Chapter Six: Ready to Make History

Ben returned just in time to see Rising Fog flying out of the Hall with the Doctor – supporting Lisa on his arm – right behind him. He figured Medicus and Althea had been and gone.

Lisa looked terrible, but he wasn’t really surprised. Data’s death had taken its toll on her. She looked as if she hadn’t slept in days and her eyes had lost the fire that he found so attractive. Even her hair was limp. Her wings were a very dark blue and hung almost lifeless behind her. He wanted to go to her, but didn’t think it was a good idea. She was already very fragile. He didn’t want to risk any more emotional trauma.

Golden Mun couldn’t fit through the bedroom door, so he had to go around and through the front.

Ben would have asked if she was all right, but he knew the answer to that already. Instead, he opted for, “How are you?”

Lisa looked up at him, her eyes taking a very long time to focus. “Why are you here?” she asked, her patented annoyed voice sounding weak. “And why are you wearing a Starfleet uniform?”

“Don’t you remember the Victory?” the Doctor asked gently. “He’s the Captain and Data wanted you to be Science Officer.”

“Did you view the chip, yet?”

“No.”

The Doctor helped her insert the isolinear chip into the viewer in the living room. After a moment, Data’s image appeared on the screen and Lisa would have collapsed were it not for the Doctor holding her up.

“Hello, Lisa,” Data’s image said. “I am recording this message because I know you are most likely suffering after my death.”

“No kidding…” At least her sarcasm hadn’t been affected.

“I have a request for you. I have built a ship, the USS Victory, and named Benjamin the Captain. I wish for you to be the Science Officer. I know you do not get along with Benjamin – ”

That was an understatement.

“ – however, please do this for me. Lisa, I am very grateful to you for being with me. I am grateful for your love. You brought me closer to humanity than any android could hope to be.”

“See?” said the Doctor.

“I do love you, Lisa. Please be the Science Officer on the Victory. Please do that for me. Goodbye. Data out.”

The image faded and Lisa was shaking. The Doctor put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

“He thought that Science Officer would suit you best,” said Ben. “A lot of the things on the Victory are tailored with you in mind. Will you join us?”

“Can I think about it?” she asked in a hollow voice.

Ben nodded. “We’re leaving at sunset. I have to go talk to someone. You have until I get back.”

“I’ll stay with her,” the Doctor said.

He nodded again and left for the meadow. He found Shima grazing by the stream with her son. She looked up when she heard him coming. The foal ran up to him.

“Hello, Benjamin.”

“Hello.”

“Hello, Master Jedi,” said Shima. There were tears in her eyes.

“Your son is a strong one.”

“Yes, I know.”

“May I ask what you decided to call him?”

“His name is Akili.”

“Really? That means ‘wisdom’, you know.”

Shima didn’t respond, but he could have sworn she was smiling.

“I have to leave, soon. Have you made a decision?”

“Yes,” she replied. “We discussed it, and it is best that he goes with you. No one on Alnilam can teach him to be a Jedi. Please take care of him.” She nuzzled her son.

“I will. And I’ll make sure we visit as often as we can. I promise.”

Shima nodded and Akili told her, “You will always be in my heart.”

“And you will always be in mine. Good luck, dear heart. Be a good boy and mind what Master Del Ponte tells and teaches you.”

“I will.”

Ben and Akili left Shima behind as they made their way back to Lisa’s house. As they walked, Ben said, “Akili, make this my first lesson: Always find time for fun.”

“Okay.”

Golden Mun met them outside Lisa’s house. I think you should go inside, he said telepathically, his normal form of communication. He only used verbal in the presence of the Doctor.

“Will you watch the young one?”

Yes, of course.

Ben went inside and found the Doctor and Rising Fog sitting in the living room, but no trace of Lisa.

“Where is she?” he asked.

“Right here.” The answer came from Lisa herself. She was standing in the Hall, dressed in a Starfleet uniform they had brought for her. She had cleaned herself up, but it would take more than a shower and change of clothes to get the spark to return to her eyes.

“Welcome to the Victory,” said Ben. “We can leave whenever you’re ready.”

“I want to say goodbye to Goldy.”

The group went outside where Golden Mun and Akili waited. Lisa gave Ben a questioning look at the foal.

“He is strong with the Force.”

“I’m going to be a Jedi!” the foal exclaimed.

Lisa’s eyes went wide. “He spoke. That’s amazing,” she said. “That’s never happened with someone so young.”

“So everyone has said. He’s coming with us.”

The glare she shot him was so much like the old Lisa it gave him hope that she could recover fully. “You took him away from his mother so soon?!” she demanded bitterly.

“Mommy let him,” said Akili. “She said no one here could teach me.”

It was evident by the look on Lisa’s face that she didn’t like it one bit.

He is a remarkable young foal, Lisa, said Golden Mun. I think he will make an excellent Jedi. He knows things. He’s very smart.

Lisa looked at her golden stallion and sighed.

You’re going with them, aren’t you? he asked.

“Yes, but I’ll be back to visit.” She glared at Ben once more, daring him to contradict that statement. He didn’t say a word. She hugged the tall stallion around his neck, tears falling from her eyes. She spoke in a language Ben didn’t know, then turned to him. “I’m ready.”

Ben tapped his comm. badge. “Del Ponte to Victory. Five to beam up.”

“Brace yourself, kid…” Lisa muttered to Akili.

After the transporter effect faded, Lisa and Rising Fog looked around. The transporter room looked like any other. She wasn’t impressed.

“That was cool!” Akili said.

“Nice to see you again, Lisa,” said Yoshi O’Brien, the great-great grandson of Miles and Keiko, who had been aboard both the Enterprise and the space station Deep Space Nine.

Lisa grunted and Ben said, “Transport her belongings to her quarters.”

Yoshi nodded and the Doctor said, “If you’ll excuse me, I have something to set up before you leave.” At Lisa’s forlorn look, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll see you again in a little while.”

“This sucks…” she commented as he left the transporter room.

“Stop being so negative,” said Ben. “You’re making it worse than it really is. Come on.” He tried to take her hand, but she snatched it away and glared at him.

Ben proceeded to show Lisa, Rising Fog and Akili around the ship. She acknowledged each deck with an uninterested grunt, as she really didn’t care one way or the other. Akili, however, found everything absolutely fascinating, especially the lounge, where he could see his home gently rotating beneath the ship.

He then took Lisa to her quarters. She had to admit that they were a little nicer than the previous rooms she’d had, but it was missing one vital component: Data.

“Nice,” she deadpanned as Rising Fog flew over to his perch.

Ben stopped her before she could walk in, because he knew that, once she sat down, there was no getting her up for a while.

“Don’t go in yet,” he said.

“Why?”

“You haven’t seen everything yet. Come out here.”

“Why?” she said again.

“Just come here.”

I shall wait here, said Rising Fog.

“Suit yourself.” Lisa said, leaving her room.

“Come here. Look at this. This was Data’s idea.”

He was standing in front of the door across from her quarters, but he was blocking the plate that told what room it was.

“What’s so special about it?” she asked.

He let the doors open to reveal the silver, yellow and black grid within. She’d know this room anywhere. It was her favorite place to go on a starship.

“A holodeck…”

“It’s for anyone to use, but it’s across from your room. Data insisted that one of them be. And, because of your pickiness, it’s Holodeck One.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on her face. Whenever someone needed a holodeck on the Enterprise, they were always using one other than Holodeck One, usually Two or Four. She was always voicing a comment about it.

“Oh, Data…” she whispered, tears in her eyes. Akili nuzzled her.

“Come on. One more thing.”

He led them to a turbolift and they made their way to the only section she hadn’t seen yet.

“This looks like Sickbay,” she said.

“That’s because it is. We’ve received the best medical technology Starfleet has to give.” He smiled. “Wait ’til you see the EMH.”

Lisa, as always, was unimpressed. “What, did you get one of those new Mark Sevens?”

“Activate it. You’ll see.”

“Why?” she asked once again.

“Just do it.”

Rolling her eyes, sighing, she said, “Computer, activate EMH.”

The air shimmered and formed the holographic doctor. Akili’s ears perked up, surprised but intrigued.

“Please state the nature of the medical emergency.” The EMH looked around, saw them and smiled at Lisa. “I told you I’d see you again.”

It was Voyager’s EMH. Lisa looked from him to Ben and back, confused.

“I pulled some strings and got him installed on the Victory,” said Ben. “Like I said, best in Starfleet.”

Lisa felt like crying, but, this time, they were happy tears. She embraced the Doctor tightly, unsuccessfully trying to hold them back.

Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn’t be so terrible after all.

The End

Back *~*~* Chapter Five *~*~* Trivia and In-Jokes