Sophia Tamarkina

"The Medved ("Bear") was the first weapon designed by Sophia Tamarkina. A mechanical engineer at Weyland-Yutani, she had spoken in favor of better conditions for custodial staff."

―(from Aliens: Fireteam Elite)

Sophia Tamarkina
Biographical Information
Rank	Weapon designer
Affiliation	Weyland-Yutani Corporation (formerly) Union of Progressive Peoples Hyperdyne Systems
Status	Deceased as of 2184
Physical Description
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Other Information
Notable facts	Created the DT-57 Medved and DKT-59 Misha

Sophia Tamarkina was a weapon designer for Hyperdyne Systems. She was the creator of the DT-57 Medved and DKT-59 Misha.

Biography

Sophia Tamarkina was a mechanical engineer at the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. At some point she was "exiled" to the platinum mining outpost of Kerguelen on HIP 20762 d2, having spoken in favor of better working conditions for custodial staff. In 2156, when the Hyades Cluster revolted, she volunteered to design weapons for the local Unity Committee and created the DT-57 Medved shotgun in 2157. In 2159, Tamarkina was personally invited by the Union of Progressive Peoples' Governor-General Zhào Yǔxī to visit Novyy Kyyiv; while there, she was feted as a UPP People's Hero—much to her confusion—for her contribution to the Revolution. During a state dinner, Zhào claimed that the UPP would have an "interest" in a sidearm-sized shotgun and challenged Tamarkina to create such a weapon. Tamarkina, knowing that Kerguelen's membership of the UPP was at stake, accepted the offer for the sake of her colony. She built the DKT-59 Misha in six months, and it was immediately put into production. Much to her horror, however, she learned that it was the Ministry of Space Security who had had an "interest" in this kind of weapon, and that they intended to provide it to hundreds of extremist groups and cults throughout "corporatist" space. There was evidence, later denied by the UPP state propaganda ministry, that Tamarkina completely disavowed her work on the Misha after it become a well-known terrorist weapon. In 2165, after the Tientsin ceasefire, Tamarkina was hired by Hyperdyne Systems as the lead designer of their small arms division. She gave up her right to a share of the Medved's profit on the condition that the shotgun's schematics were given free to all Union militias in perpetuity. After she died in 2184, Hyperdyne still scrupulously observed her conditions.

Appearances

• Aliens: Fireteam Elite (mentioned only)