You Can't Fight a Tidal Wave

After stepping into the holodeck, Beverly took them back-stage. Reg made the theatre fully realistic, so it had dressing rooms as well where they could prepare for the performance. "Come on! Mr. Mot should already be here to do your hair! Let's hope he's not late as well, and he's in the dressing room with Sonya." Bev noted bemused.

They all went in and Beverly asked without even saying hello: "How are things going, Mr. Mot?"

Hearing her, Mr. Mot stopped in whatever he was doing on Sonya's hair and hurried up to Bev. He took her hand into both of his: "Beverly, all is in the best of hands. In two hours, all of your cast will have the most fashionable 20th century hairstyles. They'll look as if they stepped out of the very movie you recommended to me for research on the fashion of that time!" he smiled with enthusiasm.

"Two hours?!" Beverly shook her head exasperated "We are behind schedule by one hour already! Mr. Mot. You have no more than 60 minutes." she told him on a commanding voice.

"60 minutes?! But that's just impossible!" he let her hand go now just as exasperated as she was.

Emma stepped up to them and pushed him back behind Sonya "Too much chatter, Mot! Make your hand move, not your mouth!"

"But let me at least call a colleague to help me out!"

Before long, two blue-skinned, Bolian hair-dressers were moving feverishly around the girls, and in little less than an hour's time, Emma got up from the chair with a hairstyle that was a perfect imitation of Ingrid Bergman's hair from Casablanca. She then put on some make-up fit for the era and the costume Sonya designed, a sleeveless, drop-waist flapper dress from the 1920s with a coat she could wear during the street scenes. When they were done, she and Sonya looked at each other with quite an amount of satisfaction.

"Let's turn some heads!" Emma said, and they stepped out of the dressing room, where the boys and Beverly were waiting. Data and Reg had also put on their own costumes and stood there gaping at the girls.

Emma locked gazes with the stunned Data, then after a moment, stepped up to him. He seemed to have been struck dumb by her sight, and she smiled lovingly at his expression. Standing close to him, she reached up and gently closed his gaping mouth: "Is it so impressive?"

"Eh... very!" he nodded, when he finally found a processor thread free to be utilized for vocal interaction.

"You’re also very handsome, Handsome!" she told him on a seductive low voice. He WAS dashing in his three-piece suit which highlighted his masculine stature, his thin waist and broad shoulders - and Emma again felt helplessly attracted to him. He smiled shyly at her compliment and bowed down to her to kiss her, but she stopped him.

"No new hairstyle for you?" she asked surprised when she suddenly noticed that his hair was the same old (and boring) combed back style as always.

Mr. Mot spread his arms frustrated "He said his hair does not require trimming. I told him I can create a new hairstyle without trimming but..." he shrugged.

Emma frowned up at Data "Deadpan!" she put her fists on her hips "What's this non-cooperativeness?"

"I do not see why my hair needs any change!" Data told her defensively "My usual hairstyle is a hairstyle existing in the early 20th century! Why should it be altered?"

"Because for one, we're pulling on the skins of our characters! Secondly, we need to step out of our comfort-zones every once in a while. And last but not least, because I believe I'm speaking for all of us in this room, when I say, I've always wanted to do this!" and without further ado, she reached up and mussed Data's perfectly combed back hair.

"Hey!" he stepped back bewildered but too late: he stood there now completely dishevelled.

Emma snapped her fingers "Mot!" and pointed at Data standing there now wide-eyed, gaping. Mr. Mot then pushed the speechless android back into the dressing room. In a few minutes, they were out again, and Data's hair was combed a little differently then it usually was: it was parted at the side and combed sideways. Emma smiled tenderly, it looked a lot more natural that way, and it suited him a lot better than the combed back style. Even with the mortified expression on his face, he was just striking!