Commander Melina Terrell

Character Information

Gender		Female
Species		Argosian

Physical Appearance

Height		5'8"
Weight		115 lbs
Hair Color		None
Eye Color		Black
Physical Description		Skin Color: Blue Distinguishing Marks: See Medical Profile

Family

Children		Twins
Father		Unknown
Mother		Maranai
Brother(s)		Parek
Sister(s)		Tesla

Personality & Traits

General Overview		Medical Profile: (Not current) Historical records, most notably from the logs of Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise, indicate that those who live on the planet of Argo are humanoid in stature, but have a green skin tone, and greenish hair. They had been forced to mutate their physiology, by using the venom of a sur-snake, so they could adapt to living underwater after devastating earthquakes flooded the majority of the planet. Melina represents what could be the next evolution of natives to that planet who underwent the surgo-op proceedure, or are descendants of those who partook of it. There are several notable changes: The facial structure is more flat, with the nose not as pronounced The eyes are larger; her vision has been tested, and her low-light vision is incredible (by human standards) The head no longer bears hair The gills on the neck are more prominent The dorsal fin, on the back, is still present, but smaller fins are also present on the back of the lower legs and forearms The feet are more flipper-like in structure, although still could be fitted within standard Starfleet uniform footwear The physical structure is more powerfully built; it is presumed that the strength would be slightly above human standards The skin is thicker, presumably to withstand the crushing pressures and cold temperatures at extreme depths within the oceans There is a secondary larynx, which allows for clear speech while underwater Bloodwork has indicated that a natural resistance has developed toward some poisons and toxins that are common to underwater environments For some reason, which is unknown and unexplainable at this time, it seems as if Melina is able to survive and breathe in a natural airborne environment for a period lasting no longer than two hours. It is assumed that, with additional training on her part, she might be able to enhance and improve that ability, although that is not guaranteed. Additional medical and scientific tests will be needed to determine if that ability is interconnected with the evolution process, or if there is another explanation behind it. Contrarially, Melina possesses several vulnerabilities, which could endanger her health: If she does work in a natural airborne environment, she cannot do so for more than two hours in length. Any longer, and she will begin to show signs of oxygen deprivation, axphyxiation, and dehydration, causing her health to deteriorate She is highly succeptable to fire, heat, and dry, arid environments Although she has natural resistance toward most water-borne toxins, gaseous and injected toxins and poisons progress twice as rapidly in her system, as compared to that of a normal human. Melina is a unique individual and, with her cooperation, could help Starfleet to advance the understanding of Aquans and Argosians. Entered into Starfleet Record By Dr. Jalovel Taqueri, M.D. Stardate 57963.7 Current Mental Condition: Fit for Duty Psychological Profile: Melina comes across as being a very quiet and reserved individual. That is actually her way of hiding her caution and wariness around unknown individuals and species, due in part to the distrust of air-breathing races that was ingrained into her by Argosian society since birth. She is by no means a coward, plus often remains curious and determined not to let preconceptions interfere with her duties. Her time at Starfleet Academy was rough, mainly due to the distrust that many members of the Federation had toward Argosians. This has made her highly critical of her own performance, as she is concerned that any mistake or error on her part might enhance the negative perspective of Argosians or further strain already tense relations. Because of this, living in what is considered as an air-breather's world, she tends to be highly defensive. Once a person can get past the hesitation due to Federation/Argosian relations, and they get to know the real Melina, they quickly find out that she is a very friendly and personable. She isn't that outgoing, but she is very loyal and eager to help out and prove herself to others. Entered into Starfleet Record By Dr. Shayvonne Prescott, P.H.D. Stardate 57979.4
Hobbies & Interests		Hobbies: Writing, swimming, exploring Interests: Starfleet history, meeting new species, making friends

Personal History		(Not Current) Nicknames: Mel Favorite Food: Klingon qaraDa gham Favorite Drink: Hot Fish Juice and Sluggo Cola Favorite Sport: Swimming, Springball, Hoverball Likes: Honesty, exploration, music, art, romance Dislikes: Traitors, dishonesty, prejudice, mean-spirited individuals Accent: Argosian Melina was born into an environment that greatly fears and distrusts air-breathing species. Her mother had pointed out three important facts: 1) The Argosians had once been air-breathers, themselves - a fact that is very unpopular among members of the species, and is beginning to be downplayed; 2) The Argosians are Aquans who have continued to evolve beyond their peers; however, these changes have made the Argosians outcasts on their own planet, forcing them to adopt a new species name and seek the solstice of other areas of the vast ocean planet; 3) The air-breathers are always perceived as a threat to the very Argosian society, even though there was only one contact with them since the surgo-ops. In spite of this, Melina developed a strong fascination for the air-breathers. She couldn't understand how they could pose such a threat to their way of life, when there had been only a single contact. This made her curious about the oceans beyond the confines of Argo, and the mysteries that might rest in the depths on other worlds. Melina's mother learned of this fascination, and turned her into the Argosian Ruling Council. The ordainments the Argosians adopted strictly prohibited contact with air-breathers, and they threatened to cast her out if she continued with her . . . illicit line of thinking. She refused to give in and give up this curiosity, and was summarily disowned by her family and forced to become an exile. She managed to stow away on board a Ferengi Marauder, which was taking a selection of aquatic life from Argo to a client. Thankfully, she wasn't discovered, but she managed to ultimately gain passage to Earth, where she enrolled in Starfleet Academy. Her time in the Academy was rough, due to the tense relations with the Argosians, but Melina ignored that and was determined to not let that stop her from having a successful Starfleet career. Since coming on board the Potemkin, there have been three important developments in the life of the Argosian: 1) Melina has learned that she is half-human, a fact that was ordered to be kept secret by the heads of Starfleet Medical itself for reasons yet unknown. As such, all records up until that point have all indicated that she was a full Argosian, rather than the correct half-Human, half-Argosian. 2) She has fallen in love with and is currently engaged to First Lieutenant John Michael. Of the entire crew, John was the one who really reached out to her and they made a deep connection that has grown and blossomed over time. Even when it was believed that John was dead, Melina never betrayed her love with him or removed the ring he had given her. 3) Melina has learned that she is currently six months pregnant with twins, with John being the father. She had no idea that she was pregnant until the time that she faced an illness that almost claimed her life . . . the cure for which was stolen from the Argosians by John Michael, who seemingly returned from the dead. Notes: Melina must live in quarters that are specially adapted to contain an aquatic environment. The entrance to her quarters serves as an airlock, which normally takes three minutes to fill or drain once both entryways are sealed. Under an emergency situation, an override can be inputted that cuts that time down in half. Several variety of aquatic plantlife reside within her quarters, as do various fish, including a Nepthelian variety called the Silver Lisk, which are known as cleaner fish. The Silver Lisk fulfill the same duty of cleansing Melina as a sonic shower would for a normal air-breather. Melina isn't comfortable working out of the water for extended periods of time, or in hot or dry environments, due to the inherent threat for asphyxiation and dehydration. Most of the time, she wears a specially designed suit that allows her the freedom to fulfill her duties without being restrained to the confines of her quarters. The suit is a sealed garment, complete with a helmet, and optional gloves and boots, which circulates water across her epidermal membranes and through the gills, keeping her hydrated, moist, and providing the oxygen she needs to metabolize from the water. The gloves and boots can be removed or attached, as needed, but Melina generally prefers to wear the complete suit so she doesn't have to worry about sealing off the suit at the ankles and wrists. More importantly, the suit provides a small amount of additional protection in the event of a physical attack.
Service Record		Career/Service History: Starfleet Academy: Operations and Command USS Columbia - Cadet Cruise USS Potemkin - Assigned as Operations Officer Promotion History: Promotion to Ensign upon graduation from Starfleet Academy Promotions while in service aboard the USS Potemkin: From Ensign to Lt JG From Lt JG to Lieutenant From Lieutenant to First Lieutenant From First Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander From Lieutenant Commander to Commander