Creating the New Characters

[Bry_Sinclair]

I was just thinking; there are lots of threads and posts about what the new series should be like, etc.

But what if you were given the task of creating just a single character for the next series? Their name, species, sex, background, traits, faults, ambitions, etc was all up to you, though you could only create just one character. You would then be given the chance to cast them (try to keep it believable, I doubt Brad Pitt would do TV at this stage in his career).

So the basic premise (the ship name and class are just placeholders, they could change to fit whatever was best): It is 2380, four years after the Dominion War, though its effects are still being felt, the damage still being cleaned up. The quadrant has entered a period of reconstruction and, though politically tense, is relatively stable. The newly commissioned Starship-Class U.S.S. Starship, a new crew is assembling for a new deep-space exploratory mission—used by Starfleet as a shining beacon, trying to show that they are returning to their doctrine of peaceful exploration.

Commanding Officer: Captain Anari Chase (Trill, Female) – Dina Meyer
First Officer: TBC
Chief Counsellor: TBC
Chief Engineering Officer: TBC
Chief Flight Control Officer: TBC
Chief Medical Officer: TBC
Chief Operations Officer: TBC
Chief Science Officer: TBC
Chief Security Officer: TBC
Chief Tactical Officer: TBC

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Name: Anari Chase (nee Vahl)
Position: Commanding Officer
Rank: Captain
Species: Trill
Sex: Female
Age: 42 (in 2380)
Actor: Dina Meyer

Biography:
Her mother died during unexpected complications during Anari’s birth. She grew up very close to her father, a strong bond that remains to this day. On Trill, unlike many of her peers, she had no interest in being Joined but she did have her heart set on entering Starfleet. When she was old enough she enrolled into the Academy.

At the Academy she met Dominic Chase, who was actually dating her roommate at the time (though they split just before graduation). She graduated high in her class and began a very promising career. Five years after last seeing him on Earth, she met Dominic Chase again when she was assigned to the U.S.S. Tecumseh. They served side-by-side (her at Ops and him at the Conn) and in time their friendship developed and they were soon romantically involved. Their relationship continued until he was offered a promotion and reassignment. Before he left, he proposed to her and she accepted. It would be a year later before they were married and, despite sometimes being separated by dozens of sectors, they made it work. She became a command-level officer in the early 2370s onboard the Akira-Class U.S.S. Kumari, during which time she and Dominic talked about the prospect of starting a family. Though they both wanted children, they were also both excelling in their careers.

When the Dominion War began, she remained on the Kumari which saw considerable combat throughout. During the Battle of Chin’toka the Kumari’s CO was killed and she assumed command during the battle. Afterwards, she was promoted to Captain and remained onboard as the new CO. In 2375, the Breen launched an attack on Earth. All available ships were scrambled to defend the planet, including the U.S.S. Zhukov which was under the command of Captain Dominic Chase. During the battle, the Zhukov was lost and among the casualties was her Captain. She took the loss hard, but stayed at her post throughout the remainder of the war and afterwards. In the five years following the end of the war, she has commanded the Kumari in several key assignments throughout the former Cardassian Union, along the Breen border and on the fringes of Federation space. When the U.S.S. Starship was completed, she beat out all the other candidates on the short list and was assigned as Commanding Officer.

Service Record:
2356-2360 — CDT — Starfleet Academy — Cadet (Operations)
2360-2362 — ENS — U.S.S. Firebrand — Computer Management Officer
2362-2364 — LT JG — U.S.S. Firebrand — Operations Officer
2364-2365 — LT JG — U.S.S. Firebrand — Assistant Chief Operations Officer
2365-2368 — LT — U.S.S. Tecumseh — Chief Operations Officer
2368-2371 — LT CDR — U.S.S. Tecumseh — Second/Chief Operations Officer
2371-2374 — CDR — U.S.S. Kumari — First Officer
2374-2380 — CAPT — U.S.S. Kumari — Commanding Officer
2380-PRES — CAPT — U.S.S. Starship — Commanding Officer

 

[MacLeod]

Reminds me of doing bio's for characters I played in PBEM's a few years ago.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Name: Clayton Louis, Jr.
Position: Chief Medical Officer
Rank: Commander
Species: Human (African-American)
Sex: Male
Age: 60 (in 2380)
Actor: Yet to be cast

Biography:
The son of a famous surgeon, Louis reluctantly followed in his father's footsteps only to discover that he didn't quite live up to his expectations. After failing to get into his father's alma mater at Harvard, Louis chose to enter Starfleet Medical Academy instead, where he briefly met (and didn't get along with) a young Beverly Howard. Graduating in the middle of the Class of 2348, Louis began his career as an emergency room doctor at Spacedock One for several years before being assigned to his first posting aboard a starship.

Louis served as an E.R. doctor aboard several vessels before being promoted to assistant chief medical officer aboard the Starship Melbourne in 2363. It was while he was on leave from the Melbourne in 2367 that the ship was destroyed at the Battle of Wolf 359 and Louis lost several close friends, including a Lieutenant Gregory Bergan that was almost like a son to him.

When the Starship Budapest was in need for a new chief medical officer in 2373, Louis was chosen for the post although he initially balked at the idea, stating that he was "just an overgrown field medic." But Budapest's captain believed that a veteran triage doctor was exactly what her ship needed as the Dominion War began. As fate would have it, the captain's instincts were proven right.

As chief medical officer of the U.S.S. Budapest, Louis made sure to have the best doctors and nurses he could find on his staff and ran his department like a well-oiled machine. He had no problems allowing junior doctors with more surgical expertise taking the lead in an operation, but he also knew how to handle people and administrate.

When the U.S.S. Starship was commissioned, Louis was recommended for the chief medical officer post by Rear Admiral Pavelova of Starfleet Medical.

Doctor Louis is best described as being grouchy with a frequently inappropriate sense of humor, but he can also be extremely gentle and compassionate with his patients. An iconoclast, he prides himself in having a somewhat cavalier attitude towards Starfleet rules and regulations (he always wears his uniform with the sleeves rolled up and the undershirt collar unzipped slightly).

Service Record:
2348-2352: Spacedock One, E.R. Doctor, Lieutenant j.g.
2352-2357: U.S.S. T'Lari, E.R. Doctor, Lieutenant
2357-2363: U.S.S. Majestic, E.R. Doctor, Lieutenant
2363-2367: U.S.S. Melbourne, Assistant Chief Medical Officer, Lieutenant
2367-2373: Starbase 27, Senior E.R. Doctor, Lieutenant Commander
2373-2378: U.S.S. Budapest, Chief Medical Officer, Lieutenant Commander
2378-2380: Starfleet Medical, Instructor, Lieutenant Commander
2380-present: U.S.S. Starship, Chief Medical Officer, Commander

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Reminds me of doing bio's for characters I played in PBEM's a few years ago.

I was involved in many a PBeM Sim back in my uni days, so I just can't ignore the format. Hopefully Captain Chase has more of a respectable career than some of the fantastic hero-type ones some Sim characters seem to have.

Nice work C.E. Evans. Welcome onboard Doctor Louis (btw I've wanted to tell you for a while, but love the avatar, always makes me chuckle).

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

Name: Kivor
Position: First Officer
Rank: Commander
Species: Vulcan
Philosophy: v'tosh'katur
Sex: Male
Age: 56 (in 2380)
Actor: Cliff Simon

Biography: (coming in a bit)

 

[MacLeod]

Reminds me of doing bio's for characters I played in PBEM's a few years ago.

I was involved in many a PBeM Sim back in my uni days, so I just can't ignore the format. Hopefully Captain Chase has more of a respectable career than some of the fantastic hero-type ones some Sim characters seem to have.

Nice work C.E. Evans. Welcome onboard Doctor Louis (btw I've wanted to tell you for a while, but love the avatar, always makes me chuckle).

I was involved several, as well as running a few. One of my old bio's is still up

http://www.deltafleet.com/bios/uss-phantom/jarod-scott/

 

[anh165]

The history and Bio's are irrelevant and waste of time, for a 'trek' show you just need a white guy, a black guy, a female with potential love interest, and bunch of other actors that are instantly forgetable. Add cheesy one liners when confronting the villian of the week before you blast them with your modified phaser banks to make your captain and 1st officer appear 'badass'.

It worked for those who watched Voyager and DS9..

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

Please excuse us for having fun.

 

[Admiral2]

The history and Bio's are irrelevant and waste of time, for a 'trek' show you just need a white guy, a black guy, a female with potential love interest, and bunch of other actors that are instantly forgetable. Add cheesy one liners when confronting the villian of the week before you blast them with your modified phaser banks to make your captain and 1st officer appear 'badass'.

It worked for those who watched Voyager and DS9..

So, a...when exactly will you be removing that giant stick from your rectum?

Me, I could use a creative exercise.

Name: Sersi by Augusta
Position: Commanding Officer
Rank: Captain
Species: Signeti
Sex: Female
Age: 38
Actor: Moon Bloodgood

Biography:
Considered a prodigy on a world run by highly intelligent women, Sersi excelled in athletics and academics and graduated top of her class at the Hestia Military Institute on her native Signet 13. She followed this with post-graduate studies at Starfleet Academy and became one of only a handful of Signeti women to ever join Starfleet, a gender-neutral organization usually shunned by members of her matriarchal society.

She began her Starfleet career as a Tactical Officer, serving with distinction and earning the first of many awards for heroic actions at Wolf 359, then rising through the ranks meritoriously by participating in some of the bloodiest battles of the Dominion War. Sersi is now the first Signeti woman to command a Starfleet ship.

The eldest of six children, Sersi is extremely devoted to her family and friends, sometimes to a fault. She's not above using her status and position to help her loved ones in unorthodox ways. Unmarried, she is currently in a long distance relationship with a civilian doctor, the only man she's met from another world that she considers worthy of her romantic attention.

 

[Kegg]

The history and Bio's are irrelevant and waste of time, for a 'trek' show you just need a white guy, a black guy, a female with potential love interest, and bunch of other actors that are instantly forgetable. Add cheesy one liners when confronting the villian of the week before you blast them with your modified phaser banks to make your captain and 1st officer appear 'badass'.

It worked for those who watched Voyager and DS9..

Ooh, this is interesting. Let me break the Treks down by this metric.

Star Trek: The Original Series
The White Guy: Several, but let's say Kirk.
The Black Guy: ...er...
The Female With Potential Love Interest: Rand! Wait, she dropped out... Chapel!
Bunch of Other Actors That Are Instantly Forgettable: Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura.

Star Trek: The Next Generation
The White Guy: Several, but let's say Picard.
The Black Guy: LaForge!
The Female With Potential Love Interest: Crusher! Because she's on-again-off-again with Picard. This is working!
Bunch of Other Actors That Are Instantly Forgettable: Riker, Troi, Yar, Worf, Data, Wesley.


Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
The White Guy: ...actually if we're not counting aliens it's just O'Brien.
The Black Guy: The Sisko!
The Female With Potential Love Interest: Kira! Because of that one time with O'Brien uh... also with Odo.
Bunch of Other Actors That Are Instantly Forgettable: Quark, Odo, Bashir, Jadzia, Ezri, Jake.

Star Trek: Voyager
The White Guy: Paris... same logic as O'Brien.
The Black Guy: ...er... let's say Vulcans count. Tuvok.
The Female With Potential Love Interest: Torres, of course!
Bunch of Other Actors That Are Instantly Forgettable: The Doctor, Seven of Nine, Kes, Kim, Chakotay, Janeway, Neelix.

Star Trek: Enterprise
The White Guy: Several, but let's say Archer.
The Black Guy: Mayweather!
The Female With Potential Love Interest: T'Pol! Ah, Archer/T'Pol... wait-
Bunch of Other Actors That Are Instantly Forgettable:
Tucker, Sato, Phlox, Reed.

Star Trek (2009)
The White Guy: Several, but let's say Kirk.
The Black Guy: Oh geez...
The Female With Potential Love Interest: This time I get to say Uhura!
Bunch of Other Actors That Are Instantly Forgettable: Spock, McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The history and Bio's are irrelevant and waste of time, for a 'trek' show you just need a white guy, a black guy, a female with potential love interest, and bunch of other actors that are instantly forgetable. Add cheesy one liners when confronting the villian of the week before you blast them with your modified phaser banks to make your captain and 1st officer appear 'badass'.

It worked for those who watched Voyager and DS9..

Forget the old broadcast formulas. The TV business has changed so completely that Star Trek can't survive on broadcast.

Think in terms of sci fi on cable - Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead. Maybe that doesn't apply either. Maybe there is no "formula" anymore. Cable audiences don't want to think they're wasting their time with a cookie-cutter show.

Here's a radical idea: come up with a Star Trek show that follows no formula. For example, one that is a character study of just one person, with recurring characters moving in and out of the story.

Or come up with a premise and decide what characters are needed based on that premise.

 

[Admiral2]

Here's a radical idea: come up with a Star Trek show that follows no formula. For example, one that is a character study of just one person, with recurring characters moving in and out of the story.

^^That's a formula! One that Larry David's been using for years! You really want "Curb your Star Trek?"

Or come up with a premise and decide what characters are needed based on that premise.

Of course, but that's not the purpose of this here thread.

 

[MacLeod]

Having a Bio or Character background. Provides a starting off point for how your character become who they are.

 

[C.E. Evans]

IMO, this is just a brainstorming excercise for a new character anyone would like to see in a proposed future Trek series in the OP. The bio just give insight into what the character is like (detailing more than just its race and gender). I don't think the bio has to be a real lengthy one or describe every facet of his or her career, though...

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

The history and Bio's are irrelevant and waste of time, for a 'trek' show you just need a white guy, a black guy, a female with potential love interest, and bunch of other actors that are instantly forgetable. Add cheesy one liners when confronting the villian of the week before you blast them with your modified phaser banks to make your captain and 1st officer appear 'badass'.

It worked for those who watched Voyager and DS9..

Firstly, relax. It's just a bit of fun. One thing I found where VOY and ENT were let down was the fact that some characters didn't have much in the way of consistency in their backstory--which is a personal gripe of mine--so this is to set that straight, so all the writers/director/actors know where characters are coming from.

Secondly, in DS9 the Captain and First Officer were badass (even before they got pulsephasers)!

Please excuse us for having fun.

Here here. That's what TrekBBS is for, ain't it?

IMO, this is just a brainstorming excercise for a new character anyone would like to see in a proposed future Trek series in the OP. The bio just give insight into what the character is like (detailing more than just its race and gender). I don't think the bio has to be a real lengthy one or describe every facet of his or her career, though...

You are correct sir (see explanation above). New details and aspects would be added over time and as stories needed (the new series would need a continuity supervisor to keep everything straight though).

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Here's a radical idea: come up with a Star Trek show that follows no formula. For example, one that is a character study of just one person, with recurring characters moving in and out of the story.

^^That's a formula! One that Larry David's been using for years! You really want "Curb your Star Trek?"

That's too broad to be a "formula." It's an approach to storytelling. I was actually thinking of Dexter when I wrote that, which just goes to show how much of a formula it is not.

IMO, this is just a brainstorming excercise for a new character anyone would like to see in a proposed future Trek series in the OP.

The problem is, laundry lists of character traits in threads like this bore me crosseyed. I never see anything that jumps out at me and screams, YES! make a series about a character like THAT!

Larry David or Dexter Morgan are characters you can instantly understand as potentially fascinating characters - "wealthy Hollywood curmudgeon sees disaster everywhere in life"; "serial killer tries to live by a moral code and kill only those who deserve it."

Come up with a one-sentence description of a character who demands to have a show made about him or her.

 

[Admiral2]

Here's a radical idea: come up with a Star Trek show that follows no formula. For example, one that is a character study of just one person, with recurring characters moving in and out of the story.

^^That's a formula! One that Larry David's been using for years! You really want "Curb your Star Trek?"

That's too broad to be a "formula." It's an approach to storytelling. I was actually thinking of Dexter when I wrote that, which just goes to show how much of a formula it is not.

Um...more than one show uses the same "technique", it's a formula.

IMO, this is just a brainstorming excercise for a new character anyone would like to see in a proposed future Trek series in the OP.

The problem is, laundry lists of character traits in threads like this bore me crosseyed. I never see anything that jumps out at me and screams, YES! make a series about a character like THAT!

Then why are you here, because nothing cheeses me off more than snobs who come into just-for-fun threads like this just to pontificate about what's wrong with them.

Larry David or Dexter Morgan are characters you can instantly understand as potentially fascinating characters - "wealthy Hollywood curmudgeon sees disaster everywhere in life"; "serial killer tries to live by a moral code and kill only those who deserve it."

Larry David's an ass and Dexter Morgan's a murderer and the only thing i find fascinating about either character is that their shows lasted more than a half-season apiece, and they are the absolute last types of characters i want to see in the next trek series.

Come up with a one-sentence description of a character who demands to have a show made about him or her.

Start your own thread. This one's got a challenge already.

 

[C.E. Evans]

IMO, this is just a brainstorming excercise for a new character anyone would like to see in a proposed future Trek series in the OP.

The problem is, laundry lists of character traits in threads like this bore me crosseyed.

Then don't look. No one's forcing you.

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

Personally, I don't see anything "potentially fascinating" about a character like Dexter. I'm getting sick of the recent trend that insists a show's protagonists must be as morally bankrupt and bloodthirsty and ultra-violent as the villains. What happened to the days when heroes were, you know, actually heroic?

I couldn't agree more, Admiral2 and C.E.

Back on topic, I wrote up Kivor's bio:

Name: Kivor
Position: First Officer
Rank: Commander
Species: Vulcan
Philosophy: v'tosh'katur
Sex: Male
Age: 56 (in 2380)
Actor: Cliff Simon

Biography: A Vulcan who follows a conservative form of v’tosh’katur, Kivor does not believe that completely suppressing one’s emotions is what Surak intended or that it is healthy for Vulcans. However, Kivor still endeavors to remain in strict control of his actions. Kivor believes that logic is important but not at the complete expense of emotion. Just beneath the surface of his control, Kivor carries the burden of tremendous anger for atrocities he witnessed as a child. Were he to act on that simmering rage, he believes he could cause serious harm to those around him and for that reason more than anything else, he practices strict logical control. So while he may smile, laugh, or even tell a joke once in a while, he is far from undisciplined.



What do you all think of an angry Vulcan? It would make an interesting change, I think.