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Born in the Starfleet Academy Naval Hospital to Commander Simone Kessel, a Science Lecturer at the Academy, and Wayne Morris, the local Academy Gardner, John had a relatively easy childhood. He had the best schooling that his parents could afford, despite is lack of enthusiasm with school. His passion for animals led him to work part time at the San Francisco Zoo, looking after and caring for the many animals located within the walls of the Zoo. A freak accident with a Lion cub left him with large claw marks across his back, when its mother attacked, turning his attention away from the Zoo and back to his studies. He has since had the scars surgically removed.
Wanting to make his own way in the universe, John joined the marines. John struck up a relationship with a waitress at the local bar, however it didn't last and after two years of training, the newly minted Private, stepped aboard the USS Wellington, headed for Starbase 22, recently constructed and made operational along the Romulan border. When the Wellington was diverted to Qualor, a small planet along the border, to stop an invasion by the Romulans, Captain David Jones came to realize the full potential of the Marines role aboard the starship and requested that he be allowed to create a marine unit from the two Marine detachments stay aboard to server under him.
When granted approval, the First Starship Marine Unit was formed and John's career in the Marines kicked into full gear. It wasn't long before he was gaining medals and accolades for his actions in the unit. However, in 2339, then Corporal Morris spent Two months in the brig and was demoted for an insubordinate act that nearly cost the unit half its number of Marines. He quickly transferred to Mars and the Sol Marine Defense Force.
Two years later, and now a Sergeant, the 23 year old struck his commanding officer in a drunken brawl and was once again demoted and transferred.
John spent the next couple of years serving aboard the USS Argento, an exploration/first contact vessel. During the boarding of the Argento by Breen soldiers, John disobeyed the order to abandon ship and with two fellow Marines in tow, stormed the Bridge and rescued the captain before the self-destruct could be completed. Saving the captain earned him a commendation, however, the failure to obey orders, meant that the Starfleet admiralty had no choice but to demote him back to Private.
After another 2 years, marine captain Theo Butterson transferred to Starfleet Marine Academy on Mars and after offering a post teaching new recruits, John accepted. Back on a planet for the first time in ages, John was thrilled at the chance to reacquaint himself with his favorite local haunt and hopefully rekindle his relationship with the waitress. Sadly, she had moved on several years before and had left no forwarding address. Bummed at the news, John threw himself into his new role, helping the raw recruits become marines of the finest caliber.
Sadly, his Marine career ended two years later as a Sergeant when he watched as a Starfleet pilot, who was later confirmed to be drunk, crashed his shuttle carrying almost all of John's training unit. He resigned and turned to the bottle to drown his sorrows.
In 2348, as his father lay on his deathbed, he told John that the only thing he regretted was not doing more with his life and asked John to swear to clean up his act and stop drinking. John swore to do that. His father died a few hours later.
Three months later John, now sober, started work as a bodyguard for a famous Terran diplomat, but gave it up after a few months in favor of becoming a Guard at the Federation Penal Colony in New Zealand, which he stayed at for three years.
Looking for something different to try with his life, John bought, with his life savings, a small Hair Salon in San Francisco He tidied the small building up and after rebranding to "Jim's Salon" - the 'Jim' being his Initials and one of the nicknames he was branded with in the Marines - , started to bring in a healthy living.
Within a year, he had opened two more stores and had met and married the woman of his dreams, a woman by the name of Helen. A few months after getting Married, Helen announced that she was pregnant and in 2354, John Jr. and Samantha were born. The next year another son, Jeffery, was born, but de died of an undiagnosed brain tumor two weeks after being born.
Despite the death of his third child, actually his forth, but he didn't know that at the time, life was good for the son of a Gardener and by 2357 had twelve stores open.
Sadly two years later his world crumbled down around him as his wife filed for divorce and after long legal battles took his entire Hair Salon business with her, along with his 5 year old twins.
Forcing himself not to sink to the need to drink again, John reinvented himself with the start of a Computer Technology company with a mate from the Marines, Cole Igelson, a former Computer wizard who had left the Marines the year before. With the computer knowledge of Igelson and the business knowledge John acquired in the six years of running his salon business, they forged ahead and though they started small, they quickly drew the attention of the Federation who charged them to build the new Security protocols for the soon to be upgraded Penal colonies around the planet and solar system.
Before the year was out his life had turned around again with a successful company, a new wife, Kate and a new son on the way, Cole. The next year turned out even better with the arrival of Esmeralda, his second daughter and a lucrative contract with Starfleet to develop the next generation of Navigational and Sensor software to replace their aging equipment.
In 2363, at 46, John and his wife Kate, 39, wanted to branch out and bought a bar in San Francisco With her background in architecture and design, Kate took to redesigning the layout of the bar, along with the menu and drink selection. It wasn't long before JaKs was the hottest place in San Francisco
The years rolled on and life was good. His son John Jr. had graduated Starfleet Academy and had just received his first posting, as a Tactical Officer aboard the USS Hercules. His sweetheart, a Medical trainee was also posted aboard the Hercules. His daughter Samantha was a fully qualified Botanist, based out of Europe, with a loving husband and a child on the way.
His children with Kate were 18 and 17 respectively and were doing well in their studies. Cole was wanting to join the Marines and with guidance from his old man, had knowledge of the Marine way of life and how to look after and shoot the various weapons that he would encounter. Esmeralda, however was so much like her grandmother and was very much into the Sciences, especially Xeno-biology, and was preparing to enter the Academy as soon as she graduated from school.
During the middle of 2374, John found out that he had a son from his tryst with the barmaid those many years ago and that the son was now a grandfather of his own, making John a great grandfather. A few months later, after Kate died of Cancer, John sought out his long lost son.
A year after searching, with success and great sadness mixed in, he returned to San Francisco and sold the bar to the young couple who had been running it for them.
With his love gone, John set himself back deep into his work, promoting the company and bringing in business.
His first wife Helen turned up in his life again but left quickly when she realized that he had put the company in a family trust. John was a little happier when he found out that she had pissed away all of the Salon franchise's assets and it had gone bankrupt.
In 2377, John stepped down as CEO and Chief Business Strategist of Morris Igelson Technologies, though he still retained his ownership of the company and decided to try Starfleet one more time. At the age of 60, he was by far and away the oldest recruit that they had had in some time, and it had taken a lot of discussions with various admiralty figures to finally gain admittance.
During his time at the Academy, many of the young cocky students resented that he was in their class, but over time they grew to like and revere him for his worldly knowledge and his mentoring of the smaller students or those who took longer to grasp the concepts that were being taught.
Due to his experience in the Marines, and as a civilian security guard for the Federation, John was granted permission to condense the 4 years of the Academy into 3. After three years, John graduated and was posted to the USS Alexander as a Security Officer. In 2382 he was demoted for Cowardice, despite it being his superior officer who had fled the enemy. It was only the young recruits aboard that saved him being kicked out of Starfleet due to their steadfast belief in him.
In early 2382, John requested a transfer to another ship, and was granted leave to join the crew of the USS Galaxy.
He has lived a full and rewarding, yet sometimes really unhappy, life and now that all of his children are away getting on with their lives, he has decided to go back to what he used to love - serving the Federation and Starfleet.
People often underestimate him due to his age, which can often be an asset. He is wise beyond his years and owns a multi-billion credit company that designs many of the technological edges that Starfleet crews take for granted. Very few people know that he owns the company and he tries to play down any reference to it.
He generally refers to people as 'Sport', 'Kid', Son' or 'Hon', sometimes to his detriment if Senior officers are the target of said monikers.
He only recently found out that he is a great grandfather and is very proud of that fact - often found trying to tell the world. He hasn't met his great grandson yet though.
He isn't as fit and trim as he used to be and has a slight beer belly, despite having had only one glass of beer in over a decade.
He has a habit of mentoring younger officers, though they sometimes are higher in rank than he is.
He is proud to have been in the First ever Marine unit stationed permanently on a starship.
He adores all 5 of his children, all 5 grandchildren and great grandchild.
Family:
Mother: Cmdr Simone Kessel, Chief Science Lecturer, Starfleet Academy (Deceased - 2340)
Father: Wayne Morris, Chief Gardener, Starfleet Academy (Deceased - 2348)
Sister: Lt.Cmdr Rachael Hurst, (55) Assistant Chief of Security, USS Hercules
Brother: Simon Morris, (74) Retired News Reporter
Children: [Illegitimate] Sean Mansfield (47) Loaded Boar Bar owner, Terra
- Cmdr Peter Mansfield (26), Starfleet Tactical Force Co-ordinator, Starfleet HQ, Terra
* Sean Walter Mansfield, (3) Civilian
- Sarah Mansfield, (23), Loaded Boar Bar Manager, Terra
John Morris Jr., (29) Tactical Officer, USS Hercules
Samantha James, (29) Botanist, Terra
- Annette James, (4) Civilian
- Simone James, (3) Civilian
- Jordan James, (1) Civilian
Jeffery Morris, (Deceased - 2355)
Corporal Cole Morris, (23) Marine Sniper, Starbase 23
Esmeralda Morris, (22) Starfleet Academy Cadet (Science)
