Ensign Jake Walker

Jake awoke to find himself laying on the Challengers transporter floor. A crewperson helped him up and made what Jake thought was a strange comment about his piloting skills after the missile attack. Jake was not fully capable of processing anything about a missle attack because he was suffering the effects of a concussion. Although he had suffered injuries he felt he needed to get to the bridge and see the Commodore. He made his way to the bridge, often catching himself against a bulkhead as the effects of the concussion started to take full effect. As he entered the bridge he made his way to the Commodore. There was much activity on the bridge so he guessed they were under attack. He approached the Commodore and informed him of what had happened. "Refugees? What are you talking about crewman. Have you been checked out by the Doctor?" the Commodore gruffly asked. Jake informed him that he had come straight from the transporter. Bull ordered him to get checked out by the Doc before returning to the bridge. As Jake left the bridge he did not noticed how the uniforms of the crew were different (Or his own for that matter). The concussion from the blast was only letting Jake see his new surroundings in a fog. His balance was off and his eyesight slightly blurry. This was probably for the best, for had he not he would have noticed he was not on board the USS Challenger but the ISS Challenger, a front-line cruiser for the Terran Empire's Starfleet which was currently involved in a pillage operation of the Cait homeworld. They say ignorance is bliss but for Jake his ignorance was what probably kept him alive, or at least out of the pain booth.

Jake was glad he didn't sleep through ALL of the Engineering courses at the Academy. The week his class studied planetary power systems had piqued his interest. Since he did not need to know all the details (after all, he was a pilot) Jake was able to view the material with the vantage of seeing the "big picture". Without getting caught in the details helped Jake see the system as more Art than Function. So he was able to retain his knowledge of "how" it worked because he could care less "why" it did. The power grid on the Dogma homeworld must have been impressive to say the least. To have the ability to power a planetary shield just boggled the mind. Earth was looking at it but estimates were saying they were decades from even field-testing such a system. And here before them was a working model. How good a working model was yet to be determined. Most civilizations that had worked this problem could not find a solution for the polar magnetic destabilization problem, which would disrupt the field emitted by the ground-based generators. In theory you could use low-orbit generators but the technology for a power system that you could put into a low orbit simply did not exist anywhere (even by the Vulcans). As Jake probed the shields with his Nav sensors he looked to see how the Dogmatians solved this problem. What he found was interesting. The Dogmatian Engineers had a heavy concentration of ground-based generators at the poles. Obviously they were using the theory of "Throw enough Doo-doo against a wall and eventually enough will stick to cover the wall". Now because of the chaotic nature of the gravitational disruptions on a good day you "might" cover the entire area. But normally the disruptions would cause weak points, possibly even gaps. Such a spot was now open, and it was just big enough to get Challenger through (Well we might lose some paint). Jake conferred with Aaron who confirmed to Bull what our option was. As Jake got the order to penetrate the shield he thought it would be interesting to watch how big dogs deal with a Bull Moose.

The trip to Epison Indi would take another half hour, so Jake wanted to get ready for the arrival by looking up some data on this system. He brought up the navigational star charts and accessed the Vulcan database. There were 12 planets in the system with the fourth being class M. As he brought up the data on the planet he remembered how the Vulcan database used to only be raw data, but recently they were showing more detail. Yep, it was class M by definition, but it was not what Jake would call a garden spot. Anything outside of the equatorial zones tended to have wide swings of temperature. Jake also noted a new information tab in the database. He brought up the display and almost fell out of his chair. Mineralogical survey results were now included in the database. He had heard that the Vulcan Science Academy planned on sharing more information with Humans, but he didn't expect to see this much cooperation. Did they REALLY plan on treating Humans as allies? Jake always thought they treated Humans as children. But as they say, the proof is in the pudding. He couldn't debate what he saw. As he scanned the data he found what appeared to be RICH mineral deposits in the northern regions. How could anyone resist setting up a mining colony here. Jake got his answer when he switched to the Climatology section. It appeared that the best deposits were in zones that had WIDE swings in temperature that made long-term stays quite dangerous. There was money to be made here, but the expense didn't seem to be worth it. Oh well, so much for his retirement plan. He studies the reports more so he could know the easiest path for the shuttles. This was going to be tricky. The temperature shifts played havoc with the upper atmosphere. To say this would be bumpy would be an understatement. Wind Surfing in the North Sea would be calmer. But they needed the supplies, so Jake started to plan his flight plan. But first, he popped a motion sickness pill. He would need it. Nothing worse than upchucking on his console, and he didn't want to spend this mission cleaning his lunch out of the console

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As he leaned against Pod 2, Snake was watching the show as he puffed on his cigar. He was really enjoying watching "The Bull" ream the young officer. Nothing like a good dressing down to start the day, which was what was happening as the Acamarian sun was beginning to break over the East. It was beginning to look like a beautiful day, but not as beautiful as the women of Challenger. The had always been the reputation of Pilots being womanizers. While outwardly it looked like Snake fit that category by how he dressed and what he did for fun, it really didn't fit him. Sure he like flirtation, but deep down he was always the son of James Walker. His Father had taught him that all people were equal regardless of what sex they were, where they were from, or what they did. And if it was good for his Father, it was good for him. Back home people had the highest respect for James Walker not because he was the local Sheriff, but because he was a fair man that treated everyone with respect. The funeral for Jim Walker had been one of the biggest Grafton had ever seen not because of how he died but how he lived. Snakes Father had been attending the annual Law Enforcement conference in Orlando when the Xindi weapon struck Florida. Amanda Walker, who normally went so she could go to Disney with the other families, was unable to attend because she had caught a cold. I was ironic that a common cold saved her life. She would be well cared for out of the UN fund for the families of the Florida disaster, but she was now without her Jimmy. The town would support her all they could (That was how it had always been done in West Virginia), but Family always came first. Being the only son of Sheriff Walker, some said he should come home for his Mother. He had even been offered his Fathers job as Sheriff by the Town Council, but Snake turned it down. He knew, as did Amanda, that he was born to be an Air Force pilot. As it turned out, the only thing Snake was better at than being an Air Force pilot was being a pilot for the Star fleet. As "The Bull" finished with the young officer, Snake started to see similarities between Bull and his Father. These were real men, made of steel and forged by fire they were the stuff of leaders. Not just leaders by of their temper, but their temperament. They would pour knowledge on you like a fountain if you could just sit up straight and listen. As he puffed his cigar again, he though this was going to be a pretty good gig. Shuttle people about, sit at the helm of the Star fleets newest ship, and travel to distant places with some of the brightest and cutest women the fleet had to offer. Not bad for a boy for West Virginia.

He was a robust looking deer, big rack of antlers and all. The breed was fairly common for the West Virginia mountains, so young Jake knew what he was looking for. At 13 he was on his first fall ritual with his father. The elder Walker was 100 meters behind Jake, watching him through his visual enhancement unit. Jake had no such advantage, as all his father allowed him to carry was a 100+ year old rifle. The rifle had a purpose. For generations that was the rifle used on a Walker first hunt. It was outdated by modern standards as the projectiles were not "smart" weapons that when locked on a target found it's way home every time, but "dumb" because essentially they were a hunk of metal fired by igniting gunpower contained in a shell. Primitive yes, but this hunt was not about feeding the clan, it was about teaching a Walker child about the environment. With no tech to distract him or her, a young Walker would absorb the surroundings. The Walker mentality was that the hills were a part of you. Water was blood, rivers were arteries, and forests were the heart. According to the Walkers, a young man learns more about life being alone in the woods that he will in a classroom. Life was not taught as much as it was absorbed. Jake heard his target before he saw it. When he saw it he slowly raised his Winchester and sighted his target, adjusting for estimated range and wind. When the target turned to show his full profile he aimed in the area of the deer where his heart was. He let out a breath and slowly pulled back the trigger. The trigger released the hammer, which moved forward until it struck the rear of the shell. The primer in the shell let off a small explosive, which ignited the primary propellant. The expanding ignited gas moved toward the path of least resistance, which moved the bullet through the barrel of the Winchester. It took only a fraction of a second for the bullet to travel the 50 meters to target. Snake though about this as he targeted his first prey on Acamar. Land was land, dirt was dirt, and Snake was a Walker. As he raised his Starfleet issue M-511 sniper rifle, he thought back to his days as a youth. Spending time with his Father, who still to this day was the greatest man he had ever known. Strong, wise, and filled with Faith, he taught his son that the bounty of the galaxy was a blessing upon it's people. Animals were food, but they were to be highly respected, for they are a vital part of the circle of life. He activated his scope, locating the animals heart and locked it into the memory of the bullet. Seconds after he fired he said his prayer of thanksgiving for the bounty that would feed his cremates. After arriving back at the base, he dropped the large animal next to a pile of fruits (apples maybe?). He got a couple odd looks, but he understood their feelings. Humanity, as the Walkers saw it, were being coddled by their advancements. The more they lived with their tech, the more it assimilated them. What Walkers always understood was quality of life. That the measure of being a Human was in no way calculated by the technology. He had heard all the slurs, like "Hilljack", Hillbilly", "Redneck" and a few more colorful. But the Walkers wore thier titles with distinction because they understood that it was their love of the land that set them apart.

As the heavy personnel shuttle approached Challenger most of the young officers were generating enough electricity to power the lights on the Golden Gate bridge. All but one. He has seen the Challenger many times in the last 8 months. As part of his Navigational training, He was a pilot on the transportation team delivering components and parts to the Challenger project. Not to mention the seemingly endless hours he had to spend in the Challenger simulator to qualify as a candidate for the spot as Navigational Officer. As the shuttle approached he was just glad all the training, testing, poking and prodding had a payday. And it was off the port bow getting bigger by the second. "He" was Jake Walker, Snake to his friends. Snake had been a pilot attached to the 214th Heavy Lift Wing at Pope AFB in North Carolina. Since the Vulcan first contact the Armed Forces of individual governments had mostly been eliminated. The few exceptions had been those who had shifted focus to mostly humanitarian efforts (USAF and Army, British Royal Navy, etc). As far as the Americans went they were the first ones on-site after a disaster, such as a hurricane, tornado, etc. The army did the work, but the Air Force got them there. The Americans were able to be on-site anywhere in the world in 2 hours thanks to the C-1100 Jupiter. And Snake had been one of the Jup's proudest pilots. Now Jake was shifting gears. Starfleet had been recruiting officers from the various branches of the worlds Armed Forces, and Jake took them up on the offer. Jake was only required to complete 2 years of Academy training before graduating. They offered him Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in Colorado, which Jake considered one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Flight training in the Colorado winters were considered demanding because it forced pilots to rely less on their visual and physical keys and focus on instrumentation. Flying through the Rocky Mountains in the winter had crumpled more than a few T-95 trainers, but Jake came through his training without even scratching the paint. And now he was approaching the apex of a pilots career. Sitting at the controls of Starfleets newest starship was the jelly donut, and Jake was taking a big bite. And of course the frosting on that donut was the shuttle pods. How many new and exciting atmospheres would the Challenger encounter during its expedition. Previous pilots had logged their experiences, but Earth explorers had not even scratched the surface of the known galaxy. Sure he would miss his family and friends, But Jake knew that the quality of people who were manning this new starship would present him with many new and friendly faces. He just hoped that some of them knew how to play Euchre. Or even Poker, he thought as he smiled.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Full Name: Walker, Jake A (AKA Snake) Species: Human Date of birth: October 30th, 2128 Place of birth: Grafton, WV, Earth Height: 2.1 m. Weight: 103 kg. Eyes: Blue Hair: Blonde Marital Status: Single Father: Walker, James J Mother: Walker, Amanda R Rank: Ensign Current Vessel/Station: USS Challenger, NX-05 Position: Navigational Officer EDUCATION: Graduate, USAF Academy 2150 Graduate, Starfleet Academy 2153 CAREER SUMMARY: 10 Aug 2146 : Enters into United States Air Force Academy 28 May 2150: Assigned Pope AFB (214 Heavy Lift Wing) 31 Dec 2152: Transfers to Starfleet Academy under the USAF Officer Transfer Initiative. 01 May 2154: Assigned to Advanced Navigational Training Center, Colorado Springs, Co 12 Sep 2154: Transfer to USS Challenger as Navigational Officer