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. The theme was further popularized with the animated series Lower Decks which spent five seasons following the antics of an engaging group of Junior Officers as they carried out missions aboard the USS Cerritos.
This month’s interview is with the writer behind Ensign Niev Galanis playing a non-binary Centauran Science Officer assigned to Amity Outpost.
Harford: Tell us a little about the writer behind the character. What part of the world are you from? What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing for SB118?
Galanis: I live on the surface of the sun, more commonly known as Phoenix, Arizona! When I’m not making up fun science stuff, I’m usually deep in some kind of nerdy hobby, be it games or some other form of creativity.
What brought you to SB118? What was your introduction to Science Fiction in general and Star Trek specifically?
I’ve been a big fan of sci-fi since childhood, where Star Wars and the TNG movies roped me fully in. But it wasn’t until adulthood that I decided to do more than watch the occasional episode on TV. That’s what led me here! I’d been watching my way through the Trek shows and finally got around to Deep Space 9. Something about that space station felt so lived in that I felt the old RP itch. One quick search later and I wound up at SB118!
Did you have any experience with role playing before joining SB118? How has that helped shape your experience as you got started writing with the fleet?
I’ve been doing RP on and off since I’ve been online. Joining SB118 put an end to the longest hiatus from it I’ve ever had in a very awesome way! The format the fleet uses was completely new to me, but emphasizes a lot of aspects I really enjoy about RP in general. The agency and pacing of things around here are executed so well, I quickly fell in love with writing here.
You’ve had a pretty unique introduction to the fleet. Your first mission writing Niev was Frontier Day and then your crew took a trip to the future where you wrote future Niev and a special PNPC. Tell us about those experiences. How has that helped or hindered you getting to know who Niev is?
Above all else, my time so far at the fleet has been a blast! Frontier Day was chaotic and action-packed, dropping me straight into the role of playing an antagonist and putting Niev through some harrowing experiences right out of the gate. With our very next mission being set in dark possible future, I was able to explore the fallout of those experiences in a way very different from how I’d like to see the “real” Niev develop. It’s been a very interesting time trying to work out who Niev is through all this, but overall I think it’s helped a lot to find what the core of the character is!
I’ve heard a little bit about Niev’s personality and they do not abide shenanigans, is that correct? Tell us a little bit about who Niev is and why you chose to write them with such a unique perspective.
Niev grew up with the potent combination of being a bit sheltered and having parents who are very prone to shenanigans themselves, so it’s only natural that they rebel a bit against the silly! Besides – every shenanigan needs a foil to play off of. I tried to pull influence from how Centaurans are as a culture when defining Niev, since they were born and raised on Alpha Centauri, but above all I wanted to create a character that would be interesting to see develop and grow over time.
Did you come to the community with writing a Science Officer in mind? What drew you to that duty post and what do you find most enjoyable and most challenging about writing for Science?
I’d contemplated things like Engineering, but I’d be lying if I said Science didn’t have my heart right out of the gate. One of the things I enjoy most about sci-fi and Star Trek are the fantastic and strange things that the characters run into out there in the galaxy, and the way Science Officers get to channel those things into plot elements other writers can use is an absolute joy. It can sometimes be a challenge to make things plausible, or do the research needed to align with established canon, but it’s always worthwhile.
How do you see Niev’s career progressing over the next few years? Is there any specific story you want to tell along the way?
I do think Niev has a lot of potential as a Starfleet Officer! With more experience and time, I could see them heading into more leadership-type roles… but I’m also thoroughly enjoying telling their story in the present! There’s just so much fun to be had in letting the characters and events show you where the goal posts are. It’s amazing what kind of surprises a character you created can bring to you. I’m really excited to see what kind of person Niev grows into!
Thanks for your time, Niev!
You can read more about Ensign Niev Galanis on the wiki.
