Lamia

Origins: Atlantis and her birth. Lamia was born inside the Atlantis Zero-Point Energy research base. Her mother is Lybia (sometimes spelled Lebia in translations), a researcher who was pregnant at the time of a disastrous explosion. The explosion fatally injured Libya and destroyed Lamia’s lower body. The scientists removed the baby from her mother (“emergency operation”) and saved her life despite the injuries Lamia grows up in Atlantis, but her intellectual development is stunted relative to other children — she has trouble with complex ideas and feels isolated from the rest of the staff. Because of her injury, she uses prosthetic lower limbs for a time. Eventually, as conditions worsen in Atlantis (food rationing, danger from the Punishing Virus, etc.), she’s offered a Construct modification surgery. This would make her useful in gathering information outside Atlantis, which gives her value (and a reason to live in the eyes of the scientists) when survival is becoming more precarious. Post-surgery, Lamia becomes a Construct, later an Ascendant (a more powerful/pivotal role among Constructs). She gains a mechanical lower body that can shift (for example, to a tail) to adapt to underwater life. She leaves Atlantis, wanders outside, is infected by the Punishing Virus, loses parts of her memory (e.g. details of Atlantis, what her mission really was), and returns later to Atlantis. Upon returning, she finds Atlantis empty—everyone she knew is dead. In her grief, despair, and confusion, she triggers the order to sink Atlantis, intending to “bury” her pain along with it. Vera (a key protagonist) confronts Lamia at the central tower, after Lamia has connected with Atlantis' central control system. Vera defeats Lamia in battle. After her defeat, Lamia is allowed to escape.