Solomon Keppler

In 2374 the Borg Cooperative liberated a Scout Ship in the Delta Quadrant and began helping the drones on board regain their independence from the collective. Among those being liberated were a Starfleet medical officer named David Keppler and his two sons Jonah and Solomon.

Solomon’s older brother had been five years old when the Borg had attacked the ship their parents had been serving on. Solomon had no memories of the attack or the time before the attack but his brother had some memories of both. Both boys were placed in maturation chambers and matured into adults. They were quickly put to work as drones and worked for years to further the advancement of the Borg. Luckily the doctors in the Cooperative had become quite skilled at counseling newly liberated Borg and helped Jonah deal with the trauma of his capture and servitude. Solomon had to be deprogrammed, having no memories outside of his life as a drone.

All in all, Solomon transitioned well to life in the Cooperative and made himself useful fixing things around the colony. His father had gone back to practicing medicine and had adopted a half klingon orphan. Jason was accepted into the family as though he had always been a part of it. Living in the Cooperative, familial lines tended to blur and soon everyone felt like family.

The three brothers were treated to stories about their mother and life in Starfleet during their dinners together each night. Solomon learned that his parents had been serving on the USS Knowlton, a science vessel that operated along the Neutral Zone when a Borg Scout had attacked them.

There were two other former Starfleet officers who would often come over for dinner that Solomon thought of as cousins, who would share their stories of life, traveling the stars. Solomon’s imagination ran wild with thoughts of a life of exploration, learning, and discovery. From time to time Solomon’s father would also share stories of New Jersey where their family was from.

When word made it to Riley’s Planet that the Federation had found its way back to the Delta Quadrant, Solomon knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. To voyage among the stars, discovering new cultures, new life… For too long had the image of the Borg been one of a plague, sweeping into a system and taking everything with it that was unique or special.

With no guarantees, Solomon hitched a ride with a merchant and effectively hitchhiked all the way to his first Federation outpost where he caused a bit of a stir when he first arrived. After explaining where he’d come from and what his intentions were, he found a mentor in a vulcan Starfleet officer who was willing to assist him in applying to Starfleet Academy and provide him with a letter of recommendation.

After being accepted, he traveled to Earth, the first of his family in a generation to actually make it back to their homeworld. Solomon excelled academically and his enthusiasm was noted by his instructors. Solomon did find that his implants were a social obstacle, especially for those who could only see him as Borg and not a member of the Cooperative. As a result he was rarely invited to social gatherings and those that he did receive an invitation to he was often seen as a novelty. Despite all of this, Solomon graduated with honors and was assigned to his first ship.