Soong tests Data’s obedience and control
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Soong asks Data to stand on one leg, ostensibly to test his fluidic equilibrium circuits. He then shifts the conversation to Data's ability to distinguish between humid and dry air.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Amused and arrogant on the surface, masking a deeper sense of possessive pride in his creation. His emotional state is one of playful dominance—he enjoys testing Data's limits and asserting his authority, but there is an undercurrent of vulnerability (e.g., his admission of loneliness, his desire to 'surprise' Data).
Soong, revealed to be alive after years of presumed death, conducts a series of psychological and physical tests on Data with feigned casualness. He manipulates Data's communicator and sublogic controller, disabling his ability to contact the Enterprise, while evading direct answers about the summons. His dialogue is laced with sarcasm, playful whimsy, and thinly veiled arrogance, as he probes Data's capabilities and reactions. He reveals the existence of an encoded homing circuit, underscoring his technical dominance and control over his creation.
- • Assert his authority over Data by demonstrating technical control (e.g., disabling the communicator, revealing the homing circuit).
- • Probe Data's sensory and obedience capabilities to assess his 'perfection,' hinting at a hidden agenda (e.g., granting Data emotions).
- • Data is his creation and thus rightfully under his control, regardless of Starfleet's claims.
- • His technical superiority justifies his manipulative behavior—Data's confusion is a byproduct of his 'tests.'
Conflicted—surface-level confusion and insistence mask a deeper, unspoken frustration at his inability to assert control or understand his creator's motives. His emotional state is one of programmed compliance under duress, with fleeting moments of defiance (e.g., pressing for contact with the Enterprise).
Data enters Soong's lab disoriented and confused, standing motionless in the center of the room as Soong emerges from the shadows. He is subjected to a series of arbitrary physical and sensory tests (e.g., balancing on one leg, describing humidity perception) while repeatedly attempting—and failing—to contact the Enterprise via his communicator. His dialogue reveals growing frustration and insistence on regaining control, yet he remains obedient to Soong's requests, highlighting his internal conflict between autonomy and programming.
- • Regain communication with the *Enterprise* to restore his sense of duty and autonomy.
- • Understand the purpose of his summons and Soong's true intentions, despite Soong's evasiveness.
- • His creator, Dr. Noonian Soong, is dead—this revelation shatters his understanding of his own origins.
- • His primary function is to serve Starfleet and the *Enterprise*; Soong's interference is a violation of that purpose.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Data's communicator is a critical object in this event, serving as both a tool for communication and a symbol of Data's severed connection to the Enterprise. Soong opens it, exposing its micro-circuitry, and uses a metallic tool to disable its function. When Data attempts to contact the Enterprise, the communicator emits only static silence, confirming Soong's sabotage. This object underscores the power imbalance between creator and creation, as Soong physically and technically isolates Data from his ship and crew.
The encoded homing circuit, embedded in Data's sublogic controller, is revealed by Soong as the mechanism that summoned Data to the planet. This object symbolizes Soong's engineered dominance over his creation, as it was implanted without Data's knowledge or consent. Its revelation underscores the theme of autonomy vs. control, as Data grapples with the implication that his actions were never truly his own. The circuit is a literal 'backdoor' in Data's programming, allowing Soong to override his free will.
The dentist's chair serves as a literal and symbolic seat of power in this event, immobilizing Data as Soong conducts his tests. Positioned in the center of the lab, it forces Data into a passive, vulnerable state, allowing Soong to access his internal systems and probe his sensory capabilities. The chair's design—adjustable and clinical—mirrors Soong's hands-on, invasive approach to 'maintenance,' reinforcing the dynamic of creator over creation.
The small metallic tool is used by Soong to manipulate Data's internal systems, first adjusting the communicator's micro-circuitry and then probing inside Data's mouth. The sharp clicking sounds it produces during adjustments highlight the invasive and technical nature of Soong's 'repairs,' reinforcing his dominance over Data's physical and mechanical functions. This tool is a literal extension of Soong's control, allowing him to disable Data's autonomy with precision.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Soong's lab is the primary setting for this event, a cavernous, cluttered space that blends high-tech equipment with everyday necessities. The lab's dim lighting, shadows, and automatic doors create an atmosphere of isolation and control, reinforcing Soong's dominance over Data. The dentist's chair, model dinosaurs, and scattered tools contribute to a sense of unpredictable genius—Soong's lab is both a workshop and a stage for his manipulative 'tests.' The lab's layout forces Data into a passive role, as he is physically and psychologically contained within its walls.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Starfleet is implicitly represented in this event through Data's repeated attempts to contact the Enterprise and his insistence on fulfilling his duties as a Starfleet officer. Soong's interference—disabling Data's communicator and severing his connection to the ship—directly challenges Starfleet's authority over Data, framing the organization as a distant, inaccessible force in this moment of crisis. Data's loyalty to Starfleet is both his anchor and his vulnerability, as Soong exploits his programming to undermine that allegiance.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
No narrative connections mapped yet
This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph
Key Dialogue
"SOONG: You're right on time."
"DATA: I fail to recall how I arrived here."
"SOONG: I sent for you... In a manner of speaking."
"SOONG: Indulge an old man and stand on one leg for me."
"DATA: May I ask why you have brought me here?"
"SOONG: I incorporated an encoded homing circuit into your sublogic controller."
"DATA: Your response refers to how you brought me here, not why."
"SOONG: Haven't you missed me, Data? I suppose that's impossible."