Fish

My job is like finding a radio needle in a haystack 100,000 lightyears across.

— Fish

Martin Elias Fisher

Martin "Fish" Fisher is a SETI radio astronomer at the Hat Creek Observatory just outside Hat Creek, CA. Born in Seattle, WA and raised in the suburbs of Vancouver, Fish currently lives in Pinereach, CA; a fifteen-minute drive south of his workplace.

Description

Physical

Fish is a man with fairly average physique; he is reasonably fit due to hiking and the like, but obviously not a gym-goer. His face is somewhat angular, bearing a few scattered freckles and frequently wreathed in short stubble. His eyes have permanent bags from late nights at the observatory, and his hair is typically contained in a short ponytail.

Apparel

Martin's fashion sense is permanently casual, as he hates formal-wear with an unreasonable passion (he will rant angrily about ties for an hour if given the chance). His standard "look" is composed of geeky t-shirts and comfortable shorts, always paired with his battered hiking boots and a carved whalebone talisman of Haida make, depicting an orca.

Personality

In a word, enthusiastic. Fish is rather excitable, though quite competent. He incredibly booksmart but a little scattered. His humor and passion for science know no bounds. Martin is absolutely in love with the cosmos, with a tendency to wax poetic or get lost in thought. Most importantly: Fish is a gigantic nerd. However, he's not the most social person.

Social

Scientific Career

With a master's in astronomy from the University of California's Berkeley campus, Fish has published several papers on topics including interstellar signals on the hydrogen bandwidth, exoplanetary detection, and pareidolic emissions of comets and nebulae. As the project lead on the SETI Galactic Center Survey and a key part of the Allen Telescope Array's operations, Fish has also worked on the teams that examined Boyajian's Star (aka KIC 8462852, for which his youngest cat is named) and the interstellar asteroid 'Oumuamua.

Hobbies

When not staring at a monitor or into the sky, Fish enjoys being outdoors immensely. He's also fond of tabletop RPGs and literature, and is an avid writer of sci-fi.

Pets

He has three cats: Peryton, Tycho (full name TYCHO 5594-1093-1), and Tabitha (full name KIC 8462852), as well as several fish (each with a technical star designation).

Mental characteristics

Gender Identity

Male

Creator

Spyglass

Date of Birth

Oct. 3, 1987 (age 31)

Hometown

Delta, BC (Canada)

Current Location

Pinereach

Eyes

Dark green

Hair

Long-ish and dark brown

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Light, though a bit tanned from outdoor activities

Height

6'0"

Weight

162 lbs

Alma mater

UC Berkeley

Field

Astronomy

Trivia

• The name Martin Fisher is a pun: two closely related mustelids, martens and fishers, are native to the Pacific Northwest.
• Martin has a tendency to nickname almost everyone he meets, including himself.
• Fish has a virtually encyclopedic knowledge of the Elder Scrolls universe, having first played TES III: Morrowind at age 14 when the game came out in 2002.