Author's Note: Thank you for your continued support with this series. All of your reviews, likes, kudos, and messages are wonderful!
As promised in our previous "roadmap", we're going to be hitting The Traveller and Q in the next few chapters. Playing a wee bit fast and loose again with canon. You may notice some subtle differences in the sequence of events and dialog in comparison to the actual episode.
Trigger warning: This chapter and the next focus on The Traveller, please note there are mentions/flashbacks of sexual assault. I always thought that scene lacked context, I've attempted to provide some additional lead-in to that scene as to why Tasha was in that headspace…. enter one Ensign Walsh and his crude behaviour. It's not necessary to have read "The Complication – Missing Scenes" but it does provide some extra context for Walsh and Tasha's previous interactions (huge THANK YOU to Lady_Lore to expand Walsh as a 'villain'). Please be advised if this triggers you, you may want to skip over those scenes.
So, what's next? We still have a long way to go with "The Complication." The next few chapters will see the appearance of Q, Angel One, and an original adventure involving a black hole that introduces the start of a romance for Geordi.
As always, if you like my works or want to stay up to date with art, comics, or just like chatting about the fandom you can like/follow at or TheTartanTart on Twitter.
Stardate 41260.7
Tasha glanced over to her left. Worf was working at a console in the main Security Office.
He was stiff.
Too stiff, even for being typically uptight.
His shoulders were hunched as he tapped angrily. She had watched him tap the same button on the LCARs system several times, the frown on his face firmly in place.
"Alright," Tasha said. "What's going on?"
She watched him exhale, frustrated, as he continued to glare at the console screen.
"It is taking longer to finish this report than initially anticipated," Worf replied.
"You've been staring at the same record for nearly ten minutes," Tasha countered. "What is going on, Worf?"
Worf turned in his chair and she could see he was past the point of annoyance.
"I cannot find him," Worf explained.
Tasha furrowed her brow and he sighed in response.
"Kosinski's assistant," Worf clarified. "I can't find any information on him."
The Enterprise was on its way to rendezvous with the USS Fearless for an experimental test of the warp drive as part of an initiative through Starfleet Command.
When they had initially received the security files relating to Mr Kosinski, both Tasha and Worf had found them woefully lacking. He was a civilian propulsion expert. Allegedly, he had a method for increasing the speed of a starship that had proved effective in both the USS Ajax and the USS Fearless.
He travelled with a mysterious companion identified only as 'The Traveller' who insisted his name was unpronounceable by the human tongue.
In an effort to get a clear picture, Tasha and Worf had been pouring through any information they could find on the pair to fill in the gaps in the official security record.
Thus far, they had come up miserably short.
"Look, you're almost off anyways. Why don't we pick this up tomorrow?" Tasha suggested as she checked the time on her PADD.
Worf nodded and returned to his console as he worked to wrap up the last loose ends of his shift.
"Besides, I would hate for you to be distracted," Tasha said as she turned back to her tablet.
Worf scoffed.
"A warrior that overestimates his ability will only find defeat," Worf stated.
Tasha got up from her chair and headed to the door.
"I'll see you on the holodeck," she smiled.
Worf continued typing away as he worked to finish the last bit of his security log for the day.
"You're going to get walloped," Tasha warned in a low voice in his ear.
He jumped, angry with himself that she had managed to sneak up on him once again.
When he looked behind him to throw back a remark, she raced out of the room with a big grin before he could respond. It wasn't often anyone got the better of him, but she was one of the few that could hold her own.
He turned back to his console with a smile.
He would get her back on the holodeck.
"I am sorry, Tasha," Worf said apologetically.
She waved him off.
She knew he felt horrible. He hadn't meant it maliciously. She'd already tried to tell him not to worry about it nearly a dozen times between the holodeck and Sickbay.
Each attempt to reassure him had earned her a swift look of disapproval from the Klingon.
"Pay it no mind," she shrugged.
"Keep your jaw shut tightly," he ordered.
The pair stepped into Sickbay where they found Doctor Crusher was chatting with Nurse Ogawa. Her back was to the door. Nurse Ogawa spotted the pair first.
"Oh," she said, her face showing concern as she noticed the bloody flannel Tasha was holding against her face.
Doctor Crusher spun around.
"You two? Again?" Doctor Crusher said with a hint of displeasure as she eyed the pair.
They were frequent flyers in her Sickbay, and she'd warned them more than enough times to take it easy on the holodeck.
"Was it sparring or Parrises Squares?" Beverly asked as she guided them to an exam table.
Tasha shook her head.
Worf mumbled something quietly.
"What was that?" Doctor Crusher asked.
He cleared his throat and glanced side to side to ensure he was out of earshot of the other medical personnel.
"Skating," Worf said quickly.
Beverly shook her head.
"So, you two were playing hockey again and what? You took a puck to the nose?" Beverly asked.
She whipped out her tricorder and conducted a preliminary scan of her brain to see if there was any trauma.
Tasha shook her head again.
"As I said, we were ice skating," Worf insisted.
"Twee to da face. My fault," Tasha said thickly, muffled by the flannel she had pressed over her nose and mouth.
"You will require this," Worf said to the Doctor.
Worf handed her a canteen and Doctor Crusher looked at him sceptically.
"I don't understand," Beverly said as she looked at the canteen.
It appeared to be Tasha's water bottle that she brought to all her workouts.
Tasha pulled the bloody flannel away from her face.
"I told you to keep your jaw tight," Worf growled.
Tasha opened her mouth to show Beverly the damage. If she was shocked by the injury, she didn't let it show.
"You know this kind of thing seems to happen to the two of you more than other officers that use the holodeck for recreation," Beverly said, chastising the pair.
"Doctor, I assure you we were merely attempting to-" Worf tried to say but was stopped by a stern look.
"I'm tired of seeing the two of you in this Sickbay because of these extreme sports," Beverly stated.
She put her tricorder back in the pocket of her signature blue medical jacket and picked up the canteen.
"They're in here? As in all of them? You counted?" she asked them. "You didn't swallow any?"
Tasha nodded.
"She means they are all there," Worf clarified. "We counted this time."
"Alright," Beverly said with a short nod. "I'll be back in a few moments, and we can begin. This will help with the pain."
She gave Tasha a hypospray and regretted that she had failed to do so sooner. She should have done it straightaway, but she'd let her feelings get in the way of her professionalism.
Beverly had meant every word of what she had said to the pair. She was absolutely sick of seeing them wander into her Sickbay after a holodeck workout injury. The sprains, concussions, and broken bones were getting to be all too frequent.
Worf was leaning back against the exam table. His arms were crossed, and he was brooding.
"Quit moping," Tasha said as she playfully punched his arm. "Not your fault."
"I should not have permitted it. It is too soon in your training," Worf said.
When vowed he would get her back on the holodeck, he didn't mean like this.
Although the likes of sparring, boxing, and Parrises squares were some of their favourite holodeck pursuits, the pair also shared a mutual interest in winter sports. Worf had introduced Tasha to everything from alpine skiing and snowshoeing to the likes of ice hockey, curling, and figure skating.
Growing up on Turkana, Tasha had never seen the likes of snow and ice until joining Starfleet. Much of Worf's childhood had been spent in Minsk engaged in many of the winter sports of the area.
Surprisingly, Tasha liked the snow and ice.
A lot.
She was particularly fond of skating which she had found to be surprisingly physically challenging and dangerous. As much as she knew it pained Doctor Crusher and confused her friends, Tasha genuinely enjoyed the thrill of dangerous sports.
When Worf had first demonstrated figure skating, Tasha was drawn to the discipline required to sport. Worf was pretty secretive about his skill with the other officers. The focus and balance he possessed from years of martial arts training, crossed over well to the ice.
For the last few months, the two had been meeting discreetly on the holodeck to practise. Each Friday they got together in her quarters to watch historical records of the sport – evaluating the performances and identifying routines they thought they could replicate.
Tasha had picked up on the basics quickly – gliding effortlessly and mastering figure eights, swizzles, and crossovers with ease. She'd proven capable of holding her own on the ice. Spirals were simple. Camel spins came easy. And she'd taken to lifts naturally.
Most recently, they had managed to successfully pull off both forward and backward inside death spirals and Tasha had been eager to incorporate a more challenging exit.
"Again, not your fault," Tasha assured him.
No, this had been entirely her doing. He'd warned her not to overestimate her abilities.
But no, stubborn and feeling invincible, she had insisted.
Getting into the death spiral itself was simple enough. They'd done it dozens of times, but Worf had cautioned that he did not believe her plan to exit with a throw jump was practical.
He'd been proven right. She'd come out with too much momentum. When he launched her into the triple throw lutz, there was far too much energy behind it. She had spun more than anticipated and hadn't been able to control her landing – gliding dangerously fast into a tree on the holodeck.
"I should not have let go," Worf replied.
Tasha shook her head. She knew he was going to dwell on it, and she felt horrible for pushing him.
A moment later, the doors to Sickbay opened and Chief O'Brien came in supported by Data and Geordi.
"Doc we had an accident," Geordi called out. "Chief's got some pretty severe plasma burns."
Nurse Ogawa, Doctor Selar, and Doctor Crusher came rushing out of her office to evaluate the damage.
"Get him over to the third exam table, hydrocortilene for the pain and begin a nerve assessment," Doctor Crusher ordered. "Lieutenant Selar, get the dermal regenerator."
Data spotted Tasha and Worf. He stopped and cocked his head to the side as he processed that she had been injured.
She motioned her head in the direction of exam bed three, indicating to him that he should focus on the Chief at the moment.
He nodded in understanding and helped see the Chief to the bed.
"I'll be fine," Chief O'Brien assured Data and Geordi.
He hissed as Nurse Ogawa applied a healing balm to his burned hands.
Plasa burns were serious business and he'd taken quite a hit.
"We had an accident in transporter room two," Geordi explained.
"The console exploded while we were attempting to reroute the power coupling," Data added.
"Will it scar?" O'Brien asked.
"Why? Do you have a hot date?" Geordi teased.
O'Brien shot him a dark look.
"Keiko will have my head if she finds out I got burned again," he said in a low voice. "Second time this month."
"We'll you're lucky the damage isn't too severe," Nurse Ogawa said with a wry smile. "Your secret is safe with us."
"I will not mention it, if that is your wish," Data stated. "But I do believe Keiko's response is out of concern for your well being and not anger."
Data suspected he knew exactly how Keiko felt.
He took a quick glance in Tasha's direction.
"I'll be fine," Miles said as he watched Data. "Why don't you two go see to her."
"I'll be back in a moment, Chief," Geordi said before he and Data stepped away to see what the scoop was with Tasha and Worf.
"Tasha?" Data asked as he approached them. "Are you injured?"
"No, Data," Geordi said. "She just wanted to see Doctor Crusher."
Data looked back at Geordi with a frown.
"I do not believe this an appropriate time for sarcasm, Geordi," Data said.
"I'm sorry, Data," Geordi replied. "You're right. You alright, T?"
She still had the bloody flannel over her mouth, but Geordi could tell from the way her shoulders were shaking that she was laughing underneath it.
"There was an incident on the holodeck," Worf explained.
"What has occurred?" Data inquired.
Tasha pulled the flannel away from her mouth and smiled.
Well, smiled as best she could.
"Tasha, where are your teeth?" Data asked, concerned.
It was evident her nose was broken. More concerning, her teeth were gone. Data could see the central and lateral incisors on both the top and bottom row of her mouth appeared to be missing.
"Do you still sssink I'm pwetty?" Tasha asked, the corner of her mouth curling upward.
Geordi put his hand over his mouth as he tried to suppress a laugh at her inability to properly form the 'th' sound without her front teeth.
"I do not see how this is amusing," Data said.
She took hold of his hand and gave it a small squeeze.
"Laugh or cwy," Tasha shrugged.
Data cocked his head to the side as he tried to comprehend her statement.
"I think what Tasha's getting at is you can choose to respond by taking it in stride or being sad," Geordi said.
"Sometimes I do not think you grasp the fragile nature of your biological composition," Data said.
While the sentence structure was certainly more formal than typically human, he sounded more like a worried mother than a sentient android.
"C'mon Worf, let's check on the Chief and then you can tell me all about over a pint," Geordi said as he pulled Worf along.
"I'll check in later," Worf said as he put his hand on her shoulder before adding quietly. "Your triple salchow has improved significantly."
A few hours later, Data and Tasha were seated in his quarters. The broken nose had only taken minutes to repair. But it had taken Beverly some time to reattach the teeth to the root and Tasha had been forced in Sickbay with a dental regenerator clamped onto her mouth for an hour before Beverly had cleared her to leave.
She'd sent her packing with a gel for the pain and a warning that she didn't want to see her back in Sickbay again for another sports injury for at least a month.
Data had asked if she would like to stay in his quarters for the night – he didn't have night watch and she suspected he was still slightly miffed.
He was busy at his workstation, and she was seated on his sofa. Although she was off duty, her mind was still consumed with their efforts to learn more about Kosinski and his mysterious travel companion.
The Security Chief of the USS Fearless had sent over everything they had gathered along with a personal note including his observations of the pair. It seemed Kosinski was arrogant, overly confident, and was easily flustered if his methods were questioned. In contrast, his peculiar companion was polite, curious, and had been genuinely well-liked by the crew.
Noting that Kosinski seemed to carry a chip on his shoulder about his work with Starfleet, Tasha had decided to dig into his theories. For the last thirty minutes she had been pouring over his matter/antimatter mix ratio experiment and found herself utterly confused.
Tasha didn't have the advanced theoretical understanding of warp mechanics – that was Data and Geordi's forte- but she had a firm grasp of the basics. She'd served as helmsman long enough to understand propulsion systems to a fair degree and her security training had included plenty of background to give her a decent picture of the framework.
From her perspective, Kosinski's method seemed like fantasy.
She got and walked over to Data.
"Data, would you take a look at this?" she asked as she handed him her PADD.
He scanned the contents briefly and looked back at her scowling.
"Where did you obtain this?" he questioned.
"It's rubbish, isn't it?" Tasha replied.
"These formulas are not any known formula that I have ever seen," Data said. "And I do not believe they would be successful in a practical application."
"Data, this is Kosinski's experiment," she said as she pointed to the PADD.
Data scrolled through the schematic again as he analysed the information.
"I do not see how the USS Ajax and USS Fearless could have achieved increased propulsion with this method," Data said. "As you would say, completely bogus."
She grinned at his use of slang.
However, his confirmation of her suspicions only created more questions. If Kosinski's experiment was truly nothing, then what was he really doing on the Enterprise? He had already tested this on several other starships as well.
Could he be implanting something to damage the warp drive?
Was he gathering information for an enemy force?
Sabotage? Disruption?
He could be tracking them in some way, or a Romulan plant.
Tasha's mind raced as she tried to theorise what Kosinski's true intentions were.
"Data, I need your help," Tasha told him.
She explained that she wanted him to help her find out exactly what Kosinski was up to.
"Everything I see here indicates these are nothing more than gibberish," Tasha explained. "I don't see anything here that could harm the Enterprise. But I'd still like you and Geordi to check it out. This is really more your area of expertise."
Data nodded in understanding and informed her that he and Geordi would run it through the computer and perform a series of simulations.
"If you do find anything that could be harmful, I want to know about it right away," she said. "I don't know what Kosinski is up to, and I'm worried it could be a security risk."
Data tapped his combadge.
"Data to Lieutenant La Forge," he said.
"Here, Data," Geordi responded. "What's going on?"
"Could you meet in the Engineering diagnostic lab tomorrow at 08:00?" Data inquired. "We need to take a look at this upcoming propulsion test."
"Of course, Data," Geordi acknowledged. "I'll see you then."
Tasha frowned.
She was excited and she wanted to chase down this lead.
"We are not due to rendezvous with the Fearless for another four days, nine hours, and seventeen minutes," Data explained.
"I know," she replied glumly. "I'm just kind of in the zone. You know? I feel like we're on to something here and it's kind of exciting to be chasing a mystery."
"Cool it Sherlock," he teased as he pulled her onto his lap.
"Fine," she said begrudgingly. "Maybe I can see – a little – how you managed to get carried away with the Anticans."
"As much as I find your dedication to your work one of the most alluring facets of your personality, it is now time for rest," Data said before kissing her.
Tasha hissed. He pulled away and she rubbed her jaw. Her mouth was still pretty sensitive from earlier.
"Still a little tender," she explained.
"How fortunate the human body contains thirty-one erogenous zones," Data replied with a cheeky look.
Tasha looked dumbstruck, impressed at the way in which he managed to blend his typical android speech patterns with playful expressions.
He was a long way from mastering humour, but Tasha knew he could be surprisingly witty.
"I believe I could limit myself to working with the other thirty," he went on before he kissed the inside of her wrist.
"And you're telling me that you can find no danger?" Captain Picard asked as he leaned back in his chair on the Observation Lounge.
"In every scenario, there is no danger to the Enterprise or her systems," Geordi assured the room.
Picard leaned forward and folded his hands on the table.
They were due to pick up Kosinski and his companion in two days. Over the last forty-eight hours, the officers had been working on what had been dubbed the 'Kosinski Problem.'
On one side of the issue, he had Commander Riker, Tasha, and Worf urging him to postpone the experimental tests with Kosinski until Starfleet could find more information about his intentions.
At the same time, Data and Geordi were eager to see it first-hand. They agreed that Kosinski's schematics seemed unworkable. However, several starships had demonstrated propulsion systems improvements during his experiments. Furthermore, they could find no evidence that anything Kosinski or his assistant did could harm the ship.
Data and Geordi had conducted over three hundred simulations and found no manner in which Kosinski's test would harm the ship. In addition, the systems he would have access to were under constant supervision meaning any attempt to sabotage or plant tracking information would be recognised immediately.
Tasha and Worf had spent their time developing a heightened security plan. They wanted to give Kosinski space but assured he would always be under some level of surveillance. If he tried to tamper with any of the ship's systems, they would know about it. When they had raised their initial concerns, Starfleet did not rule out the possibility of a Romulan or Cardassian plant. However, if Kosinski or his companion were to prove a plant, Starfleet didn't want them getting spooked before they had evidence.
Meanwhile, Counsellor Troi and Commander Riker had coordinated with the officers from the other starships to get a sense of Kosinski and evaluate his personality.
"Captain, what we've found indicates that Kosinski is perhaps a little strange – short with officers, easily irritated, and defensive of his methods," Deanna explained. "He doesn't appear to be dangerous."
Picard contemplated her analysis.
"Sir, all of the previous tests have been on aging Starfleet vessels. The Enterprise is new. She's in peak condition," Riker explained. "The other boosts in power may have simply been a correction to an aging engine."
"I'm going to approve the test," Picard declared. "But I want Commander Riker to be present every step of the way. Commander Data, Lieutenant La Forge, if either of you notice anything that could be a danger – don't wait for my authorisation. Shut it down."
Data and Geordi nodded in understanding.
"Counsellor, I want you there with Commander Riker when they beam aboard. See what you learn from them," Picard said.
Tasha and Riker exchanged a glance. They both had a bad feeling about it. Riker couldn't explain it, but his intuition was screaming that Kosinski was a fraud.
"Dismissed," Picard ordered.
He stood up and adjusted his uniform.
"And Lieutenant," he said, turning to Tasha. "Good work."
Tasha beamed. She knew he meant it.
"And may I say, I'm glad to see Doctor Crusher was able to piece your smile back together," Picard said.
Stardate 41264.3
"Do this one just like the last time. Nothing changes," Kosinski ordered his assistant. "Commander, I'll make my preliminary adjustments at warp one point five and complete them as we achieve warp four."
"Engineering to Bridge, did you copy that?" Riker's voice rang out across the communications system.
The statements about Kosinski's abrasive personality were highly underrated in Riker's opinion.
Since the moment he had stepped foot aboard the Enterprise he'd been rude and dismissive, singularly focused on beginning his experiment. It had only fuelled Riker's suspicions that there was an ulterior motive behind Kosinski's experiment.
"Affirmative, Number One," Picard acknowledged. "Are you ready?"
Riker glanced back at Kosinski who was hunched over the console, eyes wide with anticipation of proving them all wrong.
"We are," Riker replied.
Back on the Bridge, Data and Geordi were seated at Operations and the helm respectively, poised and awaiting the captain's orders.
"La Forge, set in warp one point five," Picard ordered.
Geordi keyed in the appropriate command.
"Warp one point five, sir," Geordi replied.
"Engage," Picard ordered.
Geordi and Data watched their monitors as the warp core engaged at the appropriate speed. Thus far, they didn't appear to be anything happening.
It did not come as a shock. Both were expecting the experiment to be a dud.
"Data are you reading this?" Geordi said suddenly.
"Aye," Data replied. "Sir, we are experiencing a significant power fluctuation."
Geordi pulled his hands off the console.
"I'm not doing this," Geordi said.
It was evident to everyone on the Bridge that they were moving faster than warp one point five.
And they were gaining speed.
"Report," Captain Picard ordered.
"Engineering?" Tasha said as she tapped her combadge. "Yar to Riker, come in?"
There was no response.
"Warp nine," Data said. "Warp nine point two. Warp nine point six."
"Captain, we're passing warp ten!" Geordi exclaimed.
Tasha looked up from the Tactical console. They were moving so quickly it was unlike anything she had ever seen on the viewscreen. They appeared to be passing entire solar systems in the blink of an eye.
A part of her was in awe at the idea of travelling so far, another part of her was afraid.
"What is our velocity?" Picard asked.
It was evident to everyone on the Bridge that they were flying into the unknown.
"Off the scale, sir," Data replied.
"Reverse engines," Picard ordered.
He didn't need Data's computing ability to know they were travelling to a distance well beyond the Enterprise's capacity to quickly return home.
"Captain, no one has reversed engines at this velocity," Data cautioned.
As their speed was off the scale, he would have no way of knowing what it would do to the ship. He did know that reversing engines at high warp could cause considerable hull damage. From that, he could only speculate what it might do. It was possible they would strip the very hull.
"Because no one has ever gone this fast," Picard countered. "Reverse engines."
They had to stop or there would be no hope of return. It was equally as possible that travelling at this speed could in itself damage the ship beyond repair. The thought of drifting without power so far from home was not one Picard wanted to face.
Suddenly, they slowed.
As quickly as the strange phenomenon had begun, it ended without explanation.
"All stop," Picard ordered.
"Reading all stop, sir," Geordi acknowledged as he brought the ship to a halt.
He didn't want to ask the question, but he knew they needed an answer.
"Position?" Picard asked, regretting it as soon as the words left his mouth.
"Calculating it, sir," Geordi replied. "Data, what do you read there?"
Tasha's throat grew tight. This wasn't a good sign.
"Malfunction, I trust," Data responded.
It took him less than three seconds to cross reference the computer readings against his internal calculations.
It was no malfunction.
"Position, Mister La Forge," Picard repeated.
Geordi turned in his seat to look back at the captain. The discomfort in his face was obvious.
"Well, sir, according to these calculations, we've not only left our own galaxy, but passed through two others," Geordi explained. "We're on the far side Triagnulum. The galaxy known as M Thirty-Three."
Picard shook his head, clearly this was some kind of sensor error – perhaps caused by the power fluctuation.
"That's not possible," Picard declared. "Data, what distance have we travelled?"
"Two million seven hundred thousand light years," Data said solemnly.
Picard sat back in his command chair. He felt like he'd been struck by something in the face. The implications of travelling such a distance began to swim through his mind – they were in an unexplored part of the universe. They would need to refuel and resupply but had no knowledge of what lay out there. There would be no historical data upon which they could rely. Furthermore, it was uncertain if they would ever be able to return home.
The idea of being lost to the ages settled in the pit of his stomach.
"I can't accept that," Picard said in disbelief.
"You must, sir," Data informed him. "Our comparisons show it to be accurate."
Tasha shot him a look from behind the captain that read 'not helping.'
She knew he was only doing his job. But his radical acceptance of the situation was contrary to the fear and uncertainty the rest of the Bridge crew were experiencing.
"I calculate that at maximum warp it will take over three hundred years to get home," Geordi added.
Picard ordered Data and Geordi to transmit a subspace communication to the nearest Starfleet outpost. It was the strangest log entry he had ever made. Assuming the Starfleet outpost was still there in time, they would receive the message in just about fifty-one years.
He'd also ordered Riker to bring Kosinski to the Observation Lounge. Worf would him there and they would hold Kosinski for questioning.
In the meantime, Data, Geordi, and Tasha would conduct a complete sweep of the area with a joint engineering and security team.
They would also question Kosinski's assistant. However, he was presently indisposed. Whatever had occurred to bring them to this strange place had some kind of physiological impact on the humanoid. He had grown weak and nearly lost consciousness. At Mr Crusher's insistence, Picard had acquiesced to allow young Mr Crusher to accompany Kosinski's odd travelling companion to Sickbay.
They would debrief in one hour.
Captain Picard stepped off the Bridge and into his ready room.
He needed time.
Jean-Luc knew had to inform the crew and their families.
But he had no idea where to begin.
He ordered a cuppa earl grey from his replicator and sat behind his desk. As he stared at the steam rising from his saucer, he realised that preserving resources would be necessary to their long-term survival.
He took a sip of the tea and savoured the feel of the familiar, bitter liquid as it warmed his throat.
This may very well be one of his last cups for a while.
Setting the saucer back down on his desk he knew that he could spend the next hour scribbling and rewriting but, in the end, it wouldn't matter.
There were no appropriate words to explain the dire nature of their situation.
"Lieutenant Yar," Picard said as he tapped his combadge.
"Yar here," she responded.
"Inform your security teams and let them know the announcement is forthcoming. Until then, they are under the strictest orders to keep this information confidential," Picard ordered. "Bring in the second and third shifts early. We may need them on hand."
"Understood, sir," Tasha responded.
He didn't need to tell her what he was thinking.
She had already lived it on Turkana.
People did strange things when faced with disaster.
Tasha set to work ordering extra security details to the armoury, ship's stores, Ten Forward, and the shuttle bays. While she certainly hoped that everyone aboard was above the idea of looting or fleeing, she didn't want to be caught off guard.
After twenty minutes, she informed the captain that her teams were in place.
Picard took a deep breath.
He tapped his combadge and ordered the Bridge to open a ship wide channel.
Fortunately, the crew and their families took the news in a dignified manner. The fear was present on every deck of the ship, and it was evident everyone was dealing with it in their own way. Some refused to talk about it, pouring themselves back into their work. For others, it was the only thing they could focus on.
Tasha met Data, Geordi, and their joint security and engineering team inside Main Engineering a few minutes later.
To her disappointment, her Security Office had sent the beta shift boys. Ensigns Walsh, Gomez, and Jeffords were standing with Lieutenant Harris against the wall.
Data explained that they would break off into groups to conduct a full sweep of the area along with the subcommand panels located in the Jefferies tubes.
"Ensign Gomez," Geordi said.
"Yes?" two voices responded simultaneously as both Ensign Armando Gomez, from security, and Sonya Gomez, from operations stepped forward.
"Sorry," Geordi said with a smile. "Ensign Sonya Gomez. I want you to stay here with me and work on the main computer sweep."
Sonya Gomez was a relatively new addition to the Enterprise, but she had quickly proven herself to be a competent engineer. In many ways, she reminded Geordi of a younger version of himself.
"Alright, you all know what to look for," Geordi instructed. "Partner off and we meet back here in one hour. If you find anything alert Lieutenant Yar, Commander Data, and me immediately."
"Would you like to slip into a Jefferies tube with me?" Ensign Walsh said to Ensign Greene, a blonde engineering officer he'd seen a handful of times.
"Ah, you're with me," Tasha said, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
Walsh cleared his throat.
"Yes, sir," he responded uncomfortably.
She led him to Jefferies tube 9B.
"Should I be reading something into the fact you picked me?" Walsh asked.
"Only that I don't trust you," Tasha replied honestly as she handed him a phaser.
His face fell.
"C'mon Lieutenant," Walsh replied. "I would have been on my best behaviour."
If it were up to Tasha, she'd have booted Walsh out of her security team months ago. He was brash, arrogant, and hardly fit to serve in her opinion. She'd tried – several times – to have him reassigned.
Unfortunately, he was the grandson of none other than Fleet Admiral Josiah Walsh and Starfleet had continually denied her efforts to hold him accountable for his behaviour.
Captain Picard was aware of the situation and the two had tried to the best of their abilities to hold him accountable on their own without running afoul of Starfleet. He'd spent time on report and in the brig for his actions and was often assigned jobs that kept him away from others.
They climbed inside and crawled along the tube, scanning each panel and junction.
"If you wanted to get me alone in a Jefferies tube, you could have just asked," Walsh teased.
Tasha stopped. She closed her eyes for a moment while she gathered her composure.
"Ensign, we're in the middle of an emergency thousands of lightyears from home," Tasha replied as she tried to keep her voice calm. "It's on security and engineering to find what happened and fix it. You're a part of that team."
She sat back against the panel.
"Everyone on this ship is depending on us to get them home," Tasha added soberly.
"It was just a joke, Lieutenant," Walsh replied.
"This is an emergency, Walsh," Tasha said.
"Yeah, I know. I heard the announcement," Walsh snapped.
She wanted to send him back to his quarters. She didn't have time to deal with the likes of Walsh during this situation. In her eyes, he was an overgrown bratty child.
But she knew it would take twice as long to conduct the scan on her own.
"Unless you spot an anomaly or something dangerous you are to remain silent the rest of this assignment," Tasha stated. "That's an order."
Walsh nodded in understanding and they continued on until they reached another junction.
Tasha stopped at the ladder and checked her map.
"We need to go up two levels and then continue our scan," Tasha advised. "It should drop us out near Ten Forward."
She started the climb and Walsh followed.
"Whoa," he said after a moment.
"Ensign Walsh, I ordered you-" she started to say but he cut her off.
"You ordered me to stay quiet unless I saw an anomaly or something dangerous," Walsh said seriously.
Tasha stopped climbing and looked back over her shoulder down at the Ensign.
His eyes were wide.
"What?" Tasha said.
"I saw something dangerous," Walsh said as he swallowed hard.
"What?" Tasha repeated.
She'd suspected he'd be like this in a real emergency – nothing more than a blithering idiot.
"Walsh?" Tasha prompted. "What did you see? What's dangerous?"
"Your arse," he replied with a wide smile.
He could see he'd really irked her.
She said nothing in response but continued to climb.
"Oh, c'mon sir," Walsh called up to her. "I was just trying to make you laugh. Lighten the mood a bit."
When he reached the top, he found her waiting for him. She was sitting a metre into the tube.
"Ensign Walsh, you have been warned numerous times to stop making statements about your fellow crew members. You have several written warnings about unwelcome sexual advances and harassment. Furthermore, I have asked you not to comment about me or my body," Tasha said in a slow, level tone. "You will cease here and now, or you will be terminated as a security officer."
Walsh's face contorted in disbelief.
"I use humour as a defence mechanism," Walsh said quickly.
Tasha eyed him sceptically.
"It's true, sir. I swear it! Ask Counsellor Troi," Walsh confessed. "I kid around when I'm scared. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pretty afraid right now."
She didn't believe a word of it.
"Sir, when I say those things to you it's just because I'm trying to play it cool. I don't know how else to act when I'm frightened. It's all a joke," Walsh pleaded.
He shifted uncomfortably.
"Well, mostly a joke. I mean, I do have a thing for blondes. That is to say, I-I think you're, well, I can see why the Commander's, you know," she could see he was struggling. "You're a fox and I mean that in the most respectful way, sir."
"Walsh, one can use humour as a defence mechanism without being a pig," Tasha said.
"I'm trying to pay you a compliment," Walsh countered.
"Ensign, please hand over your tricorder and phaser," Tasha said as she extended her hand.
Walsh looked scandalised.
"You can't do this!" he said angrily.
"Now, Ensign Walsh," Tasha replied calmly.
He gave her his tricorder and phaser.
"My grandfather is going to hear about this," Walsh warned her.
"I hope he does," Tasha replied in earnest.
She pocketed Walsh's tricorder and phaser and proceeded to continue down the tube.
For a few moments, they crawled in silence.
"You know most women on this ship would be grateful to have a guy like me pay attention to them," Walsh said, finding his voice again.
"I think you would be wise to remain silent," Tasha cautioned.
He was already in hot water; he didn't need to make the situation any worse.
"We're almost to the outlet near Ten Forward," Tasha advised. "A security detail will escort you to your quarters. You're confined to quarters until further notice."
Walsh scoffed.
"I think you should reconsider," Walsh said in a low voice.
Tasha did not respond. She wanted to get out of this tube and away from Walsh as quickly as she could.
"As I said, you do this and my grandfather will hear about it," Walsh exclaimed.
Tasha stopped.
"Your grandfather is over two million lightyears away," Tasha replied. "Starfleet won't receive our subspace communication for another fifty years if the outpost at Ritu IV is even still operational by then! I'm not scared of your grandfather, ensign."
Before she knew what was happening, he'd grabbed hold of her ankle. With a swift pull, she fell hard, her forehead smacking the metal floor of the tube and leaving her momentarily dazed.
He was at her in an instant. As they wrestled for control of the phaser in her hand, it dislodged and skidded across the tube landing a metre away and out of reach of either of them.
The gravity of her current predicament hit, and it took her a moment to control her breathing.
She had to stay in control. The situation was too familiar, too retraumatising.
Memories from another time and place weaselled their way into her mind as her head with the images and sounds of her youth. She could smell the motor oil, the sweat.
She could taste the blood in her mouth.
Tasha reminded herself she was on board the Enterprise. She was the Chief of Security.
And she wasn't a little girl anymore.
She may be pinned down underneath the weight of the most unfit officer she'd ever had the displeasure to meet, but she was still the ship's sparring champion.
She tried for her combadge, but Walsh grabbed her wrist, twisting it painfully.
"You taught me that one," Walsh informed her.
He was eager to extract payback from when she'd incapacitated him with the same move in a turbolift months earlier.
Walsh had assaulted her. This was no longer just harassment.
"You really are always getting hurt," Walsh said as he eyed the mark on her forehead. "We all know you've been to Sickbay nearly a dozen times in the last few months. We've got a betting pool on it. What we can't seem to figure out is do you like it rough or is it just a by-product of sleeping with a tin can?"
Tasha was gobsmacked.
"How did Harris describe it? Like when the blades of the gravity generator fall out of alignment and knock against their hull. Ka-chunk, ka-chunk, ka-chunk," Walsh said vulgarly.
He laughed. She wanted to respond but she wasn't sure where to begin.
"I don't get you, Lieutenant," Walsh snarled after a moment. "You act all standoffish every time someone shows you attention, apparently with the exception of a walking bundle of circuitry. But Gomez has a friend on the Crazy Horse. Said you were insatiable. A real sex kitten. Couldn't get enough."
The sound of a soft sniffle brought Walsh out of his monologue.
She hadn't meant to cry in front of him, but there was too much emotion. She'd managed to remain calm up to this point, but his mention of her previous posting in such a manner hit a nerve.
"Well, your source is wrong," Tasha said as she felt her eyes well up. "I served on the Crazy Horse with my fiancé, until he was killed on an away mission."
Her intention hadn't been to throw Walsh off. She was simply overcome with emotion.
Nonetheless, it worked. His grip loosened and she exploited her moment.
Her fingers found the phaser she had taken from him a short time earlier and she fired.
Walsh slumped on top of her, incapacitated from the blast and she rested there a moment and she regained her composure.
She pulled herself out from underneath him, secured his hands with a restraint tie, and retrieved her phaser.
A second later, her combadge pinged.
"La Forge to Yar, I'm registering a phaser just went off in your section," Geordi said. "Everything alright?"
"Fine, Geordi," she responded. "Don't wait for me for the debrief. We didn't find anything in this section."
There was a brief pause.
"Tasha, are you OK?" Geordi asked.
"Yeah," Tasha replied quickly. "I'll see you in a few."
She wiped away the tears with her sleeve and fanned her face with her hand. She could explain away the red face from pulling Walsh through the tube, but she wouldn't be able to explain puffy eyes.
She gripped his forearm and pulled him to end of the tube.
When she reached the appropriate panel, she opened it and stepped in the corridor. Under the bright overhead lights and with the sounds of other officers in the distance, she felt a wave of relief.
"What do you think happened?" Ensign Tomat asked quietly as he spotted Lieutenant Yar rounding the corridor carrying a restrained and unconscious Walsh over her shoulder.
"I'm guessing his mouth finally landed him in hot water," Lieutenant Peterson replied.
She stopped in front of the security team that was stationed at Ten Forward and dropped him a little harder than necessary.
"Peterson, have two officers take Ensign Walsh to the brig," Tasha ordered.
"With pleasure, sir," Ensign Olivet said, stepping forward to volunteer.
Tasha knew Ensign Olivet had shared her own unpleasant experience with Walsh's unwelcome advances.
"Right away," Lieutenant Kalmati added, also volunteering.
Tasha nodded to the pair, grateful for their help.
"Sir, how long is Ensign Walsh to be confined for?" Peterson inquired.
"That has yet to be determined," Tasha replied honestly.
Back in Engineering, Data emerged from the upper level of the warp core where he had been conducting a detailed scan.
Teams were beginning to filter back into Engineering, and they were due to start their briefing soon on the results.
Thus far, no teams had found any anomalies.
Data could see that Geordi looked concerned.
"Did you find something, Geordi?" Data inquired.
"No," Geordi said, shaking his head in frustration. "Nothing unusual."
"What about the phaser sir?" Sonya Gomez asked.
Geordi couldn't be mad. He hadn't explicitly asked her to keep it quiet, but he was planning to let Tasha explain it herself. Truth be told, he really had no idea what had happened.
"Phaser?" Data asked.
"All we know is a phaser went off in one of the tubes," Geordi said. "The team reported everything was fine."
"What section?" Data demanded.
"B7," Sonya informed him.
"Could have been an accident," Geordi said, he could already hear the wheels spinning in Data's brain.
"Geordi, phasers do not fire on accident," Data stated. "Nor do Starfleet security officers fire without cause."
"Tasha radioed that everything was fine," Geordi assured him.
"Ensign Gomez, who was in section B7?" Data asked, concerned.
"Uh…. that was Lieutenant Yar and Ensign Walsh," Sonya said as she read the report from the screen.
"Commander, could I have you take a look at this," Geordi said as he guided Data away from the main console and into an alcove that housed the secondary support systems.
Data began to protest, but a sharp look from Geordi made him realise Geordi's request was just a ruse for privacy.
"I don't know what happened. A phaser went off. When I saw who is in that section, I radioed Tasha," Geordi told him. "She said she was fine."
Geordi glanced around to ensure they weren't being heard.
"She said she was fine, but she didn't sound fine," Geordi went on. "She told me not to wait, to start the briefing without her. Said she'd be along later. I thought it would be best if she explained rather than us guessing at what may have transpired."
Data nodded in understanding.
"Thank you, Geordi," Data said.
They stepped back into the main section of Engineering. Data was about to radio Tasha when Captain Picard stepped into the room.
"Ah! I see you've concluded the sweep," he said as he scanned the group. "What have we learned?"
"We were just about to begin the briefing, Captain," Geordi explained as he looked to Data.
Data proceeded to explain their initial findings. There had been no changes made to the system other than what they had observed Kosinski and his companion perform before the strange power surge.
Despite thorough testing, engineering could find no link between Kosinski's actions and the incident.
Moreover, security had not located any hidden devices or evidence of tampering.
"What do you recommend as our next course of action?" Captain Picard asked. "Theories on how to undo this?"
"I believe Lieutenant La Forge will cover that," Data said quickly.
Geordi followed Data's line of sight as he eyed Tasha stepping into the back of the room noticeably alone and he wondered if that phaser hadn't been aimed at Walsh.
"Uh, yes. I think we're done with the sweep. If I could get Ensign Sonya Gomez and Lieutenant Hanh's team with me," Geordi instructed as he dismissed the security personnel with his thanks.
He guided the captain over to engineering console two as he explained what their next option was.
Tasha's appearance late to the briefing did not go unnoticed by the captain.
"Ah, Lieutenant Yar!" Picard said as he spotted her. "You and Commander Data head to Sickbay. I'd like you to join Counsellor Troi in questioning Mister Kosinski's companion."
"Right away, sir," Tasha said.
They stepped onto the turbolift in silence.
Tasha stared at the wall.
"You have been crying," Data said.
It wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact.
"I'm fine, Data," Tasha said. "We can talk about it later."
"Computer halt," Data ordered.
"Data, please," Tasha said. "Our jobs come first, remember?"
"I do not believe you are fine," Data said as he put his hand on shoulder.
She flinched, recoiling from him as her hands went up in defence instinctively.
Data pulled his hands back, as if he had touched something that had burned him.
They looked at each.
After a few seconds she wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm sorry, Data," she said.
She hadn't meant to push him away, it was instinct.
It took him a moment to register the change in her behaviour. He delicately wrapped his arms around her frame. After a few seconds, she seemed to relax, and he tightened the embrace.
"You are injured," he said.
"Bumped my head," she explained.
"I meant emotionally," Data clarified.
They stayed like that for a moment. Tasha was certain that if someone had told fifteen-year-old Tasha Yar that she'd wind up on a starship in the arms of a gentle android she would have called them moonsick.
It was what mental illness on Turkana was called. It didn't matter the scientific diagnosis or cause, it was all moonsickness. And on Turkana, being moonsick was worse than being dead.
Tasha tried to focus on what she could feel and hear.
She needed to stop thinking about Turkana.
"I am here," Data said softly.
She looked up at him.
"I know," she replied. "And I mean it, I can't talk about it right now."
Once in a great while something would trigger memories and she knew if she didn't stop it, she'd spiral.
Data nodded in understanding.
He brushed the top of her head with a soft kiss and then ordered the computer to resume.
Tasha stepped back and cleared her throat as she composed herself.
"Thank you," she said to him quietly before they stepped off the lift.
Their conversation with the Traveller had proven to be far more beneficial than Riker and Worf's interrogation of Kosinski.
As Riker had suspected, Kosinski's experiment was utterly meaningless.
An attempt to return to their own galaxy and instead resulted in them entering a space so far outside of the known universe that there wasn't even theoretical material upon which to reference.
Kosinski appeared to be growing more frustrated with each passing minute.
Most troubling of all, his companion, the Traveller, was back in Sickbay having lost consciousness during their most recent attempt to return to the alpha quadrant.
Wherever they were, whatever this place was, it was having strange effects on the ship and crew.
Just during a stroll to clear his thoughts, Jean-Luc had encountered two crewmen terrified and running from some unknown entity, Ensign Davis dancing ballet in a cargo hold, and his deceased mother offering him a cuppa in the corridor.
They were still theorising options to return home.
"Data, you're with me in Engineering," Picard ordered. "Lieutenant Yar, you have the Bridge."
"Aye, sir," Tasha acknowledged as the two men got onto the lift.
As she moved to step away from Tactical to assume command, she heard a grunting sound.
Looking around there was an animal a metre away. It was like a hairy pig but had a sharp horn and its back was lined with wicked looking spikes.
Worf seemed pleasantly surprised as he approached the creature.
"What is that?" Tasha asked.
"A Klingon Targ!" he exclaimed excitedly. "My pet from home, but when I was a child."
"You're telling me that's a kitty-cat?" Tasha asked in astonishment as she listened to the beast grunt.
"Yes, I suppose you could call it that," Worf shrugged.
He moved to pet the Targ, but it vanished.
It was strange, but Captain Picard had warned them that crewmembers appeared to be experiencing hallucinations. It was an unknown result of whatever place they were drifting in.
Before she reached the command chair an orange tabby cat jumped along the railing.
"Speckle," Tasha said, barely above a whisper as she watched the feline friend from her childhood jump off the rail and land gracefully on the floor.
"You darling," she said as she picked her up.
She nuzzled against her beloved cat, stroking her fur. She knew it had to be a hallucination, but it was a welcome one. Speckle had been the closest thing she'd had to a real friend growing up.
"What are you doing here?" Tasha asked her cat lovingly.
She looked up and was startled.
Instead of being on the Bridge, she found herself in an unwelcome memory.
Only it wasn't just a memory, it felt real.
The Enterprise was gone. The ground below her was the kind of rocky soil found in the caves outside of the Kessler colony. There was evidence of a campfire. Dirt had been kicked over the smouldering embers in an effort to quickly extinguish the flame.
There were voices in the distance, and they were growing closer.
Her breath hitched as she recognised exactly where she was at.
She pulled Speckle close, and she could feel her cat was terrified.
Torchlight danced off the walls of the cave as the footfalls grew closer.
"Over here!" one of the men called.
She knew it was over. At the very least, she had managed to get Ishara to safety.
"Now run," Tasha ordered as she kissed Speckle goodbye. "This isn't a safe place at all."
Tasha knew what was coming next. It had been the final blow in solidifying her plan that she needed to escape Turkana.
She tried to focus – Data, her friends, Starfleet – anything to stop this memory.
Starfleet, huh? A little voice in her head reminded her. You can't escape it anywhere.
Tasha's mind jumped to the incident from earlier with Walsh. Before she could stop herself, her mind spiralled.
She could smell the motor oil on their clothes. She recognised the unwashed smell that always seemed to accompany the gangs that roamed Turkana's wilderness.
She could feel their hands.
Tasha jumped as one of them touched her shoulder.
"Tasha, what's wrong?" Geordi said, his voice full of worry.
He'd never seen Tasha look this frightened – even during the situation with Data.
Her eyes were wide. Her body had tensed, and she was breathing heavily.
"You look scared to death," he commented as he scanned her vitals.
Her heart rate was elevated.
"I was, I was," she was struggling to put it to words.
She knew it was illogical.
"I was at the colony where I grew up," she explained.
She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath.
She leaned in close to Geordi.
"Being chased," she said in a voice barely above a whisper. "By a gang."
"You're safe now," Geordi said as he squeezed her hand.
Tasha nodded and took the Command chair.
Geordi went back to his position at the helm, but he was worried about Tasha.
He made a mental note to check in with Data later.
At 22:00 they were no closer to finding a solution than when they had begun.
Data's processing had been in overdrive attempting to find a solution that could bring them home. He'd combed through all known theories and could find no explanation.
The situation was growing more dire with each passing hour as it seemed that the fears of the crew were becoming reality. Whatever entity, energy, or force was behind it was unaffected by shields, particle sweeps, and radiation.
Doctor Crusher could find no medical cause for the sudden shared hallucinations. And while they had determined they were clearly the result of imagination and memory, they were proving to be dangerous.
A fire had broken out on deck fourteen and an ensign in Ten Forward had been injured when an imagined dog had taken a bite out of their leg.
Everyone on board was exhausted and frightened.
Captain Picard had informed the senior officers that he was ordering them to get some rest. They would return tomorrow morning at 07:00 to begin again, but for the moment, they all needed to step back.
Normally, this wasn't standard procedure. In an emergency, it was typically all hands-on deck and the senior officers were expected to be on duty for the duration.
However, as Doctor Crusher had pointed out, they had no way of knowing how long this emergency would last. If they were truly stranded, it would be unfeasible for the senior officers to remain on duty for days at a time.
"This is the captain. This is not a drill. It seems that in this place, the world of the physical universe and the world of ideas is somehow intermixed. What we think becomes reality," Picard announced.
He was on a ship-wide channel addressing the entire crew. He couldn't recall the last time he'd had to make so many ship-wide announcements in a single day.
"We must, therefore, I repeat, must begin controlling our thoughts," Picard explained. "We will give you more information as our understanding develops. Although I have taken audio alert updates offline, the Enterprise will stay at full alert until the crisis is over."
He didn't want the sirens blaring endlessly.
"Dismissed," Picard ordered.
The senior officers sat back in their chairs. It was a strange position to be in. They were all sharing the feeling that they needed to keep working.
"I mean it Number One," Picard said bluntly as he looked at his First Officer.
He knew Riker had a hard time shutting off from work.
"All of you. Go back to your quarters and do whatever it is you people do to relax," Picard ordered.
He shot a glance to Worf and Tasha.
"Except the two of you," Picard warned as pointed to the pair. "Neither of you is set foot into one of your holodeck extreme sport programmes until further notice. I don't need either of you winding up with another injury."
"I didn't say a word," Beverly said as she raised her hands.
Captain Picard turned to Geordi and Data.
"And as for you two, you are strictly prohibited from entering Main Engineering until tomorrow morning," Picard ordered. "You both need to step away from this problem, so you view it with fresh eyes."
"Captain, if I could just-" Geordi started to protest but stopped as Picard raised his eyebrows.
"Understood, sir," Data nodded.
Picard turned to Deanna.
"I know you've been overwhelmed today," Picard said, acknowledging the strain the counsellor was under.
It wasn't just the emotional weight of the fear and uncertainty of a thousand people her empathic abilities allowed her to feel, Deanna had been flooded with requests for counselling sessions as the crew tried to navigate the emergency.
Those with families back home were worried they would never see them again. Those without families were equally as concerned with missed opportunities. There were also crewmembers that felt excited about the prospect for exploration and that had caused feelings of guilt and confusion given fear and pain felt by others.
"I want you to clear your schedule in the morning and find two or three other individuals that can assist," Picard ordered. "I know we have at least a handful of other crew members with some counselling training and experience. Let's put it to use and share the load."
Deanna nodded. It was a good idea and she kicked herself for not thinking of it sooner. It had been an exceptionally long day.
The crew got up from their seats and bid each other goodnight.
"And Doctor," Picard said as he caught her.
She stopped at the door frame.
"If I find out you've been in Sickbay, you'll go on report," Picard grinned.
"And here I thought you had forgotten me," Beverly said smiling as she turned back to him.
"Never," Picard replied casually.
He was looking at her in the way that made them both question why they danced around their feelings.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible being stranded in an unknown part of the universe knowing she was there. For a brief moment, he allowed himself the indulgence of that thought.
"My dear captain, as the only person that can give you an order on this ship," Beverly replied. "Go to bed."
She turned on her heel and exited to the corridor.
'That was close,' she said to herself as she stepped on the lift.
She had very nearly said something she knew she might regret.
'Give it a week Bev,' she said internally. 'Give it a week, and if we're still trapped here, maybe then.'
Across the ship, Tasha and Data were lying in bed.
She was drained, yet unable to sleep. It had been many years since she'd been afraid to close her eyes.
She knew she shouldn't be – Data was next to her, Walsh was in the brig, and Turkana was millions of lightyears away.
Regardless, every time she closed her eyes her thoughts seemed to drift back to that day.
In a way it was bittersweet. Speckle had been so loving. And yet, those memories were tainted with the knowledge of the last time she'd seen her beloved cat.
For his part, Data did not experience fatigue like humans.
But tonight, he had an unexplainable desire to slow his processing and experience distraction. His neural net had been working in overdrive for hours computing expert level calculations and pouring through quantum mechanics theory. In the simplest terms, he needed rest.
He forcibly shut down several programmes as he tried to slow his system enough to engage his sleep programme.
However, as they both lay there, they couldn't shake the feeling they should be on the Bridge.
"This doesn't feel right," Tasha confessed.
"Would you like me to move?" Data inquired.
"No," Tasha said as she rolled toward him. "I mean trying to sleep when we're in the middle of a crisis."
"Ah," Data said, nodding in understanding.
She snuggled into his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Is that way you are having difficulty falling asleep?" Data asked.
He suspected it was one reason, but not the only reason. Tasha could sleep through a warp core breach. It was unlike her to struggle with something like sleep. And she had been on edge since earlier. She still hadn't discussed it with him, but Data wasn't sure how far to push.
"What happened with Walsh?" Data asked, frankly.
"He was trying it on," Tasha replied.
"Inquiry, trying what on?" Data questioned, uncertain of her meaning.
He accessed his informational files on human colloquialisms. Before he could identify the context, Tasha filled in the blanks for him.
"He came at me in the Jefferies tube," she explained. "After he had been a right pervert for half the scan."
Instinctively, Data tightened his grip around her.
"He's in the brig," Tasha went on. "I filed a report this afternoon. On the bright side, if we don't get out of here, we won't have to deal with Admiral Grandad interfering."
Data looked down at her.
"I dislike that Ensign Walsh has thus far avoided reprimand for his actions," Data said, his voice stained with just a hint of the frustration he felt. "His conduct is most unbecoming of a Starfleet officer."
"On the other hand, if we do find a way back home, I'm certain there will be hell to pay," Tasha said.
She rolled onto her back and groaned.
Data sat up on his arm.
"I forgot about his pool," she said as she looked up at him disgusted.
"Why does Ensign Walsh have a swimming facility?" Data inquired.
Tasha shook her head.
"A betting pool," she clarified as she brought her hand to her forehead. "I'm not looking forward to that conversation with the security team."
Data opened his mouth to ask a question, but Tasha beat him to it.
"You don't want to know," she said.
"May I wager an assumption that it is of a problematic nature?" Data asked.
Tasha sighed and nodded.
"If this is a personnel matter, perhaps it would be best if myself or Commander Riker were to intervene," Data suggested.
Tasha sat up and looked at him, wearing a look that indicated he was missing a critical element.
"You can't do that," Tasha said. "If you step in it's going to look like I ran to my senior officer boyfriend to fix my problems."
"I thought you did not like that term?" Data replied as he cocked his head to the side in confusion.
"I don't," Tasha clarified as she waved her hands.
She pinched the Bridge of her nose as she contemplated how she could better explain the situation.
"Data, if you or Commander Riker step in it will look like I couldn't handle the problem myself," Tasha asserted. "I would lose credibility with my security staff."
Inside there was a little voice nagging her that perhaps she had already lost credibility – at the very least with the Beta shift boys.
No, she reasoned with herself. She had to take care of this on her own.
"Besides, if we make it out of here, I'm sure you'll have to get involved if Walsh's grandfather steps in," Tasha laughed.
"I'll be right beside you," Data assured her as he planted a kiss on her cheek.
"I know," she replied as she cupped his face.
Data felt warm. She had that effect on him whenever she looked at him that way – like she knew she could trust him, like she was happy he was there.
"A problem for another day," Tasha said as she let her hand drop.
It had felt good to get that off her chest, even with the possibility of the impending consequences of throwing a Fleet Admiral's grandson in the brig.
Data watched her, when instead of laying back down she picked absentmindedly at her fingernails as she toyed with the idea of telling Data about the incident on the Bridge.
Geordi had caught him before their briefing and warned him about the incident on the Bridge.
She seemed to be open to talking and Data decided it would be appropriate to inquire.
Tasha continued to weigh her options.
As if on cue, he beat her to the punch.
"Geordi told me about what happened on the Bridge," Data said softly.
A beat passed.
"Was the cat he saw Speckle?" Data questioned.
"Yeah," Tasha replied in a faraway voice.
He thought back to their previous conversation about her much-loved cat. He knew that the animal elicited memories of both joy and sorrow.
The sadness in her eyes had been apparent and she couldn't disguise the pain in her voice whenever she spoke of Speckle.
"He said you mentioned you were being chased," Data pressed. "Do you wish to talk about it?"
She folded her hands in her lap and looked down at them.
"Data, I think you know enough about Turkana to understand it wasn't an easy place to grow up," Tasha said. "I came to terms with that a long time ago."
That wasn't a secret between them. Data was aware – at least at a 20,000 kilometre view – that she had experienced what could be classified as a traumatic adolescence on the abandoned colony. It was a planet plagued by famine and violence governed by warring factions, dangerous nomadic gangs, and clan warlords.
Tasha had credited counselling through Starfleet with helping her process that trauma and develop healthy coping mechanisms – something Data had taken to heart.
After their recent missions, he had been working with Counsellor Troi to better understand his own feelings and work through what had happened in his past.
"It's been a long time since I've been triggered like today," Tasha said. "But what happened with Walsh-"
She trailed off for a moment as she collected her thoughts.
"It was like I was back there," Tasha explained as she looked at him. "I could smell them. I just tensed, bracing myself because I knew what was coming."
He didn't interrupt, content to let her go at her own pace.
"You know that day wasn't the first time. It wasn't the first. It certainly wasn't the last. But it was the worst," she confessed.
They had taken everything – all of their rations, the medical supplies, their emergency fuel, every piece of scrap, even their sleep rolls.
That was the lowest point of her miserable life on Turkana.
She thought back to laying on the cave floor - staring at nothing in particular in the darkness, bitter at the fact that they hadn't just killed her, wishing for the sweet release of death.
Tasha leaned toward him and rested her forehead against Data's.
"Perhaps you should speak with Counsellor Troi?" he suggested.
Tasha shook her head.
"She's pretty busy," Tasha laughed. "Besides, I've never told anyone else that. And I don't think I could."
Data rubbed her back in what he hoped was a soothing motion.
"This is helping," Tasha said after a moment. "And talking is helping."
It did feel good to voice some of what she was feeling.
"I am here," he reassured her.
"You know, it made the decision for me. The decision to leave," Tasha explained. "Ishara was so angry, but I knew I had to escape."
She looked away at the wall for a moment.
"Tasha, who is Ishara?" Data asked.
"My sister," Tasha said.
She put her head down and rubbed her forehead. Data suspected this had drawn out another bad memory.
'Or perhaps, sadness,' Data thought to himself.
Tasha had never spoken of Ishara, but he considered the possibility that she was feeling uncertain because of their current situation.
"Tasha, are you upset because you are worried you will never see her again?" Data asked. "Because we may never get home?"
"No, Data," Tasha said as she turned back to him, shaking her head.
She gave him a small smile, but he could see tears had started to form.
"I am sorry if I have-" he started to apologise but Tasha stopped him.
"Don't apologise, Data," Tasha assured him. "She's probably dead."
Tasha brushed away the tears from her face with her thumb.
"Were you close?" Data pressed.
Tasha laughed bitterly.
"Hardly," Tasha said. "It was like trying to raise a child. Well, I guess I was raising a child."
Data cocked his head to the side. Her reaction was curious. It left him with more questions than answers.
"She was such a brat," Tasha explained. "She never listened. Always getting us into trouble."
Momentarily, Tasha's thoughts drifted back to a particularly nasty incident in which Ishara had nearly cost them both their lives. Tasha had paid dearly to get them out of that particular scrap.
Tasha knew the clan they had been captured by was intending to sell them to a black market organ harvesting operation. Ishara had been convinced that the warlord's son was intent to make her his consort.
She saw their capture as a path to security and safety.
Her sister had been furious when Tasha had secured their release – a fact that she never let Tasha forget.
Ishara had never fully comprehended just what Tasha had sacrificed to secure her sister's freedom.
Data brushed his hand back through her hair.
His hand on her face pulled her out of the memory.
"Tell me a story," she said suddenly, eager to change the topic.
Data's head tilted to the left. She could see he was trying to determine if her request was sincere or if this was an idiom.
"I mean it," Tasha said.
"A story? As in a fictional story?" Data asked.
"Mmm hmm," Tasha said as she kissed him. "Sherlock Holmes."
"But you dislike Sherlock Holmes," Data replied, confused by her request.
She planted a trail of kisses along his face.
"I was wrong," she said.
She put her hand on his chest and guided him back down against his pillow.
"How about A Scandal in Bohemia?" Tasha suggested as she snuggled into his chest.
Data was perplexed.
She had previously made her feelings on Holmes quite clear.
"Don't think about it," Tasha said with a yawn.
Data wiggled his eyebrows and decided not to question it – at least at the present time.
"To Sherlock Holmes, she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name," he said as he launched into the story.
He didn't get far before he could sense the tell-tale change in her breathing that indicated she had fallen asleep.
He brushed the top of her head with a tender kiss before laying his head back against his pillow. He closed his eyes and activated his sleep programme.
As his processing slowed, he thought to himself how fortunate he was.
"Tasha," he whispered softly.
He knew she was asleep and wouldn't hear him, but he felt compelled to say it regardless.
"We may be stranded millions of lightyears from the alpha quadrant. And I know everyone is afraid we will never get home. But I am not afraid," Data confessed. "Because I believe my home is here with you."