Lisbeth Constantine's Page

Elizabeth Catherine Constantine
Born: 1891, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mother: Catherine Marie Constantine
Father: Gregory Alphonse Sampson, biologist
Sister: Stephanie Constantine Helstein

As a small child, Lisbeth developed leukemia, and her father saved her life by performing experimental gene replacement on her. He used genetic material from a cat, and this had the side-effect of causing her to develop a distinctly feline appearance.

At age 5 Lisbeth moved to NYC with her mother and sister, Stephanie. Alphonse soon died in Germany because of a laboratory accident. This incident was sensationalized in the novelette "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka. Eventually, Stephanie moved back to Copenhagen to marry Professor Doctor William Helstein, director of the Academic Orchestra and Choir. Lisbeth studied computation and library science at Harvard College and was a "computer" (a person who did mathematical computations) at Harvard College Observatory under the direction of Dr. Edward Pickering.


(On the back in pencil is the date 13 May 1913 and the names: Arville Walker, Johanna Mackie, Lisbeth Constantine, Mabel Gill, Edward Pickering, Ida Woods, Margaret Harwood, Mollie O'Reilly, Annie Jump Cannon, Evelyn Leland, Harlow Shapley, Florence Cushman, Marion Whyte, and Grace Brooks.)

http://www.womanastronomer.com/harvard_computers.htm

After facing discrimination all her life due to her odd appearance, Lisbeth moved to Rivet Town where she hoped for a life of anonymity. She was the Rivet Town Librarian and also continued her work on mechanical computing engines using nanotechnology for the machinery. The intent of her work has been to make computational devises that can be implanted in the human brain using blood flow as the power source. Several governments have taken an interest in Lisbeth's work. Among them are the British, French, Prussians, and Americans.

Her former boss at the Harvard College Observatory, Dr. Edward Pickering, now of United States Military Intelligence, has already attempted to recruit her. As a response, British Home Secretary Mycroft Holmes engaged MI5 to kidnap Lisbeth. This was accomplished through the agency of a group of pirates masquerading as the Royal Navy raiding Rivet Town. While the battle continued, agents broke into Lisbeth's rooms and abducted her, stealing or smashing all of her notes and apparatus.

Her sister, Stephanie Helstein and Lisbeth's fiance, Greywind Heron tracked her as far as Port Babbage where they examined the ships log of the submarine that had transported her. The most likely port of call for her disembarking was Antiquity Britannica. Traveling through Antiquity Finlandia, Ms. Helstein was befriended by pirates who recommended that they pass through Antiquity Township to get to Antiquity Citadel.

In Citadel, Ms. Helstein enlisted the cooperation of the Baroness Renate Marchionne while Mr. Heron talked with several officers of the guard. It was determined at that time that the search should proceed to Antiquity Tortuga. It was unclear for some time whether Lisbeth was in the hands of pirates or of some government. It appeared not to be the Americans, however, because Dr. Pickering was also searching for her.

At that time war broke out between pirates and royal forces stationed in Citadel. In one of the battles, Lisbeth's captors were killed and she managed to escape. A pirate captain named Eddy Cannonball found her and took pity on her, offering her a place to hide. She now leads a quiet life managing a hotel at a pirate port.