Chris Collinsgood

From ATS Wiki

Background

Born Christopher David Collinsgood at New Wellington, New Zealand, Stardate 74747.4 (19 March 2384... he's 21 years old).

His mother is full-blooded Irish. His father, a descendant of British Colonial nobility (with some Pacific Islander in his heritage). The family estate has been passed down for centuries - at the end of a narrow block of homes atop a hill on the outskirts of New Wellington. His sisters all still live there: Jennifer, 12 (one with an eye for officers and who plans to go to the Academy); Haley, 6; and the twins, Deanna and Diana, each 2 years old.

Chris' father, Commander William Kelsey Robert Collinsgood, is an active-duty Starfleet officer - an engineer and design team leader currently assigned to the Utopia Plenetia shipyards. His mother, Lucinda, is a technician, working in a research lab at the New Wellington Center for Applied Medicine. To say the family, which includes his four younger sisters, has had it nice is an understatement. 9-5 work assignments, relatives always nearby. Life was remarkably stable for the Collinsgood clan, which makes Chris' personality even more inexplicable.

He was a decent student, with an aptitude for spatial orientation and orbital mechanics. On a dare, between classes at his secondary school, he walked across a 100-yard wide quad littered with fountains, statuary, hedges, benches, trees, and low walls. No problem, except that he did it blindfolded, and on his first day on campus. His eyes mapped a path before he applied the blind, then he marched through the bustling courtyard, arriving at the other side. Not bad for a 12-year-old. This natural ability gave rise to his recreational sailing. He has hand-built a variety of wind-powered craft from several ancient cultures, Terran and non-Terran alike... then put them to sea and puttered around his beloved home island. He claimed he could dead-reckon his way from Wellington to Christchurch in a fog carrying nothing but a stopwatch, compass, and map and arrive exactly where he was supposed to be. And spot on time, too.

As he has gotten older, his expolits have grown more dangerous. During leave, he attempted to set (and in fact did set) the unoffical record for transporter-assisted BASE jumping. The young man lept from atop a cliff on Io... one of Jupiter's moons... remotely triggering a transporter program on Jupiter's orbital base and plucking himself out of the air only centimeters before slamming into the canyon floor. Even with the impressive inertial compensators in the transporter system, his downward momentum could not be completely stopped. The force of the resulting impact with the transporter pad broke his sternum, 5 of his ribs, lacerated his liver, and snapped his right femur in 3 places. Collinsgood spent 6 weeks in rehab recovering from the stunt. Stunts and occasional practical jokes like this have guaranteed the young man a colorful life for as long as he, or others, permit him to live it.

Civilian life has treated him well. He worked as a spare hand and a crewman on various commercial craft, ferrying supplies around the Sol System. Most recently for Lambda Transport. The work was rewarding in that he made many friends. His superiors marvelled at the ease with which he piloted their craft and operated the equipment in the cargo bays and platforms. One or two even let Chris fly their personal craft on special assignments. But Chris knew his talents weren't being tested there, and he wanted the opportunity to fly more advanced craft, and take more risks. Such risktaking has gotten him in trouble in the past. His life is a balancing act... how far can you push without getting busted or killed, and still impress those in authority over you. Starfleet seemed the logical next step... but for years Chris has avoided it. The military lifestyle is so restrictive. And yet, so rewarding for the active adventure-seeker.

Now at 21, he enters the Starfleet Enlistment Program. His father once thought a fast-track to the Academy would be a proper next step in his first-born's career path. But Chris' rebellious streak, and the fact that neither his school's headmaster nor any of his teachers would write him a recommendation, made that improbable, no matter how many strings the elder Commander pulled. Besides, the young lad had no love of officers, and no desire to be one. His friends were all enlisted, and he enjoyed the freedom of having his off-hours to himself, and not having to worry about engaging in "conduct unbecoming" when he was off duty and away from the ship.

Its not clear if Commander Collinsgood will have anything to do with young Chris' first assignment. The man has threatened to ensure his son is assigned to Starbase 001.. or worse, Utopia Plenetia itself. Staying on Earth as a civilian, it has not taken long for the resentment of serving in his father's long shadow to surface. Recently, everywhere he goes, someone recognizes him as one of his father's offspring. And whether his father intervenes to have him stay close to home or not, Chris will find himself looking for a way - any way - to get out of there. Preferrably as a pilot... as a garbage scow operator if necessary. So, here's where Chris' ATS story begins.

Recent History

Collinsgood actually ended up assigned to the USS Avanguard on Stardate 82546 as a Flight Control Specialist (e.g. Helmsman). During that posting:

On Stardate 82547, he was reassigned to the USS Lexington on temporary duty assignment in preparation for a coming action against the Kzinti Colony on Iure Prime.
Saw his first combat action on Stardate 82555 near Siltalk aboard the USS Lexington, then later the same day near Iure Prime on the USS Concord... both times as Damage Control officer.
Promoted to Chief of the Boat, USS Avanguard on Stardate 82598
Organized and directed the regular escort of civilian freighter traffic through the combat zone between Celestine Gate and Usho Prime.

Physical Description

Chris is spry and athletic, despite his outward appearance otherwise. He stands somewhat average in height, but does not carry his weight well at all. In fact, you could say that he *appears* a bit "portly", to put it politely. The man's reddish hair belies something of an Irish lineage, while the remainder of his unremarkably bland facial features make him the spitting image of many descendants of British Colonial nobility... lips thin, nose royal with flared notrils, cheeks and chin almost absent. Add to this the bronze-tanned skin, and it might just leave you wondering if perhaps there wasn't some Polynesian in his confusing pedigree. Whatever his background, the man is certainly one-of-a-kind. (Picture a Welsh-Irish Samoan with red hair... not slender, but not obese, just rotund).

He is usually found wearing a Starfleet uniform with "Red" accouterments, signifying his current position as a Helmsman. When off duty and relaxing, though, he prefers to don the typical Kiwi Urban Camouflage: A black singlet, colorful shorts, a visor-type cap, and a pair of thong-like sandals.

Dialect

Chris has a number of peculiarities. Chief among them is his tendency to slip into his native New Zealand accent. This tends to happen when he gets excited, or when he's around folks he's grown comfortable with. Some of the common phrases you might hear him utter:

"box of budgies" (or birds) - cheerful, happy, very good.
"lemonade" - Actually, 7Up or similar clear citrus soda.
"greasies" - fried food... usually fish and chips (or fush an' chups... as he would call them).
"good as gold" - Well done, or done right; 'Golden'.
"home n' hosed" - home safe and sound.
"s'truth" - 'God's Truth'... an expletive intended to express honest frustration or punctuate a truism.
"Get off the grass" - 'stop pulling my leg', or something like that.
"money for jam" - simple, easy, or especially 'easy money'.
"bloke" - Slang for any stranger - usually male, though.
"pack a wobbly" - be angry or get angry.
"Bob's yer uncle" - roughly translates to: 'there you go... that's easy... etc.
"doin' the ton" - Going really fast.
"Waikikamukau" - (pronounced 'Why Kick a Moo Cow') - an imaginary village out in the boonie in New Zealand... a euphemism for someplace out in the middle of nowhere.
"have a squiz" - Take a look at something (Also 'Take a Shufti')
"What are ya!" - not a question. A derogatory curse involving someone else's manhood... or lack thereof.
"rattle yer dags" - Hurry up! Get a move on!
"guts fer garters" - In trouble. Very big trouble.

If you hear something not on this list and you're not sure... feel free to ask (ICly preferred... OOC acceptable)

Chris Collinsgood - ATS Wiki