A Normal Day

Stepping out into the hall, Ken looks both ways. The hall looks much like any other on the base. Many doors line the hallway he has entered. He moves swiftly through the halls on his normal daily path to the mess. Breakfast has always been an important meal for Ken. It is what allows him to work his best throughout the day. This morning he has eggs, two pieces of toast, and some bacon.

After eating, he heads on to the lab and begins his normal day of working. He is currently working on a new type of anesthetic drug that can be applied to the skin and numb a much larger area than is currently possible. If he is able to find the correct molecular and chemical structure, this drug will allow surgery in the field for major accidents easier. Doctors will not have to necessarily stabilize a patient completely in order to anesthetize an injured part of the body such as a leg or arm.

Morning Ritual

As he wakes up in the morning, Kenneth Spencer finds his surroundings confusing for just a moment before realizing he is exactly where he should be. He is in his room, on the research compound. His room is rather drab, not unlike any other military barracks. As he fully gains consciousness, he sits up and can see the end of his bed. A rather small bed, but enough for one. There is a small desk with a terminal on it and a chair in which to sit. There is a small cabinet next to the bed in which he has a few personal items. Within sight, there are also two doors leading away from the small bedroom.

As Ken gets up to prepare for his day, he heads towards one of the doors. Through the door, he finds what he always finds, his bathroom and dressing area. There is a small closet with no door which contains his clothes and lab coats for his work. It also has a few sets of civilian clothes. He makes his way into the shower, still somewhat drowsy, and proceeds with the beginning of his day.

After his shower, he looks at himself in the mirror. He is generally attractive to most; has short brown hair and brown eyes. Usually, he is clean shaven, though he passes today. He is muscular, but not overburdened with size. Moving toward the closet, he picks his normal daily fare, a simple shirt and pant with a lab coat. More awake now, Ken swiftly moves about his room preparing to leave for the day. He picks up the last few things he needs, his identification card, some credits, and his watch and leaves through the other door into the corridor.

Prologue

Life has been good to Ken. He grew up in a wealthy family on the planet Ariel. He was well educated in the Alliance government education system, as all Core planet children were. Early in his life, he wanted to become a doctor. And, when old enough, he moved off to the planet Shinon to one of the three finest medical schools. He did well in school, scoring in the top ten percent of his class. And, when the war began, he volunteered for medical service.

A staunch supporter of the Alliance, he felt it only his duty to save as many lives as he could. So, when approached about working in the Research and Development of better medicines and surgery techinques, Ken jumped at the chance to help. Little did he know that this decision was to lead him down an unexpected and dangerous road that would affect the rest of his life in ways he could never imagine.