Harold Winston

"Always remember: Never accept the world as it appears to be. Dare to see it for what it could be."

- Harold Winston

Harold Winston was a human scientist.

Story
A member of Lucheng Interstellar, Winston had an office in Lijiang Tower. He later worked at the Horizon Lunar Colony as a member of the Simian Research Division, spending time with one of the genetically enhanced gorillas that had been brought to the base, teaching the ape science and telling him tales of human ingenuity. On one occassion, he read Journey to the West to the young ape.

Winston once made Journal Entry 1963-4, regarding a status update on the hamster subject Specimen 8, whom the staff had named "Hammond". He noted how Hammond was continuing to be one of their biggest surprises among the subjects. The staff had trouble keeping track of him due to multiple escapes from his cage, even though he had physically grown in size from the genetic modification. Hammond demonstrated impressive problem solving skills and adaptability, and had overcome all challenges placed before him. Winston couldn't help but wonder what Hammond was looking for during his escapes, and closed that he looked forward to whatever trouble Hammond would get into next.

In the base's last days, Winston corresponded with fellow staff concerning the test subjects, specifically their increased beligerance. Winston agreed with Yoshida and Nevsky that the gorillas should be confined to their quarters, but noted that there weren't many good options available to them. Sending the gorillas to Earth wasn't a solution in his eyes (not to mention the medical issues), and expressed his belief that the gorillas were members of the colony as much as any of the base's human staff. He noted that not all of the gorillas had experienced adverse reactions to the gene therapy, but noted that they should slow down further tests, or possibly outright discontinue them.

Winston's last recorded message was a request for fellow staff members to aid him at airlock E-35, which had malfunctioned. He was killed in the subsequent uprising that the gorillas launched, who took the colony as their own. It has been implied that the error at the airlock was a ploy by the gorillas, who then vented the scientists onto the lunar surface to die from asphyxiation.