Metamorphosis - Jean Lorrah [50]
By the time they reached sickbay, Data was trembling. Of all people, the pragmatic Dr.
Pulaski was the, least likely to accept his story.
When the doors opened, the CMO was turned away from them, studying a chart of Data’s specifications
on the screen behind one of the diagnostic couches.
Geordi La Forge was with her, also refreshing his memory.
Hearing the doors swish open, Pulaski said, “It’s about time. I don’t care who it is, when a crewman is missing for more than 48 hours he is to be checked out in sickbay before …” She turned on her last words, eyes widening to find not a single android, but Picard, Riker, Troi, Worf, O’Brien, two security guards, and…
Pulaski’s eyes traveled up and down Data’s frame, then back to his face. She frowned, squinting slightly. “Data?” she said in wonder. He nodded. “Yes, Doctor.”
“What happened? No, I can see what’s happened but how?” “Doctor,” said Picard, “you recognize him?”
“Don’t you?” she asked, as if surprised.
“Captain, he looks exactly the way Data would if-was Geordi, who had been standing immobile all this while, his mouth hanging open, stepped forward to finish the statement. “comif Data had been born human.
Data, how-was Geordi clasped Data’s shoulders with both hands and stared into his eyes, shaking his head in wonder. “It’s you, isn’t it? It’s really you.” “It is I, Geordi,” Data said, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in an involuntary smile. Relief shot through every pore of his body at his friend’s acceptance of him.
Geordi smiled back, and gripped him harder around the shoulders. “It’s really you.”
“You have said that already, Geordi,” Data pointed out.
“I still don’t see it,” Riker said.
“Doctor, can we verify his identity?” “Of course I-Oh. No DNA scan.”
“Yes there is,” Geordi said, “but it still may not match. Data has-had-organic components.”
“Of course,” Pulaski responded. “Data, please lie down on the diagnostics couch. Mr.
La Forge, it looks as if I won’t be needing help from engineering, but if you’d like to stay-was “You couldn’t drag me out of here with a tractor beam.” Geordi helped Data onto the diagnostics couch. “Data, what happened to you?”
“It is a long story, Geordi,” Data said, feeling his heartbeat slowing now, as the fears passed.
“You’ve got time to tell it, Data,” Dr.
Pulaski said, stepping to his side. “These tests will take a while.”
“Yes, Lieutenant, tell us,” Picard agreed. “Computer, record the statement being given by the person claiming to be Lieutenant Commander Data.” Between pokings and probings, Data told his story. By the time he was finished, Dr. Pulaski had her report.
“My findings agree with what Data has just told us,” she said. “His fingerprints are the same. The computer identifies his voice and inflections. His DNA is not a perfect match for that of the nutritive fluid in his android body, because that fluid, although organic, was not human.
If, however, someone were attempting to create a human clone of Data, keeping as much of the original DNA pattern as possible, this man’s DNA would be one potential outcome.”
“Then you’re saying these Elysian gods created a clone of our Data, and transferred his consciousness into it?” Picard asked.
“At a guess,” the doctor replied. “From what Data has told us, his android body might have been damaged beyond repair.”
“No, Doctor,” said Data, sitting up on the couch. “There was no damage you and Geordi could not have repaired—so it certainly could not have been beyond the capabilities of the Elysian gods. They chose to do this to me. Do you remember how it seemed they were sending our away teams instructions through the Elysian people? It appears that they listen to their own people in the same way. Time after time, the tests that befell us came out of things that Thelia and I had spoken aloud.”
“And of course at some point,” Riker surmised, “you told her of your wish to be human.”
Data nodded. “Yes. I did verbalize my desire to meet with these “gods,” but they chose to ignore that.”
Picard nodded. “Unsurprising.
Gods rarely commune with