#startrek.txt

[androidkisser]

I just got reminded of the fact that in Datalore, Lore continuously flipped Data's deactivation switch. Data had not even a second of consciousness before his brain was shut off again, and again, and again.

Lore knows how horrible it feels to be deactivated. he's afraid of it. it has traumatised him really badly. yet he doesn't hesitate to do the same thing to Data (in Datalore, and again in Brothers). even worse, he seems to actively enjoy torturing Data by ripping him in and out of consciousness.

in Datalore specifically, Data hasn't even done anything to Lore that would warrant this action. he's just in Lore's way, and all of the anger and frustration Lore feels about his parents abandoning and replacing him is unleashed onto Data, who never asked to be anyone's replacement.

I truly wonder what his thought process is. it never occurred to him to ask himself, "would I like being treated this way?" the natural conclusion of "I don't want to be treated this way, so I won't treat others like this" seems to be completely foreign to him.

there is something here. something about Lore's character that I just can't seem to put into words right now.

[androidkisser]

it's weird to me that there was never a TNG episode about Data celebrating his birthday...

I know he doesn't have his memories from his childhood and therefore doesn't know his initial activation date, but... I can totally see Data deciding that the day he was found and activated by the away team is his birthday, given how much Starfleet means to him. plus, February 2nd is Brent Spiner's birthday and the reason why they made it Data's (second) activation date!

[androidkisser]

concept: Lal drops something and goes "fuck!"

everyone stares at her in horror. the number one suspect? Lore, of course. everyone turns to him, demanding an explanation.

the sound of another object shattering on the ground catches everyone's attention. "ah, fuck," a familiar voice says.

again, everyone stares in horror.

Data. Lal was imitating Data.

[androidkisser]

I often wonder what happened between Data being discovered on Omicron Theta and him enrolling in Starfleet Academy.

we know from The Measure of a Man that there was an entire vote about whether or not Data should be allowed to join Starfleet. but that probably took a while. where was Data during this? did they lock him in a lab at Daystrom? they probably performed many, many tests on him. did they deactivate him when he wasn't needed or when no one was on shift? how did they treat him? it bugs me that this was never explained.

[androidkisser]

I often wonder how Lore's initial deactivation went down. Juliana described it as "the most painful thing I ever had to do", but we have no specifics.

while I have no canon or semi canon basis for this, I have a headcanon: the homing device. Soong and Juliana activated his homing device to put him in a trance state (Lore and Data seem to be unable to snap out of it themselves, but rather require someone to turn it off manually, as we see in Brothers), and then deactivated him. there was no way of resistance. they spared themselves the pain of hearing their son beg (and/or fight) for his life. Lore just suddenly lost his free will one day, and was lead to the lab by a program he wasn't aware of and can't control (it makes me wonder what it felt like, since Data appeared almost mindless as he made his way to Soong).

the previous activation of his homing device would explain why Lore wasn't confused when he suddenly woke up in Soong's home back in Brothers. he's been through this before. he knew how to recall his memories of his way there - Data did not. that's what made me come up with this headcanon in the first place, I think.

[androidkisser]

since Lore had the emotion chip installed that means he had access to Data's "childhood" memories... and I wonder what he saw.

Soong's face looming over Data with a smile when he first opened his eyes.

Data in the clothes that were once Lore's, sitting in his seat at the dinner table.

Soong and Data in the lab for maintenance, while Lore's disassembled body was hidden in storage, only a few meters away from Data and the father that once claimed to love him.

Soong and Juliana teaching Data like they once did Lore.

his parents, content, smiling at his replacement, spending time with him, like he had never been. no sign of grievance.

the colonists, happy that Lore was dead. perhaps they mention him. "thank god that thing is gone."

[androidkisser]

Soong taking a nap while Data is in the other room with Lore fighting for his life

[androidkisser]

I went through some files and rediscovered this part from a Star Trek novel and I'm in pain.

I always liked the idea of Juliana and Lore reconnecting (although it would be very messy and difficult), but this makes me so sad. especially because she said in Inheritance that she loved Lore like a son, despite what he did. the novels are semi-canon, but it still makes me think.