Dark World : Meet The Characters

This page serves as a guide to characters mentioned and/or featured in the Dark World series.

Pictures are meant to give reader a general visualization of the characters, they’re not intended as a literal depiction. Currently updated through Dark World : The Lockdown. I do not own these pictures and absolutely no monetary compensation has been given or received from the use of these photos. No copyright infringement is intended whatsoever.

Ruby R-1046 is the voice in which Dark World is spoken through and the eyes through which we perceive it. The series begins at Ruby’s sixteenth birthday. She was raised in The Complex, a giant underground “fall-out shelter” built in the early 2000’s in preparation for a suspected impending invasion. Ruby is a ginger with fair skin, green eyes, make-up freckles and the youthful glow of innocence. Ruby is an “old soul” with a soft heart, a conflicted conscience and the desire to embrace her sense of morality no matter what is going on around her. She loves without hesitation, has motherly instincts toward Silver, and is far braver and stronger than she is willing to give herself credit for. As she struggles to break free of the invisible chains the government’s lies and restrictions have put upon her and everyone she grew up with, her actions become catalysts that uncover the lies, agendas and genocide that have been keeping an entire civilization unknowingly imprisoned for over half of a century.

Reese R-0061 is one of Ruby’s best friends as well as her impromptu lover. They have known each other since they were children and despite being forced by Doctrine to betroth themselves to someone chosen for them through an optimized genetic matching system, Reese is the person that Ruby has deep feelings for at the start of the series and those feelings are reciprocated. Reese is often introspective, wary about trusting others and vengeful toward the government. After the public execution of his mother, Reese vows to destroy Commander SueLee and joins Ruby’s father on a mission to Core City to face the government head-on. Reese is strong yet soft, sensitive yet able to handle all of the harsh surprises life throws at him. When he sets his mind to something, he’ll do everything in his power to make sure he succeeds.

Willow R-0834 is Ruby’s other best friend, the final member of “the three amigos” as Ruby, Reese and Willow used to be referred to by their parents when they were young children. Ruby considers Willow to be an ‘exotic beauty’ and is jealous of her looks but not in a spiteful way. Willow knew of Ruby and Reese’s feelings for each other before either of them admitted it, even to themselves and had deep concerns about the government finding out and intervening. Like Ruby, Willow has a parent involved in The Order Of The Elements. When the A-I Revolution begins, Willow becomes a captive of the government and uses that time to try and uncover their Achilles heel.

Robert R-1045 is Ruby’s father. Until events unfolded that lead to the A-I Revolution, Ruby thought her father was a quiet, dependable person and saw him in a rather one-dimensional way, as a lot of teenagers do before they get to know their parents outside of their immediate family roles. She soon discovers that despite Robert’s discouragement of her asking questions that challenged Doctrine, he was a member of The Order Of The Elements, an underground organization of adult men and woman who quested to uncover the lies the government had been feeding their society ever since, and possibly even before, the invasion. Robert is cunning and brave. He values the lives of his family above anything else. Robert’s main focus is protecting his emotionally fragile wife as the whirlwind of the A-I Revolution begins, but his duties expand further than that when he is asked to help save the government’s hostages. His job in The Complex prior to the revolution was working in the artificial gardens cultivating food.

Jade R-1044 is Robert’s wife and Ruby’s mother. Earlier in her life, her own mother died from a supposed accident that Jade always suspected was really a government-engineered murder and it caused her to be constantly fearful of breaking Doctrine and enduring the government’s wrath. She constantly tries to keep Robert and Ruby off of the government’s radar and is unaware before the A-I Revolution that Robert is a part of The Order Of The Elements. She discourages Ruby’s “free spirit” and encourages her to cooperate with her impending arranged marriage, as her own marriage to Robert was pre-arranged based on genetic assessment like everyone else in The Complex. When emotionally overwhelmed or terrified, Jade slips into a semi-comatose state as a coping mechanism and it is often up to Robert and Ruby to care for her fragile psyche. Her job in The Complex before the A-I Revolution was working in the sewing rooms making uniforms for her division, Rhode Island.

Silver is an eight year old girl that grew up on Earth’s surface. She falls through an opening in The Complex made  by The Order Of The Elements to test if the air on Earth’s surface is breathable in order to debunk the government’s claim that it is not. She is discovered by Reese during one of his excursions in the sealed off passageways right before the A-I Revolution. She has no prior knowledge of The Complex. Reese brings Ruby to meet her, and as things begin to fall apart and the A-I Revolution begins, Ruby takes personal responsibility for Silver’s safety and well-being. Silver tells Ruby and Reese that her father is dead, killed by ice hunters that have stalked her family her whole life and she doesn’t know why. Ruby vows to reunite Silver with her mother, but the government is very interested in possessing Silver as a hostage in order to persuade the turncoats to give themselves up.

Connor C-2246 is Ruby’s government-issued genetically matched future husband. He meets Ruby briefly on her sixteenth birthday under the impression she is his future wife and although her mind is completely on Reese (unknown to him at the time) Connor is enthralled with her. They do not meet again until after the A-I Revolution begins, where unbeknownst to Ruby, when she became considered a fugitive turncoat by the government, Connor joined his division’s branch of The Order Of The Elements and went rouge from his family in order to track Ruby and protect her from the government’s intense desire to capture her. Upon discovering Ruby’s adoration for Reese, Connor constantly puts himself in reckless danger on Ruby’s behalf in an attempt to play the hero and win her heart.

Logan is Ruby’s maternal grandfather. He was born in 2012 and died in 2072 at age 60, “put to sleep” by the government via transitional containers (gassing) for reaching the age threshold. During the first ten years of Ruby’s childhood, Logan secretly encouraged Ruby to ask challenging questions and told her that one day, she would change the world. Ruby was traumatized by watching the flatfoots drag her grandfather off to the transitional containers when she was ten. Some would consider his influence on her to be responsible for starting the A-I Revolution. Prior to his death was involved in founding The Order Of The Elements.

Commander SueLee is currently in charge of The Complex. She personally executes Reese’s mother via a public Complex-wide audio broadcast, the first known death to happen by means other than the transitional containers in over twenty years. She achieved her reign through legacy; her family line has been in charge of The Complex since the invasion. She is viewed by The Order Of The Elements as ruthless and sociopathic, and suspected of being fully aware of every lie the government has told the citizens of The Complex since the invasion, as well as being aware of the reason everyone is kept in The Complex to begin with.

Sukie R-0832 is Willow’s mother and a member of The Order Of The Elements. When her daughter and husband Koi are taken captive by the government, she is torn between being resentful toward Ruby and Reese for their inadvertent involvement in starting the A-I Revolution and feeling motherly instincts that cause her to want to protect them. She is also torn between her loyalty to The Order Of The Elements and her overwhelming desire to keep her daughter and husband alive at all costs. Ruby is hesitant to question Sukie’s loyalties but Reese, fueled by the death of his parents, suspects that she might do anything to protect her own family even if that means selling out others. In The Complex, prior to the A-I Revolution, she also worked in the artificial gardens with Ruby’s father.

Koi R-0833 is Sukie‘s husband and Willow‘s father. He used to be his division’s GP (general practitioner, aka doctor) in The Complex, but a young girl came to him claiming to be pregnant by her lover who was not her government-approved genetic match, and pleaded with him to help her. He did not agree to help, but the government found out about the girl and re-assigned Koi to be a math teacher to avoid him finding out their plan to eliminate her. They threatened that if he ever said anything about the girl, his family would be put to sleep. Despite the threat, he confessed his situation to his wife Sukie which lead to her joining The Order of the Elements, though she kept it a secret from Koi. He and his daughter are both captured by the government at the start of the A-I Revolution.

Thao R-0061 is Reese’s father. He knew nothing of The Order of the Elements or any government uprising prior to being captured by the government and held hostage. He was forced to watch as SueLee executed his wife Gaia. Thao is especially handsome and an all-around good man, caring toward his son Reese and wife Gaia, and always helpful toward others he lived among in the Rhode Island division of The Complex. Commander SueLee forces Thao to make a difficult choice, enjoying the mental torment she inflicts upon him.

Gaia R-0062 is Thao‘s wife and Reese‘s mother. Along with Thao, she was captured by the government at the beginning of the A-I Revolution. She was brutally executed over a Complex-wide audio broadcast by blunt force trauma. Reese was especially close with and protective over his mother. Her death triggered his vengeful side and he vows to get justice for her death by killing Commander SueLee.

GP Nolan R-0844 is the Rhode Island division GP (general practitioner) who took over the position after the government forced Koi to change careers. He is first introduced in the series when called on by the government to investigate the strain of common cold that Robert R-1045 comes down with, having caught it from his first run-in with Silver. The Order Of The Elements enlists his assistance in saving Robert and Jade by promising him an answer to a question he has been wondering for years, what really happened to his own former secret lover and the forbidden lovechild she was carrying, which happens to be the child the young woman who came to Koi for help was pregnant with.

Rita was one of Ruby’s teachers when she was a small child. She is viewed by Ruby as impatient and mean, punishing Ruby for asking endless questions about science and the government by whacking the back of her hand with the narrow side of a ruler, and once to Willow on her buttocks. When they meet again during the A-I Revolution, it is revealed that Rita’s interest in science and genetics had caused her to learn about a few government secrets and that her intent on keeping her students in line was her way of trying to protect them.

Evon is the vice-divisional leader of The Order of the Elements in Rhode Island. He displays an obvious dedication to the cause at first but is often in conflict with Zane as well as other members due to his views on wanting to do the “smart” thing rather than the “right” thing. Evon is not the hero-type, he is far more interested in saving himself over others if it comes down to it. Ruby’s unwavering dedication to her family and the promises she has made to others causes her to remain in conflict with Evon as the A.I. Revolution begins.

Zane is the divisional leader of The Order of the Elements for Rhode Island. He is a charismatic and compassionate leader who is viewed by others as kind and selfless. He inspires trust and loyalty among those who follow him. Because of this, his decisions are more valued than Evon‘s which creates an increasing rivalry between the two. Zane’s personal investment in the cause of the Order is currently unknown as he tends to avoid allowing anyone to get to know him.

Penelope is a character referenced in the bonus material that goes along with “Dark World : The Surface Girl” called “Dark World : Logan’s Journal” FREE to read on this very blog! Penelope is assumed to be in her late twenties or early thirties. She is assigned by the government to look after some orphans in The Complex in the first handful of years A-I, one of which happens to be Ruby’s grandfather, Logan when he was still a teenager. Logan considers her a parental figure of sorts. Once Penelope realizes she has information about the government that could threaten their authority, she tries to use it to help Logan and the other orphans before mysteriously disappearing.

Beau was formerly a biology teacher in the division Rhode Island and a member of The Order of the Elements. Although he is not a GP, he has enough medical knowledge to assist in removal of ID chips as well as tending to wounds. When certain members of the Order head to Core City with the intention of destroying Commander Sue Lee, Beau remains with Ruby, Silver, Jade and the others while they search for a way to escape to Earth’s surface but gets separated from them during a tense moment. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

Winston, Commander SueLee’s grandfather, is referenced as the first commander of The Complex shortly after the invasion of 2022. Prior to the invasion, Winston was a scientist who was often contracted to work on classified projects for the US military. Although only a character of reference in the Dark World series, his reputation is one of monotone ruthlessness, a man without conscience in the name of science. Those in The Complex are forced to revere his name, however to The Order of the Elements Winston is held in the same regard as Hitler, and with good reason.

Amethyst is Commander SueLee’s daughter. Her father is unknown. Her exact age is unknown, although she is presumed to be approximately twenty. Unlike those in the divisions, Amethyst’s appearance is unique and “rebellious.” Having been raised in Core City instead of in the divisions, she takes full advantage of her privileged upbringing. Amethyst taunts Ruby while she is a captive in Core City, explaining to her that she is nothing more than a “human petri dish” and revealing to her the reason she is of particular interest to the government and why they have kept her alive. Amethyst was trusted, presumably by her mother, with Ruby’s imprisonment and further experimentation.

Fawke is a Rhode Island division member of the Order of the Elements. He helps lead one of the sectors on their mission during the second installment of the series, “Dark World : The Lockdown.”

 

Jerreth with his shaggy blond hair and coarse beard was also a member of The Order of the Elements in the Rhode Island division. Along with Fawk, he helps one of the sectors while Ruby, her parents, Reese, and others are fugitives during the lockdown.

 

Gerard with his fit physique and serious, defined, masculine facial features, is a flatfoot that ends up playing an important role at the end of the second book and well into the third. He chooses to risk his life and betray his position due to his inability to let go of an experience that he had years prior to meeting Ruby. Ruby only trusts him at various intervals when she feels that she has no other choice in the best interest of her survival, but as a former flatfoot, Gerard has never been able to win her full trust or respect.

Felix is the head of the entire scientific research program down in The Complex. Although he is a brilliant geneticist, his behaviors are sociopathic; he approaches humans as nothing more than objects, and seems to be indifferent to the pain that he inflicts upon them in the name of research. He is responsible for creating and maintaining the genetic matching system, he is responsible for the research done on the elderly trapped in glass boxes, and so much more.

 

We first meet Myla at the beginning of the third installment of the Dark World Series, The Ice Hunters. She is the “leader” of the Free-Earthers that have taken over the dome, presumed to be in her early to mid thirties. From Ruby’s perspective, although Myla seems to truly care about her people and about gaining freedom from the constant attacks waged by The Ice Hunters (soldiers from The Complex), she finds her ultimate goals and loyalties to be questionable and she doesn’t trust her. Like any strong leader, Myla sometimes makes decisions that can often seem quite grey. 

Himmat is a Free-Earther who was fortunate enough to belong to a clan that had pre-invasion medical texts among their possessions.  His independent studies have allowed him to become essential both on the surface among the clans, as well as in the dome. a great skill on the surface and especially within the dome. While it is unknown just how much history Himmat and Myla have between them, he shares Ruby’s reservations about Myla and independently befriends and assists Ruby. 

DARK WORLD VOCABULARY

THE COMPLEX – An extremely large underground living system. Actual size is unknown, but presumed to be comprised of a large chunk of what we currently know as the East Coast with each division named after what was once a state United States of America. After the invasion of 2022, survivors were gathered here and told that Earth was destroyed and living underground was their only hope of survival.

CITIZEN – An individual who lived down in The Complex, but who was not a member of the government or Core City science division.

CORE CITY – The only division of The Complex not named after a US State. This division is directly in the center of The Complex and inhabited by the government, flatfoots, and scientists.

FLATFOOT – The government’s militia / law enforcement. Flatfoots are taken from their families at a very young age and brought to Core City to train at The Academy. The only purpose that they are meant to serve is to blindly enforce the government’s strict set of rules referred to as Doctrine. Due to being raised in an intentionally insular environment, they typically cannot be reasoned with and do not understand the concept of showing mercy. They are intentionally bred to have certain personality traits that make them less likely to explore their own desires or question their role in society.

DOCTRINE – Doctrine is a set of rigid rules as a whole, a written manifesto of sorts that is strictly enforced down in The Complex created shortly after the invasion of 2022. Every citizen is expected to know Doctrine by heart from a young age which eliminates any possibility that a rule could be broken because a citizen wasn’t aware of its existence.

TRANSITIONAL CONTAINERS – This is the term used for an enclosed gas chamber located in Core City. Citizens who break Doctrine are sometimes sent here, rejects are sent here, and all citizens are sent here when they reach the age of 60.

REJECTS – This is the crude term used to refer to a person born with any type of physical or mental anomaly that the government decides is too atypical for them to be eligible to breed or to be of use in The Complex.

PUT THEM TO SLEEP – This is the term used to refer to what happens to people when they are sent to the transitional containers, presumably used in order to make the act of killing a human via poisonous gas far easier for the citizens to accept and not question.

GENETIC MATCHING SYSTEM or GMS – No one in The Complex is allowed to independently breed. The government created a system that analyzes every citizen’s DNA and “matches” them with a mate.

FREE-EARTHERS – This is the term that the survivors of the invasion and their descendants who remained on the surface use to describe themselves, essentially declaring themselves free of the government and The Complex.

CLANS – Various groups of Free-Earthers on the surface are known as clans. Some clans have reverted back to a more primitive nature in the fifty+ years since the invasion and they have survived by violently attacking other clans in order to pillage their resources, whereas other clans have prioritized the retainment of knowledge. They attempt to teach their children any type of knowledge they can get ahold of via pre-invasion texts such as medical knowledge, science, math, and more.

THE DOME – The Dome is a large structure built on the surface directly above Core City. This was built to be the central hub of a secret and selective number of flatfoots chosen for the purpose of wiping out the Free-Earthers.