Dr. Gherta Hawksbee is a prominent scientist and a central figure in the research organization known as GED. She serves as its leader, overseeing its ambitious and dangerous experiments. Her scientific work is heavily influenced by the old notes and findings of a scientist named Dr. Conrad Rontgen, a man who died long before her time. Despite never having met him, she feels a powerful and strange attraction to his research, an obsession that has driven her entire career and is a crucial key to understanding her character. This unexplained pull toward Rontgen’s work shapes her professional life and eventually leads her to uncover profound truths about her own existence.

Gherta’s motivations are rooted in a deep, subconscious connection to the past. It is eventually revealed that she is the reincarnation of a girl named Mel, who was once a member of the mysterious Children of Befort, the same group of ageless, white-haired beings that appear throughout the story. In her previous life as Mel, she lost her memories shortly after the death of another individual named Serafine and was captured by a man named Dumas. This traumatic history carries over into her current life, creating a pervasive sense of fear. Dumas, who in the present day goes by the name Demian and is also one of the Children, continues to haunt her. Her terror of him is profound and paralyzing, a visceral reaction that she does not fully understand, and it exists even though his organization has been a source of funding for her research. This dichotomy creates a tense dynamic where she is both professionally linked to and personally horrified by a key figure in her life.

In the narrative, Dr. Gherta initially serves as a representation of the scientific establishment grappling with forces beyond its control. She is involved in perilous experiments that involve opening a gateway to another dimension, a realm associated with death called the Zone. One of her key experiments involves trying to capture a test subject named Kirchner, going so far as to use his blind sister as bait, an act that demonstrates her willingness to take morally questionable steps in the name of scientific progress. However, her role evolves significantly from a researcher to a key ally. With the help of the Children Aghi and Soreto, she is confronted with the truth of her past life as Mel and finally regains her lost memories. This revelation is a turning point, transforming her from an unwitting participant in a larger scheme into a proactive force for good. In the end, she uses the full resources of the GED organization to aid the Children of Befort rather than hinder them. This is most clearly demonstrated when she directly confronts Dumas and turns against him during the final phase of his plan to transfer the soul of the protagonist, Helga.

Her notable abilities lie primarily in her intellect and her authority as a leading scientist. She is highly knowledgeable in the theories and technologies required to interact with the Zone, a field that is poorly understood and extremely dangerous. Her authority as the head of GED gives her command over significant resources and personnel, which ultimately proves vital in the final conflict. Her personal development is the most significant aspect of her character, moving from a driven, fear-dominated researcher to a woman who understands her own origins and bravely chooses to oppose her former tormentor.