Alicia Ballentyne

Alicia Ballentyne is a Medical Cadet at Starfleet Academy.

Stats

• Forename(s): Alicia Robyn Rose
• Surname: Ballentyne
• Race: Terran
• Date of Birth: 236111.18
• Place of Birth: Earth; Capetown, South Africa
• Age: 26
• Gender: Female
• Telepathic status: 0

Appearance

• Height: 5' 5"
• Weight: 120 LBS
• Hair Color: Black
• Length of Hair: Shoulder
• Eye Color: Grey-Blue
• Skin Tone: Caucasian (pale)
• Birthmarks, Scars: None
• Build: Slight frame, physically fit
• Face: Heart shaped, sophisticated
• Eyes: Grey-blue
• Mouth: Average
• Arms: Average, slight musculature
• Legs: Long, slight musculature
• Carriage: Quiet, quick and calm pace, with even strides
• Poses (Hands/Gestures, Feet/Legs, Torso/Head): Very still; Places hands behind back when walking and talking with others; crosses legs when seated; has impeccable posture.
• Taste in Clothing (when off duty): Always impeccably and appropriately dressed for the occasion. Aboard ship or starbase tends to favour the duty uniform (even in off duty situations). For formal occasions tends to prefer civilian evening dress and high-heeled shoes; jewellery tastes are simple: single diamonds, white gold, and pearls, worn infrequently. Informally opts for summer dresses, simple skirts and blouses. Colour choices tend towards black, midnight blue, dark red, ivory and white.
• Shoes: Size 5; favours non-sensible types when off duty
• Voice: Upper-class English accent (received pronunciation/home counties), excellent diction
• Handedness: Right

General Description

Although not conforming to the stereotype of human beauty, when taken in the whole Alicia Ballentyne’s appearance is rather pleasing. Facially attractive, Ballentyne’s face is heart-shaped and adorned with light grey-blue eyes and a delicate nose, mouth and jaw-line. Although not blessed with an imposing frame, Ballentyne is a quiet, calm and officious presence in any room, able to control a situation but not naturally domineering.

Ballentyne’s movements are very controlled, a product of her education and family background, they tend to vary between extreme stillness and smooth but sudden activity. When listening, thinking or paying attention she tends to be completely, almost unnervingly, still and has the practiced habit of locking her facial features into an impassive, perhaps ironic, expression. When speaking or engaged in activity her actions are sharp, quick and decisive and her facial expressions, although slight, are distinctive and expressive.

Manner

• Quarters: TBD
• Favorite Room: TBD
• Habits:
• Mannerisms: Bites lower lip occasionally when anxious; tends to adopt an impassive, almost ironic, facial expression when listening to others at length; tends to hold eye contract for long periods of time.
• Religion/Spiritual Devotion: Agnostic Christian (in Anglican High Church tradition)
• Hobbies and Pastimes: Accomplished classical pianist (favours Rachmaninov, Chopin and Debussy); keen academic interest in comparative xenobiology and physiology; Favours ‘high culture’ (classical music, theatre); Wine connoisseur; enjoys formal social occasions;
• Likes: Formal occasions; fashion; fine wines (particularly vintage French reds and champagnes); long baths; parties (particularly formal social occasions – even funerals); literature (particularly Russian Authors); classical music and adventure.
• Dislikes: Bad manners; new world wines (and off-world wines); sensible shoes; uncooperative patients; Romulan Ale; family history;
• Ambitions and Goals: As a pragmatist Ballentyne is ambitious in the general sense but has yet to set herself any real goals.
• Achievements in Life: Graduation from Cambridge; Qualification as a Doctor; Graduation from Starfleet Academy
• Disappointments in Life: None of note.
• Temperment: Ballentyne is even tempered, if not positively cool and dispassionate. Most of her responses, moods and projections of emotion appear to be thought out almost, but not quite, an act. She is rarely quick to anger or pleasure and tends to greet most challenges, set-backs, disappointments and triumphs with a wry, ironic smile and a caustic comment. Emotional reactions, and particularly displays of pleasure, tend to be very controlled and usually geared towards achieving a purpose.
• Mental problems (complexes and phobias): None of significance. Generally speaking there are some residual family conflicts and minor emotional issues stemming from childhood relationships.
• Physical Limitations: Has limited (average) upper body strength; in line with that which would be expected of most unathletic human females.

Personality Description

Deeply patrician in both her tastes and her approach to life, Alicia Ballentyne bears all the hall marks of a woman of her education and social class. A naturally quiet individual Ballentyne exudes quiet efficiency and competence, which shows through in her ability to take the lead in medication situations. In other scenarios she has a tendency to blend into the background and spectator. She is highly intelligent and possesses a great confidence in her own abilities as a doctor and scientist.

Ethically Ballentyne is a pragmatist and can be surprisingly self-interested for a doctor. She is very unreflective in her thinking, not so much through lack of capacity, but more by natural disposition. Her line of thinking tends to be: ‘X is correct because I say it is’ rather than ‘X is correct and I noticed it is.’

Most behaviours, particularly obvious emotional outbursts, seem to be quite controlled and geared to achieving specific short and long-term outcomes, she is perhaps somewhat manipulative in a passive way. When unimpressed or disinterested Alicia tends to assume an impassive facial expression and has yet to be bested in a staring contest. Her sense of humour is very dry and ironic, it can border on the cruel although she is usually quite restrained in her use of it and her polite manners usually take the edge off her barbs.

Family

• Marital Status: Single
• Children: None
• Parents
  • Father: Henry Thomas James Ballentyne
  • Mother: Margaret Rossalyn Ballentyne
• Siblings: Alexander Thomas James Ballentyne

Family History

The Ballentyne family origins can be traced back to an eighteenth century England. The family was then a prosperous, upper-middle-class family, prominent in English economic and political life through deep connections with the East India Company. A string of Ballentyne males made their fortunes as Captains in the East India Company, largely through the slave trade and exploitation of African resources. By the late seventeenth century the family possessed extreme wealth and considerable lands in South Africa in addition to a significant political influence in Parliament through the control of two pocket boroughs. Eventually the family secured a hereditary peerage in 1801.

The family’s economic and political fortunes suffered in the early nineteenth century with the empire-wide abolition of the slave trade in 1807. Captain Sir Stephen Ballentyne is known to have lost over seven thousand pounds in 1807 owing to the freeing of slaves and a year later his elder brother, Lord Ballentyne of Stonehouse, was disgraced following the public revelation of his affair with his stable boy. Various less-than-honourable members of the family continued to deal in slaves for several further years until Captain William Ballentyne was hanged in Cape Town in 1811. By 1820 the family had largely quit Britain, having removed themselves to the South African estate. The family’s fortunes showed some turnaround in the mid nineteenth century through wise trade investment and good luck. Several Ballentyne men distinguished themselves in the Boer Wars and the family gained a strong connections with the British Empire and colonial administration.

Throughout the early half of the twentieth century the family were prominent in South African political and economic life. Jamerson Ballentyne was a prominent member of the National Party and advocated racial segregation. With the ending of Apartheid and free and fair elections the Ballentynes lost what influence they retained in the politics of the nation and throughout the latter half of the twentieth century and early twenty-first centuries the family gradually surrendered large amounts of their inherited lands. To this day the family remain large land holders in South Africa, their holdings include several vinyards, a 40% stake in a safari park and several large farms.

What prosperity the family was able to retain into the twenty-first century was largely lost in the decades that followed. The family’s fortunes resurged in the twenty-second century with the foundation of the UFP. Of good stock and excellent education, a number of Ballentynes found themselves occupying positions in the emerging UFP political class: politicians, lawyers, doctors, judges, scientists, diplomats and Starfleet Officers. Examples of deceased members of the extended family include:

• Cynthia Ballentyne: Starfleet Captain of the USS Proteus, one of the earliest Deadleaus Class starships.
• Alexander Ballentyne: first Ambassador to Romulus. His tenure at the embassy lasted only ten days before he died in suspicious circumstances.
• Professor Robyn Ballentyne: noted civilian Scientist, lead the research group which cured Aids/HIV

Living family members of note include:

• Anthony Fitzherbert Ballentyne: eminent judge (retired) and legal philosopher; presently Professor Emeritus at the University of New Berlin, Luna.
• Henry Ballentyne (father of Alicia Ballentyne): UFP deputy-under secretary of State for Inter-galactic Affairs.
• Portia Ballentyne (aunt of Alicia Ballentyne): Disreputable socialite, who had a long running affair with UFP President Jaresh Inyo.
• Douglas Ballentyne: (cousin of Alicia Ballentyne) Co-director of a large civilian freighter company.

Personal History

Personal Timeline

• 236111.18: Born in Cape Town to Henry and Margaret Ballentyne. Grows up largely on the family estate in South Africa under the guidance of nannies and later private tutors. Begins music lessons on her fourth birthday and riding lessons on her ninth fast becoming both an accomplished pianist and equestrian. Relationship with parents is, at best, distant, particularly with her farther Henry, who spent a considerable deal of time in Paris working for the UFP government.
• 237209.03: Boards at Wycombe Abbey, an Independent School for Girls in the British Isles. Alicia quickly proves herself to be both academically and athletically able, distinguishing herself particularly in the sciences, mathematics and music as well as on the polo pitch. Becomes close friends with several other young women, including Miranda Snow. During this time Alicia’s interest in music dwindles to a hobby as she focuses on science and mathematics. At the age of 15 she decides she wishes to become a doctor following a serious (and painful) injury on the polo pitch.
• 237908.19: Leaves Wycombe Abbey with outstanding academic results, particularly in chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics. Claims school prizes in Chemistry and Biology.
• 237910.01: Matriculates at St John's College, Cambridge where she undertakes a degree in pre-clinical medicine. At Cambridge Alicia continues to pursue academics with vigour, and returned to the piano. She also began to explore new theatres, including debate, taking to the floor of the Cambridge Union several times, including once debating against Jaresh-Inyo, former President of the United Federation of Planets. She was comprehensively bested by the elder statesman in debate, but refused to capitulate.
• 238206.16: Graduates from Cambridge with first-class honours in pre-clinical medicine and is accepted into Starfleet Academy to complete medical qualification as an Officer Candidate.
• 238607.10: Qualifies as a Doctor at Starfleet Academy; continues Officer Training Programme at the Academy.
• 238712.##: Graduates Starfleet Academy.
• 238712.##: Assigned to:

Professional History

• Date Graduated from Academy: 238612.##
• Current Rank: Cadet
• Current Assignment: Starfleet Academy
• Duty Post: Medical cadet

Awards & Commendations

• ...: Date awarded.

Timeline

• 238712.##: Graduates Starfleet Academy
• YYYYMM.##: Event, etc.