WHO DO I LOVE THEE? ^{© 2003-2007 DataLoreFiction}

By Lessa and Takara Soong

Chapter One

Data opened his eyes and began to immediately survey his surroundings. He lifted himself up and turned so he was now sitting on the edge of an examination table. He continued to look around the room before fixating on the two figures standing in front of him. They looked remarkably similar in appearance although the one with the gold skin and yellow eyes seemed slightly younger. The other figure, with blue eyes and pale skin, smiled at him.

"Hello, Data. I'm Dr. Noonien Soong, your father," the man spoke. He motioned towards the figure next to him, "And this is Lore."

"I am your brother," Lore interrupted.

"I am Data?" the just activated android spoke sounding unsure of himself.

"Yes, Data. You are in my lab located at a science colony on a planet called Omicron Theta. Do you understand?"

"I-I believe so," Data replied still sounding unsure.

Data got down from the table and began to walk, rather awkwardly, around the lab, looking at the equipment lining the walls. He could see his reflection looking back at him on a shiny piece of equipment.

"That is me?" he asked.

"Yes, Data, that’s your reflection," Noonien smiled.

"I look like my brother...and you, father," Data commented, sounding perplexed by this fact.

"Yes, Data. When I created your brother and you, I used my own face as a mold," Noonien explained.

Data was still studying his reflection between glances towards Dr. Soong and Lore when the door to the lab opened and a woman entered.

"Noonien, why didn't you dress Data before activating him?" The woman sounded annoyed. Data looked down at his body and then at the others. He was the only one who did not have a fabric covering on his body.

"Data, this is Juliana Soong, your mother," Noonien introduced Data to the woman.

"Hello, Data," she smiled warmly before turning to her husband. "Please dress him. We can't have an anatomically correct male running through the colony naked now can we, especially with your new assistant arriving in four days." She smiled again at Data before leaving the lab.

"Why must I wear the fabric covering, father?" Data questioned.

"Because it’s a human custom that we wear clothing," Noonien answered.

"But I am not human, correct?" Data asked.

"That’s correct, Data. You and Lore are androids," Noonien responded.

"Then why must I follow human custom if I am an android?" Data inquired.

Lore looked on amused as Dr. Soong tried to explain.

"Although you’re an android, I have created you in human form. This colony consists mainly of humans. It’s expected of you to wear clothing." Dr. Soong hoped that answer would suffice.

Once he was dressed, relieving Juliana’s mind, Data’s processing speed was tested with Lore’s assistance, and his times recorded for comparison with his times later, as he progressed. Noonien Soong then suggested Data work on walking better.

“Your coordination seemed a bit off, boy. I may have to make a few adjustments there.” He instructed Data to walk around the room slowly, but stopped him after only a few steps. “Take off the shirt, Data. I’m gonna have to get at the access panel on your back. Don’t want the shirt getting in the way.”

Still not seeing a point to wearing the clothing anyway, Data complied. But he was ambitious about his ability to handle the buttons. The manual dexterity required just seemed beyond Data at this point.

Chuckling, Lore came over and helped Data with the buttons. “It’s okay, brother. I had trouble with clothing at first too. Tore off more than one or two pieces before I got the hang of the fasteners,” Lore admitted with a wink.

Intrigued, Data tried to imitate Lore’s wink, but was again frustrated at his failure. Lore patted Data on the shoulder and smiled. “Don’t be discouraged, my brother. We have all the time in the world to teach you and help you to process the command pathways correctly.”

“Don’t jostle him, Lore. I’m working back here,” Noonien reminded his older son, from his position hunched behind Data. Having quickly finished the fine-tuning, Noonien closed the access panel and told Data to walk again.

The wobble was much less pronounced. “Much better. Okay, back here, boy. Let me try one more of those and you should be good.” After another moment of fussing over Data’s backside, Noonien pronounced Data tuned up and ready to go.

Data still wobbled a bit, but this was coordination, not programming, Noonien assured his son. Still, Data did try his best at walking and later, catching the ball that Lore or his father threw to him.

Juliana came in later, calling Noonien for dinner. Since the lab was not connected to the Soong’s living quarters, she told the three males to come there for dinner. Before he could totter for the door, Juliana grabbed Data’s shirt and helped him back on with it, giving her son a stern look of admonishment. Data could hear Lore chuckle.

“At least you have handsome sons, mother,” Lore teased. Noonien, who had been heading for the door, turned on his heels and hooted loudly with laughter.

“Can’t argue with that one now, can you, my dear?” he asked, grinning broadly at his young bride. With her reddish brown locks piled stylishly above her head, Juliana did manage to look a bit older, but 24 was still hard for her to deny. Still, her 35 year old husband was proud of his beautiful Irish lass. She had a sharp mind and the softest skin he had ever been allowed to touch. It still awed him at times that she loved him as she did. He could understand her admiring his mind, of course. He was brilliant, after all. 

Juliana flashed her husband the same smile that had melted his heart the first time. “That would be foolish, now wouldn’t it?” she agreed, brightly. Having finished buttoning Data’s shirt, she patted him on the chest in a completing fashion. Gently taking the chin of the android in her hand, she looked back at Noonien.

“One day, I want a daughter. You’ve made enough sons, Noonien.” Releasing the android’s chin, she moved to take her husband’s hand. Slowly, so Data could keep up, the family made their way through the corridors to the Soong home.

The family's first meal together was interesting and messy. Data was instructed and observed how to eat and drink but was having some difficulties. After all, it is difficult to demonstrate how to swallow and his dexterity was still giving him problems with using the utensils. He had improved substantially when the meal was over but there was still some work to do.

After dinner, it was Lore's responsibility to clean up the dinner dishes. Juliana retired to the sitting room to read a book while Noonien and Data went back to the lab.

Dr. Soong was making further adjustments to Data when Lore joined them. They worked for hours showing Data how to perform various tasks during which time Data peppered them both with questions on dozens of topics.

"Noonien, it's getting late," Juliana said to her husband after entering the lab. "Come to bed please."

Noonien smiled, nodded and then made his way across the room to join her. He turned to face his sons and smiled.

"We’ll continue in the morning. Lore, please look after your brother. I'm sure there’s a lot of information you can share with Data about your experiences on the road to sentience."

"Yes, father," Lore replied. "I want to help Data as much as I can."

Noonien could not help but smile. He had never seen this side of Lore before. He was acting just the way a protective big brother would. ~ Maybe this new role for Lore will help get rid of some of that cockiness. ~ Noonien chuckled to himself as he and Juliana left the lab.

Once the Soongs were gone, Data asked, “I do not understand. Where are they going, brother?”

Lore smirked at his baby brother. “To have sex and then to sleep,” he explained. Data’s eyes moved rapidly left and right as he looked up these two new terms.

Looking back at Lore, Data asked, “Ah, sexual intercourse. Are they attempting biological procreation?”

Lore shrugged. “I’ve heard mother talk about wanting ‘real’ children, but our dear father wants to wait.”

“We are not real?” Data asked.

Lore was walking around, aimlessly. He laughed out loud at this question. “Not flesh and blood like she wants. Why she would want to have an imperfect child when she has perfect ones like us, I don’t know but she is only human. Did you look up sleep, Data? Do you understand the concept?” The brothers went over the term and its meaning for a few minutes before Lore decided it was too boring to be cooped up in here all night.

“We’ll go for a walk. How does that sound, Data? I’ll show you more of the complex and maybe if you’re walking is good enough, so I don’t think you’ll fall down, I’ll even take you outside for a while.” Lore sounded very much like a father offering a child candy.

“I would like that,” Data said and tried to imitate his brother’s smile. He was able to approximate this facial variation much better than the wink.

Pleased, Lore led the way to the door, but Data, who was watching his legs to more carefully approximate Lore’s gait, stumbled.

“I cannot see the point in exterior drapings!” Data fumed. This was more emotion than Lore had previously seen from Data, so he was taken aback. “I cannot see my legs to properly align them. I see no point-“ The flow of words stopped when Data felt a hand touch his shoulder.

“Most of the humans are asleep now. If they bother you that much, take them off. It’s not going to bother me,” Lore said, factually, with a consoling shrug. 

Still unable to manage the buttons, Data sighed and simply ripped the fabric from his body. Tossing the ruined clothing aside, Data slowly followed Lore out of the lab, watching his legs to better process exactly how they were to function in properly executed locomotion.

The brothers walked slowly down the corridor as Lore told Data about the work being carried out in the lab as they passed each door. He could see Data was accessing information on each branch of science being pursued and encouraged his sibling to ask him about anything he did not understand. Data took Lore up on the offer almost immediately, although most of his questions were regarding Dr. Soong and his wife.

"Are we capable of falling in love?" Data asked.

"Yes, brother, we are capable of feeling a wide range of emotions, including love. Trust me though, Data, there are no women currently on Omicron Theta worthy of my love or yours," Lore sneered.

"Why do you say that, brother?" Data asked.

"You’ll find the women here are either married to husbands, their work or both. If a married one shows an interest in you, it is purely for sexual purposes because her husband either doesn't measure up in bed or doesn't spend enough time there. The single women are just not interesting and some are so superficial they can't see past the fact we’re androids, little brother." Lore spoke in a cynical tone that indicated he was talking from experience.

"You sound..." Data was searching for a suitable word, "...bitter. Have you been injured emotionally by a woman?"

"Of course not, Data,” Lore scoffed, “but I have been propositioned by several women who were strictly curious about my abilities to perform sexually." Lore paused. "You seem to be much steadier in your step. Let's go outdoors, brother."

Lore led Data out a door and into the night. The light from the moons was bright enough to light their way as they strolled through the colony.

It was a cool clear night. The heavens above were an instant fascination to Data, who wanted to know the name of every star he saw. Lore told Data the first ten he pointed to and then promised to help him pull up the star charts in the computer once they had returned to the lab. 

There were large fields where the agricultural experiments in high yield crops had been planted that spring. Now, in late summer, the fields were brimming with lush bountiful plants of many different varieties. Lore saw no harm in letting Data taste some of the nearly ripe fruits of the colonists’ labor.

Lore enjoyed watching Data try to eat items ranging from a tomato to a sticky sweet fruit called Ixin fruit, after the woman who developed it. Lore laughed as Data tried not to allow the thick juice of the peach-like fruit to escape his mouth. The tomato also gave Data problems. After cleaning himself of the mess he had made, Data declined to taste any more foodstuffs. Searching for the proper response, he told Lore he was just not hungry.

On their way back into the complex, the pair was spotted by a solitary woman who apparently could not sleep.

“What the hell?” she gasped, at the sight of Lore and a totally naked Data approaching her position.

"Don't worry, Data, I'll handle this," Lore whispered to Data. "Good evening, Dr. Gorpov. Nice night for a walk, isn't it.” Lore whispered again to Data, "Just keep walking."

Lore waited until they had walked far enough from the woman before he started to laugh. "Did you see the look on her face, Data? She's definitely going to remember you."

"Do you believe my appearance offended her?" Data asked.

"Probably, but she's a prissy, old woman," Lore responded. "However she probably will tell our father she saw us."

"He will not be happy with me, will he," Data spoke. Lore could hear a trace of guilt creeping into Data's tone.

"It will upset our mother more, Data. For someone of her age, she is really uptight," Lore sneered.

"You speak as if you do not like our mother. Why is that?" Data asked.

"I don't dislike her...exactly. She's insecure, needs constant reassuring from our father," Lore began. "If he spends what she considers to be too much time with us, she'll whine that she's being neglected." Lore's voice went a little quiet. "He's our father, Data, but she doesn't want to share him with us. Well, at least not with me. We'll wait and see how it goes for you."

Data nodded his head although he did not completely understand. Their mother had seemed pleasant enough and he had not seen the signs of the insecurity Lore had described...yet.

The pair made their way back to the lab. Lore got Data some clothes to replace the ripped ones. He advised Data their father would probably come to the lab around 0800 so he did not need to get dressed until shortly before then. The two sat on the floor of the lab and talked. Well, Lore talked and Data asked questions. Lore was surprised by the feelings he had for Data. He really liked being a big brother and looked forward to taking Data even more under his wing.

Being a hater of sleep, Noonien Soong awoke at 0637 the next morning and rolled over to watch his wife sleep for a few minutes. He did this for a time nearly every morning since she had agreed to be here. He gently traced a line down her soft cheek with a finger before leaning in to kiss her. Juliana sighed in her sleep and rolled away from him. Noonien smiled and got out of bed.

Before heading to the kitchen for a bite to eat, but after his shower, Noonien switched on the monitor to the lab that was hidden in his study. No one knew of this little camera. Not even Juliana had been told of its existence. Looking at the image on the screen, Noonien could see Lore walking the floor of the lab and Data, completely naked, sitting on the exam table talking to Lore. Once Data had finished talking, Lore grinned at him and began to talk.

Noonien was pleased Lore and Data were getting along well, but why in blazes was Data naked? He had been dressed when Noonien had left the lab with his wife last night. The cyberneticist sighed as he clicked the monitor off. He would finish his morning routine and ask Data what was going on when he got to the lab.

Something caught Noonien’s attention, as it often did, so it was not until 0823 when he finally ambled into the lab. Looking up from the data PADD he held, he smiled a greeting to his sons, but was taken aback to see Data was now dressed.

He would not be able to call his son on his state of undress without revealing the existence of the secret camera, so Noonien was left with no choice but to remain silent about his covert discovery.

Several people came to see Noonien’s latest success that day, so Data’s testing was interrupted frequently. As the young android was enjoying the attention, Noonien tried to be patient. It was just before dinnertime, however, when Dr. Gorpov came to the lab. Actually, stomped into the lab would be more accurate.

“I have no idea why you decided to make your pet anatomically correct, but since your twisted little mind did and that wife of yours wasn’t able to talk any sense into you, the least you could do is to keep both of them dressed!” The woman was red faced and near screaming at Noonien, only a few inches from his face.

“What do you mean, Glenda? What happened?” Noonien asked calmly, wanting to know how she too knew Data had been naked last night.

“I took a stroll late last night and came upon your two walking disasters. One of them was nude. By all that’s decent, why did you give it a...genitalia that big?” She stabbed Noonien in the chest with her finger as she asked this, grunting at him with disgust.

“Try us, you might like us,’ Lore said, suggestively. “I could show you why he did, if you’d like.”

“Lore, hush,” Noonien commanded. “Which of you was it?” he demanded of his sons.

His expression changing to one of concern, Lore jumped in to speak before Data could admit it had been him. “I can explain, father.”

“It was you?” Noonien asked, now uncertain of what he had seen on the monitor. The swagger, surely that had been Lore.

"It was I, father," Data spoke up. "I will not allow you to take responsibility for my actions, brother."

Noonien turned to Dr. Gorpov "My apologizes, Glenda. I can assure you it won't happen again."

As soon as Glenda Gorpov left the lab, Noonien turned to his two sons.

"Would one of you like to explain this?" he asked.

"I told Data it would be okay. I was going to show him around the facilities and the colony. He was having some coordination difficulties so I told him if he wanted to take off his clothes it would be okay. It was late. I didn't think anyone would see us," Lore defended.

"So you were naked all night, Data, but when I came in this morning you were dressed?" Noonien recounted.

"I told him to make sure he had clothes on before you came to the lab. It's my fault, father. I’m sorry I caused you embarrassment." Lore sounded genuinely remorseful.

"Do not blame, Lore. I am the one who disobeyed you, father. I am sorry to have disappointed you," Data told his father.

"You didn't cause me embarrassment," Noonien said to Lore before turning to Data. "And I am not disappointed in you. In some ways, I’m quite pleased."

The scientist smiled at his sons as they looked back at him with the same look of confusion.

"I do not understand, father," Data finally said.

"That goes for me too," Lore added.

"The two of you have really bonded. You are brothers in every sense of the word and that makes me very happy, my sons," Noonien explained before giving each of his sons a proud fatherly hug. "But don't let your mother know or she'll have a fit." He laughed at his own comment before continuing. "Now boys, it’s dinnertime."

The threesome made their way to the Soong's private quarters for dinner. Data was much more proficient with his abilities at the table so dinner did not create the same mess as the previous evening. Dinner was not quite perfect though. Dr. Gorpov had come to their quarters looking for Noonien there first, before heading to his lab. She had told Juliana what she had seen the previous night and Juliana was not happy.

"I told you more had to be done to make sure Data kept his clothes on," she said angrily to her husband. "And you," she turned to face Lore, "why did you let him run around the colony naked? What were you thinking?" she chastised Lore.

"Do not blame Lore, mother," Data injected. "I am the one whose behavior was unacceptable."

"He's older than you are. He should know better," Juliana told Data in a tone even he recognized was still directed at Lore.

"Calm down, Juliana," Noonien sighed. "I’ll take care of this."

"Are you going to write the modesty subroutine or shall I?" she said.

"I don't think that will be necessary-" Noonien started to say.

"Fine, then I’ll write it." She excused herself from the table and went to the sitting room as she usually did after dinner.

Lore looked angry while Data was embarrassed. Noonien just let out a deep sigh. Getting to his feet, he addressed his sons. “Don’t worry. Both of you are good boys and I’m proud of you. Your mother will see that, but she was just embarrassed by what Grumpy Gorpov said. I’ll talk to her, Data. I’ll get her to see reason about the modesty subroutine, but you have to promise me to keep your clothes on if you go out of the lab. Agreed?”

To Data’s relief, his father showed signs of irritation, but it was not directed at him or Lore. “I will do as you ask, father. I am sorry I caused yours and mother’s standing in the community to be compromised. It was not my intention.”

Noonien smiled at his son. Coming over to pat Data on the cheek, with great affection, he told him, “How can I be angry with that face?” With another smile, Noonien turned to give Lore a pat on his shoulder before he left the room.

The brothers looked at each other once they were alone. Both opened their mouths to begin an apology to the other at the same time. Lore’s laugh cut them both off.

“Let’s just put this behind us, Data. We’ve talked about why this offends the humans as it does and while I think it’s ridiculous to hold us accountable for their rules. I guess I can see why they want us too. I’ve seen holovids of a sexually explicit nature,” Lore smirked and chuckled. “If the size of the males in those vids is normal, I can see why they don’t want us showing off what our father gave us,” Lore smirked at his brother, but Data as usual, had many questions. Lore told Data to help him with the clean up from dinner and he would answer them all.

Noonien did manage to talk Juliana out of writing Data any modesty subroutine, but he did keep an eye on the younger android to be certain he kept his word. Data did and, with the help of the hidden camera, Noonien knew Data would strip as soon as his parents retired for the evening. He would remain in the lab if naked and was dressed again in the morning. This was fine with Noonien, so he did not even think to mention this nightly routine to the new assistant when she arrived.