Actor: Summer Glau






Name: River Tam

Gender: female

Age: 17

Height: 5'6 and a half inches

Weight: 112 lbs

Description: River is a lovely young woman, a little taller than average for a female. There is no spare fat on her slender frame, which is very toned. She could be beautiful if she took more care with her appearance. Chestnut brown hair falls about to the middle of her back in waves, framing a rather elfin face with big brown eyes. Her lips are full and frame two rows of even white teeth. Skin with olive undertones is soft and smooth. Overall, she looks rather unprepossessing. Appearances can be deceiving though.

History: River Tam is the 17 year old genius sister of Dr. Simon Tam, both born into a very affluent and prestigious Alliance family in Central City.

As a young child she was playful, precocious, full of imagination, extremely bright, correcting the homework of her older brother Simon, while criticizing the conclusions of published text book experts. The two of them would engage in games and adventures which included raiding the neighbors yard for berries or pretending they were Alliance fighters who had to resort to cannibalism and eat their own men because they were out of food.

She was well versed in spelling and grammar from the age of 3, understood Quantum mechanics, physics, biological functions and took dancing lessons. When she was 14 she and her well to do family learned of a special Academy run by the Alliance for gifted students and River insisted upon going to that Academy. Once at the Academy the scientists there began to experiment with her brain (cutting into it), developed her in the areas of being a seerer or mind reader, plus she was also trained for combat and programmed to fight on command. This training program hurt and bothered her immensely, but her communications with the outside world was limited as to what she could write to her brother and family. She sent cryptic messages in the form of code trying to tell them to come get her. Simon, who had always shared a close, symbiotic relationship with his precious little 'brat' of a sister (who would pester him until he put down his studies and gave her willing quality time), started to get worried about the nature of her communications. Risking his job and his position as a respect surgeon in an Alliance hospital Simon started to talk with people in the underground to see about getting her out of that Academy.

Simon brings River on to the transport ship Serenity in cryo-stasis where she is released by the Captain, Mal Reynolds, who becomes immediately protective of River. Mal is always concerned about her state of wellness and began to see her as having full, adult crew member potential. Kaylee, the ships mechanic, takes to playing with River like a best friend or sister, even though River's actions sometimes give her some concern. Jayne, the tall, muscle man warrior, thinks of her as moon-brained and being in the way. Wash, the pilot, as the voice of reason on the ship, always calms the waves when River is attacked. His wife Zoe, a realist and warrior, just sees the situation as it is and points out the obvious that at times they would be better off without River and Simon. Professional Companion Inara and Preacher Shepherd Book tend to back Wash, directly or indirectly, as the voice of reason. River's real brother Simon, however, sees her as more like his own 2 year old toddler whose hand he has to hold for dear life.

As River starts to explore her new world on the ship everyone starts to take slow notice of her Alliance training in reading or seeing people's thoughts as well as displays of her combat training. She is soft-spoken, emotional, empathic, wise and even brave. She also feels very guilty about taking her brother (whom she is very proud of) from his career as a surgeon due to her desire to go to the Alliance academy and his rescue efforts.

River had long thought of Mal as a surrogate father to both her and Simon (as did most of the crew), Jayne was her mean little brother or neighbor's kid, whom she likes to torment in retaliation for his torment of her and Simon, Kaylee was her bestest of friend (having a crush on brother Simon), Inara (estranged as she was from Mal) was a step mother (being the only one who could boss Mal around and get away with it, as well as being a voice of reason), Wash and Zoe as aunt and uncle.

The crew was Rivers true family and the ship, Serenity, her home. River and Mal would dance around each other, sizing each other out and standing their respective ground.

River's brain was operated on countless times while The Academy had her in its clutches, and she was treated for all intents and purposes like a laboratory animal. Simon was able to perform diagnostic tests and now knows for certain that, among other things, they cut into her brain multiple times. They even stripped her amygdala, which is a part of the brain used to control emotional responses and 'filter' incoming information. As he describes it: "She feels everything; she can't not."


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