He orders Data to release Lal to him, but Picard belays it, prepared to take this up to Starfleet Command himself. The argument is abruptly broken when Troi calls about Lal, and all three hurry to Data's lab. Data finds a major malfunction has occurred, and he and Haftel begin trying to save her. Data returns to the bridge, having downloaded her knowledge back into himself, so that she will not be lost. Data becomes a father when he creates an android using a transfer of his own neural programming.
Data creates a mysterious offspring.