"Run Of The Mill"
QDestinyy@aol.com
Rated G
Timeframe:  Post "Insurrection"
Notes: A dialogue exercise.   This is very much a 'moment of time', it's not for any reason per se, other than that it seemed almost appropriate by virtue of the fact that it was so utterly mundane.  Hence the title.  It's also very short.

        
         "Come in!"  Riker turned his head to the door.
         "Hello Will.  You're still awake?"
         "Deanna... I could ask the same of you," he smiled and set the data PADD he'd been studying on a table.
         "I suppose you could," she entered promptly, walked to his couch and sat down next to him.
         "Everything all right?" He threw her a sidelong look. 
         "For the most part," she sighed, "I couldn't sleep.  I had an inkling you might still be awake, so I thought I might come by for a while."
         He grinned.  "An 'inkling'?"
         "All right, I knew you were awake and I was hoping you wouldn't mind the company," she examined his work on the table and then looked up, "is this a bad time?"
         "Nah."  Draping a familiar arm across her shoulder, Riker retrieved his data PADD and sat back on the couch, taking her with him.  "Maybe you can help me with this," he stifled a yawn, "I'm beginning to see spots."
         She leaned affably into him, but narrowed her eyes.  "You know Commander, the appropriate thing to do when you feel that way is to get some REST."
         "I know.  But I promised the Captain I'd have some options for him by 0-700."
         "0-700?  You have four hours left, by my count..." she frowned, "have you slept at all since yesterday?"
         "No time.  I'll catch up tomorrow."
         Deanna dropped her head against his shoulder.  "You work too hard.  Do you also know that?"
         "I know it every time you remind me."  He pressed his lips against her hair and his expression sobered, "I'll be all right.  I shouldn't have put it off so long, that's all.  And I did play poker last night, so it's not as though I didn't see it coming."
         "Mm," she smiled wryly and tucked her legs beneath her.
          Riker's eyebrow rose.  "Wanna help?"
         "Sure."
         "Okay," he thumbed through the PADD interface with renewed vigour, "you remember last week we were having some problems with the manifolds?"
         "Yes," Deanna turned beneath his arm and said, "Will, you realize if this involves Warp Mechanics you might as well be asking Worf to recite our list of encountered pathogens from Beverly's medical database."
         Riker laughed, "I realize.  It's not a technical problem, I promise," he scanned the PADD again, "Geordi's taking care of the Engineering details.  The problem is that with our unscheduled stop in the Kamoran system, we're off the timetable by nearly two weeks.  The Enterprise was due to dock at station McKinley thirteen days ago, and it looks like several of the readout panels are malfunctioning again. That hasn't happened in about six years, but according to Mr. Data, our dilithium matrix is on its last re-crystallization...."
         "So I heard," Deanna sat up, "are you saying we won't have enough left to make it to McKinley?"
         He shook his head, "Not as it stands.  Not by about four days, even -if- we continue on a maximum energy conservation schedule."
         She smiled. "How embarrassing."
         "You've got that right," Riker shared her brief moment of humor, "the Crazy Horse can meet us two days after that and tow us into McKinley.  Of course, we were diverted by Starfleet with cause, but..."
         "Oh no, they're not 'towing' us anywhere!" Deanna gasped, "they'd love that, wouldn't they?"
         "Probably," he grinned.  "Which is why you can see my dilemma..."
         "Coming up with a way to save face," she frowned thoughtfully, "definitely good reason to be awake at 0-300 hours."
         "I'm glad you agree."
         "Okay," Deanna turned the PADD in Riker's hand so that she could see it.  "So you're looking for options..."
         He nodded.  "I've gone through about forty already.  None of them are viable, or they assume we still have some reserves left.  Which we would have..."
         "If the readout systems hadn't been malfunctioning," she blew a puff of air between her lips, "are you certain they didn't 'set this up' at headquarters just to prove they could get one over on the mighty starship Enterprise?"
         "I wouldn't be surprised."
         "Hopefully they will be surprised," she scowled, "when we don't call in the Crazy Horse after all."
         "That's the spirit, Counselor.  I was thinking maybe Geordi could reset the manifolds, trick the computer into thinking there was still enough crystal left for a short trip.  It would test a theory; see just how low we could really go before it made a difference.  The auto-safeguards are set to kick in at a predetermined minimum, but that doesn't mean there's nothing left at all..."
         Deanna nodded, "but if we made it almost there and then died within range of the station, that might be even more embarrassing."
         "True."
          Her eyes widened. "I have an idea!"
         "What is it?"
         "Is Geordi also awake?"
         "I can't imagine why he wouldn't be, given our current circumstance..."
         "Perfect," she smiled and tapped the badge on her chest. "Troi to LaForge."
         <LaForge here, go ahead Counselor.>
         "Geordi, do you remember when you, Data, the Captain and I were coming back from that psychology conference in sector seven-five-seven?"
         <How could I forget, there were temporal rifts all over sector.>
         "Yes," Deanna nodded, "and a crew of injured Romulans on board the Enterprise when we arrived."
         <What about that day?>
         "Well, I'm here with Will right now.  He's told me there may not be another opportunity for us to re-crystallize our dilithium matrix before we reach Station McKinley.  And, I had an idea."
         <I'm open to suggestions, Counselor, believe me.  No one wants us to make it to McKinley under our own power more than I do.>
         "Well," Deanna shrugged, "what if we 'borrowed' from the Romulans?"
         <I beg your pardon?>
         "Their power source," she glanced at Riker's data PADD.  "Romulan ships use an artificial quantum singularity for a power matrix. I realize it's not entirely stable with our technology over long periods of time, but for a few days, I don't see why--"
         <Of course!> Geordi's animated voice came back, <If we modify the injector array and keep a level four containment field around the gravity well, there's no reason it wouldn't be stable for seven, maybe eight days.  It just might work!  Counselor, you're a genius!>
         "Geordi," Riker cut in, "I hate to be the voice of reason in this, but an artificial singularity isn't a very routine Engineering design.  Is there any way this could pose a danger to the Enterprise?"
         <I'd have to say no, Commander.  With an artificial singularity, the worst-case scenario is the gravity well dissipates and the source dies with it.  Starfleet simply never found the technology to be a superior choice to our current standards so we've never affected it.  But I'll tell you one thing, I think the Counselor's right.  It'll keep us going long enough to get the Enterprise to McKinley Station -without- any outside assistance.>
         "That sounds great, Geordi.  Lets take it to the Captain at the senior staff meeting.  0-700 hours."
         <You got it, Commander.  LaForge out.>
         Riker turned and offered Deanna a wry smile.  "So how does it feel to be a genius, Counselor?"
         "For once in my life?" she rolled her eyes, "It feels damn good, Commander."
         "For once in your life," he smirked, "come here."  Pulling her backward into his arms, Riker laid them both against the couch.  "I don't know about you, Deanna, but I'm beat."
         "Hard day, Commander?" she grinned, "you should have come to me earlier, I could have saved you a full night's sleep."
         "If I'd come to you earlier, Counselor, neither one of us would have had any sleep."
         "Mm," she turned in his arms and laid her chin on his chest, "I suppose you may have point there."
         Removing a finger from each of his eye sockets, Riker looked down at her and smiled.  "You know, you really are beautiful when you're blurry and covered in shadows like this... we do have, three and a half hours left until that staff meeting..."
         "Shh," she shifted them both farther onto the couch.  "I don't know about you, Mr. Riker, but I think I can probably sleep for a while now."
         Stroking a hand through her thick, dark hair, he wrapped his arm around her body and shut his eyes.  "Now -that- is true genius, Counselor."
         She smiled.  "I have my moments, from time to time."
         "Remind me to promote you, first thing in the morning," he murmured sleepily.
         Tilting her head, Deanna drew her hand across his chest and gently kissed his neck.  "That's all right," she whispered to his even steady breath, "I think I'm already on top..."
        
         [end]