SUBSCRIBER REWARDS
Character Profile: Alexis Solovy
Born: 2286
Age at opening of Starshine: 36
Occupation: Freelance deep-space scout
What is her unique/special power? She can see patterns and flows in the chaos of space—and thus see when something is different/unusual/artificial/wrong. It's what makes her so good at her job, and what causes the story to happen.
What is her issue that she has to overcome? She's always only wanted to be left alone and be given the freedom to do what she wants. She needs to learn to care enough about humanity to risk her life to save it.
Physical description: Tall (5’10”), lithe, paleish, long very dark red hair (russet/burgundy), bright gray (almost silver) eyes, strong cheekbones, strong jawline.
Personality: Quick-witted and sharp-tongued, engaging and personable if she likes you, dismissive and put-out if she doesn’t. Friendly but reserved on personal matters. INTJ~ISTP / Dominant-Realistic.
Background: Both parents were military. Despite his frequent absences, grew up close to her father.
She received in utero genetic to enhance intelligence and physical hardiness (standard practice at the time for children of high-ranking military officers and the wealthy) and was implanted with sophisticated cybernetics at an early age. Known as a confident, slightly standoffish child, her friends were few and carefully chosen. An excellent student, she showed early aptitude for engineering, though she was more interested in the practical aspects of it than the theory. Naturally athletic, she was a tennis and track star in high school. In the military environment she received extensive firearms, hand-to-hand combat, and survival training. She received her starship pilot's certification at the remarkably young age of twelve.
After her father died when she was thirteen, she developed a more rebellious streak, showing little respect for or patience with authority. She was arrested twice as a teenager and once as a young adult: once for disorderly conduct (which seemed to primarily involve giving a police officer the finger), once for disturbing the peace (related to an unauthorized late-night bungie jumping stunt off the Golden Gate Bridge by her and several friends), and once for possession of illegal chimerals; in each instance the charges were dropped after her mother intervened. These and other events evidenced a mild tendency toward thrill-seeking behavior that persists as an adult.
She graduated from high school (though significantly augmented by VI-assisted learning, group schooling is still practiced, primarily for socialization and societal reasons) a year early at 17 and attended Cal Tech, earning a double masters in Stellar Astronomy and Mechanical Engineering. After a one-year internship at IS Design, she went to work for Pacifica Aerodynamics, working in the manufacturing division. After three years she resigned, using all her savings to commission a custom deep-space scout ship from IS Design.
Once it was completed (age: 28), she began acting as an independent contractor, scouting unexplored areas of space and, when planets suitable for development or areas rich in natural resources were found, selling the information to the highest bidder. In 2318 she purchased a loft in downtown Seattle; the tech modifications alone are said to have cost several hundred thousand credits. Nevertheless, she is frequently absent from it for months at a time on scouting trips.
To those that know her, she is said to be personable, engaging and witty, but reserved when it comes to personal matters. With an assertive, forthright personality and a sharp tongue, she has little patience for bureaucracy, unnecessary obstacles, or stupidity. She also has little interest in social climbing, social formalities, or impressing anyone that isn't relevant to her. She has many casual friends but very few close ones. Her relationship with her mother is a difficult and contentious one. Professionally, she is known to be ruthless and highly competitive, but fundamentally ethical.
She has been linked with several men romantically over the years, including San Francisco businessman Jayden Morrison, Marine Lt. Colonel Malcolm Jenner and noted rock musician Ethan Tollis, but has never been married and is currently single.
*
Siblings: None
Friends/Allies: Richard Navick, Kennedy Rossi, Ethan Tollis
Enemies: Rival explorers, government bureaucrats
Beliefs/Religion: The stars whisper to her that there is something greater in the universe, but no god controls her fate
Dreams/Life Goals: Freedom, have the fastest, best ship, see anything she wants to see
Loves: Working on her ship, photographing the stars, mountain hiking, music
Dislikes: Politicians, self-important assholes, stupid obstacles, formalities, her mother
Fears: Being grounded, trapped behind a desk or even on land; opening herself up to someone and being abandoned by them
Strengths: Hacking/coding, flying, running/outdoor sports, absorbing large swaths of data
Weaknesses: Impatience, stubbornness, refusing to follow orders, somewhat cynical, distrustful
Good Qualities: Brilliant, independent and self-sufficient, witty, forthright, determined
Turn-ons: Strong, confident personality; ingenuity and cleverness; someone who isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty and can match her in most pursuits
Character Profile: Caleb Marano
Born: 2283
Age at opening of Starshine: 39
Occupation: Black ops agent (spy, infiltrator, saboteur)
What is his unique/special power? Or at least, how does he help the story independent of romance? Very quick and clever in dangerous situations; fast to assess a situation and figure out how to deal with it. Also, deadly.
Physical description: 6’2”, lean but muscular, deep olive skin, black wavy/curly hair that's a bit untamed, bright blue eyes
Personality: Casually disarming demeanor that masks his relatively deadly nature. Witty and quick with a joke, he can also be sarcastic and a bit of hothead. Fairly outgoing. Pragmatic. ESTP / Dominant-Hedonistic.
Backstory: Born to an electrical engineer father and architect mother, Caleb grew up in a home were creativity, experimentation, and hands-on understanding were valued. Though he thrived in this environment, he tended to prefer the outdoors to the lab. An affable, outgoing young man, as a teenager he spent his summers alternating between working in construction or manufacturing and hiking through the wilderness for the Park Service.
He received a double B.S. in Engineering Physics and History in college; due to his varied skill set, perceived demeanor and judgment, upon graduation he was invited into a top-secret training program by the Division of Intelligence. Two years later he became a field agent for the Division.
His performance enabled him to move quickly from controlled, supervised operations to independent, full-authority missions. He has carried out missions across the entire spectrum of activities, from reconnaissance and intelligence gathering to infiltration and sabotage to more organized military-esque operations - on Seneca, allied and hostile worlds, and in deep space. He is known for having broad knowledge about most topics, being exceedingly capable in almost any situation, and displaying the inherent ability to get out of even dire situations, if sometimes with collateral damage.
No information exists as to current or former romantic relationships, though he is believed to be single.
*
Siblings: Younger sister, Isabela
Friends/Allies: A number of very casual friends, but no close ones due to his job
Enemies: Whomever is the target of his mission; terrorists; mercenaries
Beliefs/Religion: None in particular
Dreams/Life Goals: Continue being amused by life. Staying alive, not getting bored
Loves: Being cleverer – and better – than everyone else; outdoors, building things, adrenaline rushes
Dislikes: Debutantes/socialites, high-minded philosophers, preachers (figuratively), bad guys, double-crosses
Fears: Being trapped behind a desk, inside; events being outside of his control; having to admit the less honorable things he’s had to do; opening himself up to someone and being betrayed
Strengths: Ingenuity, creativity, thinking on his feet, assessing a situation, physical prowess, charismatic personality that sets people at ease
Weaknesses: Flaring temper (particularly out of frustration), sarcasm, lack of trust, tendency to lie when the truth will do
Good Qualities: Smart/clever, resourceful, handsome, funny, fierce allegiance to his own moral code
Turn-ons: Dangerous/daring/adventurous spirits; someone who displays independence and confidence.
Starshine Deleted Scene: Caleb’s Apartment
Caleb entered the passcode, waved the secondary pattern in front of the double-encrypted door, then stepped inside. He gently lay the pack against the wall, grabbed a water, and sank into his chair. His apartment wasn’t terribly far from Fuori Park; he would go back for his bike in the morning.
The floor-to-ceiling windows—reverse shielded against prying eyes of course—revealed the full splendor of the meteor shower. He smiled at the fortunate serendipity of his windows pointing in the precisely optimal direction—especially given that he wouldn’t have the time to get up to the mountains after all—and dropped his hands behind his head to watch.
In a world rife with human frailty and darkness, it helped keep him on the path to witness something pure and wondrous every now and again.
After a few minutes he reluctantly turned away from the sparkling lights falling through the sky to inspect the flat, make sure everything was as it should be and exactly how he had left it. It wasn’t difficult, for the place was immaculate.
Workout equipment was tucked neatly into the alcove that would otherwise hold a dining table; he generally preferred to get his exercise in the outdoors, but they did the job in a pinch. The cleaning bot was in sleep mode next to the launder down the hall.
Three spacescape holos floated on the long living area wall; they had caught his eye at various places at various times for various reasons. Shelves surrounded the primary v-display area and held a select few mementos, mostly from a childhood long gone. The seal to the invisible safe in the lower left corner of the shelving was intact, his hard stores and stash of backup weapons secure within.
Beyond that, there was nothing here that mattered—and only the contents of the safe mattered much at all.
Never have anything you can’t walk away from. A gem of advice imparted by Samuel early on in his career, and one he had found remarkably easy to adopt.
He exhaled slowly and felt the chems beginning to take effect. With a last look around he stood and headed to the bedroom to catch some sleep; in the morning he had a mission to start planning.