365. Who's Who

Story Synopsis:

“The Story” begins when the author, while on vacation in the Caribbean, stumbles upon a few survivors of an alien race (Hynerians). Everything that follows is a retelling, or a recreating as some might say, of who and why and how. The story follows a mosaic format, not a linear one. Each chapter, or post, stands on its own, giving reflection to a small piece of the whole. We learn that eight Hynerians were forced to vacate their dying planet. The story showcases their external (adventures) and internal (pyschological) search for home and meaning in a universe dark and bleak. The relationship between Kyra and Papa (her grandfather) form the centerpiece of the story, a light unto the darkness, which is recounted episodically in remembrances.

Main Characters:

(Each character's name is hyperlinked to their original sketch or painting)

Kyra: a young female Hynerian raised by her Zing Tao Grandfather at Valla, she assumed leadership of Bravo.* Kyra is gifted with the rare ability to play in the field of “Love,” and thus influence events in extraordinary ways. Her parents, both marine-biologists and obsessed with the climate changes and their careers, were almost non-existent in her life; she carries within her both great joy and great sadness. Physically, she can best be imagined as a cross between Aeryn Sun (Farscape) and Aki Ross (Final Fantasy). There is more “me” in Kyra’s personality than any of the other characters. She is the literary love of my life, with her coal black hair and brilliant sapphire eyes, tight and taut, forever dressed in form-fitting melanic venuisan leather.

*Bravo-Four-Zero was the original vessel assigned to Kyra and the others. On a mission to rescue another Hynerian vessel, Bravo was attacked, incapacitated and abandoned (although still extant). Their second vessel, of Kulmykian make, is called Tranquility.

Papa (Zeke): Kyra’s grandfather. Papa entered the Zing Tao Order as a young Hynerian and eventually became the only Hynerian to achieve Ninth Order rank. Although we learn of some of his adventures in the early part of the story, Papa is mainly seen after retirement interacting with a young Kyra. He discovers early that her gifts far exceed his own and he pours his heart into cultivating love and wisdom within Kyra. He secures passage for her on Bravo, while he stays behind on Hyneria. A present day Paul Newman would play Papa. When I think of Papa, I most often think of my maternal grandfather.

Rog: Raised on a ranch in the southern reaches, Rog is a happy-go-lucky, good-looking, fun-loving, optimistic rustic cowboyish type with a killer smile. A younger Dennis Quaid would be a perfect fit for Rog. Rog has a heart of gold, falls in love with Yul, loves to pilot the ship, drink snoot with Von and dream of the next adventure. Rog sometimes talks before he thinks but would give you the shirt off his back if you asked. Rog is modeled in part after my uncle Calvin, who served two tours in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot.

Yul: She is the “Ginger” (with a rough edge) in this story. She exudes sexuality and most of the gratuitous sex in the story involves her. She was a twin and not the chosen one. Her father abused her emotionally. She could do no right and her sister could do no wrong. In fact, her sister was supposed to be on Bravo, not Yul. Yul is an emotional rollercoaster and sees the world through the thick filters of her upbringing, which is to say she needs love desperately but has trouble trusting anyone and is quick to blame herself for all that goes wrong. She loves Rog dearly, although their relationship has had its share of ups and downs. Not sure who would play Yul in the movie.

Von: Von is the oldest member of the Bravo crew, a contemporary of Papa and a Zing Tao. In service with Papa and the Zing Tao in the great Dauculus campaign he incurred a debt to Papa. In repayment of that debt, Von agreed to accompany Kyra on Bravo and watch over her. He had to leave his only son behind to fulfill this debt, a choice that has left him bittersweet. Von would be played by Max Von Sydow.

Trev: Trev is one of the youngest members of the crew. Boyishly handsome but somewhat immature and shy, Trev was in medical school at the time of evacuation. In the early part of the story, he was the medic. We still don’t know a lot about Trev and know almost nothing about his life on Hyneria. He appears to have a somewhat repressed personality.

Emy: Em’s father was a great sea captain on Hyneria and she spend a lot of time with him on the open sea. She is the Mary Ann to Yul’s Ginger so to speak. She has no airs, salt of the earth heart and personality and had a very good and strong relationship with both her mother, who died and whose essence she carries in a brooch, and her loving father. Em spends a lot of time writing letters back to her father and frets at the very real prospect she will never have children. In a recent accident, Em was blinded. She also is an artist. Em, in summary, is the girl next door.

Mairi: Mairi is a Châtelaine, which, although not developed yet in the story is a cross between a Geisha and a Companion (Inara’s character in the Firefly series). To be fair to Châtelaines, they are rather more sophisticated in their training and skills than either of the two examples above. One day, the story will take us into more detail. Mairi comes from a posh background, is rather soft-spoken but has a backbone of steel; in other words, she is tough as nails, although you'd never guess from her beautiful external appearance. She is extremely intelligent and, of all the females onboard, has the most classically attractive features. Unlike Rog and Em, Mairi is used to the finer things in life and has an appreciation for subtle details and nuances. To date, other than the fact that she is a “child of the shells” and her deformity is not physical but of the “mind” (she is a Null, which means she has the ability to blank out all telepathic communication in her vicinity), we know very little about her. Her nullness introduced her to Dr X, who raped and tortured her and who is now acting as her mentor. The relationship is complex and difficult to understand.

Kieran: Kieran is the only crew member to have passed away. He contracted the deadly Animus virus early in the story, and although the crew did everything in their power to save him, he slipped into the next life. He has, however, remained as a cameo figure present in spirit and sometimes manifests himself in times of trouble. Kyra was falling in love with Kieran, the one member of the crew she saw as her equal or at least close enough. She struggled to recover from her attempt to save him (which forced her into the next realm and back again) and spent upwards of two weeks in a coma. Kieran was also a "child of the shells." His deformity: two hearts. Kyra and Mairi are the only two crew members Kieran converses with, although he once encouraged Yul to return to the heart that beat for her.

John: John Discovery, aka Johnny Disco, is Kulmykian. Married to Cait with one daughter (Ariel), John was a senior level military commander who also happens to also be a neuro-surgeon. He is attracted to Kyra and walks the fine line between what he knows is right and the emotions just underneath. We tend to see a good bit of ambiguity in his relationship with her. John was the golden boy on Kulmyk until somewhere along the line he angered someone very high up in the political realm. He and Rog were railroaded on trumped up “Infidelity” charges and were to be summarily executed before they were rescued. In fleeing his home planet, he joined “the crew” upon their new ship, the Tranquility (Bravo was incapacitated in an earlier mission). Cait and Ariel are with him. George Clooney plays John in the movie.

Goldie and Pinkie: Mechanical valets to Kyra and Em respectively.

Taren and Dr X: Arc’teryxian, which is to say, part of a civilization at war with Kulmyk. It is still unclear who the good guys are and who are the bad guys. The story has not resolved that fact currently. Suffice it to say, Taren is now a member of Tranquility and it looks as if Dr X may be joining them.