Author's Note: Thank you for your continued support of this series!
Part Two of the Edo/Justice storyline. This chapter is a rollercoaster. It is also mostly written as series of flashbacks to Data's early days of activation.
I assure you it ends with a fluffy, domestic scene between our favourite protagonists.
Content Warning: This chapter includes flashbacks to Data's early days after being discovered on Omicron Theta & time in Starfleet. It is not happy. Contains abuse.
The flashback scenes are written in the present tense. It's not typically something I do, but it just came out that way and felt right. I think present tense helps to better convey Data's mindset during these events.
Data relies heavily on fictional literary characters for guidance. We see him do this from time to time during the show and I wanted to expand on that. It is my intention to demonstrate that Data uses these not only to better understand humans, but also because Data strives to embody what fiction can teach us all—to do better.
-X-
"Data, who did this to you?" Tasha asked.
-X-
27 Years Earlier
USS Tripoli | Stardate 18050.55
Data has been aboard the USS Tripoli for five weeks. Most of the crewmembers are nervous around him. Their initial study of Data's physiology leaves them leery as his strength output registers off the scale.
He's a machine with superhuman intelligence and strength.
Data's first few hours are a struggle. In a way, he's like an infant learning how much pressure he can safely apply to grip things or push on them without hurting people or objects aboard the ship.
He struggles with depth perception, volume, and adjusting to the world around him.
When they offer Data a ball to squeeze that will measure his strength, he breaks it.
When he's instructed to run on a treadmill, Data's speed exceeds the parameters of the device, and the belt is stripped.
He is unable to explain his thoughts concisely.
He doesn't have enough experience to understand or begin to process the emotions he is feeling.
They run tests during the day—and there are many tests. Once they are complete, Data is returned to a holding cell in the brig where he is guarded by a Security team at all times.
Data feels an emptiness that he cannot explain.
He wants to connect and understand.
The guards call him 'the robot.' They do not speak with him—they speak at him.
And Data learns quickly that they do not laugh with him—they laugh at him.
But Captain Mindy Long is a patient woman. She is not like the humanoids.
She talks with Data at length (from outside his holding cell), and she comes each day. After the first day, she offers Data a book and watches with awe as he manages to read it in a matter of minutes. His android abilities mean he flips the pages so rapidly they blur.
Data is overcome with a sensation of gratitude. He feels seen.
He thanks Captain Long for providing mental stimulation. It is Data's only reprieve from the tests that poke and prod and strain every fibre of his mind and body.
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The Complication
Fanfiction"Am I the 'complication?'" Data asked. Following the events on Ligon II, Data struggles to reconcile the discrepancies between Tasha's verbal and nonverbal communication. Furthermore, his attempts to better understand what's happening lead to him fr...
