[Jean-Luc gives Data a side-long look, a knowing gleam in his eyes. He will always be the first to defend Data, even to himself. And while his officer might not believe he has anything akin to a soul, Jean-Luc knows differently. He's spent far too much time with Data, seen him react to things in a very human way to ever consider the notion that the Android hasn't something similar to a soul. He'd seen it in the way he'd grieved Tasha, in the way he'd fought for Lal, in the way he'd fought for all of them time and again, and in those last moments where Data had saved his life which made him so grateful for this time with Data, in spite of their circumstances. Data had a soul, whether he knew it or not. It might not be a soul in any common definition, but it was a soul nonetheless.]
Oh, Data... [He finally looks away, down to the floor they're both standing on, a stationary floor that hasn't the slightest hum that he could always feel on the Enterprise.] It isn't the effect that eludes you. Rather it's the concept and how you associate it with yourself that you fail to grasp. You've as much of a soul as anyone in this room, including myself.