Data’s Talent Part 2

The curtains parted from the light breeze flowing into the room. The light of the sun shone inside the room, hitting the face of the boy who slept soundly in the bed.

Data rubbed his eyes then opened them. The first thing he saw as he opened his eyes was the white ceiling, blinking at him with its boring shade.

He rubbed his eyes again and blinked as he looked at his surroundings making sure that yesterday was not a dream. When he found himself to be in the bedroom in the West Wing of the Hall, he let out a loud groan, falling back onto the bed. "Shit!" he cursed loudly, staring up at the blank ceiling.

Data had hoped last night that in the morning he would awaken and find that all of this had been nothing but a bad dream. Something where he would wake up back in the forest in their world and all would have been a horrible nightmare. Instead, he awoke in the same large bedroom, on the comfortable queen-sized bed.

Grumbling, he swung his legs out from under the blanket and off the bed, placing his feet on the carpeted floor. Data walked from the bed to the wardrobe. He pulled out the clothes he had worn yesterday and changed into them. Once changed, he placed the pyjamas the servants had given him last night on the bed so they could be washed when the maids would come in to clean his room.

Unlike his friends - who had never been to fancy hotels with maids coming in to clean the room or fancy tailors taking your measurements for a new suit - Data had experienced the richness of five-star hotel treatment. Five years ago when he and his mother had gone to visit his sister at her university, his father had paid for them to stay at a five-star hotel. While there he had been treated like he was royalty, just as he was here. Except that while he loved that treatment there, he hated it here, mainly because he had his sister and mother with him all day, every day he was there. But here... he had the room all to his lonesome. Just him and his thoughts. And they were not all good thoughts.

Data shook his head, gathering himself. 'Can't think like that, Kevin. Your friends need you to use this big mind of yours for more important things right now,' Data thought to himself. 'Like getting back home.' With that in his mind, Data left his assigned bedroom, walking out into the hallway. He glances down the hall, his eyes on the three other doors in the wing.

'Guess they are all still asleep.'

Data turned from the doors and walked away, making his way out of the West Wing.

Since his friends were all still sleeping, Data decided to take this time to explore the Hall on his own. Maybe find something that will help him come up with a way for them to get back home. He only wished that Sophie was awake so she could help him.

Data walked the halls of the Hall, his eyes mesmerized by the interior decorating in each of the wings he walked through.

It seemed to Data that in each wing, the interior had been decorated a certain way to let residences know which wing was which. The wing he was in now must have been the south wing from the design. The walls were painted yellow like sand, the paintings that hung from the walls showed scenery from the most majestic desert oasis he had ever seen and the glass ceiling above him twinkled like the glass was made of crystals.

The only thing that drew Data away from the amazing design of the wing was when he caught the light of sunlight bouncing off a piece of metal from inside a room, the door a pinch open.

Data glanced inside the room from the pinch opening the door made. A smile coating his mouth as he saw what was inside the room. He pushed open the door and looked with amazed eyes at all the machines that stood proudly inside the spacious and blank room.

"A real laboratory," Data whispered out loud to himself, spinning around slowly in place to look at every piece of the large room. He gasped in joy, eyes widening. "I think I've gone to heaven," he whispered, tears welling up in his eyes.

Data wiped the tears from his eyes before they could leave his eyes. He focused instead on the long table near the door. Papers covered the light grey table, blueprints it seemed as Data eyed the design.

It was a remote control, one that was supposed to control another one of the machines so it could be used from miles away.

Data eyed the blueprints and frowned. He could see an error in the design. Something in the mechanics of the remote wasn't supposed to be there and instead should have connected to something else. Data grabbed a scrap piece of paper, redesigning it so that the remote could work.

What he didn't notice was the loud footsteps coming toward him.

Just as he had finished the design and was laying it alongside the old blueprint, he felt a small calloused hand grip his shoulder sharply. "What are you doing, boy?" a low but high voice questioned from behind.

"Meep!" Data squeaked out, fearful of who stood behind him. Data stood frozen in place as his eyes concentrated on the hand that gripped his shoulder.

"I asked you a question, boy?" the man behind him questioned.

"I...I.." Data whispered. He tried to speak, but his brain and his mouth just weren't meeting.

The hand on his shoulder tightened its grip and Data squinted at the sharp pain.

"I will once you answer my question, boy, or I'll call the Major here," the man spoke.

"I was just exploring the Hall," Data screamed, pushing the man's hand off his shoulder and turning to face him.

The man behind him wasn't what Data was expecting. The man behind him was only a few inches taller than Data. He wore clothes similar to his except that he wore a white coat over his body and on his head were goggles very similar to what people wore when watching an eclipse.

"You aren't a soldier," Data commented in surprise.

"I'm not. And you aren't supposed to be here," the man said, pushing Data away from the light grey table, "Now get out of here before you get yourself hurt."

Data let the man push him to the door before he spoke, "just so you know the design of that remote is good. But your mechanical design had a little mistake. You should connect the trigger to the repeater. I left my drawing for you beside the blueprint." With that said, Data left the room.

Data slowly walked down the hall away from the laboratory. His ears perked up, as he waited.

Then he heard it, "Wait!"

Data abruptly stopped and turned to the door, a smile on his lips.

The man ran out of the laboratory and looked at him. "Fine! Come back in," the man spoke. He gestured for Data to come back inside.

Data's entire face lit up, a large smile cracking upon his lips, and he practically ran back inside the large room.

Data followed the man to the light grey table. He took a seat on one of the wooden barstools, his shoulder leaning on the table as he explained his design to the man beside him. While he explained the design, Data learned that the man's name was Leslie Wilson. He was the lead engineer for the Stonewalker clan.

The remote he was designing is one of the new weapons he had made for the Clan's regiment; "Several months ago I designed this new weapon for the Major," Wilson explained to Data. "It was originally to be used in combat, distances away and could limit the amount of larger monsters, leaving the smaller and less powerful ones for the soldiers to fight. Therefore, limiting the number of casualties in battle." Wilson looked away from Data, his gaze focused on the blueprints he had pinned on the wall. "Unfortunately, the design of the machine makes them having to set it minutes before it's launched. If not it can result in anyone near to possibly catch flame," Wilson told Data grimly, "The remote is designed for the soldiers to set and control the machine from miles away and fix its launching time at any moment, no matter how far," Wilson said. 

Data looked at the two blueprints - the one for the machine and the newly drawn remote designs - and looked up at Wilson with a smile. "Well I don't know for sure if this will fix the remote or not, but I do have hope. And that's all you can do until you test it," he told Wilson. 

Wilson's face formed a surprised look. Just as he was about to speak to Data he was stopped by the door of the laboratory opening and the Major marching inside. 

"Wilson. Is it ready?"