Author's Note: Thank you for reading!

This was such a pleasure to write! I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed weaving it together. This is intended to be a fun, light-hearted story with a mystery and a bit of fluff.

This story involves an ensemble cast and based on the notion of the crew participating in a murder mystery. If you've never participated in one, the general concept is that participants assume a character role and work together to find clues and solve the case.

As there a lot of moving pieces with that, I've tried to 'set the stage' in this first chapter.

It's set in the same universe as my series The Complication but can stand alone.

This story is short - only a few chapters. If you reach the end and find you've enjoyed it, I encourage you to check out the other parts of The Complication series.


When Tasha had first approached Data about his 'birthday' he had been intrigued by the idea. He had never celebrated a birthday before because, truth be told, he had no idea what his birthday was.

Tasha knew that – but she had an idea.

"Why not celebrate the day of your activation as your birthday? Or you could pick a day? You could pick any day you like, Data. But I think you should pick a birthday," Tasha suggested.

"My condition does not alter with the passage of time, Tasha. I have no biological need for a birthday," Data stated.

"You know on Turkana we don't celebrate birthdays. I don't even know what day I was actually born," Tasha told him.

"But your Starfleet personnel file states the date of your birth," Data said, confused.

"I chose a birthday," Tasha replied.

Data cocked his head to the side for a moment as he considered this information.

He accessed his information database on the concept of birthdays and found it was relatively common practise across many cultures. Humans throughout the universe celebrated the date of their birth often with parties or celebrations. For Klingons, the date of birth was a solitary celebration of reflection and meditation. The humanoid Trivoons of Kresis III celebrated a child's first day of speech and marked the occasion with an annual celebration. And on Beloran-Sengay, the people engaged in an elaborate three-day gift exchange deeply rooted in ritual to celebrate a loved one's date of birth.

"Tasha, how did you choose? More specifically, how did you settle on one date? Was there significance in your choice or did you employ a method to randomly select a date?" Data inquired.

It seemed like this was a rather large decision.

"I chose the date Starfleet found me," Tasha informed him. "Seemed as good a date as any."

He decided to ruminate on the idea.

Data talked it over with Geordi, asked Commander Riker, and spoke at length with Deanna.

He had reached a decision.

After all, it seemed like the concept of a 'birthday' was a key part of the human experience.


"I have decided that I would like to celebrate a birthday," Data said.

Tasha was sitting on the sofa in her quarters, legs tucked up under her, reading casually from her PADD.

At Data's words, she set her PADD down and eagerly moved to snuggle on his side of the sofa.

"What day did you pick?" she asked.

"I have chosen the date of my activation," Data said. "It seemed the most appropriate choice. And it conveniently falls during the seventy-two hours of shore leave we have coming up once we reach Starbase 515."

"What would you like to do for your first birthday?" she inquired.

Data had given considerable thought to that subject. With his passion for the mystery detective stories of Dixon Hill and Sherlock Holmes, Data's interest had naturally progressed to include other detective and mystery stories as of late.

He'd worked his way through the exploits of Agatha Christie's plays, the likes of Phillip Marlowe and Sam Spade, the Father Brown Mysteries, and Inspector Clouseau.

"In my study of human traditions surrounding birthday celebrations, I have discovered it is customary to celebrate with friends. After considerable reflection, I believe that a mystery holodeck program would provide an entertaining evening," Data explained.

Tasha's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Let me guess, you'd play the part of the inspector?" Tasha teased.

"Perhaps," Data shrugged.

As they talked about it, it became obvious that Data was very keen on wanting to solve a mystery. And if he were to write the holodeck programme, it would be impossible for him to enjoy figuring it out.

Tasha got a wickedly brilliant idea.

"Data, why don't you let someone else set up the program?" Tasha said with a grin.

Data cocked his head to the side as he considered her proposition.

"I believe that would be acceptable," Data said clinically before turning to her and giving her a wink.

Tasha playfully swatted his arm.

He had been working on developing a sense of humour and his latest fixation had been to state something in an overly serious tone before smiling or winking.

"Well, let me do some work on that front," Tasha said. "Have you thought about who you'd like to invite?"


The next day, Tasha caught Geordi down in Main Engineering after the end of her shift.

"Data's birthday?" Geordi asked with a grin as she finished explaining the plan. "Tasha, that's fantastic!"

"So, you'll help me set it up?" Tasha asked.

"Yes. And I know just the person to bring in," Geordi said. "If you're OK with that?"

Tasha shrugged.

"Of course!" she replied.

Tasha wanted this to be extraordinary. It was Data's first 'birthday' and she really wanted to be sure it was a smashing success. Any help Geordi or his source could offer was quite welcome.

"Let's meet tomorrow in Ten Forward and we can brainstorm," Geordi suggested.

"I can't do tomorrow. It's the monthly recertification for phaser rifle training and I'm teaching the course," Tasha said.

"And I've got a maintenance sweep the day after," Geordi said as he put his hands on his hips.

"We could meet the day after that," Tasha proposed.

"That would only leave us a few days to figure out the specifics of the program," Geordi said. "Which is cutting it pretty close."

"I suppose it's the best we can do," Tasha said. "Besides, we always work best when the odds are against us."

Tasha headed out of Main Engineering and Geordi got back to work on the computer.

A short time later, beta shift came on and Geordi caught just the man he was after.

"Hey Reg," Geordi said as he waved for Reginald Barclay to join him.

"What can I do for you, sir?" Reg asked as he fidgeted back and forth on his feet.

"I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me with a little project. It would be strictly off hours and we're going to be on a time crunch," Geordi explained.

"What do you need help with?" Reg queried.

"It's a holodeck programme," Geordi informed him.

Reg's eyes lit up.


Three days later, Data returned to his quarters following his shift on night watch on the Bridge. He had a few hours before he needed to return to the Bridge and decided to use the time to finish some reports. With shore leave coming up, he wanted to be finished with all his outstanding work before they landed at Starbase 515.

They were due to arrive in two days.

As he stepped over to his workstation, Data discovered there was a box sitting on the top. There was a small tag on the twine strung around the box that read 'Data.'

Deducing the package was likely from Tasha, he delicately removed the twine and wrapping.

Inside, there was a note on top of a stack of neatly folded clothing.

You are cordially invited to stay the night as part of a Murder Mystery birthday celebration

in your honour

Stardate 42089 | 17:00

Holodeck 2 | Starbase 515

All of the items necessary for your adventure await you in this box

Data's synthetic breath hitched. He turned over the note and read the backside.

Dearest Data,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Inspector Fury.

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are the inscrutable Inspector Fury. You're best known for your eccentric methods and unmatched ability to deduce complex puzzles. You are temporarily on holiday, visiting your friend Lord Moran. You are there to partake in the engagement celebration of his daughter, Natalie, with whom you have carried on a covert affair for years. Your nemesis is the master criminal, Professor Mith. Recently, there have been rumours that he has slipped past authorities and back into the country.

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

Data was impressed. They were only two days away from arriving at the Starbase. There had been little time to put together the details of the party.

Despite the limited time, it appeared Tasha had pulled it off.


A few hours later, Tasha

woke up and got out of bed. She threw on her dressing gown and headed out to the main room of her quarters.

As the door slid open, she noticed a brown package sitting on the floor in the middle of the room. Padding across the carpet, she inspected the object. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied with a piece of twine. There was a note tag tied to the twine that simply read 'Natasha.'

She grabbed her tricorder from her shelf and proceeded to scan the item. It didn't register as containing anything dangerous.

"Computer, has anyone been in my quarters in the last seven hours?" she asked.

"The only person in these quarters in the last seven hours has been Lieutenant Natasha Yar," the computer answered.

Tasha crossed her arms as she tried to figure out what this could be. Obviously, it had been beamed into her quarters.

But who? She asked herself.

Deciding there was only one way to find out, Tasha picked up the box.

Inside there was a note on top (which she read first).

You are cordially invited to stay the night as part of a Murder Mystery birthday celebration

In honour of Lieutenant Commander Data

Stardate 42089 | 17:00

Holodeck 2 | Starbase 515

All of the items necessary for your adventure await you in this box

Tasha flipped it over and read the backside.

Dearest Natasha,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Natalie Moran.

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are the adventurous and rebellious daughter of Lord Thomas Moran. You long to be free of your responsibilities as heir of the Moran estate. You are a skilled aviatrix and mariner and long to explore the world with your best friend and navigator Professor Claybourne La Roux. You are unhappily engaged to the awkward and bumbling Duke Remington Finley. Therefore, you must hide your affair with the intriguing and rakishly handsome Inspector Fury from your father. You suspect there is more to this marriage that you're letting on. You know the estate is in trouble but your father has been quite secretive since the mysterious death of your mother several months earlier.

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

Tasha bit her lip to keep from laughing.

She didn't know how Geordi and his source had managed to turn this around on such short notice, but it was simply perfect.

And a whole three days? She said to herself.

She had never envisioned such an experience, but she liked the sound of it.

In particular, she liked the sound of the rakishly handsome Inspector Fury who she guessed was likely to be a certain android.

Sitting down on her sofa, she dug through the remaining contents of the box.

Tasha was blown away – they had even sent period appropriate costumes for the duration of the event. Most curiously, her box also contained a 1939 map of the South Pacific and an ancient compass.

She was going to owe Geordi for this, big time.


Two decks up, Wesley Crusher was staring at two boxes that were sitting on the table of the Crusher family quarters.

"Mom?" he called out. "Mom? Come here a minute!"

Beverly, still groggy without her morning coffee, poked her head out of the doorway that led to her bedroom.

"Check this out," Wes said as he pointed at the boxes on the table.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I have no idea," Wesley informed her.

He had been the last one to go to sleep the night before, having stayed up late working through readouts from his latest experiment for his thermodynamics class. The packages weren't there when he'd gone to bed several hours earlier.

"Interesting," Beverly said as she examined them – two identical packages wrapped in brown paper.

Ripping open the one addressed to 'My Dear Doctor' she smiled as she read the attached note.

"My Dear Doctor, you are cordially invited to stay the night as part of a murder mystery birthday celebration in honour of Lieutenant Commander Data," she read aloud.

Wesley made quick work of opening the package that had been addressed to him. He had never attended a murder mystery party before and was excited at the prospect of being included for Data's birthday.

"Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case," he said as he read through the note.

His eyes grew wider as he continued to scan the message.

"Mom, can we please go?" he asked excitedly.

"I think this sounds marvellous," Beverly replied.

My Dear Doctor,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Marlowe Mansfield.

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are the famous entertainer Marlowe Mansfield. You are equally well-known for both your portrayal of 'bombshell' characters on the stage and screen as well as your numerous off-screen love affairs. Once at the top of your craft, your star is fading. Disillusioned with Hollywood, you have fled to the country estate of your long-time friend, Lord Moran to hide a dark secret. Months ago, Lady Moran died under mysterious circumstances. On the night in question, you shared a night of passion with Lord Moran. Unbeknownst to Lord Moran, you are secretly carrying his child.

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

As she inspected the rest of the contents of the box she discovered a small locket.

"Interesting," Beverly said as she twirled the locket between her fingers.

Curiously, it was locked.

"Mom, look at this," Wesley said as he held up a small, red sphere.

He tossed it in the air briefly and caught it again. He stretched out his arm and handed the object over to his mother.

"I think this is a cricket ball, Wes," Beverly said as she studied it.

"Cricket?" he asked.

"It's a sport," Beverly explained. "Although not terribly popular anymore. Gran Howard used to take me to test matches on Caldos colony."

"But I don't know how to play," Wesley said as Beverly handed him the ball back.

"Maybe you don't have to. What does your invitation say?" she asked.

"Dear Young Wesley, upon your arrival you will assume the role of Wyatt Roderick IV," Wesley said as he read from his card. "You are a bright and precocious student attending the prestigious Woolton Boys Academy Prep School. For many years it has been just you and your father, Colonel Wyatt Roderick III. Your mother died when you were young. You are aware of your father's secret relationship with-"

Wes suddenly stopped.

"Well?" Beverly asked, excited to learn the rest.

"I don't think I'm supposed to say," Wesley said. "I mean, I'm not sure I should tell you yet."

"C'mon, let's see!" Beverly said as she tried to grab the note from his hand.

"Mom! It could be part of the mystery. I don't want to spoil Mr Data's birthday," Wesley said as he stuffed the note back into the box.

"I suppose you are right," Beverly said.

"Well, it does say I'm bright," Wesley teased.


Geordi was walking to the table in the main room of his quarters when he tripped over something that hadn't been there when he'd gone to bed.

"What in the world?" he asked aloud as he bent down and found a rectangular box on the floor.

Geordi carried it over to his table and picked up his VISOR.

Carefully, removing the twine and brown paper, Geordi opened the package to discover a note on top of a pile of clothing. His VISOR also detected there was something else in the box.

Reaching to the bottom of the package he delicately removed a round bronze object.

"Well, hello," Geordi said with astonishment.

He knew exactly what it was.

But he hadn't seen one in many years.

It was an astrolabe, an astronomical instrument used by ancient earth navigators. Functioning as a handheld model of the universe, the device was used to determine latitude, triangulate location, and measure the altitude above the horizon.

The last time Geordi had seen an astrolabe was the one encased in glass at Starfleet Academy as part of a display on ancient earth celestial navigation.

Geordi set the astrolabe down on his table and picked up the note contained within the box.

You are cordially invited to stay the night as part of a Murder Mystery birthday celebration

In honour of Lieutenant Commander Data

Stardate 42089 | 17:00

Holodeck 2 | Starbase 515

All of the items necessary for your adventure await you in this box

Reg had really come through! Geordi smiled to himself.

When he'd first approached Reg with the concept, he'd been enthusiastic about helping with the project. Reg had offered to look into the holodeck on Starbase 515 and had asked for a guest list, but he didn't expect that he'd do all the work himself.

However, looking through the contents of the box, it appeared that everything was taken care of.

Furthermore, it looked terrific.

Dearest Geordi,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Professor Claybourne La Roux.

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are the studious and worldly Professor Claybourne La Roux. A renowned explorer, your talent is second to none. Your exploits include polar expeditions, round-the-world adventures, discoveries of ancient civilisations, and traipsing through the jungles of the Amazon. As of late, you've been the navigator for your best friend, Lady Natalie Moran. As you patiently wait and prepare to embark on your next adventure, you are temporarily staying at the home of Lord Moran. Recently, you seem to have caught the attention of the mysterious escort, Miss Bettie St James.

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

"Hmmmm," Geordi said aloud as he sat down and scratched his head.

He knew Reg was imaginative, but this blew his expectations out of the water. He hadn't expected this kind of attention to detail or timeliness from a man that struggled with practicality and time management.

Geordi shrugged.

Maybe Reg Barclay had just needed the right project to show off his skills.


Deanna had been up for about twenty minutes. She'd had her morning cuppa and was now getting ready for the day. She sat down at her vanity. As she began brushing her hair, she noticed a package resting on the ledge of her window. She could see it in the mirror.

She set her brush down, got up, and walked over to the window.

"What is this?" she asked herself aloud.

There was a tag looped through the twine that encircled the package that simply read 'Deanna.'

Well, it wasn't from her Imzadi. She thought to herself – he wouldn't have labelled it as such.

Whenever they had given one another gifts, it was always addressed to the other's Imzadi.

Curious, she opened the box.

You are cordially invited to stay the night as part of a Murder Mystery birthday celebration

In honour of Lieutenant Commander Data

Stardate 42089 | 17:00

Holodeck 2 | Starbase 515

All of the items necessary for your adventure await you in this box

Deanna clasped her hand over her mouth and grinned.

Several weeks earlier, Tasha had shared with Deanna that she wanted to do something special for Data. Since his relationship with Tasha had begun, he'd made significant strides toward his goal of the 'human experience.'

After discussing the matter at length, Deanna had suggested the idea of a birthday.

After all, what could be a more shared human experience?

Dear Deanna,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Contessa Vittoria Farnese.

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are the enigmatic Contessa Vittoria Farnese. You have the uncanny ability to bring out the best in people. People trust you and you can use that to your advantage to learn their darkest secrets. Fabulously wealthy, you spend most of your time enjoying the pleasures of life. However, this cannot make up for strained relationship with your husband, Count Farnese, who has chosen to remain on the continent. You regret that you must hide your affair with your one true love, Colonel Roderick. You are at the Moran estate to attend the engagement party of your brother, Lord Remington Finley.

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

Deanna shook her head in amusement - leave it to Data to come up with something like this.

Inside the box, there was a series of costumes for the duration of the event. Rummaging through the jewellery and fur, Deanna thought this was a little over-the-top. Nonetheless, it sounded like the perfect distraction for a few days.

She pulled out a gaudy necklace that was on the bottom of the package. It looked like something her mother would wear.

That's some statement piece. She mused.


Will Riker had fallen asleep on the sofa in his quarters.

A sore back from Parrises Squares the night before had woken him up in the wee hours of the morning. Seeing as he was up, he'd decided to dive into the latest book he was working through.

But that had been several hours ago. And it seemed, despite the soreness, he'd managed to fall asleep while reading.

As his eyes fluttered open, he spotted something sitting on the low table in front of his sofa.

Reaching out, he tipped the long, strange package toward himself so he could see the tag on the top.

It simply read 'Riker.'

Now fully awake, he sat up and tore into the wrapping.

You are cordially invited to stay the night as part of a Murder Mystery birthday celebration

In honour of Lieutenant Commander Data

Stardate 42089 | 17:00

Holodeck 2 | Starbase 515

All of the items necessary for your adventure await you in this box

A wide smile spread across his face.

Will set the note down on the table and began to inspect the items contained in the box. There was a Harris tweed jacket, a bold tie, and a smart looking flat cap.

Now this is more my style! Riker said as he pulled out a bright red smoking jacket.

At the bottom of the box, there was a ceremonial sabre.

That was the last item in the box.

He picked the note up and flipped it over, as he realised there were additional instructions on the back.

Dear Commander Riker,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Colonel Wyatt Roderick III.

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are the rogue Colonel Wyatt Roderick III. Dashing and wry, you are and old friend of Lord Moran. You rely on charm and conversation to solve the mystery. A widower, you are raising your son Wyatt IV alone. Somehow, you have inexplicably avoided remarrying for years. Although rumours have swirled surrounding the nature of your relationship with the Contessa Vittoria Farnese, you refuse to comment on the matter. Underneath your handsome façade, you are harbouring a dark secret. At Lord Moran's request, you discovered his late wife was deeply in debt to Blackjack Murphy. You have entrusted your oldest confident and friend, your bodyguard, with the key to Lady Moran's murder.

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

Riker laughed aloud. This was all too much – the setting, Colonels, Contessas, secrets.

You've really outdone yourself, Data! Riker thought to himself.


Miles was just about to dive into a plate of replicated sausages when his door chimed.

"Come on in!" he called out.

The door slid open, and Keiko stepped inside.

"Keiko!" he said brightly.

Miles set down his fork and started to get up.

"You're fine, Miles," Keiko said, waving her hand to indicate he didn't need to get up.

"Well, can I get you anything?" he offered.

Keiko shook her head as she approached his table. She took a seat across from him.

"I found this in my quarters this morning. You didn't have to get me anything," she said as she set the box on the table.

It had a tag labelled 'Professor Keiko Ishikawa.'

"I thought I'd come open it with you so I could thank you," she explained.

"But Keiko, I didn't," Miles gestured to the package, shaking his head.

"Oh, and I'm supposed to believe someone else left this in my quarters this morning?" Keiko teased.

Miles bent over and pulled something off the floor. A second later he re-emerged and set an identical brown box on the table.

"Aye," he said simply.

"Well, if you didn't-" Keiko said as she racked her brain.

"There's only one way to find out," Miles said.

The opened the packages simultaneously. Keiko smiled brightly as she read the details of Data's upcoming birthday celebration.

It had been a long time since she'd participated in a murder mystery, but Keiko shared Data's love of mystery literature and plays. Upon arriving aboard the Enterprise, Data was the first person she'd met. He had been so kind to the civilian botanist that the two had struck up a fast friendship. He'd never celebrated a birthday before, but she was thrilled to see was going to this year.

And she couldn't think of a better way to spend three days of shore leave than with both her friends and Miles.

Dear Professor Keiko Ishikawa,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Miss Barbara Collins.

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are the prestigious Miss Barbara Collins. A wealthy heiress, you are famous debutante that is known to bump elbows with both traditional aristocrats and Hollywood royalty. Much to the chagrin of your family, you've been seeing the notorious Blackjack Murphy as of late. A lover of crime novels, you are eager to put your skills to the test. Unbeknownst to anyone else, you are secretly employed by "The High Roller" as an undercover spy investigating Blackjack Murphy.

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

"Let me take a guess, you're Blackjack Murphy?" Keiko teased.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Collins," Miles winked.

He picked up his note and began to read it aloud.

"You are the devious Blackjack Murphy. A businessman by trade, you've got ties with everyone from the Russian mob to heads of state. Your numerous connections have left you in a unique position to -" Miles started to say but Keiko cut him off.

"Miles!" she chastised. "You're supposed to keep some of that information secret."

"Oh right," he said, understanding.

Miles read the rest of the card in silence. Fumbling through the contents of the box he discovered there was a pocket watch. Assuming it must be tied to the mystery, Miles decided against showing it to Keiko.

He hadn't done anything like this before, but he was always up for a good holodeck adventure. He suspected this was likely the work of Geordi and Reg and had to admit it sounded charming.

"This sounds grand, what do you say?" he asked as he read through his note.

"It's a date, Blackjack," Keiko grinned.


Down two decks, Ensign Greene returned from her overnight shift to find a package sitting on the desk in her shared quarters.

She kicked off her boots and stepped over to the desk to glance at it.

"Hey, wake up! You've got something here," Greene said to her roommate.

Her roommate grumbled and rolled over toward the wall.

"It's a package," Greene tried again.

Her roommate did not respond.

Greene picked up the package.

"Sonya, wake up," Greene repeated as she tossed the package onto her roommate.

"Oi!" Sonya said as she sat up and yawned.

Scrutinising the package, she scratched her head. Her gran usually sent her a jumper for her birthday, but that wasn't for a few months yet.

Tearing into the wrapping she picked up the note on top.

You are cordially invited to stay the night as part of a Murder Mystery birthday celebration

In honour of Lieutenant Commander Data

Stardate 42089 | 17:00

Holodeck 2 | Starbase 515

All of the items necessary for your adventure await you in this box

"Well, what does it say?" Greene asked.

"I'm invited to a birthday party for Lieutenant Commander Data," Sonya said in disbelief.

"What?" Greene said as she pulled the note out of her roommate's hand.

Sonya didn't understand. She had only been aboard the Enterprise for about six months and during that time she had managed to garner a reputation as a capable, yet unusually clumsy Ensign. She reported to Lieutenant La Forge, who had been kind enough to introduce her to some of the other crew. In fact, he'd really taken her under his wing – including inviting her to join him in Ten Forward.

Do they really consider me a friend? Sonya wondered to herself.

"Sonya, this says here you'll be there for seventy-two hours! You're going to be spending the entire shore leave there! And I bet all the senior officers will be there," Ensign Greene squealed.

"What?" Sonya said, suddenly feeling a little panicked.

"We'll I'm sure that he's invited all of his friends – that dishy Commander Riker and Counsellor Troi. Doctor Crusher's probably going and Chief O'Brien, of course. Commander Data's always in the arboretum with Keiko. And we all know the rumour about Commander Data and Lieutenant Yar. So, she's probably invited Lieutenant Worf. And the Captain," her roommate said.

"The Captain?" Sonya asked uncomfortably.

She hadn't made the best first impression with the Captain – spilling hot chocolate all over him.

The second time she had met the Captain, he had come down to Main Engineering to oversee the progress on a reverse engineering project she and Geordi had worked on. They had managed to get their hands on a Ferengi coolant coil and were attempting to study the device. She had opened the coil to show him how the internal coolant system functioned when she'd accidently cracked the coolant storage and squirted the blue, thick fluid all over the Captain.

During their third encounter, she'd been sent to inspect a malfunctioning power relay on Deck 3 section 18. She had removed the exterior ceiling panel and was elbow-deep into the circuitry when she discovered the problem. She had been so excited about finding the problem, she didn't think twice to shut off the valve before removing the pipe.

She hadn't meant to drench Captain Picard in coil lubricant. But she had no idea he was passing below her.

And then there was the time Geordi had made her laugh so hard in the canteen she'd sprayed Captain Picard one table over in milk.

The more she thought about it, she was quite certain she had never made a good impression with the Captain at any of their encounters.

"I can't go," Sonya said suddenly.

"Oh, come on. It's practically a three-day fancy dress party! It sounds fun!" Greene encouraged as she handed the note back to Sonya.

Dear Ensign Gomez,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Miss Bettie St James.

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are the enchanting and bubbly escort Miss Bettie St James. Despite your seemingly carefree personality, there is much more than meets the eye with you. Everyone assumes you are merely eye candy, but you are actually a creative and resourceful mafioso. You run one of the seediest operations and you're intent on sussing out the competition – Blackjack Murphy. You're also keen to try and nick the astrolabe of the renowned adventurer Professor Claybourne La Roux. You believe it may hold the key to solving the mystery of Lady Moran's death- and the treasure she is rumoured to have been buried with. Despite your criminal background and secretive aura, your feelings for Professor La Roux are genuine.

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

"And I bet a certain Lieutenant La Forge will be there. In fact, he's probably the one that set it all up," Greene said.

Would Geordi have really invited her? Sonya thought to herself.

She bit her lip, suddenly intrigued at the prospect, feeling simultaneously nervous and flattered.

"Besides, look at this!" Greene said as she pulled one of the costumes from the box and spun around. "You have to go, Sonya. Please."

"I don't know," Sonya said apprehensively.

Ensign Greene put the dress back into the box. She put her hand on Sonya's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Why don't you talk to Lieutenant La Forge first before you make up your mind?" she suggested.


Ten Forward was usually slow overnight. As such, Guinan had taken the night before off.

Although not a member of Starfleet, she was planning to enjoy her time at Starbase 515. Captain Picard had invited her to attend a performance of Tango Argentino by the crew of the base during their stay.

She got up from the floor where she had been stretching and was suddenly overcome with a strange sensation. There was something off in her quarters.

Glancing around her quarters she scanned the room.

Her eyes settled on a package sitting on the sill of the window that looked out into the stars.

"Computer, has anyone been in these quarters in the last eight hours?" Guinan asked.

"In the last eight hours two people have been present in these quarters - Guinan and Counsellor Deanna Troi," the computer replied.

Counsellor Troi had dropped by the night before for a game of cards, but she hadn't left this package.

Carefully, she picked up the package and carried it over to her table. Setting it down, she carefully removed the tag addressed to her and pulled off the wrapping.

She laughed aloud when she read the note.

You are cordially invited to stay the night as part of a Murder Mystery birthday celebration

In honour of Lieutenant Commander Data

Stardate 42089 | 17:00

Holodeck 2 | Starbase 515

All of the items necessary for your adventure await you in this box

A few weeks earlier, she'd overheard Tasha and Deanna talking at Ten Forward. Tasha had wanted to do something special for Data and Deanna had suggested a birthday.

Since then, Guinan and Tasha had engaged in more than one heart-to-heart conversation on the matter.

Internally, she was thrilled to see there was something planned for Data.

And it had been a great many years since Guinan had participated in murder mystery – party or otherwise.

My Dearest Guinan,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Madame Gloria Rosenbaum.

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are the famous entrepreneur Madame Gloria Rosenbaum. A woman out of your time, you control interests in oil, timbre, fishing, and finance across the globe. As an old friend of Lord Moran, you've stood by and defended him against accusations surrounding the mysterious circumstances of his wife's death. You're an expert interrogator and you know how to get information out of others – even without them realising it. No one is aware that your identity is, in fact, a ruse. Madame Gloria Rosenbaum is a cover. You are secretly an Interpol agent known as "The High Roller." You've got two agents working for you, but neither can know of the others' identity. They will reveal themselves to you 'in time.'

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

Guinan sat back in her chair and thought back. 1952 had been a good year – she'd attended the coronation of the Queen. In fact, thinking back she'd spent considerably more time in London that year that she'd expected. She had intended to return to the states, but when J. Edgar Hoover had refused entry to her traveling companion, she'd had no choice but to return back to England.

She wasn't about to leave Charlie Chaplin on his own.

As much as she had been looking forward to the musical, this was more her type of adventure.


"Captain Picard to Commander Data," Picard said as he tapped his combadge. "Could you come into my Ready Room?"

"Acknowledged," Data replied.

Picard ordered a cuppa from the replicator and sat back behind his desk.

A few moments later, his Second Officer strolled into his office. Picard motioned for Data to take a seat.

"Good morning, Captain," Data stated as he sat down opposite the Captain.

"Good morning, Mr Data," Picard replied.

He took a sip from his saucer before setting it down on his desk.

Data recognised the box sitting on the Captain's desk. It was similar to the one he'd found in his quarters earlier. Captain Picard picked up a note.

"Did you put this together, Data?" Picard asked as he held the note up.

"In a way, sir. Yet, I cannot take credit for the creative approach," Data stated. "However, if this is a problem, I take full responsibility as I authorised the idea."

Captain Picard laughed heartily.

"Problem? Not at all!" Picard said with a rare, large smile. "I think the idea of murder mystery holodeck party is brilliant."

Data relaxed.

"As do I, Sir," Data replied.

"So, you don't know what the mystery is?" Picard inquired.

Data shook his head.

"No, sir. That is part of the game," Data replied. "Lieutenant Yar suggested someone other than myself should be responsible for arranging it. That way I could play along."

"Excellent," Picard said before he took another sip of tea.

"May I take your enthusiasm as confirmation you will be attending?" Data inquired.

"Count me in," Picard said brightly.

Data nodded and left to return to his quarters.

Once he was gone, Captain Picard reread the note that had accompanied the package.

Dear Captain Jean-Luc Picard,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Lord Thomas Moran

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are Lord Thomas Moran, the current Lord of the Moran estate and a recent widower. You have invited your friends to celebrate the engagement of your daughter, Natalie, to Duke Remington Finley. Although not your first choice for a son-in-law, you need the marriage to proceed in order to protect your estate. You would much rather have your daughter marry the bumbling Lord Finley, than be forced to marry the Dowager Duchess Finley yourself. For you see, the Moran estate is flat broke. Your late wife took the Moran treasure to her grave- dying under mysterious circumstances several months ago while you were engaged in a night of passion with the bombshell actress Marlowe Mansfield.

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

Thumbing through the contents of the box, Jean-Luc was thrilled with the attention to detail. He ran his hand across a fine grey herringbone suit and wide tie. He was excited at the prospect that this party would also, in a way, serve as a living history experiment.

In addition to the various period costumes he received, there was also a card at the bottom of the box – a queen of hearts.

He thought carefully about the object. It was clearly a clue – but to what? Could this be a hint at something with his fictional late wife? Perhaps, it was a clue to this Marlowe Mansfield he appeared to have some secretive passion for? Or could it be this Dowager Duchess?

He resigned himself that he would have to wait two days before he could find out.


Two decks down, Worf was running his package under an advanced security tricorder specially designed to detect noxious chemicals. It was the third step in the advanced security protocol for suspicious packages.

He'd been in the security office for over an hour running the box through various scans and tests.

Earlier that morning, Worf had discovered the package on the floor of his quarters. It had been addressed to him, but he had no idea what it could be or who had sent it.

Given the nature of their work aboard the Enterprise, Worf decided it would be best to thoroughly scrutinise the thing before opening it.

Constant vigilance was his motto, and he wasn't about to put the Enterprise at risk by skipping any step. He wanted to ensure it wasn't going to turn into an explosive device, dangerous lifeform, or toxic contaminant before opening it.

He was just about to start a level one contagion scan when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Just open it already," Tasha said as she stepped behind him.

Worf turned around and eyed her suspiciously.

"It's instructions. For a party. Sort of a fancy dress do," she explained.

Worf opened the package and read the enclosed note first.

You are cordially invited to stay the night as part of a Murder Mystery birthday celebration

In honour of Lieutenant Commander Data

Stardate 42089 | 17:00

Holodeck 2 | Starbase 515

All of the items necessary for your adventure await you in this box

Worf looked up at Tasha and grinned deviously.

"You planned this?" he asked.

"Not quite. I believe we have Geordi and Lieutenant Barclay to thank," Tasha said.

"Sounds fun," Worf said simply as he pulled the contents of the box out and admired the fabulously brocaded maroon jacket and apricot ascot that were contained within.

"See you on the holodeck," Tasha winked.

Curiously, there was a pair of dice in the bottom of the box.

Dear Lieutenant Worf,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Major Rupert Hawke

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are Major Rupert Hawke, the close personal friend and bodyguard of Colonel Roderick. A hero of the war, you are a true testament to glory of your regiment. You approach problems head on, relying on your rigorous training and warrior's determination to solve the mystery. You've seen your fair share of secrets in your time – including the affair your friend and employer, Colonel Roderick, has conducted with Countess Vittoria Farnese. You would rather die than betray your friends. Because of this, Colonel Roderick has entrusted you with the key to Lady Moran's untimely demise.

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

Worf nodded to himself – excitement, mystery, and a nice smoking jacket? This sounded exactly like the kind of way he wanted to spend shore leave.


Down on deck 14, Reg Barclay's hands were shaking as he read the note that had been inside the mysterious package on his table. He had carefully laid out each of the costumes on his bed and examined them one by one.

Although initially excited at the prospect, his social anxiety was now in overdrive.

This wasn't a typical trip to the holodeck. The other people there were going to be real. And they were going to be solving a mystery together.

He would also have to spend three days with them.

And he had to pretend he was engaged.

To another person.

A real person.

Breathing deeply, based on the technique Counsellor Troi had taught him, he relaxed a bit as he reread the note.

Dear Lieutenant Barclay,

Upon your arrival, you will assume the role of Duke Remington Finley

The Premise

Earth. 1952. Glenfiodh Manor, the country estate home of Lord Thomas Moran.

You will spend the night. Your party will have precisely seventy-two hours to solve the case.

Character Biography

You are Duke Remington Finley, the eldest son of the Dowager Duchess Finley. In a world of aristocratic responsibilities, you find yourself out of place. You'd much rather retreat to the gardens for solitude, poetry, and painting. Despite the fact your head is often in the clouds, your creative nature helps you to observe things others may miss. At the insistence of your mother, you are preparing for an arranged marriage with Lady Natalie Moran. You are staying at the Moran estate for an engagement party. You could not be more at odds with your adventurous and outgoing fiancée. You'll need to rely on your skills as a keen observer and imagination to solve the mystery.

Further instructions will await you upon your arrival.

Reg was shaking. He was terrified at the prospect of being around the senior officers for three days. He liked Data. Data had always been so patient with him.

When Geordi had first approached him with the idea, he had been more than happy to assist.

He had never expected to be invited.

But a part of him desperately wanted to go. The detail of his character card and the costumes seemed to be a level of excellence that Reg could only strive for in his own holodeck programs.

He had never expected Starbase 515 to take care of all the arrangements. He'd merely inquired if the facilities would be available.

Starbase 515 offered the largest holodeck in existence. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for a murder mystery with a large number of guests.

He'd received back a transmission two hours later requesting a guest list. Reg had forwarded the list to Geordi. Shortly thereafter, he'd received a second transmission simply stating 'all details have been arranged.'

It appeared either Geordi had taken care of the programme on his own or Starbase 515 had a pre-programmed holonovel.


Sonya had spent most of her shift trying to avoid Lieutenant La Forge. Although she had agreed to her roommate's request to speak to Geordi, when it came right down to it, she was far too nervous. She readily agreed to take every assignment that allowed her to work alone that day.

The prospect of spending shore leave with Lieutenant La Forge was exciting. And the idea that Geordi had invited her left her with a lot of questions. Geordi was attractive and he seemed one of the only people she felt 'at ease' around.

Sonya was always running in fifth gear. She always felt she had to work harder and longer than anyone to prove herself. It had certainly not gone unnoticed by Lieutenant La Forge.

He'd reminded her more than once that kind of behaviour had nearly led him to burn out when he had been a young Ensign.

She had kindly reminded him behaviour like that had led to him being named Chief Engineer of the Federation's Flagship.

It was the typical type of banter they'd danced around for months.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't belong hanging out with the senior officers – especially Captain Picard for seventy-two hours.

She'd be lucky to make it seventy-two seconds without spilling or dropping something on him.

Sonya was just about done with cleaning a communications transmitter in the Jefferies tubes when a familiar voice startled her.

It was Geordi.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, gripping the top of her head where she'd hit it on the wall and scrambling for her sonic driver.

"I'm the one who should apologise," he said. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," she replied as she rubbed the sore spot.

"I am so sorry," Geordi said apologetically. "I just came to ask you a question I didn't think I should ask back in engineering."

Sonya froze.

"Did you get a package this morning?" he asked.

Despite being a romantic at heart, it seemed Geordi always struck out. In the time he'd gotten to know Ensign Gomez, she had more than caught his eye. She was so dedicated to her work, clever, and he found her personality quirks inexplicably endearing.

Sonya's heart skipped a beat.

"Uh…yeah," she replied awkwardly.

"Well, will you be joining us?" Geordi asked.

In that moment, all of her anxiety melted away with Geordi there with his reassuring smile.

Sonya didn't respond. She was at loss for words.

Suddenly concerned, Geordi reached out and touched the back of her head.

"I think you had better get this checked out," he said as he took hold of her hand to help out of the tube.

"Yeah," Sonya nodded in agreement.

When they reached the door of Main Engineering, they ran into Reg Barclay on his way into his shift.

"Oh, Lieutenant La Forge! I…w-wanted to say thank you for inviting me," he stammered.

"Of course! We couldn't have pulled it off without your help. I'm glad you'll be joining us," Geordi said as he slapped Reg on the back.

"T-think nothing of it," Reg replied with a nod.

After all, the only thing he'd done was contact the Starbase.

Once they had reached the turbolift, Sonya had found her voice again.

"Lieutenant La Forge," she asked as she bit her lip. "I think it's really grand you've invited me to Commander Data's birthday, but I've been a nervous wreck all day. I don't belong around the other senior officers and my roommate said the Captain will likely be there and I seem to make a fool of myself every time I'm around him and I don't know if I can leave with the humiliation of-" she said quickly in one long breath.

"Computer, halt," Geordi ordered.

The turbolift stopped and Geordi turned to her.

"Whoa, Sonya. Slow down," he said. "I know first hand how scary it can be as an Ensign in a room full of senior officers. I never meant to cause you any anxiety. I invited you because I want to spend time with you. And when I thought of the people I wanted to solve a mystery with, you were top of the list."

"Top of the list?" she teased.

"You were the one that figured out why the power coupling in E21 kept failing," Geordi reminded her. "But if it really makes you uncomfortable, I understand. We can get together sometime after shore leave for a pint or something."

He had said it friendly enough, but Sonya could see his shoulders slump a little bit.

"I'll go. I'd really like to," she said quickly.

Geordi turned and flashed her one of his signature 1000-watt smiles.


Data was on cloud nine.

All day his friends had been chatting about how excited they were for his birthday. It was unlike anything Data had ever experienced before. And much to his amusement, they really seemed to be throwing themselves into the mystery. Everyone was being coy about their character cards.

"I'm not telling you," Tasha insisted as she gave him a playful shove with her foot.

They were seated on the sofa in her quarters.

Data was at one end scanning through the most recent readings on a new M-Class planet that appeared to support life for a newly discovered species of eel that lived only around the hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the planet's ocean.

At the other end, Tasha was reading through the security reports for the day. On a ship of over 1000 people there was always something happening. In one day alone, there had been a fight in the lower decks between two ensigns, a security latch on a restricted Jefferies tube had been broken, and a case of contraband Romulan ale had been discovered in the ship's stores.

"For the last time, you already have leg up over the rest of us. I'm not giving you any hints. I don't want to say something that might give away the game ahead of time," Tasha explained.

"But Tasha, I do not see how your character's name will give away the game unless something on your character card indicated you were the murderer or victim," Data asked.

"Well, it didn't," Tasha replied shortly.

Data set down his PADD on the table.

"Then I shall have to persuade you," Data said as he pulled her toward him.

"Data! I'm not telling you," Tasha stated as she continued to read through her report.

Data took the PADD from her hand and set it on the windowsill. He placed a kiss at the nape of her neck.

"Persuade away, my lips are sealed," Tasha vowed as she turned to face Data.

He cocked his head to the side as he contemplated her words.

"I shall endeavour to find the truth," he said with mock seriousness.


He had to admit, the suit really did bring out the yellow in his eyes.

He adjusted his tie and ran his hands across the tweed vest over his chest.

It fit well too.

Running a comb back across his hair, he pulled his straight brown hair back and admired his appearance in the mirror.

He threw his jacket on and slipped the suede gloves over his pale hands.

Yes. This will do. He thought to himself as he took one last spin.

"Professor Mith," he practised before winking to himself.

This was going to be a shore leave to remember.

He stepped out of the back private compartment and took a seat at the helm of his small ship.

It took him 1.74 seconds to calculate the speed needed to reach Starbase 515 in time and another 2.28 seconds to input the commands.

"Happy birthday dear Data," he sang as he threw his feet up on the console and relaxed back into his chair. "Lore has come to play too."