Crew of the Stanisław Lem

Shang Xiao Xú Mùlán, Commanding, TSS Stanisław Lem

Age: 39

Height: 5’8”

Birthplace: Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

Home: Shanghai, United Chinese Republic

Xú Mùlán served as a pilot during the Short War, and that convinced her that she didn’t want to fight for a living. Instead, she turned to exploration, commanding Asimov Station and ACJSA Lunar Base Bravo before being selected to serve as first officer on the TSS Arthur C. Clarke’s trip to Jupiter, where she was the first human on Ganymede and Europa. It was on Europa that her team discovered the first known extraterrestrial life. Xú returned home, and promptly headed out again, this time leading the Lem to Saturn.

Xú is tough but fair, a captain who expects hard work, but who does not expect her crew to work harder than she does. She’s more than willing to take a risk if it has a chance of paying off, and to let her officers do their jobs if they’re doing them well.

Cmdr. Tatenda Marechera, Executive Officer,TSS Stanisław Lem

Age: 44

Height: 6’1”

Birthplace: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, UAU

Home: Harare, Zimbabwe, UAU

Tatenda Marechera grew up poor in Bulawayo, but he was a bright student with a love of the sciences. He earned a doctorate in physics, and put it to work with the African Union’s space program; he moved from scientist to astronaut during their program’s development. He commanded the Le Petit Prince on its mission to Ceres, and holds the distinction of being the first human to set foot on the asteroid.

Tatenda was initially disappointed when he was named executive officer; both he and Xú had been up for command of the Lem. But Xú paid Marechera the same respect her captain on the Clarke paid her, putting together an exploration plan that had Tatenda leading the scouting expeditions, earning Tatenda’s loyalty and respect.

Lt. Col. Ted Martínez, Chief Pilot and Operations Officer, TSS Stanisław Lem

Age: 32

Height: 5’9”

Birthplace: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Home: Edwards Army Air Base, California, USA

Teodoro Guillermo Martínez Iñíguez is the son of a sociology professor and a research physicist. The youngest of two brothers, Ted always threw himself headlong into everything he did, with little regard for the personal cost. That earned him the chance to serve as a test pilot in the US Army Air Force, and after an incident where he took an experimental plane into orbit by disabling three safety systems, he came to the attention of NASA senior command, which tapped him as a promising pilot. Ted is well-liked by his fellow officers and crew, as he has an expansive personality to match his career path, and a willingness to try almost anything once.

After growing a bit, Ted has learned to modulate his natural risk-taking, especially when he’s responsible for other people’s health and safety. That said, he’s more than willing to find the limits of safety, and to ride the edge the entire time — and to race beyond it if he can take the risk on himself.

Captain-Lieutenant Yelena Bobrova, Relief Pilot, TSS Stanisław Lem

Age: 34

Height: 6’2”

Birthplace: Novisibirsk, Russia

Home: Moscow, Russia

Yelena Vladimirovna was fascinated by space travel from before her earliest memories, and was animated from childhood to find her way into space exploration. She took flight lessons at age 14, and was inducted into the Russian military academy at age 17 as a pilot candidate.

Her skill and drive earned her the attention of the RKA, which was impressed by the young pilot’s drive and interest in space. Just five years out of the academy, she served as relief pilot under Tatenda Marechera on the S.S. Le Petit Prince‘s mission to Ceres.

Yelena is very focused, and much more reticent than senior pilot Ted Martinez, but she has the respect of the crew for her steady skill.

Dr. Oliver Robinson, Chief Medical Officer, TSS Stanisław Lem

Age: 51

Height: 6’2”

Birthplace: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Home: Houston, Texas, USA

Group Capt. Dr. Oliver Robinson is considered a hero by most of Earth; he earned the Nobel Peace Prize for stopping a potentially extinction-level event during the Battle of Singapore, and for refusing to turn the nanoweapons he destroyed over to either side.

Robinson remained in the military after the Short War, but worked primarily with multilateral organizations, heading the UN’s mission to eliminate nanoweapons, and later, working with the European Space Agency as a ground and flight surgeon on the ESA’s Mars missions.

Robinson was hand-picked as Chief Medical Officer for the Lem by Xú Mùlán, who had first fought against, then with Robinson during the Short War.

Gregarious and kind, Robinson is quick with a joke, a handshake, a hug, or a right cross, depending on what the situation calls for.

Dr. Mukta Chandrasekhar, Chief Engineer, TSS Stanislaw Lem

Age: 44

Height: 5’8″

Birthplace: Hyderabad, India

Home: Hyderabad, India

Dr. Chandrasekhar is considered to be one of the foremost, if not the foremost, experts on fusion space drive ever to live. The designer of the power plant for the Clarke class, Chandrasekhar is the only member of the senior staff not to come up through her nation’s military.

Chandrasekhar attended Hyderabad University on a Freeman Scholarship, where she came to the attention of ITER Global Ltd. She earned her doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and returned to Hyderabad as a research physicist for ITER. There, she led teams that developed engines for the Toronto and Clarke class vessels. She was given the position of Chief Engineer on the Lem as a reward for her excellent service. One of four officers awake for the trip, she’s spent her time working with the team developing the drive system for the experimental TSS Miguel Alcubierre.

Maj. Hala Nejem, Deputy Chief Engineer, TSS Stanislaw Lem

Age: 27

Height: 5’9″

Birthplace: Al Wakra, Qatar

Home: Doha, Qatar

Hala Nejem is the youngest officer on the Lem. A protege of Mukta Chandrasekhar, she was brought onto the crew at the insistence of the chief engineer, who argues that Nejem is if anything brighter than she.

Only 27 — and with two of those years in cryosleep en route to Saturn — Nejem is nevertheless respected for her obvious skill and for the faith placed in her by Chandrasekhar. Born in Qatar, Nejem earned a doctorate in physics from the University of Cairo when she was just 18. She was recruited by Chandrasekhar to work at ITER, earning a doctorate in Quantum Physics from the University of Hyderabad during her time there.

Hala is very smart, but that is by no means her defining characteristic. She’s a loyal friend, and she’s willing to do whatever she must to complete the task at hand.

Imperial Officers

Navarchos Aertimus Bass, Commanding, Gama Fleet

Age: 55

Height: 134′

Birthplace: Korafia, Archavia

Home: Archavia

Navarchos Bass is a bit older and wiser, but still the genial, relaxed officer who commanded the Gyfjon back in the day. Never shy, Bass is concerned about the reports out of Titan Station — he knows how wrong his people are about humans, and he does not want to see Earth suffer because of it.

Aerti is married and has kids. Married to who? Well, you’re just going to have to be patient, aren’t you?

Archiploiarchos Lemm Tam, Adjutant to the Commander of Gama Fleet

Age: 47

Height: 146′

Birthplace: Titan Empire

Home: The Imperial Military

Lemm Tam is the very model of a modern Archiploiarchos. Focused and calm, cautious without being timid, Tam has built a strong record during her service to the Empire. She had a fine record as captain of the Eku, but now she’s back supporting Aerti Bass, a position she’s both familiar and comfortable with.

Centurum Kir Oden, Commanding, Titan Station

Age: 65

Birthplace: Garsdana

Home: Titan Station

A lifer in the Planetary Defense Corps, Kir is winding down his career at Titan Station. Kir is a fairly relaxed commanding officer who rarely gets too worked up about anything, but he’s competent, and he’s still the skilled officer that Rixie served with 22 Imperial years ago.

Kir plans to stay at Titan Station until he reaches mandatory retirement age or until they ask him to transfer; he’s not interested in transferring at this point. He’s quite happy where he is.

Tigoni Belfsec, Pilot, Titan Station

Age: 24 Titan years

Height: 138′

Birthplace: Narena Colony

Residence: Titan Station

A young but skilled pilot, Tig Belfsec followed in her father’s footsteps, joining up with the Planetary Defense Corps, but she did so in no small part because of her mother’s idealism — she believes strongly in the idea of making a difference in the galaxy, and she hopes that she can do so in this role.

Tig is unswervingly driven by a sense of right and wrong, and that has gotten her in trouble, but that has never bothered her much; she is more than willing to take the hit if it makes things better in the long run.

Hybrids

Sorcha Freeman, Director of Policy Analysis, Project Avalon

Age: 17 Titan years, which works out to about 20 in hybrid.

Height: 142′

Birthplace: Tannhauser Gate, Tannhauser, Archavia

Residence: Tayas Mons, Avalon

Sorcha is bright, as one might expect the daughter of two brilliant physicists might be — and she’s quite aware of it. Very gifted, and capable of making remarkable conceptual leaps, Sorcha has proven invaluable during her time on Avalon. That said, Sorcha has also proven to be Sorcha; she has her father’s arrogance, and somehow, she ended up with a short temper.

Sorcha is, however, fervently committed to human equality, and while she herself is Titan-sized, she is very aware and very proud of her human heritage. All in all, she is best described as “tempestuous,” and best handled with care.

Oppressed Humans

Alesia Nonahsdottir, Director of Primary Education Curriculum for Project Avalon

Age: 12 Titan years, 77 Earth years…basically, she’s 24.

Height: 5’6″

Birthplace: Tannhauser Gate, Tannhauser, Archavia

Residence: Atlantis, Avalon

The daughter of Nonah and Dhanyle Armac, Lessy has drawn rave reviews for her work improving primary education on Avalon. Using a combination of study, skill, and intuition, Lessy has worked tirelessly to improve educational outcomes for all Avalonian children, as well as for immigrants to Avalon from the Empire. Though Pryvani Tarsuss originally recruited her friend Sorcha for a job with Project Avalon, everyone involved in the project has considered it a stroke of excellent luck that Lessy decided to tag along.

Titans

Dr. Eyrn Bass

Age: It’s complicated, but 47 Titan Years is a good guess

Height: 114′

Birthplace: Sperikos

Residence: Aementos, Aement, Archavia

Eyrn Bass is a popular sociologist and lecturer, who has appeared on chat shows and documentaries throughout the Empire. Her memoir of her time on Earth, The Wild Girl, was her first best-seller, and it was followed up with Wild Worlds, a study of the Empire and surrounding space that sold even better. With a quick wit, a quirky take on things, and a genuinely unique perspective, Eyrn is popular throughout the Empire, even with those who disagree with some of her positions on things like human rights. Eyrn holds a doctorate in Xenosociology from Tannhauser Gate University.

Eyrn is married to Navarchos Aerti Bass; they have three daughters (Polymnia, Cleo, and Marcy) and one son (Zeb).

The Hon. The Lady Sen. Pryvani Tarsuss, GTE OTE

Age: 44 Titan years (285 Earth years)

Height: 120′

Birthplace: Tarsuss Compound, Tayas Mons, Avalon

Residence: Tarsuss Compound, Tayas Mons, Avalon

Is it any surprise that 22 years later, Pryvani Tarsuss is still fabulously wealthy and immensely powerful? Of course not. Still the CEO of the Tarsuss Corporation, Pryvani is still doing the work behind the scenes to help move human emancipation along, help stabilize Avalon, and help improve the lives of her friends, including that of her husband, Zhan, and their children, and her sister, Thyllia. She remains a member of the Imperial Senate, and though she continues to act as if it doesn’t matter much, she’s actually managed to use her position as a means of increasing her power — as if she needs to.