So, in Descent, Data has something of a personal crisis, having had his 1st emotion, under pretty disturbing circumstances. He tries to make sense of it, thru rational experimentation. Trying to recreate the Borg killing that caused his emotional reaction, he employs the holodeck, but runs afoul of its safety protocols. He implores Geordi to give him a 2nd authorization to disable them, based on the reality that there were no such protections during the real event, and that its inauthenticity might inhibit his genuine reaction. Geordi outright refuses, as it would pose a real danger to Data's safety, even though this event lies at the core of his lifelong struggle with his own identity.
Jump forward 2 episodes, maybe only a matter of weeks later, & now it's Geordi with a personal crisis, where his recently lost & presumed dead mother appears to him, via a risky probe link that Geordi's been experimenting with for a mission. Thoroughly obsessed with resolving what he thinks is the event that has endangered her, he risks his own safety by utilizing the link at ever increasing levels of endangerment, in disobedience of direct orders.
Data predicts his disobedient actions, and turns up to stop him, which he easily could. However, after realizing Geordi's determination & unwillingness to relent, and that stopping him might damage their relationship, he agrees to assist him, in order to safeguard him, during it, risking punitive actions to himself as well. (Which we never find out about)
Ultimately, the same trust & loyalty that Geordi would not extend to Data, in his moment of need, Data DID extend to him, only a short time later, that if your closest friend has a core crisis they're willing to risk their life for, you need to be "ride or die" with them. I've always wondered if Geordi ever had that realization afterward... That Data had been a better friend to him than he'd been to Data.
Jump forward 2 episodes, maybe only a matter of weeks later, & now it's Geordi with a personal crisis, where his recently lost & presumed dead mother appears to him, via a risky probe link that Geordi's been experimenting with for a mission. Thoroughly obsessed with resolving what he thinks is the event that has endangered her, he risks his own safety by utilizing the link at ever increasing levels of endangerment, in disobedience of direct orders.
Data predicts his disobedient actions, and turns up to stop him, which he easily could. However, after realizing Geordi's determination & unwillingness to relent, and that stopping him might damage their relationship, he agrees to assist him, in order to safeguard him, during it, risking punitive actions to himself as well. (Which we never find out about)
Ultimately, the same trust & loyalty that Geordi would not extend to Data, in his moment of need, Data DID extend to him, only a short time later, that if your closest friend has a core crisis they're willing to risk their life for, you need to be "ride or die" with them. I've always wondered if Geordi ever had that realization afterward... That Data had been a better friend to him than he'd been to Data.
