Rosalyn Winters
Rosalyn Winters is a 12-year-old human, born on a Starfleet flagship under the command of an ambitious young Captain, Rodrigo Doenitz. She has some Cairn blood in her ancestry. She’s 5’1”, and weighs about 105 lbs, lithe and slender, with pale, somewhat wan skin. Her deep brown eyes are penetrating, although she often looks sad. She is on board the USS Hades as a civilian, and is played by GrannyGM.
Background[edit]
Rosalyn’s father, Ensign JG Jarrod Winters, is an engineer recently assigned to the USS Hades, as of their last stop at Starbase Geneva. He previously served briefly on board the USS Boudicca, but was wounded in battle, and was left behind at the starbase to take advantage of better medical facilities. Before that, Jarrod was a Lieutenant SG on board a Federation ship during Admiral Doenitz's rapid assention through the ranks. Finally, Jarrod defected to the 52nd Fleet, as his principles became important to him than career advancement, and his latent suspicions about the circumstances of his wife's death resurfaced with the unsastisfactory 'official' resolution of his parents' cause of death back on Earth. He accepted this reduction in rank gracefully, and is now working to rebuild his career from scratch for a cause he believes in.
Rosalyn's mother, Leticia, died when Rosalyn was six years old. She and Rosalyn were then living with Jarrod on board the Federation ship to which he was assigned, Leticia serving as a civilian teacher. During that time, “Tish”, as Leticia preferred to be called, began to be regarded with suspicion by certain factions on board the ship. She was a quiet woman, a good teacher, and a loving mother, but she subtly taught the children in her own way, and displayed tendecies more easily associated with her one distant Cairn ancestor than with her human heritage. Her sudden, mysterious death was officially listed as a suicide, brought on by the “mental disturbance” Tish’s odd ways of thinking and her interest in very ancient spiritual pathways were considered to display.
However, Rosalyn was hiding in the shadows at the time, and witnessed her mother’s murder. She decided, in her childlike way, that speaking the truth, even quietly, was a dangerous thing… thus, since that trauma, she has not spoken at all, as far as anyone now living knows. But she saw the perpetrators clearly, and through quiet, unnoticed observation, she figured out that the people who killed her mother only liked humans... and that the Captain secretly felt the same way.
After Tish died, Jarrod tried for a time to keep Rosalyn with him. But his growing concern over her condition, and the stress of trying to deal with it as a suddenly single parent, finally prompted him to send her to live with his parents on Earth.
Rosalyn was eight years old when she first met her grandparents. They were kind enough, but strange. Rosalyn’s grandfather was quite the tinkerer… he had once been an experimental engineer for Starfleet, but had taken “early retirement” as an alternative to dismissal when his “uncooperative” attitude had become an issue. However, he had continued to conduct experiments in the catacombs below the couple’s ancient ancestral home near Natchez, Mississippi.
He thought his activities were secret from all but his wife, but, of course, Rosalyn was aware of them as she watched from the shadows, fascinated. When Rosalyn’s grandmother, who was far more astute than anyone gave her credit for, realized that the child had been watching, she quietly explained to her that at a certain level, technology and “magic” become indistinguishable… but she promised not to break Rosalyn’s trust by revealing the girl’s eavesdropping to her husband. Rumors were circulated among the household staff that Rosalyn actually spoke with her grandmother, but they were never confirmed, as the old woman kept her private interactions with the girl in strict confidence until her dying day.
Thinking that a pet might help Rosalyn come out of her silence, Grandmother presented her with a rescued calico alley kitten on her 9th birthday, which Gramdmother named Micelle (pronounced “mee- sell). Rosalyn was silently thrilled, immediately becoming attached to the cat. The attachment was mutual. Rosalyn’s public silence remained, but a special bond was formed.
Rosalyn lived in relative happiness with her grandparents and her cat until just after her 12th birthday, when both of them died in an “accident” related to her grandfather’s experiments, which, apparently, had been discovered by certain forces that considered them, and the old couple performing them, to be a threat. No one knows for sure if Rosalyn was a witness to her grandparent’s murder.
One of her aunts, who has since died of natural causes, took Rosalyn in temporarily until she could be sent back to her father, who called for her upon hearing of his parent’s death. He felt that now that he was free of the oppressive atmosphere of the Doenitz’ regime, and there was no one left to protect but his daughter, that it would now be best for her to be at his side. All the “therapies” she had received on Earth had done no noticeable good, and Jerrod became determined to preserve and protect what was left of his family, in any way possible.
To this point, Rosalyn’s apparent silence has remained in force. Rather than becoming timid due to the trauma she has experienced, she copes with it by being coldly fearless, sometimes ignoring, or even embracing, real danger. She seems neither happy nor unhappy with her present living arrangement, and she remains withdrawn, living in her own strange, but rich, inner world, sharing it freely only with her beloved cat.
Medical History[edit]
Rosalyn’s physical health is excellent, but she has mental health issues. She apparently suffers from depression, but since she has not spoken since her mother died, this diagnosis is not certain, nor is the projected diagnosis of borderline autism that has been added to her file. One of Rosalyn’s distant ancestors was Cairn, which may be a factor in the manner of her response to the trauma of her mother’s death, as well as hinting at possible telepathic ability… but since the child does not speak, a firm assessment of this is nearly impossible to obtain.
Personal Notes[edit]
Rosalyn is an untrained, uncontrolled natural telepath of moderate ability. She is quietly clever, curious and intelligent, often surprising the adults who have the time and/or inclination to observe her closely. She has a photographic memory, especially regarding things of interest to her. She accurately recalls designs, measurements and strange details; such as specific shape of a window in an old house or the exact color palette in a particular evening sunset; the number of gears in a grandfather clock; or the plasma ratio mix for a warp engine under specific conditions. She also has a very sharp sense of smell, and is adept at identifying the origin of the scents she perceives. She is very good at slipping away from her caregivers and hiding, and then wandering the ship at will.
Rosalyn’s favorite pastime is playing with her cat Micelle. She likes to try to teach the cat tricks, which she does with a surprising degree of success, considering the cat’s particularly willful and independent attitude. The only times Rosalyn has been seen to smile have been when playing with Micelle. She does speak in secret to the cat, but only when she is sure no one is listening… and with her telepathic sensitivity, she is quite capable of making sure no one hears her.
She enjoys taking things apart and putting things back together to see how they work… and in most cases, the reconstructed items are superior to the original. She also loved to read, preferring tales of hauntings and other forms of contact with the dead, and ancient Earth “fairy tales” in their original, unabridged form.
Rosalyn always wears an onyx necklace that formerly belonged to her mother.
Growing Up Among the Stars[edit]
Rosalyn arrived on the USS Boudicca only a few weeks ago, but since she had spent her early childhood on starships, she adjusted quickly. However, she was unhappy there. When her father was severely injured in a battle with boarding marines, the family was sent to Starbase Geneva, so that Jarrod could receive the better quality of care offered there. Upon recovery, he requested and was granted reassignment to the USS Hades. Rosalyn and Micelle came on board with him.
