NX-35 Vigilant - Mess Hall
En route to Widow's Well
T'Pril Tucker seemed to all outward appearances to have tuned out the bustling crowd of officers in the room. Over the rim of her cup she surveyed the crew circumspectly as she took another sip of water. So far her coworkers had opted to avoid even casual conversation with her and she hadn't any interest in provoking fraternization by seeming interested.
To be honest, she had been somewhat relieved by the cold professionalism that Farrell and Kruger had treated her with over the last week. Although she knew among humans it was perceived as insulting, it made for a very comfortable working environment for her. The Beta shift bridge crew had naturally detected the hostility leveled at her by their commanding officers, even reciprocating to some extent, and responded with an admirable attention to duty. All in all, much better than she had hoped for.
As she replaced her cup and returned to her salad, her eyes flickered to the boisterous commotion at the far corner table. There the Tactical Officer and the Andorian carried on as loudly as always. While it had initially been a source of much amusement for the crew it seemed to have become an irritant over the last couple of days. From where she sat she observed the obvious signs of discomfort at the tables immediately adjacent.
Were she to be honest about it, she would have to admit she suppressed some mild discomfort herself. While her hearing wasn't quite as sensitive as the average Vulcan it was still far superior to any human's. The ongoing disagreement between the two concerning one another's parentage, personal hygiene and sexual behavior might as well have taken place right next to her. She'd had to work diligently to keep it from putting her off her meal a couple of times already.
The only exception to the overall increase in efficiency that Farrell's hostility had elicited was, of course, the Tellarite. He quite clearly found the entire situation intolerable and his attempts to prompt casual argument from the rest of bridge crew while on duty had consistently failed. Though he had at first not seemed especially concerned with the unusual circumstances of her assignment to the Vigilant, he'd clearly come to resent the effect her presence had on the bridge since then.
While the other officers were at least polite to her face, speaking of her in less polite terms only at the periphery of her hearing, the Tellarite, "Tuffy", had become openly rude. But at least for him that translated to a relatively civil tone and an obliging manner. Blatantly outrageous behavior among Tellarites perhaps but again conducive to a smoother, more efficient work environment on the bridge.
Overall then, T'Pril found the current situation very agreeable. It couldn't continue of course, she knew. Once their current mission had concluded the last of the remaining officers of rank would be retired or reassigned. And then she would be forced to take steps to ingratiate herself professionally with her crew as their commanding officer.
As efficient and generally comfortable as the current environment might be, she was regrettably aware that it was not at all conducive to morale for this particular crew complement. It was unfortunate but nonetheless illogical to deny the necessity of familial bonding among a predominantly human crew. She would certainly have felt dread, should she have allowed her discipline to slip so egregiously, but at least until the current mission concluded she allowed that there was little that she could do about.
Returning her attention to her meal, T'Pril finished her salad and began consuming her dessert. A simple cobbler featuring her favored sash-savas, it would meet certain requirements of her strictly imposed personal diet that had been neglected over the last two days. Additionally, it provided an opportunity to practice the suppression of enjoying a particularly pleasant food. The chef was quite skilled, she noted, and the challenge made for an agreeable distraction at the moment.
So distracted, she failed to notice Ensign West approaching her table until she had begun seating herself, her daughter beside her. Immediately T'Pril became concerned for the child.
Something else, something much deeper, nagged at her as well, causing her some pause. But whatever it was, it clearly wasn't important in light of the current situation. She naturally ignored the errant impulse to deal with the matter at hand.
"Ensign West," she said. "Considering the nature of the discussion taking place between Lieutenant Gaver and Ensign P'Trell, perhaps this is not an appropriate environment for Nikki at the moment."
Jennifer West, now seated across from her, frowned as she arranged her tray in front of her daughter. She hadn't expected Tucker to begin the conversation but considering the goings on across the room, she recognized that would have to be dealt with first. Afterward, thankfully, they'd at least have something to talk about. She still had no idea how she would proceed from there though.
Jenny replied. "Actually, I was just thinking the same thing. I think I'll go have a word with them. I don't know how they do things on Tellar but I'm sure Andorians don't talk like that in front of their children. And the Lieutenant should know better anyway."
T'Pril considered for a moment before deciding. "Perhaps I should speak with him in your place." She said, forestalling West's departure with one hand. "While our ranks are equivalent and I have no more latitude to correct a superior officer without consequence than you, I am already lacking in the Lieutenant's esteem. I think it would better served if I spoke with them concerning their behavior in your stead."
Jenny regarded T'Pril with some surprise. "Well…thank you, T'Pril. But really, I couldn't ask you to do that."
"This should not concern you. It is in the best interest of the crew that we remain cognizant of our surroundings at all times. This failure on Lieutenant Gaver's part illustrates a poor example for the subordinate officers here who have witnessed it and should be publicly corrected."
Jenny blinked at the odd reasoning and found she couldn't come up with a reply that wouldn't seem just as strange. So she said nothing as T'Pril pushed her chair back and stood.
"It's alright, Miss T'Pril." Said young Nikki seriously. "I don't mind."
T'Pril stared at Nikki.
For three seconds she reassessed the matter.
"Of course, if the child is not disturbed then perhaps it is best not to disrupt them." T'Pril took her seat again and picked up her fork. "Eliciting further negative opinion from the Lieutenant would not be productive at this time."
Jenny shrugged lightly. "Well, it's not as if she hasn't heard worse now and again." And smiled.
As the meal continued in silence, other than the ongoing disruption at the far corner table, Jenny considered the woman seated across from her. The ensign had been something of an enigma to all of the new arrivals and the center of much discussion among them recently. In light of the effect her appointment seemed to have had on all their careers, many had begun to adopt the hostility evident among the older crew members. Which didn't sit especially well with Jenny. Not knowing the first thing about the woman, other than her celebrity, it seemed uncomfortably prejudicial to her.
At last she spoke, "T'Pril, I understand you grew up on Alpha Centauri?"
T'Pril realized that the voicing of her unreasonable concerns had been misinterpreted. She seemed to have given West the impression she wished to engage in conversation. For a brief moment she considered politely rejecting the invitation to participate. But since the damage had already been done, it occurred to her that it would be more productive to engage. Perhaps she could at least begin laying the groundwork for the crew bonding she would be forced to engage in over the coming days.
"Yes." She said.
Jenny waited politely for a moment before finally realizing nothing more was forthcoming.
"So…is it as beautiful as I've heard?" She said at last.
T'Pril put down her fork. While she was willing to continue the conversation, she would not do so while eating.
"As I can only speculate on how beautiful you have heard Alpha Centauri to be, I will give my own impression. I have found the Centauran people have a significant appreciation for the aesthetic. In conjunction with a common preference for long term thinking, this has translated to a notable and visually pleasing symmetry in urban architecture."
Jenny stared for a moment. "Oh. Well…that's nice." She supplied weakly.
T'Pril folded her hands in lap and waited.
Jenny rushed to fill the void. "Um…so anyway, Trindi talks about you all the time. Achilla Trindi, I mean. She's the gamma shift Tactical Officer."
When T'Pril did not respond, she pressed on bravely. "I honestly didn't even realize who you were until I heard her mention it. In fact, you should probably watch out. I'm sure she's angling for an autograph as soon as she can catch up with you." She grinned.
T'Pril considered. It was obviously an attempt at levity and if she did not reciprocate in some way, the conversation would quickly become uncomfortable for West.
"I will consult with my agent. But I'm sure I can oblige her for a nominal fee."
Jenny was too surprised to react at first. The last thing she had expected was an actual attempt at humor. "Hey, that's pretty funny. But I bet you've had to deal with that sort of thing all your life though, right?"
"Not especially. At the academy my class mates were often too occupied to make much of my infamy. Prior to that I spent most of my life in the predominantly Vulcan areas of Torus, the capital city. There my parent's influence tended to overshadow such attention."
Jenny frowned a bit. "Infamy?"
T'Pril found she was a little disturbed at her own word choice. She was usually much more precise in her language. "Excuse me. Perhaps 'celebrity' would be a better word."
"Well, celebrity would certainly be right. I seem to recall your application to the academy caused quite a stir."
T'Pril remained rigid, waiting for something else to respond to. She found she didn't care much for the direction of the conversation so far. It would not be logical to delve into such personal areas of he life with someone she'd only just met.
Nikki piped in suddenly. "Miss T'Pril, how come you're not eating? Aren't you hungry any more?"
T'Pril turned to her. "I am. However, it would not be appropriate to eat while engaged in conversation."
Jenny was immediately chagrined. "Oh. T'Pril, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I mean…"
T'Pril raise one hand to halt any further babbling. "It is not a concern, West. My meal is not heated and so it can wait."
Uncomfortable anyway, Jenny continued. "I really didn't think. The Vulcans at the academy would chat over meals all the time. I guess I just forgot most of you don't care for that sort of thing."
"Few still observe a respectful silence these days. In fact, I understand it has become acceptable even on Vulcan to engage in conversation over meals, at least in public settings. Again, do not be concerned. I am prepared to adapt."
"Oh. Okay." She wasn't sure how else to respond to that. "'Old school Vulcan', they call that." Jenny smiled. Oh, crap. Let's just go ahead and insult her now. That'll help, she thought.
"Yes. I have heard the term. It is not perfectly accurate as it refers to a blending of two related disciplines, those of the ancient Kir'shara and the more conservative philosophies common prior to its recovery. Nevertheless, it is apt enough."
Ah, well that explained a few things. Although Jenny wasn't sure where she could go from there without tripping over a few potential landmines.
"What's a 'kirshra'?" Asked Nikki suddenly.
T'Pril regarded the child again. Still she found something nagging at the back of her mind. But again she dismissed the irrelevant distraction.
"Kir'shara. It refers to an ancient artifact containing the original writings of Surak. When it was recovered three decades ago it was found that the common understanding of his work had been corrupted by a variety of influences over the centuries. And so, this has had a significant influence on Vulcan culture in the intervening years."
"So, you don't like what Surak said and you want to do things like before?
Jenny was immediately aghast. "Oh, Nikki, honey. That's not very polite…"
"It is quite alright. She is somewhat correct." T'Pril said to Jenny. Returning her attention to Nikki, she replied. "In a manner of speaking. Surak's original teachings naturally take precedence. But there are aspects of the later philosophies, proscriptions and observances that are conducive to greater efficiency and emotional discipline."
Nikki stared for a moment. "So…I don't get it. Wasn't Surak right then?"
T'Pril thought for a moment. "He was. However, some simply find the…'old school Vulcan' method preferable. In most cases, admittedly, a complete and rational denial of all emotionality is not healthy, even for Vulcans. In fact, the argument could be made that such a level of denial is itself irrational. However, for some individuals this is the best approach to controlling one's behavior. In my particular case, I have found it the best for me."
"Because you're half human?"
"Correct."
Nikki considered that for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."
Returning her attention to Ensign West, T'Pril noted. "You have a very intelligent child, West."
Jenny chuckled. "Yes, I know. To be honest, I'm barely able to keep up with her sometimes."
T'Pril was gathering her tray together, however. "That bodes well for her future. If you will excuse me now, I have a prodigious amount of data to collate at Captain Farrell's request."
Jenny suddenly realized her opportunity was slipping away. "Oh. Uh…Ensign Tucker…one moment…"
T'Pril hesitated, nearly prepared to rise and depart the mess hall. "Yes?"
Jenny took a breath, then expelled it uncomfortably. "Look…I didn't really sit down here just to chit chat. I had kind of hoped to discuss something with you."
"If you believe we can address the matter in two minutes or less, I am able to do so now. Otherwise we must reschedule."
"Uh…right." Crap. To the point then. "Well, a lot of the new arrivals are a bit concerned. Or…maybe outright anxious, actually."
T'Pril waited.
"Okay, where to begin?" Jenny considered quickly. "Look, the Vigilant had quite a reputation up until now. Especially at the academy we all heard the stories. The incident with the Tellarites as a recent example. The Vigilant has seen a lot of action. So we were all pretty excited when we got our posting."
T'Pril responded, hoping to speed things along. "Understandable. Considering the combat experience and the attention that it brings the vessel from ranking Starfleet officials, this would make the posting ideal for new recruits. Much more likely to favor later promotion."
"Right! That's just it." Jenny was relieved that she seemed to understand. "So a lot of us figured that we'd really lucked out. And on the way out to Jupiter Station it became obvious this crew was…well, pretty extraordinary. If you look at grade rankings, someone literally picked the cream of the crop from the graduating class here."
T'Pril took her hands from her tray, folding them in her lap again. She knew where this was heading. It looked as if her data collation would suffer after all.
"But now there is concern that their seemingly prodigious posting has been threatened." She supplied.
Jenny sighed. "Yes. With Captain Farrell and Lieutenant Gaver's retirement, and Lieutenant Krugers resignation, that wipes out almost all the command staff. That leaves things…well, pretty thin. And now it looks like the Vigilant will be 'in the rear with gear' for the foreseeable future. I mean, it's almost as if they were trying to outfit the ship with a strong crew at first, to get it back in the action…and then everything just fell apart."
T'Pril waited. Jenny decided she had better race on ahead the point.
"So…then, if you don't mind me saying so, we have you here taking command in just a few weeks. And…you haven't even gotten your Lieutenant Junior Grade pip yet. It just seems as if we're all kind of going to waste out here. And again, if you don't mind me saying so, it seems as if someone somewhere is trying to put you in position for a command very, very early. Which is great for you and all…but doesn't help our careers all that much."
T'Pril responded. "I understand."
"Right. And really, no offense. I'm happy for you and everything. But with the mission profile the Vigilant seems to be looking at over the next year…Starfleet isn't going to have much cause to notice the rest of us. A lot of the new arrivals…well, they're starting to get a little frustrated."
"West, are you asking my opinion on this matter or are you here with a proposition?"
Jenny paused. "Well I'm curious as hell what you think of this whole situation…but yes, I do have a proposition."
"Proceed."
In for a penny, in for a pound. "Well, I'm sure I'm not supposed to be discussing this with you, you understand. I just know I'm going to tick off a lot of people telling you this. But we've been talking. More and more of us all the time. And things are beginning to get…shaky. Some of the new crew have even been talking about forwarding a petition to Starfleet, in fact."
"And your recommendation?"
"Well, I think you should talk to them. Maybe they're all being a little arrogant but they do have a good point. We really are the cream of the crop here, the best of the entire graduating class. And we do seem to be going to waste here. I think if you can offer some reason to believe that isn't so it would go a long way toward relieving a lot of anxiety. And score you a few points with the crew you'll be commanding, too. Which…honestly, I think you really need to do."
T'Pril considered the ensign for a long moment. "Ensign West, what do you imagine I would have to say that would alleviate their concerns?"
"Well, I don't know but…" Ensign West paused. Well, let's just cut to the chase here then.
"Look, T'Pril. I just got off the line with Captain Schillings, Starfleet Intel. My mother's second cousin, who I haven't talked to in years. I almost didn't recognize her. I was so surprised, in fact, that I didn't realize what the conversation was all about until we disconnected."
Jenny leaned forward a bit. "And let me go ahead and admit I've become a little frustrated recently myself. Enough that I mentioned maybe requesting a transfer to another ship when get back from Widow's Well. And she was very supportive of that, offering to put in a good word for me and everything."
"The thing is…" Jenny continued. "She's always been pretty overprotective of the family. She raised quite a lot of fuss, from what I heard, when I joined up. She and my mom even have some bad blood there. Which rather causes me to wonder. Because if the Vigilant is going to be dropping probes and running maintenance on sensor relays for the next couple of years…why in the heck would she ever want me to transfer?"
T'Pril said nothing. Which, to West, said quite a lot.
"I think there's more to this than we've been told. I think Vigilant is being prepared for something specific. Something someone doesn't want made obvious to anyone who might be watching."
Jenny looked T'Pril directly in the eyes now, driving the point firmly home. "And I think, T'Pril, that you know more about that than you're letting on."
