GigaCorp storyline
Founded by the enigmatic Emmet Longstreet, this massive corporate entity has managed to survive the destruction of Earth. Led by Mercedes Kelleher - a cunning and ruthless businesswoman - GigaCorp has one goal: total domination of humanity's remnants.
IDEALOGY STATEMENT
To gain total control of both the natural resources and markets of human space - and beyond - through the elimination, both economically and militarily, of all opposition.
BACKGROUND
The mighty corporate entity that is now known as GigaCorp has a long and convoluted history. Its origins are obscure, but seem to stretch back as far as the late 20th century. At that time, the eccentric Emmet Longstreet used a variety of dubious means to obtain controlling interest in an up-and-coming software company called GigaCom.
Although eccentric, Longstreet was far from stupid. He possessed remarkable business acumen. He parlayed his successes at GigaCom (both financial and material) to engage in another round of shady business deals. This time, Longstreet expanded his interests into other burgeoning markets, such as aerospace and defense contracting. Over a ten-year period, Longstreet continued to expand his financial empire until GigaCom had become one of Earth's largest multinational corporations (and the term “gigacorp” was first coined in the media when described his company).
By 2008, GigaCom had subsidiaries in areas as diverse as heavy manufacturing, hydroponics, weapons research, and fuel production - in addition to its traditional field of computers. In recognition of this, Longstreet renamed his sprawling enterprise GigaCorp, believing it “bigger and better than a mere megacorporation.” Critics denounced this move as arrogance and even megalomania, but consumers continued to buy the many goods Longstreet's corporation produced. Profits increased with each year, making Longstreet one of the richest men the world had ever seen.
Part of Longstreet's genius was his ability to keep pace with the changes affecting humanity. When near-Earth space first showed its commercial value in the 2020's, Longstreet was ready. He launched a space program of his own and, by 2030, had ten corporate space stations in orbit. Each of them was home to a research and production facilities designed to provide GigaCorp with the next wave of products for humanity's billions. More importantly, Longstreet wanted to ensure that no one - corporate or government - advanced too far ahead of GigaCorp technologically. Over time, Longstreet became obsessed with keeping GigaCorp's edge at all costs, an obsession that would ultimately lead his ouster from the company he built.
The first signs of Longstreet's obsessions manifested in 2033 when he initiated the ALEXANDER Project. Longstreet claimed this genetic engineering project would “improve” humanity for life in space and, therefore, life working for GigaCorp. In reality, Longstreet had grown increasingly paranoid and viewed the ALEXANDER project as a means of developing a Praetorian guard, fanatically loyal and physically unstoppable. He increasingly viewed the human race as weak and shortsighted; the ALEXANDER Project, he believed, would solve these problems.
Longstreet spent more and more of his time overseeing the growth and development of GeneFlex, the subsidiary responsible for the ALEXANDER Project. He ignored the public outcry that occured when proof of GigaCorp's involvement in genetic experimentation was discovered. Instead, he ordered the creation of Prosperity Station, the largest orbital station ever conceived as a monument to his megalomania. Longstreet hoped to transfer GigaCorp's headquarters to Prosperity once it was completed. He also planned to live at the station, far from the “teeming masses of Earth.”
Longstreet's growing obsession with projects deemed “unprofitable” worried GigaCorp's board of directors. At the time Prosperity Station was completed in 2045 (behind schedule and over budget), the board usurped day-to-day control of the corporation away from its founder. An interim CEO, Donald Claypool, was appointed. The eccentric multi-billionaire hardly seemed to notice, obsessed as he was with his ALEXANDER Project “children” and a desire to find resources on other worlds. The board was happy the old man had other projects to occupy him. In the meantime, they set about re-organizing the company's interests along “more profitable” lines.
Ten years later, Longstreet tired of his mistreatment at the hands of his own company. He ordered the brilliant and cunning ALEXANDER subjects into action. They commandeered a large transport ship filled with the ALEXANDER Project data and test subjects and headed off for the far reaches of the solar system (after a daring series of computer hacks that diverted a large chunk of GigaCorp funds and materiel into his hands).
Ironically, Longstreet's seemingly quixotic quest for off-world resources proved fruitful a year after his disappearance. He3 was discovered in the asteroid belt and GigaCorp immediately decided to mine it. The next thirty years were spent exploiting the resources of Luna, Mars, and the asteroid belt. Despite opposition from other corporations and outcry from the public, GigaCorp remained the largest and most successful enterprise in the solar system.
By 2070, this situation changed. Several ex-GigaCorp executives, unhappy with the post-Longstreet era, founded another corporate entity, the Crimson Group. The Group immediately attempted to acquire GigaCorp subsidiaries in hostile takeovers. A new era dawned for GigaCorp and for humanity. Corporate violence between the two behemoths spilled over into outright war when an He3 deposit was discovered beneath Luna's Leonov crater. For months, a standoff existed between GigaCorp forces and those of the Crimson Group. Only the intervention of the UN's new peacekeeping Coalition resolved the dispute.
GigaCorp resented the UN's attempts to curtail its operations (as it had during the GeneFlex incident). From that point on, the company strengthened its own security forces and began to operate more and more independently of Earth control. By 2111, it had begun to mine the asteroid belt extensively, using portable refinery technology that it developed. Other corporations quickly followed suit.
GigaCorp then began to infiltrate its rivals, especially the Iron Coalition. When General Eglin was killed in 2116, the company failed in its attempt to advance one of its own agents into the position of supreme commander of the Coalition. Nevertheless, its infiltration of the Crimson Group was very successful. Through its efforts, GigaCorp learned of the discovery of the Aleph in 2127.
The destruction of Earth in 2140 affected GigaCorp less than many of its rivals. Longstreet's quest to build Prosperity Station had paid off: most GigaCorp resources and personnel were not on Earth at the time of the asteroid strike. Under its new CEO, Mercedes Kelleher, GigaCorp returned to business as usual. GigaCorp resumed its attempts to control the solar system's resources and launched several expeditions through the Alephs to other systems as well. So successful was Kelleher's tenure that GigaCorp succeeded in destroying the weakened Crimson Group completely in 2145.
GigaCorp is now the only corporation left in human-occupied space. It remains in conflict with the Iron Coalition, but frequently (to avoid public relations headaches) backs down from major military engagements. Recently, however, this has begin to change. Since the defeat of the Crimson Group, GigaCorp has seized control of the entire corporate infrastructure, and has the military might to challenge even the Coalition. Consequently, GigaCorp has grown more aggressive in recent years.
INTER-CIV RELATIONS
GigaCorp has a long-standing hatred of the Iron Coalition. Consequently, it considers the Coalition to be its primary rival and the main obstacle standing between it and total mastery of human space. Because GigaCorp's security forces are not quite as skilled as those of the Coalition (although this may soon change), it prefers to rely on stealth and subterfuge when dealing with its enemy. Sabotage and infiltration forms its primary weapons. GigaCorp forces fight ferociously against the Coalition, but will retreat when clearly outnumbered or outgunned.
GigaCorp gives relatively little heed to the Belters, seeing them as mere riff-raff without any redeeming qualities. At the same time, the corporation is of two minds on how best to proceed with them. One perspective views the Belters as nuisance to be eliminated at a suitable time. Another perspective views them both as a potential market for GigaCorp goods (a dwindling resource if there was one!) and as allies in its war against the Coalition. At the moment, neither perspective has won full support of the board of directors. For now, Belters are viewed with caution and treated on a case-by-case basis.
The Bios, on the other hand, are considered enemies. Their origins as part of the ALEXANDER Project unnerve more than a few GigaCorp executives. To them, the Bios appear to be part of “Longstreet's revenge” from beyond the grave. More importantly, many view the technology possessed the Bios as the rightful property of GigaCorp. Currently, the company treats any contact with Bios as hostile. GigaCorp would prefer to absorb their technology and improve itself, but this seems unlikely. Instead, the company attacks the Bios whenever reasonable and hopes that they do not ally with another civilization.
NOTABLE PERSONALITIES
CEO MERCEDES KELLEHER
History
“Mercedes Kelleher” (an alias) was born on 19 March 2109 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. From her earliest days, she showed herself adept with computer systems of all sorts. Not only could she program with ease, but she also possessed a keen understanding of systems engineering. These skills, combined with expertise in mathematics, all but assured her a prosperous career.
Despite her abilities, Kelleher didn't have much interest in computer programming or engineering. She viewed such careers as “menial” and beneath her. Instead, she had her eye on entering the corporate world, preferably for GigaCorp. Her family didn't approve of her choice of vocation, believing it a waste of her skills; Kelleher could not have cared less.
She secured herself a scholarship to Columbia University in the United States. Upon graduation, she attended Harvard Business School and did exceptionally well. Obtaining a position with GigaCorp should have been no problem.
Unfortunately, events didn't go precisely as she had planned. Kelleher was correct about one thing: she could easily land a job with GigaCorp. They were very impressed with her grades and her skills, especially those relating to computers. At that time, GigaCorp (and most other corporations) was in the midst of preparing to send ships through the newly discovered Aleph. GigaCorp needed the skills of people like Kelleher to program the vessels and their sensor packages. The company offered Kelleher an impressive salary and promised that there was plenty of room for advancement.
Kelleher was initially quite stunned by this turn of events. She was even a little insulted. How could even GigaCorp fail to recognize her talents other than computer programming? Nevertheless, she accepted the offer and immediately went to work in GigaCorp's Aleph exploration project. As she worked on this project, she came to realize its immense potential to the future of not only GigaCorp, but the whole of humanity. Kelleher spoke often with some of the space pilots who would be journeying through the Aleph and she longed to go with them.
She began to develop a plan for her advancement within GigaCorp. Given her skills as a computer programmer, it would be child's play to cut orders assigning herself to the expedition as a “scientific advisor.” With her newfound status, she served aboard the GigaCorp vessel Hudson's Bay, as it made its transit through the Aleph and into the Epsilon Indi star system. The transit through the Aleph was an epiphany, awakening something within her. She believed the Alephs were the key to GigaCorp's eventual dominance over all its rivals - corporate and otherwise.
When she returned to Earth, she found herself unable to go back to the “minor” job she had previously occupied. Instead, she again forged herself new credentials. She even changed her name on several occasions to aid her transfer from one division to another. For several months, she moved from place to place, acquiring firsthand experience of the breadth and depth of GigaCorp's operations. Everywhere she went, she saw room for improvements and alterations. In short order, she saw GigaCorp's future clearly and sought whatever means she could to put these improvements into effect.
In 2140, Kelleher decided to return to Epsilon Indi as a “security systems analyst,” a job she had “held” before. Her original intention was to remain at the sparsely populated outpost for a period of a few months, in order to plan her next move. Just three days after her arrival, word reached Epsilon Indi that Earth had been destroyed by a rogue asteroid. Kelleher saw this disaster as an opportunity. Hacking into the GigaCorp computer system, she forged new credentials for herself (as Mercedes Kelleher, the name she has kept ever since) and managed to place herself in charge of the corporation's security forces.
Kelleher - who is extremely paranoid - correctly surmised that she'd need to act quickly if she were to maintain her new identity. In the past, she had never retained a position for more than a few months at a time. Likewise, she had always tried to keep a low profile for fear of blowing her cover. Even with her computer-forged credentials, Kelleher lived in perpetual fear that someone would discover her trickery.
Her fears were well justified. Colonel Jonathan Markham had been the previous head of security for GigaCorp. When he learned that a young woman whom he had never heard of had been appointed to his job, he confronted her. Rather than lie to the grizzled old soldier, Kelleher did something unusual: she decided to trust him. She explained to him that the old GigaCorp died with Earth. A new era was dawning and, without proper guidance, it would pass GigaCorp by.
Kelleher then informed Markham of her plans to redirect GigaCorp toward the exploitation of the Alephs. Untold resources (and riches) lay beyond the solar system - if only someone with determination and vision took control of the company. She offered Markham a place by her side in this bold new endeavor. If he would keep her secret and help her gain control of GigaCorp, she promised him wealth beyond imagining. Markham readily agreed.
With Markham's assistance, Kelleher produced a series of successes under her “command.” She then seized control of GigaCorp. In general, she is shrewd, prone to constructing elaborate schemes (with varying degrees of success) and somewhat nervous that her machinations will be unraveled. She recognizes that she has little military ability, and relies heavily upon Colonel Markham in martial matters. At the same time, Kelleher does not entirely trust her accomplice. She realizes that he could betray her at any time. Consequently, she has begun to take steps to ensure that that does not happen.
Physical Appearance
Mercedes Kelleher is a flinty, no-nonsense woman in her early 40s. She typically appears to be what she is: a driven, ambitious corporate executive who is extremely good at her job. Indeed, her no-nonsense personality comes through quite readily. Some might consider her speech patterns stilted, flat, and humorless. This is an incorrect assessment. Kelleher merely speaks clearly and with precision. She avoids small talk and sticks to the facts.
Kelleher has dark hair cut fashionably short (as is common among space travelers) and an athletic build. She has dark brown eyes and she always looks directly at the person to whom she is speaking. This gives her an air of command that is hard to mistake. Kelleher exudes authority with her every action. She tries very hard to ensure that every element of her current persona seems “right.” To that end, Kelleher always dresses fashionably, wearing clothing that highlights both her build and her position in GigaCorp. She favors solid colors without excessive ornamentation. Likewise, she does not wear obvious jewelry or other adornments.
Despite her best efforts, the stresses of her position are beginning to manifest themselves. Kelleher is beginning to show touches of gray in her hair, and worry lines are slowly becoming apparent on her smooth face. She has the look of someone under a great of pressure. While this look does not undermine her carefully constructed persona, it does offer a counterpoint to it. Kelleher is a woman at the center of a conflict within GigaCorp. Thus far, she has been remarkably successful in handling that conflict. She has the energy and drive of someone half her age and she uses it well.
Nevertheless, there is growing evidence that Kelleher may be losing control. Her face is often twisted in displeasure and she speaks sharply to her underlings. What this means is uncertain, but the change has been noticed. Not everyone believes it to be a good sign.
COLONEL JONATHAN MARKHAM
History
Colonel Jonathan Markham was the head of GigaCorp security until Kelleher's takeover, and is the only man alive who knows Kelleher's secrets. Markham is now in command of GigaCorp's military assets, and Kelleher defers to his judgment when it comes to committing military resources in the field.
Markham was born on 13 April 2104 in Manchester, England. His childhood was ordinary enough, but he was considered a bully in school. Frequently in trouble, he nevertheless found that he had great leadership abilities. Other children rallied to his side. By the age of 15, he had a small gang of his peers who hung on his every word and action.
Markham wanted more from life than the adulation of his fellows. It came as a surprise to the members of his gang when he announced his intention to go to university in London. While at school, Markham performed adequately. He was not an exceptional student, but he was a consistent one. His grades were good enough to land him a commission in the Royal Marines. As a Marine, he continued to show flare as a leader. Soldiers naturally listened to him and - more importantly - they sought his approval.
Despite the approbation of his superiors and the respect of his men, Markham was dissatisfied with life in the Royal Marines. The early 2120's were a period of relative peace. This did not appeal to the young man who did not wish merely to lead men, but to lead them in battle. He resigned his commission with the Royal Marines and signed on with Crimson Shield, the security force of the Crimson Group. Markham rightly guessed that corporate security forces saw much more action than did more “legitimate” militaries. If battle is what he wanted, he had found it.
Markham signed on with Crimson Shield just as things were beginning to heat up in the wars between the Crimson Group and GigaCorp. The battles of those days exposed Markham to a variety of situations he would never have encountered with the Royal Marines. In addition to receiving training as a saboteur and commando, he became a pilot as well. Markham never particularly enjoyed flying, but he was a competent flyer.
In 2132, when GigaCorp captured the Sol system Aleph, Markham realized that the time was ripe for him to change allegiances. Crimson Group was the ultimate loser in this clash of the corporate titans. Rather than fall with them, he decided to seek employment with GigaCorp. GigaCorp was very happy to have him as one of their employees. Markham's years with Crimson Shield gave him knowledge and insights that no other man possessed. He used those insights to assist GigaCorp to strike a number of significant blows against his old employers.
His superiors in GigaCorp did not fail to notice his efforts. In recognition of his usefulness to the company, Markham took charge of all of GigaCorp's security forces. He relished this job and devoted himself fully to it. Shortly after the destruction of Earth, he embarked on a series of raids on the remaining Crimson Group facilities. This concerted effort resulted in the seizure of valuable information, some of which GigaCorp used to lay the groundwork for an all-out assault against their rivals.
Not surprisingly, these raids were successful. Markham was quite pleased with himself and expected to be treated to a hero's welcome upon his return to Prosperity Station. Instead, he returned to discover that he had been displaced by a young woman he had never heard of, let alone seen involved in any kind of security work. Enraged, he was told that Mercedes Kelleher had been selected to head up security in the wake of the corporate shake-up following Earth's destruction. The re-constituted board of directors wanted to take the company in new directions and believed Kelleher would assist in this endeavor.
Markham approached Keller to find out what was really going on. Calmly, the young woman explained that times were changing and GigaCorp must change with it. She outlined her vision of the company's future and how everyone - Markham included - fit into it. She then took a gamble and took the old warrior into her confidence. She admitted that she was a fraud.
Initially, Markham was outraged to learn that Kelleher was a fake, but soon realized that her business acumen and ability to plan long-range operations were necessary; her audacity was also an asset. As much as he disliked the public embarrassment caused by his sudden displacement, he knew why Kelleher had done it. He reluctantly agreed to assist her in her bid for power. In exchange, he wanted a promise that his former position would be returned to him - in addition to sizable payment and total control over GigaCorp's military resources. Kelleher agreed and a partnership was struck.
Markham's advice to Kelleher eventually paid off. GigaCorp forces launched a series of lightning attacks against Crimson Group facilities. Crimson Shield fought bravely, but was ultimately destroyed. By the middle of the year, GigaCorp had eliminated its only significant competitor and was now on the verge of acquiring total control of all corporate resources in human space. Kelleher then used these successes to place herself in total control of the company. One of her first acts as CEO was to re-appoint Markham head of security.
For the time being, Colonel Markham is willing to allow the uneasy truce with Kelleher to continue, though he is planning for the day when the ambitious woman will no longer be necessary. Until then, he continues to bide his time, building his own network of allies within GigaCorp.
Physical Appearance
Markham is a dour, grim man in his late 40s, a veteran of numerous border skirmishes with other secessionist corporate forces. In his time with the Crimson Shield, he was a combat pilot, infiltrator, saboteur, and security specialist. He takes his job very seriously, but is wary of his partner, Kelleher. While he has the military might to seize control of GigaCorp, Kelleher has the computer and business skills to destroy the company finances. As long as the uneasy alliance between the conspirators exists, both sides profit. For now, Markham is willing to allow the situation to continue.
Markham is a stocky, burly, muscular man of British descent. He is somewhat out of shape, but he is still a physically powerful individual. He is starting to lose his hair, and his face is permanently twisted into a scowl. Despite Markham's fearsome appearance and gruff demeanor, his primary concern in military matters is the safety of the troops under his command. Years of service with corporate forces have dulled his ancestral accent somewhat, but it is clear enough to those who listen to his voice carefully.
While not reluctant to order men into dangerous situation, Markham insists on providing them with proper weaponry and backup. In addition, Markham is not averse to strapping himself into a cockpit and leading an assault, dropping in full combat gear onto the surface of an enemy-occupied asteroid and launching an ambush, and otherwise leading from the front. Between his insistence on planning missions thoroughly with an eye to preserving his troops' lives, his financial generosity to the grunts who fight the battles, and his willingness to get his hands dirty, his troops are fiercely loyal.
MIGUEL SANCHEZ
History
Miguel Sanchez was born in Guadalajara, Mexico on 1 March 2098. His mother was a diplomat for the Mexican government. He spent much of his childhood traveling the world, where he met a variety of people from all lifestyles. He also acquired facility in a number of languages (besides his native Spanish), including English, German, and Japanese.
Sanchez learned other important lessons from his early days as well. He watched his mother interact with significant figures in world governments and saw how she used words to say one thing and mean another. It would be unfair to say that Sanchez learned to lie from his mother. More accurately, he learned to “speak diplomatically.” He soon realized that diplomacy isn't so much about what one says as about how one says it. This revelation impressed him greatly and he kept it at the forefront of his mind.
In time, Sanchez went attended a variety of universities throughout the world. He finally completed his studies with a degree in psychology. He briefly contemplated going into to academia to pursue this interest further, but he instead opted for the business world. One of the other lessons his mother had inadvertently taught him was that governments are not the only - or the most important ? players on the stage of human affairs. As events had shown repeatedly, corporations had as much influence as some governments, maybe more. Sanchez determined that he wanted to be part of that world.
GigaCorp hired Miguel Sanchez in 2124 to work in its public relations division. He enjoyed the work and the company of his co-workers. In fact, they enjoyed his presence very much. Sanchez quickly discovered that those around him appreciated his easy-going manner and friendliness. They were great assets in his line of work and he learned to use them effectively.
Over time, others learned to harness his talents as well. Sanchez had been hired by GigaCorp to draft press releases and promotional literature for the corporation. He proved to be quite good at these tasks, but manner attracted a great deal more attention. Several executives commented on the “suitability of his face” and the “the every man quality of his looks.” It was only a matter of time before Sanchez was no longer drafting press releases, but delivering them.
Sanchez became “the public face of GigaCorp.” His superiors in Public Relations considered his youthful appearance and amiable nature a great asset. Polling data suggested that all key demographic groups considered Sanchez “trustworthy.” They found his voice soothing and his mannerisms reassuring. Even when reading statements about GigaCorp raids on Crimson Group facilities (as he did in 2127), the public found it easy to believe that “this was an act of self-defense on the part of GigaCorp.”
Miguel Sanchez enjoyed his work and took great pleasure in his high approval ratings. The board of directors was also satisfied with his work, seeing in him a solution to their previously poor public image. His newfound celebrity surprised Sanchez. On some his travels, he found himself swamped with admirers and fans. He had never anticipated that he would become so well known ? or so well loved. Sanchez became the subject of a lot of press speculation regarding his supposed romantic liaisons with numerous holovideo stars and celebrities. Few of them were true (much to the disappointment of Sanchez himself), but they did keep his profile high and his poll rating positive.
Because of his importance to GigaCorp, Sanchez began to move in some very elite circles within the company. He sat in on board meetings and attended high profile gatherings of all sorts. He became an intimate of many of the most important people in the business. Like everyone else, they trusted Sanchez and viewed him as reliable. Consequently, they began to tell him things ? things he would never have known otherwise.
Living as he did in the rose colored world of public relations, Sanchez had never really given much thought to the true stories behind the press releases he read almost daily. His conversations with some of GigaCorp's most important executives and security agents showed him an entirely different side to the business world. At first, Sanchez simply refused to believe that these stories could be true. He realized, of course, that businesses sometimes do dubious things in order to get ahead. He accepted that, as he had learned it from his time observing his mother. Yet, he still found it hard to believe that his employer could be responsible for acts of wanton destruction, murder, and terrorism.
The destruction of Earth finally opened his eyes. When this disaster struck, GigaCorp did not marshal its vast resources to help its grief-stricken victims. Instead, the company saw it as simply another “unforeseen opportunity.” As the survivors of Earth suffered, GigaCorp did little except offer up more platitudinous press releases that Sanchez read every day.
By 2143, Sanchez could take no more. He was unwilling to allow GigaCorp to continue profiting at the expense of humanity. He considered resigning his position in protest. After all, he reasoned, as a beloved personality, his resignation would carry some weight. Perhaps it might wake people up to the threat GigaCorp represented. Unfortunately, Sanchez concluded that resigning would make no difference in the end. GigaCorp would find another public face, one just as adept at manipulating public opinion. If he were going to make a difference, he would have to consider another course of action.
Later that year, he contacted some of his friends in the news media and pitched an idea to them. As a trusted insider, he had access to a lot of information unknown to the public. This information would be potentially damaging to GigaCorp and its goals. He hoped that his contacts might have the means to make this information available to the public in a way that would not incriminate him. Working together, this secret group contacted other “commando journalists” and enlisted their aid. By October of 2143, they had established the means to transmit the information Sanchez provided throughout the solar system. DataNet was born.
At the present time, Miguel Sanchez remains the public face of GigaCorp. He continues to feed news stories to DataNet when he is able, but he is not a member of their team of “commandos.” He prefers to have little to do with the day to day operations of the underground news organization. Moreover, he is more effective as a source for DataNet rather than as an actual member of its company. Sanchez has also begun to worry that Colonel Markham is on to him. Consequently, he has provided less information to DataNet of late than he has in the past, but he intends to resume once he is certain of his own security.
Physical Appearance
Miguel Sanchez is a middle-aged Hispanic man with graying black hair. One is struck immediately by the “ordinariness” of Sanchez's appearance. He is not really a handsome man, but he is pleasant to the eyes, in an unthreatening, conventional manner (all of which has helped him become a trusted and well-liked public figure). One feels at ease in his presence, as if there were something about his thoroughly unremarkable appearance that screamed out “honesty.”
Unlike many other members of GigaCorp's hierarchy, he smiles regularly and appears quite approachable. Indeed, the man has worked hard to establish himself as “reasonable” and willing to listen to the concerns of his anyone, whether they be a journalist or a person on the street. When speaking in his unaccented voice, Sanchez leans in toward his the person he is addressing. When in more intimate situation (that is, not at press conferences), he often will touch his interlocutors on the shoulder or grasp their hand. Sanchez is quite adept at using his body language to convey that “he cares.” While it unnerves many members of GigaCorp's board of directors, they nevertheless approve of its usefulness wholeheartedly.
Sanchez is in decent shape for a man of his age. His physical fitness is not exceptional, but it is good enough for him to play baseball with his colleagues from time to time. Sanchez is always nicely dressed in non-descript clothing of high quality. One would not describe him as excessively fastidious, but he does take care of his physical presentation. After all, his entire career depends on looking good. To that end, his hair is always combed and his clothing is always well maintained. At the same time, he is not so obsessed with his appearance that he would ever fail to appear at an urgent press conference unannounced. It's this case of intuitive ease that makes him such an effective spokesperson for GigaCorp.
SYLWIA KUJAWA
History
Sylwia Kujawa is yet another in a long line of brilliant scientists employed by GigaCorp. Kujawa was born on 22 February 2119 in Krakow, Poland. Her parents - one Polish, one Japanese - were scientists employed by GigaCorp's aerospace division. Her parents spent most of their careers designing and improving spaceframes for corporate spacecraft. This employment was very much to their liking. Not only were they well remunerated for their efforts - thereby giving their family a lavish lifestyle - but they were also quite content in their work. Young Sylwia thus equated working with GigaCorp with happiness and assumed from her earliest days that she would follow in her parents' footsteps.
Attending university in Russia, Kujawa found that her scientific interests tended more toward the “soft sciences” of biology and chemistry rather than engineering and physics. She studied under some of the finest minds in all of Europe while in Russia. It wasn't long afterward that she decided she would do graduate work in biochemistry and genetics. Her parents worried that she might not find employment with GigaCorp as she had hoped, but Kujawa pressed forward anyway.
Kujawa completed her undergraduate degree in 2139 at the age of 20. Her parents continued to counsel her against pursuing her biological studies. They knew well that GigaCorp had not actively pursued genetic research since the “dark ages” when Longstreet initiated the ALEXANDER Project. Kujawa could not accept that GigaCorp would be so blind as to neglect such an important field of study. After all, humanity's exploration of space demanded that it be ready for any eventuality. Only science - including genetics - could provide humanity with the defenses it needed against the unknown.
Kujawa, supremely confident, made an appointment to meet with GigaCorp recruiters on Luna (although its HQ was on Prosperity Station, GigaCorp had set up a massive recruitment center on the Moon to attract the best and brightest from throughout the solar system). On Luna, Kujawa met with representatives of GigaCorp's scientific divisions. To her surprise, she found that what her parents had told her was indeed correct. GigaCorp had little interest in genetic engineering and disavowed the earlier work done by its founder, Emmet Longstreet. Moreover, the UN had taken steps to ensure that genetic engineering not be abused in space. GigaCorp respected these provisions.
Kujawa was horrified. Upset at what she viewed shortsightedness on GigaCorp's part, she launched into a lengthy tirade against her would-be recruiters. She passionately argued the case for casting aside the “archaic prohibitions and taboos that keep humanity shackled to the past.” If humanity was to have a future, she explained, it must free itself from the limited vision she now saw at GigaCorp. She then vowed never to work for the corporation - a decision that wounded her to her core. Kujawa planned to return to Earth and graduate studies.
Fate intervened, however. The asteroid disaster occurred while Kujawa waited to return home. In an instant, everything she had known, everyone she had loved, was gone. Shattered and broken, she had nowhere to turn. Her life seemed to have no meaning and no direction. Fortunately for Kujawa, her impassioned oratory at the recruitment center had caught the attention of Dr. Fernando Williams, a scientist in the employ of GigaCorp. He approached Kujawa and asked to speak with her privately.
At first, Kujawa refused Williams. She had nothing to say to him, especially now. Williams pressed on and explained that she should listen to what he had to say. Reluctantly, she did so. Williams then revealed to her that he was a geneticist employed by GigaCorp. Kujawa was skeptical after what she had been told by the recruiters. Williams explained that GigaCorp preferred not to highlight its genetics research division. The horrors wrought by GeneFlex last century are still fresh in their minds.
To assume as many naively did that GigaCorp had no genetics division was foolish, Williams stated. GigaCorp had a division for almost everything. In addition, all of the points Kujawa had made were valid ones shared by the company's board of directors. Humanity must move forward and free itself from its past ? even its genetic past. At the same time, it was incumbent upon corporate geneticists to avoid the mistakes of GeneFlex and the ALEXANDER Project. Humanity must be aided through research, not replaced.
Williams then asked Kujawa if she'd be willing to work for GigaCorp as a geneticist. The corporation would send her to the best schools on Luna and educate her. Later, the corp would hire her and set her to work on a variety of projects related to her field of specialty. Kujawa was intrigued by the offer and accepted it. She then remained on Luna to study and received her Ph.D. in biochemistry before she was thirty years old. Once done, she returned to Prosperity Station, where Williams put her to work.
Kujawa enjoyed her work with GigaCorp, but she found its genetics division to be “too conventional” in its thinking. They were unwilling to take risks or push the boundaries of their research. Kujawa was, however. In particular, she spent a great deal of her time looking into ways to “improve” humanity both for survival in space and for profitability in the eyes of the board of directors. In time, she delved into the sealed ALEXANDER Project files. She became very interested in Longstreet's plans and came to believe there was indeed a method to his madness.
Kujawa was also interested in learning more about Longstreet's “children,” the Bios. She poured over every bit of intelligence about them in hopes of wresting supposed secrets from them. Few knew of her extracurricular interests and those who did discouraged them. Nevertheless, she persisted. Kujawa even encouraged GigaCorp to mount more intelligence gathering missions into the territory of the Bios. Some might call her obsessed, but Kujawa would simply call it “scientific curiosity.”
Whatever the truth of the matter, Sylwia Kujawa is now an influential member of GigaCorp's scientific division. She wields much influence and the board listens to her opinion on scientific matters. Her efforts have resulted in the creation of several genetically engineered product lines - something unheard of before her arrival. Kujawa's curiosity about the Bios remains strong and grows stronger with each day. Exactly what she would do if she encountered them face to face remains to be seen. For now, her obsession has grown to the point where it threatens to consume her and her work.
Physical Appearance
Sylwia Kujawa is a very attractive Eastern European woman in her early thirties. She has straight blonde hair that almost appears white upon first seeing it. She wears her hair long, pulled back in a ponytail when she is working in the lab - which is most of the time.
Kujawa's skin is very fair and her eyes are blue. Most often, she wears a pair of thick goggles to protect her eyes when she is working in the laboratory. She also commonly wears a lab coat beneath which she wears plain utilitarian clothing. Kujawa gives very little thought to her appearance. She does not seem to understand that she is actually an attractive woman, as she has never been known to use her beauty to her advantage. If anything, her physical attractiveness has worked against her. Some outsiders do not take her seriously because of it. Others find it unappealing in a woman so single-mindedly devoted to the “betterment of humanity through science.”
Kujawa speaks with a noticeable Eastern European accent. Her time in Russia as a younger woman has made it difficult to ascertain precisely what kind of accent it is, however. Kujawa has good posture and carries herself in a proud way. When speaking to others, she can often be condescending, as she assumes that few outside her own division of GigaCorp truly understands what it is she is undertaking on their behalf. This does not make her popular, even with the board of directors who realize the importance of her work. As with so much about her work, Kujawa does not care. This often gives her a single-minded expression that can be quite unsettling in one as young and attractive as she.
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