Bill Ritch

Bill Ritch Is a character in the DOOM novels by Dafydd Ab Hugh and Brad Linaweaver. Ritch is a lead scientist and computer programmer for the UAC and one of the first to be present when the gates were opened.

SPOILER WARNING: Plot details follow

Bill Ritch was kidnapped and taken to the "Inferno" area of Deimos, where he is interrogated by the spiderdemon which he calls a "goblin or "spidermind", and then hung on the ceiling with webbing.  Flynn Taggart and Arlene Sanders find him during their trek through Deimos and the hyperspace tunnel and help him.  Upon recovering from an onset of shock, he journeys with them through the various areas and tells them what had happened when the Gates were opened.  Flynn and Arlene castigate Bill and the other scientists for "bringing those things here!", but Bill is surviver guilt-ridden and is eventually forgiven and develops a friendship with the two Marines. Bill was instrumental in the defeat of the second steam-demon, dismantling its rocket-firing mechanism in the ensuing battle.  During the battle with the spiderdemon, Bill takes an imp fireball to the face, burning his skin and inhaling the burning material, thereby frying his lungs. In his dying state, he helps Arlene shut down the communication system and eventually dies from his wounds. This prompts Flynn to fight the spiderdemon face-to-face.

Spoilers end here.

Trivia

 * Bill Ritch helped work on the teleporter facilities and study the gates on Mars, Phobos , and Deimos.
 * He was the first character to speak to Fly and Arlene of the Freds (creators of the demons/aliens), but not by name.