Chapter 19

"Where are we?" Geordi shouted as they appeared in the middle of a busy junction filled with carriages and horses.

"Picadilly Circus." Data replied and adjusted the settings on his phaser.

"It can't be. I've been there in our century. Where's the statue?" Geordi argued as he looked around. "Eros?"

"It is in fact a statue of Anteros, the god Eros' brother although colloquially that is how the statue is known. They will not erect the Shaftesbury Memorial Statue until next year." Data advised. "1892"

"I don't see them." Geordi frowned. "Is this the right place?" Data flipped open his tricorder, ignoring the alarmed looks they were drawing from passers by.

"This way." he shouted and dodged the traffic on the junction as he ran across it. Geordi hot on his heels.

"I really hope they aren't in the middle of a matinee." Geordi shouted as they ran into the Criterion Theatre. They headed down to the underground auditorium at a run and burst through the doors, pelting down the central aisle through the stalls. A handful of actors on the stage were rehearsing a play Data recognised as 'A School for Scandal' by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, a play Dr Crusher's theatre group had performed on the Enterprise. "Up there!" Geordi yelled and they both fired their phasers at a Jem'Hadar sniper in one of the private boxes. He fell and landed spread-eagled across the seats before he could fire his rifle. "Is that it?" Geordi asked, looking around as Data checked his tricorder.

"I am reading only Human biosignals in this vicinity." Data replied. "Apologies for the interruption. Please continue." Data smiled briefly at the actors and they walked back down the aisle. Andrews met them in the foyer and pressed a button on his wrist without a word.

"Here we go again." Geordi stated. They were back in the ready room. Geordi checked his collar. "Well I'm not an Admiral, but I haven't been demoted." he smirked.

"I am a Commander again." Data confirmed.

"Apologies gentlemen." Picard stated as he entered and took his seat. "This diplomatic mission is proving to be more complex than I anticipated. Counsellor Fraser is currently pouring oil on troubled waters. So, what do you think?"

Data and Geordi looked at each other. Could they have corrected the timeline?

"About what sir?" Data asked.

"Should I give Mrs Picard the sapphire earrings or the chrome diopsides for her birthday?" Picard asked indicating the two boxes on his desk. "The sapphires match her eyes but the diopsides…green really suits her, Beverly always looks stunning in green." he mused with a wry smile.

"I like them both." Geordi shrugged.

"Could you not, give her one pair and save the others for another occasion?" Data suggested. "The fact you are finding it difficult to choose may indicate both would be appropriate gifts."

"You know, you're right." Picard smiled. "Our anniversary isn't far off. Thank you, Number One."

"Engineering to Commander LaForge."

"Go ahead." Geordi stated.

"We've had a power surge on Deck 8 again. Lieutenant Barclay has gone to take a look but I thought I should let you know as Holodeck 4's safeties are offline and the door is seized shut and there appears to be one of the delegates trapped inside."

"I'm sure Barclay can handle it, but please keep me informed. La Forge out."

"That will be all gentlemen, I don't wish to keep you from your duties." Picard intoned.

The two officers stepped out onto the Bridge. "So much for correcting the timeline if we have a Barclay on board. The question is…which Barclay is it? Taryn or Reg?" Geordi asked his friend.

"We should examine the crew roster and the historical database." Data stated.

…

Barclay sighed as he yanked the panel off that was next to the door. He dropped to one knee, looked at the locking mechanism and tutted. This was the fifth time the power couple on this deck had blown that week and scrambled the protocols on the holodecks. At least this time it was just the one hologrid involved. He opened his toolkit when the door suddenly opened on its own.

"Oh, hello." it was a gentle contralto voice. "I hotwired the door, I hope you don't mind?"

He looked up and saw a jade skinned woman in a crop top and tight capri pants crouched in the arch, her raven hair tied back in a braid that emerged from high on her head. "That's quite alrigh…your nose is bleeding." he said with alarm and noticed her face was bruised. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine really. I was on the asymmetric bars. I was about to catch the upper bar when it de-rendered along with the crash mat and I hit the deck face first. The safeties must have gone offline." she said, pressing the back of her powdery hand to her nose and examining it. "By the way, there's a faulty cluster of emitters on this hologrid. It's probably what caused the power to fluctuate."

"You…know about…hologrids?" Reg looked at her with a stunned expression.

"I know a little about them, yes." She smiled warmly at him.

"We've been trying to diagnose the power problem on this deck for nearly a week." he mused. "How did I miss that? I…I…I should take you to Sickbay." he told her as she stood, picked up her chalky hand guards and joined him in the corridor. "You're from the Orion delegation?" he asked as he walked beside her holding his toolkit.

"Yes. How did you guess?" She gave him a cheeky smile.

He laughed nervously. "Asymmetric bars? You're a gymnast?"

"I used to be. When I was younger."

"You have an English accent?"

"I lived in England until I was thirteen. I'm half Human." she explained.

"I didn't think that was possible." he frowned.

"My grandfather is Vulcan, it made the genes work somehow."

"Oh, your…" he touched his ear.

"Ears yes. I'm afraid I don't know your name?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Barclay, Lieutenant Reginald Barclay." he replied awkwardly.

"Taryn." She smiled and offered her hand. He shook it nervously and for far longer than was really appropriate.

"Oh sorry." he muttered and released her hand. He rubbed the back of his head distractedly, unaware he was now covered in chalk there. "So where did you learn so much about holo technology?"

"I've always had a knack for fixing things. I wanted to be an Operations Officer on a Starship when I was young. I had a place at the Daystrom Institute and planned to join Starfleet after but when I started producing pheromones it was too complicated so my parents sent me to live with my grandmother on Barin Prime instead." she explained. "I got my degree via distance learning in the end and qualified as an engineer, but it's a hobby really."

"I went to Daystrom. I studied Computer Systems before I joined up." he told her as they entered the turbo lift. "Deck Seven. So, are you part of a Tahedri's household?"

"Yes. The Barins." she replied with a smile. "Will you be attending the concert this evening?" she asked.

"I…I wasn't planning to." he replied as the doors opened and they stepped into the corridor towards sick bay.

"My twin brother will be playing the cello. He's very good. Of course if you had other plans…"

"No…I…" he forced a smile. "I d…don't often go to social gatherings."

"I don't blame you. These diplomatic functions can be so stuffy, but I'm told it will be quite informal. I'll keep you company if you decide to go?" She stopped outside the doors to Sickbay. "Thank you for escorting me Lieutenant. It was nice to meet you."

"You're welcome. I hope you're okay." He smiled nervously and watched as she smiled shyly then turned and entered Sickbay. Reg sighed and wondered idly what position she held in the Tahedri's entourage. She looked lean and toned, she could be a dancer although the scuttlebutt was even the servants looked like goddesses in the Orion delegation. She was certainly remarkable and not at all what he expected a Green woman to be like, but then she was half Human.

…

"Okay, what did you find?" Geordi asked as he and Guinan sat in Data's quarters.

"Although initially the differences in this timeline appeared minimal there has been a devastating effect on this reality." Data explained. "We are at war with the Dominion, our losses have been substantial and our tactical position weak." He flicked his gaze between the two of them. "Bajor has still fallen into the hands of the Dominion along with Memory Alpha. Reginald Barclay refused the secondment to Jupiter Station, he said it would be wrong to leave the ship in a time of war. He did not transfer to the Communications Research Centre. Voyager is still lost and as contact was not made The Doctor was not transmitted to Jupiter Station from the Delta Quadrant and Dr Zimmerman died of a disease of unknown cause. As he is not working as a teacher the loss of the knowledge he would impart…"

"I get it Data." Geordi stated. "We need to restore the timeline as the Oracle said, at the root."

Data nodded. "Our current mission is diplomatic in nature. We are transporting delegates from societies not yet affected by the threat of the Dominion and a number of Federation member worlds to crisis talks on Earth in the hope of convincing them to offer their support. The largest group are the Orions who have sent representatives from the Eight Caju on this and a number of ships. There have been suspicions for some time that the Orion Syndicate has been in negotiation with the Dominion."

"But Orion has always been a neutral power?" Geordi stated.

"It is hoped that with the support of the un-syndicated Orions, the Ferengi and the Gorn we may be able to halt the spread of the Dominion, perhaps even drive them back." Data replied. "The smallest Orion delegation is ironically the most influential. The Tahedri of the Caj Barin is a noted orator and is expected to support the Federation's request for assistance. It is hoped that their presentation will encourage the other Caju to follow suit. Grand Nagus Rom is also known to have Federation sympathies and his wife is Bajoran but the Ferengi Consortium alone will not be sufficient to turn the tide."

"So it all comes down to Taryn's grandmother?" Geordi asked.

"Edara died from complications following Levodian flu fourteen years ago." Data stated.

"So who is the Tahedri?" Geordi asked. "Nareev? One of Taryn's uncles?"

"Taryn is the Tahedri. I was not the pilot who took her father to Mars the day I joined the Enterprise. No one suggested she use Vulcan techniques to control her pheromones and the presence of a pubescent Orion female studying at the Daystrom Institute was deemed to be untenable. She was sent to live on Barin Prime at the age of thirteen. She became Tahedri two years later." Data explained.

"At fifteen?" Geordi asked incredulously. "So how are you here if she never recovered your matrix?" Geordi asked.

"There was no Battle of Bassen Rift and I could find no reference to Shinzon in the historical database." Data tilted his head. "I can only assume with the Romulan Star Empire involved in a non-aggression pact with the Dominion he was unable to stage a coup and take over as Praetor and died on Remus from his progressive medical condition."

"I assumed in other timelines that your aging program wasn't reset. Are you saying it was your original body?" Geordi asked.

"I did not ascertain which body I was occupying." Data argued. "I am uncertain as to how we are occupying the bodies of our doubles in this timeline and it seemed redundant."

"So what do we do now?" Guinan asked.

"There is little we can do besides wait until we reach Earth where there may be a way to return to 1891. I suggest we let this timeline play out until then and say nothing about our reality for now." Data stated.

"Well, I have a bar to run so I'd better get back to it. You know where I am if you need me." Guinan said and left the room with a smile.

"Finally you idiots are getting it." Andrews stated, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. "Now do you see what's at stake? For God's sake stop improvising and just do as I tell you."

"You could have turned up and helped in the other timelines." Geordi argued. "I thought that was your job."

"I'm not here to hold your hand La Forge." the temporal agent told him.

"What are you here for?" Data asked.

"The powers that be want me to show you this." Andrews admitted and handed them a padd. Data's eyes widened and he handed it to Geordi.

"Interphasic torpedoes?" Geordi asked incredulously.

"A gift from the Jem'Hadar's mysterious benefactor." Andrews advised. "At the time of the incident at Waterloo Station that is what the Bastion was facing. It's possible the ramifications of that incursion could filter into present Jem'Hadar ships. You need to be prepared for the possibility."

"We need to destroy the Jem'Hadar ship in the past." Data realized. "Prevent them bringing their new technology to the present."

"Great, and how do we do that with them armed with interphasic torpedoes?" Geordi asked. "How can you defend against that?"

"We're working on that. History is sketchy on the subject. So far all we can come up with is Prior has the knowledge to solve it." Andrews stated. "And I'm not talking about the multiphasic resonance field thing she came up with on the Bastion, that's like fixing a disintegrating dam with chewing gum. Although it's noted that you two geniuses didn't come up with that or anything else."

"A field of that type between the hull and the shield would stop the torpedoes passing through the hull, but the damage would still be significant. But which Prior?" Geordi asked angrily. "Which timeline?"

Andrews shrugged. "All I can suggest is you ask any Prior you come across about it."

"Great," Geordi snapped. "Good evening Tahedri, would you mind looking at this data and coming up with a solution in between writing your speech to save what's left of the Federation and running your planet. While you're at it you could shove this broom up your ass and sweep the damn floor."

"There's no need to take that attitude, you prick." he snapped.

"You know, fuck you Andrews. You show up when you feel like it, drop your cryptic clues and vanish like a turd down the head. Daniels actually helped Captain Archer you know?" Geordi shouted.

"Yeah, well newsflash asshole, Archer you ain't." Andrews argued.

"Gentlemen…" Data began.

"Fuck you brethren, I'm out of here. I don't have to take this shit." Andrews stated and disappeared.

"Geordi…" Data began sympathetically.

"Say one thing about a clash of personalities and I'll experimentally refit your nuts with a plasma torch." Geordi snapped. "We don't need that sack of shit."

"Geordi…"

"Okay, I'm sorry, but that guy crawls right up my ass." Geordi defended.

…

"Hello again." Taryn smiled.

"Oh hello." Reg replied as he looked up. She was dressed for riding today, the jodhpurs and knee boots made him blush and that was before he got to her top. "I'm nearly done if you wanted to use the holodeck." He picked up another tool and adjusted it.

"Here, let me." she said holding out her hand. "This is a two-man job."

She was right, exchanging an emitter cluster was a pain on your own. He handed her the device and she placed it in exactly the right place to calibrate the new diode.

"You were right by the way." he told her as he adjusted another part of the cluster.

"We do have holo technology." she replied. "Admittedly most of it's stolen…" she smirked. "You won't get in trouble for letting me help will you?"

"I won't say anything if you don't." He smiled and they swapped tools and carried on working. "How was the concert?"

"I missed you there." she said. "I ended up sat between the Grand Nagus' brother and the Zakdorn envoy, one was trying to grope my leg and the other kept tutting. The music was good though, Commander Data is very talented."

"You…you wanted me to…" he looked at her wide-eyed. "You wanted me to go… with you?" he asked incredulously.

"It doesn't matter," she smiled warmly and handed him back the instrument in her hand as they were finished. "I'll be more direct the next time I ask you out."

"Why?" he asked looking horrified. "Why me?"

"You seem nice." she replied simply.

"But…I'm just an engineer."

"So?" she asked.

"But I'm nobody." he protested. "You're…well you're green."

Her lower lip quivered and her expression looked hurt. "Really? I never noticed. Everyone is somebody Mr Barclay, even you. You may be surprised to learn that even though I'm green and have the ears of a Vulcan I do have feelings." she replied angrily. "I'm sorry if I offended you. That wasn't my intention." She turned on her heel and stormed towards the door.

"I thought you wanted to run a program?"

"Shove your program up your arse!" she yelled over her shoulder.

…

"Reg, you've been distracted all day. Are you okay?" Geordi asked him.

"It's…it's nothing." Reg said and returned his stare to the screen and sighed heavily.

"Those readings aren't going to change if you just keep staring at them." Geordi stated.

"Sorry sir." Reg said and changed the parameters.

"How long have we worked together Mr Barclay?" Geordi asked.

"Well," Reg frowned, "fifteen years." He looked surprised at how long it had been.

"Fifteen years. And at any point in those fifteen years did you find that you couldn't come to me with a problem?" Geordi asked.

"No sir, but…it isn't about work. I'm sorry I've let it interfere with my duties, it won't happen again."

"Yes it will, because you're Human and you're a complex little Musketeer so tell Uncle Geordi all about it?"

"I met a girl." he blurted. "She asked me out and I didn't realise because… I'm an idiot. I offended her and now she's angry."

"And you like her?"

"She's lovely…and clever… and too young for me anyway." Reg shook his head and continued working at the console.

Geordi had the distinct feeling of déjà vu. "Who is she?"

"She's…she's from Barin Prime." Reg replied.

"She's part of the delegation?"

Reg nodded. "She said she was in the Tahedri's household, her name's Taryn."

Geordi felt relieved, at least it was the right girl, for an awful moment he thought Reg was talking about Barsha or some other girl. He was surprised at the course of events though. Not that they had met and were attracted to one another, some things were obviously meant to be. But this Reg didn't recognise her from the painting again and clearly didn't know she was the Tahedri. "And you offended her?"

"Yes, I…I couldn't understand why she'd be interested, with her being green and all and I said so. She'd already told me she wanted to study at Daystrom and join Starfleet but couldn't because her pheromones got in the way and…either I reopened that wound or maybe she thought I was being racist. She said… 'You can stick your program up your arse!' and stormed off the holodeck." Reg put on an English accent to quote her and Geordi laughed at his impression of her. "It's not funny. I hurt her feelings."

"So go and apologize." Geordi stated.

"It's not that simple." Reg argued.

"Isn't it?" Geordi asked. "It sounds as if she likes you if she got that pissed off about it."

…

Reg rubbed the back of his head. All he had to do is press the bell and ask to speak to her. Press the bell and ask to speak to her. He pressed the bell and braced himself. A two metre tall Orion male with dreadlocks opened the door. He was wearing a vest that resembled a net and tight leather trousers that were laced up the sides.

"Yes?" Nareev said coldly.

"M…may I speak with Taryn please?" Reg asked. He was out of uniform and dressed casually. A plain white cotton shirt and slacks.

He scowled and paused for a moment. "You'd better come in." the man replied.

A Vulcan male with similar features to Taryn nodded to him as he sat playing a guitar in the corner and a tall grey skinned female with cybernetic ocular implants dressed in a tight black leather cat suit lounged on a couch, she was reading and eating a fruit that seemed similar to an apple. He heard a growl and a large wolf padded towards him.

"Laika!" the grey woman said sternly and the wolf turned and looked at her. "She's the Tahedri's pet." she explained. "Don't growl at the Human. Be nice." she instructed.

"Yes?" Taryn said, emerging from a side room with the tall green male who flopped onto another couch. She was wearing a robe of some sort, like a diaphanous kaftan that fell to her knees. It was pretty and she wore a tight black body stocking beneath it and thigh boots. "You wanted to speak to me?" She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him coldly. She was clearly still angry with him.

He swallowed hard. "I…I wanted to apologize and I…well… I was thinking…I know you seem to use the holodeck around this time of day and…well…would you like to go riding?" he asked nervously. "With me I mean…on the holodeck…together." he added.

"I'd love to," she smiled. "Give me a moment to change. Please have a seat." She shot back into her room excitedly.

He sat uneasily and Laika rested her head on his knee.

"She likes you." a voice echoed in his head. It made him jump.

"What?" Reg exclaimed.

"I'm over here and you don't need to speak out loud. In fact, it's better if you don't. No offence but your thoughts are clearer than your words." Reg turned and looked at the man playing the guitar. "I said she likes you." Reg rubbed the head of the huge she-wolf and smiled at her. "I meant my sister not Laika, you pillock." The musician laughed silently at Reg's amazement. "You haven't a clue have you?"

"Turn back your cuffs and open your collar another button." The grey woman stated as she looked at him appraisingly. "She likes that." she advised him and exchanged looks with Taryn's brother. Reg gave her a questioning look and she nodded sincerely so he did as she suggested.

"Sorry to keep you." Taryn smiled as she emerged in her riding gear. Reg stood and they headed for the holodeck. She arched a brow as she noticed his dress seemed more relaxed and her smile deepened.

"How long have you been riding?" she asked as they cantered through a woodland scene. He was riding a palomino Quarter Horse and she chose a white Andalusian.

"Since I was a kid. My parents were… antagonistic so my Dad took me riding because my mother hated it. My mother seemed to hate everything he loved." "Me included." he added silently.

"I don't get to ride as often as I'd like. I don't usually have the time." She patted her horse's neck and smiled at the response. "This program is very nuanced. You could believe these horses were real."

"Thank you, I spent a lot of time on them. This simulation is part of a Three Musketeer's program I wrote but I gave d'Artagnan and company the morning off."

She smiled. "It's very good. The riding program at the palace on Barin Prime is rubbish, but there are real horses at the Hunting Lodge, Friesians. My Human grandmother is a riding instructor on Earth. I've always been around horses." She looked up as there was a clap of thunder in the distance and her horse skittered.

"I'm going to kill Ensign Ashby." Reg intoned.

"Who?"

"He…well…he thinks it's funny to mess with my programs. Especially the weather." It started to rain heavily and a bolt of lightning hit a nearby tree. Reg's simulated horse protested. He'd written the code for them to respond to stimulus in the same way as a real horse. Taryn's horse reared and bolted, panicking at the storm. "End program." he ordered and nothing happened. "Computer end program." He swore and kicked his horse to follow her. The Andalusian bucked and she clung on, clearly an experienced rider but it ran for low arch in a hedge and she was knocked from the saddle. Her foot caught in the stirrup and she was dragged bouncing along the ground, her shoulders taking the brunt of the punishment. He ducked under the arch in the hedge, keeping his distance as should she come loose he'd be on top of her in seconds. For her to be dragged like this his idiot colleague had messed up the safety protocols when he hacked the program.

Her foot came free and she lay like a ragdoll on the path in front of him. He dismounted, the rain still beating down and ran to her.

"Don't be dead, please don't be dead." he whispered as he tapped his communicator. "Medical emergency Holodeck 1." He knelt at her side. "Don't move." he said as she tried to get up. He took hold of her head and neck to immobilise it.

"I'm fine." she argued.

"You can't be fine after that." he told her. "Just hold still. Did you get kicked or trod on?"

She grasped his wrists. "It's okay, I'm okay." she assured him. "I'm a bit bruised and scraped and I think I twisted my ankle but nothing's broken. Let me sit up or I'm going to drown." She smiled at him reassuringly.

She had a point, the ground was awash, there was a flash flood. He gently let her sit, still holding her face in his hands. "Computer end program." he gazed into her eyes, "Computer arch." When nothing happened he winced. "Barclay to Commander LaForge." She grabbed the front of his now transparent shirt and kissed him, her lips felt soft and wet against his, soaked from the rain. He took her in his arms as he kissed her back, his pulse ringing in his ears, his heart beating fast in his chest as lightning lit up the dark sky above them, ignoring Geordi's response to his call.

"Ahem." Beverly arched a brow at them. Reg pulled away from her both guiltily and reluctantly.

"Doctor, she was thrown from a horse and dragged with her foot in the stirrup. It was at least twenty metres or more." Reg told her and wiped his face, it was still raining.

"I see, remind me to book you in for a refresher course in CPR. That isn't how you give mouth to mouth Lieutenant." She smirked as she scanned her. "Are you injured Reg?"

"No, but Ashby will be when I catch him. He must have destabilized the program." He stood and went to the arch that activated when the doctor opened the door. He yanked off a panel and pulled out a chip, recoiling as it was hot and the simulation ended. They were all still drenched to the skin with replicated water however. "Is she okay?" he asked as he examined a readout of the program.

"She'll be fine." Beverly smiled at him, her hair wet and plastered to her face. He nodded and stalked away, leaving a trail of water behind him.

"It seems my Mr Darcy has better things to do." Taryn said, chewing her lip.

"I always saw him as more of a Colonel Brandon than a Mr Darcy, Tahedri, despite the shirt." the doctor stated and helped her to her feet. "Forgive me for saying this but please don't take advantage of him? He's not the sort of man you can treat as a plaything."

"I know, that's why I like him. I assure you my interest is genuine Doctor." She smiled shyly and hobbled towards the exit with the doctor's support.

Author's note.

In case it isn't obvious, Mr Darcy and Col Brandon are from Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility respectively by Jane Austin. I don't own them.