Lieutenant Samuel Bishop
Name Samuel "Bish" Bishop
Position Chief Engineering Officer
Rank Lieutenant
Character Information
| Gender | Male | |
| Species | Human | |
| Age | 35 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 6' 0" | |
| Weight | 175 lbs | |
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| Physical Description | A man of excellent build and a devilish smile, Bishop (Or "Bish" as he prefers to be called) is not what one would call gorgeous. He has rather rugged features and a piercing stare owing to his bright green eyes. His hair is cut relatively short, but can be unruly at times. His goatee comes and goes as the mood strikes him. Bishop has a tattoo on his right shoulder (always hidden) that says "N'shala wa zeni." |
Family
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Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Many times people will find Bish pacing and muttering to himself. (it means he's thinking) The first thing people tend to notice about Bish is his easy, somewhat self-deprecating sense of humour and natural charm. He makes friends quite easily, but tends to have difficulty with the opposite sex in romantic matters. Though not generally quick to anger, he does have a tendency to be impatient, especially with bureaucracy. That impatience, combined with a fierce loyalty to his ship and his crewmates, can sometimes get him into trouble. He seems to work best when put on a deadline. There are two things that make him uncomfortable: Romantic affairs and overt praise. |
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| Personal History | Samuel Jacob Bishop was born on July 12, 2351 in Old Town San Francisco. His father, Michael Bishop, was a relatively well known jazz guitarist and jazz club owner. His mother, Catherine, was an instructor of Fine Arts at San Francisco State University, and as a result Bish had grown up around music and art. This unusually creative background is responsible for his talents in what he would later call 'Improvisational Engineering'. In high school, Bish excelled through most of his classes, and had a tendency toward being a bit of a rogue. He was disciplined enough in class, but outside of class his imagination and charm generally made him the ring-leader of most of the now infamous practical jokes. (These memories now embarrass Bish terribly, which is exactly why old friends consistently remind him of them.) He also developed a definite talent for the sciences, but had a tendency to make his teachers nervous with some of the more… imaginative experiments he would conduct. He was intensely curious about the limits of science and engineering and whether or not they could be passed. When Bishop was 10 years old, his older brother James left home to join Starfleet. Eventually, he was assigned to Starfleet Special Operations (current whereabouts unknown). James and Samuel were very close, and James' departure was very hard on the younger Bishop. Bishop's younger sister Cassandra eventually became an artist and her work is displayed on many worlds. (There is a small painting by his sister in Samuel's quarters). Over the years Bish and Cassandra have grown extremely close, and stay in constant communication. When Bish turned 20, he grew restless and decided to 'hitchhike' on merchant and research vessels in return for his engineering services. Since graduating high school he had been working in his father's jazz club "The Blue Room". In his extensive travels, he became an expert in adapting incompatible, and sometimes even alien systems and making them work together. Bish had been travelling for 5 years when he got a communication from his mother saying that his father was dying. Immediately he returned home to be with his family. Michael died soon after with Samuel, Cassandra, James and his wife with him. Though it was a devastating blow for the family, particularly Samuel, the healing process went well, partly because they had all had a chance to say goodbye. About three months later, Bish was chatting with his sister brother and mother about his future when James suggested that he should consider Starfleet. Though unsure at first, the support of his sister and mother helped him make his decision. The following day, Samuel Bishop traveled to the local Starfleet Academy recruiting office in San Francisco. As in high school, Bish showed a talent for engineering (greatly enhanced by his travels aboard merchant vessels). His instructors were impressed with his abilities and his imagination, but the more conservative of them were disturbed by his "flagrant disregard for proper engineering methodologies" (their words). Bishop simply refused to take things at face value. He has to see ideas at work. While he graduated from the Academy with excellent marks, there were several notes in his record about his "over-abundant initiative" as well as his impatience. Bishop's first Starfleet posting upon graduation was as an Engineering Officer aboard the USS Manheim. He served on the Nacelle Maintenance Team, responsible for the general upkeep of the warp nacelles. While there, he received a note on his permanent record from Captain Garrows. It stated that while Bishop's service to the ship had been otherwise been exemplary, there had been several 'concerns' raised by the Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Sorex. Sorex claimed that Bishop's impatience had caused 'inefficiencies' among the engineering crew. Bishop's opinion was that while Lt. Commander Sorex was an excellent officer, he had a tendency to adhere far too strongly to regulations. Regulations, Bishop had argued, were created for ideal situations, and while it was important to follow them, Emergencies were not ideal situations. Sometimes you had to bend them. In 2374, Bishop was transferred to the USS Hawking, a science vessel cataloging gaseous anomalies in the Beta Quadrant. He served aboard the Hawking with distinction, but also with a certain degree of boredom. Bishop, with characteristic impatience, had hoped to be given a position with more responsibility. Unfortunately, his work on the Hawking was much the same as his work on the Manheim. In 2377 however, Bishop got more excitement then he wanted. The bridge had noticed a drop off of power and Chief Engineer Dreen had ordered Bishop and another crewman, Sarah Roberts, to find the problem and lock it down. The pair quickly determined the problem was a plasma leak. Realizing how serious it was, Roberts immediately contacted Dreen to shut down the plasma flow. Unfortunately, before that could happen, the leak expanded violently. Samuel saw it before Roberts did, and was able to drag her out of the way, but not before he was seriously burnt. Bishop had to be sent to nearby Starbase 23 for extensive re-constructive surgery. Upon his recovery, Samuel had learned that the captain of the Hawking had recommended him for medal for saving the life of Crewman Roberts. Bishop very carefully and respectfully declined the medal. When Samuel was fully recovered and could return to duty, he requested a position on the USS Wasp, a small destroyer that had been stationed at Starbase 23 while he was there. During his recovery, he had gotten to know much of the crew and liked what he saw. His request was approved, and he served as an Engineering Officer aboard the USS Wasp with distinction until a position came up on the USS Pendragon. Serving there for a short time, he was reassigned to the USS Odyssey, a move that he is still wary about, as he was beginning to form friendships aboard the Pendragon. However, something stirred within him, and he applied to become an officer and leave the Warrant Officer ranks. This move was most unusual and illustrated how his self-esteem had been improved during his short time on the Pendragon. |
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| Service Record |