Rookie Duane Heller, the newest member of the TC108 squad and with only three months of duty under his belt. Everyone gets to pester Duane, and he takes it like a man. In fact he even seems to enjoy it - he's still thrilled with even being on a squad at all.

At 24 years old, and with three of those years being spent in the Talon City university system while getting a Bachelors in Computer Sciences, Duane enjoys spending his off time playing video games or even trying to write his own programs. He has often hacked their own web site - to hilarious results. He is a brown-haired brown-eyed half-white half-black man, of average height and always with a smile on his lips. Of any of the fire fighters here, he's the one most likely to be on a "firemen calendar". The girls in the Station look forward to that day with pleasure.

Duane's family is somewhat broken. His mother, a thickly set black woman who has remarried twice since divorcing Duane's white father, takes care of four other children, and two grandchildren - Duane's older sister Danella's twins. Duane hopes to earn enough money to help put them in daycare so that his mother and sister can get their own lives back.

Back to the bonding link page?

Since Heller had chosen to go to the Terramania clutch, he'd been ribbed because it was like cheating. The place wasn't really 'off' earth, was it? It was, but it wasn't. Cy Dragonstake was where the clutch hatched, but it kind of bled over into an east coast state. He tried to comprehend that, and while he didn't completely fail that, he wasn't looking forward to explaining it to anyone.

The wintery snow was kind of disconcerting to the man, because he'd never been in snow before. So he stayed inside most of the time, learning what kinds of dragons might come from this exotic goddess-blessed nest. Gods - there were gods in this world. Were there demons too?

He was assured there were, by someone who abruptly left Cy, for parts unknown.

Heller got back to studying. It didn't take too many weeks before the place was full, and they were called down to the clutch room. Chilled air met with the warm sands, and the steam rising from the sands almost made it hard to see. The first of the hatchlings was a pretty little green, and she heralded a whole batch that went to their friends immediately.

There was an electric looking one, whom Heller thought had glanced his way, but that might have been an illusion. It wasn't long though, before another broke from his shell, and with two disparate others. They split up, and one of them wandered toward Heller and sat down.

I might not be a water, but I will be very good at fighting fires myself once I grow big enough. He said, proudly. The dragonet was bold, sure of himself, and totally electric.

"I believe you, Denuth!" Heller called to him. They went to find their first meal together - of course Heller wasn't much on raw meat out of a big bowl. They had a human fit feast later of course, when the dragons were sleepy and restful.

"I can't wait until you're big enough to travel..." He said.

I cannot wait to get to sleep, my friend... It has been an exhausting day!

"Just you wait until you're working for Commander Steele..." Heller sighed with a broad grin.