My name is Slash and I grew up on the waterfront of Sausalito, California. There had been many times I stared across the bay and admired the Federation complex on the other side of the Golden Gate. I had made up my mind that someday I would become a part of that.

My father was a history professor who specialized in Earth Medieval culture. I personally think he was a sword buff who probably fantasized about the days when people lived by the sword. That’s obviously where he got my name “Slash” from. A fitting choice I guess, because I remember swinging swords around from the age where I could barely hold one. I quickly took a liking to the old man’s hobby, but as for the rest of his lifestyle, I found it stuffy and boring.

My father always wanted me to become an academic but I just couldn’t see it. I wanted to do something with my life… hands-on. While in high school, I took an interest in mechanics. I’d spend my after-school free time at a repair garage on Bridgeway Boulevard, helping out the owner. By the time I finished high school, he had introduced me to his digital management system, and I’d keep his records and customers in perfect order. Still, I insisted on actively keeping my sleeves rolled up and getting my hands dirty.

After high school I got my own apartment. Well, it was actually a boat moored on San Fransisco Bay. I called it a houseboat but it was more like an old cabin cruiser. I’d rigged it with solar cells and was living the bohemian lifestyle. Of course, at that age, parties on my boat seemed to be never-ending at times, and I really enjoyed playing the host. It gave me a great deal of satisfaction when I could entertain my friends.

Years went by and I had been given the job of running the repair facility. By that time I was making pretty good money and kept busy on the social scene, but there was a growing yearning for something more. I kept staring out of the windows of my boat, at the gleaming Federation complex across the bay.

I jumped on my motorcycle and headed across the Golden Gate one day. Spent the day talking to advisors and had basically made up my mind to join Starfleet before I even got home.

I broke the news to the shop owner that I was going to leave. He had no choice but to hire a replacement for me, whom I trained for the next six months. She was a quick learner and caught on rapidly. After that, the rest is history. I jumped on my bike one last time and drove off to join the Starfleet Academy.