#data request

The ambush was surprisingly effective. Sensors didn’t pick them up, and they moved easily, silently. There had been an explosion, the others in the team dead upon impact, but from your place a few meters away, Data had enough time to grab you and shield you from the blast. A second hit came, but not an explosion this time, something else, like a shockwave, and suddenly you were being crushed. Data was sprawled over you, eyes unfocused, jaw slack. “Data?” You’d asked, struggling to push his unmoving body off you. A fog was being filtered in from somewhere nearby, and it made your body feel heavy and weak. It was quickly becoming difficult to breathe under Data’s weight. “Data, please, I can’t breathe.”

There was a series of strange clicking sounds a few feet away, and you turned your head to look for the source. Your universal translator kicked in after a moment, allowing you to catch the last of what was said. “…survivors. Wait. Look there. Still alive. Take it. Good specimen.” Your vision was beginning to blacken, but you could make out something moving toward you on multiple unsteady feet. Instinctively, you tried to wrap your arms around Data to protect him, but you could only manage the strength for one. Just before you passed out, a face leaned down into your view, lightly blue skinned with shockingly bright, glowing green eyes. Several of them, in fact. “Intriguing. Protective towards synthetic. May be important.” The creature reached out a spindly talon, long and slender, as if to touch you, and darkness swallowed you.

Xxx

The chains clink softly against the wall, rhythmically, tauntingly. The bite of the cold metal digging into your wrists is the only thing keeping you awake, giving you focus. The small bit of light streaming in through the slat in the ceiling allowed you to watch the slow dripping of water from the wall ahead of you. How long had you been here? It felt like weeks, but it could easily have only been a day. The sun never set on this planet, no nighttime to witness the passing of days. The water was your only source of timeframe, but that was useless given that it leaked down between the stone slats on the cold floor rather than pooling. Seven hundred forty…two? or was it four?… Shit. With a sigh, you adjusted your legs, stretching them in front of you. You’d lost count again, for who knows how many times.

There was no escaping this room. You hated to admit that you’d given up, because a Starfleet officer never gives up, but in truth you’d run out of ideas. The room was small-ish, maybe 3 meters by 3 meters, but tall, well over 8 meters. There were no doors, no windows, only the source of the drip and the slat in the ceiling, and unless you suddenly could turn yourself into goo, that wasn’t even remotely an option. You doubted even your hand could fit through it. The walls and floor were made of thick, dark stone, impenetrable without a weapon. Even your chains were unbreakable, made of some strange metal you’d never seen before, sturdy, thick, no way to break them or break out of them.

And so you sat. And counted. And waited. And despite your best efforts, the worry that had settled into your gut flared back up again, turning your mind to Data. Your fists clenched at your side, biting hard against the restraints. Where was he? Was he still lying there among your deceased colleagues? Was he even alright? That blast had done something to him, basically turned him off, and you’d never seen that happen before. Along with the worry that was overwhelming you came a twinge of guilt. You knew it was ridiculous—you couldn’t have prevented the attack, couldn’t have done anything to save any of them—but knowing Data could be in danger or worse because he was protecting you? It was the worst feeling in the world. Another pang of guilt, because here you sat, worrying about Data, feeling sorry for yourself, when your fellow crewmen were lying dead somewhere. Did Enterprise know what had happened? Would they come for you? Would they even know you were alive? You let your head drop, staring at the pores in the stone, and tears came.

Drip. One… Drip. Two…

Xxx

Data’s systems were rebooted some time after the attack. His internal clock indicated that it had been precisely 13 hours, 53 minutes, and 12 seconds. He pushed himself to his feet quickly and took stock of his systems. .03% slower than normal parameters but functioning nonetheless. He turned to survey the area and frowned. The accompanying away team was dead, a result of the original explosion. The phasers and tricorders were completely unusable, indicative of a strong EMP which likely accounted for his temporary shut down.

With a sudden jolt, a new emotion filled him, made him vibrate with worry and his system’s equivalent to adrenaline. Where were you? Tapping his comm device, he called, “Data to Lieutenant…” He paused, turning on his heel. “Lieutena…” There. He stepped quickly, eyes scanning until he found it. A communicator device, lying underneath a bush. He picked it up and turned it in his hands. Yours. Without a doubt. Upon the back was the nick that you’d accidentally placed in it while working with a laser cutter. Scowling, Data clenched the communicator in his fist and spun around, eyes scanning every square centimeter of the surrounding area. When he could not find you, he set out in search, calling your name. You could be injured, or worse for all he knew.

After nearly half an hour of intense searching without even the smallest of signs, he stopped despite his best instincts and growled, punching a tree. With a trembling hand, he activated his comm device. “Commander Data to Enterprise.”

Xxx

A loud rumbling sound jerked you from your thoughts, and you scrambled to your shaky feet. The wall across from you split apart in the middle, blinding you with a sudden burst of light. Before your eyes could adjust, there were hands upon you, disconnecting your cuffs from the wall, pushing you forward. You stumbled, feet heavy beneath you, but complied. You were taken out into a long hallway, tall and wide. Once your eyes adjusted to the light, you turned to look at your captors, and immediately had to suppress a shudder. They resembled Terran arachnids in a way—standing on four long, spindly legs which connected to a sort of thorax, two arms on either side of their body, their hands holding six long, spindly talon-like fingers, heads held aloft by disturbingly thin and long necks, nearly a dozen eyes embedded in their heads. You’d never seen a creature like them before, never even heard of something resembling their description. Data would be fascinated, you thought dismally, and again he returned to your thoughts. Would he come for you?

You didn’t have long to ponder your unnaturally white knight in golden armor. The creatures brought you to a large set of doors as high as the ceiling which parted slowly. They pushed you into the room beyond, a dark, humid place wherein every little sound echoed violently from the walls. It was too dark for you to see even your own feet, but you could feel eyes upon you from every angle. The creatures threw you down to your knees in what you estimated was the center of the room. There was tugging on the chains that held you before the heavy metal fell to the floor beneath you. You tested it once, a confirmation that they had reattached them firmly to something stationary.

Overhead, a light flicked on, nearly blinding you in the process. You flinched, holding your hand up to cover your eyes and squinted through your fingers. After a few moments, your eyes readjusted, and you were able to make out the general setup of the room you were in. It was like an old earth amphitheater, a large circular room with varying levels upon which about half a dozen of the creatures sat, watching you.

“Interesting.” You turned to see which one had begun talking. It sat on the ring closest to you, an ugly thing which was notably smaller than its companions. “Bipedal. Strange.” It stood up, crossing one set of arms in front of its chest, a note pad of some sort in another of its hands.

You cleared your throat, your Starfleet training kicking in. “My name is—”

“Language. Suggests intelligence. Unexpected.”

You frowned, looking the creature up and down. “I am a lieutenant serving aboard the Federation Starsh—” Before you could finish your sentence, a jolt of electricity emanated from your chains, shooting up your arms and across your body. You yelped in pain and fell off your knees.

“Fascinating. Shows pain.”

You scowled, glaring up at your captors. “I am a lieute—” Another shock, this one longer, stronger, tore a loud shriek from your throat. “—aboard the Federation Starship USS Ent—” one more “—erprise!” You grit your teeth against the pain, doing your best not to give into the pain and cry.

The creatures were whispering all around you, but the leader was sitting, staring at you in silent contemplation. After a long moment, it stood, and a hush fell around the room. It moved slowly and deliberately towards you, its many eyes watching you intently. It stopped a few feet away and leaned its upper body down closer to your level, scrutinizing your features. “Very promising. Excellent specimen. Strong.”

You glared indignantly up at the creature. “State your intentions.” You prayed your voice was as level as you thought it was.

A slow, wide grin spread across the creature’s face, and you had to suppress a shudder when its sharp teeth were revealed. “Intentions? Study.”

A chilly fear settled in your gut. “Study what?”

It leaned down further so that its mouth was near your ear and whispered, “Study you.”

Before you could react, there was an intense pain running from your neck down your arm, and you cried out in pain. The creature was walking backwards now, watching your face. A few tears skimmed down your face when you turned to look at what it had done to you, and bile rose in your throat at the sight of the blood racing down your arm from four long, deep, parallel cuts in your skin.

“Fascinating. Musculature. Circulatory system. Iron-based.” Several of the creatures around the room were jotting down notes, nodding in understanding.

This mission started out so promising.

Xxx

“Scans still show no sign of humanoid life on the planet’s surface, and no vessels in the vicinity.” Data clenched his fist against the helm, a scowl plastered upon his face.

Geordi rested his hand upon his friend’s shoulder from behind. Picard rubbed a hand across his face in exasperation. “No warp trail signatures, no residue, anything?”

Data grit his teeth. “No. Sir.”

“Very well. Number One, Worf, Data, assemble an away team. Do another sweep of the area. There must be something we missed.”

The three men were quick to jump to their feet and join in the turbolift. Worf was already calling for a security team to meet them in the transporter room, though Data hardly heard it. Ever since he awoke upon the planet, a deep sense of…something had been brewing within him, threatening to swallow him whole at any given moment, the only thing on his mind you. He wished with all his might that he could turn his blasted emotion chip off, to focus on the task at hand, but he and Geordi had been unsuccessful in their attempts to de-fuse the chip from his positronic net.

“Data?”

Data snapped out of his thoughts of you and turned to his friends who were looking at him with concern. “My apologies, Commander. I was not listening.”

Riker frowned, his brow furrowed. “Data, are you alright?”

Data opened his mouth to reply, but as he did, the turbolift doors opened. The three men exited and made their way to the transporter room, Riker’s query forgotten.

They landed in the middle of the blast radius, phasers drawn. The corpses of their fallen comrades had been removed, much to Data’s relief. In hindsight, the discovery of their bodies had only worsened his concern for your safety.

“Now, Data, run through what happened just one more time. You were standing here, yes?” Riker pointed to the area that Data had indicated to him earlier.

Data nodded, assuming his position at the location. “Yes, sir. I was standing here, scanning this piece of flora when the sound of an incoming incendiary device registered in my processing system. I calculated the time required to reach the now deceased ensigns and determined that they were too far to help, though Lieutenant Y/L/N was within an acceptable distance. I shielded her from the blast, but soon after an electromagnetic pulse was sent, temporarily deactivating me. When I awoke, I discovered the deceased away team, then found Lietenant Y/L/N’s combadge underneath that bush.” He turned to indicate the bush in question.

Riker paced the area several times while Worf surveyed the perimeter of the blast, rerunning the scans they’d taken before. Riker paused at the bush, then stepped a few feet away, out of Data’s immediate line of sight. Data clenched his fists several times, teeth grinding despite himself. The feeling had reasserted itself when they’d materialized, something he was beginning to believe was intense worry. It was true you were one of his closest friends, so of course it would be understandable that he would be worried about you, but something about it felt deeper than that. He reserved himself to analyzing the sensation at a later time.

They split up and searched for over three hours, spreading out in a circular search pattern which broadened. As the sun came back around to be high over head for the second time that day, Riker called them to a standstill and rubbed his face. “Gentlemen, I think it’s time to call it a day.”

Data frowned. “But, sir—”

Riker patted his friend on the back and looked upon him with pity in his eyes. “Data, I know how deeply this must hit home, but I think we, particularly you, could do more good from the ship than down here. We’ll send out search parties, alright?”

Data pondered his words and looked to Worf. He was scowling at the ground but nodded in agreement. Data clenched his fists twice before nodding. “Yes, sir.”

Riker nodded and patted Data’s arm again. “We’ll find her, Data.” He tapped his combadge and called O’Brien to beam them up.

Xxx

They’d stopped for now, though they continued to watch you. You assumed they were interested in how your species recovered from such pain. Over the past few hours, they’d ramped up the electrocutions before they’d moved on to more…colorful means. Your whole body was aflame with pain. They’d drenched you in freezing liquid (something like water but thicker,) and taken note of your body’s natural reaction to the shock before promptly throwing scalding water at you. Thankfully, your uniform protected you from most of the heat, but your pant leg had been ripped open during your capture, so the flesh there had begun to blister. They’d stretched your bonds apart until one of your shoulders dislocated, something which earned quite a bit of chatter from your captors.

They were watching as you fought to catch your breath, teeth grit against the pain. For what must have been the thousandth time, you croaked, “I am a lieutenant with the Federation Starship USS Enterprise. I demand to know what you want.””

“Enough.”

You looked up at the one who had spoken. She was larger than the others, sat higher up in the theater. The others stopped and turned to look at her. Their queen maybe? You coughed and tried again. “I am a lieute—”

“No matter. Study only.” She moved, stepping smoothly down the stairs until she stood at the lowest level, staring directly at you with glowing eyes. You suppressed a shiver. “What species?”

You narrowed your eyes. “You first.”

There was another shock, causing you to cry out. “Species.”

You scowled. “Human.”

“Human. Unfamiliar. Galactic designation?”

Galactic designation? Planet? Was it safe to give these creatures that kind of information? One look at the queen told you that no, it was not. If their treatment of you was any indication, these beings are less than cordial. You didn’t have to be a Betazoid to know they weren’t just studying you to learn about you. They were having fun.

Another shock. “Galactic designation.”

You growled through the pain. “Bite me.”  

Slowly, a grin spread unnaturally far across the queen’s face, revealing several rows of sharp teeth. You swallowed hard, a deep pit of fear welling up within you. She leaned over the railing, her neck stretching out a ways, so close you could almost smell her. “A pleasure.” She leaned back and looked behind you, the grin still plastered upon her unnatural face. “Prepare it.”

Before you could react, your chains were released from the floor, and the creatures were hauling you to your feet by your agonized arms, eliciting a cry. They dragged you backwards until your back hit a hard, flat surface and your chains were pulled taut so that your arms were above your head. “What are you—” The table was flipped abruptly backwards so that you were lying level. You turned to look at your captors. They were dragging out a cart which rattled sinisterly, and just before a bright light shrouded your vision you were able to make out a long, thin knife. You swallowed hard and shut your eyes. Data, now would be a good time to swoop in.

Xxx

Thirty-six hours, forty-six minutes, and eighteen seconds. That is how long you had been missing. Since their return from the planet’s surface, Data had run eighty-three complete scans of the planet and surrounding space, and still there were no signs of you or of your potential captors. There had been round-the-clock away teams sent to the surface to search on foot for anything that might have offset the sensors, but nothing had been found. Not even so much as a hair from your head had been left behind. Data sat in the astrometrics lab, practically vibrating with anger. As the results of the eighty-forth futile scan came in, he stood with a yell and began pacing, a scowl on his face. The doors opened, and though he didn’t turn to look, he knew it was Counselor Troi. “Please, Counselor, not now.”

“Data, I’m sensing—”

He turned, anger apparent in his face. “What? That I am angry? You are most correct, Counselor. I am angry. One of my dearest friends is missing, and I am powerless to do anything about it!”

She crossed over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, frowning. “Data, I’m sorry. I know how difficult this must be for you.”

He was trembling now, and he reached up with a shaking hand to brush his hair back out of his face. “I… I am afraid, Counselor. And I am angry with myself. I should have…”

She shook her head and squeezed his arm. “You mustn’t think like that, Data. You could not have done anything. We’ll find her, don’t worry.”

“Captain Picard to Lieutenant. Data, report to my ready room.”

Troi gave him one last smile before she hugged him, a rare display for Data. They separated after a moment, and he smiled weakly at her. “Thank you, Counselor.” He cleared his throat and tapped his comm. “Acknowledged, Sir.”

The bridge was solemn as Data stepped onto it, and if Data had the programming for it, his hair might have stood on end. Riker nodded to him as he passed, and Data locked eyes with him for a moment before continuing to the Captain’s ready room. Picard bid him enter, but as Data stepped through the threshold, he knew something was wrong. The Captain stood, facing the observation window, his hands folded behind his back. “Captain?”

“Data, please sit down.” Picard turned and took a seat at his desk, folding his hands upon it. Data frowned as he sat. “Have you made any progress?”

Data clenched his fist by his side and shook his head. “No, sir. I have run eighty-three complete scans, but I have been unable to find anything.”

Picard nodded solemnly then sighed. “Data… I know you’re close to the lieutenant.”

“Yes, sir. She is one of my best friends.”

He ran a hand over his face. “That only makes this more difficult.” Visibly uncomfortable, Picard stood and crossed to his replicator where he requested an Earl Grey before taking it to his desk. “I have… I have received a communique from Starfleet Command. The Starship USS Abbot has gone silent, and we are the starship nearest its last reported position. It will take us 26 hours at Warp 9 to reach her where all other starships are weeks away. We have been ordered…” He sighed. “We have been ordered to investigate immediately.”

Data stared at his captain, disbelief spread across his face. “Sir… Are you implying that we give up the search? That we leave Y/N for dead?”

Picard looked down at his tea, his own fists clenched upon his desk. “I… I am afraid that is… precisely what I am implying.” Data jumped to his feet, a protestation already on his lips but the captain raised his hand. “Data. I am truly sorry. Believe me, I would stay and scour every leaf for however long it took, but we have our orders. It has been four days. As such…” He took in a deep breath. “As such, I must now presume the lieutenant to be killed in action. We leave orbit as soon as the final search team has returned.”

Killed in action. Killed. In action. Killed. Killkilledkilldkiledkildkilekilled. Killed. As in dead, deceased, no longer living, gone—Data stared Picard for a long moment before he realized the captain was speaking. Picard seemed to realize Data had zoned out because he paused, allowing Data a moment. After another moment, Data whispered, “Captain, may I be relieved of duty until such a time as we arrive at the Abbot?”

Picard hesitated for a minute before nodding once. He stepped around his desk to stand face to face with Data. “If there’s anything I can do for you, Data, please let me know.”

Data regarded his captain with a masked look before nodding. “Thank you, Sir.”

Picard nodded then stepped back. “You are dismissed.”

Data turned on his heel and practically ran to his quarters. He sat at his terminal and scanned over the final environmental scans once more. Something inside him knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were still alive, that you needed help, that you needed him.

A plan began formulating in his mind, and he looked at Spot. “I am going to get her back.” Spot stared up at him listlessly, nothing but a single flick of the tail to indicate Data had been heard at all. He reached up and brushed a finger over the pips on his collar. Was this the right thing to do? He looked towards a picture which sat on his desk of his poker group with the two of you in the center, your wide, cheesy grin pointed at him, the cards laid in front of you showing a straight flush which clearly beat his pair of queens. Decisively, he reached up and removed the pips from his uniform, placing them neatly upon his desk. You were more than worth it.

By his estimation, the away team was only minutes away from beaming aboard, meaning he had to hurry. He set about inputing his new commands into the computer. Zipping about his quarters, he gathered a bag, a medical kit, some rations, his tool kit, as well as a phaser. He acted quickly, diverting transporter functions from the main bridge so no one would be able to pick up his departure then tapped his com badge, assuming Geordi’s voice. “La Forge to Transporter Chief, would you come down to Engineering? We’ve found an anomaly in the power flow to transporter room 2. Data is on his way to relieve you now.” The Chief sent back an acknowledgement of the command, and Data set off on his task.

Just as he reached the transporter room, the away team called for a beam up. Data entered and nodded to the unsuspecting lieutenant. “I will take it from here, Chief.”

“Thanks, Commander.” She gave him a quick smile which he blankly returned and slipped past him.

Data crossed over to the transporter controls and beamed the away team to the Enterprise. As soon as the door slid shut behind them, he input the coordinates of the launch site, leapt over the console, and stood impatiently upon the energizing pad.

The transport was successful, putting Data in the center of the attack zone. He scanned the area with several different tricorder settings, waiting. After nobody from the Enterprise beamed down, he had to assume that his plan had worked thus far. Either computer had accurately hidden his transport as anticipated and lied about his whereabouts, or nobody thought to look for him. They must be en route to the Abott already.

He set to work quickly. Who knows how long he had before the Enterprise noticed his absence and came back? Would they return even before they had completed their investigation of the Abott? Unlikely. Captain Picard, though known for disobeying orders when he felt it best, would not put Data’s importance over that of an entire ship. At the very least, Data was counting on it.

Several hours passed before he was finished with his work, and once he had he stood in the same spot he had been when the attack happened. He looked around one final time, looking once more for anything he might have missed, but found nothing. “Very well.” He bent down and activated the short-distance beacon placed near his feet and began his wait.

Xxx

Consciousness eluded you, the pain too much to endure but too much to avoid as well. You drifted in and out like waves lapping against a boat in a sea of agony. You weren’t even sure what they were doing to you anymore. It all blurred together.

You couldn’t scream anymore though you wanted to. You had long since been rendered hoarse, the only sounds coming from you now no more than soft screeching. How long had you been here? Hours? Months? Years? You couldn’t know any longer. The only thing you did know:  Data was coming for you.

Maybe you had dreamt it. Maybe it was a hallucination. You couldn’t be sure. But at one point, amidst the tears and the gasps, the doors had opened, and a creature had scuttled in. It leaned across the counter to whisper in the queen’s ear, and she looked positively furious. “Beacon? Impossible. Undetectable.” Your torturer paused its ministrations to look towards the commotion.

“Synthetic lifeform. Wants attention. Perhaps searching.”

Though your entire body was riddled in agony, you knew you were smiling. The look the queen gave you was positively venomous, and before you slipped out of consciousness again, she crossed the room to you and put her face in your line of view. In a menacing voice, she hissed, “Vessel status?”

“Departed.”

The queen smirked wickedly and reached slowly to touch your forehead. “Retrieve synthetic.” As her talon-like finger touched your skin, a searing pain erupted across your face, sending you back into the darkness again.

Xxx

Data didn’t have to wait long before his hosts found him. He could hear their approach, their hushed chittering, rather like insects. Another moment later, and a small metal ball was rolled near him. It expanded, no doubt another attempt to knock him offline with an EMP. Thankfully, Geordi had analyzed his sensor data and worked to create a sort of inoculation against this type of attack in the future. There was silence after the device was activated before he detected another hushed chitter. Data stood and turned towards the sound of his attackers, hands raised. “My name is Data. I have been abandoned here by my crew due to my failures in your previous attack. I have no choice but to seek asylum with your species.”

The creatures were silent for a long second before one stepped forward. Data was immediately intrigued by them—their insectoid anatomy and how it relates to their language structure, their apparent ranking structure, all of it—but he quickly snapped back to the situation at hand and its stakes. There were three of them, and they advanced on him, circling him, one of them scanning him with a strange device he could only surmise was their equivalent of a tricorder. It nodded to the other two who were quick to advance on Data. He allowed them to take him custody, and as they dragged him through the underbrush, they appeared in a metal hallway, similar to that of a starship. As they walked, Data pondered their sudden appearance here and began working on theories as to how they got there. A subspace transportation device? A controlled worm-hole opening device? While he mused, he took in his surroundings, attempting to identify where they might be keeping you and also analyzing potential exits in the event that his plan failed.

They brought him to a small room with no windows and left him there. He ran some systemic diagnostics while he waited, though nothing took his mind too far from you. After 3 hours, 43 minutes, and 29 seconds, the doors to the room opened again, flooding it with a blinding light. There were hands upon him, dragging him to his feet which he allowed without any resistance.

They dragged him down a few more hallways before finally dragging him into an amphitheater type room. There were six more of the creatures there, gathered among the stands. On the floor stood two more, one smaller than the rest, the other larger and standing proudly. If Data possessed bile ducts, they would be in overdrive right that second. On the floor was a concerning amount of red blood. At least he knew you were here. He was right.

The larger creature on the floor was grinning at him. She leaned forward in a mock bow. “Welcome. Purpose?”

Data tilted his head. “If you are inquiring as to why I have come, it is quite simple. My crew has found me to be inadequate and as such, I have been abandoned on this planet. It logically follows that I would seek asylum with your crew.”

The queen smirked. “Asylum? Not rescue?”

If Data had a heart, it might have jumped. ‘Rescue?’ Then you were alive. He kept his face neutral, however, and forced his voice to stay level. “Any hostages you may have taken have also been abandoned by my ship. As such, a rescue is illogical.”

“Data?”

The voice was weak, trembling, hoarse, but he’d know it anywhere. It was you. You were here, alive, at least alive enough to recognize his voice. The queen’s grin grew sickeningly wide. “Recognition. Intriguing. Perhaps friend? Lover?”

‘Lover?’ The thought did elicit certain…emotions from him, though he’d never considered it before. He shook his head. “The organic life form in question is no more than a simple crewm…” Data’s voice trailed off as the queen stepped aside, and he caught sight of you. How you were alive, he could not say. You’d been tortured nearly beyond recognition, your skin mottled, blood covering not just yourself but the table they’d tied you to and a large portion of the floor below you. You bore over two dozen significant lacerations upon your visible body, and he could only guess as to your internal damage. But your face. Your eyes which he had analyzed on more than one occasion were nearly swollen shut, and one looked as though the pupil had been blown, the sclera surrounding it a shocking red. He could hear your struggling breath from even his distance across the room, and he sounded as though liquid had begun pooling in your lungs.

You didn’t have much time.

“—ember.” Less than .03 seconds had transpired since the queen had moved, and for the moment it seemed as though none of the creatures had noticed his lapse in continuity.

The queen studied his face for a long moment before turning her back to him. “Disappointing.” She walked over to you, her back obscuring Data from seeing what she was about to do. There was a slight rattling as a tool was taken off a tray beside the table. Data’s body tensed and his fists clenched as a simpering sound filled the room that could just barely be recognized as a cry from you.

Data forced his body to relax and made a point to clear his throat, and the Queen glanced at him over her shoulder. “Displeases it?”

“If I may—” he tried to step away but the creatures on either side of him forced him back. He looked pointedly at them then at the queen. “What is your primary objective with the human?”

She snorted as if it were obvious. “Study.”

“Yes, but study what?”

“Pain responses.”  

Data nodded. “Yes, I thought so. If I may be permitted, I possess a large quantity of knowledge concerning the human pain response and may be able to provide you with even better results. My presence may also be used to help your physicians keep the specimen alive for more prolonged study.”

This seemed to surprise her. “What purpose?”

“I believe it could be construed as a demonstration of good will on my part. If I am to reside here with you and your crew, I would like to be useful.”

The queen stared at him for a moment before nodding once and waving her hand. The guards released Data, and he righted his uniform. “Thank you.” The degree of difficulty required to keep himself from reacting to the state of you was immensely more strenuous than he had anticipated. “First, a brief overview of human female anatomy. This here—” he began pointing out the various parts of your body and giving quick summaries of their functions. As the queen’s attention was drawn to you with one of his hands keeping her attention focused, the other hand set about discreetly lifting up its thumb nail and pressing the button he had installed moments before setting off the beacon. A trick he’d picked up from his dear brother Lore.

‘Now we can only hope the Enterprise picks up the signal and arrives in time.’

Thankfully, you passed out from blood loss before Data had to actually do anything to you. He wasn’t quite sure what he would’ve done to trick them into thinking he was actually hurting you, how he would’ve signaled for you to put on a show for them. The queen called it a night and left Data in charge of getting you patched up, two guards stood nearby to ensure nothing happened.

He did well enough given their utter lack of actually-useful medical tools. He managed to get a large part of your bleeding under control and kept you breathing, kept your heart beating.

You regained consciousness four hours later, though the guards had long since lost interest and were speaking out of what they assumed was Data’s earshot. Once he noticed you were waking up, he put his finger to his lips and winked at you so you’d keep quiet. He knocked a device on the floor near your head and bent down to pick it up, watching as the guards lost interest again. He kept his voice as low as you could hear. “I have signaled the Enterprise. They should be here soon. Just hang on ok?”

The only response you gave was a discreet tapping of your finger, and you shut your eyes again. Data ground his teeth when he noticed the tears slipping silently down your face.

Xxx

Another four hours came and went, and at some point, you had managed to fall asleep—or as close to sleep as you could get.

Your body felt as though it were made from lead. Hot, burning, molten, electric lead. Breathing was the most difficult thing in the world, and the strain to lift your eyelids was nearly impossible to overcome. Somewhere in the fog, however, you were aware of something touching your hand. No. Not something. Someone. Data. That’s right. Data had come. He was here. He’d called for help. Was he holding your hand? Were they saved?

No. The room was too bright to be anywhere on the Enterprise. The table you were on was still cold beneath you, and you were in far too much pain.

The nightmare continues, then.

You heard the doors open, and a chorus of clicking filled the room, and Data’s hand left yours. Your audience had returned, it seemed.

“Status?” Her voice was beginning to be as much torture as the actual torture.

Data’s smooth voice came from beside you, and knowing he was there was enough to make it bearable. Well, no, that’s a lie. This was hell. But it was refreshing to hear. “I have been able to nearly stabilize her vital signs and stop her external bleeding. Though, the internal injuries are quite severe. I estimate that she will not last more than two hours of your tests.”

The queen was angry. You could feel it in the way the room grew silent and tense, and her voice seemed forced. “Extensive knowledge?”

“I do possess several terrabytes of information regarding human anatomy and medicine, however the specimen was already near death when I arrived, and the medical tools on hand are insufficient to return her to peak condition.”

The queen growled, her voice drawing nearer. “Insufficient?”

His voice lowered slightly, as though meek. “I mean no offense. It is only that to repair the damage done, I require certain tools which are not present. I am able to provide a list, if there are adequate replicators on hand. It is possible to restore her completely, and your examinations may continue anew.”

‘Data, no…’ Though you knew, deep down, Data would never hurt you, the fear of the situation had gone to your head. You hoped your body was as immobile as it felt because you were sure you could be trembling. A whole new round? No. Death would be far preferable. ‘Data, please, no. I’d rather die.’

The queen growled again but did not protest and after a long moment agreed. The creatures filed out of the room again, and you sensed you were now alone with Data.

There was the pressure of a hypospray against your neck and the heaviness in your eyes was alleviated. You opened them slowly, blinking at the harsh light. Data put his hand in yours and smiled gently at you. “I am sorry. I had to make it appear as though you were asleep, lest we be discovered.” He squeezed your fingers gently. “We will get o—”

“Suspicions correct.” You froze, and Data spun on his heel, moving to protect you from view. “Treachery! Guards!”

He was quick to act, scooping you up in his arms, eliciting a scream of pain from you. And then you were moving, running down the halls. Every step he made jostled your body though you knew he was trying to be as careful as possible. From over his shoulder, you could see the creatures chasing you, half a dozen or more of them hot on your tail. You noticed that he had lifted his thumb nail and was wildly pressing it as if desperate for something. The creatures began to tire after a few minutes, and Data was able to give them the slip, stowing the two of you away in a sort of broom closet. He arranged the supplies in the closet to hide the two of you and sat down, cradling you gingerly to his chest. Even though he had been the one running, you were out of breath, and each gasp for air didn’t seem to help. Your entire body was aflame with pain. It hadn’t even occurred to you that you had been crying until Data reached up and very gently and slowly wiped tears from your cheek. “It will be alright…”

Your hands found their way to his arm, and you gripped it with all your strength. “How do you know?” The voice that came from your throat was foreign to you, strangled and hoarse. How long had it been since real words had come from your mouth?

Data’s arms wrapped securely around you, protectively, comfortingly. Lovingly. “Because I will never let go of you again.”

There was no chance to respond, nor even to wonder if you had heard him right. A finger went to his lips and he held you still. Outside the door, they were chittering again. Then the queen’s voice—“Locate them!” and a scrambling noise as they took off pursuit again.

You looked up at Data, his yellow eyes nearly glowing in the light. “Data, I’m scared. If… Don’t let them take me again, ok? Whatever it takes, just… Just don’t let them take me.”

He frowned as he considered your words before nodding slightly. “I will not.”

“Promises. Foolish.” The door slid open with a sudden flash of light, and Data tightened his grip on you, turning so he was shielding you from the queen’s icy stare.

You looked pleadingly up at Data, and he nodded in return. Squeezing his eyes shut, he whispered a slight, “Now would be a good time, Captain,” and pressed the button on his thumb again.

You buried your face in his neck, practically trembling with fear. “Data…”

Your only response was a gentle caress of your hair before his hand went to the crook of your neck and pinched, dragging you into darkness.

Xxx

Tired. Heavy. Warm.

“…awake?”

“Nearly. I’m bringing her out now.”

“And her recovery?”

Voices. But whose? Memories arise, but it’s as though they’re being seen through a fog, a haze. It’s familiar and comforting, a relief like none you’ve ever felt before. But why? Relief from what?

“She’s as good as new, at least physically. I’ll have to run some cognitive tests to ensure adequate cerebral functions, but I don’t expect to find any problems.”

“I am sensing disorientation, primarily. She’s not sure where she is. But it seems she recognizes our voices for now.”

Your body blossomed into your reality, slowly. It started from your toes, just a little too cold. Socks. I’d like my pair of polka dotted fuzzy socks. Then, from your toes it spread up to your legs, heavy as though they hadn’t been used in days. Hadn’t they? Surely. Then your hips, your stomach, your chest, shoulders, arms. Finally, your hands. One felt…fuller than the other. A large weight was held around it, holding it up and away from your body. Part of it was brushing along your knuckles. There was a smile on your lips, or the ghost of one.

“Lieutenant?” The ghost was gone, replaced by something much fuller.

“Data.” It hurt to get out, like sandpaper against the back of your throat, but the implications sent a warmth through your body.

Finally, your eyes. They opened slowly, the light sharp, but you managed. Once you adjusted, you turned to look towards him. He was leaning over you, scanning your face, a hopeful smile in place. “How do you feel?”

“I believe that is my question, Mr. Data.”

The other voice dragged your attention to the other side, and several happy faces formed in your line of view. Captain Picard, Dr. Crusher, Counselor Troi, Geordi, Will, even Worf. The doctor was running a tricorder along your body, but she shut it decisively and smiled down at you. “Well? How do you feel?”

You took in the colors around you—the redness of the doctor’s hair, the colors of their uniforms, the silver of Geordi’s visor, the gold of Worf’s sash—and turned to look back at Data. The strangely champagne hue of his skin, the golden tint to his eyes, the darkness of his hair.

And you smiled.

“This is a dream.”

Data shook his head and squeezed your hand gently. “No, Lieutenant. It is not. We are back on the Enterprise.”

“Do you remember anything about the past week?” Deanna put her hand softly over your unoccupied one, dragging your attention back to her.

A frown spread across your face as your brows knit together. “I…” The floodgates opened, images of the arachnoid creatures filling your mind, memories of the pain, their chittering, the queen’s terrible grin, and suddenly it was as though you couldn’t breathe. “N-No, please, no, I don’t… No…”

Deanna made to put her hand on your shoulder. “It’s alright, you’re safe now, it’s alr—”

You flinched from her touch and into Data. “NO!”

The others all looked at one another, and Dr. Crusher everyone except Deanna and Captain Picard away. She prepared a hypospray and approached you slowly, a hand up in a gesture of goodwill. “Lieutenant, this is to help you calm down. Will you allow me to administer it?”

The images were coming too quickly in your mind, causing you to press further into Data who dutifully wrapped his arms around you. “Lieutenant, nobody here is going to harm you. You’re safe now.” Though the Captain’s voice was normally quite soothing to you, the voice of someone you considered to be a father figure, it did little to soothe you now.

Data lightly rubbed your arm and spoke in a soft voice. “The Captain is right. You are safe. I will.”

You looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. He nodded, a concerned look on his face. Your fingers dug into his sleeve. “Please don’t leave, ok?”

“I promise.” He smiled, causing you to calm slightly, enough for Dr. Crusher to inject you. It was instantaneous, the fear and anxiety from before almost evaporating, and you relaxed significantly, though you continued to hold onto Data’s arm.

Deanna and the Captain began to debrief you with the help of Data’s comforting embrace. They walked through your ordeal with you, slowly, carefully, starting from the attack onward. Once you reached the end of what you recalled, Data slipped his hand into yours. “She had found us and was going to take you again. I initiated a Vulcan nerve pinch upon you to render you unconscious, and I attempted one final time to reach the Enterprise with the homing device I placed in my thumb.”

“It was this final attempt which allowed us to home in on your position in subspace, and Geordi was able to pull the two of you out and bring you home.” The Captain smiled at Data then at you.

The three of you continued to talk for a while before Deanna and Beverly excused themselves. Deanna promised to see you later when you were better rested to discuss setting up counseling sessions. Something told you you were going to need them.

The Captain was halfway through his tea when you whispered, “I’m sorry, Captain.”

A frown struck across his face, and he set his tea down in its saucer. “Whatever for?”

A tear spilled down your cheek. “For the trouble, the worry, the—”

“Nonsense. You are a valued member of this crew. There are no words to describe the joy I have at finding you alive. If anything…” A hint of shame filled his expression. “It is I who must apologize to you. Had it not been for Data, we may never have found you…” The implication hung heavily in the air and straggled in the back of your mind, long after the others had all left.

Data was sitting at your bedside, a book whose name you hadn’t paid attention to sat in his lap as he read to you. His voice washed over you like warm waves on a sandy beach, lulling you into a peace that until a few hours ago had seemed as distant a memory to you as your first steps.

“Data?”

“Yes?” The book was lowered, yellow eyes looking up to meet yours.

“You…” You looked down at your hands and folded them in your lap. “You risked everything. For me. Not just court martial, but deactivation. Why?”

Data was silent for a long time, causing you to peek up at him. He was regarding you with a strange look, and for a quick moment you wondered if maybe he’d malfunctioned somehow.

“I… The truth is, Y/N, that ever since my emotion chip was put in, I have regarded you differently.” Differently? “I thought it was only a strong sense of friendship and did not know what it was until you disappeared.”

Surely you were hearing things, no? “But you know now?”