renaissance that
eventually resulted in the creation of such nowfamiliar
conveniences as replicators and transporters.
But the first great project was the colonization of Mars,
and she was not clear on the details. However, she was not
about to admit that to her father, and so she affected a
nonchalant attitude and informed him, "I know all about
that, Daddy. We studied it in school."
And so there was no more discussion of Mars, even though
Kathryn would love to have heard the details.
Soon they docked at Utopia Planitia, the huge orbiting
space station that also served as a shipbuilding facility
for Starfleet, and then were transported into an operations
center on the surface. It was a large room full of
equipment-consoles, monitors, what seemed like thousands of
blinking colored lights-and people busy manning that
equipment. Kathryn was fascinated. She wanted to stay in
that room and try to figure out exactly what everyone was
doing, what function all those blinking lights served. But
that was not to be.
"Mr. Data, would you please give our young guest a tour of
the colony? You're familiar with the place, aren't you?"
Kathryn noted that Admiral Finnegan's Adam's apple bobbed
up and down as he spoke. "Indeed, sir. I completed an
engineering honorarium here a year ago. I am thoroughly
familiar with the colony and its environs."
The cadet turned to Kathryn. "I would be pleased to act as
your guide, Miss Janeway."
Kathryn smiled inwardly at the man's formality, but she
would never show her amusement-that would be impolite.
Solemnly she looked at him and said, "Thank you, sir."
Kathryn looked at Daddy, who was already moving off with
the others, heads together, in deep conversation. She felt
a momentary twinge of something she couldn't identify as
she saw him walking off. She was alone here, on another
planet, and Daddy was leaving her. She felt her heart start
to beat more quickly, and there was a funny sensation in
her stomach.
Then she heard the cadet's quiet, placating voice.
"Strictly speaking, Miss Janeway, it is not necessary for
you to address me as "sir." I do not outrank you, for you
have no Starfleet rank at all."
"Then what should I call you?"
"Data would be satisfactory."
"Data?" Kathryn tried to find a polite way to phrase her
next question. "Is that a common name among your species?"
"I have no species. I am an artificial intelligence, and
so far as I know, the only one of my kind."
Kathryn stared at him. She knew she was being rude, but
she could hardly believe her ears. "Are you saying . . .
you're not real?"
"I assure you I am quite real. However, I lack any true
biological component. I was constructed and then
programmed." And, to demonstrate, he snapped open a portion
of his wrist.
Kathryn almost jumped. Revealed under his skinskin?-was a
mass of circuitry, a complex web of optical fibers and
blinking lights. She looked up at him, amazed, and dozens
of questions began flooding her mind. "Who made you? And
programmed you? Where did it happen? How did you get into
Starfleet Academy-was Suddenly she stopped and covered her
mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm being too curious. Mommy says I have
to be careful or I might hurt people's feelings."
"I have no emotions which might be wounded, so you may
feel free to ask me any question you like. I shall be happy
to respond."
And as they toured Mars Colony, Data began to tell her
about his unique origins. Within minutes, Kathryn had lost
her anxieties, and found that she was in fact comfortable
asking him anything and everything, for he seemed to know
more than anyone she'd ever met, even Daddy. "Terraforming
Mars was a viable concept by the end of the twentieth
century," he told her.
"But all the theorizing was done envisioning only the
technology that existed at the time. No one ever imagined
making contact with the Vulcans, or what a technological
breakthrough they would help us establish."
They were
eventually resulted in the creation of such nowfamiliar
conveniences as replicators and transporters.
But the first great project was the colonization of Mars,
and she was not clear on the details. However, she was not
about to admit that to her father, and so she affected a
nonchalant attitude and informed him, "I know all about
that, Daddy. We studied it in school."
And so there was no more discussion of Mars, even though
Kathryn would love to have heard the details.
Soon they docked at Utopia Planitia, the huge orbiting
space station that also served as a shipbuilding facility
for Starfleet, and then were transported into an operations
center on the surface. It was a large room full of
equipment-consoles, monitors, what seemed like thousands of
blinking colored lights-and people busy manning that
equipment. Kathryn was fascinated. She wanted to stay in
that room and try to figure out exactly what everyone was
doing, what function all those blinking lights served. But
that was not to be.
"Mr. Data, would you please give our young guest a tour of
the colony? You're familiar with the place, aren't you?"
Kathryn noted that Admiral Finnegan's Adam's apple bobbed
up and down as he spoke. "Indeed, sir. I completed an
engineering honorarium here a year ago. I am thoroughly
familiar with the colony and its environs."
The cadet turned to Kathryn. "I would be pleased to act as
your guide, Miss Janeway."
Kathryn smiled inwardly at the man's formality, but she
would never show her amusement-that would be impolite.
Solemnly she looked at him and said, "Thank you, sir."
Kathryn looked at Daddy, who was already moving off with
the others, heads together, in deep conversation. She felt
a momentary twinge of something she couldn't identify as
she saw him walking off. She was alone here, on another
planet, and Daddy was leaving her. She felt her heart start
to beat more quickly, and there was a funny sensation in
her stomach.
Then she heard the cadet's quiet, placating voice.
"Strictly speaking, Miss Janeway, it is not necessary for
you to address me as "sir." I do not outrank you, for you
have no Starfleet rank at all."
"Then what should I call you?"
"Data would be satisfactory."
"Data?" Kathryn tried to find a polite way to phrase her
next question. "Is that a common name among your species?"
"I have no species. I am an artificial intelligence, and
so far as I know, the only one of my kind."
Kathryn stared at him. She knew she was being rude, but
she could hardly believe her ears. "Are you saying . . .
you're not real?"
"I assure you I am quite real. However, I lack any true
biological component. I was constructed and then
programmed." And, to demonstrate, he snapped open a portion
of his wrist.
Kathryn almost jumped. Revealed under his skinskin?-was a
mass of circuitry, a complex web of optical fibers and
blinking lights. She looked up at him, amazed, and dozens
of questions began flooding her mind. "Who made you? And
programmed you? Where did it happen? How did you get into
Starfleet Academy-was Suddenly she stopped and covered her
mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm being too curious. Mommy says I have
to be careful or I might hurt people's feelings."
"I have no emotions which might be wounded, so you may
feel free to ask me any question you like. I shall be happy
to respond."
And as they toured Mars Colony, Data began to tell her
about his unique origins. Within minutes, Kathryn had lost
her anxieties, and found that she was in fact comfortable
asking him anything and everything, for he seemed to know
more than anyone she'd ever met, even Daddy. "Terraforming
Mars was a viable concept by the end of the twentieth
century," he told her.
"But all the theorizing was done envisioning only the
technology that existed at the time. No one ever imagined
making contact with the Vulcans, or what a technological
breakthrough they would help us establish."
They were
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