Choi Ji-hu
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“The sky has eyes. / I don’t have to be afraid.”
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Ensign Choi Ji-hu is currently serving as an Engineering Officer aboard the USS Constitution-B.
| USS Constitution-B | ||
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| Choi Ji-hu | ||
| Position | Engineering Officer | |
| Rank | Ensign | |
| Species | Human | |
| Gender | Male | |
| DOB | 237202.05 | |
| Age | 29 | |
| Birthplace | Asan Medical Center in Seoul, Korea, Earth | |
| Writer ID | C239402CJ0 | |
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LCARS Starfleet Personnel Profile
- Height: 5'9
- Weight: 145 lb
- Hair: black, shaggy
- Eyes: dark brown
- Build: scrawny, wiry and woefully out of shape, as he jokes a "typical nerd build"
- Face: wide, bright, curious eyes, a bit of a baby face, quick to smile
- Carriage: daydreaming, curious, a typical “head-in-the-clouds” type, nervous in groups
- Off-Duty Clothing: whatever is clean; he hasn’t updated his wardrobe since arriving at Starfleet aside from the occasional gift, and his body type hasn’t changed much, so he still wears clothes that he had as a teenager, and he didn’t know how to dress himself then, either, always wears his wrist mounted PADD console he developed at Starfleet, and a simple necklace with a pendant that is actually a 10 kilobyte encrypted flash storage device
- Voice: nervous and excitable, a nervous stutter when he’s talking with more than one person, as he has a crushing fear of public speaking
- Handedness: right-handed
- Personal Quarters: a complete disaster zone, bed unmade, clothes and tech strewn about, a peace lily his mother gave him that is desperate for watering
LCARS Starfleet Personnel Biography
- Parents: Choi Seok (father) and Shin-hye (mother)
- Siblings: none
- Marital Status: single
- Children: none
Ji-hu was born at the Asan Medical Center in Seoul, Korea to Seok, a marketing executive, and Shin-hye, a systems analyst.
As a child, he took an interest in programming under the guidance of his mother. He began developing simple virtual intelligences at a young age, including bringing an imaginary friend to life in his room via holographic projector. One of his most advanced programs is a portable virtual intelligence and interface named Turing. As a teenager the VI kept his schedule of educational and social obligations, did the bulk of his homework and ran various recreational subroutines for Ji-hu and his friends.
In his late teens, on top of developing a talent for online hacking, Ji-hu and his friends got involved in a competitive, code-heavy civilian simulation game, STARSHIPS, where players take complex starship simulations and mod them with their own combat and security programs, then pit the ships against each other one-on-one or in group battles, in real-time. His signature in the STARSHIPS community became elegant cyberwarfare attacks that crippled defensive or life-sustaining systems of the simulation ships.
Ji-hu and his team ended up playing professionally, participating in an international competition in Beijing. One of the judges at “Beijing STARSHIPS International” was a retired Starfleet Tactical Officer, Lt. Commander Lu Ming Shu. After his team took silver in the competition, Lu sought out Ji-hu and encouraged him to use his simulation programs to apply to Starfleet Academy.
Starfleet Academy
“I double majored in Engineering and Science with focuses on computational systems, advanced mathematics and pathology, and specializations in nanotechnology and artificial intelligence! I wanted to do a minor in Intelligence too, but my course advisor threatened to throw me out of her office if I didn’t factor sleeping into my course load…”
Ji-hu made a promise to himself when he arrived at Starfleet Academy, technologically binding as he programmed the promise into his virtual intelligence assistant. Turing would only help him with scheduling, research, relaxation and the occasional sarcastic encouragement, all the work Ji-hu did in the Academy would be his own.
He, of course, regretted the promise as soon as his courses got underway. During course selection Ji-hu commanded Turing to cross reference his psychological profile and aptitude to then compile an optimized course list to be filed with the Academy. A clerical error put Ji-hu down for a double major, which was a surprise to him when he met with his course advisor to go over his planned course load. She was hesitant to authorize the workload, but when he asked her if he could add a minor in Intelligence she signed off as is and sent him on his way.
He threw himself into his soul-crushing course load with fervour, except for the Core Tactical courses, which he despised—physical exertion being the bane of his sedentary existence. The upside was that, however challenging, he adored his courses, especially his studies in computational systems, nanotechnology, neuroscience, crypto-analysis and artificial intelligence. The downside was that he almost never left his room, made few friends among his fellow students and completely missed out on student life.
Notable Starfleet Academy Projects and Essays
- Holodeck Program: Reserva de Biosfera de la Mariposa Monarca Annual Migration
- “Mind Bridges”: Analysis of Contemporary Nanotechnological Treatment in Neurological Disorders
- Introducing Advanced Generative Cryptosystems In Starfleet Intelligence Gathering
- Reaching Quorum: Applications of Swarm Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Networks
Psychological Evaluation
Referral Question: Cadet Choi Ji-hu visited the examiner for the requisite Starfleet Academy psychological evaluation at the beginning of his fourth year of study, and consequent followups. The examiner has submitted her full evaluation, but includes her initial observations and recommendations below.
Observations: When Ji-hu first visited my office he struck me as a shy but bright young man. Over our first two sessions he appeared nervous and mostly answered in one or two word responses unless prompted. When he learned I enjoyed participating in holodeck mysteries in my spare time he opened up significantly, and he spoke at length about his interests and hobbies in computer sciences and programming. In fact, it became difficult to reign in his responses, often.
We spoke at length about his family life. Ji-hu’s parents seem loving and supportive but busy and unimposing on his interests. He has fond memories of working on programming projects with his mother, and travelling with his father. He described one particular memory of camping with his father north of a Mexican biosphere reserve to observe the annual migration of monarch butterflies. I took the opportunity, while he was describing the experience, to take a surface reading of his emotions, and I felt a wealth of passion, complex feeling and empathy beneath his generally nervous exterior.
We spoke about his experiences at Starfleet Academy, and they were overwhelmingly positive. He enjoys his courses and has nothing but good things to say about his instructors and fellow students. With his significant course load I wondered what kind of recreational activities or extracurriculars he participates in. When I asked him he gave me a blank stare. I asked him to list a few people he considers friends, and he did so. I asked him how often he sees those people in person, and he gave me another blank stare. Only one, he said, which was his virtual intelligence assistant. Although he is close with his parents he has never had any other significant, intimate in-person friendships or relationships—the few people he considers “good friends” he knows online. Through conversation I learned that he has an intense fear of public speaking, prefers spending time with people one-on-one, when at all, and avoids groups if at all possible. Paradoxically, he excels at group work and team exercises, although prefers subordinate roles where he can take a background position.
Recommendations: Ji-hu and I spoke at length about issues with his general and social anxiety, for which he has never been treated, but was receptive to discussing and managing. We practiced mindfulness and breathing exercises, which he promised to continue to work on. I explained the process of long term treatment with a counsellor/psychiatrist or medically with a doctor/medication, which he said he would consider.
We also spoke about his reluctance to socialize and, offering personal anecdotes, I explained that working aboard a starbase or starship often tests social bonds and requires great trust with colleagues. After speaking at length, he expressed a genuine desire to make friends wherever his post-Academy career takes him, and we discussed strategies to do so comfortably while also challenging his fears.
If he continues with Starfleet I have no doubt Ji-hu will make an excellent engineer or scientist with a significant amount to contribute to Federation operations. I’m including a note with his file recommending future medical officers and counsellors to actively observe his progress and check in with Ji-hu in regards to his anxiety, social experiences and emotional wellbeing.
Lt. Commander Reesona Ihaa, MD,
Counsellor, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco
Service History
| Service History | ||||
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| Insignia | Rank | Dates | Posting | Assignment |
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Cadet First Class | 239402.12 | Graduated Starfleet Academy | Engineering Officer |
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Ensign | 239402.13 - Present | USS Constitution-B | Engineering Officer |
Awards & Service Ribbons
- For award descriptions, see: Awards and Service Ribbons
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NPC Listing · USS Constitution-B Crew Manifest · Crew History
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