Erica Radcliffe

[PurpleRiver]

Name:	Erica Radcliffe
Age:	23 in 2518
Gender:	Female
Occupation:	Pilot
Secondary:	Passenger
Appearance:	Erica is pretty with a girl-next-door quality. Her hair is brown, long and shiny. She stands at 5' 6" and is a healthy weight. She has a natural grace that comes from many years of taking dance classes, and she walks with confidence. She has a genuine smile that she gives freely. She dresses quite fashionably and it would be obvious to most that she is a Core girl. She favours comfort, but it is just natural for her to make an effort. As for make-up, she keeps it natural-looking.
Avatar Name:	Natalie Portman
Equipment:	Clothing. Expensive laptop. Top-end PDA/Communications Device Revolver.
Initial Personality:	If Erica is meeting you for the first time in your comfort zone, she is quite shy at first. She probably won't know what to say or what she should be doing. She is not timid though - it's usually clear she has self-confidence and is comfortable in her own skin. But she does get nervous when meeting new people, which she can then overcompensate for by being especially loud and energetic. If Erica meets you for the first time in her comfort zone, she is very friendly and welcoming. She is quiet and polite, but will do her best to make you feel comfortable in the situation. She tries to be nice, and believes in treating others as she would want to be treated.
Underlying Personality:	Erica is a bright, young woman. She is very academically intelligent, but much to her own amusement she can often be very dense when it comes to the 'simple' things. Sometimes she can be completely oblivious to hints, or she can overlook the obvious in favour of a more complicated solution. She is generous with her knowledge though, and gracious, having learned that people can become jealous of a person labeled 'smart'. Erica does see herself as a bit of a doormat, but she would rather be the one being pushed over than the one doing the pushing. She will often put others above herself without even thinking about it, and in the past she has done this only to be taken advantage of. She is always there to listen or advise or just be a shoulder to lean on. There's a saying that Erica often recites: "If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all." That pretty much sums up her attitude towards people she does not like. People that try to get a rise out of her or insult her usually fail to get any reaction. If continually pushed she will snap and shout, but it is rare that she will let her temper go. However, if she sees someone mistreating someone else Erica is quick to defend the person. She will speak or act out in defense of others long before she does so for herself. Erica was always a very happy person, eternal optimist and complete romantic. Lately however she has been less happy-go-lucky. She's not sure what she wants to do with her life. Her unwavering belief in the Alliance is wavering quite a lot. Her conviction that people are inherently good doesn't seem so true anymore. All this combined has driven her to leave her life behind to discover something new. Erica is a family-orientated girl and would, if she's honest, rather be at home where it is safe and comfortable. But she felt the need to get out in the black and see the 'verse. And she has this half-baked notion that she will discover the truth about the Alliance - how she is going to do that she has no idea.
Known History:	Born in 2495 on Ariel. Glowing academic records through High School. Several extra-curricular activities including drama, debating, ballet, hip-hop, mathletes, glee club. Went to university on Londinium - high marks throughout her studies. Up-to-date pilot's license. Qualified as a teacher in 2518. No employment record. No criminal record. No military record.
Other History:	Erica grew up comfortably in the core. She has two older brothers, both who took up careers in the Alliance military - Richard, the eldest, became a marine before the war broke out and Keith joined the Alliance Navy as a medic in 2509. As such, Erica was brought up with a deep respect for the Alliance and as a child expected to sign up herself. In her free time once she was old enough she began learning to fly but over time (thanks to the influence of her brothers) the desire of joining the Alliance Air Force diminished. The war worried her because it put her brothers in danger, but she never really thought about the politics of it. Her brothers were defending what was right; what was there to question? Erica was a good student through elementary and junior school. She had a couple good friends, but was never popular. She often felt like an outsider though she could never figure out what it was about her that made her feel that way. She loved to read and write and daydream; maybe other kids thought she was weird or were jealous of her good grades. She was bullied from time to time, but one or both of her brothers were there to 'protect' her. Erica was really close to her brothers as a child; she looked up to them and loved them more than anything else. When Erica began High School, both her brothers had left home by that time. So Erica was on her own really for the first time. Without her brothers to intimidate the other kids, Erica was bullied quite a bit. It was never anything physical, nothing she could ever really point out to someone. It was just enough to make her feel alone and unwanted in the world. But, in retrospect, it made her a much stronger person. She threw herself into her studies and graduated second in her class - missing out the valedictorian spot by a fraction of a point. It felt like a major blow at the time, but Erica got accepted to her first choice college and decided that was good enough. In college Erica blossomed. On the very first day she met a girl who became her best friend ever since. They were very unlike each other but clicked nonetheless. Erica also met her first boyfriend, and subsequent others. She immersed herself in the college party lifestyle, but studied just as hard as ever. She graduated with full honours and faced the great dilemma of her life thus far: what to do next? Erica had a lot of very varied interests; her childhood dream had been to be a pilot for the Alliance, she was interested in Law, she thought she would make a great Math teacher, she toyed with the idea of becoming a writer, she loved to act. Eventually she decided she would become a teacher and so continued her education to qualify. Then, relaxing one evening in front of the box, her favourite show was interrupted. The Miranda Broadcast shook Erica's world. She was quick to dismiss it, rationalize it as a hoax. But, something in her brother's face, in his silence, made her wonder. Of course he had no knowledge of it one way or the other, but it seemed like he wasn't surprised; that it could be true. Erica tried to forget about it, but she couldn't. She had been playing with the idea of taking a year or two out before settling down to her teaching career, to travel the 'verse and now she really felt the need to travel. She just couldn't stay in her perfect little Core world anymore. Despite the danger, she felt like she needed to get out and see the 'verse, and maybe, find the truth.
Skills:	Academically gifted. Erica is no genius, but she is high above average when it comes to academic learning. She's studied hard all her life and grasps things pretty easily. If she can find a text-book, or a Cortex, she can learn a lot in a short amount of time. Piloting. Erica is competent, though untested. She has the proper qualifications but no experience. Computers. Erica is good with computers, but only in terms of doing what they're designed to do. She is not a hacker, nor is she a programmer. But she can troubleshoot like a pro. Confidence. Erica is pretty secure in herself. She isn't intimidated psychologically much at all. Years of being bullied have given her a strength of character and an ability to just let insults or bad-mouthing roll off her like water off a duck's back. Sunny disposition. For the most part, Erica looks on the bright side of life. Core-worlder. She was born and raised on the Core so she knows the customs and ways of the Core.
Weaknesses:	Practical Learning. In contrast to her skill at book-learning, Erica doesn't do very well with hands-on learning. If she doesn't understand something she gets frustrated easily which can quickly turn to annoyance. If there's someone trying to teach her and that person doesn't have much patience, it probably won't end well. No fighting experience. Erica is physically fit, healthy and strong but she's never been in a fight. If backed into a corner she will fight, but she has no trained skill and is entirely untested in such situations. She bought a gun before she left home, and found it surprisingly easy to use at the range, but has never used it in a real life situation. Core-worlder. Erica doesn't know much about the Border and even less about the Rim. No mechanical skill, no ability to cook with protein paste or other non-real foods.