Shiela-X was a player character with an excellent (although somewhat
nutso) player. She was converted to an NPC when my original campaign
"blew itself to smithereens" in 1989. I liked the character so much
she started showing up in other player's adventures.
Shiela-X
Str 9
Dex B
End 7
Int 8
Edu A (4) see below
S.S. 3
Psi (none to speak of)
Skills; Pilot-5, Computer-3,Sensor Ops-3, Streetwise-2, Pistol-2, SMG-2,
Shotgun-1, Gunnery(Missile turret)-1, Tactics-1, Navigation (old traveller)-2
Electronics-3, Engineerong-3
Shiela's father was a knife, her mother a test tube. Yes, Shiela-X is an
AP, or Artificial Person (hence the low S.S.). Her DNA was combined from
several different persons. Her purpose as designed was to be a deep space
scout for the Scout Service.
Shiela-X is a tall distinctive-looking, woman. Her figure is thin, but the
way she dresses reveals her sex without question. She works out
semi-constantly (high End., Str), and often wears tight spandex outfits
(one of her favorites is transparent) especially in battle, which she lives for.
She is also often seen in leather hip-length boots.
She is almost never seen without her Cigar, a huge Freudian thing which she
chews on especially when angry or nervous. She lights it after sex, battle, or
to annoy people.
Her hair she wears extremely short, and bleached pale white. Her manner is
gruff and judgemental. Her favorite choice of action is the "smash and grab"
even when such a course is foolhardy.
Shiela was "made" in the Spinward Marches, she is unsure where. But when her
'control programming' failed and she went rogue she was at Mora/Mora. She
killed several guards in her escape, some of them had already surrendered to
her. The Imperial authorities have a warrant ("Armed and Dangerous") out
for her arrest or retrieval of her body (reward of 100,00 Cr).
If she likes you she may show you where they tatooed her serial number. Chances
are you'll see it eventually since she likes to shock people with what she
wears.
Favorite Weapon;
(casual) a big auto pistol (.44 automag, typically)
(in Battle) a flechette loaded 11mm pump shotgun
Favorite Dance;
The Tango (one of the few times the cigar comes out)
Favorite Food;
Combat Rations (bred into her for scout work)
Remember, just about everything about Shiela-X, her anti-social behavior,
her tastes, her auto-eroticism (she's very sexually self-centered) is due to
her designers desire to create a tool for deep space exploration. She was
intended to be put alone of a type S for months or years at a time and sent out
into the unexplored vastness. It was found that regular humans required
companionship too badly, and computers/robots did not have the required
independence of thought to survive or make the missilns successful.
Her training as a pilot began at a very early age (to the detriment of other
subjects like History, Literature, etc) along with training in electronics,
computers, navigation, engineering, a smattering of weapons skills and tactics
intending to give her survival skills for almost any situation.
Her education therefore is excellent in areas like metallurgy, botany, biology
(not sufficient for skill levels, just a good general knowledge), but terrible
for history, literature, philosophy, or psychology. Judgements should be made
regarding which level is used for a given roll.
Shiela escaped her keepers at the age of 16, and after stealing a small ship
made it appear as if she crashed it (actually making a controlled crash from
secondary controls in the engine room) which destroyed the entire front section
of the craft. This was in the Mertractor system on a planet with a large
underground society. She disappeared into this realm for awhile (learning her
streetwise skills here), making friends and contacts.
The Imps eventually figured out she was still alive (she blew up an arboretum)
and began pursuing her in earnest. Note that in my campign world there is a
serious aversion to cloning or creating persons artificially.
At the time of our adventures She was about 32 years old. She paired up with
the rebellious (and Psionic) Son of the Duchess of Mertractor, Quentin Xavier
Bim III, but he is another story.
Personal note;
Typically my players and I would play Traveller (the original) in a classroom
where we went to college (Clark University, Worcester MA). We never knew which
of several classrooms would be available, so we would write on the blackboards
in the lobby of the building, "Shiela-X where are you?" in big letters, and
the room number in small ones at the bottom.
Years later, people were still seeing "Shiela-X where are you" on those black-
boards on occasion. The game long since ended.