Unlikely Heroes

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I'm sorry about the delay. I'm dealing with some personal issues right now. I wanted to at least stop in and tell you that. I will get my sheet arranged ASAP.
 
Sounds good. I'm hoping for the best with whatever you are working through.
 
General Bio
Current Name: Jack Skidder (?)
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Appearance: The character works out regularly enough to keep himself in shape. He's not buff, but he's not flabby, either, standing 6 feet tall

Superpower
Name of ability: Third Option
Description: In any system there are always binary decision points where taking one action causes specific negative effects, and taking an opposite action causes others. Third Option allows one to see where those negative effects can be lessened or eliminated. Or where they can be amplified.

Jack Skidder has the ability to "see" (more like "sense") the correct path to take based on intuition and informational input, but the sources of his information are not always clear. He perceives the ability as if looking into a spiderweb of possibilities and knowing which chord to pluck.

But in the back of his mind there's always the anxiety that he'll get it wrong. He knows he can't afford to, but he can't remember why....

(Each level of ability may manifest a different perceptual point of view, but what's most important in this ability are the downsides.

Level One: After using his ability, Jack suffers a mental blankout that lasts for a short number of seconds.

Level Three: The blanks become more like Swiss cheese to his perceptions, not just causing a general blank, but affecting vision, hearing, speech, movement, and/or other physical abilities in a random (and seemingly unpredictable) manner.

Level Five: Jack will be able to intuit information from multiple sources around him (like brief psychic flashes where he seems to be reading bits of everyone else's minds, but only tiny glimpses into others' thought processes - not telepathy), but he may cause some level of brief dysfunction in others.

As time goes on, Jack fears he may need to be isolated, and he is afraid he will have to spend most of his time alone.

We will find out that Jack has amnesia of a sort. All the memories are there, but they have been externally blocked. In high stress situations, he'll flash back and the memory will cause him to be indecisive, irrational, or just flat out wrong. He doesn't remember having amnesia. (No joke intended.) Things seem like they're going just fine. It's in some way like trying to remember what happened when one was drunk.



Character History/Beginning (Includes the day "before")

Combat had taught him to sleep lightly.

The nearby bushes brushed against some sort of body doing its best to sneak up on the foxhole where he and his buddy were dug in. They seemed to be laughing and he swore he could hear glass bottles clanking. He tried not to breathe, not only to feel invisible, but because the his uniform reeked of mold.

At the dusky edge of consciousness he heard a diesel engine's transmission ramping up in an effort to move some huge mass, likely a tank. And it was getting closer.

His brain screamed “DO SOMETHING”.

The buddy he was sharing this pit with was asleep, and though he wanted to shake the man awake, his hands didn't move.

The truck/tank/whatever-it-was would be on top of them in seconds.

As desperation seized him, he realized he had a grenade in his hand, ready to lob at the oncoming monster. Suddenly, it was flying and exploded as it hit the vehicle.

He woke up.

Lying on the ground, trying not to focus on muscles that were cold and stiff—again--he looked up at the sky. His fuzzy brain slowly realized that he'd been woken by some sort of car crash.

Crumbling asphalt near a barely used dumpster wasn't the most comfortable mattress, and empty cardboard boxes didn't make the greatest pillows, but he'd slept worse places. He didn't get hassled much by the cops in this skid row alley he called “home”. It gave him a chance to meet the homeless. Many were families who'd gotten booted when they missed a rent or mortgage payment. Some were mentally unstable, but beyond their Tourette's outbursts and a healthy dose of paranoia were generally harmless.

And there were a damn sight too many who were merely tossed aside after they went to serve with their Uncle Sam. Some had found home and gang life to be dead ends. Some believed the lies of glory until they encountered real bullets and “Stop Loss” protocols.

They'd gone from broken homes to broken promises. They'd been stripped of purpose. And now they didn't trust much of anyone.

But they trusted him.

He'd shown some how to stop feeling sorry for themselves and rebuild lives that had essentially imploded. He'd shown them how serving each other could help save them all. He'd built a tight knit group of people who looked out for each other and would one day breathe life again into their little corner of society.

He hoped.

And he hoped he'd never need to use them for an unspeakable end.

For now, though, he wasn't so worried.

Well, not about that.

He was more worried about the phone call he'd received yesterday.

Being somewhat traditional, he'd set his ringtone to a standard telephone ring. Many people were amused that his phone actually sounded like a phone, and not something from some noisy and untalented “music” hack.

“Hello,” he'd said as he answered it.

The reply was three words he knew were coming, and wasn't sure he wanted to hear. “Pull the pin.”

The connection ended and he hung up.

He'd been activated, and it gave him a feeling of anxiety, as though someone were slowly squeezing his stomach.

It wasn't himself he was worried about. It was his friend, Al, who slept only a few yards away on a slightly less crumbled piece of alley.

He'd moved swiftly, almost gliding, to the end of that alley and grabbed a copy of one of the free newspapers sheltered in an orange plastic bin. It was sitting just outside the liquor store.

He'd taken a deep breath and looked at the blinking OPEN sign. He wondered how Al would get along while he was gone. Alcohol gave Al some comfort from the demons that had infected him during his second tour. (Some people had called him Al Coholic. It was a cheap and adolescent joke. If only they'd known.)

Ambling back down the alley, he opened the paper to the section that had rooms for rent, and found the ad he was looking for:

Seeking single occupant for a room in a local cooperative.

Rent reasonable.

Call today.

DoD Property Management

He pulled his phone from one pocket and dialed the number. From another he pulled a pack of Marlboro 27s and a lighter and started to smoke.

“Hello?....Yes, I'm calling about the room....College age residents?....No, I don't mind that....No, I don't smoke (He flicked the cigarette away)....Tomorrow?...For dinner?....About 7? Sure I can make it. My schedule looks pretty open....OK....Yup....Yup....See you then....My name?”

He needed a name. Something regular....Joe? John? Too plain. How about....

“Jack”

And right in the middle of skid row....

“Jack Skidder....See you tomorrow.”

And now that it had indeed become “tomorrow”, he needed to make one more call.

Ring....Ring....Ring....Ri--”Charlie? I need your help.”
 
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Welcome back to UH! It's been awhile since I've heard from you but I'm glad to see that you've made the move to Iwaku.
 
General Bio
Name:Samantha Cole
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Upgrade_zps87c6f53f.jpg

Superpower
Name of ability: Technomind
Description: A Technomind, also known as a Technocrat, is a person endowed with an instinctual knowledge of technology. The exact function of this ability is theorized to be a form of psionic echolocation; specifically that a resonant telepathic pulse reflects differently from different components, making a complete map of any device possible in an instant. Combined with an instinct for form and function, this ability allows its user to instantly identify the purpose of any given device, as well as diagnose any potential problems or damage and formulate a repair strategy. It is simultaneously an ability to decipher technological components as well as an innate, natural knowledge of technological structures. It is not so much an inherent knowledge of existing technology as much as an instinct for the principles behind it.

The ability may be used at range, but with added difficulty. Direct physical contact is the most reliable method for use. There may be other related abilities, such as remote reading of computer files, but none are yet present in Samantha's case. In general, the ability represents an understanding of a given device, but it may grow to involve control over those devices as well. Such control would theoretically be achieved by supplying resonant psionic pulses to induce electronic current in a given device. Note that this will not work for anything purely mechanical; the devices must be controlled by way of electricity.

Level one abilities: Touch range identification of any device's function. The ability to diagnose malfunctions or damage and form repair strategies. Natural knowledge of which components can be used for any given purpose, which includes repurposing scrapped components or using devices in ways for which they were not designed. The beginnings of a skill with invention, granting her the ability to create new devices to serve a specific function (limited to devices which are slightly improved over existing technologies, i.e. modifying ballistics weapons to fire high-velocity ammunition). Invention of low-level defensive devices, such as Shock Gloves (explanation available).

Level three abilities: Ranged usage of Level One abilities, as well as some limited control over technological devices which have at least some form of electronic components. Manipulation occurs at touch range only, and is limited to a device's intended function (i.e. accessing computer files without using the keyboard or mouse, or activating/deactivating devices without using their controls). Elevated ability with invention and theoretical technology, granting greater range and function with new devices. Invention of the Shrieker, a sonic defense device capable of incapacitating normal humans with a frequency designed to disrupt audio/visual nerves, motor control and equilibrium.

Level five abilities: Ranged reading and manipulation of all technological devices which rely on electronic control, including the ability to overload devices with a psionic pulse. The ability to supply power to electronic devices via psionic energy transfer (the more complex the device, the more difficult this is to achieve). Theoretical technology becomes an integral part of the ability; every device is seen as a blank canvas, to be used in the creation of new devices. Invention of an electrostatic defense field technology, which serves as her primary method for participation in combat (can be explained in greater detail).

Weakness/drawback: The ability is primarily non-combative, essentially making her a normal human in any combat situation. In the absence of any specifically designed equipment, her ability will have no bearing on whether she can defeat an enemy. This ability also affects her mind, which is explained in her history section. Simply put, the ability causes her several psychological and social difficulties.

Additionally, the act of instantly absorbing all data associated with the form, function and purpose of a given device (even something as simple as a light bulb) is tremendously stressful. It amounts to volumes of information being suddenly and unapologetically shoved into her brain. Beginning at level 1, Sam has no defense against this "data overload", and will suffer severe backlash upon use of the power at full capacity. She also has no control over how fast the information is delivered until later levels. This will be alleviated over time, with practice and experience.

As she gains in power, Sam will be able to regulate the flow of data more effectively, but it is still a demanding task.

Also note that, although this ability will allow her to access or use devices, Upgrade cannot see or interpret any of the signals they send. She would be able to identify that a radio transmitter is capable of sending signals, for example, but could not intercept those signals with her ability.

History

Personality Profile (Included With Permission)
Upgrade exhibits personality traits which may be most closely associated with social anxiety, paranoid delusion and detachment. She is unusually quiet, preferring only to speak when something of substance may be communicated. To that end, she may appear blunt or almost hostile to others. She is impatient, preferring expedience and efficiency over the niceties of polite conversation, thus is difficult to interact with on a social level. In general, she displays little patience for failure or incompetence, due in part to an inferiority complex which causes her to believe her accomplishments to be so basic -so general- as to be expected of others with little effort. This inaccurate self image may cause her to appear arrogant to others, especially when criticizing them for failure in an area in which she excels.

Trust is also a major issue for Upgrade, who appears to be on constant alert for treachery; even where there is none. This may point to some early trauma, but has not been confirmed due to her refusal to cooperate with psychological evaluation tests. Upgrade has a tendency to manipulate the results of such tests to create a confused psychological profile, apparently to dissuade further attempts to "figure her out".

She shows a brilliant mind, but a deep cruel streak which, if left unchecked, could corrupt her completely. Upgrade often enjoys weighing the risks of trust with those of treachery and has been known to be vindictive towards others she feels have betrayed her.

History: June 12, 2011, 11:14am
I'll always remember the way my parents broke the news to me. It was different from their ordinary chastisements; different from their insistence that I keep away from their precious trinkets. They'd told me about a great opportunity. I didn't understand at the time, but they were about to expose me to the greatest push toward my talents that I would ever experience. They kept talking about cures and treatments, but no one ever really told me what I was being cured of.

May 10, 2012, 9:08am
I remember the shrinks the most, honestly. While my parents' faces fade into the blur of memory and psyche, the shrinks are the faces I see; at least when I sleep. Dr. Couvaroubius is the most prominent. He tells me to let go of expectations, and to be true to myself. When I am, I get the treatments. This is how I learn that the doctor is a liar. When I see a dishonest person, it's his face I see.

October 17, 2012, 2:25pm
I don't really hate this place. I felt out of place for the first few months, but as the time passed, I kind of accepted it. You always hear about how bad the food will be, and how horrible the nurses are. I don't think that's true. They're a bit preoccupied about games and group activities, but that's the worst of it. Well...until you consider the injections, that is. No one tells me what I'm being dosed with. I suspect it's something to subdue my mind. Everyone else seems so peaceful and happy after their medications...I wonder why I'm the only one to question it.

February 19, 2014, 4:02pm
It's clear my parents aren't coming back for me. This is the third meeting they've missed. Maybe they have the money to keep me here, but they don't have the will to see what it's doing to me. I hear the screams of my dorm mates at night and I have to question why it's not me who's flailing against the restraints they use. My bed is bare, save for the sheets they give me. They tell me I'm a good girl, but no one will tell me what that means. I've seen three dorm mates vanish from our regular meetings. I wonder if they're cured or if something...else...has happened to them.

March 6, 2014, 11:36am
The niceties of this place bedamned, I have to escape. It's clear to me that they'll never let me out of their own accord. They keep throwing terms at me, like "social miscreant" and "paranoid delusion", but they don't know. I've seen where the entrance is, and I've been exceptionally well-behaved. If my studies of human behavior progress, maybe I'll find a vulnerability in their system and escape.

April 5, 2014, 7:00pm
The door is open. Every day, a man comes by the security checkpoint and tests the system. For thirty-two seconds, the system is offline. I know I can make it through if I distract them. I have resolved to give them something more interesting than myself to look at. Maybe they'll be too busy cleaning up to keep track of me.

The day before the bus ride: May second was like any other day for Samantha Cole. She woke when the morning announcements demanded it, showered and preened for the electric eye, and attended her first counseling meeting of the day. Oh, and she had her pills. She couldn't forget her pills.

That, as it turned out, was how she planned to escape this place. For weeks, she planned and plotted. She knew of a patient who would react badly to her medication. All she had to do was manage to save some and slip it to him unnoticed. The distraction it provided would give her cover to slip through the security checkpoint while it was down for testing. It all had to happen precisely the way she wanted it to, or she may never get another chance.

She practiced endlessly with a pebble she'd found in the yard. A crumpled paper cup served as her water prop. She would put her hand up to her mouth and let the pebble drop into her sleeve, then take the water and show the nice people how good she was at taking pills. It was difficult to get the pebble in the right place at first, but she eventually learned. With that part of the plan ironed out, she needed to work out a time and place to poison her target.

Poor Jason Reese ended up being her prime candidate. He was in for severe psychotic episodes, among other things. Sam resolved to slip him the drugs while they were eating. The resulting chaos would be enough to distract the facility's personnel while she made her escape.

The day before the bus ride: Coming soon.
 
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Acceptance of this sheet will immediately precede my next post.
 
Looks good! You're good to go.
 
Hmm, has anyone heard from Viktor recently? With the holidays and such he might be busy but I haven't heard from him recently.
 
I haven't seen anything from him in awhile. He might be away since it is the holidays, I am 'ok' with the wait for now. I will have a lot of family staying with me so computer time is very limited.
 
Hey Wraith, did you have any specific plan as to who the hitman is or why he's attacking us or can I just do what I like with it? I'm assuming he's suppose to take us in alive? So if I let Christian get taken down we're not both going to end up dead.
 
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Okay so I sent Vida to fight Viktor's char. I doubt I should sit around and eat pop corn. Shall work on something I am back... needa stretch my legs.
 
Sure~! I don't know how much of a fight there will be. I can see my character's ability somewhat fueling his ability Haha!!

This could turn interesting, or maybe not? oh how will the cards fall on the table.
 
Pretty good. Cal is so cute when she is acting all brave haha
 
Guess what guys! I got my computer up and running again after having to bum computers off people for a year now. So to celebrate this occasion I decided to doodle a picture =x

2015.jpg
 
Big bump!

I have a friend who's keen on joining. ;) I told Kirra! You know him too Izzy.

Let's hope it works out. -fingers crossed-
 
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