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Blind Chess	By : madradena Category: Star Trek > The Next Generation Views: 1334 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own ST:TNG, nor the characters. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
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Data was still preoccupied by their conversation with Emma, when he stepped over the threshold of transporter room 3. She'd seemed so desperate, so taken aback by what he'd told her that he was beginning to doubt that he had reached the right conclusion in his over-night analysis. However, he needed to push the thought-process to the background for now, because Doctor Bruce Maddox materialized in front of him on the transporter pad.
The two men looked into each other's eyes for a long moment. They hadn't met for eight years in person, and though they regularly exchanged subspace messages, meeting each other in person was a more dramatic experience than either of them expected.
"Data." Maddox smiled a friendly smile as he stepped down the pad and extended his hand.
"Doctor." Data nodded and accepted his offered hand. He was surprised by the profound fear of this man's touch that was generated by his emotion-chip. It was almost as if it was triggered in response to a primal urge of self-preservation no matter how well he knew that he had nothing to fear anymore. His sentience was proven eight years ago, the Federation accepted it as well. No man in the universe could hurt him without the prospect of facing the same consequences as if he hurt an organic sentient being. And yet... well, these were the moments, when he thought living without emotions was by far easier than living with them.
Maddox let his hand go and looked over him smiling - Data never appreciated that look on the Doctor's face, not when they met eight years ago on the bridge of the Enterprise-D, and certainly not now. However, now he was able to assign a feeling to that sensation: he felt very uncomfortable by his look, as if he was a piece of food put on display for people to choose and consume - or a slave in a slave-market to be bought... - Stop it! he told himself, You're being perfectly unreasonable!
"How are you, Data?" the Doctor asked kindly.
"Fine, Sir, thank you. And you?" Data answered politely, and Maddox' face lit up.
"Your response is a lot more natural than it used to be." his lips curled up in a smile again, and his eyes shone with excitement "From your messages, I could judge the rate of your development. But to see it so closely... it's remarkable!" he whispered the word awed.
Data was not sure how to respond to that. He glanced away embarrassed "Thank you, Sir. I suppose..." he added on a low voice then looked back at him "I'll show you to your quarters."
"Ah, let's not waste any time with that, Data! Let's go to the lab right away."
In a few minutes, Data was sitting in the lab hooked up to the computer by an optic cable, and Maddox was downloading his diagnostic logs to his padd standing next to him.
"Your emotion-chip generated a lot more logs in the last two months than before that. Not counting the first few months when you've started to utilize it, of course." Maddox remarked looking closely at the data appearing on his padd.
"I'm aware of the change, Sir." Data replied silently.
"It's remarkable that it's possible to measure your feelings even by the amount of generated logs. I wonder if there's a preset threshold above which the magnitude of the feelings cannot go." the Doctor mused pressing some buttons on the pad to make it yield some statistics.
"The chip can overload, as I have mentioned in my subspace message of stardate 48651.7, Sir. Therefore, it is conceivable that there is a threshold like the one you suggest." Data told him matter-of-factly. He watched the cyberneticist so deeply wrapped up in his work still with some measure of fear. Apart from Geordi and Doctor Crusher, in the last years, he hadn't let anybody else to examine him. When he'd invited Maddox, he hadn't expected that the doctor's presence would trigger such emotions in him. Maybe he should have asked Geordi to be present during the examination - but he just didn't want the tension that this topic generated to grow between them.
After a few moments of staring at his padd, Maddox raised his head "Hmm... Let me see the schematics of the circuits around the chip."
"You may download that as well, Sir, by accessing the diagnostic service of the chip." Data offered on as a professional voice as he could muster "The diagram highlights circuits generated recently. I believe there will be some difference compared to the diagram I've sent to you four weeks ago."
Maddox frowned perplexed as the diagram appeared on the padd's display "Hmm, some difference!" he pressed a few buttons and made the diagram appear on the large display of the computer console next to them "Look at this, Data." he called on a stunned voice. Data gaped too in surprise seeing the display.
There were dozens of highlighted newer circuits around the emotion-chip and at least a hundred older ones. They ran out and about the chip forming nodes at places. "The chip is designed to evolve, Doctor. For this reason, it seems it is capable of forming new nodes in my neural net that would serve as sub-processors to aid it." Data said on a stunned voice.
"Were you aware of this behaviour, Data?" Maddox asked curiously looking at him.
"Not until now, Sir." Data shook his head looking only at the screen.
Maddox furrowed his brows confused "This just doesn't make sense to me, Data. These nodes" he pointed to the screen where the circuits ran together to form small centers "they look just like any other sub-processors that you have. On their own, your sub-processors are not capable of generating emotions. So how can they give any kind of aid to the emotion-chip? Have you ever realized that the chip can use normal sub-processors in this way?"
Data gazed away thoughtfully "Well... I experience the effect. The more circuit patterns lead to my emotion-chip, the more emotions I'm able to feel and experience. And their magnitude change too. However, I do not understand the mechanism behind this behaviour myself, Doctor."
The cyberneticist seemed to consider all of this for a few moments then looked into Data's eyes with a very professional look on his face "I will need to examine this more thoroughly before we go on with the procedure that the court martial requested. I don't intend to hinder this capacity to evolve that the chip shows in any way by doing the procedure without proper preparation. It might take a day or two to do a full analysis. I'm sorry."
Data nodded and tried not to show how relieved he was "It is perfectly alright, Doctor. I am not in a hurry."
Maddox nodded understandingly "I know it's not YOU who is in a hurry about this procedure." he helped Data unhook from the computer, and the android closed the service door on his head. He pushed his fingers through his hair to tidy it and stood. Maddox stepped up opposite him and looked into his eyes "I want you to know that I don't agree with the decision of the court martial. It's unjust. You ARE sentient, and you have as much right to feel emotions as any of us."
Data nodded in gratitude and felt his guards lower a little - it was perfectly unreasonable to feel any kind of fear or hostility towards this man because of events that transpired eight years ago. He knew that rationally, though after utilizing his chip two years prior, he had finally been able to process the events of that devastating legal hearing emotionally as well, and he needed to make a conscious effort of not showing his all-consuming fear and even hatred in his subsequent subspace messages to the doctor. It was a very difficult process. But now, it seemed that under the friendly helpfulness of the cyberneticist, slowly his emotions conceded to start trusting this man.
"Thank you, Doctor." he told him on his silent voice.
Maddox then gazed away as if considering a topic he seemed very uncomfortable to bring up "What if..." he looked into Data's golden eyes with his cold blue gaze "What if I could try to help?"
"To help, Sir?" Data frowned "In what fashion?"
"I might be able to ...to call in a few favors from high ranking officers, who might be able to call in a few favors themselves... It might, MIGHT be just enough to turn the tide in your favor, Data, and change the decision of the court martial." Maddox's eyes shone with a strange determination - very similar to what Data saw vividly in his memories of eight years ago - and the fear that Data'd just dismissed returned right away.
He frowned confused and cocked his head "I... My ethical programming is strongly against favoritism, Doctor. Although it is true that I would be very glad, if the decision of the court martial could be reversed."
Maddox smiled eagerly "Oh, Data, it would not be favoritism at all! As I have told you, it's rather doing some favors to old acquaintances and friends. Do you understand it now?" he asked, and Data did understand that there was an added meaning in that sentence. Maddox expected something from him.
"I am unsure what I might give you in return, Doctor." he admitted, but his heart now pounded like a drum in his chest, and he barely any time felt as frightened as now.
Maddox gazed away with a grim expression "You know my last attempt at recreating Doctor Soong's work failed."
"I know." Data whispered - would he want to disassemble me the same way he did eight years ago?! That would make no sense! He knows I would not go along with it!
Maddox went on with a shaken voice "It was the twelfth android I lost in three years. It's as painful to watch them die after such a short life as it was for you to watch your own attempt at creating an offspring suffer a cascade failure."
Data's heart lurched as all his memories of Lal flooded his mind as if they'd happened only a minute ago. How she held his hand, how she went away telling him she loved him - and how he was not able to requite her love. Lal...
Maddox went on, and his frustration was palpable "It's all because the model I use is not complete. Not perfect. Not perfect enough!" he looked into Data's eyes again now really determined "I NEED a guide! I need to see what makes your brain stable while all other attempts fail."
Data felt now really upset. The fear this man triggered, the memories of Lal... he felt he reached his limits in dealing with so many strong emotions! He shook his head swallowing hard "I do not believe I can help you in that, Doctor. As I have told you eight years ago. I am willing to assist you. But only when you're ready. With all due respect, I do not think you are ready, Sir."
Maddox' lips curled up into a nervous smile "Data. You misunderstand me. I don't require YOU to be my guide."
Data frowned utterly puzzled "Who else could..." he started and then gaped as the realization hit him "Lore... You want me to give you Lore..." he whispered shocked.
Maddox nodded "Precisely." seeing Data's shock, he went on "Look, Data. Lore was a criminal. A murderer. It was responsible for hundreds of lives taken."
Data shook his head in firm denial "Though these statements are true, Sir, he is still my brother. And he is not dead! Merely deactivated. Therefore I cannot let you simply dissect him!"
Maddox went on, his hands came up into fists as he tried to convince the hard-headed android "It's not sentient, Data! It never was! It's just the result of an experiment going terribly wrong! I'm convinced that Doctor Soong never intended to create the monster Lore has become!"
Data took a few paces to distance himself from the other man and looked back at him from the opposite console "Doctor Maddox, my Father was in great pain because of how Lore turned out! However, he wanted to make everything right for him! He wanted to fix him. However, he never had the chance."
Maddox just couldn't give up, he stepped up to him and tried again "Look, Data! If I can understand Doctor Soong's work thoroughly, I might be able to fulfil his wish, and I might be able to fix Lore."
Data shook his head "I cannot gamble with my own brother, Doctor! Especially not for my own interests!"
"Don't you see, Data? It would be mutually good for all parties involved! You might get your emotions back full time, I get my guidance, and your father's wish might be fulfilled. Even Lore could have a chance at a new life. Don't tell me this doesn't sound appealing to you!"
"Doctor Maddox, all of what you're proposing sound intriguing. As ever. However, I cannot see you considering what might happen if your proposal has a negative outcome. What if something goes wrong? What if you never reach your goal, and your ministrations render Lore into a state beyond repair? How can either of us deal with our conscience then?" he asked trying hard to sound as rational as possible - and hide how upsetting it all was!
"Data. I tell you again. Lore is not a sentient being! It's only the product of an ill-fated experiment. There's nothing to feel bad about even if I don't succeed! But believe me, I WILL succeed! Once I get my guidance, I know I will! Why aren't you looking at the positive outcome of my proposal? We could give Lore a chance to be a sentient being just like you! We are giving it an opportunity!"
Data's hands came up into fists, and his eyes blazed with fury "Maybe Lore's sentience was never proven as mine was. But he IS sentient. As my Father told us, we are virtually identical, except for a bit of programming. When Lore was activated, he had feelings. Tangled with ambition so much that he was ready to sacrifice others for them, but he had feelings. You might know people like that yourself, Sir." Data told him on a hard voice - it seemed Emma's sarcasm did have an effect on his way of thinking!
Maddox raised his head sharply at this "Stop being so hypocritical! If you considered your 'brother' sentient yourself, you'd have sent him to a prison instead of dismantling him!"
And that hit a very sensitive nerve with Data. He looked into the cyberneticist's eyes shaken and hurt - knowing he WAS guilty in what the doctor was accusing him of "As you are well aware of the fact, sir, he would not have been dealt with as an organic criminal. And even if he would, I would never wish my brother to be confined for the rest of his life for his crimes. For an android, it would mean eternity. The only way I could protect him is by dismantling him myself. It was the hardest decision I ever made, and I didn't make it to sell him out. To use him for my own benefit. So I'm sorry, Sir, but I cannot take your offered opportunity."
Maddox shook his head frustrated but saw now that he would need to get a grip on the android by his emotions rather than his rationality. He sighed a troubled sigh "You're making a mistake. At least consider it before making such a hasty decision, Data! Would your 'brother' rather sit on a shelf taken apart than to have a chance at a new life? At least consider this. Please."
Before Data could reply, they heard a silent voice from the doorway "Data." Juliana called softly.
Data looked at her and then glancing back at Maddox he turned to her: "Mother. Is there something wrong?" he asked concerned.
Juliana walked up to them and looked at the stranger curiously then back at her son "No, not at all. I just wanted to check on you."
Data nodded then as Maddox looked at her curiously, he realized he should introduce them to each other: "I see. Mother, this is Doctor Bruce Maddox. The most knowledgeable cyberneticist regarding Father's work. This is my Mother, Juliana Tainer."
Maddox' eyes shone with a new light as he extended his hand "Data has told me about you in his messages. You were the assistant of Doctor Soong, am I correct?"
They shook hands, and Juliana corrected him "I was more than a simple assistant, I was a junior-cyberneticist in his lab on Omicron Theta. In essence, I was his right hand."
"Ah, I see now! But you're not in the field of cybernetics anymore. I would know you, if you were." he smiled a nervous smile, which was somehow too friendly for Juliana's liking.
She shook her head "No. Cybernetics is not the most reliable science. You can never calculate the end-result beforehand. I wanted to do a job, where the rules are less hectic, and the results are more predictable, so now I'm a geologist."
"Oh, but this is the beauty in cybernetics! You have to take those risks, Ms. Tainer, so that the end-result could turn out as remarkable as... well, as Data." he looked over at Data once again, and Juliana felt that the admiration in his eyes was less for his son's personality, and a lot more for the fact that he was such a perfect piece of engineering - she felt a chill run up her spine.
Maddox went on "I was just telling Data about my proposal to him that could be for the benefit of all of us. Maybe you could help me convince him!"
"I'm sorry, Doctor Maddox!" Data cut in "My Mother and I have some errands to run before the away-mission. So if you'd excuse us." he put his hand on his mother's arm as if to try to protect her - Juliana was surprised by the gesture.
Maddox saw that he had to wait for the right time, so he let them go "Of course, Data. I will notify you when I'm ready for the procedure." he told the android, trying to sound as helpful as he could, while he was still fuming inside.
"Thank you, Doctor." Data nodded and putting his arm gently around his mother's shoulder motioned her out to the corridor.
When the door closed behind them, Juliana stopped Data with a worried expression on her face "Data. Are you going to tell me who this man is?" He turned to her and she went on "Yesterday, when you mentioned this man's name, all of your friends seemed to become really nervous and worried."
He bowed his head to try to think of something to say to her then gazed back at her "He IS the most knowledgeable about Father's work - apart from you, I suppose... It is true though that we have a past." he glanced away again considering how much to tell her, and decided that there was no point in making her worried. He looked at her with a small smile "You need not to worry, Mother. Let us concentrate on our mission ahead of us."
However, Juliana frowned annoyed "Data, I'm not a stupid, senile old woman, so please stop treating me as such! I can see that something has made you upset. When I stepped into that lab, you seemed as if you were ready to jump that man. Adding that to the worry of your friends..."
"Please, Mother..." he cut in and then sighed to impose a measure of patience on himself "I WILL tell you everything. When I'm ready for it. I promise."
Juliana watched the emotions flicker over his pale face and she could see that he tried everything to hide how upset he was. She needed to give him the time and space he wanted. She nodded: "Alright."
Data felt really bad about shutting his mother out in this way, and he wanted to somehow reassure her. He considered what to say to her, but then struck by a thought, he simply took her by the shoulder and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Juliana then drew him in for a short hug. Then they gazed into each other's eyes for a long moment - strangely enough, he felt relieved and soothed by her touch, in a similar way Emma's touch could calm him. "Let's go." he told her with a soft smile, and they started for the turbolift without saying another word.
A/N:The concept that Data and Maddox's relationship deteriorated because the former refused to give over the bodies of Lore and Lal to the latter is from Jeffrey Lang's Immortal Coil - Read it, it's a great book! I changed his idea here somewhat but credit should go to him.
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Blind Chess