Dr. Andrea MacNeil is the Orion’s computer systems specialist.  The Orion’s computer core is the subject of her ongoing research.  She aims to learn more about the people who originally built it and to understand the sophisticated software which enables many of Orion’s automated systems.

When an advanced city built by the same race is discovered on a planet within the nexus, Andrea spends some time unlocking its mysteries as well.

In Flight of Passion, Andrea has determined that the city also acted as a sort of servicing hub for Orion-class ships, as evidenced by a laboratory specialising in crystal fabrication.  These power-chanelling crystals take about six weeks to grow, although more than one of them can be grown at once.