Reuben Gray

Political Information

• Affiliation: Starfleet, United Federation of Planets

Family

• Mother: Joanne Gray (deceased)
• Father: Taylor Gray (deceased)
• Wife: Lieutenant Commander Tanya Gray (deceased/assimilated)

Biography

Early Life

Born to school teachers Joanne and Taylor Gray on May 4th, 2301, Reuben Gray would live a stable life on Archer IV. Reuben Gray had a normal childhood living on Archer IV. His parents provided a safe, comfortable home where he could learn and grow. Reuben was a curious child, always asking questions and eager to learn. He spent most of his time exploring the beautiful landscapes of Archer IV and playing with his friends. Reuben also loved music and enjoyed playing the piano in his free time, an interest he shared with his mother. Reuben’s childhood was filled with joy, love, and a thirst for knowledge.

Reuben’s high school life was largely uneventful. He did well in all subjects and was considered an exemplary student. However, his love for science, especially physics, stood out. He enjoyed learning about the laws of motion and the mysteries of the universe. Reuben always found himself engrossed in his science lessons and was often praised by his teachers for his enthusiasm and curiosity. Despite no significant events during high school, Reuben’s passion for science continued to grow, paving the way for his eventual career in Starfleet.

Starfleet Career

Starfleet Academy

Reuben’s journey through Starfleet Academy was filled with both triumphs and tribulations. From day one, he was determined to pursue his passion for science and engineering and spared no effort to achieve that goal. He immersed himself in his studies, tackling each course with a fierce determination to succeed. Reuben’s professors soon took notice of his exceptional work ethic, praising him for his dedication and perseverance. His thirst for knowledge, which he had learnt from his childhood, continued. He would find himself questioning almost everything he learned from his professors. 

His knack for engineering became self-evident by the end of his second year. Showing a natural trait for problem-solving and having a technical grasp over most things, Reuben would find this aspect of his training the easiest to deal with. He struggled with the other elements, like survival or EVA training. He overcame his sense of claustrophobia during an exercise on how to survive while stuck inside a cave. 

But Reuben’s talents weren’t confined to the classroom. He was also a natural leader with a gift for inspiring and motivating others. He frequently took charge of group projects, deftly guiding his fellow cadets to success. His colleagues admired his ability to bring out the best in people, and his professors recognised him as a true asset to the Academy. 

USS T’Klaas (NCC-22593)

Reuben served as the Assistant Chief Engineer on the USS T’Klaas, a brand-new Miranda-class starship. He was hand-picked by the ship’s chief engineer, who became a close friend and mentor of Rebuen’s. 

He was responsible for helping with overseeing the engineering department’s day-to-day operations, ensuring that all systems were functioning optimally and that repairs were carried out promptly. Reuben’s exceptional problem-solving skills and technical knowledge made him an invaluable asset to the ship’s crew. He was always ready to lend a helping hand, whether to his colleagues in the engineering department or to members of other departments who required his assistance. Reuben’s calm and composed demeanour under pressure was greatly appreciated during emergencies, where he could think independently and develop innovative solutions to complex problems. His dedication to his work and colleagues earned him the respect and admiration of all those who served with him on the USS T’Klaas. When a new chief engineer had to be selected, his commanding officer had no issue in appointing Reuben to this role.

Though the ship dealt with most mundane errands within Federation space and the odd border patrol assignment, Reuben found his job thoroughly rewarding. Along with being the ship’s chief engineer, he was able to undertake engineering projects. One of his most significant accomplishments came in 2351 when the ship was leading the construction of a research outpost. During the project, Reuben discovered a new silicon lifeform on the planet they were building, and the outpost’s construction was harming their breeding grounds. Reuben found a way to reverse the damage done, spearhead the outpost’s relocation elsewhere and complete the project on schedule.

USS Brighton (NCC-26147)

Reuben, now an experienced engineer, submitted his application to become the chief engineer of the USS Brighton. This new Ambassador-class starship was launched from the renowned Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. This opportunity arose after a successful nine-year tenure on the T’Klaas.

While on the Brighton, the ship conducted several exploratory missions in the Alpha Quadrant. They also narrowly avoided engaging with a Tholian task group and assisted in patrolling along the Cardassian border (rescuing many Bajoran refugees). In 2357, the ship responded to the border skirmish with the Talarian Republic. The ship engaged two of their ships before arriving at Galen IV. Before arriving, Gray had modified the ship’s deflector dish to emit false warp signatures, making a Talarian task group divert from the Galen system long enough for Federation reinforcements to arrive and secure the system. 

While on the Brighton, Reuben became romantically involved with Lieutenant Tanya Jones, the ship’s chief flight control officer. The two eventually became serious and married.

USS Herschel (NCC-61044)

In 2360, he was approached by his former mentor and chief engineer from the T’Klaas, who was now a captain and in command of a Nebula-class starship. He wanted Reuben to join him as his chief engineer and second officer. A chance to enter the command track interested Reuben then, so he accepted. With Tanya by his side, he left the Brighton to join the Herschel while it was docked at Starbase 234.

Two years later, while patrolling the furthest edges of the Beta Quadrant, the Herschel was attacked by the Borg, and the entire crew was assimilated. Starfleet declared the ship missing in action and declared every crewmember dead. 

USS Odyssey (NCC-80000)

In 2401, the USS Odyssey, USS Themis, USS Bellerophon and USS Triton surveyed a system on the far edges of the Gradin Belt in the Delta Quadrant, near The Void. While there, they detected the remains of a crashed Borg Tactical Cube. When they started to scan the debris, they were hailed by a Borg drone who declared their designation as Three of Eleven. This drone attempted to negotiate for the squadron’s help in providing them with a power source to keep them and the ninety-two other drones on the planet. Fleet Captain James Preston McCallister met with Three of Eleven but discovered beforehand that this drone was, in fact, human and was Reuben Gray. Eventually, the doctors within the squadron would help every former drone become fully liberated from most of their implants. Reuben’s memories about his former life started to resurface, and with help from counsellors, he began to accept his new individuality. While as a drone, he revealed to McCallister that he was one of the leaders within the Unimatrix Zero resistance movement.

After reclaiming his life again, Reuben asked McCallister if he could return to Starfleet. Using his authority as squadron commander, McCallister agreed to Reuben’s request and offered him a role in leading the squadron’s new Starfleet Corps of Engineers unit. He gracefully accepted.

Assembling the new SCE unit assigned to the squadron was an exciting project for Gray. It gave him purpose and a goal to achieve. He knew that McCallister was putting a lot of faith in him to prove that an ex-B (a former drone) could be trusted with such a huge responsibility, but the urge to return to Starfleet was prominent for Gray. When the ship returned to the Alpha Quadrant, ahead of the Frontier Day celebrations, Gray got to show off his leadership and engineering skills when the ship was assigned to assist in defending the Deneb sector from the incursion led by the Dominion’s Lost Fleet.

The Odyssey and its squadron assisted in defending a Federation world, and while there, Gray was responsible for rebuilding and repairing its defences. Impressed by his work and efficiency, McCallister agreed to Gray’s request to expand the SCE unit further with additional engineers. When the unit was not deployed or working on some project, Gray would always help Tierra, the ship’s chief engineer in engineering. The two became close friends with their shared passion for engineering.

At the height of the Frontier Day celebrations, Gray heard the Jupiter signal sent by the Borg Queen. Though he was able to pre-warn the Odyssey‘s bridge crew, he was not quick enough to do much more. Like everyone else, he was surprised by the sudden realisation that Commander Westerham was a changeling infiltrator. With everyone else, Grey used his weapon against the changeling to defeat it. When the Odyssey was overrun by its younger crew becoming Borg drones, he tried to assist in their attempts to circumvent the Queen’s control but failed. Instead, he worked with his crewmates to find ways to barricade themselves in access tunnels or smaller rooms, away from the younger crew that had been taken over, in a bold bid to survive.

In 2401, once the ship had returned to the Delta Quadrant, Gray had hoped he had seen the last of the Borg, but this was not the case. During a meeting with the senior staff, his proximity node went off, and he soon discovered the remains of the unfinished Borg transwarp bub. As the Odyssey flew closer to it, determined to destroy it, they discovered that a Borg Cube, as was a Malon fleet, was on its way to take it. Realising that time was against them, Gray led the ship’s plan to destroy the hub to prevent the Cube or Malon from taking control. Leading one of the boarding teams to shut the hub’s shields, Gray used his implants to interface with the hub’s mainframe. Though he was able to assert his authority, due to the fact the hub was in complete disarray thanks to the Voyager pathogen, he encountered one drone that was still operational and trying to maintain what was left of the hub. Eventually, Gray was able to reach this drone on an individual level and liberate him from the Collective’s control.

Jaceon, the drone they had liberated, was grateful to Gray for his efforts. As a result, Gray took him under his wing as his protege in a sort of big brother role.