# The Bryd — Short Science Fiction character guide

> The Bryd in Short Science Fiction by Noel Loomis.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Bryd

**First appearance:** 0002-the-bryd

## Snapshot

An ancient parasitic mind-dweller that wakes inside Dale Stevenson's head after a twenty-four-year nap and finds its host about to do something catastrophic.

## Who they are

The Bryd curled up in Dale's four-year-old mind decades ago and settled in for a long sleep, only to be jolted awake by turmoil aboard sun-station No. 18. It believes in minding its own business and not interfering with humans, yet it has a quarter-second to decide whether to stop Dale from firing a rocket that would burn a path across Europe. Its detached, faintly exasperated perspective reframes Dale's crisis as a problem of cosmic housekeeping.

## Relationships

### [Dale Stevenson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_2_se/characters/dale_stevenson)

_psychological_

The Bryd manipulates Dale through cryptic visions and mental influence.

### [Marillyn Stevenson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_2_se/characters/marillyn_stevenson)

_psychological_

The Bryd haunts Marillyn, using her as a pawn in its schemes.

### [Dale Stevenson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_2_se/characters/dale_stevenson)

_psychological_

The Bryd manipulates Dale through cryptic visions and mental influence.

### [Dale Stevenson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_2_se/characters/dale_stevenson)

_psychological_

The Bryd manipulates Dale through cryptic visions and mental influence.

## In the story

### [Parking, Unlimited](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_2_se/chapters/parking-unlimited)

Not directly present, but the brain-finder (an invention associated with the Bryd) is used by Slim to discover LaBombard's secret.

### [The Bryd](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_2_se/chapters/the-bryd)

The ancient energy being who awakens in Dale Stevenson's mind and intervenes to prevent the attack on Paris.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_2_se/characters/the_bryd
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_2_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_2_se/characters