A Time for War, a Time for Peace - Keith R. A. DeCandido [77]
“Yes. This is the part that interests me.” Go touched a control, and the playback commenced.
Data took his seat in the captain’s chair. Hobson moved closer to Data, now standing one point three meters to Data’s left.
“Sir.” Hobson paused. “The fleet’s been ordered to Gamma Eridon.”
Data turned to face Hobson. “The tachyon signatures will not last long. By the time the fleet is deployed, it will be too late. Begin to reconfigure the sensors to detect ionized particle traces.” With the last sentence, Data turned back toward the main viewer.
“The entire area’s been flooded with tachyon particles—we’ll never be able to find what we’re looking for!”
“I am aware of the difficulties.” Data turned back to look at Hobson. “Please bring the phasers back online.”
“That will flood three decks with radiation.” Hobson had yet to move to carry out any of Data’s orders.
Data continued to face forward. “We will initiate radiation protocol when necessary.”
“You don’t give a damn about the people whose lives you’re throwing away! We’re not just machines—”
Now Data’s head turned sharply toward Hobson, his face changing expression for the first time since the playback began. Data’s features took on a more stern aspect, one that he had seen Captain Picard utilize under similar circumstances. “Mr. Hobson! You will carry out my orders, or I will relieve you of duty.”
A pause, then Hobson finally said, “Yes, sir.” Then Hobson moved toward the starboard console.
The playback perfectly matched Data’s own memory of the event.
Go stopped it. “You snapped at Lieutenant Commander Hobson.”
“Yes. Mr. Hobson was questioning my orders and obstructing our attempts to expose the cloaked Romulan ships. I have observed that in similar situations, the commanding officers under whom I have served will often speak in that tone in order to make their displeasure clear and to goad their subordinates into action.”
“Yes, but didn’t those commanding officers do so out of frustration and anger?”
Data considered the point. “I did not feel anger, but my efforts to expose the Romulan fleet were being frustrated.”
Go curled half her mouth in a smirk. “Now you’re piddling over semantics.”
“The choice of the word ‘frustration’ was yours, Captain.”
“True.” Go picked up her other padd and made more notes. “You’ve given me a great deal more food for thought than I was expecting from this interview, Mr. Data. However, for what it’s worth, you’ve made it clear to me at least that you’re going to make a fine first officer.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
Go stared at him. “Okay, that sounded like a prideful expression of gratitude. But you don’t feel pride.”
“I do, however, recognize the praise for what it is.”
Before Data could continue the thought, Go said, “And you tailored your reaction to how you’ve observed others reacting to similar praise?”
“Yes.”
Shaking her head, Go said, “You remind me of my daughter. My husband and I always make it a point to be polite around her. She’s growing up to be the most well-mannered child in her class. Response to stimulus.” She made some more notes on her padd. “I have a few more questions regarding your recent missions, and Captain Picard’s performance during them.”
Data tilted his head. “Should these questions not be asked of Captain Picard?”
“They have been—or they will be. But I’m interested in your take on them, especially if you’re going to be Picard’s first officer.”
Unable to deny the logic of Go’s thesis, Data said, “Very well.”
“At the Dokaalan colony, Picard made a decision to beam twenty-seven people onto the ship despite the fact that transporters were not deemed safe for humanoid transport given the ambient radiation. Those twenty-seven people died in transport.”
“That is correct.”
“Do you think he made the right choice?”
“I do not believe that the captain had another choice.”
Again, Go smirked. “There’s always another choice,