Dr. Eugene Exton 

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Eugene Exton displayed signs of superintelligence before the age of five, solving complex mathematical equations, designing simple AI constructs, and questioning the structure of spacetime long before his formal education began. The son of a molecular biologist and a theoretical physicist, Maurice was surrounded by brilliance—but it was clear early on that he was something more.

 By his twenties, he had published groundbreaking papers that redefined the limits of quantum field theory and proposed viable frameworks for controlled wormhole generation. His theories, once seen as radical, became the backbone of next-generation propulsion, energy harvesting, and interstellar communication.

 Seeking freedom from bureaucratic red tape and institutional limitation, he founded Exton Industries, a private scientific conglomerate that would go on to become the most advanced and well-funded research organization in human history. Exton Industries was not just a company; it was a movement, attracting the greatest minds across physics, AI, bioengineering, and space colonization under one shared vision: survival through knowledge.

 When Earth began its rapid descent into environmental collapse—oceans rising, ecosystems failing, and food systems crumbling, Exton’s voice rose above the chaos. While governments stalled and argued, he launched the Exodus Initiative: a privately funded, data-driven interstellar search for a new homeworld. Using his own deep-space scanning satellites, powered by Exton’s proprietary Singularity Fusion Core, his team discovered Tataria, a habitable planet hidden behind electromagnetic anomalies in an uncharted sector.

 He led the Tataria Evaluation Expedition, deploying terraforming probes, atmospheric drones, and quantum-mapped biological surveys. Against all odds, Tataria proved viable. And the countdown to Earth’s final chapter began.

 Despite being hailed as a savior of the species, Exton remains an enigma. Some see him as a visionary hero. Others whisper rumors—that his AI research borders on godlike sentience, that Exton Industries is working on post-human evolution, and that Tataria may not be as untouched as believed.

 What is certain: Dr. Eugene Exton is humanity’s brightest mind—and perhaps its most dangerous one.

Dr. Michelle Haley was one of Earth's foremost authorities on extraterrestrial biology and linguistics. Driven by a lifelong fascination with the unknown, she became the face of humanity’s quest to connect with intelligent life beyond the solar system. Her groundbreaking work with microbial life recovered from Martian subsurface ice, combined with her fluency in over a dozen Earth languages, made her uniquely qualified for deep-space contact missions.

Years before the discovery of Tataria, Dr. Haley led the Phoenix Light Expedition, a long-range scouting mission to investigate potential biosignatures detected near the Orion Drift. But during the voyage, her vessel suffered a critical systems failure, severing all communication and leaving her ship drifting in dark space. The scientific world mourned her as a fallen pioneer—her name etched on memorials, her image immortalized in textbooks.

In truth, her ship was intercepted by a cloaked Tatarian scout vessel—an encounter that would alter the trajectory of her life and perhaps humanity’s future.

Upon awakening aboard the alien craft, Dr. Haley was brought before Autarch Xrut’orq, the ruler of Tataria, who immediately recognized her intellect and scientific value. Though initially treated as a captive, she was not imprisoned—instead, she was studied. And she, in turn, studied them.

Over time, Dr. Haley's curiosity overcame her fear. She immersed herself in Tatarian culture, deciphering their glyph-based language and learning their technological systems. Unlike anything humans had yet imagined, Tatarian civilization was ancient, brutal, yet strangely poetic—rooted in a deep reverence for cosmic balance and genetic lineage.

Her breakthrough came when she helped decode a Tatarian archival vault containing genetic data on extinct life from multiple galaxies. Xrut’orq, intrigued by her ability to understand their lost history, began to consult her on matters of science, philosophy, and even strategy. Their unlikely bond evolved beyond politics—a mixture of mutual respect, curiosity, and perhaps something deeper and unspoken.

Now considered a “living relic” within Tatarian high society, Dr. Haley walks a razor's edge. She is both guest and hostage, asset and potential threat. Unbeknownst to Earth, she holds the keys to understanding Tatarian intentions—and perhaps, she is the only one capable of forging peace… or igniting war.

Dr. Evelyn Peterson is a senior xenobiologist with over three decades of field experience, known for her sharp intellect, methodical approach, and commanding presence. With piercing insight and a reputation for no-nonsense leadership, Dr. Peterson has become one of Exton Industries’ most trusted scientific advisors aboard the UNES, humanity’s leading vessel for off-world exploration and colonization.

 Raised in Cape Town, South Africa, Evelyn’s fascination with life beyond Earth began as a child, sparked by stargazing with her grandfather and an early love for evolutionary biology. She pursued dual doctorates in astrobiology and genetic virology, later becoming a pioneer in the study of extremophiles found beneath Antarctica’s subglacial lakes, organisms she would one day compare to the microbial systems discovered on alien worlds.

 Recruited by Dr. Eugene Exton for her expertise in deep-space biocontainment, Peterson became instrumental in drafting the first biohazard protocols for extraterrestrial contact, serving as the cornerstone of safety aboard the UNES. As Chief Xenobiologist, she leads a team of researchers who catalog alien life, assess planetary biospheres for potential colonization, and study the complex immune responses of organisms to non-terrestrial environments.

 Evelyn is both respected and feared among her peers. Her high standards and clinical precision often leave little room for error, but her mentorship has shaped some of the finest young scientists in the program. She’s particularly wary of romanticized first contact—believing too much optimism and too little preparation can doom an entire species. As she often says, “The alien isn’t evil or good—it’s just different. And different can be deadly.”

Dr. Calder Ozmos is a highly skilled, fiercely curious xenobiologist serving as second-in-command to Dr. Evelyn Peterson aboard the Exton Research Vessel (UNES). Though not as publicly celebrated as some of his peers, Dr. Ozmos is deeply respected within the scientific community for his unconventional brilliance and hands-on approach to alien life systems.

 Born in Prague and raised in a family of virologists, Calder was practically bred for microscopic warfare. However, where his parents focused on containment and eradication, Ozmos leaned into coexistence—obsessed with the idea that alien organisms might not just threaten life, but evolve it. He studied molecular virology and exobiology, later earning recognition for his fieldwork during the Mars microbe incident, where he devised a reactive protein barrier that saved several colonists from organ failure due to spore inhalation.

 Dr. Ozmos joined Exton Industries after publishing a series of controversial papers arguing that alien parasitic systems could be harnessed for regenerative medicine. Though his ideas were initially dismissed as dangerous or reckless, Dr. Peterson saw potential in his mind—and perhaps a mirror of her younger, more daring self.

 Now working under her leadership, Ozmos serves as both a confidant and a counterbalance. While Peterson is cautious and methodical, Ozmos is exploratory, often pushing research boundaries to unlock hidden potential in alien life. Their professional relationship is tense but productive, marked by mutual respect and frequent ethical disagreements. He often refers to Peterson as “the brakes I need to push the engine.”