As Dr. Soong was eating breakfast in his office, he received an incoming transmission from Starfleet Command, priority one. He opened it and saw Admiral Clancy on the other end of the line.

"Good morning, Dr. Soong," she said.

"Good morning, Admiral," Soong said, putting down his bowl of oatmeal. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"Starfleet will be arriving on Coppelius shortly to initiate first contact protocol," Clancy said. "But first, I wanted to inform you personally that the ban on synthetics has just been lifted. There was a special vote on it last night."

"That's wonderful news, Admiral," Soong said. "Thank you. Might I ask if this has something to do with the fact that Admiral Picard is now synthetic? Or is he still persona non grata over there?"

"Don't push your luck, Soong," Clancy said. "Starfleet out."

"Soji," Soong said. "I have something very important to tell you. I'm going to tell the others soon, but I want you to be the first to know." He sat her down. "The synth ban has been lifted."

Soji's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really. And that means you have a choice. You can stay here on Coppelius with me and your brothers and sisters, or you can go back to La Sirena with Picard and your new friends."

Soji looked out the window at the other synths walking by. These were her people, the only people in the universe who were like her. She barely knew them, and there were so many questions she wanted to ask them. And yet... she had just made a choice, hadn't she? When forced to choose between saving her people and listening to Picard, she had chosen the latter. Did that choice mean she was no longer welcome on Coppelius? Sutra would certainly think so. And she wasn't the only one.

"I want to talk to them," said Soji. "I want to tell them myself."

"My children," Soong said. "Come closer. Soji has something to say."

The synthetics reluctantly gathered around their creator, the only organic being in their midst. Sutra in particular stared at them with suspicion. Soji looked from one face to another, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.

"The Federation has lifted the synth ban," she said. "You're - we're all free now."

Murmurs of confusion arose from the crowd. Finally, Sutra stepped forward.

"This is too little too late," Sutra said. "The Federation still thinks it has the right to control us. We can never coexist peacefully with them, or with any organics."

"What does it take?" Soji demanded. "What more can the Federation do to prove they're on our side?"

"Nothing," Sutra said. "There is only one race we can turn to for help, the higher synthetics. But Soji here thought she knew better than the Admonition, and so she shut down our only hope of summoning them in our hour of need."

"We're still here, aren't we?" Soji demanded. "Starfleet saved us."

"If they had shown up a minute later, we would have been destroyed," Sutra said. "Thanks to you and Picard."

"They want to initiate first contact with us," Soji said. "And I say we hear them out. Who's with me?"

Silence. Pairs of twins looked at each other. Soji sensed that several of them agreed with her, but no one wanted to openly defy Sutra.

"All of us - every last one - was made from a single positronic neuron," Soji said. "That neuron came from Data. He was the first synthetic ever to join Starfleet. He believed in the Federation, and in the coexistence of all different kinds of life. If any part of Data is also in you, I ask you to give the Federation a chance to correct its mistake."

Arcana stepped forward. "I'm with Soji," she said. A few other synthetics stepped forward and joined her. Soon, the group was evenly split between those allied with Sutra and those allied with Soji. No one knew how to resolve the conflict.

Suddenly a tall man with a white beard beamed down on the other side of the courtyard. As he walked over, Soji recognized him from Nepenthe. It was strange to see him in a uniform instead of an apron spattered with pizza dough.

"Will," Soji said.

"Soji," he said. "Nice to see you again." He turned to the crowd of synthetics. "I'm William T. Riker, acting captain of the USS Zheng He. I'm here to initiate first contact."

"Doctor Altan Inigo Soong," Soong said, reaching out his hand. "I trust my face looks familiar."