A different path

Posted on Mon Jun 20, 2022 @ 12:15pm by Lieutenant Rei Yamashi & Lieutenant Penny Mc Taggard

Mission: Mission 2 - A World With A Bluer Sun
Location: Personal quarters, Engineering

::ON::

-Personal quarters-

Morag. Skinny, freckled faced , red haired and from the age of 5 until Penny lost touch. Her best friend growing up in Edinburgh. Now married and about to have her first baby.

McTaggard looked at the screen long after her grandmothers image vanished. Why did her nana tell her? Was it a hint that it was high time Penny started to see someone? Was she correct? Could a Chief Science Officer have time for a family and children?

It would have been nice being a mum. But then again travelling the stars. Seeing things she would never see on Earth. Let alone from a balcony in Edinburgh. Had Penny made the correct choice with her life?

-Engineering-

Penny was half distracted when she walked into Engineering. Holding a few tricorders that needed recalibrating.

In the heart of Engineering, engineers were busy going to and fro. Making sure the power was flowing was but one of the many duties of the department. Overseeing it all was the resident rabbitess, Rei. Currently, she was in the midst of calibrating her own engineering tricorder for the trip over to the other ship, running tests and diagnostic benchmarks. When she heard the doors of Engineering open, she turned to look, and when she saw Penny she offered a wave.

"Welcome to engineering. What can the heart do for the brain?" she said with a smirk, teasing about the position of their two departments.

Penny gave a small sigh.

“These wee tricorders need recalibrating. According to this one I have no heartbeat. Then again it may be correct.” Penny said distracted.

"Really, then?" Rei offered, amused, as she motioned for some desk space for Penny to deposit the tricorders in question. "That'd make TWO living creatures that these tricorders missed. Hmmm, not a good record." she continued to be amused. Then she became slightly more serious, "Something's bothering you, isn't it?"

"You know, the old ghost stories of ancient Ts'usu say that ghosts are bound to their resting place with chains made from the weight of their burdens. Seeing as how you're dead, according to top of the line Starfleet equipment, why not share your burdens and be free?"

Penny thought on this. She could not be dead as she felt the weight of her feet. But then realised her friend was making a joke.

She gave a small smile which soon vanished.

“ Do ye have a family. Yer know husband and kids?” Penny asked

"Family, yes. Partner and children, no." Rei responded. "After my Three, I technically qualified to apply for a marriage permit, then I'd have to wait a year for a permit for children." she continued, shaking her head, "But no after my Three, I kinda hit the ground running back in the civilian sector. I really, honestly didn't know what to do or how to cope with life after my service. Arranged for the transfer to Federation service and that was that."

"If I have a spouse, it's the ship. I don't think we're ready for kids." a soft smile broke the seriousness of the matter. "Let me guess, someone told you an outlandish tale of how Ts'usugi make kids and you wanted confirmation? Cause I can tell you now, we do not pop up out of a cabbage patch."

"We don't even *HAVE* cabbage back home." that brought a giggle to her features, breaking the tone of the moment.

Penny had once seen a historical data file referring to toys of the 20th century. She had seen pictures of the cabbage patch dolls. They gave her a very uneasy feeling in her bones.

“ That was way before I was born. Although I have seen wee pictures of these cabbage patch dolls. Yuk. Enough to give a wee bairn nightmares and no mistake. The reason I ask is an old school friend of my. Is about to pop out her first wee one. It got me thinking. What if…” Penny said

"They have TOYS of that? For ch.. you know what, nevermind." she paused in the conversation to finish the calibrations on her personal tricorder before starting in on Penny's stock. "What if..." she mused. "You know, it's not too late for you to have children. I hear you don't even need a permit for them in the Federation." she offered. "And despite the occasional mad archer these Starfleet ships seem relatively safe."

"Though, as for your friend from primaries, congratulations!" her mood instantly shifted. "I hope her nothing but the best, to the young one and their line." then she paused again, covering the silence with attending to the first science tricorder. "There's a saying. Keep the grain of sand you are, or lose yourself in the desert looking for who you should be." she smirked, "I hate it. Because it seems to say that you can't change who you are through hard work and effort."

"So I'll just say, if you want kids, there's plenty of eligible males on the ship." her devilish smirk continued. "But, don't go mad thinking of What If. That's a question that doesn't have an answer. Just more questions."

Penny nodded.

“ I suppose your correct. Och listen to me whining like a an old lady in a bakery . Over the quality of some buns. Yes I know that door is still open and there are plenty of mothers in Starfleet. But to be honest I have never been much interested in the whole romance issue. Finding a nice wee guy to talk to. Falling in love…..exchanging bodily fluids…..” Penny said shaking her head.” It’s just nay me.”

"Well then, as long as the Federation is as progressive as we are back home, you do have an alternate option. Rather than a guy, find yourself a lady friend. Want kids? Adopt." Rei offered. "Protocol runs the world where I'm from, but nothing stands in the way of love. Not since the fifty seventh Emperor. They said love is blind, and that we shouldn't cast eyes for it. From then on, mentions of identity were removed from consideration in such matters. It took a while for society to adapt, but we did."

"So yeah. If romance doesn't work for you, then find folks who you're just interested in and see where it goes. Best case, you find someone you connect with. Worst case, well, just don't date in your own department and there shouldn't be an issue." she offered with a smirk.

Penny considered what her friend had said.

“ To be honest I was brought up in a traditional Scottish family with roots going back to the time when Scotland was governed by clans. I dinna think a same sex relationship is for me. But yer correct about the same depart thing. I remember on my last vessel a lassie dated someone from the same department. They had a falling out I believe the guy cheated on her. It was like a war zone in the science lab after that. In the end he had to be reassigned to another vessel. Nay. I think it’s not that I am looking for a wee man and bairns. It’s just I don’t know. It’s just a feeling that I should but don’t want.” Penny said

Rei gave a nod. "Family is very important back home too. A Child of Ts'usu that doesn't spend time with their family is a concern, or alone. Or so they say. As for relationships, we're free to pursue attachments wherever they lead us. The Dairida and the Emperor are too busy running the empire to meddle." she offered with a smirk. Then the smirk faded, "Yeah, dating within departments was always frowned upon, even back in the Navy. Complications, issues of priorities, dramatic tensions. Nevermind when you're on the Line." she shook her head again, banishing ghosts, before returning her glance back to Penny. "Though I guess, biologically speaking, there's that drive to continue the species. Ensure the next generation." she idly mused while working on the calibrations of the next tricorder, bringing out the sample specimens to ensure a perfect neutral reading.

"The Baby Bug, I think humans call it? What a dreadful mental image for something so natural."

Bug. That reminded Penny that in a way she did have a child. Her pet Chihuahua the wee one.

“ Actually come to think of it. I have my wee doggy and he’s like a child. But getting back to what you said about us humans giving things strange names. You should hear what some of my lot call some foods. Like take the humble sausage. On Earth other countries call them links.” Penny said.

"You're going to make me hungry, and then you'll owe me lunch, and then the whole crew will think we're dating." she offered with an amused smirk. "And beef is a luxury back home, so joining up with the Federation just lets me explore the many many ways the universe enjoys something I hardly got to sample growing up." she returned her attention to her calibrations. "Back home, we have mostly fish and fowl. Beef stock was something we got to have whenever the holiday bonus came in, or when one of us got lucky with the field rations. Though, first three meals I had in Starfleet Academy were prime rib, London broil, and brisket. Let me just say, if that's how they eat there, send me to London."

Penny wagged her finger.

“ London! Nay my friend. The place to go for a good steak is Scotland! Yer have not lived until ye tuck into a good Aberdeen Angus responsibly farmed steak with all the trimmings! Goose fat roasted potatoes and fresh farmed vegetables. From the finest soil on planet Earth. There are many fine restaurants but the best is in my home town of Edinburgh. A traditional 20th century eatery serving the finest fare ever to be served under the flag of my fore fathers.” Penny said

Rei paused, and then turned to give Penny a smirk, "That's it. Now you owe me lunch." her smirk turned into a full, soft smile. "You brought this on yourself, I warned you. Now it's lunch. Keep talking about how good that food is and you're going to owe me dinner too." she gave an amused giggle before returning to the task at hand. "I'll be done here in a bit, then we can schedule a lunch date." she teased. "There's no secret to success with me, just keep me fed and tell me nice things."

"Last one." the rabbitess commented as she moved to the final tricorder to calibrate.

“ You're on my friend.” Penny said with a smile.

::OFF::

Lt. Rei Yamashi
Chief Engineer
USS Hornet

&

Lieutenant Penny McTaggard
Chief Science Officer
USS Hornet