Paramount Global owns the Star Trek franchise. This is a piece of fan fiction based on Star Trek the Next Generation
The study
The turbo lift opened into a corridor, Geordi walked to the first open door, disappearing inside. He was in awe of what he saw. He heard Data’s shoes click against the tile outside the room. “Data! Don’t!” It was too late. Data was standing in the doorway of the study. His eyes were transfixed on the life sized painting hanging on the wall. “She is breath taking.” Geordi remarked.
Data walked into the study. His eyes still fixed on the painting. He sat on the couch as if in a trance. He felt warmth at his back. He could smell her perfume. He moved to rest his head on her lap. “What do you have there?” He asked. They were sitting on a white bear skin rug in front of the fireplace. Now Data knew when the picture was taken.
“A lesson.”
“What is my reward?”
“You seek a reward?” She smiled.
“Of course.”
“What reward do you want?”
He loved her smile. It brought tears to his eyes. “I want a kiss for each answer I get right.”
“A kiss? Why should your reward be so small?”
“Small, perhaps. But most delicious.”
“Very well. Let’s see how well Noonien has prepared you for your reward. Falcosparuerius sparuerius.”
“Eastern sparrow.” Came a confident answer.
“Correct. Mustella vison.”
“Mink.”
“Diselphis Virginiana.”
He frowned, “I think I have lost a kiss.”
“Try.” She encouraged. “Answers don’t always have to be on the tip of your tongue. Sometimes before we have an answer, we just have to think about it.”
“Okay,” he sighed. “Virginiana is Virginia.”
“Another name for this is road kill.”
“Road kill? You are joking.”
“No. If you don’t believe me, look it up.”
He looked at her bewildered. “You are helping me. Why?”
“There is nothing wrong in gathering more information to help you solve a problem. In fact, it is a good thing. You gather information about a problem until you are confident about the answer. Sometimes, based on the facts we have, we have to guess what the answer might be. There is no shame in getting something wrong or not having enough information to answer right away. The shame is not learning from your mistake. That is what the whole learning process is about.”
Data thought for a moment. “I am getting two lessons in one here. Not only am I learning the scientific names of animals; I am also getting a lesson in life.”
“For that observation, you get a bonus kiss.”
He puffed up like a proud Peacock, “really?”
“Yes.” She winked, “what does diselphis mean?”
“I do not know.”
“Opossum. Diselphis Virginiana is a Virginia Opossum.”
He scoffed, “we have not studied about those.”
“You will enjoy them when you do. Agkiston contitrix?”
“Copperhead.”
“Oxydenrum Arboreum?”
“That is not an animal.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Cheater,” he frowned.
“I never said they were all animals.”
“Sourwood.”
“Four out of five ain’t bad. And one bonus kiss.” She smiled, laying the paper on the coffee table behind them.”
“Really?” He rose to his knees. “Dr. Soong would have scolded me, telling me to do better next time.”
“I believe you can get just as good or even better results with positive reinforcement.”
“As do I.” He leaned in and kissed her, a long delicious kiss.
“Well now, Mr. DaTa, does that count as one kiss or all five.”
“I would be a fool to let that be all five.” He kissed her again. Slowly they disappeared behind the coffee table onto the rug.
“Data?” Geordi called to him.
He wiped away the tears, “I am fine.”
“I have to ask, who painted the portrait?”
“I have no idea. It was not here the last time I was.”
“It is amazing. It almost seems alive.” Geordi studied it.
Data was too in shock to study anything. He stretched out on the couch. He was looking in the direction of the painting but not seeing it.
“Do we need to move on?”
“No, I will be fine.”
Geordi took a book from the shelf to read. It didn’t seem right to leave Data alone.
Poetry & More 