Data

Data's History

Data is a Soong-type Android constructed of 24.6 kilograms of tripolymer composites, 11.8 kilograms of molybdenum-cobalt, and 1.3 kilograms of bioplast sheeting. His positronic net was capable of processing sixty-trillion operations per seconds and had a storage capacity of eight hundred quadrillion bits, which is approximately one-hundred petabytes. His positronic net is protected by a skull composed of cortenide and duranium. Data's spine is composed of a polyalloy which allows him to withstand extreme stress. Data's positronic net is capable of polywater intoxication, though he is impervious to alcohol.

Data was Doctor Noonien Soong's sixth known attempt at a fully functioning humanoid android. He was constructed circa 2336 on the planet Omicron Theta. In his early existence, he struggled with motor skills and sensory input. In these days, Data had a disregard for social etiquette, such as saying "please" and "thank you," and certain undesirable qualities, such as not wearing clothes (he found them useless do to the fact that he "did not suffer from the elements.) Soong was able to correct these problems by writing a modesty subroutine into Data's systems, after he receive many complaints about his anatomically correct android being nude.

He was deactivated circa 2338 so that a complete log of Omicron Theta's colonist's journals could be downloaded into his positronic matrix. Though the download was successful, Soong had to evacuate the planet to escape the attack by the crystalline entity that was set up by an earlier android known as Lore. Data was left on a rock face as the crystalline entity devoured every organic thing on Omicron Theta. Data's abandonment was due to Juliana, Soong's wife. She had come to love Data as a son, but also feared he would die like the androids before him, or become evil, like the Lore. This fear prompted her to lie to Soong about Data's demise.

Starfleet

On February 2nd, 2338, Data was discovered by the crew of the U.S.S. Tripoli, a Federation ship that responded to a distress call sent from Omicron Theta. They reactivated Data, and Data attempted to join Starfleet as a show of gratitude. He was admitted into the Academy in 2341. Data graduated the Academy in 2345 with honors in Exobiology and probability mechanics.

One of Data's first assignments was on the USS Trieste. He served three years as an ensign before being promoted to a lieutenant in 2348. He then became a Lieutenant Commander in 2360 and was assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise D as the second officer four years later. Data was assigned to room 3653 on Deck three of the Enterprise.

Creation

Data was a character created by Gene Roddenberry for the television show Star Trek: The Next Generation. Data was kind of like the Spock character on the original series of Number One from the first pilot. He was a very logical character without emotions.

Ironically Spock had always tried to suppress his emotions and Data always desired to have some. The actor chosen to play the role was Brent Spiner. All characters of him are representations of the actor who played him Character Evolution

Data was a critical member of the Enterprise D crew from the moment he was assigned. In his first mission he was instrumental in dealing with an omnipotent being known as Q and helping his crew solve a test that the Q hair laid before them at Farpoint station.

Despite being emotionless Data touched the hearts of his fellow crew. He had an intimate relationship with crew-mate Tasha Yar, and he kept a miniature hologram of her to remember her by after her death. He had close friendship with Councillor Troi as well. This relationship was based on his inability to understand emotions and her ability to read them in other beings. He would quite often go to her for advice.

Shortly into his first year on the Enterprise D he and his crew discovered and assembled Data's lost brother Lore. Lore was responsible for killing everyone on the planet by communicating with an alien being that destroyed all organic life on a planet. Lore was built before Data and was much more malicious.

Lore even tried to assume Data's role on the ship and make Data look like him. This was easy as the were identical to each other. Fortunately, Lore was discovered and beamed into space. Lore would come back and torment Data and his fellow crewmen from time to time and even stole Data's emotion chip witch he would use to manipulate him. Data would get the chip back but not use it for many years.

Data would also be forced to defend his right to make his own decisions as he was almost disassembled to discover his inter workings so that the Federation could make more of him. Captain Jean-Luc Picard fought the orders in a court of law and first officer William Riker took the opposition. This was not because he was felt that Data was not sentient but he was ordered to take the opposing side or face Data loosing the case automatically. He also had to do it with the best of his ability or Data would loose. William Riker was sick with his role and regarded him as a friend but having no choice he nearly won the case. When the verdict was won and Data was given his freedom to refuse he told Riker that he was grateful for his role in the proceeding knowing that he had to do a hard thing in order to give him a chance at freedom.

Data would face a similar problem a year later when he tries to create his own daughter Lal. The Federation tried to get him to hand his daughter off to the them for study. They would not even allow Data to go with her. This so troubled that Lal that she literally malfunction and died because she was not able to deal with the emotions. Data took her memories and added them to his own.

Data would also have a "serious" relationship with another fellow crew member. He did his best to make it work and he even added new subroutines, but in the end Data's lack of emotions got in the way. The romance was brief and Data moved on not feeling sadness at the dissolved relationship.

After many years of not using the emotion chip Data decides to use it due to a misunderstanding he had with Doctor Beverly Crusher. The chip causes a malfunction and due to his fear his best friend Geordi LaForge is kidnapped. LaForge was later saved and Data was able to get control of his emotion chip only to have it manipulated again by the Borg Queen who literally gave him skin on parts of his body that allowed he to feel. Data was again able to take control and help Picard defeat the Borg Queen and save their ship The U.S.S Enterprise E. Do to the fact that the Enterprise D was destroyed just after Geordi was returned to his crew.

About six years later Data would discover anther on of his long lost brother B-4. Data downloaded all of his knowledge and experiences to B-4 in order to bring him to the level he was but he was unsuccessful. Data would eventually give his life to save his Picard during a battle between the Enterprise E and a rouge Reman starship. His six best friends Picard, Riker, Crusher, Troi, Worf and Laforge drank a toast to him after his loss.