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                       USS CHALLENGER: Biofile
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Chief Engineering Officer
=========================

CHARACTER:	Konoko Mitsubishi
PLAYER: 	Jan Hogevold
EMAIL: 		kerynasta@yahoo.com
ICU#:		115608492



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NAME: Konoko Mitsubishi

Current rank: Lieutenant
Fleet Registry: MIT-QA43-NN-01426
Current billet: Chief Engineer, USS CHALLENGER

Physical characteristics:

Race: Human/Bajoran cross
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Height: 5'6"
Hair: Black
Eyes: Black
Distinguishing characteristics: Probably the only example of Asian-Oriental
human and Bajoran interbreeding, Mitsubishi exhibits the distinguishing
characteristics of both races.
Place of Birth: Tokyo, Earth.

Mother: Keryn Asta, presumed 52, Bajoran national.
Father: Akira Mitsubishi, researcher.
Siblings: None.

Origins and background:
=======================

Konoko Mitsubishi, child of Akira Mitsubishi and Keryn Asta, was born on
April 4th 2486 in Tokyo. Her father, Akira, was at that time a graduate
student, and is now vice chancellor of xenophilosophy at the University of
Osaka. Konoko's mother, Asta, was a Bajoran traveller who sought to compare
and contrast Zen Buddhism with the faith of the Prophets. They were married
on February 15 2485.

"I don't know what made my mom come to Earth like that. You could have told
from a mile away that it was never going to work. I'm sure if I had lived
with Akira I would have ended up as a Buddhist, but to be honest I couldn't
care less about religion now. Even though it brought my parents together."

Asta was, at that time, an intense young woman of strongly-held beliefs.
Akira was a dedicated Zen Buddhist. Their strong and frequently opposing
religious views were a cancer to the relationship, which ended within a year
of Konoko's birth. Asta returned to her nomadic existence, questing for
answers her own faith could not provide. Akira immediately submitted Konoko
for adoption and she was raised in full Japanese tradition in Tokyo by
Misato and Hiraku Maeda. Konoko was treated as their daughter in all but
name, retaining her father's surname, and enjoyed a complete and fulfilling
childhood with a full education. Misato was particularly anxious that Konoko
should be aware of her heritage, and took pains to ensure that she was
brought up to understand her mother's background. That Konoko speaks
English, Japanese and Bajoran with equal fluency is tribute to her adoptive
parents' efforts.

"She was seriously Bajoran happy. The problem was I think it meant more to
her than it did to me. I mean, she saw my nose more often than I did! But it
was interesting enough. I only went to Bajor once. It was pointless. All I
got was a lot of stares and people not knowing what to make of me. But it's
still something I try to keep in mind. I think people are fascinated by it,
and that makes me wonder what it is I should be feeling about it that's so
interesting!"

Education and the academy:
==========================

Konoko was a superb academic, excelling in the sciences, and completed a
first-class Bachelor of Science honours degree in forced-matrix materials
science at the Sorbonne, where she learned competent French and workable
Vulcan and Klingon. She then returned to Japan to work for a year at the
Starfleet R&D department in Tokyo, producing useful research in the areas of
tactile panel manufacturing processes and optical hardline termination.
Atypically for a civilian attachment, Konoko then agreed at the request of
Starfleet to apply to an advanced-placement course at the Academy, which she
studied largely in absence while continuing work in Tokyo.

"It seemed like time to stop playing in the lab and see how it was used. I
figured I could get a lot of experience, maybe cut out some of the
consulting cycles in R&D, and understand what the engineers were asking for
better. No, I'm no astronaut! I'm in there for the experience. Wish I didn't
have to do it militarily, but there you go. Asuka doesn't think I'll make a
good officer!"

Having then completed a three-month hands-on course in San Francisco, Konoko
was commissioned with the rank of Lieutenant and posted to Starbase Gabriel,
where she continues to lead A-section engineering detail, responsible for
stationwide repairs and maintenance, including work related to ships in
dock. Konoko continued her study on FTL-boundary flyback tolerance in
optical hardline termination.

"It was an interesting field, because we discovered that if we could create
a null electron path through the interface, the subspace saturation suddenly
didn't matter and simply by doping the surrounding structure with active
ferranides, q-level charge absorption dropped way below the Kell boundary
and suddenly you're passing quanta of energy across the substrate faster
than any P or N array can coherently source photons anyway. We drank a
gallon of sake the night we figured that one out, I can tell you."

Konoko Today:
=============

Because the specific asian-oriental genotype does not exist on Bajor,
Konoko's genetic background is considered to be unique, and her looks are
distinctive.

"Oh, the nose, the nose. It doesn't make any difference. If there was any
easy way to get rid of it I would, but it just doesn't seem like it's worth
the effort. It's just sometimes [pause] it's like it's the mark of Cain,
right in the middle of your face, it isn't like you can avoid people seeing.
But I've always been OK, on Earth at least."

Otherwise Konoko presents a physical and psychological profile not atypical
of Japanese women her age, and continues to seek new opportunities to apply
her knowledge of theoretical engineering.

Konoko Mitsubishi is a small, intense woman, a brilliant theoretical
engineer and dedicated to the task at hand. She cites her interests outside
work as abstract painting, which she claims are difficult to understand but
may simply be of poor quality, playing the shamisen, and the study of
Bajoran history. Konoko maintains Japanese tradition, and unofficial
visitors to her quarters will be encouraged to remove their shoes before
stepping onto the matting which covers most of the floor. Visitors who fail
to do so will be gently reminded. She favours Japanese dress and will
request traditional food from the replicator, as well as injecting
occasional Japanese colloquialisms into general conversation. Konoko will
encourage the company of those who respect and assist her in upholding these
traditions, and will be as boring about them as she is about engineering if
anyone expresses an interest, especially during chance meetings when moving
around the ship in casual dress.

These considerations notwithstanding, Konoko takes pains not to appear
old-fashioned or set in her ways, and may just as likely appear to be an
entirely modern Asian-American, since she speaks English with an American
accent. To further confuse this issue, Konoko may take the name "Oki" in
Bajoran company, which is both a common contraction of the Japanese proper
noun "Konoko" and the Bajoran word "Okiren", also a common feminine name,
meaning "stream" or "brook".

Bajoran-Human Physiology:
=========================

To: Misato Maeda
Subject: Re: Looking after my daughter.
From: Dr. M. W. C. Mugabe, MD, MA

Maeda-san,

Please find attached my findings on your daughter's background. I'm afraid
some of it is rather technical, but I have no hesitation in recommending
that you treat your adoptive daughter as you would your own. Konoko will
eventually become aware of her background and you should note the last
paragraph. As we discussed in person, I cannot offer a professional opinion
on what and how you approach Konoko herself on this matter.
Due to the limited number of examples of this combination, no large-scale
study of the results has been possible. However, since Bajoran and Human
anatomies and metabolisms are generally compatible, no great concern is
placed on the viability of the hybrid organism. Bajoran-Human hybrids are
generally observed to develop without the process of averaging which
generally results in the exhibiting somewhat lessened characteristics. For
example, in Bajoran-Cardassian hybrids the Cardassian disposition to a
elevated P-chromosome avidity in skin metabolism is generally observed to
reduce in accordance with the Bajoran genotype.

Because this does not frequently occur in hybrids of organisms with less
than 0.2 deviancy on the Collard scale of metabolistic comparison, it is
anticipated that a Bajoran-Human hybrid will retain the genetically dominant
characteristics of both races. This will include both physical and
metabolistic aspects. The specifics of this hybrid most significantly
include symptoms of pregnancy in the female, which in Human females may
involve predisposition to morning sickness, and in Bajoran females may
involve irritation to the skin of the backs of the legs. It is anticipated
that the hybrid may exhibit both these traits. Bajoran brain chemistry is
also somewhat more tolerant to low-oxygen environments than is human, but
since this dependency is a dominant trait in human genetics, the hybrid is
robbed of this attribute. Physically, Bajoran fingernails and hair grow
somewhat faster than in the human, skin is replaced more rapidly, and the
bridge of the nose is generally bisected by four or more cartilaginous
ridges. These are all dominant traits and will be observed in the hybrid.
Additionally, human hair colouring genetics, particularly in backgrounds
leading generally to dark hair, eyes and increased melanin production in the
skin, is dominant, as is left- or right-handedness (whereas almost all
Bajorans are right-handed).

Implications for offspring of the hybrid are easily calculated if the
reproductive partner is either Bajoran or Human, or from another 0.2-deviant
species on the Collard scale. Further hybridisation with more widely variant
genetic backgrounds is probably worth checking up on beforehand.

My very best wishes to you and your husband, and to Konoko who I'm sure will
enjoy a happy and productive life.

Michael Mugabe.

================

To: Misato Maeda
Subject: Re: Konoko
From: Dr. D.C. Crossier MD, F.S.P.

Dear Mrs. Maeda,

Thank you for your letter concerning Konoko.

From the media you have sent me, I can see that Konoko is not entirely of
human descent, and it takes only a little more knowledge to identify her
heredity. In my experience children are surprisingly adept at identifying
things like this about themselves, particularly when it may affect their
integration into a group dynamic.

I will not mince words when I say that my most successful cases have been
where the child is brought up in full knowledge of their background. This
spares the child the most awful confusion, and a sudden and shocking
revelation. Still as I say above I do not think that you will be able to
keep Konoko's background from her in any case, because it will soon be as
obvious to her in the mirror as it is to you and I now.

Therefore I can firmly recommend that you proceed with your intended course
of action. It may not be necessary to take quite such far-reaching measures
as you suggest to ensure that Konoko understands her background, but I can
see no harm in it so long as you appreciate the limits of a child's capacity
to learn from an early age.

Finally yes I would be very pleased if you kept me updated on Konoko's
progress. If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to contact
my secretary for a face-to-face appointment.

Sincerely,

Delphine.

Aboard Ship
===========

Konoko will be a competent engineer, if one who assumes a hands-off and
theoretical approach. Since she's here to learn about the field work,
however, she'll almost want to be proved wrong by the crusty old hands.
Evenings will more usually be spent at the computer terminal or practicing
with her katana, which she prizes above all other possessions. Konoko is
generally uncomplicated and straightforward, as technical people often are,
but may be seen as overly forward and friendly since she has little care for
time wasting social pleasantries. This isn't to be overdone - and when
consciously thinking about her Japanese background, this will be minimised.

Since her tenure on Starbase Gabriel, where her previous pet died, Konoko
has kept a pet cat, Remington. Remington is usually a short-haired tabby,
but being a holographic projection may also take on the form of a playful
kitten, a disdainful Siamese, or in fact any small mammal which accurately
reflects his mood. Konoko claims that Remington solves problems with keeping
animals in the confines of a spacecraft, but may secretly enjoy using the
cat as an avatar for the computer, and having extensive conversations with
him. Remington's physical presence is limited to a small, hovering device
the size of a small hand phaser, which is proof against all but the most
serious assault. Remington is generally given to speaking in slightly
laconic English tones, as of an upper-class gentleman, but may assume other
identities as the mood takes him. Generally, however, Remington reserves
anything other than the most aloof manner for ironic moments. Remington is a
simulation of the popular human image of a cat, and will use anything in his
power to persuade and wheedle the things he wants out of dastardly
humankind. When resting, Remington ceases holographic projection and
recharges while lying on a miniaturised cat cushion embroidered with his
name, which recharges the power source.