Stephen Stous

Authored by Gavin Burkhardt

Character Biography

PERSONNEL / STOUS, STEPHEN / PERSONNEL FILE

Physical description: Relatively short and slight. Light brown hair showing small flecks of white under certain lighting. Dark blue eyes. Pale skin.

Nickname: None, but accepts Steve or any other common variations of the name.

Born: 2366 - Scandinavian region

Language(s): Federation Standard (fluent), Norwegian (fluent), Ferengi (professional working proficiency)

[Limited access to Medical and Counselor staff, as well as all officers rank Commander and above]

[End of limited access]

Entered Starfleet Academy: 2384-5 (Class of ‘88)
Major in Engineering (Concentration in Data Analytics)

Parents: 2, male and female - Simon and Lydia Stous - both low-level United Earth politicians.

Siblings: None

Bio:
Born Victor Stous, Stephen grew up just outside of Oslo, the son of two United Earth politicians. Stephen’s parents held a decidedly anti-Starfleet stance within the World Government, primarily opposing what they described as its “military weakness.” Stephen never fully grasped their reasoning and did not give the matter much thought until he was looking to further his education and one of his high school friends, Neil, mentioned his intention to join Starfleet. Stephen’s (initially oppositional) reaction to this was met with a weekend’s worth of explaining and convincing on his friend’s part, which led to a complete reversal in the boy’s views and a falling out with his parents.The aftermath of the confrontation with Stephen’s parents led to his near-complete estrangement from them and him joining Neil on his way to the Academy.

Stephen’s prior career goals had been in the business sector, for which he found little parallel in the Fleet. The nearest thing he could find was in engineering, where he found a way to put his mathematical skills to use in data analytics. Upon his posting to the Callisto, he found himself forced into the role of a sort of swing officer, frequently being asked to run through or double check each department’s various records. There being no official role for such an officer, he remained in engineering, despite relatively little of his time actually being spent on those levels of the ship.

Stephen’s first promotion came with the passage of time, and did not alter his job much in practice, apart from making it a bit more difficult to pass off busywork on him. Neil having been posted alongside him as a security officer on the Callisto, Stephen became even closer friends with the man, making it all the more difficult when, after only four years on the ship, he was transferred to the Venture upon its CE’s request for a data analyst. Stephen’s new posting, while not hostile in any real way, was certainly less friendly than his previous one. He felt more than ever the loneliness of space, and his near-immediate promotion could only do so much to ease the boredom he began to feel with his work.

Four more long years passed, and though Stephen remained somewhat a part of each of the Venture’s departments, he was not a true member of any of them. He generally took meals with whoever happened to be in the mess hall when he was hungry - most officers on the ship knew who he was, though they did not generally go out of their way to interact with him.

Early 2397 signaled the first major event in Stephen’s entire tenure on the Venture. Having been asked to double-check the ship’s munition supplies, Stephen was in the Security Office rifling around. He noted during the course of his task that the Away Team supplies were not included in his audit, and chose to increase his range to include them before reporting anything back. This led to the discovery that multiple stowed Type II phasers and two sets of body armor were missing, which Stephen immediately reported to the ship’s Captain. A ship-wide inquiry was launched, which led to the discovery of two Ensigns apparently attempting to desert the ship with one of the roundabouts, having hidden the weapons and armor in the Main Shuttle Bay.

Stephen’s discovery was soon followed by a promotion, which succeeded in raising his spirits for a time. But another year passed, and apart from a few new responsibilities, not much changed due to the nature of his job. So it was that when the news came down the line in mid-2398 that he had been named the XO of the Europa, Stephen, for the first time in a long time, knew he would be doing something new. That old hope he had on the Callisto seeped back in, and on his way out, amid the waves and congratulations, his smile was broad.

Upon boarding the Europa, Stous determined not to be any sort of outcast again. As simple as it might seem, his solution for this was, drumroll… cooking. With an emphasis on trying to make ethnic foods, Stephen took up cooking and baking in his free time, and would share with others whenever possible, including hosting dinners for certain groups of officers.