Award Winning Interviews

Join us for another in a series of interviews with winners of Duty Post awards from our recent 2019 Awards Ceremony. Our goal is to give you insight into how our fleet’s best simmers write, and imagine their characters.

This month we’re interviewing the writer behind Lieutenant Esa Kiax playing a Trill female assigned to the USS Atlantis as the Operations/Communications. She won the Voyager Medallion which is presented to those Operations officers who have shown great skill in keeping a starship in working order despite near-impossible circumstances. The officers receiving this award have advanced the field of Operations, making sure duty rosters, provisions, gear, and even recreation time are available… no matter what.

GALVEN: Thank you for agreeing to have an interview with me! Could you tell us a little about yourself for our readers out there?

KIAX: Hey there, always a pleasure! My name is Matt Ide, a 24-year-old part-time music student from London, UK. When I’m not studying, I work as a sound engineer in a local theatre. I’ve been simming for about eight or so years now, and have been a member of our happy little family here at 118 for fifteen months. Besides music, I’m an avid climber and video gamer!

Winning such a unique duty post award such as the Voyager Medallion award must be really exciting! Is there any kind of inspiration from anything in Star Trek or elsewhere when you write a scene?

Exciting? Heck yes. I recall audibly screaming at my computer screen when I read the awards post, to the point where my housemates asked if I was okay! I was genuinely not expecting it. Of course, there is a lot of inspiration from Trek. Where would we be without it? Harry Kim was my favourite character in Voyager, which was the first series I ever watched as a kid. Beyond that, the rest of my inspiration comes from the 2004 Battlestar Galactica Re-Imagining. The way that they portray the day-to-day inner workings of a starship is fascinating to me.

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Join us for another in a series of interviews with winners of Duty Post awards from our recent 2018 Awards Ceremony. Our goal is to give you insight into how our fleet’s best simmers write, and imagine their characters.

This month we’re interviewing the writer behind Major Gogigobo Fairhug playing a Bardeezan male Marine assigned to Starbase 118 Ops. He won the Semper Fidelis award: “For those Starfleet Marines who have shown great skill in protecting their crew, accomplishing their mission, avoiding tragic loss of life in the line of duty, and upholding the values of the UFoP in times of crisis.”

ORREY: Tell us a little about the writer behind the character — where in the world do you hail from?

FAIRHUG: I hail from London, England and despite travelling fairly extensively around our globe for many years, I seem to have found myself back exactly where I started!

What’s been your favorite part about simming a Marine officer so far?

Gogi never had any aspirations of being a Marine, having started off as a Security Officer. But due to some unforeseen circumstances, he found himself taking up the role of CO for the Iron Jaegers – Starbase 118 Ops’ Marine contingent. Therefore, my favourite part about simming a Marine has definitely been Gogi’s internal (and external) struggle of trying to fit into this culture that he knew little to nothing about previously, while also attempting to keep the Marines onside, since he is effectively an outsider who has been given a position of command over them.

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This month we’re interviewing the writer behind LtCmdr. Kayla Drex, playing a Human female Science Officer assigned to the USS Eagle.

She won the Cochrane Award: “Given to those Science officers who have contributed greatly to the advance of science in the midst of their Starfleet career, by staying knowledgeable about their field, participating in the community of science, but most importantly, by placing their knowledge at the service of their ship and its mission.”

FORTUNE: Tell us a little about the writer behind the character — where in the world do you hail from?

DREX: I live in Richmond, Virginia. I’ve been here since 2009 when I moved up to finish my undergrad at Virginia Commonwealth University (Go Rams).

Your Captain has praised your ability to introduce realism into the scientific portion of Star Trek and your eye for details. Have you always been drawn to the Science field?

Some of my favorite Trek characters have always been scientists. I was a high school science teacher IRL too. I believe there’s a beauty and wonder in asking discovering new ways of seeing the universe. It’s been said that truth is stranger than fiction, but I would go a step further: The reality of something mysterious, once explored, often becomes more wondrous and mysterious. Even more than that, the more we know about something, the more entwined everything in existence becomes with everything else. I’ve heard (non-scientifically-minded) people say that science can be cold, calculating, and impersonal, but when you realize that the movement of quarks and atoms mirror the movements of whole galaxies … Sorry, can I have a tissue? ::wipes eyes:: Sorry, but seriously – We’re part of something amazing. If I can help people better see that, and as a result realize that their lives have greater significance than they could ever imagine, I’ve done something good. … wait. What was the question? Oh right. Yes. I like science.

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Join us for another in a series of interviews with winners of Duty Post awards from our recent 2019 Awards Ceremony. Our goal is to give you insight into how our fleet’s best simmers write, and imagine their characters.

This month we’re interviewing the writer behind Lieutenant Commander Genkos Adea playing a Betazoid Chief Medical Officer assigned to the USS Gorkon. He won The Prantares Award – Medical, given to those medical officers who have moved beyond competence to display a true gift for the healing arts in the context of space medicine. The officers given this award should display the ability to keep a steady hand in the often hazardous conditions in which they must practice, as well as the willingness to risk their own life to save the lives of others.

FORTUNE: Tell us a little about the writer behind the character — where in the world do you hail from?

ADEA: I am a Brit, from the rainy south east of England, where I work as both an aspiring theatre director, and a museum guide.  One I do for the love, and the other for the money… But I really enjoy both.

What advice can you give to other Medical officers in the fleet who are striving to sim realistic characters?

Interesting question. I would say; never rush anything. Take your time writing every scene and checking it over for mistakes. Also, when looking at medical-themed sims, operations or procedures, look at how we do things now. For example, I wrote a sim last year where I needed to replace a character’s liver. I studied how we do that in the modern age, and then Trekified it. It’s still to this day one of my favourite sims I’ve written.

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Join us for another in a series of interviews with winners of Duty Post awards from our recent 2018 Awards Ceremony. Our goal is to give you insight into how our fleet’s best simmers write, and imagine their characters.

This month we’re interviewing the writer behind Lieutenant David Cross playing a Human Male Intelligence Officer assigned to the USS Atlantis. He won the Black Cross award: “Given to a member of the Intelligence community that strives to accomplish the goals of Starfleet Intelligence, while simultaneously upholding the ideals and structure of Starfleet command. This person has the cunning to gather intelligence by means of deceptive dialogue or espionage, as opposed to force drawn confessions. While matters of intelligence are often game changers, this person strives to attain those goals within the boundaries of their Commanding Officer, and the regulations of Starfleet.”

GALVEN: Thank you for agreeing to have an interview with me! Could you tell us a little about yourself for our readers out there?

KNIGHT:  My pleasure, I have been a fan of star trek since some of my earliest memories and enjoy reading star trek novels. I have been simming my character off and on for almost a year know aboard the Atlantis as the ships Signals intelligence Officer

Winning a duty post award that’s outside of our normal range of  selected duty posts must be a great feeling! Do you take any inspiration from films, television, or books when writing your character and his actions?

To be honest, I was quite surprised when I won the black cross, I had been doing my best at the time to portray a Federation intelligence officer and never would have guessed I would even be nominated for the award. As for inspiration, I am particularly fond of the Deep Space Nine series. Specifically, Captain Sisco and Commander Worf, though the characters were miles apart as far as story lines and personalities. They both find themselves conflicted with the morality of how important the right information can be and whether acting upon it would be morally right. Moreover they both portray Intelligence work in more realistic light as opposed the more popular 007 approach made popular by the movies.

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Join us for another in a series of interviews with winners of Duty Post awards from our recent 2018 Awards Ceremony. Our goal is to give you insight into how our fleet’s best simmers write, and imagine their characters.

This month we’re interviewing the writer behind Lieutenant Valin Dermont playing a Human male Chief Engineer assigned to the USS Atlantis. He won the Phoenix Award: “a duty post award that recognizes engineers. Named for the vessel that legendary engineer Zefram Cochrane piloted during his historic first warp flight, this award goes to those Engineering officers who continue this tradition of excellence in the field of engineering. By performing their tasks with enthusiasm, imagination and diligence, by managing to make their equipment perform above and beyond its rated capacities, the officers meriting this award further the mission of their ship by their superior know-how. In short, miracle workers.”

GALVEN: Thank you so much for taking the time to do an interview with me! Could you tell us a little about yourself for our readers out there?

DERMONT:  I’m just a guy doing his best outside of Trek.  I am married with a daughter and spend far too many hours working.  Writing and D&D are my two biggest passions when I can find the time!

Your duty post is an engineer. Could you explain why you chose that and is there any show/movie/book that take inspiration from?

The idea of making things work just really appealed to me.  No matter what is going on….sooner of later in an episode of Star Trek something is going to need to be fixed.  I feel Dermont is a blend of Scotty, Torres, and my own inner thoughts that I would never be so coarse as to say out loud.

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