No Science Needed

Posted on 07 Sep 2014 @ 6:24pm by Commander Norvi Stace & Lieutenant Jacob Pendleton

2,309 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 7 - Deck 4 Corridor
Timeline: MD 02 - 2200 hrs

ON:

The doors to the Observation Lounge closed behind them with a familiar breath as the now deserted corridor before them led on. It was a short walk to the turbolift and only a slightly longer one through Deck Four to the Trill's quarters but Stace's flushed complexion had returned to normal by the time they'd taken their first step. Unlike her soiled dress uniform. She looked down at it again and rolled her eyes to Jacob, emphatically brushing out the stain with her hand.

"Figures, huh?" she remarked, taking his arm as though they were old friends as they began to amble slowly. "So rare do I break out this blasted thing and now I'll have to recycle a new one. And I'd only just gotten the collar of this to fit comfortably." She stopped, paused for a moment and looked up to his face. "Did I look ridiculously embarrassed or annoyed when it happened? It seemed to unfold in slow motion and I still couldn't do a damned thing about it."

Jacob smiled sweetly at her and patted her arm that was locked in his, "You looked professional and classy as you always do. You carried yourself as I expected you would: A strong, intelligent and empowered woman who knows what she's doing and knows how to comport herself at all times."

Stace piqued her eyebrow at him. "That's not exactly how I felt on the inside, Jake. The Janel in me wanted to pop him in the jaw." But the Trill then relaxed and smiled, clutching Jacob's arm in tighter as they boarded the turbo lift and made for deck four. "Why does everything have to get so messy?" she asked rhetorically, now stepping out of the lift and making for section thirty four. "Just when I thought that we, as an organisation, were moving beyond the Dominion Wars." They turned the corner and she stopped, looking at the doors to her own quarters. "I could quickly get changed if you wanted to go to the bar, or you could come in for a drink. I think I have a bottle of Andorian iced brandy if you cared for a tipple."

Jacob blushed slightly, "Well... you have me at a disadvantage fair lady as I don't consume alcohol, but I would love a drink or two and have some great conversation either here or at the bar. Either way, I get the company of a smart and beautiful woman, so I win." He smiled sweetly at her.

"Who knew you were such a charmer, Jacob." She returned the smile and accessed her door panel. It opened up as they both stepped through. "Let me just change and then we can take it from there. But no alcohol? Have you told me this before?"

Jacob shook his head, "Not exactly 'told you before', I figured that everyone onboard just knew it since all anyone ever sees me drink is soda pop." He continued to smile at her. "Still, if you think I'd rather spend time alone than with a pretty woman... well.. you aren't thinking straight then."

"Pretty?" she smiled, undoing her collar as she strode into the bedroom. "Now that's something I haven't been called in awhile." She disappeared for a moment and then quickly returned in a summer-like, blue dress. She pulled her hair back and taking a ribbon from the table, fastened her hair back roughly. "So, where to? The bar?"

Jacob smiled and offered his arm to her again. "We should probably get some dinner as well; I don't know about you, but I am quite hungry! How about you? What are some of your favorite foods?" TheY walked down the corridors as they talked; every now and again getting some interesting looks from some of the late night crew.

"Pizza," she offered back almost without thinking. "I discovered it on one of my first trips to Earth with my third host, Yvaine. You can't beat a bit of bread and cheese." She clutched to his arm as the walked to the turbo lift. "Deck seven," she said as they both entered. It was only a few moments before they entered the Callisto Bar and were seated in a quiet corner. "A bottle of Malbec," she suggested to the waiter as the spied over the menu. "And for you?" she asked Pendleton.

"Well, since this is a special occasion," Jacob looked at the waiter, "Sparkling Grape Juice and an order of stuffed mushrooms for the table por favor." He then looked over at Norvi, "So what kind of pizza shall we do? The five cheese one sounds wonderful, or perhaps the all meat pizza? Or even the Supreme toppings one sounds good.... oh too many choices!"

"We?" Stace questioned, a look of near anger now washing over her face as though a child had had their lolly pop removed from their clenched grasp. "Oh, no no. There is no 'we' in this pizza order. You have one and I have one. I don't share. Especially when it comes to food." A subtle smile now adorned her face that had a lilt of seriousness to it. "And meat. It's always meat." She now flashed a grin to him.

"Well then.. meat for the lovely lady and the five cheese for moi." Jacob replied, "And now I know never to get between you and food Norvi." His voice was of teasing quality; all the while just admiring how she looked in that dress, and for a moment wondering what she would look like out of it. He got his mind back on the present quickly though and thought about things for conversation. "So, did you happen to catch that comic musician Elan "Really Weird" Yankovich's parody of that new song the other day? It was a riot!"

Norvi's face fell into a mock frown as she cast her mind back. "No. She replied as the waiter quickly returned with the drinks and poured a glass of her wine. Taking a sip and smiling at the waiter, she returned her attention back to Jacob. "A riot? Now that's something I should see. She paused and then took another sip. "What do you do for fun, Jacob? We haven't really spent much social time together."

Jacob raised his glass to her then took a sip of his sparkling grape juice, "I play, write, learn and re-learn music... I love music!... I play guitar and saxophone. I create holosim programs of varying genres... in fact our holodeck programming has about fifteen of my creations in its library... I am the current heavyweight champion of the Galactic Independent Wrestling Federation... and I am trying to start a tabletop, pencil and paper roll playing group here on the ship.... not to mention all of my political activity.... um... I guess I'm busy guy!" He laughed, leaned over and playfully poked her on the shoulder, "What about you?"

"Um," she faltered, reeling from the list Jacob had just vomited on her. "Not that much, I have to admit." She smiled and then began to elaborate. "I'm a keen gardener, so I appreciate the arboreum space we have here. I write a little but not as well as I used to and so I don't do it so often. But mainly I work. I live for my job and it's kinda all-consuming at the minute. All work and no play..."

Jacob smiled and finished it, "... makes Norvi a busy woman." He then laughed and then looked into her eyes, "Well, no work be here, just fun and maybe some boring non-science talk then? Or should we call up the Holo-band and get to dancing?"

"Maybe not tonight," she smiled as she tucked into her drink. "I've just ordered pizza and I certainly do not fancy dancing after stuffing my face with wine and cheesy bread." She relaxed a little and sank back into her chair. "What's your story, Jake? Where've you been and where are you going?"

Jacob chuckled, "Ah the old, 'what's your story' story eh? Well... I was born and raised in southwest Wisconsin, North America. I wanted to explore the bigger picture of the Universe, so I joined Starfleet. Had a great time serving with the Jules Verne and the H.G. Wells, but it was the year dig at Qalad II that was the most incredible moment of my young life at that point. The things we unearthed were not only incredible, they were almost game changing in the way we look at Xeno-Archeology."

Their pizzas soon arrived (with the waitress making sure she stood as close to Jacob as she could, almost as if "offering" her body like some kind of entre.) Jacob simply smiled at the waitress without paying much attention to her all too obvious flirtations and grabbed slice of his pizza and made a "toast' with it to Norvi, "To friendship and great night with great company."

She smiled softly, and lifted the glass of Malbec to the cente of the table, clinking their glasses together. "To friendship and great company."

One Hour Later

With her belly fully, and the red wine now flooding her senses, Norvi came to a halt outside of her door and then rested against its frame. "Thanks for a lovely evening, Jacob. It's nice to socialise with fellow scientists every now and again." She looked to the door. "As you know, this is me."

Jacob smiled back, "The doorway doesn't look like you." He gave a wink and a chuckle. "I had a great time too... how come we don't do this more often??" He looked into her eyes and seemed locked there for longer than intended, he then looked away. "...I mean, we all in the science department should get together and have a 'no science, no work talk' get together..."

She smiled and raised an eyebrow, a subtle smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'm all for department socials, Jacob," she replied moving herself from the door frame. "But it can't be all fun and no work..." She allowed the sentiment to hang in the air for a beat. "And you're dangerous to be around."

Jacob frowned, "Dangerous?? How do you figure that?" He crossed his arms waiting for her reply.

"As in for women," Norvi clarified. "You're a bit of a cad with a reputation, but you know this already." She smiled warmly. "I think you get what you want a little too easily."

Jacob was completely confused. "Get what I want easily?? Hardly. A 'cad'? Really? Is that how you see me?" His voice was filled with hurt, "That is neither my intent nor my goal Norvi... if things were so 'easy' as you say, then why haven't I even had a real date in over a year? Hmmm? And this 'reputation' you say I have, I'd like to know how that is or came to be?? For the only 'reputation' I have around anywhere is that I am a 'Gentle Giant' or 'Giant Teddy Bear' and etc..." He gave her a hard and concerned look.

Stace looked wounded. "I've obviously hit a nerve. I didn't mean to." She fell silent and uncrossed her arms.

Jacob reached over and patted Norvi on her shoulder, "I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. We are friends and we do need to tell each other the truth sometimes... so if I have been a cad then I truly apologize, I will try to be a better man in the future."

Norvi now looked concerned. "I'm not suggesting that you be a better man, Jacob. But you have to admit that you're a bit of a ladies' man. And word gets around." She paused and then sighed, remembering a lecture that her second host, Yvaine, had received from her Trill Initiate sponsor after she was joined. "I'm no angel myself," she recounted, flashing her mind back to the affair she had with a Cardassian whilst working on Bajor. "But," and she dropped her voice to a soft, consolatory tone, "she's a small ship. And we both know how rumours spread."

Jacob blushed deeply. "A ladies man? Well... I don't know about that... I appreciate that some women think I am good looking or smart or what have you, but I... I am so awkward about that... you have no idea how I deal with relationships.. as I haven't had one in a couple of years...." He lowered his eyes for a moment. "And as for rumours.. well.. I can't stop them... so I don't listen really..."

"Well maybe you'll meet a woman who can straighten you out, Jake." She paused and added, "And I'm sorry for believing the rumours to be true. Perhaps it is all an act for you."

Jacob's voice was low, "Well... I hope you are correct Norvi... but as far as 'straighten me out', I like me, I like the man in the mirror most days.. I didn't think there were THAT much that was 'wrong' with me... I don't know.. and it doesn't matter. As to what you said about believing the rumors.. don't be sorry, it doesn't matter what other people say about someone, it only matters about what you believe about yourself... but I digress. You've heard enough of my voice tonight. I think I'll turn in." He took her hand and kissed it, "Have a great night Norvi, I really enjoyed this evening."

"I did too," she replied softly, a smile lilting her face as the realisation that she had had him all wrong suddenly dawned on her. "Take care. And don't take too much to heart. I don't always think before I speak."



Lt. Jacob Pendleton
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

AND

Lieutenant Norvi Stace
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

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