Data's Desire

She was shy.

It was hard for her to do much of anything, much less join her fellow cadets for a meal after a long day of work on the Enterprise. It had been only a week since Narak D’Vakt found herself a crewmember of the glorious ship, but she was already finding that the responsibility and work was close to overwhelming. The brief touch of someone’s hand brushing past her made her jump and let out a juvenile squeal.

“What’s wrong??” Asked Dr. Crusher immediately; she had been the one to startle Narak.

The young cadet turned to her superior. “N-nothing, ma’am.”

“D’Vakt scares easy. Good thing I took that snake out of her closet.” Said Kensington, a cadet from Engineering. He gave D’Vakt a sly smirk and walked down the hallway.

Bev narrowed her eyes at the remark, then turned to see that D’Vakt didn’t respond. She was simply organizing all of the tools they had used in the medical bay that day for diagnostics. As usual with the new recruit, things went perfect. “I’ll have a word with him, Narak.”

“Oh no, it’s alright.” She said quickly, looking up from her hunched over position as she took something from the replicator, and thoroughly bumping her head against it in the process. “Ow… No ma’am, it’s alright. I’m a little used to it. And besides… I like snakes.”

The older woman looked at Narak, and was curious as to why she took the abuse with such good humor. D’Vakt was a good student, and a fast worker when it came to following orders. She didn’t seem to have a will of her own, except when it came to social predicaments. “I didn’t see you in the mess hall, last night. Were you not feeling alright? I thought you’d be joining the other cadets.”

“No.. I wasn’t feeling well.” Narak quickly answered, finally standing up straight and placing both hands behind her back.

She was very short, and Bev had to tilt her head to speak with here at eye level. Her immaturity shone not through her actions or personality, but through her expressions and appearance. Hailing from Earth, she had a tropical look to her, with large black eyes, tanned skin, and long black hair that she wore in two ponytails. Bev thought it maer ler look somewhat like a cocker spaniel.

“Well, your dismissed. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Narak saluted her commanding officer and left the medical bay, crashing into Data on her way out and falling on to the floor.

“C-commander Data! Sir…”

“My apologies.” He said with an extended hand.

D’Vakt was almost speechless at the sight of him. “N-none needed..” She whimpered, taking his hand and allowing him to lift her, effortlessly, from the floor. “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll be more careful.”

She thought that this would be the end of their conversation, but unfortunately, it was not. “I do not believe I have ever seen you before, and am unaware of any new transfers to our medical facilities. May I enquire as to your designation?”

She tried not to look him in the eyes, her hands shaking slightly behind her back. “Cadet D’Vakt, sir. I-I’ve been here a month.”

“A month? Curious. Well, I am sure that I will be seeing you elsewhere, then.”

She watched him walk off, shocked. His gate and expressions were all the same; without expression. She found herself lingering in the hall for a few moments after he was gone.

Bev wasn’t comfortable around Geordi when he appeared to be in a rush, and felt a chill run up her spine as he rushed past her. “Geordi, what’s wrong?”

He turned to face her, walking backwards to nod delay his progress. “Sorry nobody’s been to see you yet, Bev. New development concerning the signal we just received from Beraton 2. Apparently it‘s possible that there could be survivors.”

“Why wasn’t I informed?” She asked, taken aback.

He shrugged. “Same reason I’m reporting my findings on foot. The communicators seem to be malfunctioning. It’s possibly due to the electro-magnetic interference we’re getting in this area. Other parts of the ship are malfunctioning, too.”

“Will you be able to get everything fixed?”

He nodded, still walking backwards. “Yes, but it may take a while.”

Bev frowned and watched him go. Survivors from Beraton 2? The last she’d heard of that particular planet, it was decimated when a Romulan ship was boarded by terrorists, and went hurtling down into their planet after an immediate explosion. The planet had little technology, and was considered much like Earth’s 1600’s at the time of the explosion. Such an impact was said to have decimated the planet, and now they were receiving signals?

The planet was a mere day or two away from their current position, but she was sure that it’s need of aid would make itself apparent sooner than that.

“Bev?”

She turned around to see Deanna, who was strolling in a casual manner from behind her. “Oh, hello. Have they informed you of the communicators?”

“I discovered for myself.” She said, giving an irked expression as she tapped her pin. It made a noise that was reminiscent of static. “Off to the galley? How are your new cadets fairing?”

They began walking side by side. “Well, actually. Most of them seem very enthusiastic about their work, except...”

“What?”

“Well, there is one I’m a bit concerned about. She’s been here for a month now, but still doesn’t seem to be used to the ship or anyone on board.”

Deanna shrugged. “Well, I understand. Some people take a bit longer to get used to new places, and your work is very demanding.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say demanding… she is an impeccable cadet. I think that if she were to be a bit more motivated, she would make my division look even more fantastic than it does already.”

“Perhaps she just needs someone to talk to. Someone who understands what she’s going through right now, maybe?”

Bev smiled. “Well I can’t say I’m a likely candidate, but this might qualify as my good deed for the year.”


Her meals were always prepared by the replicator in her quarters. Zeja Lia, her roommate and fellow cadet, was never around when she ate, or to be more precise, swallowed.

Narak came aboard the Enterprise dreading one thing, and one thing only; uniforms. Her first day aboard, she weighed in at 81kg, and with Federation uniforms being what they were, she was terrified at the thought of her appearance. Since early childhood, she hated the way she looked. Her family’s origin however, enjoyed her body type, and encouraged it. Feeling thoroughly miserable for her first few weeks, Narak decided that eating was a liability souldouldn’t afford, and began resorting to swallowing vitamin capsules for her daily nutrition instead. Over the coarse of a few weeks, her weight steadily declined to 54kg, and heads turned for more reasons than just her pig tails.

Tonight was no different from the rest, and she spent the first few moments of her off-duty time taking out paper and pencils. Settling down in a chair, still in uniform, she began to jot down all of the things she’d felt that day. Her roommate was curious as to why she chose this method of writing, when typing was so much more convenient. Narak had no answer to this question, and continued in her ways.

I stopped, dead on the floor, I regret my timid self… She wrote. and though I can not bear it, my personality’s lust for stealth. I

There was a knock at the door. She put down her papers and went to open the door, and jumped when she saw the ship’s Chief Medical Officer. “D-Doctor Crusher.” She saluted.

“At ease, D’Vakt. Narak.” She smiled calmly. “I’ve come to ask you if you’d like to join me for dinner.”

Narak’s eyes widened. What? Me? Why is she asking this? Did I do something wrong? Am I being dismissed? I knew I didn’t put th-
-

“Narak?”

“Oh! Yes… ma’am… of course. It would be an honor.”

Bev shook her head. “Now, you don’t have to be so formal. I’ve noticed that you don’t seem very comfortable on the ship yet. I’d like to help you feel more at home.”

“But… not to sound ungrateful ma’am, because I really am you see, but why?”

“Because I believe that you’re an asset to my crew.” She responded matter-of-factly. “Your fast to respond and follow orders, and I like that in a cadet. I believe you’ve got a real future aboard this ship, and others. However, nobody‘s going to notice your exceptional talent in the field unless you learn to speak up, once in a while.”

She nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”



The galley was full during this time, and Bev was pleased to see that most of her fellow coworkers didn’t seem overly concerned about the loss of their communicators. In fact, Geordi looked quite relaxed as he sat next to Commander Riker at the bar. Bev smiled at Narak, but noticed that she was looking at everyone uncomfortably. From the looks of things, she seemed somewhat claustrophobic. Her son, Wesley, was also in attendance. He was seated at the far end of the room, across from Data.

“We’ll sit down in a moment.” She said kindly.

Narak nodded as she followed Bev to the bar, where Geordi was talking to Will casually. Riker drank from a glass of green liquid, while Geordi had something vaguely gray. “Good evening, doctor.” He said kindly. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“Well, I was interested in helping Narak here to meet other members of the crew. Narak, of course you know Commander Riker.”

She timidly shook his hand as he extended it.

“…and our chief engineer, Goerdi LaForge.”

She repeated the process. “Pleased to meet you both.”

Soon after Deanna appeared next to Geordi, he and Commander Riker stood to leave. “Well,” The chief engineer said. “Sorry to leave so soon, but I’ve got to get back to work on these malfunctions.”

“Sorry your breaks are so short, Geordi. We’ll have to find you some more help.”

Geordi smiled as they walked off. “Please, I’ve got all the help I need…”

Deanna could see the panic in Narak’s face as she stood amongst some of the highest ranking officers of the ship, and tried to help her escape from it. “So, this must be D’Vakt. I’ve heard many good things about your performance.”

“Thank you, sir.” She said, still not looking her in the eye.

“Is this a private party, or is anyone invited?” Asked a pleasant baritone voice from behind the group.

Narak turned and nearly stopped breathing when she saw the captain himself, holding a glass of the same thing that Commander Riker was drinking. He looked directly at Dr. Crusher. “I was impressed by your recent diagnostics reports, Dr.Crusher. How in the world did you manage to double your output?”

“Funny you should say that…” Bev said, getting an idea. She put a hand on Narak’s shoulder. “This is cadet Narak D’Vakt. She‘s been handling the job splendidly.”

Narak had no way to respond, so she stood in silence until Captain Picard spoke instead. “Have… I seen you before?”

She was getting slightly annoyed with the fact that nobody realized who she was or why she was even aboard this ship. “I have been on board for a month now, sir.”

“My apologies then, but…’ He looked at her curiously. “This may sound… peculiar, but have you ever performed on stage?”

Her eyes went wide, and such a change of expression nearly made Deanna cough up her drink. “Sir, I performed with Earth’s North American Opera troupe while in training.”

“Of course… you must have been one of the young ladies in the choir.” He said, smiling. “I am a great fan of the works you performed in.”

Dr. Crusher smiled to herself. Well, my work is done. I think she’ll be much happier now, and I can expect even better results from her in the med bay than before. She thought.

“But then, it’s a shame I never had the chance to hear you perform by yourself, seeing as how now you’re a member of my crew.”

Narak swallowed hard. “Well… I’m sure I would if you willed it, sir. I’m trained in both modern and classical singing.”

“I think that it would be a fantastic idea for D’Vakt to sing for us, Captain.” Said Deanna. “I must admit, I haven’t heard a good live performance in some time. It could very well boost morale.”

“And Wesley has never heard a live performance.” Said Bev, nodding.

Captain Picard looked again at Narak. She seemed far more enthusiastic than she was when he first came, and this apparently pleased Dr. Crusher. “Of course you’ll need accompaniment. You know, Commander Data is an exceptional musician. Perhaps he could be compelled into playing with you?”

“I would be honored, sir.”

The captain nodded, and turned to his left. Nearby, Data was engaged in a conversation with Wesley. Seeing that Wesley was in dire need of rescuing from Data, (as most people find they become after engaging in a conversation with the android) Captain Picard spoke up to get Data‘s attention. “Excuse me, Commander Data? May I speak with you?”

Data ended his final thoughts with Wesley and walked over to the bar, whereas Wesley mouthed a quick “thank you” to the captain before escaping from the galley.

“Yes, captain?” Data said, standing near him.

“Data, this is Narak K’Vakt. As well as being a cadet in our medical facilities, she is an accomplished musician, like yourself.”

Data nodded. “Yes, cadet D’Vakt and I recently shared a brief encounter outside of the medical bay. I am glad to see that our impact resulted in no injury, but am sure that as a cadet in the field of medicine, whatever injuries she might have sustained would have been relieved of her person soon after being rendered.”

“Indeed. Commander, D’Vakt is in fact a very accomplished singer. I, as would many others aboard, would very much like to hear a performance involving the both of you.”

Data looked at Narak. “Am I to assume you have had classical training, in addition to your training at the Academy?”

She looked down sheepishly. “Well, no. I’m self taught, actually.”

“Self taught?” Data looked somewhat confused. “Fascinating. I was not aware that humans had the ability to harness a professional ability without the need of an education.”

Deanna nodded. “Talent, Data. Every human has their own unique abilities, some of which require little help to further.”

“Indeed. If you don’t mind, cadet D’Vakt, I would very much like to speak with you of y‘tal‘talent’ during a rehearsal. Perhaps tomorrow, after we have been relieved of our duties?”

She nodded. “Alright.”

“I will have a piano in my quarters, where we will rehearse.”

“Alright. Sir.”

Bev couldn’t wait to see her next diagnostics report.


Although the communications problem still hadn’t been solved by the time the Enterprise reached it’s destination, Bev was relieved to see that they’d already found the lone survivor of Beraton 2’s catastrophe.

He was immediately taken to the medical bay, where he lie in a catatonic stupor with both eyes open, his chest rising and falling slowly. Being a resident of the technologically inferior planet, Geordi was rather curious as to how he could have possibly activated the Romulan’s ship, and created some sort of distress beacon that alerted them to his presence. However, considering his state, it was possible that someone else had done it before they expired.

Bev shook her head, at a loss. “According to my findings, he’s physically fine. There is no damage, his lungs weren’t harmed by the carbon monoxide released upon the ship’s impact, and even his clothes look unscathed.”

“It’s no wonder; he was found inside of the ship, so I suppose the Romulans must have had him with them. Or they beamed him on to the ship, but I can’t understand why. Nobody could have survived that impact, it’s simply impossible.”

Narak looked over the body with increased intrigue. Like his now extinct people, he had no hair on his head, and a total count of ten horns on his head that ranged from short and dull to four inches in length. Where a human’s eyes would be white, his were red with black irises. His skin was a dark gray, with various designs tattoo’d from his neck down. For a moment, Narak felt as if those eyes were staring at her. She quickly stepped aside.

“Well, I’m not sure what else we can do. I’ve consulted my colleagues from several different systems, and they’re baffled with the reports as well.” Bev shook her head. “All I an recommend is that we keep him under observation. It’s possible he could awaken at any moment.”

Geordi nodded. “I’ll have someone tell the captain, and we’ll get out of here. I’ve got to get a few things up and operational again before someone kills me.”

She smiled and waved goodbye as the engineer left. Narak approached her from one side. “It almost seems like his body froze itself to keep him from dying.”

“I only hope it will unfreeze itself to allow him some living, as well.” She took his temperature to make sure his body hadn’t changed, and set down the instrument. “This is amazing. No matter how many strange things happen aboard this ship, every time I’m left baffled I just feel like killing something.”

Narak swallowed hard. “…sir?”

“Not you, D’Vakt. Your dismissed.”

D’Vakt saluted Dr. Crusher and left, happy to finally be clear of their comatose body and his frightening eyes. Once she reached her own room, thund und of arguing was heard from behind her door.

“..never wanted that!”

“Well then why did you do it??”

“Don’t blame me! Just get out!

“Fine!”

The door opened, and Kensington, the cadet from engineering, walked past Narak with a fierce expression. He turned to the med cadet and sneered.

“Oh, it’s you. Tell your friend that I’m not coming back. Not this time.”

Narak didn’t have a chance to respond before Kensington walked out of sight. She opened the door and walked in, only to see Zeja Lia crying as she sat in one of their chairs. Her usually made-up face was now dripping in it’s black and purple, the same color as Zeja Lia’s hair and eyes. She looked up at Narak. “Is he gone?”

“Very.” Said Narak, sitting next to her roommate. “He was mean, anyway. Not just to you; to everyone.”

Zeja Lia frowned and shook her head. “No, he was great. I made him that way. “

“No, he was terrible, even before--”

“What would you know??” She demanded, standing up and going to the door. “You don’t know anything about love or relationships or anything! Your just some sort of zombie who lives to please Dr. Crusher! Well don’t worry, everyone knows who’s going to get the best letter of recndatndation!”

She slammed the door after herself, and Narak was left alone. “No, I suppose I don’t. No surprise here as to why…” She muttered, going to the door. “I’ll probably never find a--”

“Good evening, cadet D’Vakt.”

Narak let out a shrill scream after hearing Commander Data greet her unexpectedly. The android didn’t respond. “I’m so sorry, Commander Data. You just startled me a little.”

“No apologies are needed. I came to your quarters because I was unaware of whether or not you knew where mine were, and decided that bringing you myself would be an adequate way to begin our rehearsal.”

She nodded. “Alright, that’s perfect.”


His room didn’t look very different from other quarters, except that there seemed to be a large orange cat wandering around the floor. The cat immediately went to Narak’s leg and began to rub against her affectionately.

“It would seem that Spot I comfortable with you. I am glad that this is so.”

Narak grinned and crouched on the floor. “So am I. I love cats. I didn’t know you had one, Commander.”

“Spot is another way that I have come to terms with my limited humanity. Although I find myself enjoying making ffor for her, and caring for her, I find myself wondering if I am truly enjoying it due to emotion, or my programming’s requirement to expand in it’s humanity.”

Narak nodded, petting the cat. “It sounds confusing.”

“Indeed. Would you like to begin? I have brought up a large quantity of music that would be adequate for your vocal range, which I have determined to be mezzo soprano.”

She stood, smiling at him curiously. “How did you know that?”

“My auditory programming has provided me with said information. Would you like to go over the music I have gathered?”

“Sure.”

She went behind his desk, and found a piano keyboard lying where some of the usual controls would have been. In the screen were files to thousands of songs.

“Well… I know all of the ones from this book..” She said, pointing to a certain assortment of files. “Why not surprise me with something from it?”

Data looked at her quizzically. “Am I to assume that you would enjoy any song from this particular book?”

“Yes. Any one at all.”

He sat at the keyboard. “Very well.”

The music he began to play had a slow introduction, but it still caught Narak off guard. She watched his hands move over the keys flawlessly, and lost in his perfection, nearly missed her cue.

“Fly me to the moon,
And let me play among the stars.
Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars.
In other words, hold my hand…
In other words, darling, kiss me.
“Fill my heart with song,
and let me sing forever more.
You are all I long for, all I worship and adore.
In other words, please be true…
In other words, I love you.”

The musical interlude that followed was likewise flawless. Data kept his gaze on the monitor in front of him, not moving from his position. Narak was lost in his picturesque seating position, and again nearly missed her cue.

“Fly me to the moon,
And let me play among the stars.
Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars.
In other words, hold my hand…
In other words, darling, kiss me.
“Fill my heart with song,
and let me sing forever more.
You are all I long for, all I worship and adore.
In other words, please be true…
In other words, I love you.”

She didn’t want his playing to end, and sang the final verse more timidly, and with less volume.

“Fill my heart with song,
and let me sing forever more.
You are all I long for, all I worship and adore.
In other words, please be true…
In other words, I love you.”

When he was finished playing the outero, Data turned to D’Vakt. “It seems that you were reluctant to begin singing at the beginning of each verse. Was my playing inadequate?”

“No no, it was perfect.” She smiled. “It was so perfect, I hardly wanted to interrupt it. You’re amazing, you know. And you even chose my favorite song.”

Data began looking through more music. “Did I? I calculated the most random number, and that song was the answer. I am surprised that it was indeed your favorite. Perhaps we should try another one.”
This time he began to play more classical song. Still, his hands moved flawlessly across the keys. “I believe this one is called Habanera.”

“I know it..” She murmured, thinking of her time with the opera. This was the song she’d envisioned herself singing, one day. Playing the part of the gypsy Carmen was an experience she’d always wanted.


When their rehearsal was finished, Data closed the music program and stood from the piano. “I have enjoyed our practice. I am sure that our performance will be adequate, if not beyond. Would you like me to accompany you back to your quarters?”

Narak smiled. “Please.”

The walk back was painfully short, as Narak was slowly beginning to enjoy the android’s company. Although much older than her, he had a sort of naiveté that resembled a child. He was extremely curious about why she’d decided to become a medical officer, after explaining that her first choice was being a performer.

“I’m not sure why, really. Maybe I just felt like I’d be more useful if I was helping them live.”

“I’m sure many people would consider a good performance equal to your work in the medical facilities, however I am glad that you chose this career choice as it has given me the chance to meet you.”

“I’m glad too.” She said, a little more breathy than she’d waned. “I mean, I’ve never met anyone like you, before. I’m a little reluctant to be around other people, but around you I feel very calm.”

“Perhaps this is due to the fact that I am not human.”

“I don’t think so. To me, you’re the most human person I know.”

They’d arrived at her quarters, and this time Data was the one who couldn’t respond automatically. “I… am?”

She nodded. “Yes. There are very few people who are just so… I don’t know… calm. It makes me feel at peace and unafraid to be around you. I’m sorry if that makes you feel uncomfortable.”

“No, actually. It makes me feel less alone. My observances have indicated that your personality and actions are 35% more like a program than a human. I was, for a while, skeptical about your organic properties.”

“What changed your mind?”

“You were not flawless in your singing.”

She smiled, and it was the first time she took the opposite of a compliment in such a good way. “I wish I could have been.”

“Do not. I am in a lifelong search for my own humanity. You already have yours.”

She bit her lip to keep from saying something bold, but it came out all the same. “I… wouldn’t mind sharing it.”

“I am unaware of how this is possible.”

Narak knew that because of her height, the gamble she was about to make would be hard, but she did it all the same.

Taking a step closer to Data, the young cadet put both of her arms around his neck, and was relieved to find that he was understanding her gesture. Apparently having seen it in other instances, Data leaned forward and put his own arms around her waist.

“I have researched this, as well as other positions that humans put themselves in when they are attracted to one another. Does this have something to do with ‘sharing humanity’, as you stated?” He asked, no less quizzical with their faces inches apart than at a normal distance.

“I think so, yes.” She said, admiring his bright golden eyes.

Data brought her closer towards him. “Then I would like to examine this idea closer, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t.”

Kissing an android was no different than kissing another human. Because she was so shy, Narak rarely had the opportunity to engage in any sort of relationship, but from what she remembered of her last one, his embrace was nowhere near as comforting as this.

His powerful android grip held her firmly in place as his mouth began it’s own investigation of her own. Feeling his mechanical, yet flawlessly organic resembling tongue probe between her lips, she opened her mouth and experienced an even more powerful stimulation of pleasure. It was almost as if he was making love to her without performing the actual act. His hands began to move against her skin, creating sensual sensations she'd never before felt. After a few moments, they reluctantly broke apart.

“I should leave, and allow you to sleep, as you have active duty early tomorrow.”

She nodded. “Alright. I’ll just… see you tomorrow, then. After our active duty?”

Data looked puzzled again. “Due to our recent physical interaction, would this now be classified as a ‘date’?”

“Well…” The question caught her off guard. “I don’t know about that…”

He processed for a moment. “Perhaps if we were to visit the galley first, you could afterwards accompany me to my quarters for practice. I believe that any relationship of this caliber should be taken slowly and efficiently. Would this be acceptable?”

“Perfectly acceptable.” She sighed. “Goodnight, Data.”

“Goodnight, Narak.” He turned to leave, but then as if reminded by something, he turned and kissed her on the forehead.

She opened her door and went inside, only to see Zeja Lia and Kensington sitting next to each other on the floor more amorously than Narak would have expected. “Where have you been?” Asked her roommate suspiciously.

“Sort of on a date, I guess.” Narak murmured.

Kensington smirked. “Date? With who?”

“Commander Data.”

At that moment, Narak wished she had a camera.


Walking into the galley next to Commander Data was probably one of the most frightening experiences in Narak’s short life. She was eager to start the “relationship” that Data was bent on creating, and throughout her day she couldn’t help but think about all of the wonderful things they could accomplish together. The moment they walked in together, (arm in arm, as Data requested) it seemed as if all conversation stopped for a full second, then resumed. Narak was beginning to wonder why being a picturesque couple was so important to Data. After a while, she figured that it was the only way he knew how to handle his new situation. Counselor Troi was quick to notice the change, and made her way over towards them.

“I see that you two have become more friendly than expected.” She said with a smile of amazement.

“Yes that is correct, Counselor. I am sure that Narak and I will benefit from this relationship far more than my previous attempt with Jenna D’Sora.”

Narak looked at Data strangely. “..previous attempt?”

“Yes. Jenna and I attempted to explore a romantic relationship, only to find that she was attracto meo me for what she considered to be the ‘wrong reasons’. Due to the fact that you and I share similar interests and feelings towards each other’s emotional output, or lack thereof, I believe that I am far better suited to be with you than I was with Jenna.”

She nodded. “With Jenna, I assume it was more experimental.”

“To a certain degree, How However, it was slightly pleasant at times when it was not overly confusing.”

The two exchanged a look of mutual acceptance, which struck Troi is bizarre, but somewhat comforting. “Well… I can’t wait to see you two perform together. I’m sure it will be fantastic.”

“I am certain of this as well.” Said Data, his face contorting into a smile like it never had before. “I hope you will enjoy it.”

Troi had never been shocked by Data as much as she was at that moment. His humanity seemed to be revealing itself, slowly but surely. “Data, Narak, would you like to join me?”

This was the moment Narak had dreaded. Her secret could easily be exposed, so she quickly thought up something else to say. “Well… actually… I’m not very hungry at the moment. I think I’ll just have a drink.”

“Alright then, I’ll see you both later.” Said Troi, as she left them. It was obvious to her that Narak had lied, but why? Perhaps there was more to she and Data’s apparentchinching personalities than she thought. Watching them together, it was almost as if each was adapting to the other. She hoped it wouldn’t prove harmful to either, and left the galley.


Bev wasn’t entirely sure why she was always the one who’s plans seemed to backfire on her, but seeing Data with Narak made her realize that instead of making the cadet more comfortable with the ship, she simply made her more like the android she was infatuated with. It angered her near the point where she’d almost forgotten how good the girl was at her job. She sat at the bar with a class full of synthehol, not particularly caring what type it was.

“Dr. Crusher?” Came a voice from behind her.

She turned to see another crewmember, apparently out of breath. “Yes, what’s the matter?”

“The person we brought from Beraton 2 has woken up. He’s currently,”

She got up immediately and ran with him. “Continue.”

“…he’s currently running amok in the medical bay. It seems he’s agitated by something, but our attempts to calm him or communicate with him have failed, and we’re running out of ideas.”

Instinctively, Bev tapped her communicator, only to find more static. “Damn it, Geordi… Narak!” She called seeing the young cadet standing next to Data as he spoke with another cadet.

“Ma’am?” She asked calmly, not hindered by her superior’s exited attitude.

“Come with me, the patient is waking up.”

Narak quickly kissed Data on the cheek before leaving, and went to join Bev. The android looked at her oddly, and decided to follow them both. “Perhaps I can be of some assistance?”

“Maybe if you helped Geordi and his team repair our equipment faster, Data…” Bev said, rushing. “If it’s working as well as our communicators, I’m not sure how we’ll be able to handle this.”

Upon arriving at the station, Bev realized that the problem was worse than she thought. The other medical officers were too busy trying to restrain their patient (who was bueatieating one into a pulp) than to continuously try and get their equipment to work.

“Nothing is working, ma’am!” Said a female cadet, trying to help pry the Beratonian from their own.

Data casually approached the situation, and used his android strength to pry the alien from his crewmate. He thrashed momentarily, until Data had the sense render him unconscious with a quick thrust to one of his pressure points. His head lolled to one side, and dark purple matter began to ooze from his mouth. “There is something wrong. I do not recognize this matter as anything that would naturally be within a resident of Beraton 2.”

“That’s because it’s not…” Bev said, angrily, pulling on a pair of gloves and lowering him to the floor. “Why didn’t I realize it before? His body has been taken over by an alien organism, which sent his body into a coma to preserve itself.”

Narak looked at the body, which currently appeared to be out of pain. “Is the person dead?”

“By the looks of things, yes. And we had better dispose of this organism before it can duplicate itself. Sharra?”

“Yes ma’am?” Another medical officer made her way to Dr. Crusher, who began giving her instructions on the disposal of the body and to deliver a corresponding message to Engineering.

However their other concern was just beginning to wake up from his currenre. re.

“He’s stopped breathing!” Said another cadet, trying to make her instruments work to force their fallen crewmate into breathing again.

Narak rushed over and placed her hands onto his heard, and began pushing. “One, two, three, four, five…” She breathed into his mouth, then repeated the process. Within four intervals, her patient’s chest began to rise and fall slowly on it’s own. She breathed heavily, and steadied herself against a wall to keep from falling. “I hope he’s… okaShe She panted.

“Excellent work, D’Vakt.” Crusher said, finishing her instructions and picking up fallen equipment. D’Vakt began to help her, when the doctor put a hand on hers. “No need for that, Narak. You’ve done enough already. Get some sleep, and maybe by tomorrow things will be more sane.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Data followed Narak out, and Bev couldn’t suppress a shudder.

To be continued...