268 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
268 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!caen!batcomputer!munnari.oz.au!ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU!ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au!emu.insted.unimelb.edu.au!s345005
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Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
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Subject: DATA AND FRIEND
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Message-ID: <1993Apr28.172224.1@emu.insted.unimelb.edu.au>
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From: s345005@emu.insted.unimelb.edu.au (Peter R. Tilton)
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Date: 28 Apr 93 17:22:24 GMT
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Organization: University of Melbourne
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Nntp-Posting-Host: emu.insted.unimelb.edu.au
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Lines: 256
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Wow, I just discovered how to upload files!
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Now I'll be able to start posting, and not just reading the stories!
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Here's a rather light-hearted story, in contrast to all the really serious
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ones like I,Locutus (which was brilliant, but rather exhausting to read!)
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Read, enjoy, and lots of feed-back please!
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DATA AND FRIEND
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By Katharine Shade
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Data was on his way to engineering when a small object came hurtling
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around the corner, careering straight into him. He used his super-
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human strength to stay upright, and the small object untangled itself
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from him, revealing itself to be a small boy, of approximately eight
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years of age.
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"Are you unhurt?" Data inquired.
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"No...I mean yes," the boy said, rather confused at how Data had
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phrased his question. He lifted his tear stained face and looked up
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at Data, suddenly realising that he had just bumped into a Starfleet
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officer. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't be here, it's just that.."
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Sounds of shouting came from around the corner, and more small boys
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came barreling around. But this time Data was prepared, and he
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stepped aside, watching as the first boy stopped abruptly, realising
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who he'd just passed. The two boys following were a bit slower to
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react, and bumped into the first one, resulting in a disordered mass
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of limbs. The arms and legs resolved themselves into three boys,
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slightly larger than the one who was now hiding behind Data.
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A small voice emerged from the general region of Data's back, too soft
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to be heard by the other boys.
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"Please don't let them get me!"
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Data twisted his head around and looked down over his shoulder at the
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boy, but turned his attention back to the other boys as he realised
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that they were trying to sneak away.
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"Is this area of the ship not off limits to you?" Data asked them.
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One of the boys, bolder than the rest - the one who had been in the
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lead when they ran past Data - drew himself up to his full height of
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140cm and replied "We're on a school assignment."
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The small boy whispered, "Don't believe him, he's lying."
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Data considered this. He knew that humans often lied, although most
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of the time he was still unable to detect when this was the case. One
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of the boys must be lying, and in this case he decided that the boy
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hiding behind him was less likely to be the liar. He had observed
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that those who put up a front, as he suspected the boy in front of him
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was doing, often did not tell the whole truth.
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"What is your name?" asked Data.
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"David," the boy answered.
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"And your friends?"
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"Tom and Derek." David answered for them.
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"I will check with your teacher whether you are on an assignment."
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David's face fell, as did those of his two companions.
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Data recalled the manner he had seen Riker assume when he had seen him
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talk to some misbehaving youngsters.
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"Go back to where you are supposed to be, and if I hear any stories
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about your behaviour, you will be in big trouble!"
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The three boys streaked back the way they had come, fear now showing
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on their faces, rather than the cocky assuredness of before. Data
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turned around and crouched down so as to be on the same level as the
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small boy, who now had a hint of a smile showing through on his tear
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streaked face.
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"You were great!" he said. But then his face fell. "Are you going
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to send me away too?"
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"No" Data replied. "Not until I determine why you are upset."
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The boy said nothing, just hung his head.
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"What is your name?" asked Data.
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"Gillam," the boy replied in a small voice.
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"Why were you crying?"
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"Because David and the others were chasing me and calling me names."
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Data tilted his head to the side, puzzled. "Why did that cause you to
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be upset?"
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Gillam lifted his head, and almost shouted at Data, "Because they're
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always picking on me because I'm small for my age."
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Data was still puzzled. "Why would that cause them to 'pick' on you?"
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A little surprised at his own outburst, Gillam tried to explain as
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best he could. "David always picks on other people, It's just the way
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he is. And because I'm short, he picks on me for that."
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Data was still unable to comprehend this complex bit of behaviour, but
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did the best he could to comfort the boy.
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"I do not think his actions are justified. Should you not report
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him to the teacher?"
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Gillam was horrified. "Oh no, that would make him even worse! He
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would find a way to get back at me." A look of alarm suddenly ap-
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peared on his face. "Oh no, I should be in class now, the teacher's
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going to be mad at me!"
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He started off up the corridor, and then turned back to Data as if
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suddenly remembering his manners when talking to a Starfleet officer.
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"Good-bye, and thank you for not letting them get me."
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"My pleasure." replied Data, and then added, although not sure why,
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"If you need any further assistance, do not hesitate to contact me."
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Gillam grinned, his confidence rapidly returning, and vanished around
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the corner.
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Data stood there for a moment, his brow creased in puzzlement, then
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continued on his way to engineering.
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After his shift had ended, Data was still stumped over the behaviour
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of David and his two friends, and he decided that the best course of
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action would be to seek out Counsellor Troi. The computer informed
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him that she was in her quarters, and he made his way there.
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After requesting admittance, Data entered her quarters and found her
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sitting in front of her computer screen. She turned as he entered,
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and a look of surprise crossed her face as she saw who it was.
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"I hope I am not disturbing you?"
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"No, of course not," Troi replied. "Can I help you with
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something?"
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"I would like some advice."
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"Well it's not often that an..." Troi's voice trailed off as she
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realised what she was going to say, and Data finished off the sen-
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tence.
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"..an android asks for advice from a human counsellor. Doctor Selar
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recently told me of one of the Vulcan sayings; 'rejoice in our dif-
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ferences.' I am not offended at what you were about to say, indeed
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Selar also told me that it is often said 'there is no offense if none
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is taken.' Actually, that.."
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"Data," interrupted Troi, "you are babbling."
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Data appeared confused. "I have noticed that when people are uncom-
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fortable about something that has been said, it is often necessary to
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reassure them a number of times that they have not caused offense."
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"It is sometimes more effective to say nothing at all about it, as
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if it was not said." Troi replied.
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Data considered this. "Hmm. I will file that away as another possi-
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ble reaction to similar circumstances."
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He abruptly changed the topic, as though heading this advice.
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"I came to ask you about behavioural characteristics of young male
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humans."
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Troi's eyebrows shot up. "Why is that?"
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Data briefly explained the events that had occurred.
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When he had finished, Troi asked, "Why did you not access the child
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psychology information on the computer?"
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"I frequently find that information on the computer in regard to
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human behaviour is not satisfactory when trying to apply it to what I
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observe, and it usually takes another human to fully comprehend and
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explain some aspects of human behaviour." Data's voice raised slight-
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ly in pitch as he went on, full steam ahead. "For example, when you
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were to be married to Wyatt and Riker appeared to be rather hostile
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towards you, I needed Geordie to explain to me that even though you
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were no longer involved with Riker, there were residual..."
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Data stopped abruptly, as he noticed a severe frown on Troi's face.
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"Is this one of those occasions where I should not apologise, and
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pretend nothing was said on the subject?"
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Troi nodded. "Yes!" she said. "Now will you let me explain?"
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Data nodded, his mouth now firmly closed.
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"Right," she said, gathering her thoughts. "It seems to me that this
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boy - David?" she looked questioningly at Data, who nodded. "Is a
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fairly typical bully. That usually means that he is deficient in some
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area, and to cover this up he points out other people's flaws to boost
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his own ego, which is actually quite fragile. He's probably big for
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his age," Data nodded again, "which gives him a physical dominance
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over others, which is pretty important at that age, and he exerts his
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influence over other children who have little self control, who feel
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the pull of a leader - good or bad - very strongly. How does that
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sound, Data?"
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Data nodded again, unwilling to open his mouth. Troi was amused.
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"Data!" she laughed. "Say something!"
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"I was unwilling to say anything, in case I offended or embarrassed
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you," he said.
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"Data, you can't go around not saying anything at all, how are you
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going to learn anything? Everybody runs the risk of offending when
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they speak, but it's worth the risk rather than saying nothing at all.
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You just have to think a little more about the results of what you
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want to say before you speak."
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Data considered this. "Very well, I will attempt to do so. However,
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often I am unable to determine in advance whether what I say will
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offend."
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"That is something you will learn with time and experience."
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Data changed tack. "I am confused as to why children like David are
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allowed to behave in this way."
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Troi sighed. "I know what you mean Data, human children are now
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brought up in a peaceful environment which abhors unnecessary vio-
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lence, yet some children still seem to have to go through these stages
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in their development."
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"Can it not be stopped?"
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"There is disciplinary action which can be taken, however the best
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thing to do is to find out why they are behaving in that way, to see
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what it is within themselves that is producing this inferiority com-
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plex. I will have a talk to their teacher if you like - young chil-
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dren can be very clever in hiding things from adults, who may not be
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fully aware of what is going on."
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"And what about Gillam?"
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"He is probably a very sensitive young boy who needs someone to talk
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to, to bolster up his confidence in himself."
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"Do you think that I could fulfill that role?" Data asked hesitant-
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ly.
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"I don't see why not," Troi answered.
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"Thank you for your help" Data said, leaving the room with a pleased
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look on his android features.
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Troi smiled to herself, and turned back to her computer terminal to
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continued her treatise on why chocolate has such an enormous psycho-
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logical effect on people.
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Data went back to his quarters, and was about to access information on
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the computer when his door entrance chimed. "Come in," he called out.
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After a slight pause, a rumpled head appeared through the doors.
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"Mr Data, can I come in?"
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"Yes" he replied, and Gillam came slowly into the room, taking
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everything in with wide-eyed amazement. He paused in front of a
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painting on the wall.
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"Did you paint that?" he asked.
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"Yes" said Data, "A friend of mine tried to teach me to paint a
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little while ago, and that is the only painting that I felt was suc-
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cessful."
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Gillam sized it up critically, and closely examined the brushstrokes.
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"You know, you would probably be better with oils. It seems like
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here you were unsure about putting each stroke down, and with oils
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there is more room for correction."
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Gillam stopped his flow of advice, and turned to Data, unsure of how
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his criticism would be received. Data looked quite pleased.
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"That appears to be very sound advice. Do you do a lot of
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painting?"
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Encouraged, Gillam went on. "A bit, although I prefer to do sculp-
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ture. I want to be an artist when I grow up."
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Data considered what Gillam was saying in the light of what Troi had
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said about encouraging him. A fair amount of self interest also
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prompted what he said next.
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"I believe that the holodeck has programs on all of the famous Earth
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art galleries. Would you be interested in explaining some of them to
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me?"
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Gillam's eyes lit up in excitement.
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"Oh yes, would you really take me there?!"
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"Yes, would you like to go now?"
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A short time later, three Enterprise crew members were surprised to
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see Data heading towards the holodeck with a small boy hanging onto
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his hand, both of them engrossed in a serious discussion about the
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relative merits of different art forms, and both of them looking
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exceedingly enthralled.
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