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Datalore

Captain's Log, Stardate 41242.4:

Our last assignment has taken us

into the remote Omicron Theta star system

home of our android crew member Lieutenant Commander Data.

Although we are due at our next assignment

I have decided to visit Data's home planet

for a few hours in the hopes of unraveling

some of the mystery of his beginnings.

Sir, we are now 20 minutes from Omicron Theta.

Mark.

Stand by for subwarp.

Head for standard orbit of Data's planet.

I wonder why Data hasn't come up here.

He said he wanted to be alone.

Perhaps this is a bigger moment for him than we thought.

Ah... ah...

Data.

...choo!

What are you doing?

Sneezing.

Have you got a cold?

A cold what?

It's a disease my mom says people used to get.

Ah... but humans still sneeze for other reasons and I cannot seem to do it right.

Ah... ah...

How can you be practicing something like sneezing when we're arriving at your home planet for the first time?

Aren't you interested in that?

More than interested-- fascinated.

One might say agog.

But I also find sneezing interesting.

Choo!

Chh...

Captain Picard wishes to see you on the Bridge.

YAR: Captain, confirming Class M reading there, but... but the sensors aren't showing any life readings... not even vegetation.

Strange.

The cruiser that found Data reported farmlands there.

Do you want to take her into orbit, Data?

No, thank you, sir.

Continue on into close parking orbit.

LA FORGE: Aye, sir.

I could say "home sweet home," sir if I understood how the word "sweet" applies.

It usually refers to memories.

It usually refers to one's own memories, Captain.

Do the memories you have include farms, Data?

Affirmative, sir but the colony's principal interest was science.

YAR: Data, I don't understand how you can hold the memories of 411 people if that means every experience, every day of their life...?

It does not, unfortunately.

It means only the knowledge they had accumulated.

Actually, I'm quite deficient in some basic human information.

Sneezing, for example.

Sneezing?

Approaching close parking orbit.

Assemble your away party, Commander.

This must be an exciting time for you, Mr. Data.

I'm tempted to lead the away team myself except that my first officer would object.

How would Starfleet judge me if I didn't?

An entire Earth colony did disappear down there.

You see?

Now in close parking orbit, sir.

Mr. Data... welcome home.

Space, the final frontier.

These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.

Its continuing mission--

to explore strange new worlds

to seek out new life and new civilizations

to boldly go where no one has gone before.

First Officer's Log, Stardate 4124.5:

We have found Data's home to be a completely dead world

down to lifeless vegetation.

No insects-- not even soil bacteria.

What is it

that could kill everything on an entire planet?

Recording signal locked onto the Enterprise, sir.

This looks like anything but farmland.

Agreed, sir.

The soil appears almost completely lifeless.

This is the exact position in the Tripoli log.

Do you recognize anything, Data?

The land contours are familiar, sir.

Topographically, this is the correct area.

This once was rich farmland

I'd say something like 20 to 30 years ago.

I was discovered 26 years ago.

Commander, I'd say that everything on this planet was either dead or dying at the time Data was found.

I was found 20 meters in that direction, sir.

YAR: Data, any idea at all why you were given the colonists' memories?

I've always felt that it was done hurriedly but I know little more.

Here, sir.

This is where the cruiser's landing party found the signal device that led them here.

And they found me lying there.

You were just lying out there in the open?

No identity record, no instructions?

Only a layer of dust.

What's the first thing you remember, Data?

Opening my eyes... looking into the eyes of the Tripoli landing party.

They believed that the signal device sensed their presence and activated me.

Then this very spot was your birthplace.

LA FORGE: Commander.

I think I've got this place figured out here.

This was very cleverly done to make this look like a natural hollow in the terrain here.

There are signs of it being constructed in a hurry as if to hide something here.

Yes, that was it, Geordi.

This awakens a memory remnant of how the colonists hoped to remain hidden but their fear of being discovered led to their storing information in me.

Yeah, thought so.

( lights powering up )

No life readings in here either, sir.

The colonists' laboratory-- extremely well-equipped.

Does this stir any memories, Data?

Only a vague impression of some of my functions being tested here.

Posted by proud parents?

It depicts something that feels familiar, sir and dangerous but I have no idea what it represents.

And that is all except... for an impression of this being a Dr. Soong's work area.

Who?

You don't mean Dr. Noonien Soong?

He was called that here, but his memories indicate he traveled here under a different name.

Dr. Noonien Soong, my friend, happens to have been Earth's foremost robotics scientist.

Until he tried to make Asimov's dream of a positronic brain come true.

A positronic brain...

He promised so much and then when he failed completely,

Dr. Soong disappeared.

Now we know he went somewhere else to try a second time.

Data, Geordi, we'll get a close look at this lab.

You and Lieutenant Worf reconnoiter where those corridors lead.

Aye, sir.

LA FORGE: Data, it's you.

RIKER: An epidermal mold-- made to give your exterior the desired finish.

Lieutenant Yar to Commander Riker.

Come in, Lieutenant.

Sir, this installation is big enough to hold hundreds of people, but all that's here now is empty beds.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

Complete your record scans and report back here.

LA FORGE: Commander Riker, looks like some sort of storage area.

How many more Datas are there?

Looks like just these two.

I mean, that and the real Data.

Commander... can this be another me?

Or possibly my brother?

I honestly don't know, Data.

He needs assembling.

RIKER: He...

Data, we don't know that this can become alive.

It is very important for me to know that, sir.

I never dreamed it was possible that I might find some link with a form like my own.

Understood.

We'll take it back to the ship with us.

Captain's Log, Stardate 41242.45:

Despite having only a few hours

in which to explore Data's home planet,

we have discovered something

which may explain Data's beginnings if we can properly assemble

and communicate with what we've found.

Signal from the Captain.

They need you at the debriefing.

I've been most anxious to hear the chief engineer's opinion, Mr. Argyle.

Do you believe he can be made to function?

It appears to include all the components in your body.

Not that we fully understand your construction either.

We have our top specialists working on its construction, Mr. Data.

Just one thing.

Without disassembling you, of course if we should need more...

If we should need to compare this with the way you're put together...

Bringing it up here was the right thing to do, Number One.

We were just saying, Data, that if your duplicate functions, it may answer a lot of questions.

Does it appear to have, uh... all your parts?

Completely, sir.

LA FORGE: Will... will we know how to turn it on?

PICARD: All right.

All right.

Legitimate questions about any of this need not be asked apologetically.

You feel uncomfortable on aspects of your duplicate, Data.

We feel uncomfortable, too, and for no logical reason.

If it feels awkward to be reminded that Data is a machine, just remember that we are merely a different variety of machine.

In our case, electro-chemical in nature.

Let's begin to handle this as we would do anything else.

Agreed, Captain.

Let's begin with you, Data.

Well, sir, a good starting point may be why was I given human form?

Well, to make it easier for humans to relate to you-- had to be.

But your designer may have had something else to prove as well.

That human-shaped robots need not be clumsy or limited in their performance.

You certainly operate as well as we do, Data.

Better in some ways, sir.

RIKER: You might want to have a look at this, Captain.

It could be a link to the disappearance of the colonists.

It was displayed in the lab-- no doubt by proud parents.

It could be just a child's imagination but several children did similar drawings.

Dr. Crusher to the Captain.

At this point, sir, we very much need Mr. Data's help.

He's on his way, Doctor.

ARGYLE: Is the electromagnetic synthemometer reading positive or negative?

WOMAN: Positive.

Press your fingers there, Doctor.

There.

It operates almost as a switch.

And these small projections?

An android alarm clock.

Is that amusing?

They time how long I remain unconscious.

Are you certain about us using these heating devices, Data?

I will feel nothing at all.

Marvelous.

It should all be a lot simpler once we see how your circuitry's connected.

I won't mention it to anyone.

You have my word.

If you had an off switch, Doctor, would you not keep it secret?

I guess I would.

Yes, notice the microcircuitry here and here... and then another fibroid-like connection here.

Let's close up.

It seemed to go well thanks to a look inside Mr. Data but there have been no signs of consciousness yet.

RIKER: It certainly is a good match for Data, sir.

PICARD: Do you think so, really?

I wonder which of them was made first.

He was.

But they found him to be imperfect and I was made to replace him.

You may call me Lore.

But I am also troubled by it describing you as imperfect.

Human language gives me difficulty, too, sir.

Imperfect could mean that I lack certain abilities he possesses.

Hmm, I wonder.

But the point of this is whether you and it have approximately the same capabilities.

We do, sir, and your referring to him as "it" suggests that I, too, fit into the category of a thing.

Oh, uh, I... I see your point.

My apologies.

Gladly accepted, sir.

As for Lore's abilities, his use of syntax and grammar suggests he was given human memories similar to my own.

And you have about equal physical strength and mental abilities?

I believe so, sir.

Which requires that I now ask you a very serious question.

Since the two of you are closely related to each other...

The answer, sir, is that my loyalty is to you and Starfleet, completely.

Thank you, Commander.

I was certain of that.

LA FORGE: And helm control is here with the ship's heading being given in measurements we call degrees--

360 of them in a full circle this way.

Then you say mark.

On the nose.

Which separates it from another full 360-degree circle this way on a right angle to this one.

So, by ordering a heading so many degrees this way and so many this way the ship can travel in any direction-- all three dimensions.

And the square of a hypotenuse to the right triangle...?

Is equal to the sum of the square of the other two... two something-- which I once heard but never understood.

All of which you will learn more about when the Captain has approved your being on the Bridge.

Have I committed an offense?

You will find that there are many rules on starships that must be learned.

You're very clever, Wesley.

I now have duties to perform, correct?

Were you ever this anxious to please, Data?

Never.

I judge Lore to be superior in that desire.

Because I was designed to be so human, my brother.

I enjoy pleasing humans.

LA FORGE: "My brother."

That has a nice sound to it, Data.

You consider it important to please humans?

It's not important?

There are many things of importance.

Some more than others.

Do you realize that Commander Riker's hypotenuse question tricked you into showing your knowledge was greater than you were indicating?

He didn't seem that clever.

I'll be more careful.

You tend to underestimate humans, my brother.

Praising young Wesley on the helm, for example.

A child.

He has a child's body, but we have found him to be much more.

Thank you for that information, too.

You do care about how I perform.

I pledge to be worthy of your teaching, my brother.

Try not to be jealous of my ability.

What information are you requesting?

Everything available on a Dr. Noonien Soong.

Ah, good old "Often Wrong" Soong.

A joke, brother.

Actually, he was a genius by human standards.

But he destroyed his own reputation by making what seemed wild promises about his positronic brain design-- almost all of which failed.

Promises he later proved to be true.

Which made you and me possible, brother.

Our beloved father.

Will I soon have a uniform like that, brother?

If you get one the way I did, Lore, it will mean four years at the Academy another three as Ensign, ten or 12 on varied space duty in the Lieutenant grades...

A system designed to compensate for limited human ability and you, brother, are beginning to think as a human.

You and I are completely different from them.

Are you truly satisfied with the knowledge and memory of a few hundred human colonists?

Suppose it could reflect thousands or millions or the knowledge of hundreds of millions of life-forms of every kind?

How?

We will discuss that in time.

And will we also discuss, Lore, which of us was constructed first?

It would be foolish to underestimate you, brother.

Yes, I lied when I said you were made first, but with good reason.

Dr. Soong made me perfect in his first attempt, but he made me so completely human the colonists became envious of me.

You lived with the colonists?

Until they petitioned Soong to make a more comfortable, less perfect android.

In other words, you... brother.

Haven't you noticed how easily I handle human speech?

I use their contractions.

For example, I say "can't" or "isn't" and you say "cannot" and "is not."

♪ I say tomato, and you ♪

♪ Say tomahto ♪

♪ I say potato and you say potahto... ♪

A very old joke.

But then you also have trouble with their humor.

Am I right?

Quite true.

I keep trying to be more human and keep failing.

Do you realize, brother,

I can help you become more human?

And do you realize, Lore, that I am obligated to report all of this to our ship's Captain?

I assumed as much when I began studying you.

May I use this to learn more about this vessel and its customs?

Use it also to describe for the Captain the time you spent among the colonists including everything you know about what happened to them.

I promise a report of great detail and accuracy.

Thank you, Lore.

I now have duties to perform.

Unless, of course, you need something more.

I have more than I dreamed possible, brother.

Captain's Log, Stardate 41242.5:

Thanks to Lore's report,

we now know what happened to the colonists.

Beginning with a child's drawing

enhanced by Lore's description,

our computer has constructed

the image of a great crystalline entity

which feeds on life, insatiably ravenous

for the life force found in living forms

capable of stripping all life from an entire world.

But how did Data escape that thing? Or Lore?

Lore had been disassembled.

He explained it as jealousy from the colonists and Data wasn't yet alive at that time.

Which explains why Data could be left outside in no danger from that creature.

Whatever happened to the colonists, he would be found by the first Starfleet crew that responded to the signal he transmitted.

By which Dr. Soong left proof behind that his experiment did work.

Captain... how believable do you find that crystal thing?

With so little of even our galaxy explored,

I find it at least possible.

Data, are you expecting Lore to come up here?

He left your quarters some time ago.

To go?

My turbo sensors say he went to Deck Four. Worf?

Where he examined some microminiature work tools and some fine grind quadratanium.

Which is used in our construction.

That particular compound is no more suspicious, sir, than a human looking for an antiseptic or an ointment.

Nevertheless, I should check it out.

You're watching everything he does, Data?

Is that the act of a brother?

It's the act of a Starfleet officer obeying his Captain, Doctor.

Captain, speaking strictly as security chief, how much can you trust Data now?

I trust him completely, Lieutenant, but everyone should also realize that that was a necessary and legitimate security question.

Thank you, sir.

( door opens )

Lesson number one in becoming more human:

You must observe all human customs.

Champagne?

An ancient ritual still practiced when they observe events of importance.

My brother, I toast our discovery of each other.

May it fill our lives with new meaning.

I have some doubts about the value of human customs... in this...

Brother...

And let us toast, also, Dr. Soong who gave me the full richness of human needs and ambitions.

A perfect match for my mind, my body.

Brother... help me.

And let us toast also the great crystal entity with whom I learned to communicate.

Before Dr. Soong disassembled me

I earned its gratitude by revealing the way to the colonists.

Can you imagine its gratitude when I give it the life on this vessel?

This is strange, sir.

I show Commander Data transmitting on a subspace channel.

I know Data's been doing considerable research into Dr. Soong's background.

Let's be sure.

Wesley, would you look in on Commander Data, discreetly?

Yes, sir.

Crystal entity upon arriving here you can identify me as the machine named Data.

( door chime )

End of message.

Come in, please.

Glad you were here, Wesley.

Lore suddenly attacked me and I had to turn him off.

Why did he do that, Data?

He discovered we have been using sensors to follow what he does.

I practiced his facial tic.

Do I have it right?

I'd suggest you forget imitating him.

If you'd said

we've been using the sensors instead of we have

I might have suspected you were Lore.

Yes, I do use language more formally than Lore.

Please inform the Captain

I will come up on the Bridge and report on this.

Aye, sir.

Wes, tell me again how Data said he immobilized Lore.

He told me he just turned him off, Mom... uh, Doctor.

Question, Mr. Data.

Did you or did you not swear me to secrecy about your off switch?

A change of mind, Doctor.

If I cannot trust the Bridge crew, whom can I?

Captain, I'm picking up a bogey coming in on a five o'clock tangent.

YAR: It's transmitting no ID signal, Captain.

RIKER: Set main viewer on that tangent.

PICARD: Shields up; go to yellow alert.

Transmit friendly greetings-- all languages, all frequencies.

I can't believe anything's overtaking us this fast.

Beautiful, isn't it?

I recognize it, sir.

It's the crystal image Lore described.

My God.

YAR: Still no ID being transmitted, sir.

Also no answer to our inquiries.

Did you get a direct look at it?

It's like a giant snowflake crystal but much more complex.

The entire electromagnetic spectrum seems to play about inside it, but I haven't the slightest idea what it is, sir.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

Data, if there's anything else that Lore could tell us about it it may be important.

Can you control him enough to question him?

I will have to examine him to know, sir.

Captain, recommend that you do not let...

him roam the ship freely.

Ensign.

Wesley is simply showing himself to be alert and responsible, something to be encouraged.

Come. You can watch everything I do.

Not if I have a choice.

That is enough, Ensign!

When addressing a senior officer...

I've guided his training, sir. I'm the one at fault.

You will show the proper respect.

I will accompany you down there to make certain of it.

With your approval, of course, sir.

Careful of Lore.

Good, he is still unconscious.

Notice the same twitch even though he is unconscious.

Stay back.

We may have problems if he senses someone else is near.

Lore.

I have a few questions to ask you.

Lore, it is Data.

He senses you.

I cannot control him if you stay.

Please, I will record everything he says.

And you bring it to the Bridge immediately.

And you want to be as stupid as them... dear brother?

PICARD: Well, Number One?

It was Lore, sir-- same facial twitches that we've seen all along lying unconscious on the floor exactly as Data had described and then it suddenly became violent apparently sensing that Wesley and I were present.

Or is it Lore pretending to be Data and faking it all?

I asked for Commander Riker's report

acting Ensign Crusher and since it now seems clear that you are unable to function within the limits of that appointment...

Captain.

Deflector shields holding, sir.

Bring photon torpedoes to ready.

Main phasers to ready.

Go to red alert, please.

Weapons now readied, sir.

No, Captain, let me talk to it.

You didn't say you could do that.

Affirmative. Talk to it.

Open hailing frequencies.

Crystal form, I identify myself as Data.

Advising you to stop your attack.

The humans here are powerful-- capable of injuring or even destroying you.

Now I call that communicating.

Suggest moving fast to confirm what I told it, sir.

Permission to use the large transporter in Cargo Room Three.

There I can beam up some living pattern, perhaps a large tree.

Which you'll beam over next to the entity.

That is correct, Riker.

Our ship's phasers will then blast and disintegrate it proving we are dangerous.

Make it so.

Sir?

Do it.

Sir, I know this may finish me as acting Ensign...

Shut up, Wesley.

Lieutenant, pick a good security team and let me know what he does.

Aye, sir.

"Shut up, Wesley"?

Doctor...

And since I am finished here, sir may I point out...

Shut up, Wesley.

That everything that I have said would've been listened to if it came from an adult officer.

Request permission to return to my quarters, sir.

Agreed. Doctor, go with him.

You're putting me off the Bridge?

I'm asking you to keep an eye on your son during all of this, Doctor.

( alarm sounding )

Emergency close.

Now show me your warrior fierceness.

I'll look.

But I shouldn't have let you talk me into this.

Mom, it's Data!

He's been hurt.

It's Data, Mom.

I heard you know how to turn them on.

This is very serious.

So just tell me to "Shut up, Wesley" and I will.

You're being very unfair, Wes.

Data, the crystal thing is outside somewhere close to the ship and Lore is loose on the inside.

How badly are you hurt, Data?

I will function sufficiently to stop Lore, Doctor.

Crystal entity form, it's your old friend.

Very good.

You've understood perfectly so far.

Next I will signal that I'm about to transport something out at which time the deflector shields will turn off for a moment and if you move in at that time it...

How sad, dear brother.

You make me wish I were an only child.

Then why this marvelous gift?

The troublesome little man-child.

Are you prepared for the kind of death you've earned, little man?

If you take one more step towards my son...

Ah... motherhood.

Back off or I'll turn your little man into a torch.

I promise him exquisite pain unless you obey me, too, brother.

Move away, Data.

Please.

Do you see now the advantages of being completely human?

It includes kindness.

I give you your life, Doctor.

Go quickly and I may not injure your son at all.

I will stay with Wesley, Doctor.

Go!

Or he'll be shrieking by the count of five.

One two three four...

Thank you for my human qualities, Dr. Soong.

Wait!

A small payment for your son's misdeeds.

Wes, the transporter.

Wesley, now!

Lore's gone, sir. Permanently.

Doctor, now that Wesley's safe, go to Sick Bay at once.

Captain, that crystal thing has begun to move away.

Data, you all right?

Yes, sir, I'm fine.

Then get rid of that damned twitch and put on a correct uniform.

Yes, Captain.

Ensign Crusher, you able to return to duty?

Yes, sir.

Then do so and let the Bridge know that all is well down here.

Aye, sir.

RIKER: It's gone, sir.

Without Lore, it had no way to reach us.

And we're overdue for our computer refit.

Number One, have you ever considered whether Data is more human or less human than we want?

I only wish we were all as well-balanced, sir.

Agreed.