Nyles Gersch

Nyles Gersch was a renowned Systems Alliance scientist who worked as an independent contracter in the Office of Alliance Territorial Hegemony. Following a brutal revolt in the OATH-funded Project Valkyrie, Gersch faked his death and vanished into the Terminus Systems in order to continue his unorthodox research.

Early Life
Most of Gersch's past is unknown, except for meager files in the Alliance's database. He was born in the year 2134 CE, in the country of Russia. His father was a petty crook and his mother was a struggling drug addict working in a convenience store. His birth name is given as Yuri Ivanovich Ramikov, and at age five was taken by child services, following the death of his father and the breakdown of his mother. During his adolescent years, Gersch bounced through foster homes, but was eventually adopted by a wealthy, German couple, who had always desired a young boy.

At age ten, he was adopted and was renamed Nyles Johan Gersch, son of Max and Ethel Gersch. His adoptive father was a well respected scientist pioneering a new age in the field of genetics. Being a young boy, Gersch was easily impressed by the complicity of his father's experiments. Wishing to study science, his father enrolled Gersch in the finest academies Germany could offer.

Gersch matured into a furnished scientist often performing work with his father. At age 21, his mother was killed in an accident, which left his father desolate. Soon after his father died, possibly from suicide. Gersch was devastated and decided to leave Germany to find work in other European nations.

Civilian Career
In 2162CE, Gersch sought employment from EvoCorp, a firm that specializes in genetically classifying new species discovered in planets throughout the galaxy. He performed well at this job, quickly usurping the current director of field operations. However EvoCorp lacked a certain aspect that Gersch missed from his childhood.

Rather than study organisms, Gersch longed to improve them. Instead of accepting new species how they are given, Gersch believed his true calling was to modify them in attempt to catalyze evolution. By implementing a new stragedy towards genetic modification, Gersch was determined to make extinction become extinct itself.

He delivered his theory to the board of directors who control EvoCorp, and they dismissed his "Engineered Evolution", as a far fetched vision. The board committee ruled the project would siphon a massive surplus of credits that could be use to fund a dozen other programs.

Gersch was angered that he was rejected so quickly. However his "Engineered Evolution" theory was leaked to other companies who specialized in markets pertaining towards genetic modificatons. Gersch was contacted by a mysterious company called GenMod, which was privately owned by a reclusive businessman. Their funding was virtually limitless and the scientists were deeply intrigued by Gersch's new theory.

Seizing the opportunity to study his passion, Gersch quit his job and was signed as an independent contractor for GenMod. At their facilities, located on enormous astroids, Gersch spent his time manufacturing his new process, with insane funding. With no boundaries, Gersch was free to explore every aspect of the human genetic complexion.

Betrayal
Once Gersch completed his process, he tested the theory on numerous plant organisms. The results were a success as the plant changed color over the course of a week. Gersch analyzed the genetic structure and discovered the plant's DNA had been altered.

However, instead of celebrating the victory, the research was stolen from Gersch only days later. He discovered that a team of scientists working for GenMod were responsible. The reclusive chairman then ousted Gersch and annuled the contract between them. Gersch later broke into the facility, armed with a homemade bomb. He planted the device inside his previous lab and destroyed all his research.

In the following days GenMod went bankrupt, due to the massive funding and the subsequent annihlation of the research that was unable to compensate. Despite fleas from the chairman, Gersch was never officially charged stemming from lack of evidence, which helped facilitate his successful departure from the company.

Military Career
Following his departure from GenMod, Gersch was contacted by a representative who's employer had been interested in Engineered Evolution. Longing to continue his research, Gersch scheduled an appointment with the unknown party, eventually meeting Rear Admiral Richard Barclay. The latter revealed his affiliation with the Office of Alliance Territorial Hegemony, and informed Gersch he wanted to propose a contract that would allow for the scientist to further his research. Without knowing much regarding the actual project, save for its name, Valkyrie, Gersch accepted the terms of the contract and began a career working for the OATH.

Gersch was provided with an extensive research facility, codenamed Typhoon Station, located on a remote moon that teetered on the fringes of lawless space. Project Valkyrie's purpose, as Gersch later found out, involved developing experiments on test subjects who's biological scans showed an increased level of biotic potential. Gersch's Engineered Evolution was to provide the means in which to improve the subject's capabilities and perhaps create previously unseen abilities. The station was provided with dozens of "shipments" comprised of biotic Alliance personnel from all branches and sources of the military.

Now that Gersch was in a position of power, as the station's chief science officer, he unrelentingly pursued his research, constantly creating new experiments for subjects to undergo. Most of these procedures carried a huge risk factor, as exposure to lethal amounts of element zero were not uncommon occurrences. Despite the some of the controversial and ruthless experiments that went on at Typhoon Station, Gersch frequently ignored them. His lust for genetics and his passionate relationship with his work pressured him into allowing harmful treatment to continue.

Rebellion
Typhoon Station continued to be active for a few years, as Gersch's development of biotics produced viable results. However, the prolonged element zero exposure, coupled with high intensity biotic exercises, drained the test subjects. In numerous cases, death resulted from these procedures. Additionally, the guards and security forces had been replaced by an independent private military organization, who treated subjects cruelly and unfairly. From these tragic consequences and conditions, the Alliance testees had adopted a new perspective of Typhoon Station, ultimately leading to the birth of a rebellion.

In early 2184 CE, an Alliance marine and test subject, Lucas Noguchi, had begun to formalize a resistance movement in order to fight against the inhumane treatment. Originally comprised of a few higher ranking testees, who's primary responsibility paralleled that of a union, the "council", as they were colloquially, quickly expanded in size and nature.

Director Gersch had attempted to placate the subjects' demands, but for sake of research, most of their pleas were ignored.