Read Online The Oppressor's Wrong by Phaedra M. Weldon - Free Book Online

are your orders. Do not give them any opportunity to get those sensors back up. If you have to move your timetable up, then do it. Just make sure the package is delivered on time.”
    He nodded. There was nothing else to do.
    The communication darkened. He shut the case, set it on the floor, and kicked it beneath the bed.
    *   *   *
    Daniels met with Data that night and the next night. He and Sage proved to themselves, as well as to Travec, that there was only one bomb, not two. But the duplication of chemicals and compounds still rattled Daniels, as it had since he identified the components.
    Data appeared happy and content on the second night and managed to add more to his cat sketch. He tried a few of the darker colors first, blending orange and yellow and black. A little white.
    Unsure of what Spot looked like, Daniels commented occasionally as he worked on his own painting, giving encouragement.
    That night he sat in front of his canvas, his eyesclosed, calling up the memory of the Hanging Gardens. What time of year would it be now? Spring? Would the purple wisteria be in full bloom yet? Or the white blossoms of the
toped
trees?
    He imagined himself standing barefoot in the deep, thick Canopus grass. He could almost feel the wind caressing his cheeks.
    â€œLieutenant?”
    He could almost smell the sweet scent of earth jasmine.
    â€œPádraig?”
    The sound of his name brought him back, and he opened his eyes to see Data looking at him with a concerned expression. “Data, what’s wrong?”
    â€œWere you thinking? Your eyes were closed.”
    Daniels smiled and uncrossed his arms from his chest, unaware he’d even moved them into that position. His brush and palette lay on the table to his right. “No, I was visualizing.”
    â€œVisualizing?”
    â€œSeeing an image in my head. Sometimes I imagine more than the image.” He picked up a brush and dipped it in the red, and then mixed in some white pigment. “Like adding in the other senses. Mostly sound and smell. It helps me see the image I want to paint.”
    â€œWith your eyes closed?”
    Daniels nodded, looking at Data. “Closing my eyes helps block out other distractions. I sometimes use it in tactical situations. Not in the middle of action.” He reached up with his brush and made a few strokes of light red. Berries hanging on the treckle vine. “But it helps me concentrate.”
    â€œNot me,” Data said and lowered his intense gaze. “My only experience with closing my eyes was because of fear.”
    â€œFear?” Daniels paused and looked at him.
    â€œYes.” Data nodded. “The first emotion to provoke that response was fear. I—I nearly lost my best friend. I could not move because I was terrified of being injured. When I closed my eyes I felt as if the danger was no longer there. But it was, and I opened my eyes again to see Dr. Soren pointing his weapon at my head.”
    This wasn’t something Daniels expected to hear. He set his brush down and wiped his hands on the towel in his lap. “Data, that’s terrible.”
    â€œIt was last year, before the
Enterprise-
D was destroyed. We were investigating the Amargosa Observatory.” He shook his head. “I have often thought of removing those memory engrams so that I will not feel so—” He swallowed. “—guilty.”
    â€œYou can do that? Remove certain memories?”
    â€œYes. But Counselor Troi does not wish me to dothat. She believes my memories will act as teachers. She says we learn from our mistakes and if we never acknowledge them, we tend to repeat them.”
    Daniels nodded. “She’s right.”
    The stars outside the studio windows shifted and became still.
    â€œWe have dropped out of warp,” Data said.
    Daniels removed his smock and stood. “Are we already at Starbase 375? If so, we’re early.”
    The studio abruptly