Welcome to this week’s installment of Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week, wherein we shine a spotlight on strong women who inspire us. These ladies are a prime example of female empowerment and how crucial it is for youth to have said example to follow.
DISCLAIMER: The following article contains spoilers for the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount Plus.
Erica Ortegas
Fast Facts:
Under the command of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), the helmsman of the USS Enterprise is the scene-stealing Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia). Many of her crewmates on board the Enterprise were based on characters previously introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series. However, we were first introduced to Ortegas in the pilot episode of SNW, “Strange New Worlds.”
Throughout the first season, Ortegas does not participate in any landing parties. There is an important reason for this: as helmsman, Ortegas is responsible for piloting the Enterprise! Pike and the rest of the crew may be busy infiltrating the Kiley or dodging the wrath of baby Gorn. But Ortegas is keeping the ship in the sky!
Ortegas Take the Wheel:
Time and time again, we see Erica Ortegas’s prowess when it comes to piloting the Enterprise. In the fourth episode, “Memento Mori,” her acumen is integral in the ship’s survival against a Gorn attack. In this episode, she dubs a risky move involving a black hole, “The Pike Maneuver.”
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In “The Elysian Kingdom,” a celestial entity later named “Deborah” transforms the Enterprise crew into storybook characters. The characters seem to have little relation to the crewmembers who have been conscripted into playing them. However, Ortegas nevertheless steals the show. As the knight Sir Adya, she gets to show off her swashbuckling. Plus, the episode reveals that Adya and the storybook character played by Number One (Rebecca Romijn), Z’ymira the Huntress, have an intimate relationship with each other.
The Real Deal:
It isn’t just on the bridge of the Enterprise that Ortegas soars. In the episode “Spock Amok,” the crew enjoys shore leave at Starbase One. In several scenes, we see Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) and Ortegas have a close friendship. We also learn that Ortegas has something of a complicated romantic past when she mentions being hit by a Vulcan lirpa.
And while she may be part of the bridge command crew, Ortegas also demonstrates over and over again that she’s looking out for the Lower Deckers. In “Ghosts of Illyria,” she’s the first to notice that Ensign Lance (Daniel Gravelle) has become infected during his time on the planet surface. And in “Not All Who Wander,” we see Ortegas watching out for Cadet Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and offering her guidance about Starfleet.
Why She Matters:
Why does Erica Ortegas matter? She shows that you don’t have to be ashamed of your skills or tamp them down to make others comfortable. Furthermore, she encourages us to be proud of our abilities and not let anyone forget them. And she demonstrates that even if you’re the best of the best, you still need to spend time making sure that the most vulnerable members of your community know you have their backs.
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So, be like Ortegas. Be fiercely loyal to your Captain, but don’t let them forget your name. Don’t hesitate to show off your unique abilities, even if it intimidates certain individuals. Keep an eye out for those who might not have honed their skills as much as you have. It may be tempting to give into FOMO when the Captain takes yet another away team on which you aren’t included. But remember: somebody has to keep this ship in the sky!
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