 Generation after generation of Starfleet's finest have walked the grounds of Starfleet Academy, from James T. Kirk to Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, and Catherine Janeway. Some of the greatest captains in Federation history, and many of them, have needed a little extra push along the way. Hey guys, welcome back to Come Again TV, the only place on YouTube where all geek culture collides. I'm Shannon, and today on Star Trek Theory, we're taking a look at Starfleet's mysterious groundskeeper, Boothby. They used to say that if man were meant to fly, he'd have wings. When he did fly, he discovered he had to. I don't believe we can stop. In fact, through all our existence, the frightened men, faint heart, have been warning not to push any further, not to learn any more, not to hope, grow, and exceed themselves. I don't believe we can stop. I don't believe we're meant to. What a piece of work is man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, in form, in moving, how express and admirable, in action, how like an angel, in apprehension, how like a god. I see as one day becoming that. It is the unknown that defines our existence. Starfleet Academy has existed in some form or another since the 2140s to train cadets in exploring the final frontier. While the headquarters of Starfleet Academy were located in the Presidio in San Francisco, the academy itself was across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. While attending classes and completing training at the academy, cadets can be found in their off time at one of the mini coffee shops in the area, in their dorms, or working in one of the mini academy gardens. The last part though isn't actually part of their training to become Starfleet officers, but anyone who's ever made anything of themselves in Starfleet's ranks has served countless hours in those gardens. It's become a way for many to refresh themselves in between study sessions. Often cadets get roped into pulling weeds or grooming flora while trying to relax outside. The man responsible for the roping is none other than head groundskeeper Boothby. Boothby has taken many a promising cadet under his wing over the years. He first came upon Catholic Janeway while she had her eyes closed, sitting in the academy garden thinking about Professor Patterson's exam, which she was having some difficulties studying for. Somehow, before the two were even formally introduced, the groundskeeper knew who Janeway was and what she was having trouble with, without even a word being exchanged between them. At one point, during Chacote's time at the academy, Boothby was his boxing coach. The groundskeeper met Picard while he was carving the initials A.F. into his prized elm tree and gave him a tour of the garden. It isn't quite known exactly how old Boothby is or how he knows so much about the cadets that passed through his garden, but memory alpha states that he's a human male who's worked as groundskeeper at the academy during the 24th century and was likely born around the 2260s given his appearance. However, I have a different theory. First though, we have to go back to when Catherine Janeway first encountered the man. It was during her time in the academy, as stated earlier. In the book, the autobiography of Catherine Janeway, the history of the captain who went further than any had before, on page 41, let me set the scene. As you know, she was sitting in the garden with her eyes closed and a voice said to her, Patterson, she opened her eyes to find the groundskeeper standing in front of her. She had never met him before and had no idea how he knew what was bothering her. Allow me to read you an excerpt. Maybe it was because I was still half asleep, but I was starting to get very bewildered by this whole encounter. It was as if I'd woken up in a strange enchanted land, Narnia, perhaps, or my beloved Oz. I had found myself in conversation with a magician who could read my mind and saw all my worries. Who are you? I said. My name, he said, is Boothby. That broke the spell. A little. My father had mentioned Boothby, so had Granddad in town. Yes, I knew who this was. Not a sorcerer, not an enchanter, but the gardener. I should clarify this, Boothby was not simply a gardener, but the head groundskeeper at the academy. And given the size of the campus, this was a significant responsibility. How long had he been there? I don't think anyone knows for sure. You've heard of me, I think, he said. And I hear your mother likes roses. I was amazed. Dad had said that Boothby knew everything about everyone. This was pretty specialist knowledge. How on earth did you know that? I keep my ears open, he said. He peered at me. I know that look well. It's the one given by officers when they're assessing whether you're fit for a task. It's a look I've given myself over the years. Yes, he said. I think you'll come in handy. This page gives us quite a strong clue about the man known as Boothby. Many have wondered, is that his first name or last name? He has a way of getting people to open up to him, like only a handful of people in the Star Trek universe. This whole chapter from the book, along with a similar chapter from the autobiography of John Luke Picard, and the many different episodes that Boothby appeared in during the TNG era of Star Trek, got me to thinking, who else shares a similar personality with Boothby? Who else is known for getting people to open up to them and knowing more than they obviously should about people? And who else has appeared to remain the same age while everyone else around them ages? That's right. Guyanin. The many similarities between the two leads me to believe that Boothby isn't actually human after all. And I really don't think he was born around the 2260s. In fact, I think he may very well be far older than that. It's likely that Boothby is actually an Ellorian. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he'd come to Earth at the same time as Guyanin, and may have even been there to see first contact and the rise of the Federation, as well as the very construction of Starfleet Academy. He very well may have designed the very garden he now tends to and planted the very tree that Picard carved into. What are your thoughts, Trekkies? Do you think the mysterious groundskeeper known as Boothby is an Ellorian? Or could he be a different species entirely? Maybe I'm completely wrong, and he's just a very long-lived and slow-aging human from Earth. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for tuning in, and don't forget to live long and prosper. Take care, Geeks.