She may not be quite as deeply immersed in quantum physics as Dr. William Joyce, but as Monarch Solutions’ Head of Research, what little Dr. Sofia Amaral might lack in that specialization, she more than makes up for in her understanding of other disciplines. Paul Serene has tasked her not only with completing the Lifeboat Program and thus ensuring the survival of humanity, but also his own personal wellbeing—she is the only person alive who has a deep understanding of his Chronon Syndrome, and the only one who can prepare the treatments Serene needs to control his condition.
Given her position, Dr. Amaral has a great deal of resources and authority. Unfortunately, she’s a scientist, not a politician, and she finds herself out of her element dealing with Monarch’s upper echelons. She has concerns. Her predecessor, Dr. Henry Kim, worked very closely with Martin Hatch when Dr. Kim was deeply involved in Project Promenade at Riverport University—the project that eventually caused the Fracture. What’s more, Dr. Kim turned into a Shifter under mysterious circumstances also involving Hatch.
While Dr. Amaral has no proof of any wrongdoing on Hatch’s part, she can see coincidences piling up, and she has unsettling suspicions that are difficult to articulate. She has a great deal of admiration and respect for Serene’s dedication to his goal, which she sees as a noble one – but she can tell that for all his smooth talk, Martin Hatch doesn’t fully share it. But Hatch and Serene go back a long time.
Her relationship with Serene is a complicated one—she’s in a caregiver position, but she’s a physicist, not a medical doctor, and she doesn’t have the detachment one would perhaps expect from somebody in her situation. There’s an aspect to their relationship that goes beyond professional, but it’s an elusive thing—she knows that for Serene, anything that distracts him from his mission is to be avoided. And yet, at times that distraction is unavoidable.
In the end, Dr. Amaral believes in Paul Serene’s vision for the future. She knows she’s in a unique role to make a difference not just for Monarch Solutions, but for all of humanity.
Dr. Amaral is portrayed by Jacqueline Pinol.
