A BIT OF HISTORY:

Allan Erickson was born in London, England. The only son of Morgan Erickson and Maria Trugenyleva, Allan grew up bored and lonely. His father was a commercial shuttle pilot; his mother was a professional ski instructor...at least, that's what she seemed to be; she spent an awful lot of time in ski lodges "teaching" young male "students" something. Allan never saw her with a pair of skis on or anything, though...As a result, Allan was frequently left alone in the house, attended to only by the home's computer systems, from the age of five.

Allan left home one day at age eight when he ran out of Corn Flakes. He forgot his way home, and ended up hiding out in the janitor's supply closet of his school. He completed school while living with three other friends in the janitor's closet, a time of his life that he never discusses with anyone but his pet chair. His lack of hobbies and the fact that he and his comrades were locked into the closet each night by the curiously dense janitor led him to very good grades, grades which attracted a recruiter from Starfleet Academy. He passed the entrance tests rather handily, and entered the Academy.

Allan was somewhat overwhelmed by the freedom and comparative opulence of the Academy, after spending ten years in the janitorial closet. He overindulged in everything from coffee to Altoids, gaining a reputation as a party animal from his classmates. He eventually settled down and pursued a future in Helm and Navigation specialties.

Upon graduating a disappointing 47th in his class, Allan was assigned to one boring post after another. The only excitement during his early career was a terrible ion storm just outside the Sol system that left him with an artificial eye. Due to a slight design flaw in the Sony Handyeye unit he had been issued as a replacement, Allan found himself able to see through the uniforms of the female officers and crew. This was perhaps the only entertainment Allan got until he was assigned to a new position as Security Second Officer aboard USS Lexington.

Allan was never sure why he had been assigned to Security, but he never once questioned the post. Being a Security officer meant having access to guns, contraband, and prohibited items, and he was perfectly happy to take command of Lexington's small but relatively well-stocked confiscated items locker. One year later, having impressed his Captain repeatedly by offering him rare wines and fine cigars "confiscated" from various sources, Allan was made Chief Security Officer of the newly commissioned USS Athena. Unfortunately, her XO (Adam Mallory) never liked Allan and had him reassigned to a starbase soon after replacing him with Commander Spartan. Mallory had lost several bets and bottles of Scotch to Allan while both served aboard Lexington, and Mallory wanted him as far away as possible from his first assignment as XO. Erickson was due to be transferred off the Athena as soon as her mapping mission to the Galactic Barrier was completed.  Disappointed and unamused, Erickson planned to spend the remaining days aboard Athena locked in his cabin, drunk and stupid.

And the rest, as they say, is History.