A Closer Look at Spectra and its Main Characters

Premise:

Imprisoned for a murder he didn’t commit and betrayed by those closest to him, Dean Weston struggles to stop the genocide of newly discovered energy-based life forms so unique they cause humans to acquire extraordinary intelligence for a brief period following exposure. As genius edges toward insanity for those exploiting the peaceful entities, a ruthless experiment goes awry leading to the creation of an evil capable of redefining human existence.

Background:

In 2273 CE, representatives from the governments of Earth and the settled planets Lyra, Draco, and Cygnus came together to form the Consortium of Planets to facilitate collaboration between the individual governments. The Consortium’s mandate includes control of interplanetary commerce and immigration. Ships fueled by vacuum particle energy enable space travel between the planets. Incredible speeds are possible by flying along rare defects in the cosmic particle energy structure of space called textures. Freighters and passenger ships travel daily along the texture corridors between the planets. Spaceports located on the three base stations include the Earth Base Station on the moon, the Eagle Base Station at the entrance to Lyra space, and the Lyra Base Station orbiting the planet Lyra.

 Principal Characters

DEAN WESTON is the flight navigator of a six-member Consortium mining expedition crew whose mandate is to survey new planets. On an expedition the crew discovers an intelligent life form so unique that Dean insists their existence remain secret for their protection as exposure to people is lethal to them. The crew agrees, some reluctantly. Months go by, and Dean moves on to the prestigious position of Director of the Eagle Base Station, and later is framed for murder and imprisoned. Dean is ruggedly handsome, a tough customer in a crisis who can handle himself in the worst situations without breaking. He is also a successful academic, holding a degree in flight engineering with a minor in particle physics. Dean maintains a sense of humor even when faced with terrible circumstances, and he possesses high moral principles, choosing life over power and greed. You want him on your team.

IVAN CAMPBELL, the mining crew’s leader, is the polar opposite of Dean in temperament and Dean’s chief antagonist. Later moving on to manage the cutting-edge Lyra Particle Accelerator on the Lyra Base Station, Ivan is a cold, calculating sociopath who will sacrifice anyone and anything to satisfy his hunger for power and control. With his black hair, brown eyes and average stature, Ivan has the look, and most often the disposition of, a pampered English gentleman. He is jealous and disrespectful of Dean, whose qualities of bravery and resourcefulness Ivan could never hope to obtain. Ivan, somewhat lacking in intellect, will do anything, including the murder of those with knowledge of the entities, to covet the power of the entities for his own gain. Believing the entities may hold the secrets that define the spiritual basis of human life, he carries out ruthless experimentation on them.

DR. LAURA SIMMONS is a particle physicist invited by Ivan to be a guest worker at the Accelerator. When she inadvertently becomes privy to Ivan’s murderous agenda, she’s hurtled from her sheltered existence and forced to run for her life, learning the meaning of keen wit along the way. Not your typical academic, Laura is a striking blonde, innocent yet sporty, and manages to pull it off with great poise. Laura and Dean suffer many calamities together, and become lovers.

KEVIN COWAN, the pilot of the mining expedition team, is Ivan’s flunky, a “sniveling little puppet,” in Dean’s choice words. Ivan had rescued him from the dead-end job of piloting shuttles between Earth and its moon. Kevin, grateful for the new challenge, dedicated himself to doing Ivan’s bidding, whatever it happens to be. Kevin follows Ivan to the Accelerator to become the chief engineer and is the key operator in harvesting the entities for Ivan. With Kevin on his side, Ivan’s plan to systematically take out the remainder of the crew that discovered the entities is on track, leaving him free to harvest the entities to maintain his high intellect.

KAREN JENKINS, Dean’s wife at the time of the mining expedition, is the team medic and biologist. Of Caucasian and Asian descent, her daintiness and beauty is comparable to her favorite flower, the orchid. Shortly after Dean settles into his position on the Eagle Base Station, she and Dean split. This spirals into an acrimonious encounter, which will provide Ivan and Kevin the perfect ammunition for the finale of their grand plan to eliminate those with knowledge of the entities: kill her and frame Dean for her murder.

“UNCLE” JOHN BECKER, the Minister of Transportation and Communication for the planet Draco, is an African-American and a good friend of Laura’s who will prove instrumental in helping Dean and Laura.

MATT JENKINS, Karen’s brother, is head of security for Eagle Base Station. He is tough and hot-headed, and he and Dean are best of friends. But, when Matt finds Karen’s body in her apartment and signs point to Dean as her killer, his friendship for Dean corrodes into barely containable rage. He wants Dean convicted and sent to prison for life.

Happy Reading!