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{{Heading|Background/Personality/Career History|Red}} | {{Heading|Background/Personality/Career History|Red}} | ||
Ben was a solid student - decent enough grades, a good circle of mates and he kept up semi-regular practice at the tennis club. Looking at Ben, you’d have thought he’d have gone down the University route, or (more likely) taken up a job at either of his parents’ companies, especially as Ben had spent most school holidays helping out his folks around the office. His mum managed properties and community developments for an inter-planetary company, and his dad was pretty high up in the logistics world. If asked, Ben would probably say his interest in HCO – especially the operations and communications side – came from the days he spent helping his folks out at work during the holidays; indeed, Ben’s favourite thing in those years was to try and find a work around or solution before his folks did. As a teenager, Ben began to take on mini-projects. One summer, Ben helped plan the logistics for delivering paints, light fittings and electricals to a portfolio of properties that were undergoing a renovation, developing Ben’s resource management and deployment skills. As part of this project, Ben got to pilot one of the shuttles (under supervision) and oversee the cargo exchange. In the penultimate summer before Ben graduated school, Ben even landed a fixed-term, paid internship through the company’s apprenticeship scheme (though Ben never felt he really earned it, what with his blatant family connections to the company). It was the experience of piloting a maintenance shuttle, in the last week of his internship, which opened Ben’s eyes to the art of navigation! | |||
Graduating from college with a respectable transcript of As and Bs, and plenty of work experience, Ben applied for a full apprenticeship at his mother’s company (STG Communities and Property). It was during the first year of Ben’s apprenticeship that the ‘Lunar Lake’ community development (one of several complexes owned by STG Communities and Property) was struck by an environmental disaster – or ‘error’ as the company referred to it. A non-disclosure agreement (signed as part of Ben’s early release deal from his apprenticeship) meant Ben would never be allowed to discuss the specifics of the ‘error’ that terminated the ‘Lunar Lake’ community complex. During the emergency, Ben was assigned to shadow the Relief Task Force in charge of Aid, Relief and Repair (RT-ARR), and (as part of the apprenticeship) given responsibility for organising relief efforts for clothing and toiletries. Although it was not a priority category, it was a demanding task: Ben worked as part of a team of just three apprentices to source the specified relief items and plan their distribution – this meant sourcing a shuttle, a crew and planning the flight path. Although ‘Lunar Lake’ was a tragedy, Ben felt useful and needed during this time; he felt that he had made a difference to people. Finally, Ben acknowledged what he had sort of suspected, that the apprenticeship, the corporate life - the 9-5 - was not who he was, it never had been. | |||
Ben had never thought about Star Fleet – it was for ‘Star Fleet’ families, Doctors, Scientists or Hot Shot Pilots. Fortunately, Ben’s best friend (Troy) had signed up for a Star Fleet recruitment event, and Ben, disillusioned with the apprenticeship, tagged along. Listening to the Lieutenant describe their experiences and the Star Fleet ideals that motivated him daily to discharge his duties inspired Ben. So, Troy and Ben attended a further recruitment event which aimed to explain more about the available duty posts and specialisms. On the night, by fluke, Ben heard an Ensign speak about their role as an HCO officer. As the Ensign spoke, Ben felt an affinity with the HCO role; the duty post folded together Ben’s passion for comms, operations management and even his more recent penchant for shuttle nav. More importantly, Ben felt Star Fleet was his next chapter, his chance to feed his passions and work towards something bigger and more important than himself than he ever had done before – or perhaps ever would. | |||