Ensign Tobias "Toby" Dienstag
Name Tobias "Toby" Moritz Dienstag
Position Science Officer
Rank Ensign
Character Information
| Gender | Male | |
| Species | Human | |
| Age | 22 | |
| Birthdate | May 1, 2246 | |
| Aliases / Nicknames | Toby, Tobster, Toaster | |
| Theme Song | "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" (1964) - Manfred Mann |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5' 9" | |
| Weight | 150 | |
| Hair Color | Sandy | |
| Eye Color | Brown | |
| Physical Description | Toby is of average height with a lean, compact athletic build that can be easy to overlook beneath his youthful appearance. His sandy hair, large brown eyes and expressive features give him a distinctly boyish quality, particularly when he is excited, surprised or uncertain. Although not physically imposing, years of Tai Chi and Qi Gong have given him excellent balance, coordination and body control. He tends to move with an easy, economical precision that contrasts with his occasional social awkwardness. Perhaps his most unexpected physical characteristic is his rich baritone voice, considerably deeper than his youthful appearance would suggest. Toby's off-duty style reflects his fascination with design: modern, precise and distinctly European without becoming severe. He gravitates toward clean silhouettes, thoughtful proportions and pieces whose appeal comes from material, construction or an unusual design detail rather than conspicuous branding. His wardrobe mixes fitted knits and T-shirts, neat trousers, linen, modern casual shirts and streamlined sneakers or boots, usually in restrained neutrals with occasional geometric patterns or unexpected color. Although prone to experimentation, he dislikes anything that feels ostentatious or needlessly complicated. His NOMOS Tangente Neomatik 39 wristwatch, MYKITA Paulson Sunglasses and other objects are chosen with the same traits: ingenious, beautifully engineered and slightly unconventional. At his best he looks young, contemporary and quietly distinctive, as though everything has been selected for a reason without announcing that fact. |
Family
| Spouse/Partner | Dr. Michael Amato | |
| Father | Franz "Frank" Dienstag | |
| Mother | Johanna Dienstag |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Toby is curious, earnest and generally optimistic, approaching unfamiliar people, places and ideas with enthusiasm rather than suspicion. Although sometimes shy or unsure of himself, particularly around authority or in emotionally charged situations, he is sociable, playful and possesses a surprisingly dry sense of humor. Toby tends to trust people until given a reason not to, but is capable of setting firm boundaries when necessary. He is fiercely loyal to those he cares about and will readily speak up in their defense. Beneath his youthful demeanor is a developing confidence and sense of judgment that often becomes most apparent when circumstances force him to act. | |
| Strengths & Weaknesses | A gifted systems thinker, Toby has an exceptional aptitude for computers, programming and languages. Raised bilingually in English and German, he is fluent in several languages and frequently retains useful words and phrases from others he encounters. He excels at recognizing patterns and connections between seemingly unrelated problems and can become intensely focused when something captures his interest. His curiosity, adaptability and willingness to collaborate make him a valuable science officer, although his enthusiasm can sometimes outrun his judgment. Toby is also prone to self-doubt and tends to examine his own mistakes relentlessly, often assuming he should have anticipated problems that were beyond his control. | |
| Ambitions | Toby is motivated less by rank or prestige than by curiosity, exploration and the opportunity to be useful. He wants to go wherever the most interesting problems are being solved and experience as much of the galaxy as possible rather than spend his career behind a desk or in a laboratory. His relationship with Mike has also become an important guidepost in how he imagines his future; wherever his career takes him, Toby hopes they can continue building their lives together. As he gains experience aboard the Midway, his ambitions are beginning to include greater responsibility, not for the authority it provides, but because he increasingly recognizes that others depend upon his judgment. | |
| Hobbies & Interests | Toby collects interests almost as readily as he collects information. He enjoys old movies, particularly film noir, comic books, tridimensional chess and playing the piano, although he considers himself a dilettante at the latter. Having been taught to cook by his father, Toby is also an accomplished cook and baker, approaching the kitchen with the same experimental curiosity he brings to a laboratory. He enjoys trying unfamiliar foods and tends to retain whatever he discovers that he likes. For physical training, Toby practices Tai Chi and Qi Gong, whose disciplined movements and focus provide a useful counterbalance to his restless and frequently hyperfocused mind. | |
| Religion/Guiding Philosophy | Agnostic |
| Personal History | Tobias "Toby" Moritz Dienstag was born in Baltimore, Maryland on May 1, 2246, the only child of Franz "Frank" Dienstag, an Austrian-born chef, and Johanna Dienstag. Raised between his family's Austrian heritage and life in Baltimore, Toby grew up speaking both English and German. Quiet but intensely curious, he showed an early aptitude for languages, mathematics and computers, often moving from one subject to another whenever something captured his attention. Frank taught his son to cook, although father and son approached it differently. Where Frank saw cooking as an art built on instinct and experience, Toby increasingly understood it as chemistry: ingredients, reactions, ratios, temperature and timing forming another system whose rules could be understood. That same way of thinking drew him toward the sciences and particularly computers.  As a teenager, Toby was selected for the Daystrom Institute Student Program and sent to the scientific colony on Cestus III. At fourteen, it was his first prolonged separation from his family and his first journey beyond the Sol system. The experience was initially difficult for the reserved boy, but ultimately transformative. Surrounded by scientists, engineers and other gifted students, Toby discovered an environment where his curiosity was an asset. He returned to Earth considerably more independent and confident, although ordinary high school proved a less comfortable fit and his tendency to know the answer earned him a reputation as the class know-it-all.More importantly, Cestus III gave Toby a lasting taste for exploration. Research positions on Earth held little appeal compared with the possibility of seeing the places he had previously known only through books and computer records. In 2264, he entered Starfleet Academy.  At the Academy, Toby excelled academically, concentrating in computer science and xenolinguistics. To him, the two fields were closely related: human, alien and computer languages all consisted of patterns, syntax, exceptions and systems that could be learned and translated. Although truly fluent in only a handful of spoken languages, he developed the habit of retaining words, phrases and technical vocabulary from many more.Academy life also broadened Toby outside the classroom. His interests ranged from old films and comic books to piano, tridimensional chess, cooking and physical training. He took up Tai Chi and Qi Gong, practices that provided a useful counterweight to a mind inclined toward constant stimulation and hyperfocus. In 2266, while a sophomore cadet, Toby met medical student Michael Amato. The two became romantically involved despite considerable differences in temperament. Mike was more guarded and cynical; Toby was more open, curious and optimistic. The relationship became one of the most important anchors in Toby's life. When Captain Tristan Faust sought Mike for the medical staff of the newly commissioned USS Midway, Mike put in a word for Toby as well. After graduating with honors in 2268, Ensign Dienstag received his first Starfleet posting aboard the Midway as a science officer.  The assignment was exactly what Toby had hoped Starfleet would be. During the Midway's maiden voyage, the ship answered a distress call from a hijacked freighter and soon found itself confronting Orion pirates. When Commander Lucy Heartfilia, the ship's executive and science officer, was taken captive with several other officers, the newly arrived ensign was temporarily required to assume responsibilities beyond what he had expected from his first assignment. He proved capable under pressure and quickly established himself as one of the Science Division's resident computer specialists.Toby eagerly volunteered for away missions and assignments beyond the laboratory. New worlds, unfamiliar technology and alien cultures were precisely why he had joined Starfleet. During the Midway's second mission, however, he was reassigned under Lieutenant Karashka, who frequently relegated him to routine laboratory work and menial assignments. Having briefly experienced bridge and field duty, Toby increasingly wanted to be regarded not merely as the division's gifted young computer expert, but as an officer capable of broader responsibility. Life aboard the Midway also tested Toby personally. Dr. Meddows, the ship's increasingly unstable psychiatrist, subjected him to an invasive psychological examination and publicly exposed his relationship with Mike. Mike's furious defense of Toby nearly created serious professional consequences of its own. Despite the experience, Toby later assisted Meddows with research into interphase anchors before the psychiatrist's deteriorating condition resulted in his commitment to the Elba II facility. Toby also became close with fellow officer Marcel Knowles. When Marcel revealed that his feelings for Toby had become romantic and unexpectedly kissed him, Toby was left confused and introspective. He cared deeply for Marcel and valued his friendship but could not return the relationship Marcel wanted, ultimately reaffirming his commitment to Mike. In July 2268, the Midway entered the Interphase in an attempt to recover the missing USS Defiant. The mission carried particular importance for Mike, whose older brother Joseph had disappeared aboard the vessel. For Toby, it also marked a professional milestone. After months of frustration over his laboratory assignment, he completed his bridge certification and became the Midway's second-shift science duty officer. The Defiant had been seized by forces from a parallel universe and could not safely be recovered. The Midway's crew was forced to scuttle the ship before returning home. Mike found none of the closure he had sought and slipped into a severe depression. Toby struggled to understand how to help someone whose pain could not simply be repaired, but remained beside him as their relationship came under increasing strain. The following month, Admiral Fitzpatrick dispatched the Midway to recover a hijacked shipment of Xenoderm. Before departure, Toby undertook the Kobayashi Maru examination. Although his performance demonstrated more command ability than he believed he possessed, Toby regarded the exercise as a failure and repeatedly examined his decisions afterward, searching for what he should have done differently. That tendency toward self-examination became more personal during an away mission to Relay Station H-57. Toby was ambushed and stabbed by an Orion pirate, an attack he initially blamed on his own failure to maintain adequate situational awareness. His recovery drew him and Mike closer while also forcing Toby to confront the fact that exploration and Starfleet service carried risks that could not always be anticipated or reduced to a solvable technical problem. By the latter half of 2268, Toby was no longer simply the gifted young ensign who had arrived aboard the Midway only months earlier. He remained excitable, curious and occasionally unsure of himself, but senior officers increasingly trusted him with problems where judgment mattered as much as technical ability. His ambitions remained less connected to rank than to where the most interesting work was happening, where the people who mattered to him were going, and increasingly, where he was needed. |
|
| Service Record | 2260-2262 - Daystom Institute Student Program - Cestus III 2264-2268 - Starfleet Academy - Sciences 2268 - Current - U.S.S. Midway - Science Officer - Ensign |