Author's Note: And here we are!
This is a retelling of Measure of a Man.
It is a part of The Complication series and I strongly encourage you to read that before starting this.
While not required, it does provide essential context in regard to Data's history with Bruce Maddox, Data's emotional state, and his established relationships with the rest of the crew – particularly Tasha, Geordi, Captain Picard, and Commander Riker.
You'll have a much richer experience by reading The Complication first.
To those that have been with this story since the start – my apologies for a bit of repetition.
As this a 'new' story, I suspect we'll have some readers that don't read The Complication. I've included some reference information to aid in understanding.
Measure of a Man is such a vital component of Data's story.
The Complication is a retelling of TNG with some events occurring in a different sequence. This is set during TNG's first series. For reference, it's sandwiched between chapters #73 and #74 of The Complication.
This particular instalment features a hefty dose of angst and drama.
With that said, please know that the ending is fluffy – quite fluffy. The reward is worth the turmoil.
There are good things on the horizon for Data, both in terms of his personal development and his relationship with Tasha.
Thank you for your continued support on this series.
Cheers,
Charlie
-X-
Data stepped into his lab and took a moment to survey the space.
There was a part of him that had never thought he would see this room again.
His most recent mission was supposed to have been a three-hour survey with Geordi.
It had very nearly cost them their lives.
The odds of survival had been slim.
Through an inexplicable miracle, they had been rescued from their icy prison. Data's rational mind told him that miracles were, in fact, simply a matter of fiction.
The correct sequence of events necessary to facilitate their rescue had occurred. A talented and inventive crew had solved the mystery of their disappearance and formulated a plan.
Data and Geordi's survival training had equipped them for the circumstances they had encountered.
And their own efforts to facilitate a rescue had been timed perfectly with the presence of a search team.
Those factors combined had allowed them to beat the odds.
Data didn't even want to think about what might have happened had any one of those steps gone differently.
He stepped over to the safe storage locker along the wall and punched in his access code.
The door popped open. Data reached inside to retrieve the item he had come to check on.
While nothing had occurred to give him cause for alarm, Data had sought physical reassurance that this special package was safe.
He opened a tiny box so that he may lay his eyes on the ring contained inside – a ring specially crafted for a person that, like Data's rescue, was herself an anomaly.
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The Case
FanfictionA retelling of "Measure of a Man." Commander Bruce Maddox and Data have a long history. For the first few years of his activation, Data was confined as a prisoner for Maddox's research. He was conditioned to repress his feelings and desires - all in...
