Charlotte MacColgan

Born on May 17th, 2370, on a little livestock farm in Kilbrace, Scotland, Charlotte MacColgan was born isolated from the very start. Her parents were the old-fashioned traditional types, with hundreds of years of denying technologies that would help the farm based on nothing but unfounded fears and, in the past of United Earth, probably xenophobia. Rarely did Charlie ever leave the farm, and even more rarely did she ever venture into any of the big cities- she didn’t step foot into one until she was almost 17, and that was because she ran away from home more than any preplanned trip.

And ultimately, that was the MacColgans’ biggest problem- the fact that they brought into this world a daughter with such an immense sense of curiosity, wonder, adventure, and most importantly, resistance against authority. From the start, Charlie’s relationship with her mother and father were strained. She was a rambunctious, rebellious, insubordinate child constantly straining at the metaphorical bars of the cage, longing for a life outside the farm- and especially one out in space, after seeing a Starfleet poster for the first time when she was 11. Her parents, desperate to keep the family at the farm, were adamant that Charlie would never make it in Starfleet- instead of dissuading her, they just made her determination stronger.

After several instances of running away from home before eventually either being found or heading back herself out of guilt, Charlie at 18 finally did it- left home for the last time, in the midst of a heated argument with her parents, headed into Glasgow, and signed up for Starfleet the next day. Her isolation didn’t really end- being a shy girl with no social skills whatsoever, Charlie kept to herself in Starfleet Academy and made few friends. However, much to the contrary of her parents, she did quite well academically- while she knew little of modern technology thanks to almost everything the MacColgans had being at least fifty years out of date at best, Charlie was very willing to learn, absorbed new information like a sponge, and most importantly, proved very adept at tactical and combat situations. This isolated farm girl would make and excellent security officer.

And so, hitting the fleet in the Class of 2391, Charlie MacColgan got her single silver pip and went aboard the USS Jouett (NCC-42081), a Centaur-class scout. Jouett was an older ship, but a decorated one, a Dominion War veteran that was living out her twilight years as a frontier patrol vessel. While such duties sounded inglorious, it turned out to be anything but- Jouett was an action-packed posting, dealing with a coordinated pirate group for the better part of five years. And it was here that Charlie started to gain a taste for rank-chasing, too- constant combat meant constant experience for the budding security officer, and for as much as she was a loner, she was a loner who proved herself time and time again, and thus ascended the ladder to lieutenant junior grade at the tender age of 23, and then full lieutenant by 25.

Jouett, of course, was an old and outdated ship due for decommissioning before the turn of the century, and was herself replaced on the border by an Inquiry-class cruiser- but maybe Starfleet did place some stock in honor, because the little old scout was called back for one last run on the pirate stronghold in 2396. Between her and the big cruiser, the pirates either ate space dust or surrendered. This would be the ship’s last action- she was decommissioned in October that year, all aboard receiving commendations for it- and it was here that the young Lieutenant MacColgan’s career seemed to plateau.

Her next assignment was newer, but for all intents and purposes, horrifically boring. USS Alceste (NCC-57397) is a Springfield-class science vessel stuck to the Tenth Fleet, operating mostly in Federation space conducting scientific surveys for small colonies and helping identify good places to set up mining operations or permanent facilities. As the science ship’s chief of security, Charlie’s job largely consisted of signing off on paperwork and sitting at a cramped desk in a cramped room in the world’s most cramped flying lab. For five long, agonizing years. In five years, Alceste never fired a shot against another vessel. In five years, Charlie earned but one more promotion- Lieutenant Commander in 2398, for… presumably, excellence in signing off requisition papers and keeping her mouth shut about how much she came to despise this assignment.

The galaxy passed her on by. The Frontier Day incident went almost unnoticed- Alceste, 50 years old and far from the cream of the crop, was not in attendance, and was far too busy out on the frontier directing mining operations on some asteroid belt in the middle of nowhere. But when the news did, finally, come, Charlie was even more inflamed that this boring posting had kept her so far from the action, so far to help, so far to accredit herself.

But when that offer came along- that tantalizing promotion to full Commander- she couldn’t help but jump at it. Getting off of Alceste and getting a new pip? It was a dream come true.

Until she saw that pancake on stilts they called Oakland, and that dream seemed to turn into another boring slog.

Or would it?