| LaForge |
|
| Starfleet Rank Lt. Commander |
| Species Human |
| Planet Earth |
| Affiliation Federation |
| Gender Male |
| Portrayed Geordi La Forge |
|
Starfleet Career Summary[]
2357-63 ? As ensign, aboard U.S.S. Victory under Captain Zimbata
2364 ? As lieutenant junior grade, named chief con officer, U.S.S. Enterprise under Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
2365 ? Promoted to lieutenant, transferred from command to operations division and named chief engineer, U.S.S. Enterprise
2366 ? Promoted to lieutenant commander
2372 ? Transferred with remainder of Picard's senior staff to Sovereign-class U.S.S. Enterprise
2373 ? During attempt to repair Borg temporal sabotage with Earth first contact, acted as replacement flight crew for Zefram Cochran's Phoenix warp test
==Psychological Profile: Report of Ship's Counselor Deanna Troi Excerpts, Starfleet Biographical File==
The outstanding characteristic La Forge shows is his longtime adaptability to and satisfaction with life, symbolized by the fact that his birth-blindness until recently was overcome not by direct surgery but by the unique VISOR instrument — which, though painful allowed him to "see" throughout the electromagnetic spectrum, from heat and infrared through visible light to radio waves. It attached at the temples via implants which connected directly to the brain and provided such a complex and broad-based input that the user had to concentrate to focus on one area. It was perhaps this intense focusing ability that has enabled him to master the complexities of warp engineering and other starship systems.
Since mid-2371, however, ongoing miniaturization and cybernetic technology have allowed La Forge to begin using ocular implants, which employ complex sensors and filters all with the confines of an artificial eye.
La Forge did not yet have a VISOR at the time of his major childhood trauma: a fire which trapped him for two minutes until he was pulled to safety. The incident left him with the longtime need to be reassured of his parents' proximity — a feeling only exacerbated with the Starfleet couple often being posted in separate places, requiring La Forge and his sister Ariana to move constantly during childhood. He was living at home, however, when he left for Starfleet Academy after graduating from Zefram Cochrane High School, coincidentally named for one of his heroes. He did have a pet Circassian cat at age 8.
His mother died in 2370 as captain of the lost U.S.S. Hera, but in grief he disobeyed Picard and nearly died to save what he thought was her — an image created from his own memory by aliens seeking rescue. The incident occurred as he tested a unique remote-control system for a self-propelled robot drone interfaced with his own VISOR and neural system.
As an ensign he served under Captain Zimbata on the U.S.S. Victory, where a parasite picked up on an away mission to Tarchannen IV in 2362 nearly led to his transformation five years later into a non-sentient species. Only his close friendship and trust with former crewmate Susanna Leitjen saved him.
La Forge first met Captain Jean-Luc Picard sometime before their Enterprise tour, when he impressed his superior officer so much with his all-night refit of a shuttle engine after an off-hand comment by Picard during an inspection tour. Although he has been best friends with Data since they met aboard ship, he has actually known Commander William Riker longer — at least since Farpoint Station, awaiting their new ship's arrival.
La Forge's irreverence has been tempered somewhat with his added responsibilities, but his sense of humor remains strong. His faith in technology and his ability to master it, normally an inspiration to those around him, was shaken slightly with the 2370 discovery that warp drive can harm the fabric of some spatial areas.
In his personal life, La Forge is plagued by a slight insecurity regarding dating and female relationships, although this has lessened with time; significant relationship in this regard included Christy Henshaw, Lt. Aquiel Uhnari, and a passing attraction to Dr. Leah Brahms, begun as a reconstructed holo-program. He served as best man for Miles O'Brien at his wedding to Keiko, and allowed Dr. Crusher to coax him into singing a role in her shipboard troupe's upcoming performance of "The Pirates of Penzance."
He too enjoyed the senior officers' weekly poker game, and even though his artificial "eyes" have allowed him to detect bluffing and see opponents' cards in the ultraviolet spectrum he never "peeked" until a hand was over. Other hobbies are scale model building of old sailing ships, chess, swimming, skin-diving, and the history of his profession: during the Cochran project he recalled the Phoenix test vehicle's intermix chamber from memory. He holds his own in fencing, but writing and mandolin playing are not strong suits, despite a preference for guitar music. Food favorites include iced coffee and pasta dishes such as fungilli. He is adept at many languages including Hahlian, owing to his nomadic childhood