Spoilers Would a live-action Lower Decks work?

Mariner's looking to be the oldest- and longest-serving ensign in Starfleet. If she fails upward instead, it won't be from lack of effort.

 

That's her preference.

 

No on both counts. Mariner definitely has not been Ensign the longest since she has been promoted and demoted. Her time in grade resets when she's demoted. As of the end of season 3 she's only spent two years as an Ensign since she was last demoted during the first season. Actually, given she resigned from Starfleet in the third season and was reinstated in the finale, her time in grade would be reset again. But even if you want to include the total allotted time she's spent as an Ensign, it probably isn't that much. Presumably the first time she was an Ensign she spent the standard two to three years as an Ensign, probably less since it is implied she is a skilled officer, and she does have family connections. Then she was promoted, likely spent a few years as a Lieutenant before getting busted down to Ensign and assigned to the Cerritos, which, IIRC is stated within a year prior to the series premiere. So that's another year as an Ensign before getting temporarily promoted in Moist Vessel, demoted again, spending another two years as an Ensign, resigning for a brief time and getting reinstated. That's a maximum of six years she could have spent as an Ensign. Harry Kim has spent seven years an Ensign, Travis Mayweather and Hoshi Sato have each spent ten years as Ensigns.

Oldest Ensign? Not at all. Mariner is likely only around thirty or so, but even if she were Tawny Newsom's actual age of forty, then she's still not the oldest Ensign. That honor goes to Ensign Torigan in TNG Rightful Heir, who was played by an actor who was fifty at the time.

 

I don't know whether "oldest ensign" really means anything other than as a data point? It may be unusual for people to join Starfleet later in life, but it's surely not that unusual?

In other words, I'm not sure it means much unless they joined Starfleet as a teen and simply never progressed much afterward, entering LtJG. Picard territory...

 

Increased lifespans also make ‘going out and getting a career’ less of a priority. 24th Century people in a post-scarcity society might decide to stay in education into their 30s before getting into a ‘job’.

Certainly characters like McCoy seem to have come to Starfleet later in life.

 

Which would be surprising since Starfleet, and the Federation, seem to emphasize finding personal enjoyment and fulfillment rather than locked in to a role.

The other side is that some more prestigious research opportunities put more value in Starfleet experience, which is how one crewmember ended up on Voyager ("The Good Shepard").

 

I remember an onboarding meeting with the highest classified people in my division where they sat us down and told us how they started in the mailroom and we could follow in their footsteps and make it all the way to the top. Even then, over a decade ago, I thought to myself, “No thank you. I like leaving work behind when I close down my computer for the day. I like sleeping soundly knowing no one’s livelihood or life rests in my hands. I will not be climbing that ladder.”

Lower Decks bunks are pretty much the only reason I’d want to climb the ladder in Starfleet and on Voyager, Harry Kim had his own room so… sign me up for being the oldest ensign. I get to go out amongst the stars. I’m not earning more or less money in a non-capitalist post-scarcity “economy.” If anyone looks down on me for my rank, that’s a quick and easy way to know who I don’t need to spend time cultivating a friendship with. I will teach the kids or catalog the data or provide therapy at an ensign ranking until I retire and you won’t hear a peep out of me.

 

@Sumire I don't see the problem with sleeping in bunk beds, a la LDs. The only thing I would change is to add a screen or curtain, just in case I am able to sleep in on my days off.

 

He was a department head.

 

I chose what university I went to in no small part because it allowed freshman to have singles. I have never had a roommate who was not my mother, my sister or my husband. Having my own private space, tiny as it often has been, is absolutely vital to my ability to function. Thankfully, most people are not like me so the world spins merrily on.

This is true. Did we see anyone’s room who was not a department head? Kes? She had a good sized room but maybe, as the EMH didn’t need it, it was the original chief medical officer‘s quarters?

 

Voyager likely had cabins to spare after its rough journey to the DQ. I wouldn't use it as an example of normal circumstances.

 

That was my thought too! Memory Alpha says the crew complement was 153 when it left dry dock and then 141 in Caretaker so apparently, when the additional crew was added, there perhaps wouldn’t be a preponderance of cabins to spare.

I guess, if I was to hypothetically find myself an ensign in Starfleet tomorrow, I’d need to research which models of ships require the smallest crew complement while boasting the largest number of private cabins and then make myself an indispensable aide to whomever I admired most who happened to work on my preferred model and had some sway over assigned quarters.

 

Harry Kim aside, I'd be very surprised if other Ensigns on Voyager weren't sharing quarters. We know Ensigns on the Enterprise D had to share quarters, Ensign Lavelle in the TNG episode Lower Decks even talks about being excited about being promoted since it'll mean he'll finally be allowed to have his own quarters. If Ensigns on a Galaxy class ship have to share quarters, it'd be very strange if they got their own on a smaller Intrepid class ship.

 

Smart!