The BLTS Archive - The Hellbound Heart #3: Last Exit for The Lost by Jadenlore --- Disclaimer: You know. Paramount owns Star Trek. I don't. Yadda- yadda-yadda. The song "Burn" is (c) 1994 Nine Inch Nails and Leaving Hope/ TVT Music. This is the third of a loose trilogy, following "In Extremis" and "Passing the Time." Rated NC-17 for: m/m sex, bdsm, violence, non- consensual activities, language, and even a little h/c. You've been warned. Don't read on if that sort of thing offends you or you are under-age. Special thanks to Jenny for helping me to kick-start this story and beta-reading. Feedback makes me happy, so send some, ok? --- "I'll enjoy making you bleed And I'll enjoy making you enjoy it." --Pinhead --- The thing he noticed right away was that the wall in front of him, the one that he was pinned up against, was so perfectly white. He could neither move his head to see whom or what was striking him repeatedly in the back, nor could he move his arms to defend himself. The repetitious blows on his back, which felt like they were made by something thin, like a switch or a crop, were becoming more painful with every lash. His body was straight, alert, yet immobilized by some invisible force. He was also alarmed to discover that he was incredibly aroused, and he felt his erection touch the cold tile wall. A hand reached around to touch it, stroking the length of it vigorously, coaxing him to orgasm, all the while the blows still rained down on him. At the peak of his passion, a voice whispered in his ear, "Had enough, dear brother?" Data awakened with a start, the disturbing image still filling his head, the last waves of his climax dissipating. Checking his chronometer, he discovered that it was 04:03, fifty-seven minutes before he was supposed to wake up. He impulsively looked over at the sleeping body of Geordi LaForge, hoping that he did not wake him up. Geordi did not need to know of the dreams, intense as they were, and getting stronger all the time. This was not the first time he'd had a dream of Lore, and he was sure it would not be the last. Data did not want to simply shut down his dream program to stop them. Little by little, they seemed to be revealing something, and Data wanted to know what it was. Geordi made a slight moan and tossed to his other side, arm stretching out over Data's chest. Since he did not need or want to go back to sleep, Data slid out from his sleeping lover's arm and proceeded to dress quickly and quietly. He walked to his computer console to look at it again for the fifty- second time, as though something had changed on the report. -- Stardate: 53975.2 From: Admiral Barto, Starfleet Command, Security Division To: Lieutenant Commander Data, current assignment NCC-1701 E Secure Access Only, Level Two Clearance Commander Data: I regret to inform you that the Soong-type android identified as Lore has been reassembled and has escaped from the Daystrom Institute. It has eluded capture thus far and its whereabouts are unknown. We suspect that it has taken a small vessel and is currently at large. You may be its next target, so extreme caution is advised. Captain Picard has been informed of the situation, however, Starfleet Command does not want this incident to become general knowledge. Standard security procedures apply. Should you come into contact with it, your orders are to terminate on sight. Good Luck, Admiral J. Barto -- Data sighed as he read it. Lore was loose--again. When he first received the message two months ago, he contacted Starfleet Command to find out the particulars of Lore's escape. It seemed Dr. Bruce Maddox, infuriated that Starfleet would not let him reassemble Lore for his experiments, had decided to smuggle Lore out of the Institute piece by piece, over several months. When Dr. Maddox was not heard from in several days, an investigation was dispatched to his home. Dr. Maddox was found, brutalized and with his head twisted completely around. Scans revealed that the android had left some strands of his synthetic hair, and Maddox had bioplast sheeting under his fingernails. Data was quickly ruled out, and it was then discovered what Maddox had done. Starfleet, not wanting to cause a panic, quickly covered up the entire incident. Data covered his face with his hands and wept quietly. He had never been so confused in all his life. He'd been happier than he had ever been, feeling so confident from his domination training, and then, finding the partner he never thought he would have in Geordi. Now_well, it seemed like the calm before the storm. Lore was out there, somewhere, most likely scheming and planning to put an end to his "dear brother." And how could he possibly have erotic feelings for Lore, after all he had done to him, the Enterprise, to Geordi, to his Father? Data reflected on the dream he had just awoken from. To his horror, he found himself becoming slightly aroused again. He knew that he could not go through the day like this, and made the decision to turn his emotion chip off today. He would just have to "fake it" in regards to his emotions to Geordi. They both knew Data did not turn the chip off unless he was under some extreme duress that would impair his duties. This counted as one of those times to Data, but he did not want to explain it to Geordi. "Brp," and off it went. Calming, soothing logic took over, calculations whizzed around Data's brain, and thoughts of a forbidden attraction to Lore were now impossible to fathom. It was 04:57, and time to wake the sleeping engineer for his duties. "Geordi, it is time to wake up," Data said as he gently shook the sleeper awake. "Mmmpph," came the mumbled reply, as Geordi rolled over onto his back. "Do I have to?" "Yes, Geordi, we have to be on duty in one hour, seventeen seconds. It is time to wake up." "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Geordi half-grumbled, sitting up and rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "Hey, you're already dressed." "Yes, I was woken by_" Data paused, choosing his words carefully, "a vivid dream." Data was hoping that Geordi did not notice the fact that he had turned his chip off. "Mmmm. I hope it was a good dream." He was putting his arms around Data, bringing his lips up for a kiss. "It was not_unpleasant," Data said. He hoped the uneasy tone in his voice was not noticeable as he accessed a technique program and kissed back. Moments later, the kiss was broken, Geordi was up and about, and Data sat alone on his bed, pondering what the rest of the day would be like. In a few minutes, Geordi stepped out of the sonic shower, and was pulling his trousers on. "Are we still on for tonight?" Geordi asked with a broad smile. "Oh. Yes. I will be there at 20:00," was Data's reply. He had nearly forgotten--today was Wednesday, and for the past several months, he and Geordi had a standing date in holodeck three on Wednesdays. He hoped the role-playing later might ease his mind and he could resume using the emotion chip. Only time would tell. Geordi sat down to breakfast, and the two discussed the day's schedule. Not much was happening on either end. Data then fed Spot feline supplement 123, and the two men left for their respective posts. In the turbolift, Data encountered Counselor Troi. "Hello, Data," she greeted, as she always did, with the big, beautiful smile. She began to look at him differently then. "Hello, Counselor," Data responded, noticing she was staring at him strangely. "Data, I'm not sensing any emotion from you. Did something happen between you and Geordi that made you want to turn off your emotion chip?" Her concern was genuine, if a bit nosy. Data tried to lie. "No, Counselor." Then he realized it was useless. He just could not convincingly lie without the chip. "Yes, Counselor. Something has happened that I am not at liberty to discuss, but has disturbed me nonetheless." "Data, do you want to talk about it?" This annoyed Data slightly, even without emotions. Although it was her job, it seemed that she was forever acting like talking to her was the immediate cure to all life's emotional problems. "Not at this time, Counselor." He paused, then asked her, "Could you please not mention this to anyone?" "Certainly, Data. I won't tell a soul," she said, bounding out of the turbolift, curiosity peaked. He decided to trust her (why should he not?), and exited onto the bridge to begin his daily duties. --- It should have had him climbing the walls with desire by now, but it didn't. He sat in the large wooden chair, legs crossed, staring at the man who was in front of him, naked, worshipping the knee high leather riding boots he was wearing. Everything was programmed perfectly (of course, he had done it himself, hadn't he?), from the sitting room, to the wall-sized window, to the cowering handmaids who were forced to watch them. He began to idly look at the sleeve of his red silk brocade frock coat and attempted to concentrate on the events at hand. But for every tap he gave Geordi on his back with the riding crop, he wished it was Lore striking the gold canvas of his own back for his breach of protocol. For every time Geordi's tongue slid along the calf of his boot, he imagined his brother rewarding him with a hard slap for the good job he would do with his twin's boots. And for every erotic thought he had of Lore, his self-revulsion grew deeper. Perhaps it was not such a good idea to turn the emotion chip back on. Geordi was completely oblivious to the fact that Data was paying him no mind, such was the ardor with which he licked Data's boots. He began to contemplate Geordi's devotion. When they had finally consummated their relationship on the shuttle, Geordi had not been fond of being dominated; he lacked enough discipline to accept the fact that he would not be instantly gratified. To his surprise, though, Geordi had agreed to go through formal training with Data. It was then discovered that Geordi preferred his submissive role, which left Data in the role of Master, something that did not displease him. They did not have this relationship all the time, but they did have their date on Wednesdays. They were together now, and that was all that mattered. Or was it? Why was he so consumed with thoughts of Lore? He had to stop this. "Geordi, please, I cannot go on," Data said apologetically. Geordi now sported a confused look as his brows knitted together and his lips parted to speak. Data got up and walked out of the holodeck, leaving Geordi to scramble for his uniform. Whom could he talk to? Captain Picard knew of the situation, but he would not play Data's shoulder to cry on. He decided on the only person he thought he could talk to. Stomping down the hall he barked "Data to Counselor Troi!" "Yes, Data," she replied with a cheerful tone a few moments later. "May I speak with you immediately?" "Of course, Data. I'm in my office." Data was already beating a quick path to her door. Within moments, he had arrived. When he entered, her smile quickly dropped away. "Good lord, Data, what's the matter?" she asked with genuine concern. He looked rather disheveled, a wild expression on his face. He had obviously come from the holodeck considering he was dressed as an Earth gentleman from the eighteenth century. However, his tone of voice did nothing to ease her worries. "I_ I am not sure. I_" she motioned for him to sit down next to her, which he did. "I am having disturbing dreams which seem to be consuming my thought processes even when I am awake." She sensed a soup of guilt, disgust, lust, and fear emanating from him. "Is it anything like the time when you were having nightmares from the interphasic creatures that were on board?" She shuddered at that thought and unconsciously touched her shoulder, having no desire to be stabbed again. "No, Counselor. I am not at liberty to discuss the details, but I have been informed by Starfleet that something has happened that may effect my very life." He looked downward and began to fiddle with a button on the long vest he wore under the frock coat, a motion Deanna found very human of him. "This event has been causing very disturbing images in my dreams of late." He looked up at her, deadly serious. "And they are getting stronger with each passing day." Deanna took Data's hand into her own. Her mind reached out to try and grasp for an image of what was upsetting the android, something she could usually do easily. He'd only had the emotions for a few years, and, unlike most humanoids, had not learned how to wall up the offending feelings. It was so easy to pluck what she wanted from him; even the occasional image would waft to her. This time, though, his mind was a steel trap; no images would get out to her tonight. "Data, I sense strong feelings of guilt and fear from you. Are you dreaming about someone other than Geordi? Is there some reason that you are afraid he is going to find out about them?" "Yes, Counselor." Somewhat cryptically, he added, "I am afraid we will all find out about them." Data tried to give her a comforting look as he abruptly left her office. She almost swooned as she went to the replicator on the far wall to order a hot chocolate, just the thing to try and wash away the intense despair that emanated from him as he left. --- That evening had not been pleasant when Data returned to his quarters. He knew he would have to tell Geordi something. He was right. Geordi was positively fuming when he returned. "Data, what the *hell* happened to you back there?!" he shouted. Data considered all the possible answers he could give for a millisecond and decided on the one that was easiest: the truth. "Geordi," he began, using his calmest tone of voice, "I do not want to upset you." "Upset me?" Geordi interrupted, anger flaming in his narrowing synthetic eyes. "I think you did a pretty good job of that already!" "I have been experiencing very disturbing images as a result of a report given to me by Starfleet that I am under orders not to discuss. It is causing me a rather large amount of duress." The anger was slowly draining from the engineer's eyes. "I have no wish to hurt you, Geordi, but I must deal with this on my own. I am sorry." "Dammit, Data, why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" questioned Geordi as he stepped up to Data, his rage still seething, but receding. "I did not want to get you involved. I care about you too much to have you troubled by something that may simply resolve itself." "Data," Geordi began, "things don't usually just resolve themselves. Why can't you confide in me, huh? Why don't you let me help you? You can tell me how you feel, right? I mean, that shouldn't violate any orders." Data looked at the floor, searching for the right words. The words Data felt were most appropriate came out instead. "You are right. Please forgive me." They embraced, Data taking in the warm feeling of being loved and wanted by Geordi, his best friend. Maybe things would be alright after all. --- He crouched on the ground, arms wrapped around his knees, repeating the words over and over again, like a mantra, while he rocked back and forth on his heels. *This world rejects me This world threw me away This world never gave me a chance This world gonna have to pay* He found the words in his database somewhere. He couldn't remember where he'd first seen them (that part of his brain was fried), but when they rose to the surface, he'd attached to them like an angst-ridden teenager would. *Life don't believe in your institutions I did what you want me to Like the cancer in your system I've got a little surprise for you* He was so close now, his brother, he could feel it. They had retained something since the last time they had met, some sort of bond. He could feel him, so close, so close_ You'll pay for that phaser blast, I guarantee it, brother_ *Something inside of me has opened up its eyes Why did you put it there, did you not realize This thing inside of me, it screams the loudest sound Sometimes I think I could Burn* --- "Captain, we're receiving a distress call originating from the Nephali IV colony," said Lieutenant Overfield who was on tactical duty this shift. Captain Picard looked surprised. "Let's hear it." The message, a standard repeating distress call, was coming from a tiny colony only 5.7 light years away. Since they were the closest ship, the Captain ordered that they go investigate and offer any help they could. Data had a bad feeling about it, but shrugged it off to the past few days' nervousness. Upon coming into orbit of the tiny, green planet, they discovered something interesting. "Captain, I'm not getting any sensor readings from the colony," said the confounded security officer. "Mr. Data, can you confirm this?" asked Captain Picard. Data quickly scanned the surface of the planet. "There appears to be some kind of dampening field surrounding the colony. Sensors cannot penetrate it, " Data stated. "Lieutenant Overfield, hail them," the Captain ordered. After a few moments, "No response, Captain." The Captain weighed his options and decided. "Mr. Data, get Commander LaForge's help and try and figure out a way to break through that dampening field. I would rather not have away teams down there with no idea of what they are getting into." Within minutes, Data was in engineering with Geordi. They tried and failed, and tried and failed again to break through the field, but to no avail. It could not be broken from the ship. Whatever was generating the field had to be shut down from the surface, there was no doubt about it. They reported this to Captain Picard, who decided that it was imperative to send away teams to help the distressed colony. Data became a bit more nervous when he heard of Counselor Troi's report of sensing a "cold malevolence" on the surface. Commander Riker arranged five teams of four persons each, making sure all carried a tricorder and at least one phaser. Dr. Crusher made sure at least one of her medical staff was assigned to each team. The plan was simple: this colony, being fairly new, only consisted of thirty-five humans. The dampening field covered the colony itself and stretched out ten kilometers beyond, so the away teams would beam in outside of the field and converge in on the colony. The drawbacks were that they would lose communications once under the field, and that the terrain was heavily overgrown, this being a tropical, jungle-like world. The teams assembled in transporter room three. Commander Riker gave a quick game plan/pep talk, and the teams started beaming down. Data was glad Geordi was on his team. He knew he could protect the engineer from whatever was down there, with his own life, if necessary. --- He could feel him, closer than ever now. Starfleet was here, just as he'd planned. They crept around the jungle, waving their tricorders around, looking for the colonists, trying to make their way to the colony. Well, they certainly wouldn't find the colonists without him (the ones that were still alive, anyway). They wouldn't detect him in their search, either. Thank goodness for those stupid Borg. At least, in their blind devotion, they had given him some useful knowledge. He didn't see Data, though. He'd just have to get the information he needed out of one of the vermin crawling around. Unfortunately for her, Ensign Swann was the vermin crawling closest to him. She stepped into a tiny clearing, separating from her group. In that instant, he was upon her, grabbing her from behind, one arm holding her still, one clasped over her mouth. "Don't make a sound, don't scream, or I'll snap your neck, got it, bitch?" She attempted to nod her head under his powerful grasp. Why was Commander Data acting like this? her mind questioned. It was his voice, his skin, but she noticed he wore no uniform, at least on his arms, which was all she could see of him. He slid his hand away from her lips. "C-Commander," she whispered, "why are you--" "I said shut up! Now, listen." He leaned in close to her. "Is Data on the planet and, if he is, where is he?" His voice was low, almost seductive as she felt hot breath in her ear. "Umm_" she paused to clear her head and think. "H-he did beam down with us. The last time I saw him he was about, umm, 600 meters that way." She angled her head west to indicate direction. "Thanks. That's all I needed to know." With that, he brought his left hand up into her red hair, held her away from his body, and began to punch with his right hand. His fist connected at the back of her head, smashing through her skull and spine, exiting her mouth. He curled his lip as a fountain of gore erupted against his forearm. He then lowered his arm and shook it, sloughing her body off as if she were an old coat. A large leaf served as a towel as he attempted to wipe all the dark red chunks from his skin while he kicked her body beneath some underbrush. He tried to press the scattered teeth he had dislodged from her mouth into the soft ground with the heel of his boot while he muttered to himself, something he'd been doing a lot of lately. "Stupid, filthy, fucking humanoids, full of disgusting fluids." Satisfied he was clean enough, and after thoroughly squashing her cranial tissue into the grass, he stood behind a fat tree, waiting for his next victim. I need a male this time, he thought. Hey, impersonating his dear brother had worked every other time, why not try it again? --- "Dammit!" Geordi exclaimed. Data took notice of his expletive and walked over to the engineer. "What is it, Geordi?" LaForge looked totally frustrated. "I have no idea where this field is coming from. I can't pinpoint the source." Data looked at his tricorder and nodded his head in agreement. "The best guess I can make is that this field is being generated from underground in several places. Probably under the colony itself. Data, we're all going to have to fan out to find out where it's coming from." A knot formed where Data's stomach would have been. Something here was definitely wrong. --- Stupid fucking Starfleet. When the *hell* did they decide that a five piece uniform was better or more efficient than a one or two piece uniform? If he could have shouted and ranted, he would have. It was hard enough to find one of the sheep strayed from their flock, let alone strip five articles of clothing from his body. That one had tried to put up a fight, too. When he was grabbed from behind and two golden fingers were inserted into his mouth to silence him, the lieutenant had bit down as hard as he could, nearly shearing off the tough bioplast sheeting. The lieutenant had been rewarded for his rebelliousness though. The golden fingers clamped down and roughly separated jaw from skull before a powerful hand had reached around and snapped his neck. The uniform he'd stolen was slightly baggy. Smoothing his fingers through his ragged hair to brush it back, he hoped that his brother still wore gold. --- "Geordi, I do not want to leave you by yourself," Data was pleading. "I have a bad feeling." Geordi looked at Data suspiciously. He had been acting so strange lately. "Data, we have to split up. We need to find the source of the dampening field. Everyone else is already ahead of us." Data flashed him a frightened look. Behind them, a very interested pair of eyes watched from the brush. Data looked down at the ground, scrunched his lips together in frustration, and focused his attention back to Geordi. "All right, but if you see anything out of the ordinary..." he started. "I'll yell for you," Geordi finished. In an action not approved by Starfleet, Data drew the engineer close to his body with one hand, and the two kissed deeply. The pair of eyes narrowed and the face behind them smiled at this stroke of good fortune. LaForge had set off to the southeast, scanning the ground with his tricorder, looking for anything that shouldn't be there. It was hard with the dampening field, but not impossible, he would just have to be thorough. He'd gotten about 100 meters when he heard rustling behind him. When he turned to look, Data was bounding out of the brush, a wide grin on his face, arms outstretched. "Data, I thought we had agreed to split up," Geordi spat at him with a bit of annoyance. "Hi, babe!" was the enthusiastic reply. He grabbed LaForge's face between his hands and gave him a hard, exaggerated kiss on the lips. Geordi looked a little more than confused. "Didja miss me?" "What the?!" was all the engineer could manage to stutter. The odd-acting android circled around to his back quickly, and, in a move that he had grown quite fond of lately, grabbed Geordi from behind. His hands began to roam up and down Geordi's body, all the while the stunned engineer knew he could not escape from this grasp. "So... you're my brother's keeper now, hmmm? Or are you his plaything? I must admit, you look better with those new eyes." Geordi's heart dropped into his shoes as sudden comprehension hit him. How could it be? He was supposed to be in pieces somewhere. The word could barely escape his lips. "L... Lore?" --- The tricorder in Data's hand sent out a little beeping noise, alerting him to the fact that there was a message coming in through it. Data thought this very strange at first, and then gasped at the message contained on the tiny screen: 7 kilometers southeast turn right walk 200.3 meters enter building through front door go into basement come alone, because I'VE GOT YOUR ENGINEER --- Data hurried along, not stopping for anything, not explaining to anyone where he was going, his mind racing faster than his feet, repeating "GeordiGeordiGeordi" over and over again. He cursed himself for not going with his instinct and staying with him. Who knew what Lore (it could only be Lore, right?) would do with his love. He reached what must have been the destination given to him on the tricorder. It was a small building towards the middle of town. No one had reached this far yet; at one point he was moving too fast to be seen. It was one of the plainer structures here: a bland pale beige color, rectangular in shape, a row of small glass windows lining the perimeter of the walls. Data perused the structure, looking for the slightest tactical advantage of this particular building. He saw none. Removing his phaser from its holster and setting it to level fourteen, he cautiously entered through the only door. It was dark inside, even with the small windows allowing light in. Data reasoned that his brother had cut the artificial lighting inside to make it more difficult for Data to see and Lore to be detected, but still he ventured forth. He found the door that must have led into the lower level after inspecting the two other openings and finding only one research room and one living quarters. He noticed his atmospheric intake had risen 13.7 percent and his "heartbeat" had sped up by 22.32 percent. Dammit, Dr. Soong, why did you give me these human responses! he thought as he crept down the hard metal steps into blackness. He then had the notion that he could deactivate his emotion chip to think with clear-headedness, but by then it was too late. The fingers had worked their way into the magic spot in his back and Data tumbled down the rest of the steps, oblivious to the fact he had been turned off. --- The perfectly white room materialized in front of his eyes, much like it had every time before. He wasn't against the wall like he was whenever he had made this visit before instead he was in the middle of the room, restrained, as always, by some invisible force. Something was dragging up and down his back, something sharp that threatened to cut him but didn't. He was aroused again by the exquisite pain, his obvious passion showing for all to see. He closed his eyes as slight moan escaped his lips. His reward was a hard slap across the face. His eyes snapped open, but he couldn't see who had struck him. A figure walked from behind him to the wall directly in front of his field of vision. It was Geordi, dressed in his uniform, staring at Data with narrowed eyes filled with disgust. For the first time, Data wished Geordi still wore his VISOR, so that it would hide the unnerving stare he was aiming in Data's direction. Geordi leaned up against the wall, perusing Data's body with his vicious look. It was almost as painful as the sensation running up and down Data's back, and he wished he turn his face in shame. "How could you, Data?" Geordi asked. "I mean, why did you do it? You left me alone out there." A tear welled up in Data's eye and threatened to spill down his cheek. Very matter-of-factly, Geordi added, "It doesn't matter. I don't belong to you anymore." The scraping behind him stopped abruptly. A body, clad in some unnatural material, pressed against him, hands reaching around to Data's chest, stroking him, tugging his nipples. Data couldn't help but moan again. Even in the face of Geordi's rejection, he was filled with desire for the figure behind him. The pair of hands slid up and down over him, touching his stomach, his hips, his thighs. Data thrust his hips, trying to move his aching erection towards the hands, but it was useless. "Uh-uh," the voice said. His own voice. The body stepped away from him, crossing into his view. Lore took up next to Geordi, who immediately put his arms around Data's twin. Lore looked at Data with that smug expression that he always wore, his "I'm in control" face. He was covered from neck to toe in a black latex bodysuit; on his knuckles were the claw-like instruments he had been using to scratch Data's back with. The suit was skintight, and the way it emphasized his body made Data want him even more. "Well, brother, it seems like I have something you lost." Lore spoke with a cheerful tone to his voice as his arm circled Geordi's shoulder. "I think this belongs to me now, just as you have belonged to me all along." Data tried to say something, to protest, but he couldn't. No sound would form inside of him, other than moans and grunts. "What's the matter, Data? Cat got your tongue?" Lore's superior attitude was becoming tiresome to Data. If only he could get loose, he'd show Lore who was in control. He tried squirming, shaking, rocking, and thrashing, but it was no use. He couldn't move. "Problem, brother dear?" Lore asked him as he started to approach. Lore's hand reached out and grabbed his cock firmly, sending a spasm through Data's body. "This belongs to *me*. You belong to *me*. You were created to service *me*, and don't ever think otherwise." Lore was nose to nose with Data now, staring him down. "Say it!" He twisted the penis in his hand a bit, making Data shudder. "Tell me that you belong to me!" Lore's smile was intoxicating, coaxing him, making him say the words he didn't want to say. "I belong to..." --- The shock of consciousness hit him as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head. It took a few milliseconds to realize that this wasn't the white room, he wasn't naked. He was, instead, in a dark room, made of a stone-like material. A basement, perhaps. Data's internal diagnostics went to work, telling him there was no damage to any of his systems. His chronometer told him that he was out for forty-seven minutes, fifty-three seconds. He had no idea that his dream program would work even when he was switched off. After the last one, he wished he didn't. Suddenly, he became aware that he was still restrained. He was sitting against a wall, his wrists were held with two large metal cuffs. The cuffs were connected to a metal bar that ran to two more cuffs that held his ankles. He flexed and tried to break free of the cuffs, but they were too strong even for him. He realized with a sudden horror that he now had a hard bulge at his crotch, as though his cock was waiting for the rest of his dream to come true. Almost in a panic, he began to wrench his arms and legs in opposite directions, trying desperately to free himself. "It won't work," the voice called. Data froze in place, trying to discern the direction the voice was coming from. He didn't have to strain long before the owner of the voice appeared. Lore stepped from a small door at the opposite end of the room. He was wearing part of a Starfleet uniform, the jacket and vest stripped off. His hair was a mess, his movements slow and calculated. He pulled Geordi behind him by the rope that he had used to secure the engineer's wrists. Data felt a wave of relief that Geordi was alive, but noticed it appeared Lore had been abusing him. Geordi's uniform top was ripped open, he had a black, swollen eye, and he was walking with a pronounced limp. "What have you done to him?" Data shouted at his brother, whose lips were curling into his most malicious smile. "Awww, did I hurt your widdle fuck? Yes, I guess I did," he sarcastically said his best baby voice as he pretended to eye Geordi up and down to asses his damage. "You know, humanoids will say many things when they are under physical stress." It was quite clear that Lore wanted to play a little game. "Oh, things like... the emotion chip (MY emotion chip, his mind screamed), the sensors in your skin, your relationship with your little fuck, here." Data squirmed uncomfortably, not knowing what Lore wanted or what he was going to do with them. "Please Lore, do not hurt him. I will do anything you want," Data tried to bargain with Lore. Lore brought his hand up to Geordi's exposed chest and dug his fingernails in, dragging them down to his stomach. As Geordi clenched his teeth and emitted a strangled howl of pain, Data noticed the blood welling up in the four scratch marks. It began to trickle downwards, and Lore put his hands into it, smearing it around, making Geordi's chest glisten with it. Suddenly, Lore tossed Geordi aside, slamming him hard into the wall. Data watched as he collapsed on the floor, probably unconscious. Lore crossed the room quickly, narrowing the distance between them. Upon reaching Data, he held out his bloody palm and forced his fingers into his brother's mouth, making Data taste the blood that was congealing in his fingerprints and under his nails. Never, in all the times he had lashed the engineer as his submissive, had Data ever spilled blood, and the fact that Lore had now done so enraged him beyond words. If he could have escaped, he would have torn his twin limb from limb, such was his anger. He did not like feeling like this; anger this strong was totally foreign to him. Something had to be done to make Lore stop. The android removed his fingers from Data's mouth, smiling all the time as Data spat the offending fluid from his mouth. "Well, brother, I was just going to kill you, but now I have this lovely human to practice on," Lore said with his usual smugness. All the time, Data was still struggling against his bonds, feeling the intense anger, but his desire was still there too, making the need to escape that much more intense. Lore bent down close to his brother, trying to make eye contact, asserting himself again. His hand grabbed Data's hair, softly at first, then roughly. He tossed Data to the side several meters. The bonds still held tightly, much to Data's chagrin. The android approached his fallen body with a maniacal look. His foot connected with Data's back, setting off diagnostic warnings in Data's positronic net. Another kick, and more warnings went off. He'd taken a moderate amount of damage with that last kick, and he knew Lore would not be stopping there. "I wonder what your plaything will feel when I do this to him?" Lore teased. "I'll have to be much gentler with him. I don't want to kill him right away." He positioned Data so that he was facing Geordi's unconscious body, which Lore was now heading for. "Too bad you're not sleeping with Wesley Crusher. I would have loved to pull him apart, piece by piece. He still deserves it." He scooped up LaForge, carefully smacking his cheeks and shaking him until he was awake. Data shut his eyes and wrenched as hard as he possibly could. He didn't care if he tore his arms off in the process, he had to get to Geordi. Lore studied Geordi carefully, deciding where he should start. There was obvious fear in the one unswollen eye turned towards him. Maybe, Lore thought, he should pluck it out and give it to his brother as a present. He turned again to Data, who was violently pulling his arms and legs in opposite directions to release himself from the cuffs. "Oh, brother dear, you will not be able to get out of those," Lore called in Data's general direction. "I had them specially made, just for you." He began walking closer, dragging the engineer behind by his hands. "Of course, you could simply detach your arms, but then, that would make it pretty hard to save your toy, now, wouldn't it?" Data couldn't argue with that logic. How could he take his brother down without arms to tear at him with? Lore was feeling good now, completely in control. He untied Geordi's hands, and brought one of the engineer's arms up behind his back. Lore heard the words in his head again, the ones that he wanted to save until this moment, the ones that seemed so appropriate. *I am the agent I am corruption I am the angel of your destruction I am subversion secret desire I am your future swallow down all that fire* "So, Data, what sound do you think he'll make when I pop his arms out of their sockets?" Data was practically crying, partly because of the horrible, pained look on Geordi's face, partly because he was filled with a rage that had no outlet. When the first golden tear slid down his cheek, it did not go unnoticed. "What the hell?" Lore said, an incredulous tone in his voice. He dropped LaForge, letting him slump to the ground as he approached Data. He was transfixed on the liquid that collected under Data's chin and then fell in a drop onto his uniform. "He gave you tear ducts?" His jealousy was all consuming. He caught a drop on his index finger, looking at it. "I can't believe it." He turned his attention back to Data. "He gave you everything. He gave me nothing." "He gave you life, Lore," Data managed to spit out quietly. "He gave you EVERYTHING; he gave me NOTHING!!" Lore screamed. Lore had been many things in his short life: son, traitor, rogue, leader. But the one thing that always kept him going was his intense envy. Envy of humanity at first, envy of his brother later on. He knew Soong didn't care about him the way he cared for Data, and the old man paid for it. He'd offered his brother numerous chances to join him, but, in the end, he'd always gone back to Starfleet. When Data struck him down the last time with the phaser shot, something inside him had died. He'd lost a good amount of his processes and many of his memories, but his envy and hatred had remained alive. He knew he'd been resurrected to take Data down with him. He would not let this opportunity pass him by this time. He got up from Data's side, his tear-induced trance over. The time for games was over. Walking over to the far wall, he uncovered his weapon of choice. He slid his hand over the smooth wooden handle, traced his finger over the sharpened blade. The ancient axe felt powerful, brutal, and very right in his hands. No phasers to finish it quickly this time; Data was going to *feel* this. As he began to raise it, a loud noise was heard, almost like the sound of -- a generator being switched off. As the realization hit, they found themselves engulfed in a transporter beam, ready to take them home. --- Data stood next to Geordi as Dr. Crusher worked on his injuries in sickbay. Luckily, he wasn't hurt badly, just a black eye, a slight concussion, a fracture of the tibia, and the deep scratches in his chest. Data refrained from having his own damage repaired until he knew Geordi would be fine. Watching Dr. Crusher work, Data held Geordi's hand until all his wounds were healed and he was given a hypospray to arouse him from his unconscious state. Geordi blinked and looked around, finally resting his gaze on Data. He visibly shuddered and tried to back away from the android, wrestling his hand from Data's light grasp. "Geordi, it is me, Data," he tried to reason. Geordi would have none of it. He backed up on the biobed, fear written all over his face. Dr. Crusher stepped in at this point. "Data, perhaps you should wait outside until Geordi is feeling better." Crestfallen, Data did as she asked, waiting outside until the inevitable happened: Counselor Troi would whisk Geordi away to her office and try to help him sort out the whole experience. He started to pace, and then caught himself. He never paced before. When the doors behind him opened, he jumped slightly. This whole experience had left everyone shaken, and no one more so than Data. He turned to see Dr. Crusher approaching him with a look on her face that Data knew humans affected when they had bad news. "Data, I'm sorry, but_ Geordi does not want to see you at all," she said to him, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. Data thought about this for a moment. It was not surprising, considering what Lore had done to him. "I understand, doctor." "However, he is going to be just fine, physically." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Data, I want to fix the damage that was done to you. I'm releasing Geordi into Deanna's care for now. When she comes for him, I want to see you inside, ok?" "Yes, doctor. I will wait." He stood in the hall, mind stewing with the events of late, until Counselor Troi arrived at the sickbay doors. She asked him a few perfunctory questions about how he was functioning and made her standard offer of coming to see her if he wanted to talk. She went inside and exited a few minutes later with Geordi in tow, her arm around his shoulders, her voice soft and comforting. With a profound sense of loss, Data watched them at a distance, rounding the corner and leaving his sight. He sighed deeply, and entered sickbay to have his damage repaired. --- It was different this time. The room was still white, but he was no longer immobilized or naked. Looking down at his body, he noticed he was wearing his uniform, clean and crisp, the way he always liked them. His hand reached up to touch the fabric, as he did so he was shoved hard from behind, hard enough to nearly throw him off his feet. Regaining his balance he turned to see his mirror image standing across the room from him. Lore was dressed in a uniform too, but it was dirty and ripped, his hair was out of place, his skin looked almost--is it cracking? He was a vile parody of everything that Data was. His twin was smiling and began to circle around, trying to jockey for leverage of the situation. "Back for more?" his twin asked. He looked Data up and down. "Why are you dressed? You know how I like my possessions to greet me." With that, he attempted to grab Data, to tear the uniform off himself, but Data sidestepped the maneuver, leaving Lore empty-handed and off balance. Instead, Data was able to take hold of Lore's arm, and pulled him back towards his own body. He locked Lore close to him, arms wrapped around his chest, his lips close to his twin's ear. "Well," Lore started, his usual snide tone perfectly intact, "this is exciting. Let me go now, and I may still allow you to lick my boots." "No, Lore. I cannot let you go," countered Data. His intense desire was returning again as he pressed Lore's body close to his own. Almost involuntarily, he parted his lips and slid his tongue along Lore's throat, causing his brother to gasp, either from shock or pleasure. His fingers began to roam over Lore's body, while his lips sucked on Lore's neck. He felt two hands reach up and grab his hair, pushing his face harder into the golden skin he was working on. Suddenly, he was yanked away, thrown hard across the room. "I don't think so," Lore said, a scowl on his face. "You were never in control. I would never let you be." "What do you want from me, Lore?" Data asked him. He really wanted to know what the purpose of these excursions was. Lore lowered his head and glanced up, giving him a half-smile. "I think you know." "No, Lore, I do not." "We belong together, Data. You and I..." he paused, more for effect than to search for the right words. "I will not let humans--a human-- come between us again. Not this time." Data cocked his head to the side. "I do not understand." Letting out a chuckle under his breath, Lore replied, "No, of course you don't. Let me show you." He stepped up to Data now, face to face. Data noticed that he was not wrong the first time he thought Lore's skin was cracking. When he smiled, tiny flakes fell from his cheeks, like a quiet snowfall. He became disgusted now, his desire slipping away, turning into loathing. When Lore grabbed his face and pressed his dry, peeling lips to his own, trying to force his tongue into his mouth, Data's reaction was to retch, something he never did or had reason to do before. With all his might, he pushed Lore from his proximity. When he glanced up again, he noticed that Lore looked as though he was losing cohesion, his skin becoming translucent, his body losing substance. "Do you understand?" Lore said, as he became apparition. "Yes, I think I do." --- The shock of understanding was enough to jostle him from sleep. He knew he was letting his feelings for Lore get in the way of his judgment, and the price had been high. The bed was so empty without Geordi's warm body to help fill it. He dressed quickly, and sat back at his computer console, reading the original report again. His thoughts drifted to last night, when he had briefed Captain Picard on what had happened on the surface of the Nephali colony. The captain informed him that Lore now sat in the brig. Starfleet was going to charge him, in addition to the incidents with the Borg, with the murders of Dr. Maddox, two Starfleet officers and seven colonists, kidnapping of two officers, criminal assault and attempted murder, not to mention the planning of the whole thing and setting up the dampening field in order to lure Starfleet to stage a rescue mission. He was contemplating what this meant-- months or years in a Federation court, incarceration in a prison camp for Lore (was there a prison that could hold him forever? Data doubted it), when his door chimed. He nearly jumped at the sound, then steadied himself. "Enter." It was Deanna Troi, looking as though it was a chore to keep a slightly cheerful look on her face. "Hello Data," she said to him. "May I come in?" "Of course, Counselor," he told her as he motioned for her to step inside. She walked in, tightly gripping a PADD. Data knew he was in for some bad news. "Data, as you know, I had been talking to Geordi about what happened on the colony." Her eyes were wide and full of sympathy for him. Data decided not to beat around the bush. "Please, Counselor, what do you have to tell me?" "Well, Geordi wanted me to deliver this to you. He insisted that you read it right away." She seemed almost on the verge of tears as she handed the PADD to him. "I'll leave you alone now. Goodbye, Data." She backed up towards the door and exited. He glanced at the flat piece of alloys in his hand, took a deep breath and read. -- Data, I am very sorry for what I am about to tell you. After what has happened, I have decided to take a leave of absence from Starfleet. I am really confused about the way I feel at this moment, and I'm not sure I can be around you for awhile. I know it will hurt you to hear this, but you remind me of him and I can't take the idea of being tortured by either one of you right now. No one on the ship knows where I am going, so don't try to find me or contact me. Hopefully, when I come back, we can see what will happen between us. Data, please don't think this is your fault. Geordi LaForge -- Data felt the tears welling up inside of him, but behind that, there was something else, something that wanted out and would not be denied. He tossed the PADD against the wall, starting to pace again. He picked up the nearest object, a glass sculpture given to him by Jenna D'Sora years ago, from a time when he could not grasp these emotions, and tossed it at the wall with all of his might, shattering it into a thousand pieces and denting the wall. Spot hissed and ran under the bed. He stomped out of his quarters, knowing exactly what he had to do now. --- This cell is so small, he thought. And too sturdy to break out of. Not for lack of trying, of course. He'd already tried smashing his fist through the walls, but to no avail. The metal was too strong for him. So he sat on the small bunk in the small cell looking at the small security officer who was assigned to duty down in this hellhole. "Hey, fuckhead," Lore called to the officer who sat at the console facing him. "Lemme out, and I promise I'll spare your life." Lieutenant Ichtyz shot him a dirty look and did not reply. "Fine," he conceded, "then I'll make sure your death is painfully slow when I get out of here, you three-eyed bitch." He added for effect, "And I will get out." She kept one of her eyes fixed upon him as she continued monitoring her station. "Hey!" he shouted as he stood up, "I said, let me out!" He thrust his hand into the force field sealing the opening of the cell and was rewarded with a nasty shock. The security officer threw a smile in his direction. "I turned up the power," she stated. "Every time you do that, I'll turn it up a little more." He scowled at her, rubbing his hand. It was obvious he wouldn't be able to overload the field using his body, not while she was around. "Bitch," he muttered under his breath. Sinking into the thin mattress of the bunk, he began to sing to himself while thinking of his brother. Why did Data have all the luck? He thought. It could have been finished for good right there, but noooo... Starfleet had to find his device and turn it off. Dammit. His singing got louder so that the Lieutenant could hear him. "I never was a part of you..." He sang it over and over, the final part of his mantra. When he heard the doors' whooshing sound, he sat up to see who had entered. It was Data, whose face bore a look he recognized all too well: he saw it every time he looked in the mirror. "Lieutenant, please leave and wait outside. Tell no one that I am here. That is an order," Data commanded the junior officer. She nodded at him and stepped outside, a bit confused, but relieved to be away from the commander's doppelganger. Lore watched intently as Data's hands quickly worked on the computer console. He strained to observe what his brother was typing in, but the angle was bad, and he was not able to see. "What are you doing over there?" Lore called out, his curiosity getting the better of him. Data did not answer, only continued to work at the console. Finally, Lore saw a flash at the door of his cell, indicating to him that the force field had been dropped. A grin crept across his face. "So, you want me to finish you off?" "Lore," Data started, his tone cold and controlled, "I am here to do what I should have done the last time we met." He crossed in front of the console, getting closer to his brother. "Do not think of escaping. I have locked the door with a code you will not be able to break. Only I will be able to open the door." "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, Data, I'm sure I could pry those codes out of your skull somehow," he tried to bluff. Data just stared at him blankly. Lore decided to take his chances with the door. As he ran to the locked exit, he noticed Data following him around the room. His fingers gripped the seal on the door, trying to force it open, even thought he knew it was a futile maneuver. He felt a cool hand press on the back of his neck, and two fingers pushing on the spot on his lower back that should have taken this all away. "Oh please, Data, of course I had my off switch rewired. I doesn't work, idiot," Lore told him matter-of-factly. Data was prepared for such an eventuality, however. His fingers intertwined into Lore's hair and began to repeatedly bash his metallic skull into the door. Had anyone else done this, Lore would have laughed. When it was his brother doing it, his android strength increased by the rage that seethed beneath his surface, Lore suddenly felt afraid. He twisted in Data's grasp so that he finally came free. Data stood motionless, looking at the access panels and clumps of hair that had come off in his hands. Lore slapped that grin back onto his face and said, "Data, I thought you didn't succumb to revenge impulses." Data thought for a moment, trying to rationalize all of this. "I am not seeking simple revenge, Lore," he lied. He then began to add more truths to his explanation. "You have taken everything I have cared about away from me. You have caused me emotional distress, sending me unwanted dreams..." "What?" Lore said, genuinely surprised. "I don't know what you're talking about." "You have activated disturbing imagery in my dream program. I have dreamt of you almost every night." "I have no idea what you're talking about. Are you sure you're not going crazy?" Lore shot at his brother. "Runs in the family, you know." Data tried to comprehend what Lore had told him. All of the dreams were the creation of his own mind. The notion was not reassuring. Best that he got back to his tirade and not think about it. "You have, time and time again, caused problems for myself and the crew of the Enterprise. You have forced me to.." He paused, thinking of the right words. "_torture (yes, that was the right word) Commander LaForge (oh, Geordi...) Captain Picard and Counselor Troi." Lore rolled his eyes, feigning disinterest, but Data continued on. "You have killed our father, murdered countless times... I will not allow it to continue." Lore faked a yawn. "Lore, I will not allow you to sit in a Federation prison. You will only escape," Data said with his gravest tone. "It ends. Now." Lore didn't much care for the way he said *now*, especially with the way Data was advancing on him. He looked around frantically for an exit, knowing full well that there was none. "Data, don't do this," Lore pleaded. "You leave me no choice, Lore." Data reached under the computer console, producing a phaser. "Are you going to take this quietly, or must I be more drastic?" he calmly asked as he adjusted the phaser to level 11, enough to burn out Lore's positronic brain. So this is how it ends, Lore thought. "If you murder me, you are no better than I, Data," Lore threw at him. Maybe that would make a dent in Data's morality, and he would be forced not to fire. "Perhaps," was Data's reply, and not what Lore wanted to hear. Data knew, in the pit of his being, that this was the right thing to do. Like the time he had almost fired on Kivas Fajo, whose cycle of violence would have been stopped by the disruptor, had the intervening transporter beam not come in the nick of time. Again, a case where he sat in court for months, only to be sentenced to prison where his paid servants had freed him. Data would not make that mistake again. Lore was far more dangerous than the collector had been. "Lore, do you wish to deactivate yourself before I fire?" It was Data's last attempt at kindness towards his brother. "No, I would rather be conscious," Lore said, now resigned to what would happen. The words came back to him again, as he took his position in front of the far wall. *I never was a part of you Burn* "I loved you once, Data." "And I you, Lore." Lore stood, looking down, his arms spread wide in mock crucifixion. Another image from his database that had no source, just an image he'd seen, somewhere. Data raised his arm, his eyes golden and wet. And fired. --- Captain Jean-Luc Picard was not happy. His second officer had committed an act of fratricide in the ship's brig, his Chief Engineer had taken a leave of absence and two of his crew were dead. The matter concerning Lore had been considered closed by Starfleet. They did not want to court-martial Data for shooting and dismantling the prisoner, which Captain Picard could not understand. It was apparently because of the direct order of Admiral Barto that stated that Data was to "Terminate on sight." Starfleet did not want to deal with the matter of the rogue android once more, so again this was quickly shoved under the rug, so to speak. Captain Picard sighed when he thought about this. Data was certainly one of his most valuable officers, but should he be beyond the long arm of Starfleet? Picard was resigned to the fact that no action would be taken against his android officer, but he didn't need to be an empath to know that many of the crew had lost some respect for him. To murder, even if it was Lore, and get away with it... Well, most of the crew thought it was wrong. For the past two days, Data would not talk to anyone, including Counselor Troi, preferring instead to hole up in the holodeck, letting his holographic Mistress discipline him once more for the first time in months. He let his mind drift while she told him what a pathetic excuse for a pile of scrap metal he was. He believed that to his core. While he received a volley of blows on his back, he wondered if he would ever feel close to anyone again, like he did with Geordi. Well, he thought, at least he wasn't aroused by thoughts of Lore anymore. Or of anyone for that matter. --- Epilogue --- His body convulsed with the power of his climax. It felt so good to be inside again, close again. When he received the message to go to Earth, he was ecstatic. It had been nearly six months with no word from Geordi, and he had been worried. When the message came in, asking Data to visit him, he was so happy, more blissful than he had been since the whole incident had taken place. Captain Picard allowed him to take a short leave, pleased to get the morose android out of his sight for awhile. When they had met, Data's feelings had returned, and he wanted to scoop up his old lover and never let him go. He restrained himself though. They talked for a long while, about everything that had happened. Geordi had been travelling, going from place to place, until he came back to Earth to sort out all of his feelings. He still loved Data, he just had to get over the fact that he looked exactly like his tormentor. Meanwhile, Data had been a miserable lump on the ship, making everyone depressed when he was around. Gradually, the two men's conversation became more and more relaxed as the tension between then drifted away. When Geordi finally grasped Data's hand and came close to him, the floodgates of emotion were broken and Data could no longer restrain himself. Their arms encircled each other as they kissed as though it was the first time. Data's fingers began to drift to unseal Geordi's clothing, as Geordi slipped his tongue over Data's silky smooth golden skin. Data was relieved when Geordi slipped his hand over the hardness in his trousers. He had not been able to achieve an erection since the incident, and the sensation made his body shudder. Their bodies unclothed, they pleasured each other for hours, until Data finally came inside his lover, months of tension and unease washing out of him along with his thick liquid. "Hey Data," Geordi breathlessly whispered in Data's ear. "Yes, Geordi?" "It's good to have you back. I missed you." Data smiled as he looked at the countenance of the engineer. It was indeed very good to be back in Geordi's arms. He intended to stay this time. --- The End