"Intriguing."
NameDr. Xiril Poxx
(Zeer-uhl Pocks)SpeciesBeta-Cephanian
The Cephanians are an aquatic humanoid species from the planet Cepha, that have evolved into two distinct groups; Alpha-Cephanians, a hard shelled, crab-like humanoid species, and Beta-Cephanians, their subjugated fish-like cousins. Hailing from a completely submerged planet, all Beta-Cephanians have mucous-producing skin, gills, webbed fingers, and other characteristics suited to an aquatic environment, while their crustacean cousins have a thick exoskeleton and mandibles over their mouths. Whereas Alpha-Cephanians are usually boisterous and warlike, Beta-Cephanians are a quiet, private people known for their humorlessness and brevity, which are moreso results of their neural biology and selective breeding than of any cultural, learned philosophy. Despite being a warp-capable civilization, Cephanians have a very primal culture with little room for sentimentality -- Elderly or injured Beta-Cephanians are usually devoured to support their colony's sustenance, for example, whereas Alpha-Cephanians frequently murder one another over perceived slights.Age49
AffiliationTerran Republic
PositionChief Medical Officer
SkillsetThough he comes off as cold, Commander Poxx's lack of emotion help him remain calm under pressure and make logic-based, split second decisions other officers would struggle with, particularly during the heated moments of patient transport and diagnoses. The Cephanian brain -- particularly that of a Beta-Cephanian -- has far fewer receptors for emotion than a human, and more for memory and problem solving; By human standards, Poxx would be considered a multi-tiered genius. Aside from his intelligence, Poxx is a skilled
Judoka, a skill that fostered his initial interest in human culture. Being Cephanian, Commander Poxx can use sonar to maneuver in complete darkness, as well as a protective measure in combat to stun most bipedal humanoids. Underwater, this instead acts as a method of communication, though it is only useful talking to
Aquatic Humanoids, of which the Terran Republic recognizes a grand total of
six.
Personality ProfileDoctor Poxx's mannerisms and personality are fairly standard for his race. He keeps most interactions as brief as possible, spends most of his time off alone in his quarters, and has little patience for galas and ceremonies. He frequently goes out of his way to seek out advice from other nonhumans on human culture, a subject he finds fascinatingly foreign, though even in these interactions he keeps a quiet distance. Other than his work, Doctor Poxx has three hobbies; swimming, underwater horticulture, and
Judo, the latter of which earns him a spot on many away teams. As Cephanian culture is extremely different than human culture, with Poxx only ever having served previously on
The Highlander, a ship with very few humans, Poxx is one of the aliens aboard the crew that experiences a great deal of culture shock. Hot beverages, for example, are a subject surrounded by mystery to Doctor Poxx, as well as things like figures of speech, most forms of artwork, and the human fascination with domesticating dangerous animals.
HistoryXiril Poxx was hatched on Cepha, spending his youth absorbing the culture and knowledge of his people while working on one of his planet's many algae farms, an unexceptional life shared by three fourths of Beta-Cephanians. His father, Luril Poxx, had slowly saved enough to buy his family's freedom from their master by the time Xiril was eleven, bringing his family to the Terran Republic. Under New Terra's Intergalactic Law 20315, the Poxx family were brought in as asylum-seeking refugees from a planet of slavery, given a stipend to live off of while Xiril's parents were trained for useful work. Xiril, an ever-thankful son of two immigrant refugees, went on to join the Starfleet Academy when he became old enough, and was put onto an expedited path to becoming an ensign aboard the USS Highlander after graduating third in his class. Though originally eager to become a tactical officer, Xiril switched divisons to Medicine during his first year, and has proudly worn the white-and-red uniforms of the Medical unit ever since. After serving aboard the USS Highlander for several decades, during which he did little more than smoothly coast through his career to a
Lieutenant Commander Medical Officer, he was transferred to the USS Hawking, where he now serves as the ship's Chief Medical Officer.
FlawXiril has very little knowledge of the culture he is surrounded by, try as he might to study it. It could be said that his greatest flaw is his bedside manner -- or lack thereof -- and his inability to relate to those he treats in the sick bay. He understands "Ow" as a vocal projection of pain, though that is about as far as his understanding of the patient psyche goes; He views his work as a practitioner of medicine much in the same way that an engineer would view the reparations of a ship's battery core, while topics such as psychology, patient interviews, and rehabilitation are typically handled by his subordinates.