Solak

Solak is a Vulcan Stellar Cartographer, currently in service aboard the USS Veritas.

USS Veritas
Solak
Position	Stellar Cartographer
Rank	Lieutenant
Species	Vulcan
Gender	Male
DOB	234128.09
Age	59
Birthplace	ShirKahr, Na'nam, Vulcan

Stats

• Height: 183cm
• Weight: 89kg
• Hair: Brown
• Eyes: Brown
• T/E Rating: T5

Early Life and Academic Career

Solak was born and raised in ShirKahr on Vulcan. Even as a child, Solak was interested in the very essence of existence, so much so that he spent his youth at the Vulcan Science Academy, studying philosophy. His studies led him to becoming interested in the science of prediction, and soon after he discovered an interest in science in general.

Unlike other young Vulcan children, Solak did not experience much in the way of emotions. Acquaintances of Solak's family often mused that his personality was akin to achieving Kolinahr at birth.

Vulcan IDIC philosophy, of which Solak was exposed to for the vast majority of his academic career, was on rare occasions no match for the Earth principal of Occam's razor.

Studying the philosophical principles of other cultures sometimes meant learning their language. As a result, Solak is fluent in Klingon.

Starfleet Career

Solak eventually became interested in exploration – and to him, Starfleet became a logical career path to apply his lifetime of studies in a practical environment.

Prior to his assignment to the Veritas, Solak was assigned to the USS Solaris as a Science Officer.

Personality

Solak has traditionally been socially awkward since joining Starfleet, as he has lacked the ability to observe and imitate cultural norms.

He is not one to wait for orders when it is obvious what needs to be done. He likes to anticipate a what fellow officer's instructions would be, before they are mentioned. This had sometimes raised the ire of others. After joining Starfleet, he had discovered that the years he spent studying the science of prediction did nothing for attempting to predict the behaviour of other species, especially humans.

Like many Vulcans, Solak has a penchant for curiosity. He is particularly curious about different people's personalities, and how they behave in different circumstances.

Even by Vulcan standards, Solak can be considered too “icy” by his colleagues – especially in stressful situations. He is also known to be blunt at times, without malice. However, this is not always understood, and he has been told several times that he lacks tact. Solak has also known to speak the bleeding obvious. Some of his former colleagues have secretly joked to each other that they looked forward to the day Solak became a captain - just so they could call him "Captain Obvious.:

Transfer to the USS Veritas (aka "The Toasted Sandwich Incident")

During a joint mission between the USS Veritas and the USS Solaris, crew from both ships transported to a class-M planet that contained Menthar ruins, which ultimately was found as the source of Sentinel - an AI system design to protect Menthar key outposts and planetary systems. Whilst in the ruins, Solak received a phaser blast to the shoulder from AI controlled orbs which caused him to pass out.

Ensign Addison MacKenzie, who was also part of the away team, tended to Solak. He regained consciousness, but was suffering from shock and/or concussion which caused him disorientation. He mistook Addison for an "Admiral Quierty" and mistakenly recalled the cause of his injuries as a result of Klingons that "were in a starship mess hall, throwing (explosive) flashlights at Starfleet officers" and swearing in Bajoran. Informing Addison that he "required sustenance" he requested she replicate him a "toasted Vulcan sandworm and cheese sandwich". He also mistakenly referred to Lieutenant Geoffrey Teller as "Godfrey Queller", before telling Addison, "Admiral. I must get you to safety. The alpha quadrant, and my toasted sandwich, relies on it."

Word of this incident became legendary amongst the crew of the Solaris, many of whom found it a constant source of amusement. This was punctuated when a junior officer, a Vulcan named Ensign T'Pako, replicated a toasted sandworm and cheese sandwich on a plate and left it on his assigned bridge console for him to find at the beginning of his shift.

This led him to requesting a transfer to the USS Veritas.

Medical Information

Tricordrazine has an hallucinogenic effect on Solak, due to a slight allergy.

Quirks

• Solak is fascinated by metaphors, particularly human metaphors. Has been also known to quote them in appropriate scenarios.
• He has been known to study the behaviour of other people, both as a scientific pursuit and to learn how to better integrate with Starfleet crews
• Keeps a meticulous "TODO" list on his PADD - mostly filled with metaphors quoted by others, to research
• Has an unintended, innate ability to make people jump when he first speaks to them, without them detecting his presence. This led him to having the nickname of "the ghost" on the Solaris. He always apologizes after it happens.

Quotes

• "As Terrans sometimes state, I will 'see you round'. Although, I am yet to discover why seeing someone in such configuration that every part of their surface is equidistant from their center would be considered optimal."