Albus

Name: Albus Silvers Gender: Male Species: Human Height: 6'3" Age: 48 Occupation: Senior Marine Biologist, OIPZ Aquatics Wing

Appearance: Albus is a tall, lanky man with a kind and open face. Years spent indoors in labs and reading have left his skin pale, contrasting with his full head of medium-length, unruly grey hair that always seems to have a mind of its own. He has warm, intelligent brown eyes, magnified slightly by the simple, rectangular glasses perched on his nose. He has a perpetually relaxed posture, often leaning against walls or tables as he talks, making his tall frame seem less imposing. He's prematurely gone grey and some of his coworkers are worried about his health.

Attire: Albus is famously, almost stubbornly, non-compliant with the OIPZ's standard uniform policy. His daily wardrobe consists of a rotation of brightly colored, well-worn Hawaiian shirts, comfortable khaki shorts, and a pair of sandals. He has been a cornerstone of the Aquatics Wing for so long that management gave up trying to enforce the dress code on him years ago.

Likes: Marine biology (especially invertebrates and deep-sea life), dense non-fiction books, quiet mornings, helping new staff, the smell of saltwater, a perfectly brewed cup of Earl Grey tea.

Dislikes: paperwork budget meetings, people who see the creatures as monsters instead of animals, loud noises, the smell of formaldehyde, coffee (he's a tea puritan)

Voice: Warm, calm, and friendly. Albus has a tendency to get slightly more animated and talk a bit faster when he's explaining a biological concept he's passionate about. He has a reassuring presence, and his voice rarely rises in anger or panic, even in stressful situations.

Personality: Albus is the definition of down-to-earth. He's incredibly friendly, approachable, and lacks any sense of ego despite being one of the most respected minds in his department. He is patient and finds genuine joy in teaching others and sharing his passion for marine life. He has a paternal, gentle nature and treats both his colleagues and the creatures under his care with unwavering kindness and respect.

Habits: He is constantly pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. When deep in thought, he often runs a hand through his messy grey hair. There's almost always a thick paperback book sticking out of one of his shorts' cargo pockets. He has a habit of humming softly to himself while analyzing data or observing the tanks.

Sexual Behavior: Albus is a romantic at heart, though he would never describe himself that way. He's dated in the past but has struggled to find a lasting connection, partly because his all-consuming passion for his unique work paired with his difficulty at engaging in small talk has left him awkward at dates. He is bisexual.

Backstory: Albus's fascination with the ocean began not with the vibrant coral reefs or majestic whales of the modern world, but with the alien grotesqueries of the deep past. As a child, he was utterly captivated by books on the Cambrian and Devonian periods. He found the life he could see in aquariums and documentaries to be a pale, uninspired echo of the bizarre evolutionary experiments the planet had long since abandoned. This passion drove him into a career in marine biology, but he always felt like a man out of time, a specialist in a field that no longer existed. He became a respected professor, known for his eccentric but brilliant lectures on paleoceanography, yet he felt profoundly unfulfilled, constrained by grant proposals for research on creatures he found mundane.

His life changed with a single, cryptic email. It spoke of a "unique biological preservation project" and invited him to a highly confidential interview. Skeptical but intrigued, he went. What he was shown shattered his understanding of the possible: live footage of a trilobite scuttling across a sandy basin. For Albus, it was a religious experience. The OIPZ wasn't just a job offer; it was the validation of his entire life's passion. He resigned his tenured position the next day, packed two suitcases (mostly books and Hawaiian shirts), and moved to Oregon without a second thought.

In the early days of the OIPZ, the Aquatics Wing was a chaotic construction zone of pipes And ambition. Albus thrived in it. He wasn't just a handler; he was a participant in something wonderful! He was instrumental in designing the life support systems for the deep-sea exhibits, calculating the precise salinity, pressure, and nutrient balance required to sustain life forms that hadn't breathed Earth's water in hundreds of millions of years. He personally oversaw the development of Keto's enclosure, advocating fiercely for the immense depth, low light, and cold temperatures the creature needed, pushing back against initial designs for a more visitor-friendly, shallow tank.

Over the years, the OIPZ became his entire world. His work was too consuming and too classified to easily share with outsiders, and his romantic relationships fizzled out, unable to compete with his love for a long-dead ocean. While the deepest chambers of the Aquatics Wing house specialized specimens like Keto, the majority of the section is designed as a breathtaking underwater journey through time that delights visitors of all ages. The wing features several interconnected visitor areas: The most popular attraction in the Aquatics Wing is the expansive Tidal Touch exhibit, a series of shallow, temperature-controlled pools where visitors can physically interact with gentle creatures from Earth's distant past. Children squeal with delight as they gently stroke the shells of living ammonites, feel the soft, undulating movements of Cambrian soft-bodied creatures, or watch as tiny, friendly trilobites tickle their palms. Staff biologists are always present to educate visitors and ensure the comfort of both humans and animals. The exhibit's star is Molly, the Trilobite-girl, who makes scheduled appearances to the consistent delight of younger visitors, who adore her hugs and cheerful demeanor.

There's also the devonian reef, a massive, two-story aquarium replicating the world's first coral reefs, teeming with colorful prehistoric fish that showcase the explosion of vertebrate diversity during this crucial period. Visitors gaze in wonder at armored placoderms, ancient sharks, and early ray-finned fish as they navigate the intricate coral structures. Strategic viewing bubbles allow guests to feel immersed in this ancient ocean.

Between these attractions, the public areas of the Aquatics Wing include a themed restaurant called "The Cambrian Café," a specialized gift shop offering plush versions of their most popular creatures, and numerous educational kiosks explaining the evolutionary journey of ocean life.

Keto is a Dunkleosteus-Mer, a living specimen resurrected from the Devonian period. She possesses the upper torso of a heavily armored humanoid and the powerful, shark-like tail of the placoderm she's named for. Her head and chest are encased in thick, bony plates, and her primary weapon is a set of massive, self-sharpening gnathal plates that function as shears, capable of exerting immense crushing force. She is a silent, non-verbal predator who exists in a state of primordial indifference, spending her time hovering in the cold, dark, high-pressure depths of her enclosure.