Lieutenant Jennifer Matthews
Name Jennifer Matthews
Position Chief Engineer
Rank Lieutenant
Character Information
| Gender | Female | |
| Species | Human | |
| Age | 26 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 1.67m | |
| Weight | 62kg | |
| Hair Color | Brown | |
| Eye Color | Brown |
Family
| Father | Leonard Matthews | |
| Mother | Cassandra Matthews (deceased) | |
| Brother(s) | Jameson, Charles |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Jenni heeds little caution with her words and has no problem making her opinion known. She is very self-aware and assertive, eager mainly to do her job to the best of her ability. While she doesn't mind being with or being around people, Jenni prefers to spend a fair portion of her free time alone to recharge her social battery and pursue personal interests. A life among the stars is perfect for her, full of adventure and endless space from those she knows. | |
| Strengths & Weaknesses | + Skilled tinkerer + Team Player + Creative + Competitive - Loner - Occasionally Claustrophobic |
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| Ambitions | To see the galaxy and all its wonders | |
| Hobbies & Interests | Music (violin), running, theater/drama |
| Personal History | Jennifer (Jenni) Matthews was the third child (and only girl) born to Leonard and Cassandra Matthews. She was well received by her brothers Jameson and Charles, who weren't very happy to have a sister, but soon learned to live with it. Leonard was employed by Grayson Fusion Industries as a high-level technician. When Jenni was a young child, GFI had promoted Leonard to Manager of the plant at the New Aries Colony on Earth's moon. It was good news, yes, but Leonard wasn't home as often. Two months later, on her weekly visit to see her husband at work, Cassandra and Leonard were caught in the middle of a catastrophe. The primary generator overloaded, prompting a reactor core breach. Cassandra was in the middle of the plant searching for Leonard when the explosion occurred. She was killed instantly. Leonard was in the restroom when it happened and was knocked unconscious. Rescue Teams were sent in, and Leonard was one of the lucky few to be dragged out before the other generators started to overload. Half of New Aries Colony was forced to evacuate before the plant could be shut down. While the citizens of the colony were shipped elsewhere until the plant could be rebuilt, months passed before the Matthews children were reunited with their father who was hospitalized with radiation poisoning. The children were sent to live with their aunt on Earth and were later joined by their father. Leonard was off his feet for three years and trapped in his bed due to the extreme exposure to the radiation. Leonard never regained use of his legs and was confined to a motorized chair for everyday life. Eventually, Leonard returned to work, but not as manager. The family, however, never overcame the loss of Cassandra. They did learn to cope with it. Both of Jenni's brothers went on to medical school to become doctors, in hope of finding a way to restore their father's legs. Jenni almost took the same route, but her father encouraged her to not worry about him and make her own path. Jenni had always loved the stars, and decided to find a way into Starfleet. Her inclination to engineering and tinkering forged a path through the academy for her. After graduation, she found herself aboard the NV-class Intrepid. The Intrepid was kept largely within explored systems and worlds, often patrolling the frayed edge of United Earth's space. Jenni appreciated that this was far from home, but she grew tired of seeing the same stars out the viewport. Her frustration bled into her interactions with her fellow shipmates, even though her performance was not affected. She still repaired and maintained systems at exemplary levels, but had no problem speaking her mind with those equal, above, or below her station. A transfer to a different NV-class, the Gemini, was a welcome change of pace as her Captain loved to step across the border before waving back. Jenni still shared her opinions, but they were far less sharp, all thanks to a Chief Engineer who took special interest in the young ensign. The welcome attention from a mentor prompted Jenni to actually shift her focus and energy into her career. While there was little room for advancement aboard a small NV-class, she was eventually trusted as a team- and then shift-leader within Engineering. Her world would be shaken again after the first Xindi attack, and Starfleet pulling all ships back to defend the system. Jenni, so desperate to get back out to the stars, looked for an opportunity to reassignment to an NX vessel. Enterprise's success meant that the class would be the future of exploration, and the NV's would soon be delegated to meager assignments and less adventure. One soon came aboard the NX-05, and she did not care that it was technically a demotion. Any assignment attached to exploring the unknown was promotion enough. For more than a year, she served as Warp Engineer, paying careful attention to the engines and maintaining them without being close to known supplies and replacement parts. Over time, as crew numbers slowly dwindled, Jenni found herself wondering if she would be called upon to fill a role with more responsibility. That wondering soon yielded to reality when she was asked to become Chief Engineer. |
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| Service Record | 2149 - 2152: Starfleet Training 2152: NV Intrepid 2153 - 2154: NV Gemini 2154 - Present: NX Atlantis |