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THE STAR TREK ENCYCLOPEDIA: A REFERENCE GUIDE TO THE FUTURE DATA 101

lengths to create a naturalistic human appearance in Data. He stole the emotion chip from Soong's lab. Dr. Soong died shortly gave Data a functional respiration system, although its purpose thereafter. (“Brothers™ [TNG]). Data began to experience emowas primarily for thermal regulation. (Data was in fact capable of tions in 2369 when Lore secretly bombarded Data with signals functioning for extended periods in a vacuum. “Brothers” that triggered negative emotions in his positronic brain. Lore (TNG)].) He gave Data a pulse and a circulatory system that dis- used these negative emotions to guide Data into joining him and tributed biochemical lubricants and regulated microhydraulic the Borg against the Federation. When Data realized that Lore power throughout Data's body. Data's hair was even capable of was manipulating him and harming the Borg, he was forced to growth at a controllable rate. (“Birthright Part I" [TNG]). Datadid deactivate Lore. Data kept Soong's emotion chip, but was relucnot require food; he occasionally ingested a semi-organic nutri- tant to install it for fear of causing further harm to his friends. ent suspension in a silicon-based liquid medium. (“Déja Q" (Descent, Parts | and II" [TNG]). [TNG]). Although Data's systems were primarily mechanical, Efforts to understand humanity of cybernetic, and positronic, sufficient biologi- Data's attempts to understand human cal components were present to allow him to - nature once included an effort to learn become infected by the Psi 2000 virus in about the concept of humor, which he 2364. While under the influence of the inhibi- ! studied with the assistance of Guinan and tion-stripping effects of that disease, Data a holodeck-created comedian. (“The became intimate with Enterprise-D security “ 4 Outrageous Okona" [TNG]). SEE: Comic, chief Tasha Yar (pictured). (“The Naked The. Data even ted a beard once, Now" [TNG]). Data's basic programming to the considerable amusement of his included a strong inhibition against harming or shipmates even learned to dance. (“The living beings, but he nevertheless had the Schizoid Man" [TNG]). Aboard the ability to use deadly force to protect others : Enterprise-D, Data shared his living quar- _ (“The Most Toys" [TNG]) ters with a cat that he named Spot. Data Data in Starfleet. Prior to his assignment to the Enterprise-D, tried to provide for Spot's well-being, but Data served aboard the U.S.S. Trieste. During this tour-of-duty, found it difficult to predict the cat's preferences in food. (“Data's the Trieste once fell through a wormhole. (“Clues” [TNG]). Day" [TNG]). One of Data's more challenging efforts to experience Aboard the Enterprise-D, Data served as operations manager, humanity was his attempt to pursue a romantic relationship with and was in charge of coordinating the many departments aboard ~~ Enterprise-D Security Officer Jenna D'Sora in late 2367. Although the ship. (“Encounter at Farpoint” [TNG)). In 2366, Commander D'Sora was attracted to Data, he was unable to return the affection, Data was seriously injured trying to save Q from an attack by at least in a manner that she wanted. (“In Theory” [TNG]). Data gaseous creatures called the Calamarain. In gratitude, Q gave began to experience dreams in 2369 as a result of an accidental Data the gift of allowing Data to experience human laughter fora plasma shock received during an experiment. It was later learned brief time. (“Déja Q" [TNG]). Data served as father of the bride for that the shock had triggered a program designed for this purpose the wedding of Miles O'Brien and Keiko Ishikawa in 2367, and by Soong, who had hoped the program would be activated when found it necessary to learn to dance to fulfill this ceremonial func- Data reached a certain level of development. Data's initial dreams tion. (“Data's Day” [TNG]). Data's first opportunity to command a were of Soong as a blacksmith, incongruously forging the wings of starship came during the Federation blockade during the a bird, which Data believed represented him Klingon civil war of 2368. Data was assigned temporary com —~ self. (“Birthright, Part I” [TNG]). SEE: painting. mand of the Starship Sutherland in Picard's armada. As an wih Those dreams turned to nightmares while android, Data encountered a small amount of prejudice among under the influence of interphasic organisms in his human crew, but was nevertheless able to lead effectively. 0 2370. (“Phantasms” [TNG]). Later that year, fol(“Redemption, Part II” [TNG]). In late 2368, when bizarre evidence re lowing the Enterprise-D's discovery of the was found suggesting that he had died some 500 years ago, Data D’Arsay archive, Data's own personality traveled back in time to old San Francisco. The evidence was q became completely submerged by a series of Data's severed head, unearthed from beneath the city of San | personas, enacting the mythology of a longFrancisco, where it had been buried for five centuries. (“Time's dead civilization. Following the experience, Arrow, Part I" [TNG]). Traveling back in time to the year 1893, Data Captain Picard commented that even if Data uncovered a plot by aliens from the planet Devidia Il who were never become human, he had transcended the human condition using the cholera plague of the time to conceal their murder of by becoming an entire civilization. (“Masks” [TNG]). SEE: Masaka. humans. While attempting to stop the Devidians, Data's head One of Data's most noteworthy efforts in his quest for humanity was severed, and his body was sent forward in time, back to was his construction of an android daughter in 2366. Data 2368. Aboard the Enterprise-D, Geordi La Forge was successful employed a new submicron matrix transfer technology to allow In reattaching Data's head to his body. (“Time's Arrow, Part II” his own neural pathways to be duplicated in another positronic [TNG]). Following the destruction of the Enterprise-D in 2371, brain, which he used as the basis for his child. His daughter, whom Data accepted an assignment the following year to the sixth he named Lal (“beloved" in Earth's Hindi language), developed at a Enterprise, also under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. remarkable rate and showed evidence of growth potential beyond (Star Trek: First Contact). that of her father, even experiencing emotions. Lal died after having Data and Lore. Upon returning to the Omicron Theta colony lived little more than two weeks, when she experienced a serious site in 2364, Data participated in the discovery and activation of failure in her positronic brain. (“The Offspring” [TNG]). In 2371, Data his android brother, Lore. Physically identical to Data, Lore had finally decided to install the emotion chip that Dr. Soong had creradically different personality programming, and attempted to ated for him. Although Data had initial difficulty coping with the commandeer the Enterprise-D before he was beamed into space. resulting flood of emotions—a problem made worse when the chip (“Datalore” [TNG]). Although Noonien Soong was believed to became fused into his neural net—the chip have died at Omicron Theta, he was discovered to have es represented a significant step in his quest to ' caped the colony when, in 2367, he become more human. (Star Trek Generations). remotely gained control of Data, — By 2373 Data was able to turn his emotion chip commanding his creation to visit on and off at will. During the Borg invasion of him in his new secret laboratory. > that year, the Borg queen used Data's quest to There, Soong attempted to install become human against him. She had organic a new chip in Data's positronic S components integrated onto his body, allowbrain that would have given Data ing him to experience tactile sensations, in an dl the ability to experience human - effort to seduce him to the Borg collective. Her emotions. Unfortunately, Lore also -e efforts were remarkably successful, and Data responded to Soong's call, and later reported being tempted by her offer for