The Characters
Brandon Sparks
A twelve year old boy with dark skin, dark eyes and short dark hair. He
is very unpopular at school and his only friend is an amazingly intelligent
and funny house computer named Charlie. Brandon dreams of being the pilot
of a starship and has mastered numerous flight simulations, practicing
with his best friend every chance he gets. He lives with his happily married
parents in Plainview until the day they get a very special phone call
that turns their world upside down.
Charlie
He is the Sparks’ family house computer and Brandon’s best
friend. He has no physical characteristics, but the voice of a middle-aged
man. Charlie is responsible for all the functions of the house. He is
highly intelligent, funny and does not act like a typical computer. To
say that he was special, would be a gross understatement. He gives Brandon
a very special and powerful watch before he leaves to board the Hidden
Sun. The two use this to communicate with one another.
Vanessa Sparks
A thin woman with light brown eyes, long dark hair, and dark skin. She
is Brandon’s mother and works as a botanist. She is as lovely as
a spring day, and loves her son very much.
Matthew Sparks
A tall man with almond colored skin and noticeably muscular arms. He has
dark brown eyes and short brown hair to go with his slight pot belly.
He is Brandon’s father and also works as a botanist. He is passionate
about fishing and loves going on his boat, “The Stress Reliever.”
Reggie Thacker
A light skinned boy with light brown hair, parted to the side. He is an
“off-worlder,” born on a starship and has never actually been
outside of one. He quickly becomes one of Brandon’s closest friends
on board the Hidden Sun, as well as his bunk mate. Reggie excels at solving
puzzles and snoring like a chainsaw.
Frank Drek
Short black hair, at least four inches taller than Brandon and bulky.
He is the biggest twelve-year old on board the Hidden Sun in both height
and width and a total bully who takes pleasure in pushing people to the
ground. The other children only talk to him because if they don’t,
he’d probably beat them up. As brutish as Frank seems, he has the
uncanny ability to fix all things mechanical.
Traylor Donovan
She is defined by her red hair, freckles and pale skin. A tough as nails
tomboy who excels at physical sports. Could give Frank Drek a run for
his money in a fist fight and it has almost come to that on several occasions!
She has lived on a starship before but not for her entire life. She is
an excellent Pilot, second only to Brandon Sparks in skill.
Jackson Slynter – Sly
A stowaway aboard the Hidden Sun and as mysterious a child as there has
ever been. He dresses in all black with a long black leather overcoat
which is torn to shreds in the back. His dark hair is long and sloppy
and hangs down to his chin. At times his face is the shade of death, accented
by the large ‘X’ shaped scar on his left cheek and his unusually
scratchy voice. Sly is extremely nimble and able to do physical and mental
things a boy his age should not be able to do. He is also one of Brandon’s
closest friends.
Carlos Santiago
He has olive skin, dark hair parted in the middle and dark eyes. A terrestrial
just like Brandon and both his friend and roommate. Carlos is a very nice
boy, but he is easily scared. He enjoys his time spent recuperating in
the Medical Center and desires to work there.
Captain Rexford Smoke
A tall man with dark skin and short dark hair, graying on the sides. His
voice is very deep and commanding. As Captain of the Hidden Sun, he wears
navy blue slacks and a matching blazer with four silver stars pinned to
his left breast. He is very intelligent and an excellent Captain. General
Zarafat, the leader of the Ptevos forces is his archenemy and they have
battled many times in the past with no clear victor.
General Zarafat
A member of the Ptevos, an evil race of aliens that resemble upright,
technologically advanced rhinoceroses, bent on conquering the galaxy.
He is at least seven feet tall with thick gray skin as tough as steel.
His arms are short and powerful and his legs are thick as tree trunks.
He wears a thin black armor over his torso and dark pants. General Zarafat’s
eyes are as black as onyx and he has a large off-white horn, which sticks
out just above his forehead. At the base it is six inches thick and at
least a foot long. His deep smoky voice is extremely menacing. He hates
the fact that he has not been able to kill his archenemy, Captain Smoke.
General George Swift
The American General is a middle-aged man who dresses in a navy blue jacket
with five shiny silver stars on his chest. He has short gray hair and
a very stern look on his face. A small, thick cigar is constantly sticking
out the corner of his mouth. Deep down he truly wants what’s best
for his country but does not have faith in President Matthews, so he disregards
his orders, causing some major problems.
President Victor P. Matthews
He is a middle aged man with graying dirty blond hair. He is the President
of the United States and when disobeyed by General Swift, shows up to
reward Brandon. When the two stand face to face, Brandon gets the inkling
that the President is familiar to him but he just can’t put his
finger on it.
Ship’s Computer/Sarah
Controls every facet of the Hidden Sun. Just like Charlie, she has no
physical characteristics, but the voice of a woman in her thirties. At
first the ship’s computer was very cold and clinical toward Brandon,
but becomes sentient when the Hidden Sun’s power goes off and Charlie
turns it back on. Chooses the name Sarah because it is Brandon’s
mother’s middle name and because she likes it. Sarah decides that
she will not respond to “ship’s computer” anymore. She
has grown to be a motherly figure to Brandon in the absence of his own.
V
A shadowy figure who is able to contact Brandon the same way Charlie does,
on his watch. His true identity is kept very secret and even Charlie is
unwilling to disclose much about him. V is somehow very knowledgeable
about what goes on aboard the Hidden Sun and gives Brandon cryptic advice
to help him succeed against the Ptevos. He created the amazing watch Charlie
gave to Brandon before he left for space.
Section Chief Ackerman
A short fat man, balding on top with the remainder of his hair slicked
back. Has a thick mustache that curls at the ends and a gruff voice. He
determines and distributes the job assignments to the kids aboard the
Hidden Sun and supervises their Bridge simulation sessions.
Dr. Ramirez
A short, plump, jolly man, who likes to hum. He looks like a penguin and
sort of waddles like one, but moves quickly for a man of his girth. He
is the main doctor aboard the Hidden Sun and carries a large electronic
touch pad tablet called a Shana. While Dr. Ramirez is very kind, he has
an unorthodox style of providing healthcare and enjoys lollipops.
Lieutenant Roy Bunts
In his early fifties with medium length salt and pepper hair. His forearms
are large and his fingers very thick and beaten up from years of fixing
things. His most striking feature are his blue eyes, which stand out like
beams of light. He has three silver stars pinned to his uniform and is
in charge of the Engineering Room, overseeing all maintenance on the Hidden
Sun.