With any luck, it won't.
I won't support Data's return unless they come up with something better than his programming overwriting B-4's, which would basically be Data killing his own brother so that he could live again. He'd never do that.
When/If Trek Lit reaches 2387
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I won't support Data's return unless they come up with something better than his programming overwriting B-4's, which would basically be Data killing his own brother so that he could live again. He'd never do that.
Michael A. Martin came up with a good justification in The Needs of the Many. Although that relied on the STO/Undine backstory, so the novels would need to come up with something else.
Honestly, if they were going to bring back a TNG character, I'd rather it be Kadohata. First of all, she's still alive and in Starfleet, and I was starting to get really attached to her. Or Sito Jaxa, I really liked her and we never saw a body so she could very well still be alive. Or Thomas Riker, we've never really gotten a difinitive fate for him in the Novelverse. We've already gotten plenty of stories with Data, so if someone were to be brought back, I'd want it to be somebody who hasn't gotten as much attention.
Maybe Picard will move on in the same year as in STO?
Well, remember Kirk's heart-to-heart with Picard. (Bear with me--I'm quoting from memory here....)
"Close to retirement?"
"I wasn't planning on it...."
"Well let me tell you something--don't. Don't let them tranfer you--don't let them promote you--don't let them do anything to take you off the bridge of that ship, because whille you're there...you can make a difference."
Something tells me Picard will stay where he is until he honestly feels he's done making a difference.
Or he dies an epically heroic death. Whichever.
"Close to retirement?"
"I wasn't planning on it...."
"Well let me tell you something--don't. Don't let them tranfer you--don't let them promote you--don't let them do anything to take you off the bridge of that ship, because whille you're there...you can make a difference."
Something tells me Picard will stay where he is until he honestly feels he's done making a difference.
Or he dies an epically heroic death. Whichever.
You really need to read the recent STO short story in the "Star Trek Magazine".
http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=176575
I would prefer that Trek Lit stay as far away from STO as possible.
No, I don't.
But if it involves Data coming back without also killing B-4, then good. 
Ditto.
Good grief, what a horrible thing to say. So people with severe learning disabilities are "useless" and "inferior" and don't have the right to exist?
^ I don't think he was suggesting that. B-4 is inferior because he was programmed that way.
And as much as I can't stand the STO version of history, I can totally believe The Needs Of The Many's explanation for Data's return.
And as much as I can't stand the STO version of history, I can totally believe The Needs Of The Many's explanation for Data's return.
Goodness--couldn't they have just transferred Data's program into another positronic brain? After all, as per Articles, Maddox is still around. By now, his positronic brain project must be completed, or something....
^ I doubt Maddox has anywhere near the technical skill that Soong or Data did. Maddox may be a decent enough scientist, but he's not them. If it was that easy to build a positronic brain, there'd be an army of Datas already. Soong and Data would appear to have been unique in that ability.
I'm saying Data offers more interesting story potential for Treklit. I'm not advocating survival of the fittest.
Actually, I think in some ways B-4 presents more interesting story opportunities than Data. It's comparatively easy to agree that an artificial intelligence that is clearly, well, intelligent, has the same rights as a sapient biological creature. But what if that artificial intelligence has the intelligence level of someone with severe learning disabilities?
It presents for us an intellectual challenge; when we can easily say, "Why, he's just like us except made of metal," then empathy (and thus the recognition of equal rights) is easier. But when we're dealing with an A.I. whose intelligence doesn't equal that of the average person, we're forced to confront the question of just what is the basis for the idea of sentience/sapience? Where is the limit? On what basis do we construe the idea that some entities are persons and have rights, and that some are not and do not? It's a fascinating question with all sorts of implications -- we already struggle with that question today via the abortion debate, which is of course affected by the question of when personhood begins and upon what basis -- and you can't do stories about that question with Data.
But what do they do with B4, put him with the genetically enhanced misfits from DS9? Use him to communicate with Pakled traders?
He has very limited brain function and no use to Starfleet.
He has very limited brain function and no use to Starfleet.