Navy Quartermaster == Helm/Nav Army Quartermaster == Supply I don't care how much automation there is, I find it just wrong that everyone can simply walk off the bridge while the ship is in flight. Too many things can go wrong.
I don't know why but every time I see Quartermaster I think supply/cargo (I've got no ties to any branch of any armed service to sway my opinion, it's just what I always think, lol). That's partly why I have three crew on bridge duty each shift, any one of them could watch over things when it's quiet (or when one goes for lunch, pops to the head, etc.) but for precise manoeuvres or operations then all posts would be manned. So if there was a problem with the communications array the comm operator could go below and help an engineer with repairs whilst the helmsman and navigator can monitor their progress between them from the bridge. Same as in the engine room, one of the engineers can keep an eye on the systems from there whilst the rest of the staff see to maintenance, status checks, etc. elsewhere. But the main rooms are never left without at least one living person in them. As I mentioned before the Miners would also be able to carry out other duties as required, helping with damage control when necessary, or able to pilot shuttles, work a transporter pad, and so forth. I'd also assume that working on a mining ship would be like working on an oil platform, several weeks on as they're on site breaking asteroids, then several weeks off when back at port. It'd be a long hard slog, but they'd be well compensated for the work. That's how I'd envision it going anyway.
I've been thinking of this idea a little more intently than I ever really intended too, with some of the little details and a few characters coming into focus. The ship would be the S.S. Juno MPV-33018 and would belong to the Venture Mining Company, a somewhat small fry in the grand scheme of asteroid miners (no where near as well known as the likes of the Jupiter Mining Corporation). The Juno would be one of only six ships Venture owns. With a ship like this, I'd think that the main characters wouldn't be the 'senior staff' as it would be in most, but rather interesting individuals aboard regardless of their positions. To this end I took a page from The Expanse and decided that the First Mate would be the 'star', with the Master being second tier: Ship’s Master Narys Jenott, Atrean Having spent over four decades in space working for numerous companies on dozens of ships, captaining four previous vessels, she has accumulated a great deal of experience and skills that are in high demand. She has a reputation for precision and order, ensuring rules and regulations are adhered too and followed at all times—some may find her too rigid or inflexible, but this approach has always worked out for her in the past and she isn’t about to change anytime soon. First Mate Fabian “Fabe” DaSilva (aka Vince “Vin” Ramirez), Human DaSilva is an industrious and hardworking man, scoring highly when undergoing certification for space service. He is a solid and dependable deck officer who has received offers of employment from many large and notable agencies (including both the Jupiter Mining Corporation and Daystrom Institute), but he has always turned down such work in favour of smaller and less prominent companies. However, Fabian DaSilva doesn’t exist; it’s one of several identities assumed by Vince Ramirez after he fled from the Orion Syndicate. Born on Turkana IV, he was among one of the lucky few to escape from the failed colony but once off the planet he drifted around without any clear path in his life, ultimately ending up in neutral space, where he sold his skills as a pilot for whoever needed them and fell into working for petty criminals before being taken on by the Syndicate. When on a smuggling run, he discovered he was transporting colonists who were being sold into slavery, unable to subject them to such a life he abandoned the job and took them to safety before doing all he could to disappear. I've also thought of another character, one which would help show that the people onboard all have their own motives and objectives, even on a ship such as the Juno: Laboratory Technician Kyr Hadaro, Kobliad A quiet, patient and observant man, nothing escapes his notice. He doesn’t like to talk about himself, as such he gives little away about his past—one thing that is known is that he has a degree in forensic science, specialising in mineralogy (which was enough for him to qualify for work for Venture Mining). Though this fact is true, it is only the tip of the iceberg. He was once an investigator with the New Sydney Police Bureau, where he was known for his dogged work on cases, which was to be his undoing. When a mysterious homicide landed on his desk he became consumed by it, despite little evidence and fewer leads. He was able to work out a connection with Venture Mining and pursued it, but made no progress with official channels so went AWOL with the NSPB to find out the truth about the murder. Getting a job as a labtech, he has had far greater access than he did as an investigator and is working his way through as each ship as he looks for leads.
Starfleet Quartermaster = Supply. ENT:Civilisation, Fortunate Son and Countdown; TOS: Tomorrow is Yesterday, TAS: Yesteryear and DS9: Treachery, Faith and the Greater River I mostly agree with this, I think at least one person should be on the bridge at all times. IMO most of the crew should have enough knowledge to pilot the ship in open space, with the actual pilot(s) being used mainly for space station docking and orbital scenarios.
Remember that mysterious medical problem young Julian Bashir had, which prompted his parents to take him for illegal genetic modification? Imagine a woman whose older brother suffered similar cognitive problems for which there was no legal cure. She loves him and although she was very short and slight in comparison to him and his tormentors in their neighborhood, she defended him from the bullies against anyone who tried to hurt him. Despite this, she has a bitter grudge against her parents for not going to any lengths to get him the medical treatment he needs to have a normal life. Fast forward and she's a Starfleet security officer, kind of a hothead, fiercely protective and a bit mouthy, while her parents looked after her brother and loved him. When she finds out that he's joined the crew of the mining ship some time ago (because he can do some work) and that her parents allowed him to do so, even lying and hedging in their letters to her, she leaves her posting immediately (but she does request permission for leave) and chases him down, thinking that she's rescuing him from his own innocence and her parents' poor judgement. When she arrives, she is surprised to find out that the crew all likes him, and he does fit in - apparently, she is the one who's misjudged him lately. Still wary, she eventually becomes their Starfleet liaison officer to keep an eye on him, among other things.
Pulled together another potential trio of characters: Senior Navigator: Ojen Marak, Cardassian She may be approaching her fifth decade but she has spent more of her life away from Cardassian space than in it. At university she had her eyes opened to the brutality and savagery of her people, which led her to joining a likeminded group. Unfortunately, they were already under the scrutiny of the Obsidian Order. When a professor was discovered beaten to death and two of her compatriots disappeared shortly after, she fled Cardassia as quickly as she could. Once clear of the Union she denounced her citizenship and settled on Mathen for a brief time, completing her studies in astrography and computer science, before signing on with the Mathenite Merchant Fleet. She served with a number of different space agencies and companies, some more accepting of a Cardassian than others. When she crossed paths with Narys Jenott the two became friends, forming a good partnership when they both served onboard a transport for several years, before Jenott finally gained the captaincy she’d always been after and hired Marak. Their relationship is based on mutual trust and respect, which has seen Jenott chew out employees who have taken issue to serving with a Cardassian. Miner: Danielle “Dani” Palmer, Human Once an up and coming young officer in Starfleet, her family expected a great deal from her and she applied more and more pressure on herself, having to be the best of the best, as such she started taking Corillian Acid in order to keep ahead of her peers. She became addicted and even as a serving officer managed to feed her habit. Unfortunately, she was under its influence when supervising what should’ve been a routine operation onboard, but her negligence lead to the death of a crewman and the injury of two others. Court-martialled she was imprisoned in Jaros II for several years, though even there she was plagued by her drug addiction. Upon her release she turned away from Federation space, unable to face her family again and took up work on a variety of ships, stations and outposts, offering her services as a highly-trained former Starfleet officer. She was working security on a supply station when she came across the Juno when they were advertising for miners and decided to switch careers once again. Helmsman: Masaru Takashi, Human Born in 2230, he wanted adventure and joined Starfleet. There he showed himself to have true potential, with his daring and bravery he set himself apart from his peers and drew recognition for his actions, but in 2255 he was returning from leave in a shuttlecraft when it was caught up in a temporal vortex. Officially logged as MIA at the time, he reappeared 122 years later. After some time in the Department for Temporal Affairs, he recertified and tried to pick up his career where it left off, but quickly found what had made him exceptional the previous century branded him as reckless by Starfleet of the 2370s standards. Unable to adapt to the methodology he resigned his commission and went in look of work, taking a few odd jobs here and there before he ended up signing up to work for Venture Mining. Though he may not show it, being cut off from all those that he knew and loved hurt him deeply, as such he has issues with letting others in as readily as he did before. A project like this could actually be a good thing for humans in Trek, it would make them a more interesting and diverse people, rather than some of the bland offerings we've had in the past.
A trio of aliens now, including a couple of odd ones: Mining Foreperson: Domo Essa, Chandir Born on a mining colony, she is the fifth generation to go into the profession. From a young age, she knew the hard work and toil that went into being a miner, knew the thankless work was vital to every species in the quadrant, and had it drilled (no pun intended) into her that to get anything in life she had to work for it. Even before she entered secondary education she could field-strip a sonic drill. When she was fifteen an accident in the mine killed her father and older brothers, though the loss hit her hard she was every bit the pragmatist her father was and understood that was a risk that anyone in the profession could face. The following year she officially began her working life, first on her home colony for six years before moving on to a number of other mining outposts, processing stations and mining freighters. She signed on with Venture Mining four years ago, three of which she has spent on the Juno. Engineer: Dogh, Ferengi/Klingon The result of an unholy union between a Ferengi male and Klingon female. After he was born, his mother’s only interaction with him was name him Dogh (pathetic in Klingon) before abandoning him at a mission on a small planet just outside the Empire and he has not had any contact with her since then. He had a quiet life at the mission, where he quickly showed an aptitude for engineering which the nuns did all they could to nurture. They also tried to change his name on several occasions, but he insisted on keeping it despite its meaning, spurned on to be more than what his mother thought of him. When he was fifteen, he left the mission and signed on to a surveyor, where he received hands on training and experience with all things technical. After several years onboard he opted to change ships, looking for new challenges, and by chance signed onto a Ferengi freighter, but after only a couple of months he left, despised by Ferengi as much as he was by Klingons. He worked for a brief time as a repairman on a small outpost before seeing an advert for Venture Mining. Medical Technician: Imahr Palii, Irriol On Lru-Irr he has his hearts set on becoming a doctor and did all he could to ready himself for his chosen profession. Once he got into his chosen medical school he worked hard but it soon became clear to him that he didn’t have what it took, no matter how long he studied or how much effort he put in he never rose above the middle of the pack. As his first year continued, his performance grew steadily worse before he finally admitted defeat and opted not to return after finishing the year. Distraught with his failure, he couldn’t be consoled and instead left his homeworld as a deckhand onboard a planetary survey ship. Part of his duties was to help out in the ships arboretum, there he met a labtech who was a keen herbalist and soon started to pick up on the specialism. During a stop off on a planet, he was on a survey team where several succumb to an unknown illness. Using his new knowledge of plants, he was able to keep the afflicted members stable until the ship’s doctor could devise a cure. Afterwards, he found himself apprenticed as a medical technician. Though lacking the prestige and expertise of a doctor, he proved himself capable enough to assist. He stayed with the ship for several years before she was decommissioned and went in search of further work. I'm actually wondering if I have enough character ideas and concepts to fill my proposed ship. Might have to give it a go and see how far I get