MEMORY OMEGA EXTRACT / PERSONAL LOG: LAFORGE

SD44408.8

Over an hour in the sonic shower can’t wash off the layer of scum I feel all over after what I just did to Data today.

Yeah, I know it was just a holographic representation of Data. That doesn’t change that fact that what I did, I did to Data.

I resisted from the moment Thalla said “start program.”

It wasn’t a replay of the Terlina III incident. It moved faster and Data was much more direct, even brutal in his methods. I think Maddox programmed his actions. These are things I just can’t see Data doing, even with an alteration to his program. Even under Soong’s control, he didn’t try to hurt anyone. My objections were over-ruled. Thalla asked me if my VISOR lets me see the future.

“Of course it doesn’t.” I said.

Then there’s no way I can know what Data could do or be made to do.
I pushed through, but not by activating the subspace distortions. I was desperate to prove that Data could be stopped without having to resort to this invasive weapon.

Without me betraying him.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) I’ve been through this scenario before. Apparently, so had Maddox. Holographically anyway. Confined to engineering with no command authority, I had to resort to simple tactics, but none of them stopped Data. Slowed him down a bit, but not enough.

The whole time, Thalla’s face was going positively ultramarine. “What are you waiting for? Shut him down!”

When I finally realize I’m out of options, I go for the distortion generator. The first sign the Data Red plan is working: since it’s not attached to ship’s systems, the computer doesn’t even know it’s there. There’s no force field blocking access.

It sends the operating system deletion command through Data’s autonomic subroutine network, but they’re not working fast enough to keep Tuvok from making another trip to Doctor Cameron.

At this point, I honestly don’t know what I want to happen. If it doesn’t work, at least I haven’t betrayed Data, but it may also be because of human error - waiting too long.

It clearly has some effect. Data can’t get all the isolinear chips back in place perfectly. But he’s getting there. It’s a holodeck, so the anti-matter explosion won’t kill us, but the setting are low enough that we’ll get blown into the walls while the program ends. Probably break some bones. Now I understand Thalla’s holodeck safeguard philosophy.

With Data’s rebuilding the isolinear bay faster than his subroutines are shutting down, I have to fond some other way to stop him. Then I remembered why this subconscious subroutine trick works at all – the milliCochrane shifts that cause random errors.
I boost the distortion, but Data’s compensating. I have no choice but to crank the dial back and forth like a 20th century engineer trying to fix an idiosyncratic radio receiver in an attempt to overload his compensation subroutine into an early stop. Either it’s going to take down Data or it doesn’t.

Of course, it wasn’t as black and white as that.  I wasn’t ready for what I saw. Data went down system by system. It wasn’t actually him, but it could be. He was convulsing on the floor by the end. Then he just stopped. Like he was dead. The exercise was over but nobody was saying it. I practically tripped over my own tongue trying to get the words out. “Computer, end the damn program.

I think I need to get back in the sonic shower. I still feel…contaminated.