Disclaimers: Star Trek was created by Gene Roddenberry and is owned by Paramount Pictures.
I make no monetary profits from my fanfic.
Summary: The entity that took over Data in Power Play is back. Behind the scenes the entities were given names by the actors. Data was "Buzz" Deanna was "Slugger" and O'Brien was "Slasher." However only Buzz is in this story.
Rating PG
~~~~~~~~~~~
YOU'LL GET A BUZZ OUTTA THIS
The Enterprise had been ordered back to Mabu 6, where they had been only once before, to locate the USS Essex, which had gone missing over two centuries ago in this region.
When the Away Team landed on the moon, three of the four, Data, Troi and O'Brien had been possessed by malevolent entities, whom commandeered the Enterprise, wanting to possess the entire crew and take the ship back to their home, with new bodies to live again. The moon had turned out to be a penal colony, the entities being three of the prisoners consciousness.
The three entities were outwitted by Picard and his crew, and transported back to the moon.
Recently, another Federation vessel, the USS Eche, a poorly designed vessel, had crashed on Mabu 6. The Enterprise crew had taken precautions this time, to protect themselves against the entities. Each member of the Away Team wore a protective force field. They had used a pattern enhancer to beam through the raging storm.
The storm raged as the team struggled to survey the crash site, and saw nothing but remains of the USS Eche. The ship had been torn apart. The bodies of her small crew compliment, lay broken, around the remains of the ship. The Away Team searched for any survivors, but only corpses were to be found. They turned away, feeling empty and wishing they had arrived sooner.
The storm began intensifying around the team as they prepared to beam up. A harsh wind blew past them, causing Data's force filed to fluctuate slightly, and no one noticed a small glowing ball of energy shoot into his side.
* * *
Ha had escaped again, in the same body, but what was he to do? He couldn't rescue the others. They had failed the time before.
The Enterprise crew had nicknamed him Buzz. His real name was Rokkik, but he had not been called that in so long, it felt alien to him. Buzz would do. He knew he couldn't fight them all, not even in the body of an android. He had to leave them all there.
A deep voice broke the silence on the bridge.
"Captain, I'm detecting a vessel in the Epsilon 9 system."
"What type of vessel?"
"I cannot be sure, Sir," Worf replied, "but it appears disabled."
"Life signs?"
Worf studied the console reading. "Sensor readings are fluctuating, Sir. Maybe, maybe not."
"Helm, set course for Epsilon 9, warp six."
"Aye, Captain."
"Time to intercept, Mr. Data?" Picard asked.
Buzz hesitated for a moment before he replied. "At warp 6, one hour, three minutes, sir," He was extremely careful to act like Data, the one he had possessed.
As The Enterprise left orbit, Buzz looked at the moon, glad to be finally free from that hellhole that even the Gods had forsaken, but by the same token, a little sad to leave the others – they had been his only comfort in that place.
How would he get away, he wondered. There was no where to transport and they'd easily catch him in a shuttle. He didn't want to admit he was afraid.
* * *
Meanwhile on the vessel, there was a single life form. He activated his vessel's sensors.
"Good ... the Enterprise is coming...." An evil satisfied smile touched the corners of his mouth. "I've got him this time ..."
* * *
"We're approaching the vessel, Captain," Worf announced.
"Slow to impulse."
"Aye, sir."
Buzz's eyes fixed on the ship. This is it he thought. If I can just get aboard that ship!
"Open hailing frequencies," Picard said, breaking Buzz's train of thought.
"Open, Sir," Worf said.
"I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation Starship Enterprise. Who are you and are you in need of assistance?"
"My name is Erol," came a weak reply. "I'm sorry I can't transmit visually... My ship is in need of repairs. Will you help me?"
"We can offer our assistance in repairing your vessel. Are you injured?"
"Not too badly," came the voice.
"Nevertheless, we'll beam you aboard. Our medical staff are the best in Starfleet."
"Thank you."
"Sir!" Worf protested, "we know nothing about this life form, and since Counsellor Troi is away on assignment, caution cannot be overlooked."
"I appreciate your prudence, Lieutenant," Picard said, but we cannot assume every life form in the galaxy is hostile. Mr. Data, greet our guest in transporter room three."
Buzz pushed the console aside and gave a nod, proceeding up the ramp, seeing Worf still wasn't too happy about the idea.
Buzz entered the turbolift.
The doors hissed open. Buzz looked down the corridor and hurried to the transporter room. He stopped at the doors and they slid apart, revealing Data. Buzz's eyes widened, but it couldn't be Data.
"Who the hell are you?" Buzz demanded.
The other was equally surprised by Data's reaction. Buzz stepped into the transporter room and saw the transporter chief lying unconscious on the floor.
Buzz felt threatened, turned to the other and attacked him, forcing him onto the floor. Buzz held his arms down.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Data?" the other said, confused.
Buzz frowned. The other threw him off, and Buzz slammed into the wall. He lunged forward. The other grabbed him, then Buzz hurled him to the floor.
"I am not Data. I'm ... I'm Buzz..."
"Buzz?" the other frowned.
"I have taken possession of the one you call Data for the second time and I need your ship to get away from here. Will you help me?"
"I might - if you get off me and if this isn't a trick."
Buzz complied and stood up.
"You say this is the second time you've possessed Data?"
"Yes," Buzz said. "The first time they found a way to expel me from him. I won't let that happen again. And I still don't know who you are."
"Oh, I'm Lore, Data's brother."
Buzz looked dubious. "You're not like him."
Lore smiled. "I'm 'the evil twin' you see. I actually came here to settle the score with you ... him, but I kinda .... like you this way."
"So you'll help me?"
"Why not?" Lore said. "What have I got to lose?"
"I'm not sure I trust you."
"I'm not sure I trust you either. Come on, let's go."
* * *
"Captain..." Worf said, his voice rising. "Data and Erol have beamed to the vessel..."
"What?"
"They're hailing us, sir."
"On screen..."
"Hello, Captain..." came a smug reply, and transmitting visually now, "remember me?"
"Lore...."
"You do remember! How touching. Well, hi, anyway."
"What have you done with Data?" Picard demanded. "Return him at once."
"No. I don't want to."
"This is kidnapping!"
"It's droid napping, actually."
"Return Data at once!"
"Return Data at once" Lore mimicked, "and what if he doesn't want to go back?"
Buzz/Data came into view.
"That's right, Captain. What if I don't want to return?"
Picard frowned, then glared at Lore.
"What have you done to him?"
"Nothing."
Picard seethed.
"Lore's innocent in this matter, Picard," Buzz said. "Surely you remember what happened last time you visited Mabu 6."
There was a pause, then, "you're one of the entities--one of the prisoners."
Buzz smirked. "Right - exactly the same one who possessed your Data the last time. The one you so cutely nicknames Buzz."
"You won't get away with this," Riker said.
Lore snorted. "You 'good guys' you're all talk."
"You'll return Data or I'll be forced to fire on your vessel," Picard threatened.
Lore stuck his middle finger up, then cut communication.
"I'm getting a fix on Data," Geordi said. "If we can disable them, we can use the same method we did before to free our people from the entities."
"Make it so. Good. Worf, fire - phasers at 15 percent. I only want to damage their vessel."
"Aye sir, phasers at 15 percent power."
"Fire."
Lore's vessel rocked and he grabbed for support.
"Damn!" he yelled. "That blast knocked out our warp nacelles! We can't get away. Shields up."
"I can't raise shields - they're damaged too."
"Blast! Fire phasers!"
"They're out too."
"Shit!" Lore bashed the console with his fist. "Open a channel.... You won't get me this easily, Picard..." Lore growled.
"Emitting the surge now...." Geordi informed.
On Lore's vessel Buzz/Data started screaming and fell to his knees.
"What is it?" Lore asked, then he realised. "Stop it!" he yelled to the Enterprise crew. "You're hurting him!"
A small energy ball emerged from Data as he was beamed to the Enterprise.
"What have you done to Buzz?" Lore asked, making no effort to hide his concern.
"We've freed Data from the entity" Picard said, "and now that is settled, you have your crimes to answer for."
Lore rolled his eyes. "Oh, so you're going to take me apart. Y'know, you guys are the biggest hypocrites I've ever seen. I thought you Starfleet types were explorers not destroyers."
In anger, Lore snapped the channel shut. He scowled at the blank screen, then saw a small energy ball floating around and caught it in his hand.
"Buzz? Is that you?" he asked, uneasily.
The ball bobbed up and down.
"I take it that's a yes."
The Buzz ball entered the ship's computer. Words came onto the screen.
"I'll help you. I think I know where we can find a body for you. Can you fix the warp engines?"
"Good. Set course for Earth."
The ship took off, just as the Enterprise was about to attach a tractor beam.
"They're gone!" Geordi exclaimed, "and judging by these readings they're headed for Earth..."
"Pursue!" Picard barked.
"How long can you last in the computer?" Lore asked.
Lore increased speed to maximum warp. He'd been careful not to seem too sentimental, but he didn't want to lose his new friend. The only friend he had. He was worried about the Enterprise crew. He knew they were after him. Would they catch him and let his new friend die? Surely they wouldn't be so heartless. They were supposed to be the 'good guys,' but then they didn't care about the 'bad guys,' did they? They never understood or cared enough to even try. Everything seemed black and white to them. All Lore had ever wanted was a friend - someone to care about, someone to care about him - to accept him for who and what he was, and the 'good guys' wanted to take that away from him.
He tried to lose the Enterprise, by quickly changing course, which bought him some time.
Lore arrived in orbit around Earth and cloaked his vessel.
"I'll have to beam down. My father's old lab is on that continent down there. I've scanned it. No one's there.
"Hang in there. Buzz ... Hang on ... wait a minute, what if I put you in this personalised computer PADD? Then we can beam down together.
"I know, but I know exactly what I'm looking for and where it is."
The ball emerged from the computer, not glowing brightly as it did before, but dull, and could barely keep afloat. Lore caught Buzz gently in his hand and put his into the PADD.
* * *
Lore materialised in the Lab, holding the PADD. Words appeared on the small screen.
Lore smiled. "You'll see."
A few moments later, "Ah, found it."
Lore opened a large compartment. Three android bodies stood in there. Androids made before Lore and Data, all looking alike, resembling their creator, Dr. Noonian Soong in his youth. They had all died, and no means had been available to repair them at the time.
"Here we are," Lore said. He carried the third one out of the compartment, then closed it. "You can come out now, Buzz."
Lore helped the now even duller energy ball into the body of the android.
"I hope this works" Lore said, "none of them functioned properly."
There was silence for a few moments.
"Buzz?"
The android opened his eyes and Lore jerked backwards.
"It's all right," Buzz said. "My consciousness has repaired the damage and my strength is returning."
Buzz looked at Lore. They were exactly alike, like identical twins, except for one thing, Lore's eyes were a subtle yellow, while Buzz's were red.
"Ahhh .... that fees much better. Thank you, My Friend."
Buzz's fear began to subside. His life was no longer in danger. He was alive again in a free body - and he would let no one take that from him. He thanked Lore again, the one who had given him his new life.
"My pleasure, and you do look quite handsome, even if I do say so myself."
Buzz smirked.
"Look, we gotta get outta here before..."
Lore didn't get a chance to finish the sentence before he heard someone transporting in. He knew it could only be the Enterprise crew. Buzz backed toward him.
"What're they gonna do?" he asked, nervous. "If they force me out of this body, I'll die. My strength won't stand that extraction pulse again."
"I won't let that happen."
Lore looked around for a weapon - anything to defend them, but there was nothing. In desperation, he grabbed the computer PADD.
"Lie down," he said quickly to Buzz.
Lore then turned to face the Enterprise crew who had now fully materialised.
"Drop your phasers," he said, pointing the PADD at them in a threatening manner.
"That is not a phaser," Worf said to Lore.
"No, it is a weapon my father invented."
Worf pulled out a tricorder.
"That is a computer PADD."
"It's got the ability to deceive tricorders. Stay back ... I'm warning you ... I'll shoot."
Data walked towards Lore.
"Stay back..." Lore said, backing up a little, "or I'll blast you."
"Why did you come here?" Data asked, advancing on Lore.
"That's none of your business."
Data pointed his phaser at Lore.
"Don't make me shoot you, Data ..." Lore began to press down on a button on the PADD.
Data grabbed it from Lore and crushed it in his hand.
"You were bluffing."
"I was protecting myself. That's not a crime, is it?"
Data advanced on Lore, holding his phaser.
"You're not going to shoot me, are you?"
"What ate you doing here?" Data demanded.
"Why should I tell you?"
Data pointed the phaser between Lore's eyes.
"Uh... that's a good reason."
Then in a blur of movement, the android, whom until this moment lay motionless on the floor, sprang into action, leapt up and grabbed Data's phaser. He blasted Worf, Riker, and aimed it at a startled Data.
"Who are you?" Data asked.
"The name's Buzz ... and I suppose I'm your ... brother."
"I do not understand," Data began to say, then he looked at Lore. "Ahh ... now I do. That evil entity has possessed one of my father's earlier prototypes."
"Our father, Data," Lore corrected, "and bingo, Brother Dear, you got it in one."
Data looked at Buzz. "You are not my Brother."
"Well, s'pose not. I guess I'm your half-brother. I mean your father made this body, didn't he?"
"One evil brother is enough."
Data looked back at his fallen friends.
"They're only stunned," Buzz said.
"I know," Data replied. "The phaser was set on stun. I did not wish to kill my brother."
Lore was glad Data cared for him in his own way, but didn't let it show. He took the phaser from Buzz.
"Don't worry, Brother, it's set on stun."
Unbeknownst to Lore and Buzz, Riker had regained consciousness and signalled for a beam down of the device, which would emit the energy pulse the to extract Buzz from the new body he inhabited.
Riker stood, holding it in his arms.
"Drop the phaser, Lore."
In fear, Buzz hid behind Lore, but he knew that would do no good if the machine was activated.
"Don't... " Buzz said, nervous.
"We can't allow you to possess this body," Riker said.
"Why not?" Buzz asked, angry. "It had no life before."
Riker began to activate the machine.
"No!" Buzz cried.
"What gives you the right to take his life away?" Lore demanded.
"It wasn't meant to be," Riker said.
Buzz fell to his knees, screaming in pain.
Lore glared at the Enterprise team. He readjusted the phaser. "Stop it, or I'll kill all of you. I mean it."
Riker didn't stop. Lore pointed the phaser at him, but Data grabbed it.
"Please..." gasped Buzz, his red eyes, frightened and helpless. "Please ... I'll die..."
"I'm sorry..." Riker said."
"Stop it!! You're killing him!" Lore shrieked.
Riker took a breath, then continued.
"Just because he's evil, he doesn't deserve to die," Lore said. "All I ever wanted was a friend, and now that I've got one, all you want to do is kill him. God, it's so typical ... Please, he's the only friend I've got."
Riker looked at the two androids. One didn't have to be an empath to sense their fear and pain. Buzz looked up at the Commander, his eyes pleading.
Riker sighed and stopped the pulse transmission. "I can't do it."
Inside, Lore felt relieved, but didn't let it show, although he knew they probably knew. He helped Buzz to his feet. Buzz took a few moments to regain his strength, grateful to be alive.
"Careful where you point that thing," he snapped at Riker.
"I'm sorry," Riker confessed. "You have as much right to be here as we have. I should've realised that. I was - we were wrong to-"
"All right ... all right ... you're forgiven," Buzz said, "just cut the sentimental crap. Now just rack off and leave us alone."
Lore smiled at his friend's choice of words, then turned to Data.
"Perhaps we'll meet again sometime."
"Perhaps, Brother."
"I'm curious, Lore," Riker said, "why all of a sudden, you're so ..."
"So ... what?"
"Nice."
"Yeeeech! Don't use that horrible word. I'm allowed to have a friend aren't I, just because I'm a 'bad guy.' I'm sure you wouldn't want me to kill any of your friends."
"Lore, you disappoint me," Buzz said. "You're getting all sentimental."
"Oh ... Sorry."
Buzz and he smiled.
Lore then turned to the others, "look, fellas, we really have to get goin.'" He signalled his ship.
"What're you waitin' fir, Lizzy? Beam us back."
After Lore and Buzz had dematerialised, Riker turned to Data.
"Well, believe it or not."
"Believe what or not, sir?"
"You're brother's actually done something for someone else for a change - and I have a feeling him and Buzz are gonna get along just fine."
Data smiled. "My thoughts exactly, sir and it seems to me his days of destruction are over. Do not ask me how, but I think in finding a friend in someone as unlikely as 'Buzz' it will bring out the best of both of them."
* * *
Lore cruised away from Earth, the Enterprise and his brother, then sat down beside Buzz.
"So tell me about yourself."
"Well, in actual fact, I'm over 500 years old."
"Really? - And you don't look a day over 25."
Buzz smiled. "I'm from a star system called Ootsmaal. I once had a biological body, like those humans."
"How awful for you...."
Buzz snickered.
"So what did you do?"
"I had a friend. Her name was Asta. Previously I had killed a few people, but only ones who had abused me. But the law, that's L-A-W came after me, and they killed her. I was the one they were after and they killed her just because she was with me. She'd never hurt anyone in her life. I never realised how much I cared for her. I murdered those law officers, quite gruesomely too ... and I'm ashamed to admit that I molested a few women who looked like Asta, but that's because I loved her - but no one understood or cared and I do regret those actions now. Those women never asked for it, though I never violated them."
"And you told me off for being sentimental."
Buzz smiled. "I never hurt those women," he said, " and I killed as many law men as I could. Eventually I was caught."
"Isn't it always the way?"
"While I was in prison, awaiting my sentence, I met Blon. We were a lot like each other, except he was in for cannibalism, which turned me off a bit."
Lore pulled a face. "I'm not too keen on humans," he said, "but I wouldn't go as far as eating them..."
"Well, nobody's perfect, as Blon always used to say."
"True."
"Anyway, we were taken to the main prison hall. Blon was to be executed. I didn't want that to happen. He was the only friend I had after Asta had been killed. They said it would be painless, but it wasn't. They fired some sort of beam into his. He screamed and screamed, until his body ... melted."
Lore screwed up his face. "They said that would be painless?"
"They said something went wrong with the machine, but I don't think they cared. The sight was so grotesque, I vomited my lunch all over the floor."
"I'll bet you did."
Buzz paused, then continued. "It was my turn next, and to tell you the truth, I was scared belan less."
"Belan?"
"That's our word for excrement."
"Oh."
"They decided not to execute me, but to send my consciousness to Mabu 6. I tried desperately to escape, but two men grabbed my arms. They were stronger than me, and broke my arms. I begged the not to send me there ... promised I'd be good from now on ... I don't know if I meant it, but on my planet, one chance is all you get. They put me in the chamber and extracted my consciousness. It wasn't painful, but it was an awful feeling. Then they destroyed my biological body. I tried to escape as the energy form, but they trapped me and said they'd disperse me if I didn't co operate, and so I did. Sometimes I wished I hadn't. They transported hundreds of us to Mabu 6, where I spent the next five hundred years, drifting wherever the storm took us. There were hundred of us on that penal colony, but it was impossible to communicate. I was so lonely. You've got no idea. I just wanted to die, and I couldn't commit suicide. I tried to escape, but failed it was just awful... And then I possessed Data twice."
"I've got some idea," Lore said. "I was beamed out into space for two years, drifting, alone, but 500 years ..."
"Well, that's my life story," Buzz said. "Tell me yours."
"I was on a colony with over 400 humans. They rejected me because I was an android. They had no idea I was alive, or that I had feelings that could be hurt. They just didn't care. They treated my as if I was nothing but a machine and that really hurt. And they continued to reject me. Eventually I couldn't stand it anymore. They made me become unstable - insane. I collaborated with a great Crystalline Entity, capable of stripping all life from an entire world. I told it where the colonists were and it killed them all. I was disassembled by my Father shortly before that happened, and then reassembled by the Enterprise crew 26 years later. It's frightening to have such a vast gap in your memory. I wanted revenge on humans, at that time, I was too angry to realise that it wasn't all humans who were responsible for what happened to me. I wanted Data to join me, but he was too loyal to his Starfleet friends. I tried to use the Crystalline Entity, to kill them, but I failed and Data beamed me out in space. Later, I was found by the Pakleds, a stupid race. They're not as dumb as they seem, but dumb enough. Anyway, I met my father later on, surprised the hell out of him and Data. He thought I was still in pieces and Data thought I was drifting in space. I was upset that he was dying. I was angry with him for taking me apart, but he was still my father. I stole a chip designed to give my brother emotions. I thought it would stabilise my emotions, but it fucked me up real good. Anyway, then I came into contact with the Borg and helped them. What a mistake that was. I controlled Data and he joined me, but the whole thing backfired and I was disassembled again, and the chip was removed. Data later reassembled me to give me another chance, but the Federation wanted me disassembled again, and so I fled and here I am."
Buzz nodded. "Interesting. You've been through a lot."
"You seem to have as well .. Well, Buzz," Lore said, "what do you wanna do now?"
"I want revenge on the people who made me live in that hell for so long."
Lore saw the rage in Buzz's eyes.
"Wouldn't they all be dead by now?" he asked. "They're biological, aren't they?"
Buzz nodded.
"So revenge is a waste of time, and you can't go back. Trust me. Revenge always slaps back and it only makes things worse. Your people won't accept you. I've learned the hard way. It got me disassembled a second time, and if it wasn't for my brother, I'd still be in pieces. He's really not all that bad, y'know."
Buzz smiled. "You're a good friend, Lore. It's nice to have a friend again."
"Ditto."
As Lore and Buzz leaned closer, seeming to give each other a hug, they both punched the other in the face.
Lore laughed heartily. "I can see this has the beginnings of a beautiful friendship..."
THE END
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