Bryce is a bright and eager teenager, born to a wealthy family on Eidos IV, near the Core Worlds. By eager, that means he wanted nothing more than to escape the over protective leash of his parents. His greatest talent, aside from being a very focused and fast learner, is his psionic talent. He tested as a P10 on Psi Corps' scale and was quickly taken in for training. Guided in the use of his talents by the Corps, he was free to train in the Academy to become a cadet aboard a GEAS starship. With his keen intelligence, he earned cadet rank as well as gained good control over his telepathy, but he still has room to grow.
Personality
Bryce has an eagerness about hih, always willing to help out in a situation however he can. Other than that, he is a quiet studious youth, usually reading or studying since he isn't overly physically inclined. Having grown up in an over protective household, he struggles between looking for his own sense of independence and the inner need to seek an authority figure to guide him. This makes him nervous in social situations and he tends to stay in the background, at least until he can figure out to approach others and not make a fool of himself. Another manifestation of his innocence.
Background
The Taylor family of Eidos IV is part of the aristocracy, one of the ruling families that oversee government, trade, scientific and technological development, diplomatic liaison with other worlds, and the military. The Taylor family had a military background on Eidos IV, but it had also been involved enough in exploratory development to have strong ties with GEAS. This is how Bryce got himself in the Academy's pre-training program at the age of 12. Tired of living under his family overly protective lifestyle, he tested for Academy entry without telling his parents. His genius gave him among the highest entry scores ever, and when the Academy officials approached his parents, they felt obliged to let him train there. They hoped Bryce would become a great officer and bring honor to the family name. This was not quite what he intended.
Maybe it was his own intelligence that got him into the Academy. Maybe it was his family name and ties to the military that did. Either way, Bryce was not convinced he'd escaped his family's leash of expectation. Shortly after beginning his studies, he discovered that the part of the entry exam that also tested psionic potential also came back with a high score, something he hadn't expected. Psi Corps had a training center in the Academy for such talent and he began a very strenuous training regimen that would have been crushing if not for his focus and drive. But now there was a Telepath in the Taylor family, the first one ever, and that gave Bryce the first taste of being independent and forging his own destiny.
At present, Bryce feels the pressure of being on his own. Without the shadow of his family looming over him, he feels exposed and helpless sometimes. One might even say homesick. But look at the life he has now! Exploring new worlds. Developing his psionic abilities. Meeting new people and forging new friendships. It will be a while before Bryce feels complete and whole, but he would never consider ending the journey he's own. Even worse, the idea of going back home!
SKILLS
Bryce has the basic training all cadets get in the Academy.
Bryce has a knack for paying close attention to minute details, which helps him with his scientific work as well as learning in general. This skill, along with Recall, allowed him to progress so quickly in both the Academy and Psi Corp.
Hand to Hand Combat - Novice Level
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Bryce has the basic training all cadets get in the Academy.
Observation - Competent Level
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Along with telepathic training with Psi Corp, Bryce was also taught how to be more aware of his surroundings, as well as body language. This skill were also reinforced by his Academy training.
Ranged Combat - Novice Level
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Bryce has the basic training in the use of various types of weapons all cadets get in the Academy. This includes various energy weapons, particularly handheld stunners.
Using the mind castle technique and other mnemonics, Bryce has the highly trained ability to recall any kind of facts.
Bryce was trained to take on the role of a ship's Science Officer. His keen intellect helped him progress further than other cadets, allowing him to be placed on ships under the training supervision of another officer. He can operate his Scanner as well as well as shipboard systems to gather and process scientific data.
ABILITIES
Tech: Hand Stunner - Enhanced Level
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Bryce, as a cadet, was issued a hand stunner. This small pistol emits a non-lethal energy beam, designed to render any being with a central nervous system unconscious. Its range is about 30 meters, and it is blocked by force fields. Also if a target is wearing fully body covering armor, it is safe from effects. Any exposed part of the body, however, may be targeted by the stunner, thus potentially allowing the target to be stunned. Notably, non-human life forms or beings with special physical resistances, it may have a diminished effect or no effect at all, depending on the being's physiology.
Power: Psychometry - Enhanced Level
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Bryce is able to pick up psychic impressions from objects he touches. When he touches an object, he reads the thought impressions left behind. He can concentrate and learn more, such as the identity of the last owner (or owners if the object changed hands frequently), the intentions of the last person to hold it, and even be able to use the object to track them. This all depends on how strong the impressions are, of course. Psi shields don't usually protect against this ability since it's the object and not the mind itself, however, the ability can be muddled if too much time has passed.
Power: Remote Viewing - Basic Level
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In a state of deep concentration, Bryce is able to send his senses and awareness to a distant location. Once he does this he can see and hear whatever transpires there, although fine detail is fuzzy. He can't read something for example, although, since he is a telepathic state, he mat gain some awareness of what it means. Presently, he is limited to visiting only places he's been, but with training the ability will open up other possibilities.
Tech: Science Scanner - Enhanced Level
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The Scanner that Bryce carries is a handheld sensor and processing apparatus, in his case tuned for science rather than medical or engineering purposes. The device can provide a larger amount of data, assuming that data is available. Its range is several hundred kilometers, but the further away something is the less information can be gathered.
Power: Scramble - Basic Level
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A purely defensive Telepathic ability, Scramble allows Bryce to scramble the thoughts of a target for a brief period of time, mostly as a means of escape. This doesn't render the target unconscious, merely uncertain of his actions. An attacker may forget his hostile intent for the few precious seconds it takes Bryce to run or hide. Although the ability has a range of 3 meters, it works best if it can be used when touching the target. This ability can be resisted by those of sufficient mental defense, such as a Mind Shields ability.
Power: Shield - Enhanced Level
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As a trained Psi, Bryce's first training was in creating a mental shield to keep his own thoughts safe. This shield is always on, even when he is asleep, although some types of drugs or neural damage (like that caused by some types of stun weapons) can temporary dampen his shield. As with most of his Telepathic abilities, this can be further trained.
Power: Telempathy - Basic Level
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Bryce can, in a limited way, read and communicate emotion the same way he can with thoughts. This power has a limited range, working best when touch is possible but only being effective in a 30' area, no more than a large room or auditorium. Very strong emotions may be detected at a longer distance. Only the emotion is felt, not the reason behind it, although Telepathy can reveal that. Both powers can't be used simultaneously, however, without further training.
Power: Telepathy - Enhanced Level
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Bryce can read minds and transmit his own thoughts easily to anyone in unaided line of sight. This assumes no psychic shielding of course. If he knows a person well and spends time concentrating, he can contact that person without line of sight, or establish an ongoing link with them that has a range similar to line of sight (to an upper limit of about 3 miles). Again, this assumes no shielding. If a target is shielded, he has no choice but to attempt to break through, if at all possible.
ADVANTAGES
As the Psi Corps is operated by GEAS, it is the most widely available resource for formal psychic training within GEAS-allied systems. For this reason, Bryce maintains contact through his old mentor, Bestor, and he is able to call upon GEAS' Psi Corps if he needs additional training or other resources related to anything psionic.
WEAKNESSES
Smart as he is, Bryce has little experience of things. While he's not quite gullible or naive, he can find himself in situations that go way over his head. At times like this, he is liable to use his intellect to get through them. If thinking won't help, well it becomes a learning experience.
This plays right into his Innocent nature at times. Ever since he started his advanced training to get into the Academy, even though he did better than others, that was never good enough. He feels that he has to prove himself, to prove that it isn't all just luck or the result of a priviledged upbringing. He wants to succeed on his own merit in such a way that leaves no shadow of a doubt. This makes him take unnecessary risks at times.
