Lower Decks Interview: Lieutenant JG Chip Foley, Constitution

We’re here with another interview with a newer member of our community. The title of this column is “Lower Decks,” hearkening back to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode titled “Lower Decks,” in which junior officers aboard the Enterprise-D speculate on the reasons for recent unusual actions taken by the command crew near the Cardassian border.
This month’s interview is with the writer behind Lieutenant JG Chip Foley, playing a Human male Engineering Officer assigned to the USS Constitution-B.
LEPHI: Tell us a little about the writer behind the character — where in the world do you hail from?
FOLEY: I’m from an inconsequential suburb in the United States. Fortunately, I was already accustomed to working from home and rarely going anywhere so the new normal is much like the old one for me.
You play an engineering officer. How does it feel to sim such a technical role?
It’s by far my favorite role. I’m a technophile by nature so it’s an easy flow of writing to fall into. I especially love all the Treknology I get to play with.
What would you say is the most rewarding part of simming as an engineering officer?
Oh, expanding my own knowledge to integrate real-world information into the Treknobabble is my favorite thing by far. I find myself looking up metallurgy, quantum physics, neurochemistry and measurements of energy during the course of writing a few sims, and I love that. Being able to make Chip feel like a “real” engineer in this gleaming future is the best thing.
Do you have any goals you hope to achieve during your time with Starbase 118?
I’m just here to escape the madness of the real world by hanging out in the clean and gleaming future – a place of exploration and unity, two things we’re in short supply on presently.
Do you have any advice that you would give to newer arrivals to our community?
Don’t be afraid to reach out to other writers or your commanding officers! Everyone I’ve interacted with thus far has been a real pleasure to work with, and collaborating writing only gets better with closer collaboration!
What has been the highlight of your time here at Starbase 118?
All of it, really! I’ve only been here a little while but I’ve enjoyed everything thus far. I guess my surprisingly rapid promotion to Lt. JG was the most delightful sort of shock thus far!
Thanks for your time, Lieutenant Foley!
You can read more about Lieutenant JG Foley on the wiki.