Lady Deirdre Skye

Name: Deirdre Skye
Rank: Lt. Commander
Position: Chief Botanist/
Xenobiologist
Country of Origin: Scotland
DOB: 05-28-2025
Height: 170.1 cm
Weight: 52.2 kg

Service Record:
Born 2025, Edinburgh Scotland, father a U.N. security consultant assigned to various crisis locales worldwide. Studied at Cornell University School of Agriculture, acquired Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Environmental Biology, Masters in Biology, Ph.D. Biology and Genetics. Immediately distinguished self with deep intuitive knowledge of plant strains and ability to intuit powerful genetic manipulations at Bionex Research Lab, White Plains, N.Y.
Later worked for Red Cross and United Nations Disaster Relief Fund to revitalize radiation contaminated areas with highly specialized biostrains (Skye variation v097 apple and Skye Mark IV wheat strain considered as highest examples of adaptable biogenetics in contaminated soil). Selected as top candidate for Mission Botanist/Xenobiologist by U.N. Alpha Centauri Mission Committee, appointed against wishes of Chief Science Officer Prokhor Zakharov.

Psych Profile: Conservationist
Relies on deep intuitive sense combined with scientific knowledge for determination of future actions. Powerful mind and will combined with broad base of knowledge leads her to excel in chosen area of expertise. Sense of isolation from childhood events (e.g. divorce of parents) and pre-launch events reinforces strong tendency to introversion.
Strong connection to environmental causes may cloud scientific judgment; strong democratic leadership style may result in subject placing welfare of loyal subordinates above welfare of mission as a whole. Appeals to reason should prove effective in discouraging these behaviors.

Quotes:
Having now established a secure perimeter, we've made ourselves relatively safe from enemy incursions. But against the seemingly random attacks by Planet's native life, only our array warning sensors can help us, for the mind worms infiltrate through every crevice and chew through anything softer than plasma-steel.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "The Early Years"

Observe the Razorbeak as it tends so carefully to the fungal blooms; just the right bit from the yellow, then a swatch from the pink. Follow the Glow Mites as they gather and organize the fallen spores. What higher order guides their work? Mark my words: someone or something is managing the ecology of this planet.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "Planet Dreams"

The fungus has been Planet's dominant lifeform since about the time of the Lower Paleozoic on Earth. But when, once every hundred million years or so, the neural net at last achieves the critical mass necessary to become sentient, the final metamorphosis kills of most of the other life on the planet. It is possible that we humans can help to break this tragic cycle.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "Planet Dreams"

The prevalence of anoxic environments rich in organic material, combined with the presence of nitrated compounds has led to an astonishing variety of underground organisms which live in the absence of oxygen and "breathe" nitrate. Likewise, the scarcity of carbon in the environment has forced plants to economize on its use. Thus, all our efforts to return carbon to the biosphere will encourage the native life to proliferate. Conversely, the huge quantities of nitrate in the soil will be heaven to human farmers.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "The Early Years"

I believe Planet will talk to us if we are willing to listen. These fungal stalks behave as multistate relays: taken together, the neural net connectivity must be staggering. Can a planet be said to have achieved sentience?
Lady Deirdre Skye, Arguments in Council
Accompanies the Secret Project "The Xenoempathy Dome"

From the delicate strands, between minds we weave out mesh: a blanket to warm the soul.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "The Collected Poems"
Accompanies the Secret Project "The Telepathic Matrix"

You are the children of a dead planet, EarthDeirdre, and this death we do not comprehend. We shall take you in, but may we ask this question--will we too catch the planetdeath disease?
Lady Deirdre Skye, "Conversations With Planet"

Eternity lies ahead of us, and behind. Have you drunk your fill?
Lady Deirdre Skye, "Conversations With Planet", Epilogue

No longer mere earthbeings and planetbeings are we, but bright children of the stars! And together we shall dance in and out of ten billion years, celebrating the gift of consciousness until the stars themselves grow cold and weary, and our thoughts turn again to the beginning.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "Conversations With Planet", Epilogue

You waited so long to heed us, EarthDeirdre,
Almost we pruned you, as we may yet prune your branches.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "Conversations With Planet"

We welcome you, EarthDeirdreand earthwheat and earthtree as honored guests, for you add great power to our ancient song--planetfungus and planetworm and planetmind sing and play here, and you are welcome among us.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "Conversation with Planet"
Accompanies the Secret Project "The Pholus Mutagen"

Planet's atmosphere, though a gasping death to humans and most animals, is paradise for Earth plants. The high nitrate content of the soil and the rich yellow sunlight bring an abundant harvest wherever adjustments can be made for the unusual soil conditions.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "A Comparative Biology of Planet"

The Isle of the Deep is really not a single creature but a colony of thousands of individual tubules, an aquatic vector of the Mind Worm which terrorizes Planet's continents. Over its lifetime certain tubules secrete a tough, gluelike substance which hardens to form the characteristic shell that floats the colony and creates the appearance of a rogue island.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "A Comparative Biology of Planet"

As the writhing, teeming mass of mindworms swarmed over the outer perimeter, we saw the defenders recoil in horror. "Stay calm! Use your flame guns!" shouted the commander, but to no avail. It is well know that the Mind Worm Boil uses psychic terror to paralyze its prey, and then carefully implants ravenous larvae into the brains of its still-conscious victims. Even with the best weapons, only the most disciplined troops can resist this horrific attack.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "Our Secret War"
Accompanies the Secret Project "The Citizen's Defense Force"

Symbols are the key to telepathy. The mind wraps its secrets in symbols; when we discover the symbols that shape our enemy's thought, we can penetrate the vault of his mind.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "Our Secret War"
Accompanies the Secret Project "The Empath Guild"

I shall not confront Planet as an enemy, but shall accept its mysteries as gifts to be cherished. Nor shall I crudely seek to peel the layers away like the skin from an onion. Instead I shall gather them together as the tree gathers the breeze. The wind shall blow and I shall bend. The sky shall open and I shall drink my fill.
Gaian Acolytes Prayer
Accompanies the Secret Project "The Weather Paradigm"

In the great commons at Gaia's Landing we have a tall and particularly beautiful stand of white pine, planted at the time of the first colonies. It represents our promise to the people, and to Planet itself, never to repeat the tragedy of Earth.
Lady Deirdre Skye, "Planet Dreams"