solar_flare

Third-generation owner of Mitchell's Garage, Sam learned to fix engines by feel rather than manual, developing an intuitive understanding of mechanical systems that translates surprisingly well to alien technology. Haunted by their grandfather's mysterious death and the town's secrets, Sam has always sensed something wasn't right about the government's presence in the area.

Former stellar cartographer for the Keth exploration fleet, Zara survived her homeworld's destruction and now leads a small group of refugees searching for sanctuary. She carries encrypted star charts that reveal the location of other refugee populations, making her a prime target for Hegemony Hunters.

Black ops specialist assigned to monitor Millbrook and contain alien incidents, Webb has been covering up crashes for fifteen years. He's starting to question whether the government's aggressive approach is preparing Earth for war or ensuring humanity's destruction when the Hegemony arrives.

Raised by foster parents after their family was murdered by the Zaibatsu, Aki operates a street food stall that serves as cover for their underground hacking activities. Unknown to them, their suppressed memories contain the location of the original memory harvesting prototype their scientist parent created before being silenced.

A former Zaibatsu researcher turned corporate spy who claims her memories were stolen, but is actually working for rival corporation Sakura Dynamics to expose Yamamoto Corporation's memory harvesting operation. Her chrome-silver hair and data-flickering eyes are the result of experimental neural modifications.

The current head of Yamamoto Corporation's memory division who has been secretly acting as Aki's foster parent for years, monitoring them while searching for the location of the original memory harvesting prototype. Their genuine care for Aki conflicts with their corporate loyalty and survival instincts.

A career space engineer who worked on the station's construction and sees it as his life's work. He's terrified that news of alien contact will lead to panic, mutiny, or Earth pulling support for the Mars project, destroying everything he's built.

A former engineering student who dropped out due to financial problems and took the Mars contract as a way to pay off debts while gaining real-world experience. Has been on the station for 18 months and knows its systems better than anyone, despite being treated as disposable by the hierarchy.

A former military communications specialist who left the service after a crisis of conscience. She joined the Mars project seeking redemption and a fresh start, but her technical skills and moral compass put her at odds with the station's political games.

A respected physician and former military officer who genuinely believes he's protecting humanity by preventing premature contact with alien intelligence. His medical position gives him access to personnel files and the authority to make people disappear through fake medical emergencies.