Story:Lieutenant Allan Hood, Chief Science Officer, Personal Log

Stardate: 58776.13; Sunday, October 11, 2381, Time: 06:53:55
As my first official log entry, I might as well start with my admission into Starfleet Academy. I received a recommendation for the Academy from Captain Benjamin Sisko, mostly due to being my father’s commanding officer and friend since the Battle of Wolf 359. They served on the USS Saratoga together and was a member of the team that developed the USS Defiant at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars.

Even though my parents are against me joining Starfleet, due to the distance and potential danger, such as the Borg or whatever else is out here, they respected my decision, seeking Sisko’s recommendation. Sisko made it clear that he’s only recommending me because of my dedication to the sciences and his trust and respect in my father’s character and ability in engineering. No pressure. I didn't fully appreciate who Sisko was until after having classes about his political skill with the Bajorans and his tactical strategies during the Dominion War. I just looked at him as an old friend of my father's with really bad Borg experience.

After being accepted, I went through the Academy entrance competition exams. I was so nervous, I couldn’t study well and didn’t sleep the night before.

The infamous “psych test,” really got my attention. I have a profound fear of losing my family, probably enhanced by all the Borg stories I heard, ironically, to discourage me from Starfleet.

Which brings me to marrying Samantha-Josephine while at the Academy. My parents were hopeful I’d drop out as a result, but I kept going. Then, after my daughters Gracie and Donna were born, my parents figured I’d leave Starfleet for sure, which obviously I didn’t.

My parents couldn’t figure why I wanted my wife and children to join me on the Ares, but, as the psych test showed, I’m afraid of losing them, which includes, afraid of being away from them. I couldn’t choose between Starfleet or family, so I chose both.

I also took up fencing while at the Academy. I felt so connected to history learning in the same facility as Hikaru Sulu, founder of the Starfleet Academy’s European Swordsmanship club.

Just before graduation, I received my Concealed Weapon License for my Retractable Cutlass. Though I’m okay with phasers, I got permission to carry it in a concealed manner, even on away missions. I’ve stopped telling people I have it; I think it makes some uncomfortable.

A friend, which will remain nameless, helped me find my father’s records. We found out that my father helped rescue Sisko’s son, after a Bolian, I can't remember his name, passed Sisko into his arms.

Everyone was proud I finally graduated and everything, huge ceremony, it was amazing. Captain Geordi La Forge, a legend, gave a stirring commencement about passion and dedication to Starfleet’s principles, even when being against the odds.

He closed with “the best advice” he could give, from meeting Captain Montgomery Scott, “starship captains are like children; they want everything right now and they want it their way. The secret is to give them what they need, not what they want.” I can’t believe I actually got to see La Forge, after studying so much of what he and Captain Scott accomplished!

As for the Ares, the science labs are state-of-the-art, with labs focusing on everything from stellar cartography, astrometrics, and warp-field theory, to quantum mechanics, temporal mechanics, and holographic research. Based on my studies, I'm guessing I’ll be dancing between the warp-field, astrometrics, and temporal mechanics labs, when not on alpha-shift bridge duty, and unless the captain or commander say otherwise. I'm looking forward to experimenting with Chronitons, coaxial warp fields, and my favorite, temporal mechanics

I'm going to miss talking about religion and spirituality with the Bajorans, being such a spiritual people. We had a couple Bajorans meditate with us and we’ve visited the Bajoran Temple on the Promenade of DS9 hoping to have an orb experience, which we didn't get to have. Our beliefs have a lot of similarities.

Since December of 2375, after the Battle of Cardassia, I’ve been assigned to Cardassia Prime for humanitarian aid after planet’s massive devastation of infrastructure, death of eight hundred million civilians, and over seven million troops. I’ve been helping to clean excess antimatter radiation from the planet’s surface and the atmosphere, being extremely hazardous to humanoid life.

After six years of being stationed on Cardassia, I finally get to do what I signed up for so long ago, explore the final frontier. No more scanning and cleansing antimatter radiation, no more hazardous conditions, and no more dodging degenerative health problems.

I decided to join Starfleet to be part of Starfleet’s effort of exploration of “strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations” in 2370, three years before the Dominion War began. Little did I know I’d be serving in the last two years of the Dominion War, and be part of the Restoration of Cardassia, for six years.

Finally, it begins.