REP TNG Knight of Cups 1/1 (D, La, C, T, a/u, PG-13)
datalaur
Once again, I am not the author -- I am reposting for DataToy. If
you have comments, copy me at datalaur at yahoo.com and I will
forward them on to Datatoy.
Archivist: Please put this story in Trekiverse as it appears to be
missing. I've updated the header info.
enjoy,
laur
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Title: Knight of Cups
Author: DataToy
Series: TNG, The Cups Quartet
Rating: PG-13
Part: 1/1
Pairing: D, La, C, T
Coding: a/u
Summary: Data and a hot fudge sundae. 'Nuff said.
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the universe, yadda yadda.
Feedback: I welcome all comments on my tales. Email comments to
datalaur @ yahoo.com, who will pass them to me.
Archive: ASC* official archives only.
"Knight of Cups: I learn that emotions are not the simple things I
originally thought they were."
-Signe E. Echols, Robert Mueller, Sandra A. Thomson, Spiritual
Tarot
Put your head on my shoulder baby
Things can't get any worse
Night is getting colder, sometimes...
Life feels like it's a curse
- Madonna, Swim
"Call it a whim. Or perhaps, a reward for a favor in another
timeline," Q said.
-from Page of Cups
KNIGHT OF CUPS
(Second in The Cups Quartet)
Even before Data's eyelids fluttered open, Deanna was moving. She
quickly sat on the bed next to him, gathering the brand-new human
in her arms.
Data awoke, his still-golden eyes clouded and confused. He gasped,
and peering at her face, cried, "Counselor Troi... Where am I? I...
someone -someone turned me off... my internal clock is not
operating..." He started shivering uncontrollably.
Her eyes widened as she delved into his emotions. Deanna felt
herself slipping and falling, and tried to find secure footing --
he was gripped by pure terror.
Then he whimpered, "Oooh... The room is turning... Something is
wrong..." He shut his eyes tightly and gagged.
"Troi to Crusher," the empath called, slapping her communicator.
"Please come to Data's quarters right away." Then she held Data
close to her, comforting him. "Shhh, it's all right Data, take
some deep breaths, it will pass, deep breaths," she said, breathing
deeply herself to show him, "yes, like that, it's all right..."
Data hung on to her. "Counselor Troi... What is happening to me?
I cannot remember... I cannot -- I cannot access any of my files!"
he cried, shaking with fear.
Deanna strengthened her embrace, empathically reaching for his
terrified mind and filling it with feelings of safety. She gritted
her teeth -Data's fear was so intense, so primal. "Listen to me,
Data," she said, "listen to me... Look at me, Data." She took his
face in her hands and looked into his eyes. "Don't be frightened.
You're on the Enterprise... You are in your quarters... see? You
are home."
He glanced around him for an instant, locking onto sights he
already knew so well, and which reassured him. "I am in my
quarters," he repeated.
Deanna smiled, drawing him against her and caressing his head.
"That's right... There's no reason to be afraid."
He released a trembling breath, and instinctively sought shelter in
her arms, burying his face against her neck, soothed by her
presence, her warmth, her softness. His muscles began to relax.
"This feels good," he murmured.
"Yes, Data," Deanna said, stroking his wavy hair.
Then he raised his head, the words he'd just uttered suddenly
hitting him. "How can this feel good?" he whispered almost
inaudibly. He looked at the Betazoid, his eyes wide with shock.
Beverly had arrived, but she stopped in the bedroom doorway when
she saw them.
"Data," Deanna said softly, "you're human now."
He blinked, swallowed, and his expression betrayed a dawning
realization. "Q... Q made me human?" He was like a child who had
received the present he'd always so dearly wished for, the present
he thought he'd never get because it seemed it could only happen in
a dream.
Deanna nodded.
"Human," Data breathed. Very slowly, he went limp in her arms, and
began to weep silently, hardly moving at all. Deanna patted his
back tenderly, her eyes shimmering as she met Beverly's.
****
"I do not feel well... Dr. Crusher, please, I do not wish to eat,"
Data said. Once more, he pushed away the bowl that she was
holding.
Beverly sighed, but she was worried. She had been trying to coax
him to swallow a spoonful of fruit puree, and so far had failed to
get him to cooperate. "Data," she said gently, "You slept for a
long time. You'll feel better if you eat."
Data was unconvinced. "It seems like the bed is moving." He closed
his eyes and groaned. "I do not like this at all."
Beverly's lips formed an exhausted smile. Simply getting him to
eat mashed bananas was a challenge. She was certain that
somewhere, Q was laughing.
"Data, be reasonable. You know you need to eat now," she said
firmly. If he didn't eat something solid soon, his stomach would
become even more shocked than it already was.
He opened his eyes, and Beverly inched the spoon closer to his
mouth. "Just a taste, okay? Then you can tell me if it helps or
not," she said encouragingly.
Cautiously, he parted his lips and she tipped the spoon, sliding it
past his lips. //I should take a holopicture,// Beverly thought
tenderly. //'His first bowl of mashed bananas.'//
"Oh!" he said, swallowing. "It tastes nice. It feels cool... It is
moving inside of me," he marveled, his hand tracing the center of
his chest down to his stomach. He gave her a delighted smile. "I
would like more," he said.
He spoke so earnestly that the doctor almost burst out laughing.
"All right, then," Beverly said. "Tell you what -if you finish all
of it, I may let you get out of bed for a while."
Data gazed at her, and he tilted his head with that swift, sudden
motion she had seen a million times. Some of his most ingrained
habits had persisted. "I will feel better if I eat, of course.
That is correct. Please continue, Dr. Crusher."
His sudden switch from frustration to enchantment was a bit
disconcerting. Beverly wondered if any of them would ever get used
to Data's transformation. His experience with emotions was
limited, if not practically nonexistent, and this lack was further
aggravated by having to learn how to live inside a human body and
incorporate an entirely new set of responses.
Beverly gave him another spoonful. He closed his eyes, keeping the
mashed fruit inside his mouth for a little while, intensely
absorbed by the soft, creamy sensation on his tongue. Then he
swallowed, and smiled again. "I like this very much," he said
gladly. "Does that please you?"
Singularly touched by his transparent and authentic desire, Beverly
patted his shoulder. She felt a pang of guilt; Data had wanted to
please humans so badly that he'd repressed the fragile emergence of
his emotions, and eventually forgotten about his own inner defense
mechanism, denying that he'd ever had any feelings altogether.
Data finished the entire bowl, and beamed up at her, elated. "I am
feeling much better, Dr. Crusher. May I get up now?"
There it was, the vibrant smile that should have been. Even more
bittersweet - golden eyes that were now bright with pleasure.
//Q... you made sure we'd never forget, didn't you?// she thought
somberly. "All right," Beverly said, forcing a smile. "Take it
easy. Don't rush yourself."
He nodded obediently. She pulled the blankets away, and took his
hand. He swung his legs to the side of the bed, and his bare feet
touched the carpet. Data gasped, and pressed his feet against the
soft surface.
When he laughed, the doctor almost started at the sound. Data
looked at her with amazement etched upon his benign features. "It
feels so different," he said.
He raised himself slowly, his legs a bit unsteady at first, and
took a few tentative steps, leaning upon her arm. A few minutes
later, he was walking confidently. "I do not hear any commands in
my mind," he told her with perplexity in his voice. "Yet my legs
are moving, they are doing what I wish them to do." He walked
around the room, his head cocked as if he was trying to hear the
soft internal noises that had a few days ago been his constant
companions.
"There is nothing anymore," Data whispered. "It is just happening.
This is most intriguing."
Beverly smiled. "Would you like to go for a walk outside your
quarters?"
Data nodded, anticipation and excitement lighting up his features.
"Yes! I would to see Geordi."
"I'll let you dress, then. I'll wait for you in the other room."
Once he was alone, he began to remove his pyjamas. Data took off
his shirt, a small exclamation of surprise escaping his lips when
he saw that his chest was covered with dark hair.
//Testosterone,// a voice in his mind informed him, and he jumped.
Evidently, many of the facts that had once been stored in his
positronic brain were still present in his human one, though the
way they surfaced, seemingly out of nowhere, was most baffling.
"Testosterone," Data murmured to himself, touching the dark curls
on his chest. He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair.
That felt softer, he thought, closing his eyes. Then looking at
his hand, he saw that it was slightly shiny. He decided he would
wash his new human body before dressing it.
"I will not be long, Dr. Crusher," he said, raising his voice a
little.
"It's all right, Data," she called back. "Take your time."
He removed his pyjama pants and stepped into the shower, opting for
water instead of sonics. He exhaled when the warm water hit him,
enveloping him from head to toe in luxuriousness. He stood under
the shower head for a few minutes, feeling the water against his
skin, feeling it massaging his muscles, and he let his head sway
slightly from side to side. Someone had thought of putting a
bottle of shampoo on the shelf, and soap.
//My friends thought of it.// He smiled, and there was a feeling
in his chest like a slightly painful yet pleasant twist. Having
squeezed an amount of shampoo in the palm of his hand, he began
washing his hair, the sweet, fresh smell of mint filling his
nostrils. There was a tingling sensation as he rubbed his scalp,
and his lips stretched upwards in a lazy smile.
He rinsed his hair, and washed the rest of his body, which was
slightly reddened from the warm water. He got out of the shower,
suddenly anxious to see Geordi, and quickly dried himself with a
large towel. He pushed his moist locks back, not bothering to
style them, and dressed in his familiar Starfleet uniform.
"I am ready, Dr. Crusher," he announced as he joined her in the
living room.
Beverly hid a smile -- he had forgotten the beard suppressor.
"Let's go then," she told him, and they left his quarters.
Data was looking around him as if he was seeing his surroundings
for the first time. Since Q had turned him into a human being, his
golden eyes had taken on a dazzling brilliance that mirrored his
newly acquired perceptions.
"What is it, Data?" Beverly asked.
"I do not know," he replied, smiling radiantly. "It just... feels
good to be here." He put his hand on his chest. "It is like my
heart is bouncing." He moved his hand to the side of his neck, and
pressed softly. "Oh! I can feel it... it is beating faster." He
laughed, a tender, little laugh that tore right through her.
"Computer, locate Commander LaForge," she said.
"Commander LaForge is in Engineering."
****
Everywhere they went, people did a double take. Of course, by now
the entire ship was aware of the unprecedented transformation --
but it hadn't sunk in yet. People were dumbfounded. Data met the
astounded stares with a thrilled smile, his heart hammering inside
of him, and then he would shyly duck his head.
//Human,// his mind echoed again and again. He had to restrain
himself from sprinting down the halls like an exhilarated child.
Finally they reached Main Engineering. When Data saw Geordi, who
had his back turned to them, he exclaimed, "Geordi!"
Geordi whirled around at the sound of Data's heartfelt cry,
thunderstruck.
"Data... oh my god!" he gasped. He knew what had happened to Data,
and had watched over him for a few hours as he lay sleeping, but to
see Data now, barely able to contain his joy, was truly
overwhelming.
"Well?" Data was saying, "tell me, what do you think? I am curious
to hear your opinion about my appearance."
Geordi could hardly find his voice. He held Data by the shoulders,
and then cupped his face, Data's faint stubble grazing his hands.
"Oh, Data... I can't believe it's you." Geordi drew him in his
arms. "I'm so happy you're all right."
Engineering had come to a grinding halt as all beheld the sight of
Data in his new human form. It might have been difficult to
recognize him with his flesh tone skin at first, not to mention
that five o'clock shadow, but those golden eyes left no doubt as to
the identity of their owner.
Presently, they were filling with tears. "Yes, I am all right," he
said. "It is so... good to see you, Geordi. I am still having
difficulty believing what has happened, but I am so glad that I can
feel now, though it has been a somewhat perplexing experience."
Geordi's head was spinning with the new reality his friend's words
implied. //I should've known,// he thought, castigating himself.
//Of all people, I should've known what he was doing to himself.//
He hadn't been in the room at the time, but Riker had described
Data's plaintive cries: //accessing, accessing, accessing.//
Geordi felt sick to his stomach every time he thought of those
words. //I should've seen the damage to his subprocessors, his
neural net... How many error messages must have Data endured over
the years, warping his programming the way he was? I should've
seen something, somewhere. When he said he had no feelings, we
couldn't accept it... But we never even looked.//
"Did I say something wrong?" Data asked, shaking Geordi from his
gloomy reflections. He winced when he realized how distraught Data
looked.
"Of course you didn't," Geordi assured him. "I'm sorry, Data. It's
just that I've been so worried about you."
Data relaxed visibly. //How easy it is to read him now,// Geordi
thought despondently.
"Please do not worry," Data said. "Dr. Crusher has been taking
excellent care of me. I am fine. I just needed to see you,
Geordi."
Then he frowned, as if something important had just occurred to
him. "I am not disturbing you in your work, am I? I did not think
that you might be busy. Do you require assistance?"
As the doctor had been, Geordi was taken aback by the contrast
between Data's newfound emotions and his enduring impulses.
Sometimes his behavior was so familiar and other times, it was so
new.
Before he could respond, Data had seated himself at the console,
his fingers dancing smoothly across the surface. "Initiating
diagnostic of plasma flow to the power transfer conduits."
And then for a moment, Data hesitated. He knitted his brow, his
thoughts racing furiously. "I... I do not recall the amount of
magnetic pressure necessary to peristaltically force the plasma
toward the warp engine nacelles."
Crestfallen, he turned to Dr. Crusher and Geordi. "I do not recall
the amount of magnetic pressure," he repeated with disbelief.
"Data," Geordi said, "no one is expecting you to remember
everything the way you did before. You're human now. And you
shouldn't even be thinking about work or magnetic pressure or
plasma flow at this point. You should... Data? Data!"
Data was deaf to Geordi's words. His complexion had taken on a
waxen pallor, and small beads of sweat were forming on his
forehead. "The file is gone. How will I be able to perform my
duties now? There are so many things I do not remember!
Information only seems to come sporadically, when I do not expect
it..."
He flinched, struck by an even more terrible thought. "Will I...
will I be allowed to stay on the Enterprise?" He was incapable of
halting the disintegration of his thoughts as they went from bad to
worse. Shutting his eyes, he covered his face with a trembling
hand.
He heard Geordi's voice coming from far away.
Then there was nothing.
****
"Data? Data?"
There was the slight sting of someone gently slapping his cheeks.
"He's coming around."
"Data, can you hear me?"
"Counselor Troi, report to Engineering! Something's wrong with
Data!"
//Geordi's voice,// Data thought through a haze. And once again,
nothingness.
****
//Soft sounds, becoming clearer. Processing... No, wait. Someone
is calling my name... I think someone is talking to me.//
A hypospray hissed softly against Data's neck. He opened his mouth
and sucked in a breath.
"C'mon, Data... C'mon, wake up," Geordi whispered anxiously.
Then he slowly opened his eyes, squinting against what was at first
an almost unbearable brightness. A few moments later, he realized
he was lying on the floor in Engineering, Geordi hovering over him
with a tense expression, Dr. Crusher sitting on one side, running a
tricorder over him, and Counselor Troi on the other, holding his
hand. He gasped, but this time everything came back to him,
including the anguish he felt at the thought of having to leave the
Enterprise.
"Data," Deanna said quickly, squeezing his hand, "this is your
home, and this is where you'll stay." He squeezed back, his eyes
filled with desperate hope as he clutched at her words.
"Everything will be all right. We'll help you, Data. You're not
alone."
He nodded. Color was slowly returning to his pale cheeks.
"Good," Deanna said, stroking his forehead. "Don't worry about
what you do or don't remember right now. We'll work on those
things later, all right?"
"All right," Data said, relief seeping through him. //I am not
alone,// he thought. //My friends will not abandon me. I must
trust them.//
"Can you stand, Data?" Beverly asked.
"Yes," Data replied, and they all helped him to his feet. He felt
dizzy for a second, but Geordi was supporting him.
"How you doing, buddy?" Geordi asked gently. "Don't scare me like
that again, you hear me?"
Data smiled almost sheepishly and lowered his head, a bit overcome
by the attention. "I am sorry that I frightened you, Geordi," he
said. He swallowed, and rubbed one of his temples.
"Data?" Geordi said, instantly alarmed, his arm tightening around
his shoulders protectively. "You okay?" He lifted Data's chin and
peered into his eyes, checking to see if anything was wrong.
Data nodded. "Yes, Geordi, thank you," he said, basking in his
friend's concern. "It is just... my head hurts a little."
"He should eat something now," Beverly told them.
Deanna smiled, giving Data a little shake. "What do you say you
and I go to Ten Forward? I'm famished." Her eyes sparkled
mischievously. "Plus, I think it's time for me to introduce you to
one of the greatest pleasures of life."
Beverly groaned. "At least make sure he eats a bowl of soup
first."
****
A hot fudge sundae was placed before Data, who was studying it with
curiosity and definite interest.
Deanna planted her spoon in her own rich concoction. "This, Data,"
she said with satisfaction, "is what you eat when you feel you need
something to raise your spirits."
"I believe you have mentioned that many times in the past," he
said, watching how the fudge was melting the ice cream in his bowl.
"Go ahead, Data, have a bite already," she said, motioning with her
spoon.
He brought his spoon to his mouth, noting how it was filling with
saliva as he breathed in the tantalizing smell of hot fudge. His
eyes flew open when the soft, cold ice cream and hot, velvety
chocolate touched his tongue.
"Mm -mmm mmm!" Data mumbled ecstatically, hitting the table lightly
a few times with his palms. The ice cream was sweeter than the
chocolate, which was also heavier and thicker. It coated his
tongue, sending intoxicating messages to his brain. He shivered as
he swallowed the hot chocolate syrup and it tickled the back of his
throat deliciously.
"Oh," he sighed. Then Data stared at the sundae, his golden eyes
alive with an expression Deanna had never seen in them before:
greed.
"Well," she exclaimed, half-choking on her ice cream with laughter,
"it seems I've finally found someone who understands me!"
"I doubt there is anything that could possibly taste better than
this," Data said softly, the chocolate flavor still lingering in
his mouth, and as he admired the beautiful dark brown color, part
of him felt certain it added to the taste...
The End
Continued in Queen of Cups
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