When Hollywood comes knocking, I’ve already done the hard yards for them in casting the key characters in The Lenticular Series. Learn more about who these characters are and let me know via social media if you have a better casting suggestion.
Fleet Cadet Pilot Rhees Lowrans (Florence Pugh) was on track to graduate at the top of her class and have her pick of assignments before the tragic occurrence during her final training mission near the rings of Neptune [see audio extract – “Training Mission”]. After that, she narrowly avoided court martial due to the intercession of her estranged father Fleet Admiral Gart Lowrans and was assigned a role as data interpolator with the Hegemony Diplomatic Corps under Comptroller Troels Volmar. Rhees struggles hard not to be a washout. She wants to make a difference and for her life to have meaning. Her new boss has other ideas.
Fleet Admiral Gart Lowrans (James Cosmo) fought valiantly on the line during the darkest days of the Earth-K-Chaan War. He was instrumental, along with Admiral Ten Vargas, in taking command of a fragmented Earthforce and turning the tide in the Battle for Earth – during which he tragically lost his wife. After that successful action, he and Vargas rallied the forces to pursue the fleeing K-Chaan and make sure they never threatened Earth again. During that campaign he lost touch with his daughter Rhees who was passed around from relative to relative in his absence before she too joined Fleet.
HDC Specialist Denev Antwer (Riz Ahmed) and his brother Petar were orphaned at an early age when their father EarthGov Diplomat Varic Antwer and mother Xeno-Linguist Ellan Summers were killed by the K-Chaan during the ceasefire at Talos III. Denev joined the Hegemony Diplomatic Corps straight out of school and demonstrated a superb affinity for espionage and counter-espionage with particular skill in subverting encrypted systems. He quickly rose through the ranks due to a number of successful black-ops missions, most notably on Eaphesus VI and Dekalia, before setting up an intelligence network on Herakli covering the majority of Cygnus Sector and developing passive surveillance systems at the state-of-the-art HDC listening post at Prox Base.
Central Administration Permanent Head Antonus Breslaw (Mads Mikkelsen) showed foresight, resilience and an iron will when he assumed authority after EarthGov and Earthforce were thrown into disarray by the treachery of the K-Chaan at Talos III. Working quickly with his colleagues, fellow Senator Ruiz Rejak and then Vice-Admiral Ten Vargas and other supporters, he quickly established a new command structure which successfully pushed back the incursion of the K-Chaan into Sol System and saved billions on Earth, Mars and countless settlements and orbitals. In recognition of the debt humanity owes him he was declared permanent head of the Central Administration (EarthGov’s replacement governing body) and established the Hegemony to exert influence and control over neighbouring star systems to ensure Earth’s safety.
Head of SolSec Cerise Laneaux (Sigourney Weaver) is responsible for the security and safety of the billions of humans on Earth, Mars and every other orbital and settlement in Sol System. While SolSec complements the work of the Hegemony Diplomatic Corps, whose operations primarily focus beyond Sol System, there have been a number of problems and disagreements between the two agencies. Laneaux has a dim view of HDC Comptroller Troels Volmar, believing he deliberately excludes SolSec from accessing HDC intel that would assist her agency in its operations.
HDC Comptroller Troels Volmar (Charles Dance) worked his way through the ranks of EarthGov consular services before being declared Comptroller of the newly formed Hegemony Diplomatic Corps by Antonus Breslaw shortly after the Earth-K-Chaan war. Since then, he has established embassies and covert operations in every star system of the Hegemony and beyond and has personally overseen a number of successful infiltration and regime-change operations. Under his control, HDC has become the most effective weapon Earth possesses to ensure its continued safety.
Representative Alder Minch (Jude Law) is a member of the Inclusionist Party which represents the official opposition to the policies of the Central Administration. Minch is a consummate politician and orator and has been particularly critical of the CA’s treatment of non-Humans. His view, shared with others in his party, is that lasting peace with alien species can only be forged through mutual respect and building positive relationships, and that the vast resources used by agencies such as the HDC to vilify and subvert aliens would be better spent supporting genuine peace efforts and raising the standard of living in Sol System. Minch and the Inclusionist Party are polling well and Minch is expected to retain his seat.
Eon Rapskel (Idris Elba) does not appear on any system maintained by the Central Administration. He’s a ghost and the activities of Rapskel and his colleagues – who sometimes call themselves ‘the real Inclusionists’ – are a mystery.
Fleet Admiral Ten Vargas (Ben Kingsley) is a hero of the Battle for Earth, taking command of Earth’s beleaguered forces at a pivotal moment to save humanity. After the K-Chaan were pushed out of Sol System, he pursued them ruthlessly until ever K-Chaan ship and settlement was vapourised. He now serves as Chair of the Joint Chiefs of the combined Hegemony Defence Forces and reports directly to Antonus Breslaw. Under his command, Fleet has grown to become the dominant military force within and beyond the borders of the Hegemony, undertaking countless successful engagements and maintaining the peace. His adjutant and right-hand man is Fleet Admiral Gart Lowrans.
Picture credits: publicity photographs which can or could be obtained from the distributor. Fair use.