Dr. Eli Vega
Scientist and Project Starling Engineer
Dr. Eli Vega
Supporting Character / Scientist
Biography
Dr. Eli Vega is a brilliant scientist who served as the senior systems engineer for Fragment Psi before the pirate attack. Specializing in quantum flux technology, he was secretly recruited to work on Project Starling, QuantumGrid's classified miniaturized Dyson sphere prototype. Due to strict corporate non-disclosure agreements, he was forbidden from discussing the project with anyone—including Administrator Chen, with whom he had been in a relationship for five years.
When the pirate attack fractured the Dyson Array, Vega found himself stranded on Fragment Psi with thirteen other survivors. For three years, he helped maintain their dwindling resources and life support systems, showing remarkable ingenuity despite increasingly desperate circumstances. Their situation had deteriorated to the point of sleeping in the cold and rationing food to one meal per day when Jack and Aggie rescued them from their dying fragment.
After being brought to Fragment Alpha, Vega's expertise became invaluable to the evacuation plan. His intimate knowledge of Project Starling's components and design allowed for the successful assembly and activation of the prototype. Despite initial tension with Chen over his past secrecy, they gradually begin to rebuild trust as they work toward the common goal of evacuating the cluster's survivors.
Personality Traits
Appearances
- The Jackrabbit Emerges (Book 3) - Rescued from Fragment Psi by Jack and later provides crucial technical expertise for assembling the Starling prototype. His past relationship with Administrator Chen creates personal tension amidst their professional collaboration.
Key Relationships
Administrator Chen
Vega and Chen were in a relationship for five years before his transfer to another project. His inability to tell her about Project Starling due to corporate security measures created significant tension when they reunited after the rescue from Fragment Psi. Despite this strained history, they begin working toward reconciliation as they collaborate on the evacuation plan.
Jack Abbott
Vega quickly develops respect for Jack after being rescued from Fragment Psi. He recognises Jack's unique abilities and natural intelligence, frequently working alongside him during component retrieval missions and the prototype assembly. Their relationship is marked by mutual respect and a shared dedication to helping the cluster's survivors.
Fragment Psi Survivors
As the senior engineer on Psi, Vega played a critical role in keeping his fellow survivors alive for three years under increasingly dire circumstances. The group maintained remarkable unity and resilience despite their hardships, never giving up hope of eventual rescue.