The Complication

And Miles to Go Before I Sleep

Author's Note: You folks are simply the best community. All of your likes, kudos, comments, and support is overwhelming. Thank you!

I removed the mention of 'sad eyes' from the Neil Gaiman quote that Data cites. While the quote, as a whole, I believe captures the mood in that moment. I didn't feel the concept of 'sad eyes' really fit for the situation. The quote is from Stardust.

"Woolly combinations" are essentially a "union suit." (Basically a Victorian version of footie-pyjamas without the feet. Most commonly, you've probably seen them in old western films).

The poems referenced are Robert Frost's Stopping By the Woods On a Snowy Evening, Shakespeare's Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind, and Christina Rossetti's In the Bleak Midwinter.

Now - full steam ahead with the fluff! 

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During their trek into town, Data had been the object of more than a few strange looks. Tasha had tightened her grip on his hand as the headed for the library.

Shopkeepers and townsfolk weren't the only ones giving them strange looks. The children they had seen earlier had followed them into town – ducking behind carts and around corners and thinking they were far stealthier than they truly were.

The library proved to be a new experience for Data.

Data had spent hours in libraries before. Literature had been such a critical part of his development. He adored learning through the written word.

However, this library confronted Data with an interesting conundrum.

One that he had never faced before.

Because of the delicate nature of these physical books, Data could not whip through them at his normal reading speed. While he was capable of comprehending thousands of words per minute, these books required gentle hands lest they be damaged.

This meant there was a limit to the number of books Data would be able to read in this format.

It made him treasure the titles he had selected to read by hand.

Before leaving, Data made a scan of the complete collection in the library and made a reading list to save for later. He would be able to pursue the titles once he was back on the Enterprise.

Data was enamoured.

He wanted to learn everything he could about the era to share the same knowledge that would have been available in Holmes's time.

The library also featured a working gramophone with wax discs available for playback. They were not original wax discs – the material degraded far too quickly with playback to be preserved for long. Rather, there was a pair of researchers that produced them as part of their work in the village.

There was also a historical cartographer that maintained an office at the library. As part of her research, she was producing a series of handmade historical maps of Earth from various eras. Data and the cartographer chatted for a time. She explained that all of the changes during that time offered her plenty of material to work with.

To Data's delight, she allowed him to peruse her collection and was happy to answer questions about the various areas she had already completed.

As Data unrolled the next map, he paused.

"This is France," he said, recognising the layout of the land from his own research into the region.

"Yes, it's from the French Third Republic after the collapse of the Second Empire," she explained. "1870. This is from the early days of the Franco-Prussian war before Alsace-Lorraine was annexed by a reunified Germany."