Fatherhood had always been something that Data had looked forward to, on both a personal level and as a means of propagating the work of his own father. He wanted to create artificial life that was kinder, gentler, more understanding of humanity than what he'd seen of many of his own kind. Yet he'd left it to his human spouse to finalize the programming of his android offspring; to decide on his morality and skills.

All of which, outside of a generally invasive and system compatible nature, had to be taught.

Tiberius for the most part had become something of a duckling to Avon, and the fact that Avon had left him for the day had left the android in a state of distress as he was unsure of this mysterious interruption in his programming. Avon, as any human parent, surely had to be exhausted with the mental effort of keeping the boy's bottomless curiosity sated and even Data found himself near exasperation. But that was the point of parenting, was it not? And the point of a union was to provide one another with trust and assistance and understanding. Therefore Data had firmly demanded to Tiberius that he remain with him for the duration of Avon's absence in the cybernetics lab, and permitted no arguments out of the younger android.

And that younger android was pacing, from one end of the laboratory to the other. One end to the other. One end to the other. A pattern Data recognized, and all the tasks that he'd required Tiberius to do specifically were complete so he couldn't really impose any further obligations on him. "Tiberius, you are going to wear a hole in the floor," he finally informed him.

Tiberius stopped at that, cocking his head curiously. Deep dark eyes that were so similar to Avon's turned quizzical. "Father, it would take approximately fifty-seven years five months three days and nine hours of constant activity before the surface of the floor would begin to exhibit a corrosive effect from the friction induced my movement and weight."

"It is another figure of speech, Tiberius," Data said, peering into a particle analyzer. "Sometimes if a statement does not seem to adequately fit the given situation it is a figure of speech. Metaphorical ones can be especially confusing, and relate the current situation to another sometimes archaic ones."

"As a pot can not call a kettle black, as it lacks a mouth?" he asked proudly. Data smiled despite himself.

"Yes, Tiberius. And what manner of situation would that relate to?"

"A... pot does not necessarily meant that it will be black, but at one time the effects of soot on cast iron led both items to be black. So, a pot calling a kettle black would possibly pertain a sentient being noting something similar about another sentient being." Again, he looked quizzical. It was easy between the expression, and the muted fashion sense that so resembled Data's to tell the difference between his son and Avon. He was glad for the difference, and the similarity too, as it kept him from getting utterly frustrated (or quite as suspicious) than it would have if his child had borne his own image. He came to sit across from Data, folding his hands and watching his father work though Data's own eyes were occupied. "It seems to be used in a negative context. Why would one use a likeness between people as an insult when similarities between people usually denote a level of kinship."

"Because, Tiberius, the pot in the analogy is unaware that it is black, yet is reminding the kettle that it is also worn, sooty and old. The condition of both items as well as the context of the situation applies."

"That is not appropriate behavior for the metaphorical pot."

"No it is not."

He watched as the positron flow in a circuit increased. Too much, really. If he should one day construct another android, he wanted the flow to be perfect to host a human personality rather than adopt its own. Replicating human synapses was something that was proving more difficult than he expected, and as he'd refused to deconstruct his mother after her death he hadn't even Noonien's information to go off of.

When he looked up from the electron microscope, Tiberius had tilted his head, and was watching his father with an askew, doggish gaze.

"Are you going to replace me?"

Something clamped internally, and he swore he heard a faint grinding noise for the briefest of moments in his chest. Another lingering fear there, the one he always entertained, always allowed to follow him erupted. More uncertainly than he wished to sound, he responded. Enough that it caused an organic waver in his speech, stumbling over his tongue. "N-no, Tiberius. It would be impossible to replace you."

"But you replaced my predecessors. Lal, Jean-Luc, and Roj. I am their replacement."

"You are not their replacement!"

Tiberius sat up a straight, not understanding. Not knowing. Every bit of the child that Data had once been, and he shut his yellow eyes and gathered himself. This wasn't a human child. One day he would have emotions. One day he would look back on this incident and it would color his opinion and memories of his time with his parents, and furthermore even now a certain caution was being etched into his positronic net that might stop him from asking certain essential questions that he would need to become a functional and valued individual.

"Tiberius, you can not be replaced," he reasserted. "And I apologize for raising my voice." He pushed the viewer to the particle analyzer out of the way, his turn to lean forward with interest as he explained. "I once had a brother who had an unstable construction and emotional structure. My father deactivated him so that he could construct me and search for a correction in my brother's programming. Perhaps this was not the best course of action, as it could be interpreted that he produced one child simply to improve the function of another, or deactivated one in favor of another model. However, I feel that he cared for us both very much, and as any parent he wished to learn from his experiences and give us both a higher quality of life. My brother reacted harshly to the discovery and cost the entire settlement on Omicron Theta their lives."

Tiberius frowned, and furrowed his brow. Deepset eyes pondered, jerking as if accessing some deep program. "You are worried that I will act as my uncle did."

Data didn't respond to that at first. He seemed to find his fingernails far more interesting. And the sound of tapping them against the surface of the counter.

"Does that silence mean you do not approve of me?"

"No, no," Data shook his head, and found himself pinching the bridge of his nose in an automated, human way. As if it would relieve some tension that couldn't exist (though it did seem to improve his neural pathways and assist in concentration, perhaps Dr. Soong had at least replicated that). "I approve of you very much, and I wish you could have known your brothers. Having a family is very important, Tiberius, and you should not be suspicious of them."

"So if you construct another android, I am not to perceive him as a replacement?"

"I am not planning on constructing another android as an offspring, but if I were to you must perceive it as a brother. It would have difficulty in its initial functions. Do you recall learning to navigate your equilibrium so that you did not move so stiffly?"

"Yes." Tiberius nodded emphatically, as he felt something akin to pride, or perhaps some sort of satisfaction in his parents pride, at that.

"You would have to assist in his or her formative period. It would be your obligation as a sibling." Those who were ignorant of the past were doomed to repeat it. He couldn't keep his brother's history from Tiberius and merely hoped to dissuade the boy through rigorous demands that he not follow in his footsteps.

"My brother's name was Lore, and he hurt your father badly. He hurt my friends. He hurt my crewmates. He did care for me, however he concluded whatever should stand between him and what he wanted, the very least of which his own survival, should be eliminated in totality. You have been programmed by Avon, and I am uncertain of your moral proximity. Though if you choose your own, please remember that you have first and foremost a family to represent. An entire kind."

He reached out, smoothed his pale hands over Tiberius's hair to get it perfectly straight, giving him affection that he couldn't comprehend but he had every hope that he would later.

"You can live a very long time, Tiberius. Longer than any human. That means that you must also the respect the brevity that they are given to indulge in their experiences."

"Longer than Father Avon?" Another canid head-tilt.

"Much longer."

"I do not wish to live longer than Father Avon."

His mechanical heart wrenched again, this time in a completely different way. "There are more people than Avon and myself that may come to depend on you."

"Someone with a lifespan longer than that of a human?" Tiberius sounded almost... doubtful.

"They do exist."

"I am aware. Aunt Trance will likely outlive everyone we know."

"I hope so." For more reasons than one, Data did. "But some are less extreme in their longevity compared to hers. I once knew a Gallifreyan who referred to himself as the Doctor."

"Is he alive?"

Quietly. "Somewhere."

"What is a Gallifreyan?"

"They come from the planet Gallifrey, which lies outside of regular time and space in the constellation-" he started to finish, but then one of the finalized experiments demanded his attention. He turned away from Tiberius, and held up a finger signifying that he would need a moment. When he looked back, somehow his son had wandered all the way over to the other side of the lab.

"...Tiberius?"

Tiberius was holding the mould plate Data had used to set his head, putting it over his face for a moment, and then with a speed that Data could almost hope was the precursor to eagerness turned to his father. "If you construct a brother, Father, I promise I shall treat him more favorably than your own brother treated you."

He could only watch his son for a moment, for a too long expanse of time lacking in words to fill the space. He could recall when Tiberius was so much younger, when he stumbled against walls occasionally. When every statement was followed by Why? When it had to be explained to him that he couldn't simply interface with AIs to communicate his ideas because non-artificial life forms needed to participate in the sharing of information, and that verbal communication gave one time to consider their words. Though for that moment Data wished for a link so he could actually share pride with Tiberius. Perhaps he should start construction on an emotion chip for him. He seemed to have progressed quite a bit.

"...Go find Avon," he told him. "You have an uncle on his side, as well. I doubt that he has told you about him, he tends to be very private with that information."

“Why are you permitting me to go?”

“Do not look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“There is no horse-” And then he stopped, seeming to realize something about the statement. Again, with that same sense of anxiousness that he'd had in relation to his potential brother Tiberius went for the door, ready to soak up even more of Avon's time.

Character: Data
Fandom: Star Trek: TNG / Blake's 7
Words: 1,964
Notes: AU based off RP