You are outside the Enterprise D as it floats dangerously close to a nebula that is a spectacle of varying hues. The gaseous clouds soundlessly pulse with a spider's web of electricity. It is a fleeting reminder that the anomaly sits at the heart like a specter trapped between walls.
"Holy Toledo!" Geordi taps along a screen in main engineering. "Data, did you catch that? Seemed a bit stronger than the others."
Data stands at the central control island. He nods, "Confirmed. The bursts appear to be occurring with greater frequency." Computer banks surround Data and Geordi in the anteroom to the warp engine. The familiar hum of the ship is more of a soft heartbeat as the warp coils pulse in the background. Data looks up in thoughtful contemplation and asks, "Geordi, what is a Holy Toledo?"
Geordi adjusts his visor. "I don't know. I heard it in a movie the other night. It was a mid-20th century story about a detective. It's an expression of surprise, I believe. Kinda catchy."
Data cocks his head to the side. "I have found sixty-three-thousand, five-hundred, seventeen references to 'Holy Toledo' in mid-20th century culture. I believe your supposition is correct."
Geordi shakes his head. "Thanks." He catches Wes as he shuffles in carrying a heavy shoulder bag. "Hey Wes!" Geordi and Data converge on their old friend. Geordi's eyebrows criss-cross in concern. "Rough night at Ten Forward?" Geordi pats Wes' shoulder.
Wes smiles weakly. "Yeah, you could say that." Data removes the bag with ease. "It's so good to see you guys." There is relief in his voice.
"Geordi and I have increased propulsion engagement between the computer and warp engine by point-three percent. Would you like to see how that was accomplished?" Data looks between Wesley and Geordi for body language acknowledgement.
"I would love to Data, but I should get set up first. Is Anna here?"
"Wesley are you well? You appear to be in minor distress." Data scans Wes from toe to head with the glare of his yellow eyes.
"I'm fine. I had this bad headache that kept me awake. It's gone now."
Geordi motions Wesley to a corner of the room. "I've set you up at Barkley's station."
They walk over to a nook with an exposed panel. ISO Linear chips sit in neat racks, glowing blue with activity. They are like memory cards slotted into a motherboard. "Barkley won't mind?" Wes inspects the panel. He takes the case from Data, sets it on the floor, and pops it open. Imbedded in the case is an advanced computer and glossy touchscreen.
"Nah," Geordi says as he inspects Wes' computer. "He's on leave at Risa or something."
Data, confused, says, "I believe Lieutenant Barclay is still aboard. Records show-"
"He's on the holodeck. I get it Data." Wes and Geordi chuckle.
Geordi motions at the computer. "This is quite a computer you've got."
"It's built around quantum acceleration. Anna and I designed it specifically for data calibration of complex spatial anomalies." Wesley's fingers dance around the screen. It comes to life. He reaches into the panel for a wire and jacks it into the computer.
Data leans in for a closer look. "Fascinating."
"What am I missing?" Anna chimes in. She looks smart in her red and black uniform. Her luscious mound of hair is pinned up to accentuate the clean lines of her slender, bare neck. She smiles.
"I was, uh, just checking out your processor, er, your design work, that is." Geordi moves aside so Anna can float in for a closer inspection of Wes' work. Geordi rubs the back of his neck.
"Might I say," Data interjects, "I have reviewed your submitted thesis on data analysis. Anna, your insights into collection and processing is quite innovative."
"You're such a charmer," Anna chuckles. Data looks at Geordi for a response and then nods an affirmative at Anna. "How we doin', Wes?"
Wesley stands after completing a keystroke. He's a head taller than Anna. "It's all patched into the main system; ready to go. I thought we agreed on an 0800 start?"
"It's eight-oh-seven." Anna crosses her arms. Wes cannot help but notice as her breasts pillow under her forearms.
"You're late." He turns to type along the engineering console with some force.
"Excuse me for the seven minutes." Anna kneels at the quantum computer to examine it. She huffs, "you've patched it wrong." She shakes her head, tapping vigorously at the panel.
Without turning, Wes responds, "uh, I don't think so. Look closely at the sympty protocol sequence. It clearly indicates a Hastel equation for compliance. This isn't my first time around a quantum accelerator."
Geordi begins to back away. He motions Data do the same. He says, "Uh, we'll let you two get to work."
Data adds, "If Wesley is correct about the sympty protocol, the patch for the quantum-" Geordi pats Data on the shoulder, shaking his head not-to-bother.
Geordi exits with, "let us know if you need anything."
"There," Anna says with a final stab at the computer. "I fixed your mistake."
"What?" Wesley circles about the computer to inspect Anna's work.
"Yes, Hastel works, but it's not as efficient as a Cantor variance, duh." She stands ramrod at the engineering computer directly next to Wes. He slams his hands down on the station. "What's your problem?" Anna turns with a hand on her curvaceous hip.
Wesley shakes his head. "Nothing." He continues working at his station. "You're right." He bites his lip. "It is a better choice."
Anna says, "Good. Let's get this thing online so we can catch the next data stream from the anomaly."
The piping to the quantum computer glows with activity. Numerical streams run across the screen at a frightening speed. Anna and Wes continue typing at their stations. Their eyes narrow as they focus on a dizzying amount of graphs that fluctuate in real time. Behind the two, engineers work quietly either at a station or passing through with tablets in hand. The throb of the warp engine is a comforting sound to Wesley like whalesong or a native drum beat.
"Interesting," Wesley says just audible above the ambient heartbeat of the Enterprise.
"Please, Mr. Crusher, feel free to expound." Anna's eyes remain on her quadrants of interest on screen.
Wesley explains, "The Vulcans were correct. The mass in the nebulas is certainly reduced; however, their sensors are so precise they are picking up minute fluctuations in tachyon activity."
Anna's brow curls in contemplation. She moves over to Wesley's station. He holds his ground as Anna leans in to view his graphs. Wesley can smell the perfume of her hair as she breathes, "Show me."
Wesley taps at a graph, enhancing the axis for a closer look at an otherwise straight line. With the x- and y-axis adjustments, variance spikes appear on the line graph as it snakes in real time across the screen. "This is a remarkable find; the Vulcan's will be interested in this metric, I'm certain."
Anna squints at the data stream. "This is significant. We need to send this to the Vulcan team leader right away." She smiles up at Wes. It is a look of radiance and glee that warms Wes' heart.
He taps out a sequence. "Aye, aye captain." He returns a weak smile.
Anna pegs him in the arm. "Good job, cadet." She returns to her station.
Wes retorts, "It's your design, really. There isn't a sensor on this ship that could have caught that." He returns to typing at his station. Gradually, his motions slow to a stop. Staring at the screen, Wes can see his reflection in the cold glass of the engineering panel. He blinks hard, takes a deep breath and turns to face her. "Anna, I…" He swallows.
"Is there a problem, Mr. Crusher?" Anna's question is bouncy and playful.
"I visited you last night. It was me." Considering the golf ball sized lump in his throat, he is surprised that statement comes out coherent. Nausea sets in.
Anna freezes. Her dark eyes slide over to Wesley. She laughs. It comes up from her stomach and bubbles out of her mouth. Wesley looks around at a mercifully slow department. Anna's laughter erupts like a fountain. It bounces around the small room and into the main warp engine. She grips her stomach.
Wesley's face turns red. "What's so funny?"
Anna, between laughs, says, "I'm sorry, sorry…"
"Just forget it." He says a bit forcefully.
"Sorry," Anna gasps. She wipes a tear. "Sorry…" She takes a deep breath to slow the rolling waves. "Oh my God- Whew!"
Wesley shakes his head. His lips form a tight line. A notification pings at his station. The redness drains from his cheeks. His face is hard with concentration. He clears his throat with renewed focus. "Hey," he peers down at Anna, "the Vulcans replied. They want us on the bridge for the probe launch."
"Fantastic," Anna's smile fades. She turns to Wesley. Her tone is serious as she says, "I know why you visited me. I want you to know that I'm an independent woman. I'm not some prize to be won. I choose whomever I wish to see. I know what you're thinking about me. Don't. I choose."
Wes stammers, "I… I… okay."