Dom Vriess (Earth-7149)

"Who were you expecting? Santa Claus?"

- - Dom Vriess to Ron Johner

Dom Vriess was the engineer aboard the smuggling freighter Betty. In September 2568, Vriess and the rest of the Betty's crew delivered restrained colonists to Weyland-Yutani Corporation scientists aboard the USS Auriga in the orbit of Pluto, which resulted in a xenomorph outbreak.

Early life
Born on October 1st, 2525, Dom Vriess would take a job as an engineering technician at a USCMC shipyard on Newsaka at only 10 years old in 2535, but he was dishonorably discharged in 2543 after failing to remain sober. In the same year, he became a criminal for hire and associate of Ron Johner and Gary Christie, being hired by Frank Elgyn to be the engineer of his ship, the Betty, a stolen freighter.

Battle of Kawlang
He and the crew were present at Kawlang during the Battle of Kawlang, having to fend for their lives. There, Vriess sustained paralyzing injuries in his legs, and would be unable to walk for the rest of his life, while Johner was left with a violent facial scar while trying to help Vriess. Unable to walk, Christie then carried Vriess in his back, naming it the "Kawlang maneuver". The crew was able to escape, and in the months that followed the battle, Vriess was given a PTV for locomotion.

When the Betty welcomed its new crew member, Call, in 2559, Vriess became instantly infatuated with her, but never told it from his fear of being rejected duo to his disability.

Skirmish on the UNSC Auriga
"You wanna check the chair?"

- - Dom Vriess to a UNSC Marine After the Betty docked with the USS Auriga in the orbit of Pluto on September 16th, 2561, Vriess moved to the cargo hold of the vessel to steal spare parts and supplies. He was alone when the xenomorphs onboard the ship escaped their confinment and started slaughtering the entire crew.

Despite his disability, Vriess was able to defend himself against two xenomorphs with his shotgun while whistling the theme from Popeye the Sailor, before he reunited with the rest of the crew. When the few survivors of the ship were forced to swim through the flooded galley of the Auriga, Vriess was forced to abandon his PTV and was carried by Christie in the Kawlang maneuver. After a brief but deadly encounter, Christie sacrificed himself to save Vriess after having his face melted by xenomorph acid.

The survivors were able to reach the Betty and escape from the Auriga after Call transported both vessels to the Epsilon Eridani system so the Auriga would crash and impact on the glassed and abandoned Reach, instead of Earth. Commanded by Vriess and Johner, the Betty barely performed the atmospheric entry on Reach, added with the hull breach provoked by the death of the Newborn. He, Johner, Call and Ripley 8 were the only survivors of the xenomorph outbreak, and pondered to where they should go afterwards.

Personality
"Hey, Christie, do me a favour. When we hit the surface on the other side - no backstroke, OK?"

- - Dom Vriess to Gary Christie Unlike most of his crew members, who were battle-hardened pirates, mercenaries and killers, Vriess was simply a mechanic, who had very few military experience at the United States Colonial Marine Corps after working for a few years in one of their shiptyards. During the Skirmish on the USS Auriga, Vriess proved himself as dangerous and skilled, able to kill two xenomorphs on his own despite no help or backup. While most of his crew members treated him with scorn duo to his handicap, he was held in high hegard by Gary Christie and Call, the latter of whom he developed a closeted romantic interest, even after he discovered she was a Replicant, to which he told "love comes in all forms". After Christie sacrificed himself to save Vriess, Dom was visibly saddened by his loss, as well as when he believed Call had been killed by Dr. Mason Wren.

Equipment
Vriess used a PTV which included multiple points of articulation and recline that allowed him to perform his engineering duties aboard the Betty. The chair was customized by Vriess to include parts that could construct makeshift, concelaed weapons, such as his own shotgun and a zip gun. His PTV served both as his means of locomotion and an easy way to allow the Betty mercenaries to smuggle weapons through USCMC security checkpoints.