Marguerit Maida
Marguerit Maida is a mercenary and the sole surviving member of the Degasi crew on Planet 4546B. She is the only character to appear in both the original Subnautica (through audio logs) and Below Zero (in person). Her survival through sheer resourcefulness and combat skill made her one of the franchise's most memorable characters.
Background
Maida was hired by Paul Torgal as a security contractor for the Degasi expedition. Before the crash on 4546B, she had extensive combat and survival experience. Her logs describe years of mercenary work and a practical, no-nonsense approach to survival that frequently clashed with Paul's corporate mindset.
On the Degasi
The Degasi crashed on Planet 4546B approximately ten years before the events of Subnautica after being shot down by the Quarantine Enforcement Platform. Three people survived: Paul Torgal, his son Bart Torgal, and Maida.
Maida was the most practically skilled of the three survivors. She advocated for moving deeper to find better resources and establish a more defensible position. Paul, accustomed to wealth and authority, insisted on staying in shallow, "safe" waters. Their fundamental disagreement about survival strategy drives much of the Degasi subplot.
The crew built three bases at progressively greater depths: a surface base on a floating island, an intermediate base in the Jellyshroom Cave (~200 meters), and a deep base in the Deep Grand Reef (~500 meters). When aggressive creatures overran the Deep Grand Reef base, Paul and Bart were killed. Maida was believed dead as well.
Survival alone
Maida survived the Deep Grand Reef attack and continued living on 4546B independently. She adapted to the planet's environment without Alterra technology or external support, taming local creatures and developing survival techniques that surpassed anything the other human arrivals achieved. Players in the original Subnautica encounter her story only through audio logs at the abandoned Degasi bases.
In Below Zero
Maida appears in person in Below Zero, living in a large greenhouse base in Sector Zero's Glacial Basin. By this point, she has been on the planet for over twelve years. She has tamed a Snow Stalker as a companion, grows her own food in a fully self-sufficient hydroponic garden, and has built a sustainable homestead entirely independent of Alterra's operations.
When Robin Ayou arrives in Sector Zero, Maida initially views her with suspicion. She eventually assists Robin by helping destroy Alterra's remaining Kharaa lab samples, completing the sabotage that Sam Ayou started. Maida's distrust of Alterra and corporate interests runs deep, informed by years of watching the company exploit the planet and its people.
In Subnautica 2
Marguerit Maida has not been confirmed for Subnautica 2, which takes place on Planet Zezura rather than Planet 4546B. Her story is tied to 4546B, where she presumably remains. Whether she has any connection to the events on Zezura or the Voices From Beyond audio drama has not been revealed.