Mei-Lin Lai
Mei-Lin Lai (Simplified Chinese (Mandarin) 赖美琳, pinyin Lài Měi-Lín) was born in Timeline One, in Beijing, China, in 1982. She is the daughter of a highly-placed PLA General (father) and a back-bencher (but up-and-coming) member of the National People's Congress (mother). (Later her mother will join the CCP Central Committee and work for reform.)
Her surname Lai means "depend on; trust in; rely on". Her given name means, roughly, "beautiful gem".
She goes by "Mei" among friends.
She is a highly-competent Colonel in charge of a PLA regiment when she encounters Timeline Zero's John Wolff and Chris von Barronov in Timeline One's 2017.
"Did you get a chance to look the good Colonel up?" asked von Barronov, as Ariela was in the middle of blessing her flock. Wolff looked up from his holotab, lost in thought.
"What?"
"Did you get a chance to look up Lai Mei-Lin?" von Barronov repeated.
"No, why would I?" said Wolff.
"She's a saucy little savant with serious savoir-faire, is why," replied von Barronov, flipping a holotab sheet around so Wolff could see it.
Wolff did a double-take. "Wow," he said. "Funny, I didn't figure her for smoking hot, built, and probably only in her late twenties. And that's her official PLA portrait? I'd be surprised if they don't use her for recruitment – she makes the uniform look amazing."
"Yeah. And when you look at her qualifications and schools, she's even more amazing."
"Where did you find all this?" asked Wolff, scooting over, intrigued despite himself.
Von Barronov snorted. "Their military systems are like tissue paper to our search algorithms, just like their diplomatic systems," he replied, with just a touch of disdain. "I didn't just get the files, I got instant decrypted translations of the files."
"Let's see . . . hmm . . . she has their equivalent of Ranger tabs, Expert Marksman, all the usual merit badges, Officer Basic Course equivalent with high honors, Officer Advanced Course equivalent, high honors again, been to Command and General Staff school, War College, PLAN Surface Warfare School – hmm, and back as an instructor, no less – has university degrees, bachelor's in Military History and master's in Military Science, from the PLA National Defence University. Did a turn as an aide to the military attaché in San Francisco. When promoted to captain, assigned to 30th PLA Regiment as a company commander, and up the ladder from there to command of the regiment. Father was a PLA major general, died in some stupid accident a couple of years ago, mother was – is, I guess – on the CCP Central Committee. Member of the Communist Party, of course, she'd have to be to get where she is." Wolff read on a bit more in silence, then added, "She's definitely been groomed for a high leadership post. Daddy being a general officer probably greased those rails. Doesn't hurt that she has a stratospheric IQ. And she's 35. Doesn't look like it. Married at 22, lasted five years, husband a highly-connected civilian Party official, divorced amicably, no children, no current relationship. Extremely high 'social credit' score."
"She's being fast-tracked to brigadier, according to this eval report," said von Barronov, showing it to him. "They want her to do something in their taikonaut corps."
"Probably take over the training program," grunted Wolff. "Women aren't likely to become overall commanders in the PLA. At least, not in 2017." He waved at the report and it moved closer to him. He read more closely, and shook his head. "Nope. Go figure. This is one of those "walks on water and directs the heavenly choir after she divides the loaves and fishes" evaluations. They may well have her in mind for command. Not sure what a brigadier would command in their taikonaut corps."
-- The Lion of God, Chapter 12, Of Savoir-Faire, Scripts, and Strategies
Following her contact with the Americans from Timeline Zero, Mei does indeed become a taikonaut and is promoted to Brigadier General in a leadership position with the PRC's taikonaut corps. She later defects (before the second SARS-CoV "plandemic" is released by the PRC in 2036) and ends up the guest of John and Sarah Wolff in Indiana until 2047, when she transfers to Timeline Zero to become the Brigadier General in charge of Space Force Base Terra Meridiani -- a post she holds for many, many years. Ariela Wolff is her sponsor for permanent residency during the years 2036-2047; the two become fast friends, and consider each other the sister they never had.
Mei has an unspecified optical condition (first mentioned in The Dragon and her Sister) which neither surgery nor nanos are capable of treating, thus she must wear glasses (or contacts, but she prefers glasses). For space work, or for work outside in the Martian environment, she has a special helmet visor that corrects her vision so it is not necessary for her to wear glasses or contacts while suited up. The visor is made of aliglass and its index of refraction can be adjusted as required via electrical impulses controlled by a microprocessor (and it is possible for the visor to be adjusted in sections so it works just like the trifocals Mei has to wear).
Debuts in The Lion of God. Appears in The Lion and The Lizard, The Lion in Paradise, and The Dragon and her Sister.
Mesh capabilities
- Unknown, but she is aware of the Mesh.