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It had happened very suddenly after an away mission gone wrong. The intended goal was nothing too fancy or complicated and Picard had been characteristically straightforward with orders. The small team consisting of Data, Geordi, Beverly and Worf were to collect a bit of volcanic ash from the surface of Hanon IV while remaining undetected by the pre-warp species inhabiting the land.
Presently, things were going smoothly, which meant it was only a matter of time before everything turned on its head and became a life or death situation. Mr. Worf surveyed the area with his usual precision and disciplined focus while Beverly carefully extracted the ash into a plastic test tube.
“Any particular reason for such a wasteful and outdated material, doctor?” Geordi had asked prior to leaving as the four of them suited up in poly coveralls.
“I don’t approve of its use in most cases either Geordi, but Hanonian ashes can become violently reactive after just a few minutes of direct contact with glass, metals, or even rubber. Unless we’re looking to level a city it’s our only option.” Beverly had grimaced as she finished packing for the short trip.
Geordi recalled this conversation as he continued watching the volcano. Another delightful fact about Hanon IV was that the seismic activity was almost completely random, with no way to trace when an eruption was to occur. Thankfully, Geordi’s VISOR allowed for him to monitor the magma below the surface, allowing the team a few minutes to escape to where O’Brien was standing by to beam them up in case of disaster.
He watched in silence, enjoying the hazy yellow-green of the magma lazily swirl around several meters away as Beverly scraped samples into her tubes.
Sccrrp, sccrrp, sccrrp.
Data stood nearby, recording the process with utmost care at the request of the doctor. The nuances of the chalky lavender ash would require further study that the chief medical officer wouldn’t be able to do properly in person. Data would be able to record and analyze the nature of the molecular structure better than any tricorder could.
Data was capable of doing a lot of things much better than any other machine and, bored by the slow paced nature brought on by this scientific pursuit, Geordi took some time to think on this fondly. The extreme range of pinpoint reflexes, the advanced coding system constantly connecting and pinging messages faster than human neurons, and of course the bustling technological miracle of his positronic brain.
Those were just the technical aspects he appreciated about Data of course. As such an advanced engineer, it was easy to get swept into the allure of that side of Data but the things Geordi liked about him didn’t start and stop at his circuitry boards.
He was completely non-judgemental, intelligent without being purposefully arrogant and appreciated Geordi’s company more than any other individual aboard the Enterprise, possibly any individual in Geordi’s entire life, save for his mother and sister. While Data of course boasted a wide range of flaws, they were mostly easy to look past and the android seldom did anything with ill intent and was very open to correcting wrongful behavior.
Like Geordi, Data was a romantic in his own way whether he was willing to admit it or not. He indulged so passionately in art, music, theater and poetry constantly searching for his place amongst the human race. What was more human than that?
These were all things he’d dwelt on for years of course, but marveling at the bright sparkling smear in his VISOR he couldn’t help but become awash with admiration for his friend.
Unaware of Geordi’s pining, Data stood completely still with eyes trained intently on Beverly’s slender fingers carefully filling the last vile.
“There,” she said as the final piece of ash fell into the tube. “That should be enough sample, let’s get back so I can get this on ice.”
“Shall I complete the recording, doctor?” Data asked without turning his head or flicking his eyes away.
Before Beverly was able to agree, Lieutenant Worf suddenly let out a dangerous growl of pain. The three sharply drew their faces in his direction to see Worf pull a strange coiled and barbed stick from his upper shoulder.
He grit his teeth and flicked his eyes to the rest of his team. “I believe we have been discovered,” Worf barely held back his rage, knowing that retaliating against such a primitive foe would be a clear violation of the prime directive. “It would be wise to leave at once.”
A thwipping sound shot past Geordi’s head as a second springy weapon hurtled toward Beverly. Data stepped into her path without hesitation and the weapon collided with his chest in an obscure and unwelcome sound of polypropylene and then fabric and then bioplast pulling apart. Though Data did not react, Geordi’s chest gave a phantom pain at the sight.
“I am inclined to agree with Lieutenant Worf,” he deadpanned.
Geordi turned toward the direction the projectile weapons had come from and easily spotted the Hanonians heat signatures nearby. If they beamed up now they’d be spotted for sure.
“There,” he pointed into the thick forest dark with inky black leaves. “We’ve got to get somewhere they can’t see us.”
Worf’s steps sludged heavily up the incline to the volcano as barbed weapons continued their assault, slowly increasing in number. Beverly scrambled to contain her samples, sealing the tubes within a plastic box so as to not risk any sort of explosion aboard the ship.
Geordi considered their options. Running towards the forest would give them great cover through the heavy shadows of the giant fanned leaves, but the Enterprise was aimed to pick them up here and the heavy underbrush could interfere with locking on to their location.
Going around the volcano was out as well, it was such a wide base that the Hanonians could continue chasing them without leaving their line of sight. Geordi huffed a short breath through his nose and considered the forest once more.
He didn’t have time to calculate the probability that the dense vegetation would be too thick and confusing to beam through as his VISOR caught the color shift of the magma below. Here was that life or death part that always raised its ugly head. Couldn’t they just have one mission that didn’t end in fearing for their lives?
“Oh no,” he groaned. “We’ve got to get out of here fast, this thing’s about to blow.”
Geordi scrambled for a new idea. About twenty feet up, there was a dip in the side of the volcano that would conceal their disappearance and fit the four of them...maybe.
“Data,” Geordi barely dodged another coil as the volcano began to tremble. “Is it possible for us to hide there,” He pointed at the alcove. The climb would be bearable, but fitting all four officers might be a problem.
Data took a nanosecond to observe the cliff.
“While the angle of the wall would assuredly hide us from the Hanonians line of sight, there is insurmountable evidence that the surface area of the indentation is not large enough to comfortably fit four people. However, as you have stated the volcano is, ‘about to blow’, as it were. We do not have sufficient time to find another means of escape. We will require some creative bodily placement.”
Leave it to Data to remain completely at ease under threat of death via volcanic eruption. Data blinked at the wall.
“I have determined the path most beneficial to climb as well as how we should stand to avoid falling. I will go first as to lead by example which rocks are safe to support our body weights.” Data zipped up the wall with inhuman precision and speed, peering his golden eyed stare down at the other three from the perch. “To achieve success in this plan, Dr. Crusher must climb next.”
Beverly tentatively stepped up to the wall, albeit much slower, as she attempted to climb the same pattern Data had. Geordi nervously watched the yellow-green magma levels rise and the tectonic plates begin to shift below them. Through the crinkled polypropylene of his protective suit, Geordi hit his comm badge.
“LaForge to O’Brien prepare for transport,” He said, steeling his nerves as Beverly’s right foot slipped along a rock. Data leaned down to help pull her up the rest of the way.
“O’Brien standing by,” came the Irishman's voice.
Up above, Data and Beverly were already in close quarters along the alcove.
“Lieutenant Worf, it would be wise for you to begin climbing as I do not believe we have much time until eruption.”
Worf opened his mouth to nobly demand Geordi go first when he was cut off by Data.
“From my understanding of Klingon customs, it is apparent you wish for Geordi to achieve a position of safety prior to yourself. However, I do not doubt that there will be greater difficulties in physical arrangement if you insist Geordi retreats first as he is significantly smaller than you and will be easier to allot space for after you have joined us.”
If they weren’t in such a dire situation Geordi might have had the time to feel a jab of embarrassment at the comment. Instead, he and Worf both silently cooperated with the android’s reasoning and Worf began his sturdy and efficient ascent.
The rumbling below the surface of the planet went from mildly alarming to jarringly dangerous in a matter of seconds, loud crackling noises that shook the trees of the nearby forest erupting from all around them. The onslaught of barbed alien weaponry halted as the Hanonians retreated but were still in too close range to beam away.
Geordi looked nervously up at his three companions already squeezed back to back against the wall of the volcano. One wrong move and they’d fall two stories, high enough for some seriously broken bones and head trauma, potentially fatal. His gut twisted uncomfortably trying to figure out how he’d be able to safely make it up.
“Geordi,” Data’s voice broke his frightened thoughts. “Do not worry, the current seismic activity is only marginally more powerful than mild turbulence aboard the Enterprise. I can recall 794 occurrences in which you did not fall over during these atmospheric irregularities and only 67 times that you did. Your chances of success are very favorable.”
Gerodi peered up at his favorite android’s attempt at consolation. Even with the ground literally coming apart beneath him he was able to pull himself up at the encouragement. The volcano continued its threatening rumbling and the climb up was not an easy one. Rocks began to quake and tumble from their places and a particularly rough shaking caused Geordi to grip hard to the rough texture of the wall.
Now only a few feet above him, Worf and Beverly gripped the side of the wall as well to keep steady against the instability. Data readjusted his internal gyroscope to allow himself perfect balance no matter how the planet rocked him.
“You’re almost there Geordi,” Dr. Crusher supported with a fearful edge to her voice. Geordi reached for the next rock, struggling to hold on as the tremors only increased. If Data was able to feel, he would have become extremely frightened as Geordi’s 91.561712846% chance of success began to rapidly decline.
The magma within the volcano was at a tipping point, mere seconds from explosion and Geordi was just a few feet from his target. As the tremors became violent he hastily grabbed the next rock...and slipped. The nervous sweat from his fingers combined with the complete instability of the rocky wall caused him to let go and he had barely any time to comprehend gravity pulling him down before he was urgently caught by a pale white-gold hand.
Time seemed to come to a complete stop as Geordi’s brain fought to catch up to what had happened, the weightless feeling of being dangled painfully by the wrist tethering him to the reality of the situation.
“Perhaps it would be in our best interests to contact Mr. O’Brien now,” Data said evenly as he did his best to remain stable in his awkward positioning. His heavy feet dug sternly into the rock, thighs trembling ever so faintly at the strain of fighting gravity while leaning over and carrying Geordi’s weight.
Data snapped his torso upright, bending sharply at the waist and bringing the lieutenant commander with him.
“Beam us out of here NOW,” Worf commanded into his comm badge as the world around them finally succumbed to the natural eruption.
Geordi didn’t take his VISOR off of Data for a second as the transporter kicked into gear, making everything shimmer and fade out.
As soon as the interior of the transporter room came into view, Geordi let out a harsh breath he hadn’t known he was holding. Data set him down very gently.
The return to the ship went as expected, with Beverly whisking both the Hanonian ash samples and Mr. Worf away to sick bay against his protests.
“I am needed on the bridge, my wounds are minor.”
Dr. Crusher exposed the torn flap of his coveralls to reveal where his Klingon blood flowed from where tiny spines embedded themselves into his shoulder.
“Mr. Worf I am not arguing with you on this, I don’t want to order you but I will if it comes to that.”
The security chief had begrudgingly agreed.
Then there was the captain, demanding details on the excursion to be written up and sent to him to review and send to the federation as promise that the prime directive had been upheld on the mission. The presence of the captain both calmed and heightened Geordi’s nerves. He was still reeling from thoughts of what would have happened if Data hadn’t been there.
Geordi shook the thoughts from his head and set to work first on writing his report as his captain had requested. He took time in his own quarters, finishing his account of the mission in only forty minutes with a replicated cup of Deanna’s recommended Betazoid meditation tea.
The sweet floral taste wasn’t his favorite, but the effect was undeniable as his heart rate returned to normal pacing and the tension in his shoulders relaxed.
He finished writing on his PADD and sent the information off, feeling infinitely better than he did just an hour and a half ago. Geordi checked the clock. 0600 hours. He’d have enough time to swing by engineering to check in with his team before heading to Ten-Forward for dinner. As he cleaned up his work space, the door pinged, signifying someone there.
“Enter,” he called out casually as he disposed of the rest of his tea.
“Hello Geordi,” Data entered his quarters with a familiarity built up from years of doing so. “Have you completed your Federation report?”
“Just finished,” he replied. “I don’t have to ask if you finished yours already, do I?”
“You are not required to inquire anything of me, however if you wish to ask me I would be more than happy to answer.”
The corner of Geordi’s mouth twitched. Most of the time Data’s ignorance of human expression was annoying and an exhausted facet of his speech. Now it was almost charming. Almost.
“Nevermind Data,” he paused. Data did not continue speaking.
There were plenty of times in which the pair had protected one another or saved each other’s skins. (Or bioplasts, in Data’s case.) This wasn’t a new occurrence, so where had this strange tension come from? Geordi felt the air grow thick with the awkwardness of it.
“So um,” he began. “Thank you, for catching me.”
“I would have done the same for any officer.”
Geordi looked away pointedly.
“However, I believe the way my sensory input patterns have become accustomed to you specifically created a greater sense of urgency to achieve success in guaranteeing your safety. In fact, the thought of the patterns you produce within my neural net suddenly becoming absent amplifies the necessity to receive those patterns more frequently than any other person I have come in contact with.”
The rather crushing feeling of disappointment in Geordi’s lungs dissipated at the confession. This time he couldn’t help the twitch at the corner of his mouth blooming into a full blown smile.
“I miss you when you’re not around too Data,” he said, feeling a warm glow swirl in his chest.
Anyone else would have missed it, but knowing his synthetic friend so completely helped Geordi catch the glitch. A slight twitch to his ever curious eyes, looking away for a split second. If Data had been human, Geordi would have assumed it was something akin to shyness. Something must have overridden his systems temporarily, he’d have to look into that at Data’s next examination.
The chief engineer filed this knowledge away to analyze for later as the day’s events weighed heavy on him suddenly. His never ending list of near-death experiences had grown another entry. Maybe engineering could handle one evening without his supervision. “I was thinking about getting some dinner. Do you wanna join me?”
Data considered this a moment. “I would be more than amenable to accompany you. However,” The android lifted his Starfleet uniform to reveal a splattering of spines still lodged in his chest, gently leaking biofluid and a bit of coolant. “I was hoping you would be willing to help me attach a new sheet of bioplast, as it is difficult for me to do so from this angle.”
Geordi’s eyebrows raised well above the rim of his VISOR.
“Oh my god, Data I had no idea you were still injured!”
“It is not urgent, as there is no permanent harm and I am incapable of feeling pain.”
Geordi was less than reassured. Dinner could wait a few hours if it meant Data could be fixed up in that time. It wasn’t the first time he’d skipped a meal in favor of work and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
“It’s not too late, let’s go get you fixed and then we can go eat after.”
“Only if you are certain, Geordi.”
“Oh I’m certain.”
The pair headed off to Data’s quarters.