Bill's dream since childhood was to be in starfleet . Because well ... they went faaaaaast! In school Bill could, when prodded away from his other interests ,(girls , drinking , playing with any machine that went faaaast ) be quite the scholar . It's just that he usually needed lots of prodding .

His first attempt to get into the academy was unsuccessful due to the fact that he completely forgot what day it was. He was speeding up the length of Lake Michigan on a hydro skimmer . Said skimmer of course contained a case of beer and a girl .

His second attempt he was a lot more successful . He'd even studied for the entrance exam and passed it with flying colors. Once in the academy the counselors there described him as completely self absorbed young man . Words like extrovert and dangerous tendencies crept into the reports as well . The thing that made Starfleet want to really keep him around were the other words which found their way into reports . 'Takes own initiative ,' 'touch of genius ,' 'works well by himself.'

Bill found that if he pretty much just skimmed through a lot of the books he could most generally get some sort of passing grade . It wasn't until his senior year when he failed his first exam that fear took him by the throat and he applied himself . Somehow he graduated 35th in his class.

Several postings after the academy usually ended the same . He did his work and was barely passable as an officer . He was posted both to headquarter postings and to fleet postings on several ships . It was then that fleet found something he could really sink his teeth into . Going fast . The fleet was starting a new test flight program for orbital, sub-orbital and interplanetary transport vehicles . Bill who was wasting away in the engineering department of a galaxy class starship jumped at the opportunity and was accepted by the program . It was this program that saved his carreer , and made him a good officer . Still though he liked to go fast.