Spoiler Alert: Information in this extended character profile gives away key plot points in the series and reveals things about the characters that would normally be presented to the viewer gradually through character development. Read at your own risk.
Chief Engineer (Civilian)
Tarun Karnik
Male, 60’s
Terran (Indian)
Role: Karnik is a highly accomplished engineer and the foremost expert on the propulsion systems of the new Perseus-class intergalactic ships, being the designer of the Spacefold technology that made possible travel to Andromeda. He has also been involved in the design and construction of the new Enterprise.
Karnik is responsible for the maintenance of the entire ship and tends to think of the Enterprise as his ship – Captain Vega is just “driving” it. However, he has no interest in telling Vega how to run the ship – he finds it a waste of his time. He would much rather remain in Engineering undisturbed by the concerns of the command decisions.
History: He is very experienced, having been an engineer and professor for 50 years. As he likes to tell everyone, he has worked his way up from the lowest decks on a garbage scow to being one of the chairs on the Galactic Society of Engineering Sciences. He treats everyone else like an inexperienced neophyte, and not without justification.
Dr. Karnik’s reputation took a serious hit when, 20 years ago, he proposed a new method of crossing vast distances using a “Spacefold Tunnel”. His theories were dismissed as infeasible and in violation of the known fabric of the universe. He was labeled a “crackpot” and resigned in disgrace, disgusted with the lack of vision of his peers.
Personality: Karnik’s social skills are sorely lacking at first. He seems to have no gift for small talk or social interaction and no interest in making friends. He often comes off as rude and insulting. But, secretly, he comes to grow fond of the tight-knit crew as the mission goes on. He will occasionally admit a begrudging respect for a fellow crewmember under extreme circumstances, though usually as a backhanded compliment. Karnik has a dry, acerbic wit and isn’t afraid to use it as a weapon.
Some may think of him as cold and unfeeling, but he is actually quite passionate – only about his work. If an engineer makes a mistake or is injured, his first instinct is to blame them for doing something wrong. At one point, an engineer will die in an accident and instead of mourning with his crew, he uses it as a lesson to show the other engineers what NOT to do. This proves very unpopular and Dr. Joli tries to teach him about interpersonal relationships and being more of a manager of people than an operator of a machine.He is a genius and an absolute workaholic, often unwilling to delegate responsibility.
Relationships: Karnik is very result-oriented and impatient, especially with his juniors. He will often berate them to their face for making mistakes. As a result, Dr. Joli is frequently complaining to him that Engineering has the lowest morale of any department on the ship. He says he’s not running a “glee club”, but reluctantly agrees to try to be more lenient and tactful – though he always shortly returns to form.
Karnik never speaks of his family, and nobody dares ask. If Karnik ever had a family, he does not appear to now. When the topic comes up, he becomes very tight-lipped and sullen, implying perhaps an irreconcilable loss at some point in his past.
Karnik feels very little connection to Earth, not having visited it in 35 years. While he was raised there, he does not like Earth. His one hobby is following professional Plasmaball matches and gets very irate if he misses a match or is interrupted while watching one. He has memorized all the stats of the game and devotes an abnormal amount of his considerable mental energy into composing “fantasy teams” of the best players.
Karnik appears to have an irrational dislike of many species, including Vulcan, Orion, Romulan and, perhaps, Humans.
Tarun Karnik
Male, 60’s
Terran (Indian)
Role: Karnik is a highly accomplished engineer and the foremost expert on the propulsion systems of the new Perseus-class intergalactic ships, being the designer of the Spacefold technology that made possible travel to Andromeda. He has also been involved in the design and construction of the new Enterprise.
Karnik is responsible for the maintenance of the entire ship and tends to think of the Enterprise as his ship – Captain Vega is just “driving” it. However, he has no interest in telling Vega how to run the ship – he finds it a waste of his time. He would much rather remain in Engineering undisturbed by the concerns of the command decisions.
History: He is very experienced, having been an engineer and professor for 50 years. As he likes to tell everyone, he has worked his way up from the lowest decks on a garbage scow to being one of the chairs on the Galactic Society of Engineering Sciences. He treats everyone else like an inexperienced neophyte, and not without justification.
Dr. Karnik’s reputation took a serious hit when, 20 years ago, he proposed a new method of crossing vast distances using a “Spacefold Tunnel”. His theories were dismissed as infeasible and in violation of the known fabric of the universe. He was labeled a “crackpot” and resigned in disgrace, disgusted with the lack of vision of his peers.
Personality: Karnik’s social skills are sorely lacking at first. He seems to have no gift for small talk or social interaction and no interest in making friends. He often comes off as rude and insulting. But, secretly, he comes to grow fond of the tight-knit crew as the mission goes on. He will occasionally admit a begrudging respect for a fellow crewmember under extreme circumstances, though usually as a backhanded compliment. Karnik has a dry, acerbic wit and isn’t afraid to use it as a weapon.
Some may think of him as cold and unfeeling, but he is actually quite passionate – only about his work. If an engineer makes a mistake or is injured, his first instinct is to blame them for doing something wrong. At one point, an engineer will die in an accident and instead of mourning with his crew, he uses it as a lesson to show the other engineers what NOT to do. This proves very unpopular and Dr. Joli tries to teach him about interpersonal relationships and being more of a manager of people than an operator of a machine.He is a genius and an absolute workaholic, often unwilling to delegate responsibility.
Relationships: Karnik is very result-oriented and impatient, especially with his juniors. He will often berate them to their face for making mistakes. As a result, Dr. Joli is frequently complaining to him that Engineering has the lowest morale of any department on the ship. He says he’s not running a “glee club”, but reluctantly agrees to try to be more lenient and tactful – though he always shortly returns to form.
Karnik never speaks of his family, and nobody dares ask. If Karnik ever had a family, he does not appear to now. When the topic comes up, he becomes very tight-lipped and sullen, implying perhaps an irreconcilable loss at some point in his past.
Karnik feels very little connection to Earth, not having visited it in 35 years. While he was raised there, he does not like Earth. His one hobby is following professional Plasmaball matches and gets very irate if he misses a match or is interrupted while watching one. He has memorized all the stats of the game and devotes an abnormal amount of his considerable mental energy into composing “fantasy teams” of the best players.
Karnik appears to have an irrational dislike of many species, including Vulcan, Orion, Romulan and, perhaps, Humans.