I don't own Relic Hunter or Star Trek the Next Generation; or any of the characters from these shows.
CHAPTER FOUR
Sydney and Preston checked with the police and Interpol regularly over a period of weeks but, of course, neither had found any clues to Nigel's whereabouts. They also periodically checked the hospitals and morgue and were always grateful to find nothing there! Cate promised to continue the search for as long as Interpol permitted her to do so, although Sydney, after about nine weeks, was forced to get back to normality as Trinity couldn't continue to use temporary teachers forever.
She returned to work with a very heavy heart, feeling completely lost without Nigel. It was hard for her to concentrate or get motivated and even Karen, who could usually brighten anyone's day, felt powerless to help her. Of course, Karen was missing Nigel too and had been terribly upset by not being permitted to assist with the search. However, she did have an important role to play and that was to stay in the office in case Nigel should call! Deep down she realised that someone had to do that and Sydney always kept her in the loop.
Preston, having tried hard to persuade Sydney to continue the search a bit longer, finally realised they'd exhausted every avenue and reluctantly telephoned the British Museum to advise he'd be back at work quite soon. However, to his utter astonishment, his cold hearted boss told him his services were no longer required and that he'd been replaced! Even though Preston was disgusted by the insensitivity of the head curator, who'd known all along why he was away, he wasn't financially worried about being unemployed as he'd inherited a fortune from his father at the age of 25. He'd actually never needed to work since then but the job was interesting and it kept him busy. His biggest fear now was that having so much time on his hands he'd be constantly thinking about Nigel.
Sydney was very sympathetic when she heard Preston's news and gave him a reassuring hug, telling him she believed everything would be fine and that he'd soon find something else that was interesting to get involved in.
Having booked his return flight to England, reality hit Preston hard as he wondered how he was going to explain to Louisa Wright, his and Nigel's childhood nanny, what had happened to his little brother! Louisa was like a mother to them and, so far, he'd managed to avoid telling her the truth. However, he now realised that once he got home he'd have to face her and be honest and no matter how he worded it, Louisa was going to be devastated. Preston kept thinking about the difficult task ahead of him as he finished his packing and put his passport into his jacket pocket. He took a deep breath, gave his room a once over, to ensure he'd not forgotten anything, and then opened the door to leave. He'd barely taken two steps towards the corridor when Sydney suddenly barged past him, almost knocking him off his feet!
"Preston, he can't do it to me, he can't" she yelled.
"What's the matter Sydney, who can't do what!" he asked, rubbing his shoulder where Sydney had bumped into him.
"The Dean, he can't, he's threatening to replace Nigel with some idiot!" she shouted, looking like she was about to take off somebody's head! She began pacing up and down the room yelling "he's no idea how to choose an assistant for me! He's likely to appoint someone like Stewie Harper or Dallas Carter! I need someone who's intelligent, with experience of relic hunting; but mostly someone who won't try and steal the relics before we get them home!" She put her hands on her hips and then suddenly spun around to face Preston, who was now peeping around the edge of the door; feeling a bit intimidated by Sydney's display of anger.
"Sydney, I'm really sorry but I have to go, if I don't leave now I'll miss my flight" he said, looking at his watch and back up to her.
"Then don't go!" she said, suddenly looking like she'd just had a brainwave!"
"What, but I have to….. you said yourself I can't keep looking for Nigel forever!" he said, looking rather bemused.
"No, I don't mean that, I mean you should temporarily take Nigel's job! That'll solve my problem and give you that extra time you wanted to look for Nigel!" she said, hating the thought of doing this as she considered Nigel irreplaceable. However, her work was so backed up she had to do something quickly before the Dean carried out his threat!
Having undertaken a couple of relic hunts with Preston in the past, when they'd found Ann Boleyn's ring and a vial of water from The Fountain of Youth, Sydney realised he'd be more than capable of helping her. After all, Preston was a trained teacher, he had extensive knowledge of ancient history, having worked at the British Museum, and would certainly not steal a relic!
Preston was rather shocked by the suggestion but when he actually thought about it his main concern was how Nigel might feel. He remembered what had happened between them, just before Nigel left home to start working for Sydney. He and Nigel had both applied for the same position at the British Museum and to put Nigel at a disadvantage, he'd sneakily exposed his younger brother to horse hair, just before his interview. He knew full well that Nigel was allergic to it and would have a serious reaction; not to mention the fact that the antihistamine pills he had to take to relieve the symptoms, would make him drowsy! It was hardly surprising, therefore, that Nigel failed to get the job but, obviously, he did. When Nigel found out what he'd done he was furious and it was two years before they spoke again face to face. At that point Nigel tried hard to come to terms with Preston's behaviour and accepted his apology; however, it took another 14 months before Nigel truly forgave him and Preston didn't want to do anything to damage their relationship again.
Because of Preston's guilty past, Sydney found it very difficult to persuade him that Nigel would understand, in the circumstances, why he'd taken the position. He did eventually come round to her way of thinking but it took quite a while before he felt at ease with the decision.
To make Preston feel more at home, Sydney decided to speak to Mrs James to see if she'd allow him to use Nigel's apartment while he was away. She still used the word 'away' when she referred to Nigel, as she continued to hope he'd eventually return. Preston had been paying the rent on the apartment anyway to ensure Nigel's property stayed just as he'd left it; apart from the slight disruption caused when they'd searched the place. Mrs James had no problem with it at all; in fact she rather liked the idea of having Nigel's brother there to keep her company.
Preston knew he had to come clean about Nigel to Louisa Wright, even if he did it over the telephone. However, the only way he felt he could do it was via Louisa's brother, Frederick. As a boy Preston was very close to him; however, because of his rough treatment of Nigel, after their parents had passed on, they'd fallen out. Uncle Frederick, as both brothers still called him, had always been close to Nigel and the news of his disappearance was devastating to him. However, Frederick promised Preston he'd tell Louisa and stay with her, realising she wouldn't take the news well and would most definitely be beside herself with worry, just like he was.
Back on the ship Captain Picard truly felt so sorry for Nigel, he knew how much the young man loved Sydney Fox and having seen several pictures of her in the extensive Enterprise database, he realised why; she was simply beautiful. He also knew about Nigel's problems with his older brother, as Nigel's entire life story was documented in his autobiography, entitled 'Nigel from the Beginning' which he would eventually write at the age of 50. However, without telling Nigel about the book, the captain explained how catastrophic it could be if his future was revealed to him, explaining that if he knew his destiny, he'd have the power to change it, and should he do that when he's sent back to Earth, he could inadvertently change the timeline all over again!
There was, however, a procedure, that Jean Luc hoped Beverly would be able to put Nigel through which would wipe out his memory purely of the time he'd spent on the Enterprise, ensuring that everything he learned about the future, would be forgotten. The procedure was, unfortunately, risky to a small minority and, therefore, before Beverly could be certain that Nigel was not one of those, his health records and family history had to be checked very carefully. His autobiography was, obviously, not detailed enough for this purpose and, therefore, was of little use. Whilst the uncertainty existed regarding the procedure, the crew were under strict instructions to be extremely careful about what they said to Nigel.
Of course a bright young man like Nigel was bound to discover things that, perhaps, he shouldn't, just by wandering around the ship; although apart from keeping him a prisoner, there was very little that could be done about it, although some precautions had to be taken.
The one thing though that the captain felt duty bound to tell him was that his life would be very happy and successful and that he would never have any financial worries. Jean Luc realised that Nigel truly needed to know he had something to look forward to, regardless of whether or not he'd marry Sydney.
It was estimated that Nigel would need to spend about six weeks on the ship to get the timeline to the point it was safe to return him home; however, during that time approximately three years would have passed on Earth! This was because the Enterprise would be jumping forward, and occasionally backwards, in time! As this was happening Jean Luc would periodically send an officer down to Earth to check that things that needed to occur actually did; thus he was kept fully up-dated and knew exactly what still had to happen before the timeline could be considered back on track.
Jean Luc was not someone who would normally allow even one person to suffer to help another; however, the matter of the disruption to the timeline was so huge, he could think of no other way of dealing with it.
Having realised, right from the start that he'd be giving Nigel no choice at all but to stay on the ship and allow things to progress on Earth; he wanted to ensure Nigel's stay was enjoyable, even if he didn't end up remembering it! Therefore, prior to transporting him on board, he'd asked his second in command, Data, to prepare something very special for the young man.
The day after Jean Luc's revelation about what must happen on Earth, he tried his best to comfort Nigel and make him feel happier about being on the Enterprise. He realised that Nigel had every reason to hate him, but he could tell that he didn't, and that made things a little easier between them.
"Come with me son, I have a surprise for you" the captain said, putting his arm over Nigel's shoulder and guiding him into the turbolift.
"Holodeck 2" Jean Luc said and within minutes they were at their destination; the captain feeling unusually excited about what he was about to show his young captive.
"Nigel, I want to show you something that I've had prepared for you that I believe you'll find quite amazing. In a couple of minutes I'll take you onto the Holodeck where a computerised program will be run. Now you're going to probably think that what you are seeing is real, but as realistic as it looks and feels…. it's not, it's just a holographic projection, or as we call it, a holoprogram. I'm sure you're going to love it" the captain said, smiling at Nigel, although noticing he looked a little sceptical.
Jean Luc guided Nigel through the doorway of the Holodeck where Nigel noticed it was a really unusual room with large squares all around the walls; ceiling and floor; making Nigel feel like he was inside a huge box.
"This is it Nigel, Holodeck 2" the captain said, almost gushing with pride.
"Is it going to be something like a 3D movie?" Nigel asked; which was a little worrying to him as they made him feel nauseous, it was something to do with the movement.
"Actually son, it's a lot better than that" the captain said, taking Nigel over to meet Data, who turned out to be the very pale faced man, with the strange looking eyes, that Nigel had seen on the Bridge.
"Nigel, this is Lieutenant Commander Data" Jean Luc said.
"Hell, hello Sir, um, nice to meet you" Nigel said nervously, believing he must be an alien.
"I am very pleased to meet you too Nigel, we were not formally introduced on the Bridge but I hope we will become good friends" Data said, looking at Nigel, who appeared to be a little stunned.
The captain realised that Nigel was unsure of what to make of the unusual looking man, so he stepped in and said "Nigel, believe it or not, Data is an android who can speak thousands of languages and compute millions of mathematical problems; he is by far the most knowledgeable member of the crew."
Nigel was taken aback, and stood there just staring at Data with his mouth agape; he'd simply never seen anything like him before! He moved a little closer and looked up at his face and said "you're an, an… android, but you, you… look so human; except you're even paler than me and your eyes are um… a bit different."
"I am a lot more sophisticated than other androids, I am a sentient android; I have a positronic brain which is like an advanced computer that provides me with a form of consciousness; that is why I am permitted to be a Lieutenant Commander and serve on the Enterprise" Data said, in a matter of fact tone.
"Really!" Nigel said, his eyes almost popping out of his head.
"Yes I can do many things that a human cannot do, for instance….…" Data was about to explain a lot more about himself when the captain stopped him and said "Data please show Nigel one of the holoprograms that you've designed for him, I'd like to see his reaction and then I have to leave."
"Certainly captain" Data said, looking at Nigel and pressing a couple of buttons on a panel near the door.
"Look into the room Nigel, you'll see something I think you'll consider is quite remarkable" the captain said. Nigel did as he was told and to his utter astonishment his mother and father appeared in front of him! They looked exactly as they did a few hours before they were killed in a terrible accident, when he was 12! Because of Nigel's extraordinary memory he remembered every detail about that day, including what his parents were wearing. They appeared to be in the kitchen of his beautiful house in London, which he and Preston still owned. The shock of seeing his parents caused Nigel to completely blank out what the captain had just told him about holoprograms and he ran over to them and yelled "Mum! Dad! I'm so happy to see you; I thought I'd never see you again!"
Tears of joy poured down his face as he pressed his head against his mother's shoulder, stretching out his arms to reach around both parents.
"Nigel, sweetheart, calm down, don't be so silly; why wouldn't you see us again?" his mother asked "has Preston been teasing you with stories about daddy and I leaving you again? You shouldn't listen to him darling; you know he's joking!" She tweaked his nose playfully and said "I've put the ice cream you wanted in the freezer; you can have it after dinner, now…. no more crying!"
She then turned her attention to tidying up the kitchen and chatted as she cleaned; just like she always used to when she was at home. "Daddy and I have completed our talks with the headmaster at St Bartholomews School and he's so looking forward to having a clever boy like you there. He thinks you're going to be very busy though with all the courses you've chosen….now have you been good boy while daddy and I have been at the school?
"Um yes mum, I've … I've been, been um I, I" Nigel said, looking very confused. He turned around to look at the captain and Data, but was surprised to note they'd disappeared! All there was in the place they'd been standing was a blue door. Nigel suddenly felt quite panic-stricken and shouted "Oh my God! What's happening!" Just at that moment a young Preston strolled into the kitchen, ruffled Nigel's hair and said "what are you up to Podge?" Nigel was so shocked he just ran towards the blue door and bumped straight into Jean Luc!
"Freeze program" the captain shouted and instantly Nigel's parents, Preston and everything else in the room; apart from the captain, Data and Nigel went into a state of suspended animation!
Nigel had his back to the room, he was shaking and yelled at Jean Luc "am I dead! Is this what happens when you die!" His heart was beating really fast and tears began pooling in his eyes.
"No, no Nigel, you certainly aren't dead; if that was the case you wouldn't be seeing Preston at age 19, now would you! It's like I said earlier, they're not real, even though they look and feel like they are; they're nothing more than extremely realistic holographic projections" the captain said, putting his arm over Nigel's shoulder to calm him. "Look at them now, they're frozen waiting for the program to either be continued or turned off."
Nigel looked into the room and realised it was true, they were just as the captain said, a frozen holoprogram.
"It just felt so…. I don't know; so weird…. and mum was speaking to me like I'm still a little boy" Nigel said, looking up at the captain and Data; suddenly feeling rather silly as he obviously knew Preston was alive and well and probably either had or was about to steal his Sydney!
"Nigel, Data has produced a wide range of holoprograms for you; it's only in this one that you'll be seen as a child, as that's what you were before your parents died. In all of the others you'll be seen just as you are now. I'm sure, once you start to feel comfortable around your holofamily, you'll love them and this time perhaps you'll find it more pleasant to be with Preston. In all of the holoprograms Data has made him just a little bit gentler, but to keep it realistic in this holoprogram he'll still poke fun at you and compete for everything, but you'll notice his kindness as well. As I said, Preston is 19 here; the age he was when your parents died. You see Nigel, I thought you'd like to experience what it might have been like if your parents had lived longer and Preston hadn't been forced to raise you. Data's also made Preston, and your parents, a few inches taller here, that way it will feel more natural when they treat you like a little boy. You'll now be able to do all those things you missed out on because of what happened in your real childhood. You could have a picnic by the River Thames, play football, paint or play the piano; the holoprogram has endless possibilities. You obviously won't have to attend that horrible boarding school where you were beaten so badly; but you could still be punished by your parents if you misbehave! I just want you to have the opportunity to experience what your home life might have been like if you'd have attended a day school. The thing is Nigel; you're sacrificing so much for everyone on board the Enterprise so I wanted to give you something in return; that's why I asked Data to make so many holoprograms for you, but this one in particular" the captain said, watching Nigel closely to see his reaction.
"It was the worst day of my life when my mum and dad were killed Sir and, obviously, I can only remember them from my childhood. I can't even imagine what it would be like to still have them around, but I think I'd like to experience it" Nigel said, looking back at the frozen holoprogram; wondering what he could do make things happen the way he wanted them to. Of course, he always could twist his father around his little finger, but his mum and definitely Preston, would be more difficult!
"Would you like to resume this program from where you left off, or start again? Or would you prefer to end the program and do this another time?" the captain asked, hoping Nigel would want to continue.
"I guess I'll just resume from where I left it, Sir" Nigel said, understanding the position a little better now.
"That's good Nigel but as I said, Data has designed some really special holoprograms for you, so when you want to try something different, just let him know and as long as you haven't spent too much time on the Holodeck, he'll set up another one for you. Now, go with the flow on this one, OK?" Jean Luc said, pushing Nigel back towards his mother. "Resume program" the captain said, and the holoprogram started up again; Mrs Bailey continuing to talk to Nigel like nothing had happened.
"Nigel don't squeal like that, you know very well what's happening, we're all going out to buy Preston a new car" she said; putting away her duster.
"You'd better stop teasing Nigel young man, if you don't want us to change our minds about the car!" she said to Preston, as she saw him smirking at his little brother. Nigel played along and became completely oblivious to the fact that Data was still behind the door viewing everything he did on a small screen. The captain had to leave to attend to his many duties, but he stayed long enough to witness Nigel fully appreciating the situation and looking relaxed with his parents and brother.
After Nigel had been on the Holodeck for about three hours Data said "pause program!" However, it was so unexpected, Nigel almost jumped out of his skin when everything suddenly froze again. He stayed sat on the grass in the garden of his beautiful home, where he'd been talking to Preston about his new car and wondered what he was supposed to do now. At that moment Data walked over to him and stretched his hand down to help Nigel up.
"I am sorry young man but you have to stop now as it is not healthy to stay too long on the Holodeck; it can become quite addictive" Data said "save program!"
Nigel felt a sudden deep loss as his family completely disappeared and gave Data a very hurt look. Data didn't appear to notice the pain he was causing at all, although he explained "I have saved the program exactly as you left it, you can access it again another time from that point. I will take you to Ten Forward now and arrange for you to have some lunch, doctor Crusher asked that I ensure that you eat properly" Data said, as he held Nigel's arm firmly and led him off the Holodeck. Nigel was still sulking as they entered the turbolift, but he didn't say anything.
"Deck 10" Data said and a few minutes later they were there.
"This is Ten Forward Nigel, this is where members of the crew dine together and spend time socially when they are off duty" Data said, gently pushing Nigel further into the room.
Nigel noticed that Ten Forward was a very large room with huge windows, giving everyone spectacular views of the stars and planets outside. There was a long bar on one side of the room with high stools in front of it, where the bar tender, a rather kind looking black lady with a huge hat, was pouring out drinks. Nigel thought her hat made her look like a futuristic nun but, obviously, he was too polite to say so! On the other side of the room, in front of the windows, were lots of tables where people were enjoying their lunch or just chatting. Nigel immediately felt on edge as he noticed that some of them looked really strange and, of course, he knew they must be aliens!
Data took him over to meet the bar tender, whose name was Guinan, she'd left the bar area and was now sitting at one of the tables.
"Nigel this is Guinan, she is from El-Auria; her people are also referred to as 'the listeners'. She will help you chose something to eat and then I am sure she will introduce you to some of the other members of the crew. I have to go back on duty now; enjoy your meal." He then left Ten Forward, apparently oblivious to the fact that Nigel was feeling quite unhappy; however, Guinan wasn't.
"Hello Nigel, nice to meet you. What would you like to eat?" she said, smiling widely, hoping she'd be able to cheer him up.
"Um, I'm not very hungry; can you please take me back to sickbay?" he said, feeling very uncomfortable about being in the presence of so many strange people; although he immediately thought Guinan was nice, even though he realised she wasn't human.
"What's made you so unhappy Nigel? Captain Picard was telling me a little while ago that you were settling down and enjoying some holoprograms" she said, noting that Nigel just looked down at the table and didn't reply.
"Tell me what's wrong; I'm a good listener, my people are known for it!" she said, tousling Nigel's hair, just like his mother and sometimes his brother, use to.
"I was just getting to know my parents again and having a nice conversation with my brother, when Data shut down the program" Nigel said, looking at Guinan, hoping she didn't think he was being childish.
"Oh I see" she said, realising that Data would have only done that if he thought that Nigel had spent long enough on the Holodeck and needed a bit of reality.
"Nigel you'll be able to see them again tomorrow, don't you think it would be a good idea to meet some real people; you're going to be on the Enterprise for a while so you should try and make some friends" she said, taking hold of Nigel's hand.
"I suppose I should but I was so enjoying talking to my mum and dad again" Nigel said, realising how silly that must sound to Guinan because, of course, he was just talking about characters in a holoprogram, not real flesh and blood.
Nigel, I understand how you feel, but I really do think you'll benefit from socialising with some of the crew, they've all heard about you and many of them have expressed a wish to meet you" Guinan said, looking around the room. "Geordi La Forge, who's our chief engineer and Deanna Troi, the ship's counsellor, are wonderful people; they're having lunch together over there" Guinan said, pointing to a table at the other side of the room. "I'm sure you'll enjoy talking with them as Deanna's empathic, which is what makes her such a wonderful friend and Geordi's a great guy too; he's really good company and very easygoing" Nigel didn't respond; he just gave them a glance and then looked at the table again, the reality of his situation hitting him now he was outside the fake world of the Holodeck
Guinan waved to the counsellor, who was a very petite, stunningly beautiful woman, with long dark hair flowing down to her waist. She looked completely human but, in fact, she was half Betazoid, which is why she had the ability to sense emotions. She waved back at Guinan and nodded, indicating that she and Geordi would be over in a minute. Geordi, who was a rather attractive black man, quickly finished his dessert and walked with Deanna to Guinan and Nigel's table.
As soon as they got there Nigel noticed that Geordi was wearing a very unusual pair of 'spectacles' and wondered if he was actually another alien. This time though, Nigel was wrong, as Geordi was, in fact, from Earth; he'd, unfortunately, been born blind and the 'spectacles' or more correctly, the visor, enabled him to see! Guinan introduced Nigel to Deanna and Geordi, explaining that he was the young man from 21st century Earth and added that he was feeling a little down at the moment which, of course, Deanna already knew.
"Would you mind staying with him for a few minutes while I get him some food?" Guinan asked, leaving before they could answer.
"How are you finding things on the Enterprise Nigel?" Deanna asked, sensing Nigel's nervousness at being in the room with so many different species. Geordi immediately added, noticing how worried Nigel looked "Yeah, I remember when I first came aboard I was anxious about everything, but a couple of days later I felt right at home."
"It's nice to meet you both but there's no need for you to babysit me; I'll be leaving in a few minutes" Nigel said, hoping they didn't think he was being rude.
"Nigel you have to eat and Guinan's gone to get you something; so it would be impolite to leave right now" Deanna said, smiling at the handsome young man sat in front of her, thinking if she'd been nearer his age she'd have enjoyed cheering him up in a more adult way! As it was though, she sensed he needed a mother more than a girlfriend and asked how he was getting along with Beverly.
"She's been very kind to me, I like her a lot" he said, shyly. At that moment Guinan came back with a plate of what looked remarkably like English style fish and chips, the smell causing Nigel to notice he actually was hungry! He was soon tucking into his meal and felt a lot more cheerful when he'd finished.
Nigel chatted with Deanna and Geordi for about an hour and explained what his life was like as a teaching assistant and relic hunter. Deanna immediately sensed Nigel's love for his boss and felt sorry for him as she was fully aware of who Sydney was destined to marry, having discussed the situation with the captain. They were amazed by some of the stories Nigel told, especially his accounts of finding Buddha's bowl, the amazing Mochica vessel and the horrible doll with ruby eyes; which he and Sydney discovered in an Aztec pyramid. Deanna sensed that everything Nigel told them about those hunts was true and guessed that a lot of the strange things that occurred in relation to those relics, must have had alien connections!
Even though Nigel, obviously, still wanted to go home, he now considered the Enterprise wasn't such a bad place to be. He'd met some really interesting and intelligent people and, as Guinan said, he could still go back to the Holodeck tomorrow to see his parents and to finish the conversation with Preston; who was a lot nicer to him than his real brother had been when he was younger!
Guinan came back to the table again and immediately noticed how much happier and content Nigel was. As soon as Nigel saw her he gave her one of his really charming smiles and said "thanks for my lunch Guinan, it was fantastic! I haven't eaten fish and chips as good as that since I was a boy and went to Brighton on holiday."
"You're very welcome" she said, smiling back at him.
Having been advised by Jean Luc that Nigel was exceptionally intelligent, Guinan realised he was going to need more than the occasional intellectual conversation to stimulate his amazing brain. Therefore, being the helpful person that she was, she decided to find something that might interest him.
"Do you still want to go back to sickbay Nigel, or would you like to watch the game going on over there?" she asked, pointing to a table a little way off, where two very serious looking men, with shiny black hair and rather pointy ears, were playing chess. Nigel looked across and saw, to his amazement, that the chess board was on several tiers, rather than a flat board, and was completely fascinated by it, just as Guinan had hoped.
"I'd actually like to play a game if there's another chess set like that anywhere" Nigel said, looking at Guinan.
"I don't think it's quite the same game as you're used to Nigel, it can take a long time to learn to play properly" she replied, noticing how enthusiastic Nigel looked.
"I'm quite a fast learner and that looks quite challenging" Nigel said, looking over at the chess board again.
"Are you sure Nigel?" Guinan asked, knowing full well what he'd say.
"Yes please, um… do you play Guinan?" he asked, hoping she did.
"I'm a little busy at the moment but Deanna could teach you, I do have anothertri-dimensional chess set somewhere" she said, looking as if she was thinking about where she'd put it.
Nigel looked at Deanna who could see how excited he was about learning to play.
"Come on then Nigel, sit down here and I'll explain the rules" Deanna said, as Guinan went off to find the second chess set. He listened very closely as Deanna explained how to play and he soon realised how different it was from the game he played at home; although it didn't sound that difficult to him.
"Is that it then?" Nigel asked, as Deanna appeared to have explained everything.
"Yes it is; would you like me to go over it again with you?" Deanna asked
"No, I can remember what you said; can we play a game now please" Nigel asked, looking at the amazing looking chess board that Guinan had placed on the table. Deanna was rather surprised that Nigel thought he'd be able to play after hearing the rules only once, but she sensed he was confident enough to play. She set up the board and they started the game; however, she soon realised he'd grasped everything she'd told him, as within half an hour; he'd won the game!
"Thanks for teaching me Deanna, I really enjoyed it, can we play again another time please?" Nigel asked, getting up from the table.
"That would be very nice, you're a natural… so where are you off to now Nigel?" Deanna asked.
"I'd like to find Doctor Crusher; I haven't seen her since I got up this morning, could one of you please take me back to sickbay?" Nigel asked; looking at Deanna and Geordi, hoping one of them would help.
"Hasn't the captain organised some quarters for you yet?" Deanna asked, looking rather surprised.
"Um, no I'm still sleeping in sickbay, but I don't mind, Doctor Crusher has been so kind to me" Nigel said, wondering what it would be like to have a room of his own on board an incredible ship like this.
Having seen how quickly Nigel picked up the rules of tri-dimensional chess, Geordi was completely astounded and decided he'd like to get to know Nigel better.
"How would you like a tour of the engine room Nigel?" Geordi asked "I could take you there first and then back to sickbay."
"Um that would be very interesting Geordi, yes please" Nigel said, forgetting all about Beverly for the moment. He said goodbye to Deanna and Guinan and followed Geordi out of Ten Forward and into the turbolift.
"Engineering" Geordi said, and the turbolift speedily took them to deck 36, where engineering was located.
Immediately upon arrival Nigel looked absolutely astounded and tried to take everything in. He'd never been in an engine room of any kind before, so in his wildest imagination, he couldn't have pictured this! The first thing he saw was the warp core, which Geordi explained was the ship's engine, which allowed the Enterprise to move many times faster than the speed of light. The warp core was actually housed separately; in a room twice the height of all the other rooms. It was so tall; the top section could only be accessed by walkways, which were situated half way up the very high walls. Nigel was stunned by the incredible illuminated engine, which pulsed continuously; it was just so impressive!
The next thing Nigel saw was a large table in the centre of the room, which Geordi advised was the Master Systems Display, which he jokingly referred to as the pool table! On the surface of the table were some strange illuminated shapes, in a variety of colours, which the chief engineer explained was a detailed overview of the Enterprise. He pointed out to Nigel where the various rooms were located on the overview and his young visitor was surprised at how enormous the ship actually was.
Mounted on the walls of the engine room was the Master Situations display, which provided a detailed monitoring overview of the ship's status which, at that moment, was very quiet, as the Enterprise was just hiding behind the moon.
Geordi, who was very proud of the engine room, explained very basically what the various pieces of equipment did. Nigel understood quite a lot about the computers but not, of course, about how warp speed works! The chief engineer was amazed; however, at just how much information Nigel absorbed and decided to show his young visitor how to make some minor adjustments to the ships systems. Nigel was soon able to make some slight alterations, although Geordi watched him closely in case he made a mistake. However, the accuracy of Nigel's adjustments greatly impressed Geordi who wished Nigel was staying on board permanently, as he'd have liked to have had the opportunity to train him on some of the consoles and, of course, because he really like him.
"Hey Nigel, I'll have nothing to do if I teach you anymore" Geordi jokingly remarked "I'd better take you back to sickbay, otherwise you'll have my job!" he laughed, as he motioned to the door so that Nigel would lead the way out.
"It was really amazing Geordi, thanks for showing me everything" Nigel said, hoping that everyone else he meets on the ship is as nice as the chief engineer.
Even though Nigel was far brighter than your average person, Geordi was certain that the knowledge he'd gained by visiting engineering could not be used in any way to alter the future. The fact was; things were so advanced in the engine room that people of the 21st century couldn't even imagine them, never mind make them. Therefore, he felt it was perfectly safe to show Nigel the warp core and associated systems, even if Nigel was returned home with his memory fully intact.
When they reached sickbay they noticed Beverly was reading from a hand-held computer, with a small screen. Nigel said goodbye to Geordi and hello to Beverly and went over to his bed to lie down. The doctor immediately put away her little computer and came over to see him.
"Have you had an enjoyable time sweetie?" she asked, smiling kindly at him.
"Yes I did, I've had an amazing day! I got to see my parents' and even though they were only part of a holoprogram, they seemed so real!" Nigel said, forgetting about how upset he'd been when he was taken off the Holodeck. "I got to meet Data, Guinan, Deanna and, of course, Geordi… they're all such nice people. Data scared me when I first saw him on the Bridge, but I know he's a good guy now, although he can be a bit strict!"
"I'm sure they all liked you too" Beverly said, thinking what a wonderful young man Nigel was. Deanna had already reported Nigel's victory with the chess game to her and she was very surprised that he hadn't mentioned it.
"So what else did you do today, Nigel?" she asked, waiting to see if he would start bragging about winning the game, but hoping that he wouldn't.
"Well in Ten Forward I got to eat the best fish and chips I've had in years, I played a game of chess with Deanna and, of course, I had a tour of engineering with Geordi, that's where I've just come from" Nigel said, hoping Beverly didn't have any problem with any of that.
"That's excellent Nigel, now I've got some news for you that I'm sure you'll be glad to hear; Captain Picard has allocated you some quarters which are usually reserved for ambassadors and other visiting dignitaries. They're really luxurious, so if you'd like to follow me I'll show you where they are" Beverly said, feeling as impressed as Geordi by Nigel's modest behaviour. Of course, Nigel was perfectly capable of showing off to get a pretty girl's attention; but not just because he'd done something that others considered to be clever.
They walked along a couple of corridors, and then through a door where Nigel found himself in a beautiful room with windows almost as big as the ones in Ten Forward. The living area was quite large and was furnished with a blue leather sofa, a desk and several storage cabinets, along with a round glass table and four transparent plastic chairs. The colour scheme was light blue, with same wood panelling on one wall, which matched the wood on the desk.
"It's really nice doctor, is there a library nearby so that I can get some books to read?" Nigel asked, remembering he saw one on the overview of the ship, on the 'pool table' in engineering.
"Nigel I'm sorry but you aren't permitted to have access to the library or, I'm afraid, to the computers, at least without supervision. It's only because you might inadvertently read something that you mustn't know about the future; I think the captain's already explained how dangerous that can be. It'll be no problem getting books from your own time though; are there any you particularly want?" Beverly asked, hoping he would be reasonable and not kick up a fuss.
"I understand Doctor" Nigel said, trying to find something to write a list on. Beverly picked up another one of those small hand-held computers, advising it was called a PADD, or personal access display devise, and used to access the library. Once she'd done that Nigel told her what books he'd like and she touched the display a few times and said "if you wait a couple of minutes your books will be here." Sure enough, a few minutes later, they were 'beamed' to his quarters. Nigel stood there for a good ten seconds just staring at the pile of books with his mouth agape, hardly believing what he'd just witnessed.
Beverly noticed the surprised look on his young face and said "Nigel, you'll get used to all these things eventually."
"How did the books get here doctor? It's amazing" he said, picking up the book on the top of the pile. "These are exactly what I wanted, thank you so much."
"They were beamed here using our transporter system and you're most welcome Nigel" she said. Nigel knew Beverly wasn't about to explain to him how things were beamed from one place to another, so he didn't ask again, realising it was simply another thing that people on the Enterprise took for granted.
"Now let me show you how the sonic shower works and the other facilities in the bathroom" Beverly said, taking him through a door at one end of the room. The bathroom was mostly white with some wood panelling and the lighting was very bright. The doctor explained how everything worked but Nigel wasn't keen on the shower, he'd have much preferred to use water; not vibrations, which is what the sonic shower used to remove dirt!
"Sweetie, you'll soon be using the shower like you've used it all your life, so don't worry, and I'm sure you'll have no problem with the other things in the bathroom. As for the lighting, all you have to say is lights on, lights off, dim lights etc and your room will be illuminated just how you like it; it's all run by a computer. Now, go and look at your bedroom; the door's there" she said, pointing to the other end of the room.
Nigel walked in; noticing that most of the room was a cream colour, although the bed covers were dark green. He walked over to his bed and, to his amazement, noticed his little white polar bear was on the pillow! Preston had bought it for him when he was a baby and even though he and Nigel had fallen out over the years, Nigel had always kept the bear with him except, of course, on relic hunts, as he'd have been devastated if he'd lost it!
"Doctor! Where did you get my bear from!" Nigel shrieked with joy; remembering he always kept it on his bedside cabinet in his apartment. He suddenly felt rather embarrassed, believing Beverly must think he's so childish having a toy bear at his age.
"It isn't your actual bear Nigel; it's just one I replicated for you. I used a photograph of you as a child; you were wearing your boy scout's uniform and your bear was on the bed beside you; that's how I managed to get it replicated so accurately. I realise how fond you are of it and I thought it might be nice, now you have a room of your own, to have something familiar in it" Beverly said, noticing Nigel was actually blushing, so she changed the subject. "Oh yes, before I forget, there's an alarm right by your bed for you to use any time you feel nervous or worried; just press the button and I'll be here in a couple of minutes, alright?"
"Yes, thanks doctor, um… I wish I had some of the things from this room in my little apartment, particularly the replicator" Nigel said, smiling as he looked around the room, hoping the doctor hadn't noticed how red he was and wondering how she and the captain had gotten a copy of that photograph and knew so much about him. He recalled hearing the captain and Beverly mention reading his profile and guessed they got it from the ship's database, although he couldn't imagine why they'd have that photo or such in depth personal information about him in it.
Beverly then pleased him even more by giving him his own combadge. He already knew how to use it, having seen several members of the crew communicating with each other using one. He put it on his sweater, tapped it and said "Bailey to Crusher" she laughed at him as he continued looking around the room; obviously feeling like a kid in a candy store!
Just before Beverly left she said to Nigel "you know when you slept in sickbay I gave you something to help you sleep at night."
"Yes I know" Nigel replied.
"Well sweetie, now that you've been on board for a little while, and have your own room, I'd like to see if you can sleep without it. You should try having a warm glass of milk before you retire but, of course, if you really find it difficult to sleep or, as I said before, if you feel insecure; just press the alarm, OK?" the doctor said, hoping she wasn't being a little premature with this, after all it wasn't that long ago that Nigel was terrified of everything. He appeared to be perfectly happy about things now, although he was actually only half listening to what she was saying; he was so excited about his incredible room.
"Thanks doctor, I'll be fine, see you later" he said, as she turned and left him to enjoy his luxurious quarters.
He immediately went back into his bedroom and picked up his polar bear, which caused reality to strike again, as he remembered what Jean Luc had said about Sydney and Preston. He thought about what they might be doing back on Earth and felt quite upset. However, not being able to do a thing about it, he refused to allow his brother to spoil his day and began reading one of the books he'd asked for. The one he chose was very rare and he'd never been able to find a copy at home, so that soon took his mind off Preston.
When Dr Crusher got back to sickbay she suddenly recalled, from Nigel's autobiography, that he'd suffered with nightmares for many years. She tried to remember the details and believed that she'd read they'd more or less stopped by the time he was 23; as he'd had some sort of therapy. She was, therefore, hoping he wouldn't have a recurrence now that he was on a starship, in a strange room, completely on his own and free of her special sleeping potion! She tried not to worry, realising Nigel would just call her if he needed help.
Picking up her PADD she continued looking through the documents that she'd started to read before Nigel came back from engineering. Those documents were vitally important if Nigel was going to be returned to Earth in the same brilliantly clever state that he'd left it!
PLEASE REVIEW! In the next chapter you will find out how things progressed between Sydney and Preston, plus Nigel meets Worf and is shocked by Sydney!