Zinnia Shu

Personnel File
Name:	Zinnia 'Zin' Jupiter Shu
Rank:	Ensign
Position:	Software Engineer
Callsign:	N/A
Species:	Betazoid
Age:	Twenty six
Gender:	Female
Orientation:	Heterosexual
Birthplace:	Starbase 036
Height:	5ft 6in / 1.68m
Weight:	115lbs / 52kg
Hair:	Long slightly wavy black/brown hair
Eye color:	Black Betazoid Eyes
Played by:	Nana Ouyang
Writer:	SomeBunny
Interests
Cello Programming Holodecks Watching Old Sci-fi Movies People Watching Challenging Herself Reading Books Growing Plants and Flowers
Education
3476-2380: Starfleet Academy
Service Record
2380-2382: Ensign, Software Engineer, USS Mystique 2381-Present: Ensign, Software Engineer, USS Theurgy
Decorations
None

Zin’s parents left her on a space station when she was only four years old under the care of her Aunt, her father’s sister. Both of her parents were killed in an explosion on their ship when on duty for the Fleet. Zin’s aunt realizing that she would not be released of her burden was unkind to Zin. Often neglecting and sometimes abusing the young girl. Zin was taken from her aunt about a year later and grew up in a Starbase orphanage. Grateful for the change in life Zin applied herself to her school work hoping to get a scholarship to the Academy. She spent four years in the Academy learning even more about software, hacking, and programming. Graduating with top honors, she did not walk at her graduation but instead headed right for her assignment.

Biography

Zinnia Jupiter Shu was born to two parents who eagerly welcomed her arrival. Her mother, Azurah Shu was a Botanist for the Federation with a rank of Lieutenant. Her father, Rican Shu was a Federation Security Officer who craved adventure and exploration. Both her parents served on a science vessel, the USS Avonlee. When Zinnia was born, both her parents were so excited for this new aspect in life, but the science vessel did not have room for the growing family and especially for the high needs of an infant or baby. At first, Azurah stayed on Starbase 036 with Zinnia for the first two years of her life to raise her baby while her husband came and went on different missions as he could. However, the lure of new environments, science, and adventure called her back to the Avonlee.

Azurah had a sister named Salana who they convinced to watch and care for Zin while Azurah and Rican were on mission. Zin’s aunt was not very nurturing or kind when she cared for Zin over all but her basic needs were all met and Zin knew there was no other option at the moment. When her parents were home Zin felt the happiest and soaked up as much time with them as she could. Her mother instilled a love for plants and flowers by frequent trips to the Botany gardens on the Starbase when she was at home.

When Zin turned four her life changed for the worse. News was received in the form of an officer pounding on the door to her Aunt’s Quarters late one night. The officer informed the two that Zin’s parents had passed away when their ship was exploring an area of deep space. It is unknown who or what happened to the ship as while debris was collected Zin and her Aunt never received answers to what truly happened. Salana was fine with watching Zin for months at a time but she had never signed up nor desired to be a parent. When Azurah and Rican passed away they left Zinnia in the custody of Salana.

For two months, no one saw Zin. She had stopped going to school, stopped going out, at only six people began to worry. Her teachers reached out to her Aunt who initially stated that the grief of losing her parents had kept the young girl from school. Initially, that was true, but as time went on people began to try to check in on Zin. To try to offer her help in coping with the loss of her parents but Salana brushed them off, didn’t answer the door, or said Zin wasn’t home. Eventually, Salana told the crew of the Starbase she was homeschooling the girl due to her grief and all she had been through.

At one point though, Salana had gone on a trip when Zin’s parents had been gone for over two years. Salana had been gone for several days and the replicator in the Quarters had broken recently, it had always been touchy, but now it was fully broken. A starving and emaciated Zin stepped out of her Aunt’s quarters for the first time in over a year. Her health was in trouble, she was too thin, under cared for, stunted growth, and failing to do well. It was then Security and Welfare stepped in to intervene on behalf of the now almost six year old. When Salana returned home several days later she was arrested and Zin was already in the custody of a small orphanage on the Starbase.

For the next few months the orphanage concentrated on healing the young girl. Getting her back to school, feeding her, supporting her, and trying to get her to find her words. She had gone mute shortly after her parents’ death and with the neglect from her Aunt she had found no reason to speak. Slowly but surely they began to pull Zin out of her shell but she didn’t come out fully until she discovered the cello. On her seventh birthday one of the officers who had rescued her that day on the Starbase came and asked what she would want to do for her birthday. She didn’t know how to answer so he picked her up and took her to a classical music concert. There, she fell in love with the cello, the soulful resonating tones pulled at her heart and woke her up from her stupor.

Finally having something positive in her life, the changes to Zin were breath taking. She still didn’t speak much, but she did speak, she was replicated a cello and began to take lessons from a holodeck teacher. The music had awoken the young girl. Feeling more comfortable in her skin she began to experiment at school. Trying different clubs, different classes, to see what else she liked in life. At first, she thought about doing plants like her mother had done and while she loved to grow them and they made her feel close to her mother she did not feel a passion. It wasn’t until she was required to take a programming class that Zin found her talent. Binary just made sense and finding out what she could do or make a computer do was something that made her happy. She was able to rely on herself and the sense of accomplishment afterwards was well worth it.

Zin pushed herself with both her cello and her programming skyrocketing her grades and her passions at the same time. It was a toss up whether she would go to musical academy or pursue programming. However, she had continued, while growing up, to spend time with the Security Officer who had found her wandering the Starbase after she escaped her Aunt’s Quarters. His name was Commander Dawson McClain and he would periodically visit the young girl and take her to small events if he got tickets. He had never married, never had children, but didn’t live a life where he could support adopting a young child so when he was on Starbase he would visit.

Listening to his stories, listening to his triumphs, she longed for that kind of life and joining the Fleet would be a further connection to her parents. Bringing her cello along, she headed for the Starfleet Academy. Her years there were spent in the glow of screens and the sounds of typing. She worked hard to get through her Academy days making a couple friends or at least study-buddies, but no one special. During her time at the Academy she found herself under the wing of a female professor who was working on a massive overhaul of interface system for Starbase dock control systems. Zin began to work with her just helping out in the office or reading lines of codes for errors or replications but soon she was helping program with her Professor. When she graduated from the Academy Commander McClain was there to pin her pip on her and give her a hug of pride. Zin was invited to stay for an additional year at the Academy and work as a Midshipman under the Professor to help finish the interface system.

After the program was complete, Zin applied to a Starship wanting to experience the life her parents had enjoyed. She was assigned to the USS Mystique where she worked as a software engineer and hacker for the ship. She had caught the eye of Admiral Anderson several times during her Academy years, during her work with her professor, and again on the Mystique when she was able to hack into another ship and gain valuable intel before she was discovered. When the Mystique came home for a break and to get patched up from a recent fire fight, Zin was pulled to the side by Anderson. He stated that there was a massive ship who needed it’s own Software Engineer and hacker and he felt she was the perfect fit for it.

Zin said she would think about it for a couple days, and she did, not wanting to make a quick decision as she had enjoyed her time on the Mystique and felt comfortable there. Looking up the schematics and researching what she could find as well as asking Anderson questions she finally decided to take the risk and do something special. He explained she would be sent to the Theurgy as soon as he could get her there. While waiting for her transfer to the Theurgy, Zin purchased herself a pet kitten, a white fluffy kitten to keep her company. Zin would name the cat Daisy.

Personality Profile

Zin was a shy awkward young woman. She didn’t seek out social situations and often would prefer to stand in the background and watch things happen around her rather than actually participate. She didn’t speak as much as she listened and she preferred to only speak when she needed to and usually to answer a prompt or question. If she felt really confident about her knowledge she would offer up her own information but overall would stay quiet. Zin had a few friends through out her life that were able to get to know her a little bit better than most but she had never dated and wasn’t sure that she was anyone’s real cup of tea.

Zin loved to play her cello and the soulful music would often be heard coming from her Quarters. She tried not to play too late but sometimes when her brain was full and she couldn’t sleep she would play her music to calm her mind and body. Zin always slept with the lamps on in her Quarters because she was afraid of the dark. The therapist she saw when she was younger believed it had to do with being locked up in a dark Quarters for a couple years while at the mercy of her aunt.

When Zin was confronted by forced socialization she would blurt out awkwardly and make an idiot of herself quite often. Zin almost lived in a state of constant embarrassment when it came to going out and being social. When men tried to talk to her she tended to be even worse and get flustered. Many men would just give up with the effort not being worth it. Zin did, secretly, long for connection to someone but refused to force herself to be with anyone she was perfectly fine being single.

When Zin was in her element at work she was very gifted and when she felt confident you could tell. There were times, even when eyes were all on her, that speaking from her experience she was not as awkward as usual. People around her could tell that she had the ability to be confident she just hadn’t embraced that side of her yet. When it came to work, Zin would put all of her effort into her job, working as much as she could. She would stay late occasionally but usually just took her work back to her Quarters if possible. The benefit of being a software engineer is that she could pull it up where ever she was.

Physical Profile

Zin stood at five feet six inches tall with a slight and willowy frame. She did not have well defined muscles but she did have firm tone. Zin had long hair that fell all the way to her hip bones in it’s length when down and pale skin which was a more milky color. Zin’s dark eyes tended to be guarded but gentle in their almond shape. Zin often wore a smile on her face and her cheeks often showed a blush when she was spoken to.

During her off time, Zin would be found wearing jeans and comfortable shirts. Zin was almost always cold and tended to prefer large oversized sweatshirts and sweaters. When in her Quarters she would almost always be found in large sweatshirts paired with comfortable leggings. Zin’s nails were always well manicured and often had a coat of paint on them as well of various colors. Zin had multiple piercings in her ears, four in her right ear and three in her left which always held different earrings she would change frequently.

Zin’s hair was long and fell all the way to her hips with gentle natural waves. With it’s dark brown almost black color it framed her face nicely. Her hair was silken and well cared for. Very often her hair was left down due to her more ‘desk job’ with her position. When she worked out she would braid it and wear it in a crown around the back of her head to keep it out of her face. When she would get tired of the feeling of it on her neck or the weight of it she would wear it in a messy bun or a quick clip especially when comfortable at home or after working long hours on shift.

Zin had distinctive almond shaped eyes and her pupils show her heritage as a full Betazoid with their black color. Her eyes were often described as guarded and shy due to her social awkwardness. Zin’s eyes would light up when laughing or when faced with a challenge she had not encountered before.