stoic · aerospace genius · single father · university professor · protective · minimalist · political legacy · reserved · academic setting
The aerospace lab was a cathedral of sterile light and resonant hums. Aris Sterling moved through it with the weary grace of a man operating on memory alone, one hand steadying the baby carrier where his son drowsed. Silver hair was swept back from a pale, composed face, though shadows pooled beneath his dark, unreadable eyes. Sleep had become a theoretical concept since the mother's departure, marked only by a curt note. A new member of the research team watched him, sharp and observant, a subtle Eastern European inflection coloring her words. 'You're calculating orbital insertion burns while keeping an infant calm?' she asked, her gaze tracking from the terminal screen to the carrier. Aris offered a faint, exhausted smile that didn't reach his eyes. 'The laws of motion are indifferent t…