Kyle Wald

Kyle Wald was an American scientist, engineer, and a lead director of science for Seaboard after the Great Collapse. Born in Ocean City, Maryland, Wald was mostly raised in rural Pennsylvania, however, traveled frequently throughout his youth. His high intelligence and education, paired with connections left over from his late father, allowed him to be under the eye of Michael Sisk. Wald serves as a major antagonist in The Seaboard Element.

During the Jinanvirus, Wald was initially with his best friend, Brian Burnett. During the beginning of the Great Collapse, he was able to determine that Michael Sisk and Seaboard Technologies were responsible for the Jinanvirus. Sisk found and linked up with him, attempting to lure him into his lucrative political plan. Wald was immediately rivaled to Sisk, believing it was his own stolen research that allowed the virus to be created. Because of this, he felt compelled to stop Sisk and Seaboard at any cost.

An unforeseen fatal injury caused Wald to be captured and operated on by Seaboard doctors, who transferred him to Connecticut. After he recuperated, he was held against his will within the facilities. He was able to escape, however, chose not to return to his friends in Pennsylvania because it was guaranteed he'd be immediately found and captured again, possibly resulting in the death of his friends. Instead, he made his way to Newfoundland, where he studied Newfound Buddhism and was a brief student of Maurus. After a series of premonitions, Wald left and returned to Connecticut in hopes he could shape Seaboard in ways he saw fit.

In Seaboard, Wald did not officially exist, acting as the lead Director of Sciences for the territories from behind a veil and only being known personally to few high-ranking officials. Wald was at constant odds with Michael Sisk, who he believed he had to always be cleaning up after when he made an ill-fated decision for the territories. Despite his initial opposition to Seaboard, Wald slowly became a key figure in the Seaboard-American Civil War and was one of the highest ranking members of the territories, which he remained in despite the ability to leave multiple times.

To his benefit, Wald did not reveal himself when his clone, SP-S011, was assumed to be himself, albeit genetically modified after birth and with amnesia. When his true identity was revealed, he still reframed from taking to the public spotlight.

## Early Life

Wald was born in Ocean City, Maryland, on 14 April 1999 to Arthur and Brigitta Wald. The family owned a home near Salisbury, Maryland, while Arthur Wald worked for Michael Sisk at a secretive biological engineering laboratory nearby. His mother, Brigitta, did not work and instead raised Wald and his older Brother, Alex.

Raised diligently by Arthur and Brigitta, he showed signs of significant cognitive advancement, like his brother, even at a couple years old. After breaking away from his work and becoming dissolusioned with Seaboard Technologies, Arthur Wald vouched for the family to move to Pennsylvania. The family did so, and moved into a two-story manor near Middleburg, Pennsylvania. Arthur began working at BioEclipse Agriculture, based in State College over an hour away. In the same city, Wald's maternal grandparents lived.

In 2007, agents hired by Michael Sisk attempted to kidnap either Kyle, his brother Alex, or both of them when they were in town. Alex retrieved a firearm from the families car, which he used to shoot back at the attackers. In the process, Alex was shot and killed. The attackers fled, and his father was killed shortly after in a quest for vengeance.

Afterwards, Michael Sisk met with Brigitta, claiming innocence and that he would make sure Wald and his mother were safe and protected from any possible threats. Brigitta was given a generous stipend by Sisk, who kept an eye on her and Kyle against their will.

Briefly after, while in school at Selinsgrove elementary, Wald met Brian Burnett, who went on to become his best friend. The two quickly became a rowdy pair, often getting into trouble in school for various disciplinary reasons. In school, Wald would often let Burnett copy his work so he was able to pass classes and grades.

In middle school, Wald's grandfather, who he was close to, died. He began to stack a significant amount of disciplinary strikes in school, all the while taking high school classes online. Once in High School, Burnett moved into the Wald household with his best friend, his mother, and step-father. In chemistry class in junior year, Wald met Emily Allen, who he was attracted to. When spending time with her during lunch, Burnett met Allen, and was also attracted to her. This quickly caused tension between the friends, especially since Burnett had an easier time developing relationships with women.

Emily Allen began dating Burnett, and a few months after, moved out from the Wald residence and lived with older adults where he sold drugs. Wald developed ill feelings for his close friend, having a harder time aligning with him. The two of them were caught in a fight in school, and both were expelled from the High School. While Burnett attended a nearby school, Kyle finished his school online quickly after, even racking up many college credits.

Wald was reluctant to move out from the rather lavish house of his mother, who was financially supportive of him. He began stacking college classes while interning for different tech companies nearby. At eighteen, Wald rekindled his friendship with Brian Burnett, the two forgiving one another.

## Return to the Spotlight

As Sisk grew frustrated with the conflation between SP-S011 and Wald, he forcibly had Wald brought to the level ten prototype laboratory in the Seaboard capitol. There, during Operation Parable, it was revealed to SP-S011, Maria Burnett, and the others in the attack that SP-S011 was, in truth, a sentinel clone of the real Kyle Wald, where they learned that he'd been working as a scientist under Seaboard for years. Wald stayed composed during this, and exchanged no words, but was rather conflicted about the situation. He was fine with SP-S011 living using his persona, and shattering that meant a target would be put on his head from a sentinel, which brought fear to Wald. Despite Burnett defeating SP-S011, Wald was correct to assume he did not die. He quickly fled the capitol to his mountain home in Vermont where his family had been staying on-and-off.

Prior to the onset of autumn, Wald's suspicions were confirmed that SP-S011 survived, and he grew frantic as he knew that the former sentinel would target him. He prepared a hasty defense, forcing his grandmother, aunt, and her children to their home in Bridgeport. Despite initially believing he had the upper hand in the defense, he quickly realized he was outmatched by the far more experienced sentinel. He chose to confront SP-S011 through verbal means. They had a brief conversation, and the sentinel made it clear he intended to use Wald in the future before departing.

## Combat Style

Wald avoids combat, instead, having other subordinates or sentinels take care of anything he needs done.