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 Araxxu Vahin playing a male Bolian medical officer assigned to Denali Station.
DeVeau: Tell us a little about the writer behind the character — where in the world do you hail from? Anything you’d like to share!
Vahin: Well I’m from Ottawa, Canada and have been living here for about a decade now. Before that I had moved around a bunch, just trying to find my place in the world. But now I’m a happily married social worker with no kids, which gives me lots of spare time to enjoy things like hiking, birding, swimming and reading.
What was your introduction to Science Fiction in general and Star Trek specifically?
It really all came from my dad. He had grown up with the Original Series and was a big fan of Star Trek. I remember when the first episode of Next Generation aired and he sat me down and we watched it together. I was hooked from that point on.
I’ve been an avid reader and watcher of all types of Sci-Fi since then but Star Trek has always had a soft spot in my heart. Deep Space Nine is probably my favorite of the series but I’ve really been enjoying the new series. Lower Decks has really grown on me as I love that mix of humour and Star Trek. I think it does a great job of paying homage to everything that’s come before but also getting to poke fun at the sillier side of Star Trek.
What is your experience with roleplaying?
I’ve played D&D on and off all my life and have always loved RPG video games. I’m currently a DM for my friends and we get together monthly (most of the time) to play D&D.
What brought you to SB118?
I was really looking to get back into creative writing. It’s something I always enjoyed doing but moved away from as I grew older. I saw a link for SB118 and thought it would be a perfect way to get back into writing, and I wasn’t wrong. I’ve really enjoyed the freedom SB118 gives me to try new things and all the support I get from the other members of my crew.
Why did you choose this specific character and duty post?
I don’t know why I picked a Bolian to play. I guess I just like the colour blue. I knew I didn’t want to play a human as it seemed more interesting for me to play a different species. All the Bolians I remembered from the show seemed a bit more silly than other species and I was drawn to that.
I picked medical because I’ve always enjoyed those characters on the shows. McCoy, Phlox, EMH, T’Ana, they’re all characters that are allowed to be cranky, or silly but also amazing at what they do. I wanted Vahin to be someone who isn’t perfect when it comes to a lot of things but when it comes to being a doctor he doesn’t fool around.
Where do you see your character five years from now?
That’s a tough one. I hope that he’s grown more confident in himself. Maybe he’s managed to get a few more promotions. I can’t see him being a Captain but I’d love for him to be the head of a medical department.
Thanks for your time, Lieutenant Vahin!
You can read more about Lieutenant JG Araxxu Vahin on the wiki.
