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The heavy door slid open in anticipation of Fajo’s arrival, and Data went to stand. For the past few hours, he had sat watching the Lapling shuffle about her cage within a cage, bulbous blue eyes turning left to right, left to right, taking in the same view.“Don’t get up.” Fajo approached the circular sofa in the showroom’s center, shaped so to admire any part of his collection. “It’s better if you’re sitting down.”Data blinked, silent, awaiting his captor’s instruction. Since Data accepted his fate, Fajo's initial interest in him had waned. When Data did not fight back, he was less exciting, so when Fajo visited these days he usually brought a test with him, a challenge; if Data chose to be boring deliberately, said challenge would force alternative behavior. The black loop in Fajo’s hand presumably had something to do with today’s.“I want you to wear this,” Fajo said, eyes flashing. He held out the loop and Data examined it: leatherette, dotted with flat metallic studs, a gold clasp at one end.“What is it?”“A collar, Data.” He gestured to his own throat. “Goes around your neck.”It did not appear the be the type of collar an animal might wear. There was no name tag, minimal aesthetic decoration.“For what reason?” Fajo had convinced Data to wear clothing of his choosing, and for no real reason at all. Perhaps this accoutrement was an attempt to humiliate him further, or simply cause a reaction.“Why don’t you let me put it on you, hmm?”Data looked at it again. If Fajo was suggesting he put it on him, that meant he had deactivated his proximity field. Quite the risk for something purely decorative. Data nodded.“Good choice.”Bringing the collar around his neck, Fajo encouraged Data’s head back so he could fasten it at the front beneath his chin. The small studs snapped to his bioplast like magnets.“Its technology is similar to my proximity field,” Fajo said, slipping the strap into the clasp and pulling it tight. “If you don’t do as I say or try to take it off, it’ll shock you. Same effect on your positron flow.”“How does it determine disobedience?”Fajo straightened up and stepped closer, peering down at Data with a crooked smile, gaze sliding over the collar. “Want to find out?” He reached for the field generator on his belt; an extra switch had been added to its array.Data parted his lips, ready to answer in the affirmative. If he wore a device with the potential to destroy his positronic network, it would be pertinent to know how it functioned. That was the first step to figuring out how to deactivate it. Though, he did not wish to be shocked, so he declined with a small shake of his head.Fajo ran a fingertip along the collar’s edge and angled his head to get a better look. They had never been this physically close before, close enough that Data sensed the heat of Fajo’s skin against his throat.“It fits you perfectly,” Fajo said. “Though I had it custom made to your exact specifications, so…” He waved a theatrical hand. “It suits you.”Remaining still in Fajo’s presence had proved advantageous on prior occasions. Quick movements startled him, angered him, as though he anticipated an attack at any moment. His concern was not unjustified--Data once threw Fajo's Roman bust at him, tried to trip him in the doorway so he might escape in the confusion. He stayed motionless as Fajo’s fingertip ascended his throat, stroking along his jaw and up over the edge of his chin.“You’re a handsome machine,” he said, voice low. “Anyone ever tell you that?”Data did not anticipate Fajo requiring an answer to that question, so he stared up at him, unblinking.“It breaks my heart to hurt you sometimes.”Fajo pressed his thumb to Data’s mouth, brushed his lower lip before pulling it down. Data opened obediently and let Fajo inspect it. He touched the edges of Data’s teeth, eyes fixed, breathing a little faster.“You could bite through bone couldn’t you, Data?” A smile quirked the corner of his mouth. “You won’t.”Sliding his thumb past Data’s lips, he traced the center of his tongue, back and forth, feeling the wet synthetic muscle flex.“Such attention to detail.”Withdrawing, Fajo swallowed and straightened his back. “Anyway. I have a surprise for you.”Data raised an eyebrow. Almost everything that occurred on Fajo’s ship was unexpected and therefore could be called a surprise.“I’m allowing you to leave this room. Your… abilities are wasted here. I’ve various duties that you’ll no doubt perform with greater speed and accuracy than my crew, things you can test, count, organize, and they’ll be more stimulating for you than sitting here alone day after day, wouldn’t you agree?”“I do not wish to perform menial tasks on your ship, Mister Fajo. I am a trained Starfleet officer with—”Data’s head snapped back. Fajo had activated the collars mechanism. Electromagnetic energy crackled around his throat, locked his limbs into spasm.“Refusing to do as I have asked of you...” Fajo mocked him with a tsk, tsk, tsk. His fingertip pressed the switch at his belt.When he finally released him, Data’s body crumpled. He slithered limply off the sofa until he lie curled on his side at Fajo’s feet. The shock had overloaded some of his systems; he worked on bringing them back online as Fajo jabbed the toe of his shoe into his shoulder and shoved him onto his back.“You understand now, don’t you, Data?”Data tried to answer, but his speech unit produced no sound. His language module was in the process of re-calibrating. He managed a jerky nod.“That was the lowest setting by the way,” Fajo said, somewhat triumphant. Stepping over Data’s body, he walked to the door and snapped his fingers twice. “Come along, there’s work to be done.”