It Just Ain't Kosher

Posted on Tue May 4th, 2021 @ 11:29pm by Warrant Officer Eitan Tuscadero & Lieutenant Vanessa Jackson
Edited on on Tue May 4th, 2021 @ 11:30pm

Mission: The Mentarin Effect
Location: Science Lab - Geosciences

A starship as large as the Resolution could take time to track a person down. Sure, the computer could locate n individuals location using internal sensors, tracking their comm signal, or a more intimate bio scan, but even then, people moved about. Of course he could have tapped his combadge to make arrangements, but one did not simply abduct someone with warning.

He walked gracefully through the corridor like a gazelle through the safari. Clearly the few months of ballet his mother had him do as a child paid off every so often. His reflexes at least we're pretty darn good. When he walked into the science lab, he did so with a beaming smile.

"Freeze, Lieutenant," he said calling out to the Chief Science Officer. "Don't move an inch, and drop your tricorder or whatever tools you have on your person. You are being taken into custody by the fun police," Tully announced.

She didn't drop her PADD, but she did set it on the counter. "Does that mean you're taking me dancing?" she teased. She had no idea if he knew how to dance or not, but it was the first thing she thought of when he said it "fun police." She turned around and grinned.

Tully chuckled. "Aw shucks, if I knew you were into dancing I'd have worn my dancing shoes, but I'm not opposed to it." The man smiled. "Roller disco is on the table too, whatever you're in the mood for. You've been working too hard, and don't think I don't notice you burning the midnight oil well past your duty shift, Nessa."

"Good partners are hard to find. I've never tried roller disco, but I'm willing to learn. I know ballroom and belly dancing." She didn't comment on burning the midnight oil. She liked her job and working long hours wasn't a problem if she had a project. "So, here to work on your project?"

"Belly dancing," he pondered that for a moment. "Who would have thought. You know, I will teach you to roller skate for roller disco if you teach me some belly dancing," added Tully raising his arms and shrugging his shoulders.

"You're on." It did sound like fun.

He knew she was a woman committed to her work, duties, duties, and more duties. Sweeping her away from the lab was not going to be easy, and likely not today. "Nessa, I need a friend to talk to about something, and you are one of the few people aboard that I've gotten to know a bit."

She logged out of the program she'd been working on and turned back to Tully. "Of course. Where would you like to talk? My office or somewhere else?"

"I mean," he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess your office would be fine, but one of these days, I'm going to get you out away from.these labs and your office," commented Tully.

He looked at the woman, knowing she'd lead him in the right direction physically and psychologically. "Greyson is trying to promote me, Nessa. Ensign rank pip and such."

"Why?" she asked, stopped to look at him. "You're a Warrant Officer."

Tully scoffed and shrugged. "Nothing personal, but officer mentality. I think it is more a command thing. Greyson gave me the whole 'you are wasting your potential' speech when I tried to resist. He made it sound like if I didn't start wearing this new pip, I would prove I was just one of those people who don't want to progress."

Tully shook his head. "I'm not like that. It's not like that, and I don't want to become an ensign, not like this. People work hard to get an officer's commission, but I worked hard to become a technical expert. It just ain't kosher."

"Yeah, that's a hard position to be in." She shook her head. "It's not the rank, but the experience, and a Warrant Officer is someone who worked their way up and knows what they're doing." She shook her head. "You'd be better off as a JG, but jumping rank like that isn't done. Still, an Ensign..." She looked at him, empathy and understanding in her eyes. "You can't turn him down without hurting your career, can you?"

"Nessa, it's prom night all over again," Tully said with a sigh of desperation. "I mean, not mine. I went to an all boys school, but I got asked to go to prom by the prettiest girl in my borough. I couldn't though. I already had a date, and you don't just turn away your date because the prettiest girl asks you."

He shrugged. "If I can say no to Jenna Lombardi, I can say no to Commander Greyson, right?" Tully winced a bit a the thought. "It will probably hurt my career, Greyson said as much, but I gotta be true myself, right?"

"You need to be true to yourself, but you also need to be practical. Is it worth it to stay an Warrant Officer and lose any chance of moving up for the rest of your career? Or take the promotion and then continue to act like you're still a Warrant and show them that it doesn't matter what they put on your collar, you're still the same tech." She shook her head. "You'll always be Tully, whether at the top of the enlisted totem or the bottom of the officer one. And you won't be an Ensign for long. If you take this stand, do it for the right reason. Can you do more good by refusing this, or by taking it and then doing it your own way?"

"Are you sure you are the Chief Science Officer, Nessa? You'd make a pretty good Counselor," Tully replied. "I think I understand this better. If I just accept this promotion, it does not need to change me. I gotta make my own kind of music and sing my own special song even if nobody else sings along."

She grinned, recognizing the song. "Exactly. I've been a nonconformist my entire life. It's quite...liberating. And you know something? I'm stepping down as Chief Science Officer so I can spend more time on researching the problems on that planet. I've already talked to the Captain, and I just got approval from Federation Sciences. So you won't be the only one taking a unique career path on the Resolution."

"Stepping down?" Tully smiled with the question. "That is going to be different. I really like working with you. You actually listen to me, and I don't know if a new Chief Science Officer will, but I think it is great that you want to work on your own research."

"I like working with you, too," she assured him. "I'm not going anywhere, so we can still do that project together," she said, smiling. "It's a little different with science than some departments. Since I'm doing this to spend more time on research for Starfleet, it's not exactly a demotion." Her smile turned into a grin. "Besides, you promised to teach me roller disco."

Tully smiled at her response. "Well, I for one am glad that you are not going anywhere, Nessa," replied the transporter operator warmly. "Working along side you had been a delight, and teaching you roller disco? That is going to be a real treat."

Suddenly an expression changed on Tully's face and his nostrils flared a bit. "Odd," he commented. "That musky manly scent...it reminds me of Greyson."

Vanessa was going to respond in kind to Tully when she saw his expression change. "The Captain? Here?" She wasn't sure what he would be doing in science.

Tully shrugged. "I'm from Staten island and part Italian. I can smell a pizzeria several blocks away. Whaddaya expect?" he added. "Not saying here's here...but," he didn't finish the sentence. Greyson was definitely near.

"Remind me to test you on that the next time we get to a starbase or colony," she said. "That's an amazing ability." She raised an eyebrow. "I wonder if he's coming here."

"Maybe," replied Tully. "Either way, I feel pretty comfortable with our project and with what you said to me, the whole promotion and such."

"Good. So do I."
____
OFF

Warrant Officer "Tully" Tuscadero
Transporter Operator
USS Resolution

&

Lieutenant Vanessa Jackson
Chief Science Officer -- Soon to be Assistant
USS Resolution