Quinn Reynolds/Personal history
| QUINN REYNOLDS |
  
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Childhood
Quinn was born in Columbia Hills, Mars. From a very young age, it was obvious that she was an exceptionally bright child and intelligence testing showed that she had a phenomenally high IQ. The Reynolds family already had some experience with gifted children - her cousin Hayden was also remarkably intelligent - and so it was decided that she would be home schooled with private tutors in order to provide her with a tailored program of education that was best suited to her abilities. While there was a strong emphasis on mathematics and the sciences, her father, Stephen Reynolds, also ensured that she had access to the arts and Quinn quickly fell in love with music. Playing the piano quickly became one of her favourite hobbies and one she would take with her into adulthood.
Her childhood years were marked with several life-altering events. First, there was incident involving her mother that finally prompted the decision to place Sarah Reynolds in the care of psychiatric professionals - of which Quinn still bears the scars of today. The later months of her eighth year included a visit to Delta IV which left the girl with a lingering distaste of Deltan culture and a phobia of water.
At the age of ten, Quinn undertook the final examinations required to graduate from High School and passed them all with flying colours. Under pressure from her grandparents, Susan and Martin, she applied to the Daystrom Institute of Technology to read a Bachelor of Science in Physics. She found life at the institute a struggle, having difficulty relating to her fellow classmates, all of whom were several years older than her and as a result became increasingly isolated during her time there. It was directly due to her solitude that she finished the degree a full year earlier than the norm.
Notable Relationships
- Hayden Reynolds: Quinn's cousin Hayden was another child prodigy and one of the few people that understood the difficulties that came packaged along with it.
- Sarah Reynolds: Though they were separated when she was five, Quinn has some extremely vivid memories of her mother; especially the last few months when Sarah (due to her mental illness) took to physically abusing the young girl.
- Stephen Reynolds: Very much a Daddy's Girl, Quinn adored her father as a child and followed him around virtually anywhere that she could.
Full Timeline
- 235902.14: Born.
- 236403.02: Mother is institutionalised, Quinn is cared for by her mother's husband, who later formally adopts her.
- 236709.14: A disastrous trip to Delta IV (with the intention of introducing her to Deltan culture) leaves Quinn with a permanent phobia of water.
- 236906.23: Graduates from high school, begins study at the Daystrom Institute of Technology.
- 237106.09: Completes a BSc in Physics.
Teenage Years
Life as a teenager was considerably more settled for Quinn, barring the incident involving the Betazoid named Tallon that resulted in a three month stay in the same hospital as her mother. In her early teenage years she continued to study, now applying her prodigious intellect to the study of a physics doctorate and later, post-doctoral studies. Though still isolated from many of her peers due to the significant age difference, she had by then learned to cope with her loneliness; she threw herself into her studies with almost alarming intensity, rarely taking holidays unless coerced into it, and if she wasn't working, she was playing the piano or tending to the multitude of plants she kept around her.
Quinn's prior applications to work with the Theoretical Propulsion Group at Utopia Planitia had been refused, but once she reached the age of sixteen she was finally offered a position as a Junior Research Engineer and moved back to her father's home on Mars. She found the work she undertook interesting, but it was a continuing major source of frustration and disappointment to the young woman that her ideas were frequently dismissed due to her youth. Growing dissatisfaction with her job and ability to contribute made Quinn consider a change in profession and so at the age of twenty, she made her application to Starfleet.
Notable Relationships
- Tildaen Ethelwin: An exchange student from Earth, Tildaen was offered a place to stay by Quinn's father. At first she was wary of the Betazoid, due to her intense discomfort around telepaths, but over the next eighteen months the pair slowly became good friends.
- Esteban Sanchez: A member of the Theoretical Propulsion Group, Doctor Esteban Sanchez is probably the closest thing to a mentor Quinn has ever had. He was one of the few people that didn't treat her as a schoolgirl in above her head and took the time to listen to her theories and suggestions, no matter how outrageous. It was from Esteban that Quinn learned practicality in engineering and when to reign in her sometimes wild ideas.
Full Timeline
- 237203.11: The beginning of a three month stay at the same hospital as her mother.
- 237401.02: Completes PhD in Warp Field Theory.
- 237501.01: Joins the Theoretical Propulsion Group at Utopia Planitia shipyards.
- 237601.15: The USS Kestrel, the ship her cousin Hayden serves on, vanishes along with all hands on board.
- 237701.02: Completes PhD in Applied Subspace Theory.
- 237704.17: Tildaen Ethelwin, a Betazoid exchange student, moves into the family home during his internship on Mars.
Starfleet Academy
Quinn had never expected Starfleet Academy to be easy, but she had not anticipated just how hard it actually was. She had little trouble with the classes that require pure academic work and theory; always in the top percentile, if not at the very top itself. But when it came to more practical endeavours, she struggled, especially when it came to classes oriented around combat and tactics. Her marksmanship was poor and she still feels today that there was a significant element of luck involved when she scraped a pass mark the various self-defence classes.
Her difficulties did however bring about some self-realisation; Quinn discovered that she had previously unknown reserves of determination (or perhaps plain stubbornness) and she refused to give up, even when at her lowest. Tildaen, who was also in the same year as she, also helped her through the bad times - although he unknowingly also sometimes made them worse with his attempts to find her a significant other.
Notable Relationships
- Tildaen Ethelwin: Quinn and Tildaen met again at the Academy, sharing many of the same classes during their first year. It was during this time that he managed to drag Quinn out to several San Francisco nightspots and (with much reluctance on her part) introduced her to orbital skydiving.
Full Timeline
- 238003.05: Enters Starfleet Academy.
- 238401.27: Graduates from Starfleet Academy.
In the Fleet: The USS Triumphant
Quinn's first major mission, the survey of Musca III, had several revelations for the fresh-faced Ensign Reynolds. It was the first time she had to deal with a less-than-pleasant superior officer and a significant threat to her life when a Gorn computer virus seriously damaged and disabled the Triumphant. Despite the rocky start, Lieutenant Commander Walter Brunsig and Quinn grew on one other and they managed to work together to save the Triumphant from being destroyed in a nearby plasma storm.
During the Asterospolis mission, Quinn was promoted to Chief of Engineering - a position she found extremely difficult to deal with. After one crewman disobeyed a direct order and another requested a transfer due to the "performance of the department head", she suffered from a severe crisis of confidence and considered a transfer to a research outpost or other low-stress environment. Her confidence was restored a little when she successfully commanded an away mission to the USS Yellowknife - a crippled colony defence ship - and assisted the Triumphant in battle. Ultimately, the Yellowknife was destroyed when Quinn was forced to ram the enemy ship.
The end of the Asterospolis mission was also the end of an era for her; Captain Rhys Bejain was reassigned as the Federation Ambassador to Bajor, the Triumphant was retired from the front line and the crew was split, reassigned through the fleet. Quinn was posted to the USS Independence as the Chief Engineering Officer, along with Tildaen; while her friends Nick Parks, Galvin Prox and Walter Brunsig were assigned elsewhere in the fleet, much to her distress.
Notable Relationships
- Walter Brunsig: Something of an odd couple, Quinn slowly discovered that she and Walter Brunsig had more in common than initial appearances would imply and the pair forged a peculiar friendship.
- Tildaen Ethelwin: Quinn's old friend from Mars and the Academy was transferred to the Triumphant, much to her delight.
- Nick Parks: Initially brought together as a research partnership, Nick and Quinn's work together grew into an unassuming friendship.
- Galvin Prox: Despite her normal aversion to telepaths, Galvin Prox slowly grew on Quinn and she made a concerted effort to be friendly toward him for Tildaen's sake, if not her own.
Example Sims
- Rescue: Aboard the USS Yellowknife and on course to ram an enemy ship, Quinn is snatched away from certain death, seconds before the two ships collide.
Full Timeline
- 238401.31: Posted to the USS Triumphant, as an engineering officer.
- 238404.14: Returns from a future timeline, on board the NX Class starship Constitution.
- 238405.17: Aboard the USS Triumphant when it departs on a shakedown cruise and routine planetary survey mission to Musca III.
- 238406.15: Promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade.
- 238406.25: Aboard the USS Triumphant when it departs for Asterospolis on a diplomatic mission to the Free Trade Union.
- 238407.07: Temporarily named Chief Engineer of the USS Triumphant.
- 238408.30: Promoted to Lieutenant.
In the Fleet: The USS Independence-A
The Euphrates mission held several revelations for the newly-minted Chief Engineer. For the first instance in her career, Quinn experienced the loss of personnel under her direct command; rather than deal with how it affected her, she chose to ignore it, distancing herself from the situation. Toward the end of the mission, she experienced fresh emotional turmoil in the form of a burgeoning relationship with David Cody.
The medical relief mission to TE-IV left a permanent impression on the young engineer; caught in the explosion of a sabotaged generator, Quinn came truly close to death. The experience left her with some serious scars; physical, in the form of constant pain in her left leg and mental, as she is subsequently plagued with nightmares. She also found that her cousin was intending to marry Lily Ventu and struggled to deal with the unexpected and uncharacteristic jealousy that accompanied the discovery.
Shortly before the Independence was pulled the Galactic Barrier, Quinn found herself thrust into a teaching role, when a tactical officer with no formal engineering training was assigned as Assistant Chief Engineer. It was not a position she was particularly comfortable with and whenever possible, she delegated it to other crew members. During their time at the Galactic Barrier, Quinn was frustrated with her own unusually short temper, the nightmares still present and including flashbacks from the battle where she commanded the Yellowknife.
The subsequent scouting mission into the Igloo Cluster revealed that Quinn had been replaced for some time by a Breen-engineered imposter; transported to the Skiptrace, the imposter was unable to return to the Independence as the real Quinn had managed to effect an escape from the Breen ship on which she was being held captive. Quinn's return to the Independence was less than happy, as she discovered that both Lily and Hayden were gone, and that with his promotion to First Officer, David appeared to have chosen his career over her. Feeling alone, abandoned and lost, she decided to request a transfer away from the Independence and the memories it held.
Notable Relationships
- David Cody: Somewhat to her surprise, Quinn's initial attraction to the Chief of Security was mutual. Despite her initial reservations, the pair began a tentative relationship that continued to deepen - and ended abruptly at the end of the Igloo Cluster mission.
- Hayden Reynolds: Rescued from his pocket dimension, Quinn was initially thrilled to find Hayden had been assigned to the Independence. Though she has came to learn that her cousin is not the same man she remembers, his reassignment to the USS Tiger left her feeling as though she has lost him once again.
- Sidney Riley: Quinn came to (somewhat unfairly) blame the former First Officer of the Independence for many of her troubles that stemmed from the events on TE-IV, a feeling which may remain unresolved with Riley's reassignment to the Tiger.
- Lily Ventu: Transferred from the Triumphant together, Quinn had come to view Lily Ventu as a good friend and confidante. While she still coming to terms with her emotions regarding Lily's relationship with Hayden, Lily was transferred to the Tiger, leaving Quinn feeling lonely once again.
Example Sims
- Stinging Truths: Injured and in pain, Quinn tells her First Officer Sidney Riley exactly what she thinks of a command decision.
Full Timeline
- 238409.04: Transferred to USS Independence as the Chief Engineering Officer.
- 238409.17: Aboard the USS Independence when it departs to Sector 301 in search of the USS Euphrates.
- 238411.24: Aboard the USS Phoenix when it departs to the Triades-Episolon system to deliver medical aid to the colonists of TE-IV.
- 238501.18: Awarded the Purple Star.
- 238502.05: Quinn is aboard the USS Independence when it, along with the USS Ursa Major and USS Ronin, are pulled through a wormhole to the Galactic Barrier.
- 238504.18: Quinn is aboard the USS Independence when it departs on a survey mission to the Igloo Cluster.
- 238505.06: Remains assigned to the Independence when the USS Tiger is recommissioned.
In the Fleet: Starbase 118
Arriving at the Starbase held several trials for Quinn; not least of which was adjusting to her new assignment in Intelligence. Fortunately for her, the first series of events she was involved with didn't require the expertise of an Intel Officer and she was able to operate closer to her comfort zone. The biggest challenge she faced was dealing with her own turbulent emotions following her abrupt departure from the Independence and the sudden reappearance of Walter Brunsig, with whom she had lost contact with since the Triumphant; primarily because he had not returned any of her messages. After an initially frosty reception, the pair began to slowly rebuild their friendship. Quinn was also delighted to find that the person she considers her best friend, Lily Ventu, had also been reassigned to the station - though the fact that Lily was pregnant did come as something of a shock.
She later found herself a guest in the Klingon prison of Rura Penthe after a black operation that went wrong; a situation she was wholly unprepared to deal with. It culminated in her being forced to take the life of one of the other prisoners and nearly losing her own as a result of his mate's desire for vengeance. The whole series of events left a deep mark on her psyche that continues to haunt her.
Before she had a chance to fully recuperate from either the physical or mental stresses of her ordeal in the Klingon prison, Quinn was ordered to the USS Prospero to take part a tactical exercise. The war games took an unexpected turn when the uninhabited system turned out to have a large and expertly concealed population hidden in one of the gas giants. The Prospero was attacked, the crew imprisoned and the forced telepathic contact between the crew and several of the aliens resulted in heightened psionic abilities amongst those already possessing them - including Quinn. Without any form of control over her newly unleashed empathy, her condition began to rapidly deteriorate and only a hastily arranged telepathic Zhian'tara ritual, involving Kael Tam, Hayden Reynolds and Lily Ventu was able to give her some relief. More formal training followed during shore leave on the planet Vulcan.
The return to the Starbase revealed the the Klingon virus situation had not been resolved during her absence from the Starbase; a situation which resulted in the Starbase coming under biological attack and her close friend Walter Brunsig infected. As he lay close to death, she was forced to make several difficult decisions about his treatment, some of which she knew he would not have accepted had he been given the choice himself. After the combined efforts of the medical staff and Kyros Gideon in securing a sample of the cure, Walter was saved, but the experience left its mark on him and he was soon turning to drink in order to cope.
While she trying to help Walter with his suddenly worsening habit, Lily Ventu summoned the senior staff on the base to a clandestine meeting. Announcing her intention to go AWOL and violate orders, she followed up with a request that the staff cover for her whilst she did so. Realising that they were being telepathically probed to check their loyalty and questioning where her own lay, Quinn stormed out of the meeting. She later listened to Lily's concerns and reluctantly agreed to cover Lily's absence.
Notable Relationships
- Walter Brunsig: Once again reunited on the Starbase, the two have slowly begun to rebuild their friendship, though the fact that Quinn is now his superior officer is emerging as a source of problems between them.
- Kyros Gideon: The displaced Knight of Nienthra rapidly fell for Quinn as a result of her Deltan pheromones. After Quinn explained the source of his infatuation, the two have began a careful friendship, though Quinn stressed to him that it will never become anything more.
- Hayden Reynolds: The relationship between the two cousins and former friends continues to deteriorate, with every attempt at reconciliation causing them to drift further apart.
- Lily Ventu: Now on the station together, Lily is the first person Quinn turns to when she needs help or advice and the strength of their friendship is carried into a strong working relationship between CO and XO.
- Rhys Reynolds-Ventu: Lily and Hayden's son - Quinn's godchild - instils in Quinn both a sense of absolute terror and a few other emotions she's unaccustomed to dealing with.
Example Sims
- Preparations: Quinn and Walter Brunsig prepare for an official function; a night at the Klingon opera.
Full Timeline
- 238508.10: Transferred to Starbase 118 as an Intelligence Officer.
- 238512.08: A member of the staff assigned to deal with the Klingon Imperial Opera and the situation in the Veqlargh Bal system.
- 238601.13: Promoted to Lieutenant Commander, awarded the Sheathed Sword and Phoenix Award.
- 238605.05: Assigned to the USS Prospero under Lieutenant Commander Lily Ventu for a tactical exercise.
- 238607.24: After a trying shore leave on Vulcan, Quinn finally returns to the Starbase after several months absence.
- 238608.01: Named as Executive Officer of Starbase 118 and a member of the staff assigned to deal with the the Klingon Fero, Daughter of Councilor Ligah and the continuing situation with the Klingon virus.
- 238610.11: Present at a meeting at which Commander Lily Ventu states her intention to violate orders and go AWOL, asking for the help of her senior staff to cover up her absence.
In the Fleet: The USS Eagle
After the incident involving Lily Ventu's deliberate violation of orders and the senior staff's apparant complicity, Quinn was transferred off the base and to the USS Eagle, back under the command of Rear Admiral Rocar Drawoh. Her first mission aboard the vessel involved an expedition to the Azure Nebula and she struggled in the role of First Officer as her confidence in her ability to command was soon eroded through several conflicts with other crew members. The end of the mission marked the first time she voluntarily spoke to a Starfleet Counsellor, confessing her feelings of loneliness and perceived inability to form permanent connections with others.
She had begun to feel more secure and confident in her role as a command officer when the Eagle was dispatched to answer a distress call from a mystery ship, later identified as the Empress Orchid. While leading an away team to the vessel, Quinn made a decision knowing that it would cost the lives of four Starfleet officers — and to her surprise it was one she did not regret upon reflection. The same could not be said of all the members of the away team and her decision swiftly opened up a massive rift between Quinn and her friend, Pedro Ramirez.
Old fears and new doubts were the result of the Eagle crashing and sinking in the ocean of an unexplored planet, the surviving crew marooned on a nearby island. Her old phobia of water resurfaced when she drowned in her office, saved only at the last moment by Walter Brunsig... and was reinforced when she promptly drowned again on the swim to shore. The crash also sowed the seeds of doubt over the wisdom of keeping Dylan with her aboard ship, as she initially believed he had died when she discovered that the hull over her quarters had been torn open. She had little time to dwell on those fears and doubts, when the island came under attack by sea-faring pirates — the surviving members of other crashes, banded together to steal resources and people. Left in command by Admiral Rocar, who took the only working shuttle to seek help, Quinn led the Eagle crew to take the pirate ship and rescue their kidnapped colleagues.
Her official promotion to commanding officer was accompanied by a diplomatic, first contact mission for which she felt wholly unsuited — and there were several in Starfleet command who agreed with her, by the end of it. En route, the Eagle came under attack inside and out, by members of the ruling faction of the Mantarans. Due to some quick thinking on the part of the Eagle crew, and the Mantaran's overestimation of the capabilities of their stolen technologies, the Eagle emerged victorious, with the offending Mantarans — and their ambassador — under arrest. It was also the mission that cemented her belief that Starfleet's rules are there for a reason: she offered Pedro Ramirez the post of First Officer, knowing that he was unsuited, but as his friend, hoping he would grow into the position. It came as a surprise to no one but her that he was recalled by Starfleet, deemed unfit for duty due to psychological issues.
Her life did not oblige her by settling down over the next few weeks and months. Her mother passed away in hospital, prompting Quinn to confess to Walter Brunsig that she loved him, the two began to pursue a relationship, she was promoted to Captain, and a scientific mission went badly awry when the wormhole they were investigating spat out several hostile vessels, resulting in severe damage to the Eagle. That, and the lingering system malfunctions caused by the crash, resulted in Starfleet retiring the Eagle for repairs, reassigning Quinn and her senior staff to the USS Drake.
Notable Relationships
- Walter Brunsig: Rescued from the Empress Orchid, Walter was reassigned to the USS Eagle after the completion of his mission there. After a false start and with several obstacles yet to be scaled, the pair have entered into a tentative relationship.
- Kyros Gideon: The former Knight of Nienthra, now a Starfleet Lieutenant, has re-entered Quinn's life a changed man and one she manages to feel even more uncomfortable around than before.
- Dylan Reynolds: Taken into Quinn's care at the insistence of his mother, Tori Ely, it slowly becomes clear that Tori is never likely to be well enough to take him back. After much soul searching, Quinn has finally accepted her role as his mother and has begun the formal adoption process.
Example Sims
- Drowned: When the Eagle crashes into an ocean, Quinn drowns in her flooded office.
Full Timeline
- 238610.24: Transferred to the USS Eagle as the First Officer.
- 238611.26: Aboard the USS Eagle when it arrives at the Azure Nebula.
- 238611.30: Promoted to Commander (notification delayed until 238705.12)
- 238701.22: Awarded the Strange Medallion.
- 238703.25: Awarded the Order of Starfleet Merit and Achievement: First Class (TOSMA I).
- 238704.03: Aboard the USS Eagle when it departs Earth orbit to answer an automated distress call.
- 238705.24: Aboard the USS Eagle when it suffers a massive power failure and crashes into a previously unexplored planet.
- 238706.18: Promoted to Commanding Officer of the USS Eagle.
- 238708.05: In command of the Eagle when it departs Starbase 118 for Mantar Prime on a diplomatic mission.
- 238712.05: Promoted to Captain.
- 238712.12: In command of the USS Eagle when it departs to investigate a nascent wormhole at the edges of Federation territory.
In the Fleet: The USS Drake
Notable Relationships
- Walter Brunsig: Assigned to the USS Drake together, Quinn and Walter have continued their awkward relationship.
- Dylan Reynolds: With the adoption process formally completed, Quinn is now legally - and emotionally - Dylan's mother. On a daily basis she struggles with her decision to keep him aboard ship, often questioning the wisdom (or lack thereof) in doing so.
Full Timeline
- 238803.02: Assigned command of the USS Drake.
- 238804.11: In command of the Drake when it is assigned to escort Romulan refugee ships seeking asylum in the Federation, in the aftermath of the Hobus supernova.
- 238810.17: Involved in the classified retrieval of an artefact from the facility known only as The Ring.
In the Fleet: Starfleet Intelligence
There is little in this period of Quinn's life that she is free to talk about. Few people are aware that Walter Brunsig was killed in action under her command, even fewer know that she knowingly ordered him to his death to save the ship.
Struggling to coherently piece together the rational knowledge that she did what was needed to save her ship, and the guilt that accompanied sentencing the man she loved to a certain death, Quinn stepped away from command and fully returned to the Intelligence fold.
Full Timeline
- 238810.25: Seconded to Starfleet Intelligence.
In the Fleet: The USS Mercury
It was during the mission to the Nygel system that Quinn found herself thrust into the captain's chair once again, and the Mercury was very nearly destroyed under her command. The incident has left her with unresolved anger and guilt, directed at herself and at Aron Kells who left in her command, as he resigned his commission and left before she could confront him.
Notable Relationships
- Aron Kells: An old friend from Starfleet, Quinn finds herself coming to terms with an Aron Kells who isn't quite the man she thought she knew.
- Harrison Ross: At first irritated by Harry's attempt to charm and flirt with her, Quinn slowly grows closer and more fond of the Mercury's First Officer as time wears on.
- Isaac Bale: Starting off in conflict at first, their opposing viewpoints causing them to clash, Quinn and Isaac Bale slowly found a shared respect, if not outright friendship, for one another.
Example Sims
- Help! I Need Sombody: A call from an old friend dredges up unwanted memories.
- The Fuse: Quinn and Aron come to blows, and she is not entirely sure why.
Full Timeline
- 238910.22: Encounters the Mercury crew on Vador III, while on an unrelated Intelligence operation.
- 238911.21: Officially assigned to the USS Mercury as an Intelligence Officer, and the Director of Intelligence for the Menthar Corridor.
- 239002.18: Assists Eyas Wulfantine in a clandestine attempt to rescue his mother from execution.
- 239005.03: Aboard the Mercury when it departs to explore the ancient library in the Beta Scuti system.
- 239007.08: Aboard the Mercury when it departs to investigate the potential extinction level event occurring in the 83 Leonis system.
- 239009.04: Aboard the Mercury when it departs to secure the coordinates of an Iconion Gateway, on auction on the Menthar Anchorage.
- 239011.08: Aboard the Mercury when it enters the Nygel system, searching the exact location of the Iconion Gateway.
In the Fleet: The USS Garuda
Notable Relationships
- Harrison Ross: Ever cautious and still grieving for Walter Brunsig, Quinn decides to try and stop dwelling in the past, moving forward into a relationship with Harry.
Example Sims
Full Timeline
- 239012.25: Transferred to the USS Garuda, along with the remnants of the Mercury's crew.