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Sito cocked an eyebrow, looking at him quizzically. “Seriously? That’s your answer? Robin Lefler? When did she transfer off the Enterprise, again?”

Crusher was sure that Sito knew full well. “Three years ago,” he answered in a quiet voice.

“Three years, Wes,” Sito repeated. “And have you even talked to a woman since then?”

Crusher quirked her a smile, looking at her pointedly.

“Not me, Wes, I don’t count.”

“What, aren’t you a woman?” Crusher’s grin widened.

“As far as you are concerned? No.” She shook her head. “No, no, no. I am just a fellow officer.”

Crusher couldn’t help but sigh. “I don’t know, Jaxa. I just…It’s not easy for me to meet women. I can understand concepts that leave the Federation’s leading scientists baffled, but I can’t even begin to understand women.”

Sito shook her head, sympathetically. “Wes, I don’t think you understand people.” She gave him an appraising look. “You get along just fine with androids, though. Maybe this Turing is the place for you, huh?”

He gave her a sidelong glance.

“Oh, I know,” Sito said, punching his arm. “What you need is an android woman. One programmed to be interested in head-bending science that only you understand. Like a warp core on shapely legs.” She leered. “She’d be all your passions rolled into one!”

The turbolift bleeped when it reached its destination, and as the doors slid open, Crusher treated Sito to a weary smile.

“Jaxa?” he said. “Remind me next time just to wait for another 'lift, okay?”

Having met to discuss their mission in the ready room, La Forge and Picard rode down in the turbolift to join the other members of the away team in the transporter room on Deck 6.

“I take it you aren’t going to object to me beaming into an unsecured, unfamiliar environment, Number One?” Picard quirked a smile.

“Would it do any good if I did?”

Picard chuckled. “That’s the engineer in you, never wasting energy or effort unnecessarily.”

“I also tend to overestimate how much time a task will take, so that when it’s done sooner I look like a miracle worker.” La Forge grinned. “Or have I said too much?”

The turbolift bleeped, and the doors slid open.

“Ro’s not going to be happy about me going, you know,” Picard said, stepping out.

“She’s not going to be any happier about being left in command, I can promise you that.”

Commander Ro met them at the transporter room, proving them both right.

“Captain, I strenuously object. Regulations dictate that the captain should remain on board the ship, and the away team be led by a subordinate officer.” She rolled her eyes in La Forge’s direction. “The first officer, for example.”

The rest of the away team was already assembled. Besides the captain and La Forge there was Lieutenant Crusher, Lieutenant Commander Isaac, and Lieutenant Sito. Ro had been waiting at the transporter controls, as if in ambush, standing beside Transporter Chief Hubbell.

“Your objection is noted, Commander,” Picard said evenly. “But in addition to having a personal interest in these matters, La Forge has more experience with positronic androids than anyone else in the crew…”

“More than anyone outside the Daystrom Institute…” Crusher muttered under his breath, admiringly.

La Forge smiled. It was only a slight exaggeration.

“And as for me,” Picard continued, “Data has insisted that I beam down personally.” He held up his hands in mock surrender. “What is a poor captain to do?”

Ro bristled, but nodded.

“Captain?” Hubbell began, uncertainly. “Have you selected the beam-in coordinates?”

“Still waiting on those, Chief,” Picard said. “Though I expect we’ll be hearing from our host any moment now.”

“Sorry for the delay,” came the voice of Data from behind La Forge.

The first officer wheeled, startled, and saw the familiar android standing a few steps behind, in a corner of the room, far from the door. When he’d…appeared in the room…whether one called it “transported” or “teleported” or came up with some new terminology to describe the Iconian gateways Data had described,