Jeyme "Ollie" Roggur - History

Born 3153 on Sirian system Owl Q2, when his name was Vlad Jeyme Rooth. School assessed Rooth for technician training, and he attended Technical High School, EastTendar, Wol City, Owl. Schooling continued at Technical Socialist Republic College, Wonundreadacrewod, Owl, and was completed at Sirian Socialist Republican Military University & Technical Academy Number Two, Conqueror Q2. Rooth was passed out Certified Graduate Socialist Republic Engineer, Weapons Engineer, Grade 2.Alpha.1.2.Red/Triangle/Pearl in 3175 (as he remarked at the time, almost one word and grade mark per year of schooling).

Rooth was assigned as Socialist Weapons Technician Trainee in the Sirian Socialist Republic Navy at SN Shipyard, Conqueror Q2. After 2 years he was transferred to the SN Ship Construction Yard, Sirius Q0, to complete training. In 3180 he was assigned to SN Shipyard, Gryt Q7 and in 3182 to SN Shipyard Q8. In 3187 Rooth was appointed Senior Socialist Ships Weapons Technician at SN Shipyard, Conqueror Q2.

Rooth's training and experience had shown him that SN maintenance practice was highly inefficient and suitable for significant improvement by simple procedural changes. SN used manufacturer's recommendations, themselves developed according to rigid SSR formulae, to give immutable maintenance and service schedules. Rooth approached his superiors, proposing the continuous improvement of schedules with service history experience, and also closer co-operation with manufacturers to establish relevant maintenance recommendations. This was not an original proposition, many engineers had urged their adoption, and they were dismissed for the usual reason: Central SSR committee and sub-committees had fully considered service procedures for all technical, quasi-technical and socio-technical equipment, structures and organisations, and had established a single doctrine that provided the optimum desired service level and response time that the SSR can maintain, in full and verifiable accordance with the socialist principles of the Sirian Socialist Republic. Where Rooth parted company from others was that he instigated his proposal, and falsified the records to conceal the fact.

Service efficiency was significantly improved at Conqueror, but few in the bureaucracy noticed or understood there might be anything to question. And Rooth had more time for himself, although some of it was spent making the documents look right. Rooth had time for other interests; his father had a restaurant in East Tendar and Vlad enjoyed catering for his friends, serving "pucka tucker"; and he enjoyed a sophisticated home entertainment system. However in 3190 the Annual Audit of the Central Committee for Inspection of Engineering Procedures and Standards, Sirian Socialist Republic Navy, noted a service efficiency greater than 2.31 standard deviations from the Norm, at the SN Shipyard, Conqueror. This automatically triggered a Level 3.Bravo.4 Audit Inspection.

The Audit (eventually) proved the use of non-norm procedures instigated by Rooth. The increased efficiency was a mitigating circumstance, but Rooth was re-assigned for retraining Level 4. However he followed the example of other individualists and quit the service in 3191.

Rooth chose to travel and shipped with The Pole Star Line in a multi-skill crew role on passenger-cargo ships. He had duties in maintenance, catering AND entertainment systems - a novelty for any Sirian. Rooth voyaged in Q2, Q0, Q8 and Q7 before being paid off. Some crew supplemented their pay by trading private cargoes and Vlad joined in these schemes using his skills as an engineer and to falsify documents.

In 3193 he moved, with seamless ease, into piracy and joined an existing crew with friends from the Pole Star Line - except he had to change his name. Rooth had been "Ollie" from Owl for years when away from Sirian Q2, he had never liked Vlad, and the pirates would not serve with a Rooth since how else could they be ruthless. Somehow they deemed it right to call him J "Ollie" Roggur. Roggur spent 3 years on the Jolly Aardvark as ships weapons technician before Captain George Dubbyah retired into Esteeler politics (apparently a not uncommon career move) and the crew broke up. It was during this period that Ollie met Billy Hands. [ Details to be invented at later date & as required. ]

So in 3196 Ollie was looking for a new ship, and fate introduced Captain Gargunza. Ollie was happy with the terms of his engagement, but soon found that the atmosphere within the ship was unpleasant and threatening. After half a year Gargunza marooned Ollie and others at an asteroid mine. It took a further half-year to get to a port and those that did were fortunate to survive. Poorer, but wiser, they were especially happy to be free from Ol' Deadeye.

For the last 3 years Ollie has made 2 more voyages on merchant ships and been on the account with 2 more pirates. None has been as rewarding as the Jolly Aardvark, but then none has been as deadly as Gargunza. Ollie was at Freeport to find a new berth, taking casual work servicing ships and cooking in the "Space Rovers Return" for manager Letty Bynch (no self respecting independent trader frequents the "Jovial Orycetropus"). But he heard Gargunza's ship was inbound, so went dirtside. "Maybe Ol' Deadeye still thinks I'm dead, and I maybe not. But I won't risk being that close to him and his cut-throats for no good cause." Ollie is in Big Dog City waiting for the dust to settle.