User:Mathwizard44


 * "Of all the possible universes, all possible galaxies, all possible people,... why now? Why us?"

Dr. Michael D. Acosta is a Federation physicist. As of 2375, he has been serving on Starbase 978 in the Galena sector, working on alternative faster-than-light propulsion systems that minimize energy loss.

Family
Dr. Acosta is the grandson of Dr. Mayumi de Guerra, renowned scientific lead on the groundbreaking astrophysics project codenamed Yosemite, and lead thinker on the United Federation of Planets scientific advisory panel. He is the son of John Marzan Acosta, science teacher at Mitchell Secondary School in San Francisco, Earth, and Sandra de Guerra-Acosta.

Service
He has served for a three year term (2368–2371) aboard the exploratory science vessel USS L'Hospital (NCC-5575), under the direction of Capt. Neval. He served in the capacity of a technician working for Chief Engineer Lt. Killian Pearle Delaney.

For a brief period in 2374 he served under a field commission as chief engineer of the USS Astyanax (NCC-79789), which included one month of reconfiguring two of the Astyanax' photon torpedo bays into tractor beam assemblies. (ST:P: Retrofit, Looking Askance)

Dr. Acosta is the first Filipino Federation official to initiate a First Contact situation, with the crystalline warp-capable lifeforms living near the Dorado nebula, known as the Lewellen. (ST:P: Beneath the Sky of Clouds, Heart of Crystal Shining)

In an alternate timeline, Dr. Acosta studied Plasmographic Systems in the University of Idaho, and was stationed in Wolf 359 during the battle. (ST:P: What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life)

Encounter with the Mog'cha and Amalekians
A pivotal moment in the life of Dr. Acosta, and to the crew of the L'Hospital, occurred in 2370. A routine diplomatic talk with the Mog'cha turns into a hostage situation, as a hostile cohort of Amalekians using technology stolen from the Dominion, forces the crew to beam down to the surface of Alaaran IV, to fend for themselves for seven weeks. With a combined resolve and the amalgamation of their talents, the crew was able to retake their ship and forcefully mediate the conflict. Dr. Acosta was able to construct a communications array to send an emergency distress signal back to Federation space. (ST:P: State of Nature)

When the Amalekians used the Theta singularity weapon on the L'Hospital, Dr. Acosta, together with four other crewmembers, were transported to an alternate reality where the end of the universe was impending in three hours. After much discussion, they were able to erect a reverse subspace drive on the derelict L'Hospital to effect an escape from the collapse of the known universe. (ST:P: The Big Crunch)

Capt. Neval
Dr. Acosta, being largely unfamiliar with life aboard a starship before serving on the L'Hospital, became a regular visitor to Captain Neval's ready room, asking the Vulcan captain about matters ranging from shift readiness to holodeck etiquette. Capt. Neval always lent a patient ear to the young physicist, and occasionally engaged him in discussions about the outer limits of astrophysics.

Mariko Yamashushika
A civilian aboard the L'Hospital, Mariko Yamashushika and Dr. Acosta quickly built a close friendship over the years. After Dr. Acosta and the others manage to return from the alternate collapsing universe, the two finally acknowledged their love for each other. When Dr. Acosta's service aboard the science ship ended, Mariko went with him, and they were married in 2372.

Farragon
In November 2375, while in Starbase 978, Dr. Acosta received an encrypted message originating an unspecified place in Starfleet Headquarters on Earth. The message is from a Human person named Farragon, someone who claims to have known Acosta in 2374 (the time period of silence on ST:P). Although Acosta does not remember Farragon and does not remember ever being in the places Farragon says they were in together, he writes back, inquiring for more (Demagogues). They start a correspondence that forms Acosta's Year of Silence story arc.

Background information
Dr. Michael D. Acosta was played by Warren Dumanong in the Star Trek - Phenomena pilot episode The Elegium Incident.

However, as Dumanong's rock band Stud Love Unlimited received an unexpected upshot of popularity from the release of their debut album Understandability, forcing him to leave the show, the producers decided to recast the role to a non-actor, in a countrywide YouTube massive casting call, the first in the history of the franchise. It was done, producers said, so that Dr. Acosta's "newbie" nature can be more fully expressed on screen. After over 2,000 entries, the producers (and the viewers in a viewer poll on the show website) chose Romel Anthony Bismonte, a college student living in the island of Guam at the time.

As of currently, there has been no canon explanation for the difference in appearance between Dr. Michael Acosta in The Elegium Incident, and on the next episode, False Positive. While some fans are content to let it go, it is rumored that in the second season of Phenomena the difference will finally be explained; a new, mysterious character named Farragon claims knowledge of what happened during the Year of Silence.

Romel Bismonte is obviously has a rounder body than Warren Dumanong, and Romel has on occasion ad libbed several lines referring to the difference, in an attempt to break the fourth wall. The most notable example of this is on the episode Cool Change:

Lt. Delaney. Hey would you care to share some of this?

Dr. Acosta. No thanks; you know, I think I've been gaining a lot of weight lately, sir.

...

Capt. Neval (over communicator). Lt. Delaney, please report on the harmonic alignment of the blast phase chambers.

Lt. Delaney. Aye, sir. (to Dr. Acosta) Do you have the scan, Doc?

Dr. Acosta. My prelim scan is within the green zone, sir. I could've told you that by just putting my ear to it and listening to it, but I can't seem to remember the last time I've used my perfect pitch.

Curiously, the dialogue (with ad lib) makes it to the screen, which would make this information canon.

Dr. Michael Acosta is the first Filipino Federation person to be seen on screen.