Redirecting Energy

[tasha_yar]

It's been a few days since she was twelve. And Lucy thinks this place is boring.

The reports have been made and filed. Most of the reunions she sought out have happen. The most memorable one was pure chaos. Maybe she should have expected that?

No, you really don't expect to be twelve twice. Especially not while in the quarters of you best friend. Who got displaced between his bridge shift ending and entering his quarters. Who now has a daughter. Who collapsed in your arms earlier in the day.

Strength enough to bend par-steel, but likely held back by the Laws of Robotics, and she felt helpless.

Yar has always had a duty to the helpless. Even more than that, she's a sweet kid.

The buzzer to Lal's quarters chimes.

Comments

[usescontractions]

"A car?" She would think this was some kind of an attempt at a joke, if it were anyone else. "Where is it? Shuttlebay?"

[tasha_yar]

Her reflex for defending others flares slightly and she stops walking. "Cargo Bay, and don't you dare harass him about it. Kitt has another form of a hard light hologram which can move about the ship as a human proxy."

Then she remembers who she's talking to after a moment. "Sorry, Lal. I know you wouldn't. You appear so human-like though that -" She shakes her head and continues her travels. "Old habits."

[usescontractions]

"He just sounds interesting, that's all." As long as he isn't as annoying as her father's ship could be. "I've never heard of artificial intelligence from that far in the past. Well, from Earth, anyway."

[tasha_yar]

"Neither have I, but my experience and education on such things is limited," she admits. She wonders if that ignorance has helped her acceptance of things it seems like more sophisticated people raised in the Federation could not. Or, maybe her early painful experiences just let her take less for granted. That ignorance in the turbolift earlier could have been potentially fatal and she would have never known.

Starfleet put certain things, like potential phaser settings to harm or destroy a Soong-type androids, in Data's file - even if they were limited to high-ranking Security and Command personnel. She even added some notes to them after Lore. It's an odd feeling to know (potentially) how to obliterate a friend and his daughter. It's even more odd to know how to eradicate without knowing the first thing about how to help.

It's then Tasha realizes that, in all honesty, she has been in this place her whole life, even though her talents were channeled into protection. While she's questioned this space before it's always been more abstract, more academic, and more dismissible.

Did I really spend a whole life protecting what others made without leaving anything behind?

The answer is, of course she did, and that had been the plan the whole time. What is making her question that now?

Outwardly, Lal can see the frown as she thinks this through.