I designed my character to fit into a version of our world in the far future, where the population has collectively mutated due to pollution and toxic waste.
The nuclear apocalypse came at a time when intergalactic space travel and sustained living had been recently established, and so much of the human population was able to flee and ride out the period of a nearly uninhabitable planet. They were able to return after a few generations, since the ecosystem was able to survive, but the effects of toxic mutation grow more evident with each decade.
Our main character, Sija, is a woman in her late twenties, was born many generations later with a regional mutation which causes all of the organs except for bones and hair to be transparent. Since blood is also transparent, this makes it extremely difficult to tell when someone is bleeding, and conversely, much easier to get away with murder.
The majority of people in the city where she lives appear this way, though there are many other genetic variants which have spread throughout the world. Because of this, it’s common practice for most people to wear contacts and makeup to distinguish their features.
Even though she spent most of her life and schooling on Earth, Sija was born on a trade mission in another galaxy, and takes every opportunity possible for extraplanetary travel. She takes a lot of odd jobs in space to that end, and it wouldn’t be incorrect to describe her as a bounty hunter. She returns home to Earth from an extended (and unsanctioned) trip to space, and discovers her sister has gone missing. Without any hint if she’s alive or dead, her search brings her far across the strangeness of the planet she left behind.
Even though there are a lot of different features and environments related to my character, I decided to depict her just getting ready with her sister, to focus on their mutation and how someone might define their face if it was mostly transparent.
