Poll of the Week: First Contact Fears?

[Randal Shayne]

   Starfleet officers are saddled with an immense amount of responsibility. It seems like each day is just another chance to be vaporized, tortured, spaced, sucked into a black hole, or anything else in the pantheon of untimely demises. And yet, the beloved organization of exploration and defense grows its ranks and carries on a legacy of honor and optimism- boldly going where no one has gone before.
   These risks are accepted by all aboard, but there seems to be one duty description more hazardous and unpredictable than any other- First Contact specialists.
A variety of Star Trek episodes show us what happens when first contact goes horribly wrong- namely, “Tin Man”, in which an entire Starfleet landing team was massacred due to a cultural misunderstanding. Indeed, the risks and dangers of First Contact, and the numerous ways it can be performed poorly, inspired Starfleet to insist on creating General Order 1- the Prime Directive. While this mitigated certain issues, the fact that someone would still need to speak for the entire Federation in truly precarious situations remained. Starfleet captains are particularly sought for, among other things, the ability to diplomatically and tactfully introduce an entirely new race to the people of the United Federation of Planets.
   Only nerves of steel can handle this job. With that in mind, do you believe your character would be comfortable handling First Contact situations on a regular basis? Would they relish the importance and the strain? Would they collapse under pressure? Perhaps something in between? Give us your vote and let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Pholin Duyzer]

Pholin would love to tell the species what the Federation has accomplished, probably getting pride telling someone who has never heard about it. He would probably love to have talked to the woman in First Contact who came aboard the E. Telling her what has changed in three hundred years.

Whether or not he could do it? I don't know.

Edited October 11, 2018 by Pholin

[Minxing Shimisi]

Kelrod is not the diplomatic type. Maybe Marcus will do better, but Kelrod is way too emotional and driven by instinct due his many years a a soldier. The joining with Dickens gave him a more rounded balance of skills, but he can't change his nature to like those kind of situations. But he'll do it if necessary and have the experience to succeed in most cases. 

[Piravao sh'Qynallahr]

Tasha could do it, and would love to do it. However, due to her poor diplomatic skills and lack of tact, it would probably end poorly. She makes up for her poor skills in this area with unbridled enthusiasm.

[+ German Galven]

German is curious about everything and being that he has a major in Xenobiology and a minor in Xenology, he would love to approach a new species. However, he's not that good at any diplomatic role just yet. He tends to be a little overzealous at times. He's still learning.

 

Ensign German Galven
Science Officer
USS Veritas NCC-95035
V239507GG0

[+ Valin Dermont]

Oh Dermont would do it alright.  Badly.  And he would hate it.  All that ceremony and posturing.  But he would do it.  If he had to.  If ordered.

[Bran Maro]

At the Academy, Ensign Maro pretty much went out of his way to specialize in the linguistic and cultural aspects of First Contact encounters. Whether he'll actually be good at it remains to be seen.