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 Marty Tucker playing a male human Engineer assigned to the USS Ronin.
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!
I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Oregon, to be exact. I live in a small town, about 45 minutes from DT Portland proper. I was born and raised in Eastern Washington. Up until COVID, I had a 25-year career in radio. Now, I’m a Chef for the Hillsboro Hops, a minor-league baseball team for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
What was your introduction to Science Fiction in general and Star Trek specifically?
I grew up in the ’80s, so I was influenced early by shows like Buck Rodgers and the OG Battlestar Galactica. I can blame my Mom; she is a voracious reader like I am now. I started with Fantasy, and SciFi was the next natural step. I read many Star Trek novels and watched TOS in syndication, and I remember sitting in my living room when TNG debuted.
What is your experience with roleplaying?
I grew up on D&D and other tabletop RPGs; once computers were a thing, I embraced video games. But I have always loved Star Trek and role-playing. I found a group in the early 90s and did that for a few years before drifting away.
What brought you to SB118?
Well, before I found SB118, I had written for years about sports (Baseball) more than anything else. But I was in the middle of a DS9 rewatch, and I got the itch to roleplay and did a quick Google search. I found the website and applied to the Academy, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Why did you choose this specific character and duty post?
My favorite characters in Star Trek are Engineers, Trip, La Forge, Scotty, so it was just natural to create an engineer.
Where do you see your character five years from now?
Well, I didn’t think that after my first mission, I’d be given the engineering department as acting chief engineer. But I could see Marty on the command track at some point. Does he have the temperament to sit in the center seat? I guess we’ll find out!
Thanks for your time, Lieutenant JG Tucker!
You can read more about Lieutenant JG Marty Tucker on the wiki.
