Randy Thomas

Ensign Randy Thomas was Navigator of the Oberth class starship USS Chimera, in the mid-24th century. (Star Trek: Outpost)

Starfleet career

Born into a distinguished family of Starfleet career officers, as well as Federation officials, Randolph 'Randy' Thomas grew up on stories of Thomas family service, and Thomas family heroism. Randy dreamed of becoming a hero. Despite pleas from his family not to undertake this misadventure, Randy applied to Starfleet Academy. His uncle, Admiral Bartholomew Thomas, could not let him fail once enrolled, so he used his influence to ensure Randy's graduation. Sadly, the uncompromising support of his uncle only reinforced Randy's overdeveloped sense of superiority towards others. As a result, he wasn't challenged, nor did he grow, as an officer, nor as a person. By the time he was set to graduate, he was only four years older. When the time came for Randy to receive his first posting, The Admiral needed someplace where Randy's shortcomings would not cause his Starfleet career to be measured in days or weeks. After a search, he discovered Deep Space Three, located near the borders of Ferengi and First Federation space. Since the First Federation closed its borders, the station had become tactically and startegically insignificant.

Randy's arrival was as colorful as it was atypical. The first words out of his mouth were to compare his new assignment to the family gardener's manure truck. His new CO, Lieutenant Commander Gregory Torkelson responded, "Well, congratulations, Ensign Thomas. You are now my personal project!"

Matters deteriorated even further during Chimera's mission to rescue LT Renova Exler, Dr Rachel Winston and Goshen aboard the Antarean shuttle Successful Negotiation, who were under attack inside the Rough Seas, a permanent type 7 Ion storm. In order to save time in reaching the shuttle, Chimera went through the rough seas. After finding the shuttle, Chimera found the Pirate Vessel Solar Winds in the midst of attacking it. When Commander Torkelson ordered battlestations, Randy panicked, unable to activate the proper command on his console. Torkelson ordered Chief Knox to take over Ensign Thomas' station. After the emergency, Torkelson gave the young Ensign a thorough dressing down. Thomas made a feeble attempt to respond in kind against Master Chief Knox. Not only was the Chief not impressed, he warned the wayward young Ensign, "If I were you, I'd watch myself."

The senior staff of the Chimera had made several attempts to improve the quality of Ensign Thomas' performance, with very limited success. Despite Randy's desire to be a hero, when faced with a pressure situation, he collapses into panic, forgetting his training. In the words of LT Exler, "If he washes out, it's not going to be because we didn't give him every opportunity."

Relationships

With his subordinates

Master Chief Burt Knox

Ensign Thomas' introduction to Master Chief Petty Officer Burt Knox occured during the Chimera's rescue mission into the rough seas. Knox pulled him out of the Navigation station on the orders of LCDR Torkelson. Later, in the Captain's ready room, Torkelson admonished, "That's the problem! You weren't doing! I don't know what they taught you back at the Academy, but apparently you weren't paying attention! . . . . This isn't a discussion Ensign! Your indecision could've killed us all out there! This isn't a simulation! This isn't a pleasure cruise on Risa! This is as real as it gets! And the people all around you are relying on you to pull your own weight in a life or death situation! Here on the frontier, hesitation and foolish mistakes could kill someone or doom your entire ship!. . . . . I have seen your Academy record, and it isn't what I would call stellar. You should be thankful that you graduated! Look, I'll be frank. I don't give damn about your family name. I know it played a big part in getting you where are now, but what I do care about is the safety and well-being of this ship and its crew. On this ship, every crewmember is expected to go above and beyond what is expected of them, even at a moment's notice! Do I make myself clear, Ensign?"

Later, Thomas caught Chief Knox in the turbolift and made a feeble attempt at intimidation. "I'm not sure you know who I am." Knox replied, "You're the hotshot I had to take over for on the bridge... You looking for an apology or something? Well it ain't going to happen!" When he tried to throw around his family name, as well as his uncle's rank, "I'm just saying that perhaps you'd be wise to watch who you throw out of the ops chair." When Thomas made the mistake of insulting the Chimera, "Just because you're Chief Engineer on this garbage scow. . . ." Knox shot back, "Watch what you say about my lady, or I'll have you pickin dust out of the bussards." Thomas stupidly responded in kind, "And how are you going to do that? I'm in Ops, not engineering. And besides, I outrank you!" Knox answered, "Neither mean anything out here, boy! If I were you, I'd watch myself."

Matters didn't improve when the two went on their first away mission together on the planet Melnora. Knox used Thomas to carry all of his purchases, over the unending complaints delivered by the young Ensign. Despite his personal disdain for the Ensign's character, or lack thereof, Knox rescued Thomas and carried him to safety when the marketplace erupted in violence and Thomas was lightly injured.

Neela Gliss

Engineeer Neela Gliss met Randy Thomas just after she'd finished a shift clearing the turbolift shaft following Captain Buchanan's turbolift accident. The converstation began amiably enough, but rapidly degenerated when Thomas questioned Gliss' choice of transferring to DS3 while he was trying so hard to get a transfer, one more appropriate to his opinion of his abilities. In the end, she excused herself, claiming she needed to get back to work, but really to put distance between him and his overtures.

Lieutenant Owen Kyle

Of all the crewmembers that Ensign Thomas has given the benefit of his 'personality', the only one not to return his bad attitude has been Chimera's First Officer, Lieutenant Owen Kyle. To a fault, he had shown patience and tolerance, inspite of Randy's winning character. To his credit, Kyle had been the only one to whom Thomas turned to when he was uncertain about a situation.

With his superiors

Lieutenant Commander Renova Exler

As Chimera's Captain, it fell to Lieutenant Commander Renova Exler to guide freshly graduated Ensign Thomas into a modicum of competence as a Starfleet officer. Exler did her best to treat Thomas as she would any other officer, but Randy's spoiled, self-indulgent behavior tested her in a manner never imagined. The harder she tried to reach him, to bring him to a level of effectiveness, the more he dug in with his behavior, and the more intolerant she became until, after he once again failed a bridge simulation, she finally lit into him. "Mister Thomas, you have to be the sorriest excuse for a Federation Officer I have ever met!" She came to realize that she might have been too hard on him and had Kyle move him to the second shift and "Drill him till he drops!"

Lieutenant Commander Gregory Torkelson

As part of the agreement between Admiral Thomas and Lieutenant Commander Gregory Torkelson, The Admiral would send his nephew Randy to Deep Space Three and post him to the Chimera. Torkelson would mentor him and try to protect him from his own stupidity. In exchange, The Chimera would be spared from the intended forensic examination that would, most likely end its service.

The first meeting between Ensign Thomas and his future commanding officer went as anticipated. Randy, true to his nature, compared the Chimera with "The manure truck the gardener drives around the family estate." with preference being given to the manure truck. In response, Commander Torkelson made Ensign Thomas his "Special project."

Memorable quotes

"I mean, look at this rust bucket! The manure truck my family's gardener drives around our estate in looks better than that!"

"You can't tell me what to do, Kyle! You're just an Ensign like I am!"

"I don't know what the big deal is, everyone knows I'm your nephew! . . . . and it's not like they're treating me different because of it!"

"I don't like to think about things, I like to do them!"

"About all I observed was the Chief rumaging through heaps of junk, bartering with every merchant, shop keeper, and stall vendor in the city! And I ended up carrying all of it! And I outrank him! I swear, he has absolutely no respect for officers!"

"Well, obviously they were being heroes. . . . . I mean, well, at least to the people who believed in their cause, not to the people they were attacking. The attackers were attempting to inspire their cohorts with an example how to live and die according to some kind of code."

Background

Randy Thomas is played by Joseph Orr in all his appearances in Star Trek: Outpost.