Charmaine Ning: Difference between revisions

In her professional life, Charmaine tends to see herself as a scientist first and a Starfleet officer second. On occasion, this has led to minor conflicts with superior officers, especially those in other departments. Especially those she doesn't feel respect the scientific method, or even a traditional scientific approach to unusual phenomena. Nevertheless, she is now in her 16th year with Starfleet.  

Charmaine is of fairly average height and build for a human female, with a slender frame. She has long dark hair that she typically keeps in a braid or otherwise styled in a way that keeps it out of the way while she's working.  

:She entered her father's university on scholarship when she was just 17. Four years later, she graduated with honors after completing a dual major in chemical nanoscience and elementary particle physics. During her time at the university, she met the acquaintance of a visiting faculty member from Vulcan, who suggested she apply for graduate studies at the Shi'al Institute of Science off-world. Both frightened and intrigued, Charmaine applied and was surprised when she was accepted to the highly prestigious program - few non-Vulcans had the mental stamina to keep up with the rigorous programs. Though challenging, Charmaine developed a fondness for the Vulcan people and their traditions. She also began to see the universe in a different light. When it came time for her to consider where to complete her education, she found herself increasingly drawn towards Starfleet Academy. Against the urging of her family, who feared that the Federation's recent conflicts at with the Borg and Dominion would ultimately claim their daughter's life if she joined Starfleet, Charmaine applied for the Academy's doctoral program. By the time she completed work on her Master's degree in chemical engineering, her place at the Academy had already been secured.   

:Charmaine's first posting after the Academy was as a junior science officer aboard the the Galaxy-class USS Kongo. Much of Charmaine's time on the Kongo involved analyzing long range sensor data to determine the atmospheric makeup of distant unexplored worlds. It was sometimes tedious, often thankless work. Fortunately, it was punctuated by strong personal friendships and the occasional excitement of an away team or shuttle mission. It was during her second year on the Kongo that she met the man who would become her husband. Qui En Song was another junior science officer working opposite shifts in the ship's Stellar Cartography department. They met for the first time at a science division meet-and-greet. One year later, the two were getting married. Before the Kongo was lost in 2389, Charmaine had given birth to three children - two sons and a daughter.  

:The Kongo was destroyed on stardate 238901.23 while surveying an unusual collection of spaceborn lifeforms in the Oneamisu sector. To this date, no exact cause of the ship's destruction has been identified, but the prominent theory supported by available evidence suggests the ship had a flaw in a recently installed upgrade to the matter/antimatter containment unit. Although the backup systems were able to delay the core breach long enough for the ship's saucer section to separate with all crew aboard, the saucer failed to cover the distance needed to avoid damage from the breach. By the time the saucer had been towed back to starbase, 47 people had been killed by injuries sustained in the explosion. One of those was Charmaine's daughter.  

* 2396-Present: USS Astraeus. Science Officer