Lieutenant Commander Venn D'Sai
Name Venn D'Sai
Position Chief Science Officer
Rank Lieutenant Commander
Character Information
| Gender | Mono-gendered/Unisex | |
| Species | Nictai | |
| Age | 50 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5'10" | |
| Weight | 150 Lbs | |
| Hair Color | Blonde | |
| Eye Color | Midnight Blue | |
| Physical Description | By appearance, you'd guess male though the idea of two sexes was one that Venn didn't even know existed until they left the home world. Lean, low percentage of body fat with a lean, muscled physique but lacking body hair. Since neither applies, Venn's style of dress is more what suits them than anything traditionally defined by gender. Hair is white with natural blonde highlights, falling below the shoulder. Eyes are midnight blue. Physiology * Monogendered - procreation requires an exchange of genetic information that forms outside the body in a birthing chamber. * Long-lived, averaging 350-400 years (at 50, he's considered a young adult) Maturation Cycles The Nicati undergo two maturation cycles, the first is physical (puberty) and the second awakens telepathic abilities. He has been through both cycles. Telepathy Can receive thoughts passively or actively; however, when they are probing your thoughts intentionally, their eyes will turn completely black. Thoughts can be perceived in a number of ways – images, remembered conversations, internal dialog. Someone who is focused on wrongdoing will often transmit images of what they are doing unintentionally. Venn would be receptive to that just as Venn would be receptive to surface thoughts projected unwittingly by a non-telepath (ordinary stuff in that case, not deep, dark secrets). Surface thoughts, which are projected, can be read passively (what a person is currently thinking about) so long as the person is within ‘hearing’ distance, i.e., if they can hear your voice, they can hear your thoughts. A disciplined person, one who is very much in control of themselves, would be hard to hear and would require active listening (eyes go black) though success is uncertain and depends on the situation. If the person the Nicati is trying to read is actively fighting the contact, it becomes a contest of wills. The Nicati would have to work at gaining access and might take more than one attempt to succeed. Someone who is under emotional/psychological stress would be easier to read; however, the thoughts would be more fragmented/disjointed so it would take more effort to understand what’s being projected. They have had training in how to read such people – by spending time with them, passively listening, and coming to an understanding of what’s going on. As said, they had training and are capable of fighting contact even ejecting someone from their mind. They practice meditation as a way of processing the contacts they make with other minds. If the contact is traumatic enough, they can go deep inside themself (would appear similar to catatonia) which they process what they have received. Communal Sharing When their eyes are active/dark (no white area), they can enter a mind that's basically non-telepathic and while there, that person can communicate. It becomes a shared bond while they are there. Not perfect but something they have done a time or two to assuage the need for sharing of thoughts/experiences, etc. Generally, this is done as part of a more intimate relationship and requires the willing participation of the other party; it's not something they would force on anyone. Note that there’s always the possibility of an adverse reaction – an individual who thought they were okay with it but couldn’t handle it when it happened. |
Family
| Spouse | None | |
| Children | Has contributed genetic information; the people do not claim ownership of children | |
| Father | Not applicable | |
| Mother | Not applicable | |
| Brother(s) | Not applicable | |
| Sister(s) | Not applicable | |
| Other Family | Not applicable |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | At heart, they are a scientist with an innate curiosity about everything; they are most in their element when they are investigating something new. Easily fascinated, detail-oriented, and, like many highly intelligent people, capable of missing some of the more obvious facts of life. They are capable of focusing on a problem to the exclusion of all else and can become somewhat obsessive in pursuit of an answer. They are rational and skeptical of pseudoscience (for example, gematria and astrology, but are fairly open-minded in matters of philosophy and faith). They are also a gentle, social soul who opposes violence and cannot accept that the first or best answer to any problem is firing a phaser at it. The hardest course they took at the Academy was phaser training; they ended up with a high score but that was only after finding a quote by Wyatt Earp – “Fast is fine but accuracy is everything”. Still, there’s a difference between hitting a target and hitting a person. They accept the need for stun, in some cases, but that’s as far as they are willing to go. They have courage and are by no means a coward. They are self-reliant and enjoy new experiences. They have a big heart but can be wary of individuals and somewhat naive in their understanding of human interactions though they learn quickly once they apply their intellect to the problem. |
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| Strengths & Weaknesses | Strengths ** Highly intelligent with a naturally inquisitive mind and an eidetic memory ** Open-minded and flexible. Would much rather figure it out than accept someone else’s viewpoint ** Doctorate in Science from Celoem University at Bersante, Nicati Prime with a minor in Mathematics. Loves learning. ** Good with people and with building community. Always ready with a cup of tea and time to listen. ** Skilled in pattern recognition and ciphers/cryptology Weaknesses ** Not competitive. Does poorly in sports. ** Doesn’t believe in violence. By necessity, took the time to learn to fire a phaser and as a result is a surprisingly good shot provided they have the time to aim and they’re not facing anything alive. ** Gets distracted by shiny new puzzles. Not always the best with time management. ** Being a telepath, there are times when the minds they encounter may cause them to retreat. When that happens, they will disappear into work for a time, while sorting through the contact, coming to terms with it all. ** Suffers from bouts of insomnia brought on by stress that can result in difficulty falling asleep and/or waking up in the middle of the night. |
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| Ambitions | * To see every Federation world * To meet a Klingon who doesn't like the idea of combat * To learn how to tango * To learn something new (every day) |
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| Hobbies & Interests | ** Reading ** Music -- especially stringed instruments ** Socializing with friends, parties, live performances ** Long walks in nature (time to think) ** Likes to dance ** Meditation |
| Personal History | 2215: Born on Nicati Prime in the Bay'Yaldi at Beresante 2231: Celeom University at Beresante, Science Program Venn was born in a birthing chamber in the Bay'Yaldi at Beresante. The Bay'Yaldi, in every community, was at the center of life. There, children of the people were born into the world and given the chance to become who they were meant to be through guided education. As a communal society, the Nicati have no concept of family units (mother, father, children, etc.); instead, the Nicati live in communities that range in size; at present, the smallest is fifty souls while the largest is closer to one hundred and fifty. For Venn childhood was a time of adventure and exploration. They had only to express a desire, or a hint of curiosity and arrangements would be made. Venn's eager and inquisitive mind was recognized early on, and they were encouraged along the path of science and mathematics. For the Nicati, the child's wellbeing comes first so decisions about learning paths always involve the child's consent. Venn was also exposed to the cultural life of the community and like all of the people, they thrived on social interaction. There were nights of storytelling, traditional dances, live performances, and of course, get-togethers. Communal life meant a number of rituals and formal events and as Venn grew older, they attended many of those as well. The birth of a new child, a new pairing, a death in the community. And along with all of that, there was time to just be a child. Playing with other children in the Bay'Yaldi, inventing games, running through the gardens. There was literally always something to do and, because the Nicati are telepathic, there was always someone there to talk to, someone they trusted when they needed a hug or a sympathetic ear. Sixteen years passed and Venn thought they could be happy there always. And yet, at sixteen, if the child is ready, a more structured education begins. For Venn, that meant Science and Mathematics at Celoem University. No longer would they live in the Bay'Yaldi with its wealth of experiences and people. Now, they lived in a smaller dormitory and needed to seek out the experiences for themselves. Less structure, more freedom. It was frightening at first but Venn found their footing somewhere in that first year and they learned. They discovered their self-reliance and, driven by their natural curiosity, made new friends and found new experiences. There were visits back to the Bay'Yaldi, many at first but less over time, when they needed that touch of warmth and caring that the university seemed to lack. In those eight years, Venn realized that their passion lay in the undiscovered. After a gruel eight-year course of study, they were ready and, with the Federation equivalent of a doctorate in Science and Mathematics, they could begin to realize their private dreams. Exploration. New challenges beyond the confines of their home world. |
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| Service Record | 2231-2238: Celoem University at Beresante, Nicati Prime. Doctorate. 2239-2243: Starfleet University, Earth. Science Major If the university had been a difficult adjustment, Starfleet was even harder. Bombarded by so much that was new and alien to their understanding, Venn found those first days to be nearly impossible. They understood so little and saw, through meditation, that they could easily retreat into what was comfortable and safe and by doing so, miss out on so much. Instead, they made the conscious decision not to stay apart but to immerse themselves instead in all that the Academy had to offer. Scary as it was, they sought out new experiences, new friends. Slowly, they began to embrace the diversity that the Federation had to offer. They formed a community of their own but this time, made up of beings from many worlds. There were late night discussions over strange food where the group explored ideas and politics, debated religion and theories. And, as it had in the university, the difficulties of the first months faded. They made the adjustment. Coming into the Academy with a doctorate in science put Venn ahead of some of their classmates in that discipline and kept them on par with the Vulcans. Venn found the idea of logic an interesting one and learned meditation techniques, the basics of Vulcan logic as it applied to life. And yet, Venn was far behind their classmates when it came to other areas of study -- Federation history, for example, and worse, combat and phaser training. As a science officer, Venn knew they would be required to join away teams and so, applied themself to physical conditioning, first contact protocols, hand-to-hand combat, and even, learning to fire a weapon. Venn's stance on finding a way that didn't involve violence was tested by the instructors, of course, often rigorously, and proved to be a serious challenge. Venn learned how to incapacitate and restrain, the use of stun and heavy stun, and how to use cover. Venn learned and while they would never be the best in those areas, they passed and that was what mattered. 2244-2250: USS Faraday, Science Officer, Later Asst. Chief Science Officer The Faraday was an education in and of itself. Venn expanded on their understanding of how other cultures worked and spent time learning customs and language from every world represented on board. They participated in numerous away teams. 2250-2264: USS Kingfisher, Chief Science Officer 2265: Assigned as Chief Science Officer, K-9 Station |