Ralph Offenhouse was a human male born on Earth in 1939. He made a career as a financier. (TNG episode: "The Neutral Zone")
Prior to 1970, Offenhouse helped fund the scientists who attempted to create an improved human being, which resulted in the creation of Khan Noonien Singh and the other supermen of the late 20th century. His son would be a casualty of the Eugenics Wars in 1995. (TNG novel: Debtors' Planet, TOS novel: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 1)
Offenhouse died of inoperable terminal cardiomyopathy. Following his death in 1994, he was cryogenically frozen. His remains were placed on board a spacecraft along with several other people - including Clare Raymond and L.Q. "Sonny" Clemonds.
The USS Enterprise-D encountered the spacecraft containing the frozen bodies in 2364. Only the bodies of Offenhouse, Raymond, and Clemonds were intact - the bodies of the others had decayed during the long journey. Lt. Commander Data and Lt. Worf brought the bodies back to the Enterprise, where they were then thawed out.
While Offenhouse and the others were being revived, the Enterprise began to travel to the Neutral Zone to confront a Romulan warbird. Offenhouse found himself and the others in the middle of a tense situation, which he made worse with demands to know what was going on, and even going so far as to leave his quarters and go to the main bridge just before the Romulans revealed themselves. Before being escorted off the bridge, he was able to determine that the Romulans had no idea who was attacking their outposts near the Neutral Zone. The Romulans announced that they were returning to the galactic scene after being silent for over half a century.
Following this confrontation with the Romulans the three 20th century humans returned to Earth on board the USS Charleston. Before leaving the Enterprise, Captain Jean-Luc Picard told Offenhouse that money no longer had the meaning it once did to humans, and to use the opportunity he received to better himself. (TNG episode: "The Neutral Zone")
After returning to Earth, Offenhouse continued to have difficulty adjusting to 24th century life. He used his knowledge to help the Federation in their dealings with the Ferengi, and would later be offered a position as a Federation Ambassador.
Offenhouse returned to the USS Enterprise-D in 2369 when a Vulcan probe revealed that the Ferengi were rapidly advancing the people of Megara to a technologically advanced state. He helped determine that the Cardassian Union had hired the Ferengi to advance the Megara to a technologically advanced state, so that the Cardassians could use the Megarans as a client state to attack Federation interests. After the crew of the Enterprise prevented the Ferengi and Cardassians from carrying out their plans, Offenhouse remained on Megara to help undo the damage done to the society. (TNG novel: Debtors' Planet)
Following her election as Federation President, Nanietta Bacco appointed Offenhouse as Federation Secretary of Commerce. During the Borg Invasion of 2381, he was assigned to determine how the Federation would compensate the Ferengi Alliance for their hiring, at President Bacco's request, of Breen and Orion mercenaries. (ST - Destiny novel: Mere Mortals)
Following the invasion, Offenhouse contacted Presidential Chief of Staff Esperanza Piñiero with "bad news" about the Iotians. (ST novel: A Singular Destiny)
- It is assumed that Offenhouse was appointed Secretary of Commerce in 2379 upon Nanietta Bacco's ascension to the presidency, though this is never made explicit.
Cabinet Members of the Bacco Administration | ||
---|---|---|
Jas Abrik • Forzrat • Iliop • Kolrami • Ralph Offenhouse • Safranski • Raisa Shostakova |
Preceded by: Not Applicable |
Federation Ambassador to Ferenginar C. 2369 |
Succeeded by: Not Applicable |
Preceded by: Unspecified |
Federation Secretary of Commerce 2379–present |
Succeeded by: Unspecified |
Connections
- Ralph Offenhouse article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.