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“You and Data are involved, aren’t you?”
Geordi looked over his shoulder. At a distance, Lore appeared through his VISOR exactly as Data did, a 5’11” golden glow. Lore’s tone, however, was always a giveaway, and ensured that Geordi never mistook one for the other before it was too late.
His lips quirked up in an amused smirk. “Uh, yeah. For awhile now, actually.”
Lore became more distinct as he moved closer. Geordi could make out his slicked hair, crossed arms, a classic Data expression on his face: furrowed brow, narrowed eyes— to the untrained eye it was Data — but his upper lip was pulled back in an unfamiliar snarl, and his shirt was far too comfortable looking to be anything Data owned.
He paused as he reached the white Main Engineering console and placed a hand upon it as if to steady himself. An unnecessarily human action. Lore seemed to study his own shoes for a moment before meeting Geordi’s gaze.
“Isn’t he… boring? Incapable of providing the stimulation humans require in relationships?” His casual lean into Geordi’s personal space as he spoke was not one of confidentially but one Geordi suspected was a subconscious form of intimidation. It was not the first time the android has invaded his personal space and he was not the only person he did it to. Considering the problems Lore had caused before, spatial awareness seemed low on the list of concerns.
Geordi turned and leaned against the console with his left elbow. “I find him perfectly stimulating, actually. Why?”
Lore’s lips pulled down as his eyebrows raised up. Another Data expression. “No reason in particular. It’s just…” He clicked his tongue. “Data has… no emotions, last I checked, yet everyone seems to like him. He has… lots of friends, even when everyone knows that he cannot feel friendship.” Lore tongued the inside of his cheek and then moved close once more. He tipped his head pointedly at Geordi. “… He is involved in a romantic relationship, yet he cannot feel love.” His voice dropped to a dramatic stage whisper. “Doesn’t that concern you?”
A snigger bubbled up from Geordi’s chest. “If I didn’t know better I’d say you were jealous, Lore.” He turned back to the diagnostic he was completing with a shake of his head. “Data’s feelings may not work like ours do, but they’re there.” It was Geordi’s turn to tip his head pointedly. “And I think you know that…”
…
Discreet observation was a skill Lore considered himself a master of, his ability to multitask allowing him to intake information on multiple subjects at once while appearing totally preoccupied with a task. It was useful in many cases, but the importance of this one was… dubious. Even he knew that.
The lighting from the windows of Ten-Forward were particularly romantic this evening— passing a nebula would do that— and many couples were out together. Men, women, others. All smiling and blushing at one another. All chattering and spitting imperceptibly when they laughed. If Lore desired to take a survey on interactions within romantic relationships, he should have observed all couples present in Ten-Forward that night. He did not. His attention was focused on one in particular.
Lore sipped his drink simultaneously with his observation of Commander LaForge laughing at something Data had said. The Commander jostled in his sheet and grasped Data’s shoulder, who then attempted a smile.
A sneer twitched on to his face. It was pathetic. He had great respect for his brother, no doubt, but his floundering imitation of human behaviors was less than flattering. Did it not feel disingenuous? Could LaForge not feel that there was nothing underneath that corny smile? Those empty words?
Through his peripheral vision he could see LaForge’s smile fade as he answered his communicator, see him get up and explain where he was going, see him press a chaste kiss to Data’s lips and leave a lingering fond touch to Data’s shoulder before he slipped away and out of the room.
If he could gag he would have. If he had a stomach it would have churned.
If he had a heart it would have wept.
“Do you oppose my joining you?”
Lore looked up to see Data was standing in front of him. His perpetually placid and bovine expression was presently making Lore’s teeth grind.
“No. No, not at all, go ahead.” Troi, that insufferable woman, had advised Lore to attempt to calm himself in situations like these. Begrudgingly, Lore inhaled slowly as Data sat down, then back out. Then back in again, then back out, yada yada yada. Useless, considering he had no respiratory system. Lore deliberately ignored the fact that the repetitive motion did, actually, soothe him.
Data folded his hands together on the table and looked at at Lore expectingly, head inquisitively tipped to the left.
Another skill Lore considered himself a master of was that of deception. A guise of neutrality quickly slipped on to his face and he smiled tight lipped at his brother.
His head tipped to the right. “Hello to you, too, Data.”
Data’s brow furrowed. “I am confused by your recent conversation with Geordi.”
“What conversation?”
“The conversation you had with him in Engineering the previous night. He said it appeared you were trying to foment ‘ill will’ toward me. I am wondering why.”
Lore picked up his drink and took a sip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I asked him about last night was your relationship with him. I don’t see how that’s ‘fomenting ill feelings’,” he mocked. The drink was placed back on the table.
Data blinked. “Contrary to what you seem to believe, I am not susceptible to your attempts at manipulation, and am disappointed to see that you have backslid in your behavior.”
How embarrassing. All of this was embarrassing. At the moment it was hard to remember why he had ever agreed to come aboard this ship. Agreed to counseling. Agreed to work in Engineering. Everyone spoke to him like he was child. Everyone watched him like a zoo animal. Every time he reached out they flinched away.
His emotions did not help him. In fact, they seemed to alienate him even more. It was like he had stepped back in time. He was not aboard the starship Enterprise, but in a human colony. It was not Data sitting across from him, but that insufferable old man who had deemed him ‘unfit’. Who had tricked him and lied to him and ripped him apart and locked him away. Who had washed his hands clean of him.
It was impossible to escape the shadow of his replacement. Shouldn’t he be the more popular one? He could feel! And he he felt so much. So so much. Why did no see that?
Lore rose from his seat. “Sorry, but,” he chuckled, “I refuse to be patronized by you. Have a good night, brother.” The words dripped like acid from his lips.
Benevolently, or maybe cruelly, Soong had not bestowed Lore with tear ducts. On one hand, the despair he felt was visible to no one. On the other, the pressure building in his nasal cavity would never find release. The tension would build and build and build until he wanted to tear his hair out and scream.
…
After much deliberation with Geordi, Data stood outside Lore’s quarters. His brother did not answer the door right away, but soon a groaning “what?” was heard and Data entered.
The room was dim, the scent of incense drifting through the air. Lore was sat on the edge of his bed, the novel he was presumably reading face down in his hand and a scowl on his face.
“Oh. You. What do you want?”
Data walked towards him deliberately. “May I sit?”
Lore motioned vaguely and Data sat next to him. Hands curled upon his knees, Data spoke.
“I apologize for upsetting you earlier. I did not mean to patronize you.”
No reply, but he was looking at him now.
He continued. “I only wished to understand your behavior. If this becomes possible, then perhaps we could come to a solution together.”
“I don’t need a solution from you, Data.” Lore stood and stalked off to the other end of the room. “It is physically impossible for you to understand…” Despite the words being spat, Data detected an undercurrent of sadness.
He remained seated. “If you do not wish to speak with me, may I suggest a different approach?”
It was convenient their quarters were so close together. After Lore’s reluctant agreement, Data returned with his new solution.
Spot immediately made himself comfortable upon Lore’s bed. Lore eyed the animal suspiciously.
“How is that a solution?”
Data sat once more and stroked along Spot’s back. “It is commonly believed that an animal such as this one provides comfort to most living beings. Including me.”
Slowly, Lore made his way back to the bed. Spot did not take interest in him until he placed a stiff hand upon his back and imitated Data’s petting motion, stroking along the back to the tip of the tail, then repeating.
Data made his way to the door. “I will allow you to use Spot to decompress. I hope you will be more amenable to conversation when I return.”
The door hissed shut behind him and Lore was left with this fuzzy creature pushing its head insistently into his hand. The cat not only was not afraid of him, but wanted to be close to him. It almost immediately crawled into his lap.
…
When Data returned he found Lore with Spot nestled in his arms, his face pressed against the cat’s neck. He did not move when Data entered and appeared to be in a resting state. Spot purred incessantly.
He decided to leave them for a while longer.