"Riker to LaForge," Riker whispered into his comm badge as Picard strode onto the bridge.
"LaForge here," came Geordi's disembodied reply.
"The bald eagle has landed."
"Aye, sir," Riker could hear the smile in Geordi's voice. "Beginning phase one of Operation Contrive-A-Stupid-Way-To-Force-The-Two-Most-Obtuse-People-In-The-Universe-To-Confront-Their-Obvious-Feelings-For-One-Another."
Riker shook his head, thinking he never should have allowed the crew to vote on the code name for the senior staff's latest escapade. Quite frankly, he was surprised that name had won out over such early favourites as, "Operation Let's Get It On," and "Operation Bow Chicka Bow Bow."
Still, anything was better than Barclay's suggestion of, "Operation Grilled Lemon Pickles on Ice." Riker shuddered; afraid to think about the sort of sick fantasy world Barclay had explored prior to offering that name.
"Are you well, Number One?" Picard asked as he took his seat.
"Yes,sir." Thinking quickly, Riker replied, "I was just reliving our last visit with Lwaxana Troi."
Picard tried not to cringe at the memory. "Indeed," he commiserated.
Picard then promptly turned his attention to the starfield streaking by on the main viewscreen.
Chuckling softly as he tampered with the controls in the shuttlecraft, Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge couldn't help but wistfully wish someone cared enough about him to trap him in a shuttle with a beautiful woman.
Sighing, Geordi turned to his companion, "Data, could you pass me the revised flux capacitor?"
Leaving the panel he was currently working on, the android moved to hand the long, glowing tube to the chief engineer.
"Geordi," queried Data. "You have sighed sixteen times in the past fourteen minutes. That is a thirty-two percent increase from your usual rate of exhalation."
Tilting his head to better study his friend, Data added, "Are you troubled?"
Sighing, again, Geordi replied, "No, Data. I'm not troubled. I was just thinking about my own love life, or lack thereof."
"Ah," said Data, nodding sagely. "I understand. You wish you could engage in sexual intercourse with an actual, living person on a more frequent basis. My study of human physiology indicates that most humans tend to want…"
"Data," Geordi interrupted. "Thanks, but I don't really want to discuss it right now."
Blinking Data replied, "That is fine. Please let me know when you wish to discuss this further and I will make myself available. I have accessed several files that I think would add a great degree of meaning and complexity to our discussion."
"Great," Geordi muttered. "So how about you hand me that capacitor now?"
The two friends continued to sabotage the shuttle in a companionable silence.