OOM: Diagnostic

[ol_yellow_eyes]

Data heads down to the engineering section while Geordi is still on duty. Things have been rather quiet on the Enterprise today, so Data is relatively certain that his friend will not be busy.

He approaches Geordi directly.

"Geordi. May I ask a favor of you?"

Comments

[ol-yellow-eyes.livejournal.com]

Data takes note of Geordi's visible reaction to his statement. He is not certain of its exact cause, but it brings to mind certain recent events, and his expression betrays an unspoken apology.

"It is possible that I was only imitating behaviors associated with emotional reactions, without actually experiencing the emotions themselves," he suggests. "In the unlikely case that I was, in fact, malfunctioning."

[mr-laforge.livejournal.com]

The axis of his head tilts.

"All right. I can run a full sweep of your neural net, check for any discrepancies in your subroutines. You haven't encountered any strange -- pulses, or shock waves, have you?"

An unasked question hangs between them.

[ol-yellow-eyes.livejournal.com]

The question is repeating itself in a loop in the back of Data's positronic matrix, but he chooses to ignore it for now.

"Not that I am aware of," he answers simply.

[mr-laforge.livejournal.com]

"That's a start."










"Data--"

He hesitates.

"Have you attempted to use the emotion chip?"

[ol-yellow-eyes.livejournal.com]

Data takes note of his hesitation. He wishes he knew exactly what it meant, but he realizes that this has been a senstive subject between them of late. Perhaps it would be better not to emphasize it by asking unnecessary questions.

"I have not," he says. He attempts to make his voice sound gentle. "I do not anticipate having any urge to install it in the near future, and it is even less likely that I will choose to indulge such an urge.

"If I did, however, I would ask for your help in doing so."