3V3: Into Starlight

• Full Name: Eve
• Title: 3V3
• Age: appears 12
• Gender/Pronouns: Female, She/Her
• Sexuality: Undefined

Eve's entire world is the sterile, hidden laboratory where she was created and raised by the brilliant and troubled Deacon of Order, Obasi Monroe.

Sheltered from the outside city, her education comes from vast digital libraries, including one forbidden topic: the stars.

While the Church preaches that nothing exists beyond the city walls, Eve dreams of the sky she has never seen. She represents the present, a contained potential waiting to be unleashed, focused only on the reality of her confinement and the promise of what lies beyond, with little thought for the past that created her or the future her existence might trigger.

• Full Name: Zirah
• Title: Cleaner
• Age: 38
• Gender/Pronouns: Female, She/Her
• Sexuality: Asexual

Zirah's life has been a series of tragedies, from the loss of her brother in childhood to a forced marriage and a subsequent, devastating loss that led her down a path of dependence.

She has managed to carve out a fragile existence for herself, but the physical and emotional scars run deep.

Zirah is trapped in the past, her every action and thought based by the wounds she has suffered. This focus on what she has lost makes her wary and resilient, but it also blinds her to the possibilities of a future that could be different from the life she has always known.

• Full Name: Alael
• Title: Co-Leader of Haven
• Age: 31
• Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/Him
• Sexuality: Gay

After serving the Church for a long time, Alael has witnessed atrocities during the war that shattered his faith in the system.

He escaped Neom and has dedicated his life to Haven and its founder.

Alael is fixated on the future, constantly planning for the survival of his people and the eventual downfall of the Church. This strategic, forward-looking mindset is essential for leadership, but it also causes him to be overly cautious, potentially overlooking immediate solutions or the lessons of the past in his zeal to secure a tomorrow that may never come.

• Full Name: Obasi Monroe
• Title: Former Deacon of Order
• Age: 58
• Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/Him
• Sexuality: Heterosexual

Once the youngest Deacon of Order in history, Obasi was a visionary theorist working on projects ranging from star maps to population algorithms.

His career fell apart when he published a paper accurately predicting humanity's extinction due to declining birth rates, a truth the Church was not ready to face. Or, at least, that was the excuse the Church used.

Stripped of his positions and authority, he continued his work in secret, driven by a desperate need to secure a legacy and a future for the human race. His final, unauthorized attempt to contact the outside world resulted in his arrest and confinement. Obasi makes an appearance in the novella Wired Womb.

• Full Name: Joshua
• Title: Virtue Squad Leader (Jophiel)
• Age: 30s
• Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/Him
• Sexuality: Heterosexual

Joshua, identified by his call-sign Jophiel, rose through the ranks of the Church's military to become a trusted commander of an augmented soldier squad.

He led his team on the fateful mission to Nexis, a mission that was publicly described as a rescue operation for survivors. What he and his soldiers discovered outside the walls shattered their understanding of the world and the Church they served.

His subsequent actions during that mission marked him as a man of principle, willing to question orders in the face of undeniable truth. Joshua makes a brief appearance in the short story Final Transmission.

• Full Name: Nathaniel
• Title: Archbishop
• Age: 50s
• Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/Him
• Sexuality: Heterosexual

A cunning and influential Tech Acolyte who masterfully navigated the Church's political landscape, Nathaniel's career has been defined by a hunger for control.

He was instrumental in the war against Nexis and the development of the Virtues Program, using the conflict to eliminate rivals and consolidate his power.

Now an Archbishop, he is a leading candidate for the position of High Cardinal.

Nathaniel is a man who sees people and projects not for their inherent value, but for their utility in achieving his grand vision for a perfectly controlled humanity, a vision that brooks no dissent and sacrifices any who stand in its way.

• Full Name: Nabi
• Title: Security Commander
• Age: Mid to late 30s
• Gender/Pronouns: Female, She/Her
• Sexuality: Undefined

Nabi is a survivor, marked by the war that destroyed her home. Before the fall of Nexis, she served as a soldier, part of the city's civil defense force.

The extensive scarring on her face and body is a testament to the violence she endured and survived. Her pragmatic, no-nonsense attitude and deep loyalty to her people make her a natural leader in the harsh world outside the cities.

She is fiercely protective and highly capable, her one good eye missing little. While she carries the weight of the past, her focus is relentlessly on the present survival of her community.

• Full Name: Clarice Kwon
• Title: Head Engineer
• Age: Mid 30s
• Gender/Pronouns: Female, She/Her
• Sexuality: Lesbian

Kwon is a sharp and resourceful woman whose small stature belies her immense intelligence and force of will.

In Nexis, she held a high-ranking position as a head engineer, a testament to her skill in a society more progressive than Neom.

She is a master of logistics and practical problem-solving, able to assess a situation and devise a plan with cool efficiency. While she can be dismissive and direct, her primary goal is always the survival and betterment of her people.

She represents the application of knowledge and reason to overcome the chaos of their new world.