Wade Portlyn was a male archaeologist of undetermined species in the 24th century. He was younger brother to entrepreneur Rod Portlyn, who had promised their father to always take care of his younger sibling.
Sometime prior to 2376, Portlyn visited a bar on Nimbus III, where he learned of an unnamed, uninhabited planet which was once supposedly the homeworld of the legendary ancient Briavian civilization. With funding from his older brother, Portlyn initiated an archaeological dig on the planet. In 2377, after finding several structures dating back ten thousand years, but little of significant value, Rod Portlyn threatened to close the project down. However, the elder brother then discovered an unopened underground chamber, and a device which, it was quickly determined, was able to translocate individuals and objects as large as starships into an alternate interdimensional realm. Wade theorized this device was the Siriex Apparatus, a legendary weapon used by the Briavians.
The Portlyns brought this device, which the elder brother dubbed "the Zapper", aboard Rod's yacht, the Astral Maiden. Rod proceeded to use it to eliminate old enemies and their loved ones. This attracted the attention of both Starfleet and of Romulan Commander Tokk of the IRW Lomiya. In an apparent effort to escape both Federation and Romulan captors, Wade activated the "Zapper", but ended up sending Rod into an alternate dimension. Realizing what he had done, Wade then started punching buttons frantically, resulting in the device's breakdown, trapping his brother.
Wade was taken into custody aboard the USS da Vinci, and cooperated fully. As it appeared he was not an active participant in Rod's crimes, he was expected to face little or no legal punishment, and to gain control of his brother's business enterprises. (CoE eBook: The Art of the Comeback)