"Much of the work that Stanton had undertaken involved study of the challenges that the modern world was continuing to present to the Church and to the doctrines that had stood for millennia as the core & the authority of the entire faith.

The advance of technology, and the coming together of the world in a greater unity over the last century, had led to concerns that the eyes of Humanity were no longer focused on the Kingdom of God, but on the kingdom that lay all around us, the universe of stars, of galaxies, the vastness of creation.
There were questions being raised about existence, about the nature of Humanity, and he was fascinated by the challenges to the faith, and developments that undoubtedly lay ahead."

"Matty aka Mathew Thorpe - c35, male, good guy, very cynical, wise-ass, adventurer

Matt Thorpe leads me to think of blues and rock, music that is a bit rough, a bit edgy, a bit burned out! I'm thinking Hendrix, or Stevie Ray Vaughan, in the Blues scale? Some twangy guitar sounds, like something you might hear in a [.....] bar!" (Chris Eales)

Thank you very much to Elizabeth Stenger aka Callie Del Boa (RIP - Nov '19) for creating this image of Matty.

practical, long-suffering, easy going

Asian lady, small, soft, manicured hands, dressed immaculately in white dress-suit.  Her voice is lovely, melodious. She chose to call Matty by his surname, but Matty sensed that this formality was her custom, rather than an indication of a desire to keep her distance.  

"Mian has an obvious Oriental connection, but I think her sound would be spiritual as well, maybe some chants or some acapella vocals, perhaps a choir with minimal musical backing from a harp? That sort of sound suggests itself.... "

An older guy, beard, glasses, looked kind of serious, wearing robes.  From Ireland, parents moved to Long Island, NY when he was young, raised in a strict religious environment, and had known from a very young age that he wanted to follow the path of the original disciples, and walk in the footsteps of Christ.
Upon completion of his studies, he had taken to his new vocation with great enthusiasm, and had now spent nearly 30 years in his role as a minister.  His ability & passion for his chosen path had caught the attention of many of his colleagues, and at a relatively early age, he was invited to join the United Ecumenical Council [UEC] as a research student, rising quickly to a position as a lecturer, and the leader of many research projects, covering a broad range of Theological issues & developments.

"A confused character to be honest....I was never sure how to write him effectively, nor how to bring him into the story without giving too much away.  As a person,  he is inspired by a real person, a Catholic Priest I got to know at Uni when I was studying Theology....except the real man was a great, open-minded, intelligent guy....whereas Reverend Stanton has a very dark side, and is less than holy!"

Stanton's music runs against & clashes with the unity of the Trinity.  Minor, discordant, unusual, aggressive version of the Trinity 3-chord sequence; The Trinity and the Fundamentalists are really not so different, they are sort of 2 sides of the same coin, and are coming into conflict.

His music should be austere, and have a quality that is somewhat closed and hidden; his theme should be basic, repetitive, not give too much away, but should also have a slightly sinister feel.  More "movie soundtrack" strings & muted horns.

Dale is a 28 year old laidback male who has been working at ….for 6 years. He is tall, blond, very slim, has a big wide smile, is dressed in a pair of old style denim jeans and a T-shirt. Seemed like a good guy to Matty. 

"Following the lead, the young blond man stood, offered his hand, and introduced himself, rather more casually than the others." 

Dale's ideal soundtrack would probably be the Beach Boys...Something laid-back, upbeat and melodic, all in a Major Key.  Life-affirming, maybe some good old fashioned pop!

40, America - California with partner Ryan, bookish, quiet, on the shy side, but burns internally with passion, intelligence, and is utterly loyal & devoted to the Trinity & their plans. He is the most honest & dependable person in the book.  Was researcher at the Dept of Ed, knew Mian Li on a professional basis. 

He too had studied religion, alongside philosophy and theology. This intrigued me greatly, after all there was a Minister on board, and now a couple of researchers in a similar field. It was getting interesting, a pattern was forming, and I was not a particularly patient man, so I felt the need to dig a little deeper, and quickly.  Now Randall was the kind of guy that you want around when you need answers fast.  He may have been serious and a little stiff, but I soon found out that he had no problems communicating.

"...He said, in one of those deep and grave voices that reminded me of an ageing professor, full of gravitas and depth. ...the voice was low, polite, trace of an accent, was it Australian? New Zealand maybe? I wasn’t sure".  

Randall's music is calm, ordered, perhaps classical, or ambient...

The chief seems like a good guy, well spoken, has a tendency to shout when it isn’t really necessary,
but he has a presence. He is the kind of person who you assume naturally fell into a leadership position, is intrinsically trustworthy, & genuine.  

"Cliff" from the TV show "Cheers" - A grey haired, average looking guy, hard-working, heroic, under-appreciated public servant!

Margaret Abe is dark skinned & dresses in long trousers & a smart jacket with a white shirt underneath. I should add that I had Grace Jones in mind with regards to the appearance.  Personality wise, Director Abe is a strong, fiercely intelligent woman, who is utterly unfazed by the emergency and danger on the colony. She sticks to protocol, she sticks to procedure.  Her theme would be "Straighten Up and Fly Right" by Nat King Cole.

Eventually responsible for the most incredible achievements of the faculty, and later for its downfall. A formidable & popular research team,  one that quickly earned an affectionate nickname (Trinity) amongst their peers.

The idea is the unbreakable ideological bond between the 3 of them their shared passion & belief overcomes anything, even the fear of death & destruction.  Two amongst the hundreds had caught Victoria's eyes; 2 young post grad students she believed could meet her expectations match her brilliance, and her ambition.  Szymek & David possess an infectious enthusiasm.  Victoria had liked these guys when they met 10 years ago; they were fresh out of Uni & ready to turn the world on its head.  

"I love the idea of using the notion of "3" in these ways in the music for the Trinity... The idea is the unbreakable ideological bond between the 3 of them.... their shared passion & belief is what can overcome anything, even the fear of death & destruction." (Chris Eales)

["...the three fugal subjects and tripartite structure of the Fugue as an expression of faith in the Trinity" Graham Dixon, on Bach's Fugue in Eb Major, in CD notes, J.S.Bach: Toccata & Fugue BWV 565 etc, perf Simon Preston, Deutsche Grammaphon, 1989]

Leader of the Trinity.  Confident, intense, warm, calm, welcoming voice.  A young pretty, dark haired woman, pale faced, petit, smart black trousers & a white blouse, many rings & bracelets.  Post grad student stunned colleagues / peers @ 1st seminar for Evolutionary Metaphysics.  Not ‘where did the incredible force & power of evolution come from?’ but ‘where was it going?’  In the 10 years since the seminar, McBride rose to become the most respected researcher & writer in the field, & Tokyo, came together with hundreds of fellow thinkers, enthusiasts, followers.

David is an Australian graduate, tall, & very well built, with short, light coloured hair, his accent unmistakably Australian, & his manner relaxed.  He wears a pair of jeans & a white T-shirt.  He reminds Matt of Dale, except he was a couple of stone heavier, & a little more serious.

Szymek is a Polish graduate, the youngest of the 3, not much over 30.  He is extraordinarily thin & wiry, with close cropped blond hair, & an angular face. He was dressed in a pair of those old combat trousers, & a black jumper with a hood.  He seems excited by being (here), and even from the introductory greetings.