic matrix. It had taken days for Data's neural pathways to completely right themselves.
Tasha watched as Data seemed fascinated by the blue Himalayan poppy plant – running his fingers over the delicate petals as if he were trying to recall a memory.
When it happened before, familiar objects and people helped speed along the process of Data's recovery – like muscle memory.
Data just needed to be reminded of who he was.
As if on cue, the door opened as Geordi came bounding in with his toolkit.
Tasha grinned and looped her hand through Data's arm.
"Data? Data, this is Geordi. You remember Geordi and Captain Picard. Doctor Crusher," Tasha said, directing his attention to them.
Data took a moment to study each one before turning back to the plant.
"What do you make of this, Mr La Forge?" Picard asked.
"I don't know, Captain. I'd need to study it," Geordi said.
Tasha flung open the drawer on Data's workstation.
"Do you remember this, Data?" she inquired as she shoved his beloved calabash pipe into his hands.
Data turned it over once and then simply let it drop to the ground.
"What about this, huh?" Tasha asked.
She grinned and held up his green visor – a standard at poker games.
Only Data didn't even bother to look. He appeared to be unaware that she was speaking to him. In fact, he didn't even seem cognizant that everyone was looking at him.
While Tasha tried in vain to jog his memory, Geordi stepped over to the computer terminal. Something that flashed on the screen caught his gaze.
He followed along the length of the cable from Data's exposed circuitry back to the workstation.
"Captain," Geordi said in a concerned voice. "I may have a theory about what happened."
"Geordi?" Picard asked.
He swiped through a few pages on the screen. It told him all he needed to know.
"I think Ira Graves put himself in the computer," Geordi said. "Downloaded everything – his memories, his knowledge."
"And Data?" Beverly asked.
Geordi looked up and shook his head.
From an initial look at the computer, all Geordi could find was Graves. And based on Data's behaviour, Geordi suspected he wasn't in there.
The body was active, but the mind was empty.
Tasha took hold of Data's hand, stopping him as he tried to walk off.
"Data, it's me," Tasha said.
He simply stood there with a blank look on his face.
"Data, please. I know you're in there," Tasha said, refusing to give up.
"I'll conduct a detailed diagnostic," Geordi offered.
He paused.
"But I don't want to offer any false hope," he said with great difficulty.
It was hard to watch his best friend move about like an empty shell.
"Data, please," Tasha urged.
She was doing her best to remain composed, but her panic was growing and it was evident in her voice.
"Data, say something," Tasha pleaded, squeezing his hand.
She glanced down at their hands. Data's was completely slack.
Suddenly her hands shot up to cup his face.
"Data, please," she said as her eyes began to well up.
She gently shook him in hopes of eliciting some reaction. Data remained perfectly still.
Tasha's heart sank as she stared in his eyes – completely devoid of their usual twinkle. She sniffled and brushed his hair behind his ears while maintaining eye contact, searching for any sign that Data was in there somewhere.
"Data," she breathed.
Tasha closed her eyes. Leaning in close, she rested her forehead against his own.
He made no move to pull away. Tasha suspected that wasn't so much because he welcomed it, but rather because Data was damaged in some way by Graves.
He was catatonic, completely unresponsive as he stood there with his hands at his side. It was a horrifying moment, but one Tasha couldn't seem to let go of.
Because she understood that as soon as she stepped away, Data's injury became real – possibly permanent. She wanted to hang onto that feeling of being close, of pretending there was hope that he was in there.
They stayed like that for a moment until Tasha felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Tasha," Captain Picard said in a soft voice.
Tasha needed to step back in order to grant Geordi access so he could examine Data more thoroughly. She moved to pull away, resigned that she may have to face the fact Data was gone, when something unexpected happened.
Data's hand shot out and reached for Tasha's – tangling his fingers in her own.
Tasha looked down in surprise. He had reacted and was holding something. Tasha's heart was pounding. But she was cautious not to get too excited. Data was still staring at nothing.
"Data?" Tasha encouraged.
He opened his mouth to speak. A long, garbled noise escaped from his throat. Data cocked his head to the side and blinked.
Tasha squeezed his hand, wordlessly offering her support.
Data turned to study their hands for a moment, pulling them up close to his face so he could examine them more carefully.
He glanced around at the room, looking from face to face before settling on Tasha.
Data frowned and then pulled Tasha into a chaste kiss.
His neural net surged – sending a power spike right back through the cable. It sizzled, electricity crackling.
The terminal began to spark before it finally blew, plunging the room into darkness.
Data broke their kiss but remained close, unwilling to pull his face away from Tasha's.
"Hey," she said, the feel of her breath warm and familiar.
"Hhhhhhey," Data replied with some difficulty.
There were so many things he longed to say. Yet in his present condition, Data found that communication required great effort – more than he had the energy for.
Graves had barely used Data's rest programme.
The weight of running two independent minds, the constant battle for control, had exerted quite a toll on Data's system.
He was exhausted.
In spite of that fatigue, there was something he needed to make clear.
"I am… I… sorry," he said awkwardly.
Tasha gently shushed him as she stroked the back of his hair.
"Not your fault," she assured him.
Beverly gripped the Captain's arm.
"I think it's safe to say Data's back," Beverly said.
But while one couple was enjoying a happy reunion against all odds, there was another story unfolding across the ship.
Kareen had been staring out the window in her guest quarters, fretting over the situation with Ira when the computer began to act in an erratic manner.
Two long, drawn out notes from a symphony repeated once before a familiar, silky voice began to croon.
Ira had instilled a love of old standards in Kareen. In time, she had come to share his affinity for the ancient music standards beloved by generations.
"And now the purple dusk of twilight time steals across the meadows of my heart. High up in the sky the little stars climb."
Kareen recognised the unmistakable, silky voice. The song was a classic and one Ira had often played himself.
Kareen let the lyrics wash over her as she tried to grapple with the events of the last few days. She noticed there was a blinking light reflected in the window.
She turned and realised it was coming from the computer's communications system. There was an incoming message.
It was unsigned.
Kareen's hand hesitated for a moment. A part of her didn't want to open it. She had no desire to read a last, desperate attempt from Ira. It would be enough to break her.
At the same time, she felt like the song was an acknowledgement of the end.
A farewell.
Love is now the stardust of yesterday.
Resolved that she could never move on without knowing, Kareen clicked to open the written message.
Go.
Go change the world. Do everything. See as many worlds as you can – all the places you dreamed of and many more that I am sure you will find along the way.
Just never stop gazing up at the stars.
Here's looking at you, kid.
Kareen fell back against the wall and slid down to the floor.
She buried her head in her hands and wept, finally free to mourn the man she'd loved.
Back in Data's quarters, Data and Tasha finally had a moment alone.
Data was still having a spot of trouble with his audio output. There had been a significant energy exchange when Ira downloaded himself into the computer.
"No, Data just rest," Tasha said. "We can worry about Graves later."
She presumed he was tearing apart his workstation as part of some sense of duty – like moving the external storage into the lab for testing or repair.
"Data, you don't have to do this right now," Tasha urged.
But Data didn't stop. He was singularly focused on finding one thing.
Tasha watched in frustration as he extracted the polymer panels and internal supports one by one. She wasn't mad at Data. She was worried that he was disregarding his own wellbeing for the sake of some misguided attempt to make up for actions that were beyond his control.
All of a sudden, Data stopped.
He straightened up and turned back to Tasha.
"M-may I?" he asked, indicating to her hand.
Tasha nodded.
Data pulled it close and slipped the ring back on her finger.
"I apologise," he said with great difficulty.
He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head to the side as if trying to summon the will to keep speaking.
"Told you… happiness," Data said.
He paused, struggling to voice his thoughts.
"You told me that when I put this on again, that I would not take it off. That it would be a moment of joy," Tasha recalled.
Data nodded in agreement. Then he frowned.
Tasha started to cry.
Data looked horrified.
He moved his arms, almost like he was afraid to touch for fear of saying or doing the wrong thing.
"Sorry it is not," he said, shaking his head.
"Oh Data," Tasha sobbed.
She reached up to cup his face, stroking her thumb across his cheek.
"It is," she cried. "I am so happy right now."
She smiled in spite of the tears, pulling Data close so she could nuzzle against his face.
"I believe that when I someday look back at the happiest moments of my life – this will be one of them," Tasha remarked.
"But you are…crying?" Data asked.
Tasha giggled.
"I know," she said.
"Hmm," Data remarked, chalking this up to one more unusual human quirk.
Data caught Tasha's lips, pulling her into a slow, sweet kiss that was long overdue.
When they broke apart, neither of them spoke for a moment. Now they were simply content to be back in the presence of each other.
"This will not do," Data said, his speech beginning to come back.
"We'll fix your desk," Tasha assured him. "Nothing has been broken that cannot be remade."
Well, almost everything. Tasha had broken his one of a kind statue.
"I meant you," Data said.
Tasha didn't follow.
"That this should be one of your happiest moments," Data clarified, shaking his head as if to imply it would simply not do. "We will have many moments of joy that will far outshine this one."
Data pressed a tender kiss on the side of her face.
"That I promise you," he said.
"Where will you go?" Captain Picard asked.
Kareen shrugged.
"I don't know," she said honestly.
She turned and glanced out the view window overlooking Starbase 6.
"I'll have to see where life takes me," she said. "There's an entire sea of stars out there just waiting."
She sighed.
"There were days I thought I would never leave Graves's world. I wanted to. But I was worried I would spend my whole life there," Kareen shared.
In a way, Ira's death had come as a relief. Now that she was resigned to it and coping with her grief, Kareen felt a sense of freedom.
She still wasn't over the loss.
That would take time.
But Kareen felt that she was in a place where she could now move forward.
"Miss Brianon," Data said, catching her attention. "Please take this."
He handed over a small case. When Kareen opened it, she realised it contained passage vouchers for the travel and accommodations Ira had booked for himself.
"I can't," she said, pushing it back toward Data.
"I would like you to have it," Data insisted.
"No, no," Kareen said. "Ira took this from you. He used your name, your credits. I could never-"
"Please," Data requested.
His request was genuine.
"In any case, our travel restrictions prevent me leaving the ship and they are non-refundable," Data pointed out.
Kareen offered him a sad smile as she accepted the package.
"You know you aren't obligated to make up for Ira's mistakes," she commented.
"Neither are you," Data replied.
As he left so Kareen could disembark, Data couldn't help but think about her words.
He had dropped by to bid Kareen farewell after meeting Tasha for a joint counselling session with Deanna. Recovery was going to take time and they were both to include Deanna's professional guidance in that as they navigated a path forward.
Data had apologised no less than forty-seven times in the last twenty-four hours.
And Tasha had assured him each and every time that the situation was not his fault.
Data had no desire to spend the night in his own quarters. The memory of their fallout, the foolish mistakes that he'd nearly made – it was all too much of a reminder.
But Data had been equally unprepared to handle to wave of emotion that came with seeing Tasha's quarters.
The packed boxes.
The cracked wall.
They were a horrifying testament to just how close Data had come to losing Tasha.
When he returned to Tasha's quarters, she was just unpacking the last of her belongings.
Data couldn't help but smile as he watched her unbox an old set of training gloves. They were an old pair Tasha rarely used but had kept for sentimental purposes. Normally they adorned the very top of her shelf.
Using the shelves along the wall as a ladder, she climbed up high enough to try and push them onto the top.
Tasha miscalculated and slipped.
Data was there in a flash, catching her just before she hit the ground.
Per usual, he was in a panic.
It had only been a small slip of the foot, but Data was clinging to Tasha like she'd nearly gone over a cliff.
"I'm alright," Tasha said in a soothing voice. "Thank you for catching me."
Data squeezed her tighter.
"So fragile," he thought aloud.
It broke Tasha's heart to hear him speak like that. So she tried to lift his spirits.
"I've been called many things, but usually not fragile," Tasha teased.
Only Data wasn't laughing.
"This is all my fault," he said. "Had I not-"
"Data!" Tasha said, stopping him.
Her expression was full of pity.
"I slipped. That's all. It's not your fault," Tasha said, reaching for his hand. "Please stop blaming yourself."
Data was having a hard time overcoming his guilt – especially with Tasha's bruised face serving as a constant reminder.
"Tasha, you should know that it is my fault. In a way," Data began.
He needed to get it off his chest or it would eat away at him.
"The things Ira said to you, the things he did-"
"It wasn't you saying those things," Tasha interjected.
"Please, listen. I must say this," Data urged.
Tasha fell silent in order to give him the space to speak.
"He knew how to access my feelings. We could not communicate directly. But he could sense things, memories," Data said.
His face darkened.
"And he used that to hurt you. Graves used the most spiteful, awful things he could on purpose. He tapped into your darkest, most private fears and self-doubts in order to drive you away," Data shared.
It had haunted Data ever since the poker game.
"Data, what do you need from me?" Tasha asked.
Data's brow furrowed.
"No. No, you do not understand-"
Tasha traced the line of his jaw as she weighed how to best broach the subject.
"Data, you were violated in ways that I can't even begin to imagine. What Graves did to you was so awful," she said. "I know what it feels like to be treated as if your body is not your own."
That shared trauma had always been between them. And it informed the way he interacted in every aspect of their relationship.
"He abused your trust. He abused you," Tasha went on. "And you were forced to take part in things that harmed you just as much, if not more, than Graves's victims."
As he listened to Tasha, Data felt small and safe in a way he hadn't before. Their session with Deanna had helped. Data knew there would be many to follow.
But the way Tasha spoke made him feel connected – like she understood in a way Deanna didn't.
"If you wish to talk about it, I'm here," Tasha assured him.
Data was almost convinced to open up. He did want to talk. The experience of being helpless as he was forced to inflict harm on others had left him in a dark place.
No matter how many times Deanna (and others) assured Data that his guilt was misplaced, he was having a hard time letting it go.
"I am damaged," Data confessed before adding, "emotionally."
Tasha gripped Data's hands and guided him over to the window. They sat down together in front of the soft glow from the ship's exterior lights.
"And you feel like a little part of your being is soiled?" Tasha asked.
Data nodded.
"You don't feel whole, and you aren't sure how you ever could be again," Tasha continued.
"Yes," Data agreed.
Tasha's brow furrowed as she pulled Data's hands into her lap.
"Please don't feel that way," Tasha said. "Because this was not your fault. You were a victim."
"It is not that simple," Data replied. "I do feel like a victim. It hurts."
He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath.
"It hurts my mind. I cannot stop my mind from accessing the engrams," Data shared.
His face contorted as if he were in pain.
"And then I recall that it is my voice, my hands inflicting this pain. On you. On Geordi. Wesley-" Data went on, his mind beginning to spiral as he was consumed with grief.
He tried to pull away, but Tasha wouldn't let him.
"How can you ever look at me the same way again?" Data asked.
"The same way you look at me," Tasha answered without missing a beat.
She ran her fingers through his hair as she gently tucked an errant strand back behind his ear.
"When I look at you I see a beautiful mind, a tender heart, a gentle soul," Tasha said. "A man that wept for the loss of birds that no one else bothered to mourn. Someone that would do anything to protect others."
She smiled.
"Someone that always seeks a path to do no harm," Tasha finished, holding the side of his face.
Data wanted to believe her – but he couldn't set aside his guilt. He reached up and covered Tasha's hand with his own.
"I harmed you," Data said. "I hurt you ways that were so-"
He trailed off and shuddered. Every fibre of his being ached with remorse.
"I am a monster," Data breathed.
"No, you're not," Tasha said.
"I allowed-"
"You survived," Tasha corrected.
"I should have fought harder. Resisted," Data said in a small voice. "I was too weak to-"
"You survived," Tasha repeated.
"I-"
Tasha gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"You deserve to be happy. And loved. You aren't fractured or damaged. You are enough," Tasha whispered as she nuzzled against his face.
Data seemed to calm a little.
"How can you ever trust me again? How do you know that I will not, that it is safe to be-"
He was struggling to voice his concern.
"Because you're terrified to even think it," Tasha pointed out.
She thumbed away a thick, golden tear. She wasn't afraid of him, and Tasha was resolved that she never would be.
Tasha could sense Data needed to understand that he wasn't alone.
"Data, I had to do terrible, awful things on Turkana. I hurt other people," Tasha acknowledged.
"You were a child," Data countered.
"And you were invaded, manipulated, forced to do things you didn't want to because you couldn't say no," Tasha said.
She slipped two fingers under his jawline in order to lift his chin.
"Don't you see? It's the same thing. You were a victim, Data. You survived," Tasha said. "And if you can look at me without seeing a monster – then I know that you can't be one either."
Tasha threw her arms around Data and held him close as they rocked back and forth.
"Take as long as you need," she whispered. "I'll be here."
"Commander Laredo placed his ray blaster on the top of the table. The map left by the North Star Trading Empire was still there – abandoned in the haste to evacuate the facility," Tasha read aloud. "He wiped the sweat from his brow. Resolved this would be his final stand, he turned back to the barricaded door."
She paused.
"When suddenly a voice came across the radio," Tasha continued, mimicking the static noise. "Keeerk Mining Base One? This is the Potomac. Are there any survivors? Over."
She glanced up at Data and flashed him a brilliant smile.
"Well?" Tasha prompted.
"We may continue if you wish," Data said.
They were snuggled together on the sofa in Tasha's quarters. Data was stretched out with Tasha lying across his lap.
The lights were dim save for the soft glow from exterior ship lights and the lamp in the far corner. The coffee table in the middle was full of empty takeaway boxes from Ten Forward.
Data had picked it up on the way home from the Arboretum after helping Keiko replant a number of rimewort saplings.
Tomorrow he had an evening booked on the holodeck with Geordi, Miles, Wesley, and Reg Barclay. They were planning to try out Barclay's new train heist programme.
In many ways, life had returned to normal on the Enterprise. No one blamed Data for what had occurred at the hands of Doctor Graves.
His counselling sessions with Deanna (both individual and couples) were proceeding well. There were still flashbacks. Some nights his dream programme would take him to the very depths of his mind – causing Data to wake up in a panic.
Data glanced down at the woman in his lap.
Tasha was beaming.
Suddenly, her smile faltered.
"What's wrong?" Tasha asked.
"Nothing," Data answered honestly. "Nothing but-"
He paused.
"I must confess it is confusing. I am not sure how to feel. It seems as if life is back to the way it was before, but it is not," Data shared. "At times, I cannot suppress the feelings that accompany memories of that time."
He lifted his eyebrows.
"Does this mean I am failing to cope?" he asked.
Tasha set her tablet down and rolled back onto Data's lap.
"No," she said, snuggling down against him. "You wake up, pull on your boots, go to work or poker and smile and you start to believe it yourself. Sooner or later, you're not pretending anymore. And you remember that you can be happy – that you are okay."
She held him tight, her fingers clutching the side of his uniform.
"That is coping Data. You've done it so well for so long," Tasha said. "And when you feel like you can't, I'll be here."
Data relaxed into the embrace.
"May I ask you a question?" Data inquired.
"Mmm hmm," Tasha replied.
"When we were here in your quarters, before Graves-" Data paused.
Tasha stroked his torso, wordlessly communicating that she understood. He didn't need to say it aloud.
"You made a comment that your penance was not complete," Data recalled.
Over the course of their relationship, Tasha had made several remarks of that nature. Data understood enough of her Turkanan beliefs when it came to a perceived 'cost' of happiness.
"Your comment at the moment would indicate that you have not let go of such guilt," Data pointed out.
Tasha took a slow breath.
"Yeah," she agreed. "From time to time it creeps in. I think it always will. But I've learned to live with it."
Time and therapy had taught her as much.
"Sometimes you have to sit with that trauma because it is too much. Other times I can simply acknowledge it and move on," Tasha explained. "You'll get there. And I'll be with you every step of the way."
She smiled.
"And we can soak in the tub or stroll around the arboretum or even sit and have a good cry if that's what you need," Tasha promised.
"A soak in the tub?" Data asked.
Data had no need to bathe. But he had found submersion in water to be surprisingly satisfying. It left him with a sense of tranquillity.
"Mmm hmm," Tasha nodded.
She sat up.
"But let's go to your place," she said.
His bathroom was nearly double the size of her own and featured a layout more conducive to keeping a tray of snacks within arm's reach.
"Your tub is bigger," Tasha said.
"And all for you," Data added as he grinned against her lips.