The Eyes of the Beholders - A. C. Crispin [23]
“I believe so,” Data said, and he took the pages back. “That is a good suggestion, Wesley. I will follow it as soon as possible.”
Wesley was vastly relieved to have gotten off the hook. He slid out of his seat and stood up. “I think I’ll wander down to engineering,” he said. “It’s been nearly eight hours since we encountered that field. Maybe something is finally happening. Geordi’s monitoring the situation, he’ll know what’s going on.”
“I will accompany you as far as the turbolift, then,” Data said.
The two left Ten-Forward, and Wesley spotted a familiar figure just leaving the turbolift. “Hello, Thala!” he called.
The Andorian child stopped and waited for them to reach her. She was wearing, as always, one of the glittery sensory nets over her beige jumpsuit. Seeing her pointed, fine-boned face with its delicate azure skin beneath her antennae, Wesley was reminded, once again, of ancient myths about Earth’s fairies.
As the acting ensign approached, the child raised her head, almost as though she could truly see him. But Wes knew that what she was “seeing” was the shape of his body delineated by his own thermal energy, all of him tinted in alien hues that were provided by her color-sensing antennae. “Hello, Wesley!” she said when he halted before her. “Who is that with you? My sensors tell me there’s someone, but the thermal readings are all funny.”
“That’s Lieutenant Commander Data,” Wesley said. “He’s an android.”
“Hello, Thala,” Data said formally. “How are you today?”
The child cocked her head at the sound of his voice. “I’m fine. It’s nice to meet you. I never met an android before. I’ve seen robots, but never anyone like you.”
“That is not surprising,” Data said. “I am, so far as I know, unique.”
Wesley had known Thala for several years, for she had already been traveling aboard the Enterprise with her father when he and his mother joined the crew. When the child’s father, Thev, died, the young officer had talked to the little Andorian girl, trying to offer her as much comfort as he could, from someone who had undergone the same loss. Her people’s grief rituals were far different from human ones, but Wesley, his mother, and Lieutenant Selar had joined in Thev’s “death chant” and the attendant obsequies.
“I know,” Thala replied to Data’s statement. “Doctor Soong made you. I heard a tape about it. Are you really as strong as they say?”
“I am quite strong,” Data admitted.
“Could you pick me up with one hand?” she asked curiously.
“Certainly,” the android said, and demonstrated. Thala gasped as she was swooped high into the air, held suspended for several seconds, then deposited back on the deck so gently that she didn’t even bounce as her feet touched the surface.
“Wesley!” she exclaimed breathlessly. “Did you see that?”
“Yeah, I did,” the acting ensign said with a wry smile. “Data, what a show-off!”
“Do it again?” she pleaded wistfully, her head turning toward the android.
“Not at the moment,” Data said. “But another time, perhaps.”
“That would be great!” Her small features sobered suddenly, as if a thought had just struck her. “Wesley, are we due to dock at any starbases soon?”
“I don’t know, Thala,” the young man replied. “At the moment we’re in the middle of a mission, so not for at least a week or so, probably.”
Her thin blue features did not alter, but her small shoulders sagged a little. “Oh. Listen, Wesley, will you do something for me?”
“Sure. What?”
“Let me know the next time we’re going to dock. You’re the helmsman most of the time, so you’ll know right away, won’t you?”
“If I’m on duty at that time,” he said. “I promise I’ll signal your cabin, okay?”
“Thanks, Wesley,” she said, then addressed herself to Data. “And thank you for the boost!”
“You are very welcome,” Data said, then both officers started back up the corridor.
“She’s a nice little kid,” Wesley commented