She is a confident and capable professional, with a no-nonsense attitude and a sharp wit. Despite her beauty, Rachel is not portrayed as a shallow character, but rather as an intelligent and driven individual who is focused on her work and determined to uncover the truth. Her relationships with the other characters in the novel add depth and nuance to her character.

Rachel is the daughter of Senator Sedgewick Sexton, a man who is running for president of the United States. Rachel and her father have a strained relationship due to his lack of attention and affection toward her throughout her childhood. Despite this, Rachel is fiercely loyal to her father and wants to believe that he has good intentions.

Rachel is a skilled analyst with a background in oceanography, which makes her an important asset to the NRO. She is responsible for analyzing satellite imagery to detect abnormalities in the earth’s surface. Rachel is also an accomplished scuba diver, which allows her to conduct her own research in the field.

Throughout the novel, Rachel is portrayed as intelligent, resourceful, and determined, often putting herself in dangerous situations to uncover the truth.

Rachel’s relationship with Michael Tolland, who accompanies her on her mission, is a significant aspect of her character development. Rachel’s interactions with Tolland allow her to see the world in a different way, challenging her preconceptions and leading her to question her beliefs.

Michael Tolland

Michael Tolland is an important character in the novel “Deception Point.”. He is a renowned oceanographer and television personality who specializes in hosting documentaries about the deep sea on television. Tolland’s expertise in oceanography and geology makes him an essential character in the novel, as he is recruited by the President of US, to investigate a controversial discovery in the Arctic – a meteorite containing evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Michael Tolland is described as a tall and  handsome man of forty-five with brown, vigilant, and passionate eyes. Michael Tolland’s hair was coarse black and fell in a windswept tuft over his brow. He had a powerful chin and a careless attitude that conveyed confidence.

Tolland’s physique is muscular and well-defined, a result of his active lifestyle as an oceanographer and avid surfer. Throughout the novel, Tolland is frequently seen wearing casual clothing such as jeans and t-shirts, often with a jacket or sweater thrown over. He is also described as wearing a wetsuit and other specialized diving gear when conducting oceanographic research. Michael Tolland is the owner of a sleek, state-of-the-art research vessel named the Goya.

He is portrayed as intelligent, resourceful, and brave, with a dry sense of humor and a deep passion for the ocean. He forms a strong bond with Rachel over the course of the novel, and the two become partners in both the investigation and their personal lives.

Corky Marlinson

Corky Marlinson is portrayed as a recipient of the National Medal in Astrophysics, also recruited by the President to check the authenticity of the meteorite. Corky is a staunch proponent of the authenticity of the meteorite.

Marlinson is portrayed as a brilliant and quirky character, with a love for practical jokes and a tendency to push the boundaries of authority. He is squat and rotund, resembling a pug dog with bubble eyes and thining comb-over haircut. Corky has little knowledge of proper social conduct.

Despite his humorous personality, Corky is also shown to be serious about his work. He takes his role in the investigation seriously and is dedicated to uncovering the truth behind the discovery.

Norah Mangor

Norah is a civilian scientist to be brought to the Arctic by President Herney. She is a tough, tomboyish, brilliant, and eccentric glaciologist from the University of New Hampshire, who played a crucial role in the discovery of a meteorite in the Arctic. Norah is depicted as a highly intelligent and dedicated scientist who is passionate about her work. She is known for her analytical mind and her ability to think outside the box, which prove invaluable in the investigation.

Norah is also depicted as a bit of a rebel, with a tendency to challenge authority figures and question established ideas. She is fiercely independent and not afraid to speak her mind, even in tense situations. She is offended at the notion that something could be wrong with her data. When her ice samples are questioned, it is Norah who suggests leaving the habisphere to get more data, where they are attacked by the deadly assassin team. Norah is killed by the assassins as Rachel, Corky, and Michael make their escape.

Wailee Ming

Wailee Ming was Chairman of Paleontology at UCLA, invited by the President of the United States to the Milne Ice Shelf of the Arctic Circle to investigate the meteorite. He was depicted as an Asian man who walked with the pompous stiffness of Renaissance aristocracy, continuously caressing the out-of-place bow tie he wore beneath his knee-length camel-hair coat. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would let his remote location spoil his impeccable appearance. He was murdered by the Delta Force soldiers, drowning in the pit from which the meteorite was excavated.

POLITICIANS:

 

Zachery Herney

“Dception Point” features Zachery Herney as the President of the United States of America. President Zachary Herney, although holding the most prestigious political position in the world, is of ordinary height, with a slim body, narrow shoulders, and an average chest. He had bifocals, a freckled face, and sparse black hair. However, his frail appearance was a sharp contrast to the nearly royal affection he inspired in those who knew him. It was stated that if you ever had the chance to meet Zach Herney, you would go to any lengths for him.

In the scenario, the president is criticised for lavishly spending American resources on low-yield endeavours, such as the purportedly fruitless quest for alien life, while crucial sectors of the country, like education, are left without funding. He revises government excess as a result of the story’s events.

Senator Thomas Sedgwick Sexton

Senator Sedgwick Sexton is a central character in the novel “Deception Point”. He is portrayed as a powerful and ambitious politician who is running for President of the United States. He is also the father of Rachel Saxton, the protagonist of the novel.

Although his first name was Thomas, he had adopted his middle name long ago. Perhaps it was because he liked the alliteration —  Senator Sedgewick Sexton. He is a silver-haired, silver-tongued politician. Senator Sexton is a crooked, adulterous tyrant who takes bribes and has several affairs with other women.

Sexton is a charismatic and eloquent speaker who is skilled in manipulating public opinion. He is also a master of political strategy, and is willing to use any means necessary to achieve his goals and even would sacrifice his daughter to crush his political opponent harder.

He is shown to be arrogant and hot-headed, with a tendency to lash out when his authority or power is challenged. He can be dismissive of opposing viewpoints and is quick to anger when he does not get his way. Sexton’s actions and decisions are often impulsive and short-sighted, leading to unintended consequences that he is ill-equipped to handle. He is not a strategic thinker and is more concerned with short-term gains than long-term consequences.

Marjorie Tench

The senior advisor to the President, Marjorie Tench, is a very unusual character in the novel “Deception Point.” Her six-foot-tall physique resembles a walking human skeleton due to her extreme thinness. Her skin had the appearance of parchment paper with two emotionless eyes poking through the jaundiced skin on her face. At age 51, Marjorie appears to be seventy. She smoked continuously and exhaled smoke like a dragon.

Marjorie Tench is regarded as a political goddess in Washington due to her razor-sharp intellect and ability to think critically. She was reported to have analytical abilities that were almost clairvoyant. She has been in charge of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the State Department for ten years. She has all the intelligence of a supercomputer, which is a blessing. President Zach Herney had little difficulty tolerating the woman’s eccentricities, as her intelligence and tenacity were almost solely responsible for placing him in office in the first place.

Tench has concealed the meteorite discovery in order to use it as a justification for NASA’s expenditures, rendering Sexton’s criticism ineffective. When Rachel informs Tench that the meteorite is a fake, Tench endeavours to conceal the information before being murdered by Pickering’s death squad.

Gabrielle Ashe

Senator Sexton’s personal assistant and ex-mistress, Gabrielle Ashe, is twenty-four years old. She works for him for free. Her pay for a sixteen-hour shift is for learning politics from a seasoned politician. She was an Ivy Leaguer from New York who aspired to be a senator herself one day. She was stunningly beautiful and as sharp as a whip. Her tawny color was more of a rich cinnamon or mahogany than black. Gabrielle, according to Sexton, combines Halle Berry’s beauty with Hillary Clinton’s skills and drive.

Senator Sexton obtains information regarding NASA’s excess from Gabrielle Ashe. When the senator’s campaign fails, she infiltrates NASA to help salvage the campaign by uncovering probable proof of fabrication. Gabrielle then threatens Sexton with exposing her one-time illicit affair in order to persuade him not to sacrifice her daughter for his political ambitions. When that plan falls through, Sarah and Rachel join together to hide proof of the meteorite debacle by replacing it with pictures of the affair.

NASA:

Lawrence Ekstrom

Lawrence Ekstrom is the Administrator of NASA. He is a bulky giant whose black fleece pullover amplifies his size and makes him look like a bear. He is an unimportant character of the novel who does nothing beyond attracting suspicion.

Chris Harper

Chris Harper is the Polar Orbiting Density Scanner Satellite (PODS) Section Manager. He is a tall and sophisticated man with a smart and polished accent. He appears in four chapters and explains why NASA did not discover the meteorite as reported.

 

NRO:

William Pickering

William Pickering, the director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the leader of the Delta Force squad depicted in the novel, is the primary antagonist and mastermind behind the conspiracy. He is diminutive with pallid skin, an unremarkable visage, a bald head, and hazel eyes that, despite having viewed the nation’s darkest secrets, resembled two shallow pools. The individual was given the moniker “Quaker” due to his unassuming diligence and his wardrobe of basic black suits. Brilliantly strategic and a paragon of efficiency, the Quaker governed his world with unrivalled precision. His credo was, “Find the truth. Act accordingly”

In order to forward his own agenda of turning NASA into a subsidiary of NRO and making its operations covert, Pickering intends to assist President Herney in keeping the office in place. Even the president’s adviser, Marjorie Tench, who had previously disagreed with him, would be killed by him and the Delta Force unit he led. A vortex pulls Pickering into it.

 

The Delta Force Team

The killing squad of Delta Force William Pickering was using consisted of three men, called Delta-One, Delta-Two, and Delta-Three. They have access to the cutting-edge technology of the day, including surveillance microbots, an Aurora aircraft, a Kiowa Warrior helicopter, and weapons that produce their own explosives. All three of them perished; their captain, Delta-One, drowned inside a Kiowa Warrior, and the other two, Delta-Two and Delta-Three were devoured by sharks.

OTHER CHARACTERS:

Katherine Wentworth Sexton

Katherine Sexton, the wife of Senator Sedgwick Sexton and mother of Rachel Sexton, died three years ago. She is depicted as a lonely and neglected spouse. Her marriage to Senator Sexton was strained and distant, and the couple maintained a façade of marital harmony for the sake of their political image. Senator Sexton is portrayed as a workaholic who is more focused on his political career than on his marriage.

Diana Pickering

Diana Pickering, Pickering’s daughter, perished in the Red Sea while preparing to be a navigator on a small navy escort ship. On a lovely afternoon, her ship was anchored in a safe harbor when a homemade dory filled with explosives and propelled by two suicide terrorists motored gently across the harbor and exploded when it came into contact with the hull. That day, Diana Pickering and thirteen other young American troops were slain.

Celia Tolland

Celia Tolland, Michael Tolland’s deceased wife, was a wonderful and attractive character who passed away many years ago as a result of a bad illness.

Xavia

Xavia was a crew member of Tolland’s ship Goya. She was a brilliant geologist and was very helpful to Tolland. She was heavyset and dark-skinned, with a sharp voice. Xavia was killed by Delta Force in a Hellfire missile  attack.