Mosaic - Jeri Taylor [20]
Kathryn searched her memory for her history lessons, and wished she had given them as much time and attention as she had science and mathematics. She vaguely remembered reading about the colonization of Mars, but it had struck her at the time as somewhat unremarkable. After all, space travelers now flew to other systems, other sectors; what was so amazing about a colony in one's own planetary system?
But as multi-hued Mars loomed in front of her, it seemed extraordinary indeed. Patches of red were still visible on the planet-oxidized dust, which had given it the nickname "the red planet" several centuries ago. But now there were vast areas of blue and green, and wisps of white water-vapor clouds hanging in the atmosphere. It didn't look like Earth, but it looked like a fertile, living planet. The transformation had been a massive undertaking, made possible with help from the Vulcans, the first offworld species to make contact with humans. That memorable meeting had taken place in 2063, the year Zefram Cochrane had launched the first warp flight and alerted the spacefaring Vulcans that Earth was ready to take its place in the interplanetary community. Kathryn had studied all that in her history class. How Cochrane's revolutionary discovery had lifted Earth from the chaos it had endured in the early part of the twentyfirst century, how the arrival of the Vulcans had forged an alliance that carried Earth into a technological renaissance that eventually resulted in the creation of such nowfamiliar conveniences as replicators and transporters.
But the first great project was the colonization of Mars, and she was not clear on the details. However, she was not about to admit that to her father, and so she affected a nonchalant attitude and informed him, "I know all about that, Daddy. We studied it in school."
And so there was no more discussion of Mars, even though Kathryn would love to have heard the details.
Soon they docked at Utopia Planitia, the huge orbiting space station that also served as a shipbuilding facility for Starfleet, and then were transported into an operations center on the surface. It was a large room full of equipment-consoles, monitors, what seemed like thousands of blinking colored lights-and people busy manning that equipment. Kathryn was fascinated. She wanted to stay in that room and try to figure out exactly what everyone was doing, what function all those blinking lights served. But that was not to be.
"Mr. Data, would you please give our young guest a tour of the colony? You're familiar with the place, aren't you?" Kathryn noted that Admiral Finnegan's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he spoke. "Indeed, sir. I completed an engineering honorarium here a year ago. I am thoroughly familiar with the colony and its environs." The cadet turned to Kathryn. "I would be pleased to act as your guide, Miss Janeway." Kathryn smiled inwardly at the man's formality, but she would never show her amusement-that would be impolite. Solemnly she looked at him and said, "Thank you, sir."
Kathryn looked at Daddy, who was already moving off with the others, heads together, in deep conversation. She felt a momentary twinge of something she couldn't identify as she saw him walking off. She was alone here, on another planet, and Daddy was leaving her. She felt her heart start to beat more quickly, and there was a funny sensation in her stomach. Then she heard the cadet's quiet, placating voice. "Strictly speaking, Miss Janeway, it is not necessary for you to address me as "sir." I do not outrank you, for you have no Starfleet rank at all."
"Then what should I call you?"
"Data would be satisfactory."
"Data?" Kathryn tried to find a polite way to phrase her next question. "Is that a common name among your species?"
"I have no species. I am an artificial intelligence, and so far as I know, the only one of my kind."
Kathryn stared