A/N – No-one got the reference. Pshew. It was the first words as well. "The Eleventh Hour" is his current series on BBC.

A/N2 – Thank-you for reviews and e-mails. I am glad that this is welcome in the ST world, I personally think it's long overdue, they did it in series one of Enterprise after all (Het and a rubbish toys-back-in-the-box conclusion unfortunately). Sorry for not updating, I was getting more hassle about an HP story on than about this and I concentrated on that. Sorry, but demand decides which gets done first I'm afraid. That said, there should be a few chapters this week on this story.

Chapter 5.

Theich straddled the turbolift panel that he'd set on the floor and leant deeply into the cavity beyond it. He swore harshly as his laser-tool came slightly too close to the thumb holding the thermo-plate in place, but rectified the mistake before he injured himself.

There were many areas of Starfleet procedure where things were similar to Nashiran Control or easily adapted. The engineering was riddled with differences though. Nashiran ships used genetomorphics where Starfleet seemed to favour technology. The biomorphic plants prevalent on Nashira were unique to their world but that didn't explain why the rest of the Galaxy refused to investigate the possibilities that the balance between mimetic plants and technology offered. If he was on a Control vessel, he would have stimulated the plant matter in the cavity to repair itself and reset its behaviour genes; instead he had to manually adjust the individual technological elements in order to get the damn machine to work properly. It seemed far more time consuming and bothersome than the Nashiran way, but he was here to learn and adapt. It was fascinatingly obsolete in some ways, but Nashiran Control was the only planet utilising genetomorphics. Theich stopped his work momentarily to consider that in this respect his race would be considered more advanced than others. However, social factors undermined that significantly. There were many aspects of Nashiran life that were unsavoury and they were upheld as religious by a succession of modified scriptures that had been accepted as holy when they should have been burnt as sacrilegious.

"How's it going Commander?"

"Ah. Commander La Forge. It's Lt. Commander actually and it seems to be going fine."

Geordi chuckled.

"I'm not going to say Lt. Commander every time I speak to you. It's customary to shorten it to the higher rank on this ship, that's not so for every ship, but then I don't suppose you'll be transferring in a hurry. Is it fixed?"

"Uh, nearly. I just need to finish fixing the plate in place."

Geordi frowned. This man was somewhat different on duty. He almost seemed loathe to do the work. He knew that he wasn't supposed to link the man at work with the fact that he was the Captain's boyfriend, but he couldn't help it. He just couldn't imagine the Captain getting involved with someone who was work-shy.

"Is there a problem with doing that Mr. Dal Meritan?"

"No Sir. Not a problem exactly.."

"Then?"

"It's just that I was thinking about how much simpler this would be if Starfleet would start using genetomorphics. I could have had all the turbolifts repaired and reset in the time that it has taken me to fix this one."

Geordi started so violently that he upset the tool tray. Theich finished fixing the plate as Geordi picked up all the dropped tools. Geordi stared hopefully at his subordinate; was this just a passing interest in the technology or did he have some experience with it.

"Starfleet hasn't authorised general experimentation with genetomorphics yet. The assessment committee ruled that it would be too unstable without expert guidance. Have you seen genetomorphics in action?"

Theich turned an astounded face towards the Chief Engineer.

"That's all people know? Seriously? By Halshir's Repast, I never thought that Starfleet were into hiding advances. Genetomorphics have always been used on Nashiran Control vessels; the whole concept is based on the biomorphic genetic structures in Nashiran plants. Our plant-life naturally assisted us, adapting to help construct buildings and deliver fresh water to them. We learnt to manipulate them so that they would evolve to assist us quicker, which is when it advanced from being nature into being a bio-technology. A five year old knows how to manipulate plant-life, mostly in play and attention seeking but the effect is the same."

As they walked along the corridor back to Engineering, Geordi felt an elation he hadn't felt in a long time. They always had new experiences to adjust to, new concepts to assimilate, but new technology was not something that came along in advanced dollops like this. He could feel himself getting excited as he mapped out his proposition in his head.

"Theich? Can I call you Theich? Well, I know that you have to complete your circuit of all the different departments on board but when you have, would you consider being assigned to Engineering for a while?"

"I assume this invitation isn't just based on my performance, you're interested in bio-technology?"

Geordi grinned and pulled the taller man into his office, indicating that he sit. Theich moved the Padds and isolinear chips off the neglected seat and sat, this had a rather promising tone to it. The engineer took his own seat and pulled it close to the other.

"Interested would be an understatement. Genetomorphics is the most incredible leap in engineering, I think you'd have to be a fool to neglect research, let alone ignore it completely. You said that five year old could manipulate the plants to some extent, I assume an eighty year old would have a more advanced grasp of the process?"

Theich matched Geordi's enthused grin with one of his own.

"You know, I think I might have installed a veinwork on a ship or two in my time and of course having to repair my own ship during my more adventurous days might offer a leetle bit more insight."

Geordi grabbed a Padd and brought up a research proposition form, purely internal. There was no point in getting Headquarters involved in a little research project after all. It was just a suggestion from an alien colleague, nothing subversive, nothing extreme. If Geordi remembered correctly, there was even a protocol somewhere about analysing and adapting alien technology where appropriate. There were also no restrictions on who should deem it appropriate. Now if only Data could be persuaded to keep shtum about it, they would have a perfect team for installing a localised test of the genetomorphic system.

------------------------------TNG----------------------------

Jean-luc went through the revised mapping schedule with his First Officer again, it was somewhat unnecessary but they were in the midst of numerous scientific experiments and the mapping did need to be done. It wasn't that the ship wasn't immensely busy; it was just that little of it concerned the bridge crew. Calm, peaceful daily drudgery. The worst part of interstellar travel, the "are we there yet" depression. Jean-luc had many a time felt the awful urge himself, to just scream "are we there yet" at the viewscreen and hope that it presented a more interesting view of the universe than the one that they had seen inch by bloody imperial inch for the interminable century that it seemed to take to complete the damn things.

"Have we heard about our next order yet Sir?"

"I heard a rumour that we'll be taking over patrol of the new Uridium mining belt. Apparently the number of Ferengi in the area has risen by five hundred percent in the past two weeks. I have not heard anything official yet though. Apparently they will wait until the depression has plateaued in the trough before they hit us with it. Maximum damage. Hit them while they're down. Nothing like a good headbang with a Ferengi to dampen the spirits to a numb ache."

"Captain? Are you alright?"

"Mmm? Oh. I am beginning to feel the effects of this pregnancy, I believe."

"Sir?"

"Beverley told me to expect mood swings. Apparently it doesn't simply give me the warp ten version of whichever emotion is getting a workout but it also makes me more likely to share it with others. Just make sure I don't tell the Ferengi exactly what I think of them, I'm sure I could cause an intergalactic incident if allowed to propound forth on that particular topic."

"Ooo K. Well, we have had plenty of practice at controlling our personal intergalactic incidents. I believe we should be able to discreetly wrap up anything you might feel the need to exorcise."

"Will!"

He chuckled, "You'll be fine Sir. You're lucid, eloquent and aware of the problem, you've worked through worse. And if the worst comes to the worst then we can just arrest them all on smuggling charges and offer them a deal."

"Something about your tone tells me that that isn't as whimsical a proposition as the last one."

"Locking them up? More of a life goal."

Having succeeded in getting the Captain to laugh, Will turned his attention to the replicator. Beverley had them all enrolled in the "feed the Captain" conspiracy. He hadn't managed to do it unnoticed, as Deanna did, but he was getting good at getting him to start eating without realising. He slid the Brie and baguette in front of the Captain, quietly moving the Padd out of the way.

Will smiled as the Captain began to eat, not realising that he hadn't chosen to himself; which was exactly the moment that Jean-luc realised how his First Officer had manipulated him. He sighed before raising an arm to throw the end of the baguette at the rapidly retreating First Nuisance.