The Eyes of the Beholders - A. C. Crispin [94]
“I regret that, Mister La Forge,” Picard said. “I have a great deal of interest in art. I’ve even, from time to time, dabbled a bit with painting myself.” He glanced at Data and smiled wryly.
“If only there were a way that the Ylans’ art—their whole history, images, music, literature, everything—could be translated into terms that human minds could comprehend,” Geordi mused. “Then everyone could know their story, the way they intended when they set out to create the artifact.”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible,” Riker said regretfully. “No one can see or hear their art without going crazy.”
“I can,” Data corrected solemnly.
“That’s true, you can,” Riker conceded.
There was a long silence. Geordi felt a slow smile start across his face, and he turned to Data, who was looking extremely thoughtful. “Data!” he said urgently. “This is it! This is your chance! Something only you can do—something only you can know. Your chance to give a gift of great art to the universe!”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Data said. His strange eyes were bright with curiosity and excitement. “It would be a truly unique gift, would it not?”
“Something no one else could give,” Geordi said earnestly. “Truly unique.”
“I could record the entire structure and the material stored in its computer banks, then work on it when I am off duty,” the android said thoughtfully, then added, “The project would take years.”
“The greatest art, the greatest literature, often does,” the captain pointed out. He smiled. “I can’t think of a bigger challenge. The story of an entire species, from beginning to end—a project of heroic proportion. Are you going to tackle it, Commander?”
Data nodded. His impassive features filled with a new resolve. “I will do it,” he said, and the simple declaration took on the ring of a solemn oath.
Jean-Luc Picard raised his glass, and La Forge and Riker quickly followed suit. “A toast,” the captain said. “To Data and his new venture!”
Data’s golden eyes were bright as the three officers solemnly drained their glasses together in a formal salute. Their moving images were silhouetted against the windows in Ten-Forward, surrounding android and humans alike with the unwinking glory of the distant stars.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve