| Alec Hall | |
| Fictional Character | |
| "La Différence" Set in the Future | |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct |
| Nationality: | British citizen of United Europe |
| Date of Birth: | 21st century |
| Occupation: | Geologist, Chemist |
| Affiliations: | Sengen Base |
Alec Hall was a geochemist at Sengen Base on Io when war broke out between Japan and United Europe. He and Renée Messier were the only survivors of the surprise attack on the base because they were forty km away on a geological expedition. When they learned of the attack, they immediately drove for the surviving Loki Station but the Japanese had landed two crawlers from their Lunar Farside Base which gave pursuit.
While Messier drove, Hall monitored the infrared sensor for "hotspots" warning her of any in their path. He also radioed Loki Station for help. Eventually he made contact but did not receive good news. While the station was mounting missiles on their crawlers, the job had not been completed on any. Hall reluctantly agreed that there was no point in sending unarmed crawlers to try to rescue them.
As they continued to flee in the true darkness of a solar eclipse, Hall had a sudden idea. He suggested to Messier that they drive as close to a hotspot as they could and then back away from it again and circle it to the other side. They would leave the crawler there and EVA back to the straight track to sweep clear the side track. As it was true dark, they need clear only a few meters so the Japanese headlights would not spot it.
Messier agreed and left the crawler circling on auto-pilot. They swept the side track clear and hid behind a nearby boulder to watch. As they had hoped the Japanese drove straight at the abandoned crawler and broke through the thin crust covering the hotspot, destroying themselves.
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