Fatin’s Faith and Her Penchant for Problematic Positronics
After the great battle in which Data sacrificed his life to save the entire crew of the Enterprise, a salvage operation was conducted by a team of unrelated scavengers from a nearby star system, who collected various pieces of the items left after the battle, most of which were damaged. The parts, capable of being repaired, were sold, one of which was acquired by a talented young girl, Fatin, age 14, who, with much patience and effort, was finally able to fuse it into her own computer, despite its severe damage. It operated with positronic components, a type of circuitry that she had never before encountered. She discovered that the component not only had sentience, but also had a history, both facts she uncovered when, to her astonishment, it saved her life. This is the story of how she was able to recover what was the remainder of Data’s essence; how Data, despite being seriously damaged and consisting of little more than computer memory, risked his existence to save her life; and finally, how she, in turn, desperately sought to return the favor.
Chapter One: Please Help Me, Lt. Barclay
Fatin sat down to begin her subspace communiqué to a man she had never heard of, much less met, and began to compose her plea for assistance. Acquiring the information necessary to send the message was far more difficult that she ever imagined, but apparently the location of Starfleet officers is not readily available to just anyone who wants to find them. Although getting the correct address was difficult, it was nothing compared to the stress associated with trying to find the correct words to secure the assistance of this Lieutenant, who her computer program convinced her would be willing and able to preserve his existence. Yes, it was only a few short weeks ago that she, herself, would have dismissed out of hand, even the possibility, that a computer program could be sentient, even with its unique positronic circuits. Just thinking to herself about what she was about the say was difficult to comprehend, in that she knew that anyone would think she had misplaced her own intellect. Realizing that she would be perceived as crazy, she began:
Dear Lt. Barclay,
I have gone to significant lengths to identify you and to find your location, so I could send you this sub-space communiqué, seeking your urgently needed help. You don’t know me, but something happened to me, something amazing. Although I have been led to believe that you will receive this communiqué with the greatest of enthusiasm, it is my fear that you will report me to a mental health facility. Regardless of the consequences, I am desperate for your help, not just for me, but also to help me save the existence of a sentient being that apparently lives in my computer. Before you dismiss my request, please understand that I realize how bizarre that this must seem to you, and I am the first one to admit that the concept of someone, or something, living in a computer, is impossible – nevertheless, that is the situation which confronts me.
The entity has a name, Data, and this Data is of the impression that you are the only one who can help him, and help me help him. It was quite some time before I realized that his name was Data, as I assumed he was referring to data in regard to information stored inside a computer database; but apparently, this Data is an acquaintance of yours, and he holds you in the highest regard, not only with respect to your astounding ability, but also in friendship and loyalty. I am willing to endure the embarrassment, be it temporary or permanent, that this request may generate, and in fact, I will do whatever it takes, regardless of the time, effort or expense, because, as difficult to understand though it may be, this Data saved my life. Actually, he not only saved my life, but the life of my little brother, my family and my entire village. So, Lt. Barkley, I know that you may wish to dismiss me and what you probably believe is the distorted musings of a young kid, but sir, if you would indulge me for a moment more, I will tell you how I have gotten myself into this position, how I acquired salvaged parts from what was apparently an epic battle for life and death, and how I have been able to integrate these spare parts into my own computer system, which, to my surprise, is self aware. One more thing, Lieutenant, I fear that if I don’t get your assistance, the program that holds Data will fade away, and Data might be lost forever. So, Sir, I implore you, please help me, Lt. Barclay.