The BLTS Archive - Three of Swords
Second in The Swords Suite
by DataToy (DataToy711@aol.com)

---


January 2000

Heartfelt gratitude to Laur for being at my beck and call *grin*

---
And then Data burst into tears. "Geordi... I know how stupid this must
sound after I spent so many years wishing I were human, but... but I
miss Data..."

-from Two of Swords
---
So what do U know, U and me finally face 2 face
Checkin' each other up and down
in all the obvious places
Was there ever a reason to be apart?
The air that fills up this room says, "not hardly"
So this is where U end and U and I begin...

Now ur mind is open 2 poetry
Ur heart has never been broken
until U've heard these words:
"Ur body was designed 2 respond 2 mine
in spite of ur desire 2 mold me"

- Prince, The greatest romance ever sold
---

"Commander Data?" the captain inquired with an arched eyebrow. "Is
anything the matter?"

Data blinked and looked at the worried faces around the conference
table. It's nothing, he thought, swallowing. Get a  grip, come on...
Ignore it.

Geordi tensed. "Data?" he said, scrutinizing the former android.

"I'm -I'm sorry, sir," Data stammered. He folded his hands neatly  in
an effort to stop them from trembling. "Would you repeat your 
question, please?"

"Mr. Data, are you ill?" the captain asked.

Data stopped, momentarily closing his eyes. His breathing was
accelerating and a sheen of sweat had begun to cover his features. He
cleared his throat. "No, sir. I am fine."

"Commander," Captain Picard warned with a tone of voice that  signaled
he wasn't inclined to listen to any excuses. He glanced
at Dr. Crusher, who nodded and discreetly reached into her lab  coat
pocket for her tricorder.

Geordi turned sideways and took his friend by the shoulders, forcing
the former android to face him. To the engineer's  surprise, Data
winced, supressing a gasp.

"Data, what is it?" Geordi demanded, frowning. Lately, Data's 
behavior had been decidedly worrisome. He'd been remote,  submerging
himself in work as he had before their vacation on
Paradisia. Often he woke up in the middle of the night  whimpering.
When Geordi pressed him with questions, Data turned his back irritably
and refused to talk. Geordi had considered
alerting Deanna but in the end, he had decided to give Data some  time
to deal with whatever was bothering him.

Obviously, I should've told her... Geordi thought, studying his lover.
C'mon, talk to me... What's really going on?

Data shook his head stiffly. "Nothing... it's nothing," he countered,
but his pale, drawn expression said otherwise. He grew uncomfortably
aware that the staff meeting had come to a grinding halt. Counselor
Troi was looking at him with widening eyes.

It's even worse than I imagined, she realized, her cheeks burning with
guilt. How could I have failed him so utterly?

Dr. Crusher placed her tricorder upon the table with a click,crossed
her arms and looked at Data with a measured expression.

"Doc, what's wrong with him?" Geordi demanded.

Oh no, Data thought. Now they'll all know that I...

"Data!" the counselor exclaimed. "Captain, he's in pain-"

A harsh breath escaped Data and he could no longer maintain his
pretense. He screwed his eyes shut to prevent a flow of tears from
running down his cheeks. "I... I thought I could wait and... go to
Sickbay after... the meeting was over," he managed between sharp gasps
as the counselor, Dr. Crusher, Worf, Riker and the captain converged
on him.

"What the hell happened?" Geordi said, hands circling Data's arms.
"Where are you hurt?"

"Lift his shirt, and you'll see for yourself," a familiar, sardonic
voice proclaimed.

"Q," Picard growled.

"A pleasure as always, Jean-Luc," Q said wryly as he approached Data,
"but you'll forgive me if I have more pressing matters at the moment."

Riker and Worf grudgingly moved aside and Q bent down in front of
Data. "Tsk, tsk."

Data was staring up at the omnipotent being, his golden eyes
reflecting a mixture of shock, timidity and nervousness, and at that
moment it seemed not a day had passed since his
transformation.

"Data... and you were doing so well," Q admonished. "You've been human
for over a year. Just a few months ago, you wouldn't have tried to do
something so foolish... Isn't that true?"

"What are you talking about, Q?" the captain asked tersely. "What has
he done?"

"Bear with me, Jean-Luc," Q drawled. "You're lucky I'm in a generous
mood. You're the one I hold accountable for Data's well-being." Then
he slowly raised Data's shirt.

Data released a trembling sigh as the long, red burn that zig-zagged
across his stomach was revealed.

"Oh god, Data..." Geordi murmured.

"Always searching for ways to enhance things, aren't you, Data?" Q
said softly. "Why is that? Why are you so obsessed with improving the
long range sensor array, the subspace field coils,
the flux energy output, ad infinitum?"

Data held onto the seat of his chair so tightly that his knuckles were
white. "It's... it's what I'm -I have to do it," he blurted, his
features tense with pain.

"Let's see," Q said, peering into Data's golden eyes. "You were in one
of those Jeffries Tubes, removing the insulation from the conduits,"
he continued relentlessly as Data shrank lower in his chair. "That was
when an energy surge knocked you unconscious."

Geordi groaned. He pictured Data crawling through the ship, tampering
with the engines, my engines, the engineer thought, his stomach
churning. Another thing he's hidden from me... And then Geordi's lips
trembled as he gazed again at Data's raw flesh.

"Just what the hell were you doing in there?" Geordi said, his voice
strained.

Data opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again, but none of the
protests he was formulating were capable of moving past his lips.

"It should have killed him," Q said. "But I didn't allow it," he
added, shaking his head.

Captain Picard narrowed his eyes, watching Q suspiciously.

"Your gratitude overwhelms me," Q said. Abruptly, he jabbed at Data's
tender flesh.

Data flinched and cried out, his face almost completely drained of
color. Everyone in the room moved closer to him, glaring at Q.

"All right, Q, just what is the meaning of this?" Captain Picard
hissed through clenched teeth. "We have done our very best with Data-"

"I'd say that was obvious," Q snorted mockingly.

"You are the one toying with him now," the captain thundered. "I will
not stand idly by while he is suffering." With a brisk slap to his
commbadge, he said, "Bridge, beam Dr. Crusher and Mr. Data to
Sickbay-"

Q dismissed Captain Picard's words with an impatient wave of the hand,
his mouth twisting in annoyance. "I'll tolerate no more interference
from you slow-witted humans," he said, and in an
instant, they all materialized in the farthest corner of the room.

"If you know what's good for you," he cautioned, grimly serious,
"don't move from that spot. Data and I need to have another little
chat, don't we, Data?" he continued with a gentler tone.

Data looked at Q with tear-stained cheeks, shaking with pain.
"Please," he whispered at last, "it hurts..."

"It hurts. Does it now. Then why didn't you go to Sickbay when you
awoke?" Q asked.

"I... I went to my quarters..." Data began, his voice barely audible.

"Actually, it would be more appropriate to say, snuck into your
quarters, wouldn't it? Scurried down the corridors with your arms
tightly folded over your damaged uniform," Q said with a hint of
exasperation.

"Yes..." Data confessed, humiliated and bewildered by his own
irrational behavior. He dimly recalled how he'd thought his injury
wasn't that severe, that a trip to Sickbay could be delayed long
enough for him to attend the scheduled senior staff meeting. But now,
with every second that went by, the pain increased. He gritted his
teeth. I don't want this, he thought. I don't want this body. It's not
mine. It's not me...

"So you dragged yourself here rather than go to Sickbay." Q smiled.
"Was this meeting really that important?" he asked, glancing at the
others with an arched eyebrow.

Some color came to Data's sallow cheeks. He searched for a logical
response, the pain making it difficult for him to think coherently. He
lowered his head.

"All right then," Q said, taking Data's face firmly between his hands,
"let me ask you this: do you want to be human?"

Before he could stop himself, Data sighed.

"I thought you wanted to be human more than anything," Q said
carefully.

Data sighed once more, his gaze dropping to his feet.

"Could it be that the old adage is true? Be careful what you wish
for?" Q said, but without malice. "Are you happy, now that you're
human, Data?"

Data shrugged ever so slightly, his golden eyes flicking in Q's
direction. "I... I do not know," he admitted softly, sweat
rolling down his temples.

Geordi swore under his breath. Not since the night he'd confronted
Data, that night when they had first made love, had the former android
used full forms instead of contractions.

"How well you've learned to lie," Q scolded. "Fooled them all, didn't
you? Your all-seeing père, your bleeding heart counselor, your
devoted lover... " he said derisively, "again."

With a gesture so quick it was a blur, his hand lashed out at Data's
throat and he hoisted the golden eyed man from his seat.Data cried out
in agony and tried to hunch over, but Q forced
the former android to stand straight, stretching him
mercilessly.Data's breath caught in his throat and his hands tightened
around Q's wrist.

Worf and Riker exchanged a nod and rushed the omipotent being. Q
didn't even turn around and before they had taken more than a few
steps, an invisible hand flung the pair against the bulkhead,where
they disappeared.

"I want you to tell me the truth, Data," Q said menacingly as he held
Data in his grasp. "Tell me what you want."

"I... I... didn't need... your damn help..." Data rasped, his mouth
contorting as Q began to lift him off the ground.

"So you'd have preferred Dr. Butterfingers? I can arrange that," he
threatened.

"Fuck him..." Data said in a tortured whisper, his feet kicking in the
air as he squirmed in Q's grip, "and fuck... you..." Hot, angry tears
streaked his face.

"Very good," Q said with a shrewd smile. But he wasn't satisfied yet.
Shaking Data back and forth a little, he repeated, "tell me what you
want, human." Then with his other hand he struck Data's stomach.

"Hell... with you!" Data screeched, his voice raw. "I am... an
android..." he cried and Q dropped him on the floor with a thud.

"Fuck you... you goddamn son of a bitch... I hate... I hate your
fucking guts..." Data snarled, lashing out at Q bitterly. He slammed
his fists against the floor. "Why couldn't you just... leave me
alone..." he wept.

No one in the room moved.

"Finally, the truth," Q said quietly. He got down on one knee next to
Data. "Being human isn't all that it's cracked up to be,is it?" he
continued, gliding his palm over Data's stomach with the flair of a
illusionist.

Data gasped softly. "The pain is gone," he murmured, As he raised a
hand to wipe away his tears, he drew in a sharp breath. His hand.
Gold... my skin is gold-

"Data!" Geordi choked.

Data sat up, holding trembling hands before his eyes, and for the
first time, golden tears rolled down his cheeks. He turned his
dumbfounded gaze to the others. "Look, look, look!" he repeated
ecstatically, thrusting his hands with each word.

He tried to get up but Q stopped him and placed his hand on Data's
forehead. The android went limp. Effortlessly, Q eased him to the
deck.

"Patience, golden boy," Q said, throwing a glance over his shoulder at
the captain, "let me just rewrite a few pieces of software... Add a
few of my own..." he drawled, his finger tracing unseen words in the
air.

"Why don't you just leave him alone!" Geordi protested in anger. Troi
tugged warningly at his arm.

"Voil agrave," Q said with a flourish, ignoring the
engineer."Deception won't come so easily now, my android friend."

"He's a living being, not a puppet!" Dr. Crusher pleaded. "Is
torturing defenseless creatures the only thing that gives you
pleasure?"

"I would ask you if she's always this annoying, except I know the
answer," Q said and rubbed his temple, feigning a headache. There was
a flash and then only he and Picard remained in the room.

"Are you quite finished playing games with Data, Q?" the captain
asked, observing the omnipotent being with thinly veiled contempt.

"It wasn't a game, mon capitaine," Q stated candidly.

The captain scoffed.

"Believe whatever you want. If I hadn't intervened during
Data's-hearing," he emphasized sarcastically, "the android would be
nothing more than a collection of lifeless subprocessors
right now. Still, I suppose it would have made for a fascinating
museum exhibit."

"Why didn't you simply repair his programming?" Picard asked coldly.

Q huffed and pursed his lips. "I made a slight miscalculation,"he
admitted reluctantly. "I truly thought... Data would enjoy being
human. I was... trying to be nice," he conceded with a surly tone of
voice.

It sounded so absurd coming out of Q that Picard almost laughed. "So.
You didn't have to do what you did."

"Mais oui, mon capitaine," Q spat. "It was the most convincing way to
show that Data has what you humans call a soul."

Picard did not reply.

"Humans have always discriminated against those who are different.
Data didn't have a chance. It wouldn't have made any difference even
if he'd cried rivers of golden tears. No matter how eloquently you
argued that humans are only a different kind of machine, when people
like Maddox and Louvois looked at Data, all they could see was the
circuitry and golden skin. And they weren't the only ones," Q said
scathingly. "You're the exception, Picard... Though it took some
convincing."

The captain's throat clenched as he recalled his conversation with
Data, before the hearing. Just as  Maddox, he'd been guilty of
contemplating how very useful more androids like Data would be.

"You have made your point, Q," Picard conceded stiffly.

"Well, my work here is done... for now," Q gloated. His expression
grew sour. "Besides, she's about to start yapping again." And with
that he was gone.

An instant later, the captain's commbadge chirped. "Crusher to Picard.
Please come to Sickbay immediately."

"Acknowledged." Giving his uniform a sharp tug, Picard headed for the
door.

---

Sounds. Voices... Where am I?

"His systems are coming back online," Geordi said, his jaw set,
running a tricorder over the android. "Whoa... I'm getting some
unusual readings here..."

Data found that he was able to open his eyes; he was lying on a bed,
surrounded by... he couldn't recall who they were. His lips parted but
he wasn't able to speak, and there was an
uncomfortable sensation in his chest, a burning weight he couldn't
identify. His eyes filled with distress. Suddenly, he took a hungry,
ragged breath and sat up, panting fiercely.

"Data! What's the matter? Are you all right?" the counselor asked,
taking his hand in hers. Data snatched his hand away and Troi gasped.
"Geordi -he's afraid!"

The android tumbled off the bed and took a few staggering steps,
knocking a table over. The instruments scattered under his feet,
tripping him so he fell to the ground with a cry. Geordi hurried to
Data's aid but the android scampered away and crawled into a corner.
He curled up and clutched his head, rocking back and forth.

"Give him space -he needs to recover," Deanna said quickly.

Geordi took a step back, watching Data intently.

Soon after, Data began to calm himself, no longer resisting
the flow of imput. "Accessing," he said softly. "Accessing."

He sighed deeply and leaned back, letting his body sag against the
wall. His golden eyes went slightly out of focus. "Restored emotional
response program... functional... Sensory stimulation program...
functional... Dream program... functional... Rest mode program...
functional... Immune system program... functional...Taste program...
functional..." Data murmured as he processed the software that Q had
added to his original programming.

Shaking his head, Geordi listened with growing incredulity as Data
recited one program after another. Immune system program? Geordi
thought, frowning. What the hell is all this?

"Reconfiguration complete," Data finally intoned. "Regeneration
procedure beginning in one minute." Then he blinked, and his eyes
wandered around the room. "Geordi," he said weakly, "Dr. Crusher...
Counselor Troi. Where am I?"

They rushed over to him, taking him by the arms and gently lifting him
from the floor, then they guided him back to the bed. Data's eyelids
fluttered and his head swayed slightly.

"Data, you're in Sickbay. Do you remember what happened? Are you all
right?" Dr. Crusher asked.

"I... I do not know," Data said as Geordi helped him lie down. "It is
difficult... to think clearly. I feel confused... and -and tired..."

"But Data, you can't feel tired. You're an android," the doctor said.

"Do not tell me how I am supposed to feel!" Data retorted indignantly.
"I feel tired." He sighed wearily. "In fact, I feel very tired."

He's repeating himself, Geordi thought, more dazed by the second. Once
again he ran a tricorder over the android. "Some of his systems are
beginning... to shut down again, in what looks like... a preset
sequence," he faltered, scratching his head. "I've never seen anything
like this before."

The doors opened with a whisper and Captain Picard strode into
Sickbay. "Mr. LaForge. Report."

Geordi shrugged helplessly. "I think that he's entering some sort
of... regenerative state. It actually seems that he can reach a point
where his power reserves are exhausted."

"Captain," Data murmured drowsily.

"Data," he answered, coming to the android's side.

"Do not worry," Data said. Then his eyes closed, and his respiration
deepened.

Geordi shook his head. "I can't believe this..." He peered at the
tricorder, and looked at Data again.

"It's like... he's sleeping," Dr. Crusher said. Her fingers flew over
the diagnostics panel.

The captain stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It appears that once more,
Q has decided to bestow gifts upon our Data."

As if on cue, Data sighed and shifted to his side, drawing his arms to
his chest.

"Look at that!" Geordi exclaimed softly. He's moving in his sleep like
a human would. Except that Data was an android again. Suddenly an
image of Data lying on their bed as he was now,
though undressed, smooth golden skin from head to toe, insinuated
itself in Geordi's mind... And then he was reminded of one of the
programs that Data had mentioned. 'Sensory
stimulation.'

Geordi swallowed, a warm sensation filtering from his heart and
heading downwards. Whoa, better snap out of it...

"Data should be kept under close observation until he awakens," Dr.
Crusher was saying.

Picard turned to Geordi. "Mr. LaForge, do you have an estimate of how
long this... regenerative state will last?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, captain. I could calculate when the
power levels return to normal based on percent increases, but I think
it's still too early to tell. I have no idea exactly what Q has done
to Data's neural net yet."

"I have no cause to believe that Q would wish to harm him," Captain
Picard reflected. "Notify me when Commander Data is conscious."

"Yes, sir," Geordi replied.

---

Approximatively eleven hours later, a golden hand stirred.

Geordi was immediately by his side, joined by the doctor and Deanna.
He watched expectantly as Data slowly opened his eyelids, but the
engineer was bowled over when Data yawned and rubbed his eyes with the
back of curled fingers... then stretched. Geordi braced himself
against the bed.

Data sat up. He groaned and cradled his forehead.

Putting his hand on the android's shoulder, Geordi asked, "Data!
What's the matter?"

"I feel somewhat dizzy," Data answered. "But it will be all right."

"Crusher to Picard, Data is conscious. He appears to be in stable
condition."

The empath took Data's hand in hers, and he squeezed it gently.

She smiled, amazed and relieved. Incredibly, Data was completely aware
of his own feelings, and he reacted to the sensations he
was experiencing as though it had happened to him a thousand times
before. She remembered how distraught Data had been when he awoke to
find himself transformed into a human being, overwhelmed by strange
perceptions. Now, he was calm and in control; he seemed to know
exactly what was going on and why.

Geordi glanced in her direction.

"He is fine," Deanna reassured him, her voice tinged with wonder.

Data blinked a few times, and raising his head, he smiled. "Yes, I am
fine, Geordi. I sat up too quickly." Then, frowning, he asked, "Why am
I in Sickbay?"

"Data... do you remember what happened to you?" the doctor asked
carefully.

The android frowned, apparently searching for an answer.

Geordi held his breath as he waited for Data to reply. His eyes aren't
darting from side to side. He's... he's lost in thought!Aside from
Data's familiar, formal way of speaking, all his
other mannerisms were so natural, so... human.

Then Data's golden eyes widened as the truth suddenly hit him."Q," he
whispered. "Yes... now I recall what transpired." He swung his legs
over the side of the bed and hopped off. He began to walk around
Sickbay, the memories flooding his neural
pathways.

"Q mended my programming and restored me," he said softly. "I am... I
am me again," he continued, gazing at his hands and feeling his chest
beneath his uniform. Tears appeared at the corners of his eyes, and
his breathing quickened.

Geordi hastened towards Data. "Lemme check something," he said,
placing a finger against the android's neck. "Data," the engineer
marvelled despite himself, "your heart is beating faster."

Data smiled through his tears and a small, perplexed laugh escaped
him. "Of course my heart is beating faster," he said. "Why does that
surprise you? I feel so happy, Geordi. It is so
good to know who I am. I never should have wished to be anything other
than what I was meant to be."

Obviously, Data wasn't aware of the extent to which Q had altered him,
the engineer realized. Should I tell him? Geordi wondered. I'll worry
about it later... "I'm just glad you're okay," he
said, patting Data on the back.

Captain Picard entered Sickbay. "Mr. Data," he said, studying the
android closely. "I trust you are feeling well?"

"Yes, sir," the android replied. "I do not think I have ever felt
better in my life."

"He is in perfect condition," Dr. Crusher granted, consulting her
tricorder.

"No doubt about it," Geordi agreed with a grin.

"Splendid," Picard said.

"Although," Data said slowly, "if you will permit it, captain, I
request to be temporarily relieved of duty. I believe I need time
to... to reacquaint myself with being an android, now that I am
once again functioning within normal parameters," he said, his lips
etched in a serene smile.

There was a lump in Geordi's throat as he listened to Data'searnest
words. He'd never seen Data so content, so peaceful. The engineer had
to fight the urge to walk over and take him in his arms. My Data is
back, he thought.

"Permission granted," the captain said once he'd recovered from his
surprise.

"Thank you, sir," Data said. "I appreciate your understanding."

"Perhaps Mr. LaForge would be of help while you readjust," the captain
offered.

"You are most kind, captain," Data answered, turning to smile at
Geordi, whose heart tightened.

"I think I could use a few days off after all this," Geordi said.
"Thank you, captain."

"I'll expect you both back on duty in seventy-two hours," Picard said
benevolently. "Dismissed."

---

"Let me look at you for a second," Geordi said, once they'd stepped
inside their quarters, delighting in the sight of his companion. He
sat upon the bed, holding Data by the wrists as the
android stood before him. "Just let me look at you."

Data's lips softened into a smile. "Is that all you wish to do,
Geordi?"

"Well... I've always wanted to know... about those multiple techniques
of yours," the engineer confessed with a trembling laugh.

"Ah..." Data said, and he bit his lower lip. "The captain has given us
seventy-two hours. I am not certain that will be enough."

Chills teased the engineer's spine. "We could... start with a kiss,"
he ventured.

---

The End