Donald Sliwinski

Donald Sliwniski grew up on Hertash, a tenuous Class O colony world. Hertash had been colonized for about 100 years when Donnie's family arrived. Most colonists had something to do with local tritium mining, or with ecological research in the vibrant, variable, and deadly local flora. Hertash still held a relatively small population with it's hostile ecosystem, and only saw about 300k people in the equatorial band between 25N and 25S, the rest of the planet behind under glaciers. Due to the large amount of H2O locked into ice, there was only about 20% surface coverage by water. Hertash is tectonically active, and the volcanoes make for some very interesting ecological niches. Donny worked with his family's plant harvesting business as a young teenager, and spent a lot of time messing with the local wildlife. Donny also grew up glacier climbing, skiing, and other cold weather sports as second nature. Hertash tends to make a lot of it's people adrenaline junkies, but also very careful as they learn to plan ahead and take the right equipment. Donny's family went into the bush to gather new species for scientific enquirey. Donny held an early interest in biology and ecosystems.

Following a rapid a virulent spread of a native disease through the colony, evolved from a local parasite, the newly orphaned Donny joined Starfleet when he was 17 as a rating for a rescue vessel. Donny spent 4 years working as a salvage and rescue rating, learning a lot of HAZMAT, demolitions, medical and related skills. Donny's true love rests with alien biology and specifically alien diseases. While serving as a rating, the triage doctor on the team noted Donny's penchant for medical skills and convinced Donny to apply for Starfleet Academy. Donny agreed and graduated Starfleet at 27. Merlin is Donny's first assignment as an officer, and he's spent most of the trip under the tutelage of the medical staff, including Dr. Fiona Adora, who seems to have taken a liking to Donny.

Donny has been enmeshed in OJT with the medical crew, and spent most of his spare time with the life sciences department furthering his understanding of the life science. Dr. Adora's only complaint on his performance reviews, is that Donny comes very close the the fraternization line with the enlisted, and he often spends his social time with the marine NCOs and such, professing to feel more comfortable with them than other officers. He is recognized as a gifted upcoming physician, but Adora also sees that Donny's spirit doesn't fully lie with the medical field, and he has a need for an adrenaline rush not normally found in medical or science branch. Donny has asked to go on every mission that remotely involves danger. He especially loves the missions he's had navigating wreckage.

After finally arriving in Aurora sector, Donny is chafing at his cloistered existence (thus how he is little known on the ship). Donny entertains ideas of joining the science branch and receiving his first certification with them. He's more than grateful for the support that Dr. Adora's staff has given him, but he also recognizes he may not have the temperament to be a doctor.