Edward Spears: Difference between revisions

Edward Spears no longer identifies solely as a Martian, an idea that might have hurt him earlier in life. He takes his role as a healer extremely seriously with a commitment to cultural understanding coming right after. He possesses a talent for self-deprecating humour; his main defence mechanism when placed in unfamiliar or uncomfortable territory. Ed is a personable type who gets along well with almost everyone. His openness to learning about and sharing in other cultures ingratiates him with his non-human colleagues who are often eager to share parts of their own worlds and experiences with him. He's optimistic about the future in a way unique to Martians; something developed before Mars was terraformed. Almost a distinct cultural trait on its own many Martians, including Ed, can't help but see the future as filled with the promise and possibility of something better. Ed is passionate about learning and discovery, like any good scientist. He works to further his understanding both inside his field, and also across other disciplines. He is known to socialize with people from every department while off duty so that he might learn something new, whether it's about a culture, ship's system, emerging research, music, or art.  

Ed's first posting was to the USS Constitution-B, and he was immediately thrown into the fire. Only a few hours aboard ship and he found himself embroiled in a classified mission for Starfleet along with his new crewmates. It was on that mission that Ed learned the depths of evil that exist out in the galaxy, but also what lengths he was willing to go to in order to save the lives of the crew. There come times in most officers' lives that a true choice must be made between personal safety and the saving of a life, but most officers don't experience such a test until much later in their careers. Ed left the experience with a more complete sense of self and found himself fully integrated into the Constitution family.  

It was during his second cruise with the Constitution that Ed experienced both the wonder that comes with the discovery of a new species, but also the pain that can come when the risks of exploration aren't fully appreciated. In an encounter with an energy-based lifeform, the ship was attacked and damaged. Ed was responsible for the coordination of Sickbay's emergency response efforts. In the midst of the crisis, a crew member fell gravely ill and required immediate surgery to save her life. Ed leapt into action despite lacking the surgical background of some of the senior medical officers. He did his best to save the petty officer's life, but she ultimately succumbed to the rare disease she was afflicted with. This was the first time Ed had lost a patient outside of the simulations in medical school and the death hit him harder than he'd anticipated. If it weren't for some of his friends and colleagues onboard helping him work through the guilt associated with the loss, he might not have recovered from this event so quickly. In the end, after consultation with the captain, he decided to look into undertaking his surgical fellowship while remaining on the Constitution.