Lost Past; A Star Trek Story

Paramount Global owns the Star Trek franchise. This is a piece of fan fiction based on Star Trek the Next Generation.

Secrets

Sher was in her quarters aboard the Jormungand. Her door chimed. “Come.” 

Data entered. “What are you doing over here?”

“I thought I would give you some space. It is obvious that I am getting on your nerves.”

“It is not you per say.” He sat on the sofa.

“What is that supposed to mean?” She was lying on the couch wrapped up in a blanket.

“Are you alright?”

“Cold.”

“Can I get you anything?”

“No, but you can tell me why you are mad at me. What have I done?”

“I am still understanding the power of emotions. I,” he looked down at the floor,

“can not comprehend this feeling. It is much bigger than anything I have felt before.”

“You know it has always been my policy to let you explain to me how you feel. I will not go digging for things you don’t want me to know.”

“I know.”

“Plus, I am not able yet even if I wanted to.” She snuggled deeper into the blanket. “My abilities are at a point where they come and go.”

“All I can deduce is that I am angry.”

“That is obvious. You’re angry with me.” She said sarcastically. “Would you like to try to explain?” She sat up wrapping the blanket around her.

“There is a cord at the base of that blanket.” Data observed.

“It is an electric blanket.”

“Is that not dangerous?”

“Not unless you spill water on it or something.”

“I can not tell you what is bothering me. I do not understand this.”

“Okay. I just wish that if you are going to get upset that you could at least do it when I am not around.”

“My presents bothers you?”

“No, your upset presents bothers me. I don’t know what I have done to make you so miserable. It is impossible for me to defend myself against something I don’t know about.”

“Where do I begin?”

“Let’s peel back those layers and figure out what is at the root of this, you’re angry. What else?”

“Hurt, deeply. I feel this big hole.” He put his hand on his chest.

“Why is that hole there?”

Data stood up. “You have been keeping secrets from me. I do not know how to handle that. It makes me not want to trust you. It makes me angry. It hurts to think you would hold valuable information from me.”

“Whatever.” She lay back down on the couch, shivering.

“Whatever, that is all you have to say?”

“Yes, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“That is so coy. Have you no concern for how I feel?”

“Getting a straight answer out of you is like pulling eye teeth. What is bothering you? Stop beating around the bush and just tell me.”

“I do not know how.”

Sher teared back up. Data sat back down. “You put a sentence together stating, Sher, I am upset and hurt because you didn’t tell me about blah.” She didn’t have the blanket around her anymore. She was getting upset herself.

Data started to storm out of her quarters. He thought better of it. “I am hurting

inside Sher.”

“Then tell me what is hurting you.”

“It is not that simple.” He walked away.

After an hour or so of crying, Sher wondered into Ten-Forward. She sat at a corner table talking to Guinan. Data, Will, Deanna, and Worf came in. Q walked through the door as the foursome was sitting down. He glared at Data. “Data, I thought Q liked you?” Deanna asked.

“Q is his own being. I am sure he does not like anyone for a long period of time.”

He walked over to the table where Guinan was sitting, kneeling in the floor. He spent a long time there talking. It was hard for the foursome to take their eyes off that table. A lady leaned over out of her seat, hugging him around the neck. They couldn’t see her face. 

“Data, isn’t that Sher?” Worf growled. 

She leaned up. Q wiped her face with his hand, ever so lovingly.

“Right.” Deanna remarked in a sarcastic tone.

“She is her own being, she can do what she wants.”

Beverly had been standing behind them, “this wouldn’t have anything to do

with that lovers spat you had in the turbo lift would it?”

Q and Sher disappeared. 

“Yes.” Data answered.

“Data, do you need to talk?” Deanna’s counselor instincts were on high alert.

“No, I just have to figure out some emotions I am feeling. You can not convey how you are feeling to someone when you do not know what you are feeling.”

“I know I wouldn’t like it if another man walked in and started picking up the pieces.” Wil gave a glance at Worf. Now that he had Deanna all to himself, he could fully forgive Worf for the fling he and Deanna had.

The four friends spent three hours talking to Data about what and how he was feeling. Nothing they mentioned really brought out his true emotions. 

“I do not know what I am going to do. I assume that I am just going to have to buck up. We are going to have to work through these together.” He sighed.