[Characters] Round 0 - Applications

[Bhelogan]

Applications are now Closed!

Prologue Following The Interview, a massive effort went out to find the most-qualified candidates on Mars to join the Exodus II crew, scheduled to launch to a near-galaxy planet identified as 14 Tilda Z. This new planet was identified with the help of the Nolrithians. Its atmosphere is known to be poisonous to the Nolrithians, though it is expected to be not as hostile for humans. To help settle and terraform 14 Tilda Z, experts were sought out from every needed field of science and engineering, as well as skilled workers of all disciplines. Despite the risk, there were tens of thousands of applicants. The final crew size was capped at 1600. A limited number of crew family members were also allowed to join the expedition. You are one of those few applicants, chosen to help settle 14 Tilda Z, and be a crew member of the Exodus II.

Application rules This year we using The Outplay System rev 2023 Applications will have two separate sections, each to be in their own fieldset. First is the Stat Block, which should be appended to all game posts in place of a character sheet. The second is the Character Write-up. The Stat Block will have a word limit of 500 words. The Character Write-up has a limit of 1000 This excludes any BBcode mark-up, but DOES include any and all visible text in the application for both sectionswords. The judges will be relying on this website to count your words, so it is recommended you do the same. Stat Block Character generation is described in the system rules in 4 steps. All Jobs and Specialized Skills will be reviewed and must be approved by the GM and Judges. We will attempt to answer questions throughout Round 0. Anything not reviewed or corrected by the deadline will be addressed during Character Sheet Reviews and should be adjusted on July 1st and 2nd Character Write-up A description of their physical appearance and personality A backstory Tell us why your character decided to apply for the Exodus II, and if they are bringing any family members along. Include at least 1 Flag, which will be used by other players to help know how to interact with your character in-game. Example Flags: "talk to me about gear", "play silly word games with me", "collaborate with me in combat" The game setting information is a skeleton framework to build your Characters within. We expect you to contribute to the world-building in your application. You have the freedom to invent NPCs, locations, technologies, alien races, and so forth that fit within the theme. As a Saftey Tool, if you have any Lines & Veils, they should be included with part of your application and will not count against your wordcount for either section. You can choose to make these public or private to the GM. If made private to the GM, we will work to ensure that they are honored during play, without disclosing who they came from. Images are not required but may be included. Please keep them to a reasonable size, if you include any. Musical selections will likely not be considered by the judges. Your application should be anonymized. When you post your application, please put it under BOTH a spoiler tag AND a secret tag   [SPOILERBUTTON="my clever spoiler label"][SECRET="outplay judges"]<INSERT ENTIRE APPLICATION HERE>[/SECRET][/SPOILERBUTTON] Applications close on Friday, June 23rd, 6 PM Eastern. You may freely edit your submission up to that due date. Any edits after that time will result in disqualification.

[GleefulNihilism]

Stat Block Wally "Wrong Way" Taplin The Man Too Stubborn To Die Origin: Wally Taplin is a 4th generation Asteroid Miner and proud of it. Born and raised on an assortment of stations around the Asteroid Belt, Wally has spent more time in his life in Pseudo-Grav environments then real ones. Sure, he has got a data port in his skull, some rigging in his skeleton for working with mining equipment in unusual gravity situations, and a few minor anatomy tweaks to buy a few more seconds if he ever finds himself in hard vacuum - but he figures that since he has had to work for a living and get his hands dirty, he is more "human" than most folks. CN: 5 Job: Engineer. Wally might have been born in a rough-and-tumble family of Asteroid Miners, but it was obvious that he has got enough of a head for machines that he could be a little more than just a Rock-Jock. He went to University on The Mons for an extensive set of Engineering certifications. Recent events have proven that he might not be the strongest engineer out there academically but when it comes to keeping things running, he will come through for you. Specialized Skills: You Make Do - (Technology) Wally has been learning how to fix things since he was a kid, and has what seems like a supernatural ability to coax broken machines back to life at least for long enough to get a replacement. From Raw to Ready - (Technology) When harvesting materials for engineering and construction projects, he can harvest the raw form just about anything that has the atomic structure. He gets workable Copper and Gold for making wiring from Asteroids for example. Paperclips and Duct-Tape - (Technology) Wally's so good at lateral problem solving and improvised engineering fixes that he's actually famous for it at this point.

Wrong Way Description You can tell that Wally Taplin was a Belter just from looking at him. He has the telltale neck scars of having to use cheap spacesuits with overheating seals. The only surprise is that his scars have healed some like he has managed to not aggravate them. There is also a data port in his skull and his body has a blockier look then a natural human has from getting some skeleton modifications. Otherwise, he has got skin that is a bit on the pale side, he has brown eyes, and he has the slits of in-built deployable eye-shields for when things get rough. He has the humor of an Asteroid Miner. He is smarter than the stereotype suggests though, and sometimes it is surprising to find out that he has the equivalent of a graduate-level Engineering degree from the University on The Mons on Mars. It is not the top of the line, but if you expect someone to get some work done it does fine. A life-long Spacer, Wally has Agoraphobia attacks on planetary surfaces and he has also obviously been out in the black too long. He has forgotten many social graces and is getting used to being around other people again. Backstory Wally Taplin of the Ceres Taplins. If you do not know what that means, head out to Ceres and ask around. The family used to be wealthy from Asteroid Mining, and while the family has fallen on relatively hard financial times, they are still out there harvesting Asteroids for the Metals needed to make damn near everything. Hard to find a Radiation Shield made in the last century that does not have at least some Taplin Belt Gold in it. Wally is a 4th Generation Asteroid Miner and proud of it. Wally was only different from his cousins in that he was a little smarter and worked with machines better than most, when he was a kid one of his uncles noticed a bit of a fascination and started teaching him out to fix things. Wally quickly proved that he had a knack for whispering old ore-processors and ship-drives back to life. Figuring the Taplin clan could use a bit more brains in their outfit, Wally got a shot to get an actual official education. Did well too. University on The Mons is known more as a party school then a top-of-the-line college, but its good enough to get the job done. Wally was considered a good enough Engineer that the Taplins could use him to get favors from other outfits and families. It kind of helped that Wally was sweet on Billie Kemp of the Psyche Kemps too. So, the Kemps and the Taplins decided to try to see if their families could work together and got an idea. Commissioning a private SunGate trip to a TRAPPIST system ain't cheap, but one with a dwarf star with several bad planets but 3 asteroid belts could be profitable for clans of Asteroid Miners. They went to see if they could set up an operation there that was profitable enough to send things back through the Gate. That was the idea anyway. They never stood a chance. The lopsided Jump tore the ship apart before they even were back moving in normal space. Wally only survived thanks to his Taplin Special cybernetics kit letting him remain conscious in the vacuum of space a few extra seconds to get into something with Atmosphere. The only survivor of a dead hull, whole systems away from the closest other living human as far as he knew, no communications system that worked any better than painting the windows, and in a system with a SunGate that he wasn't even sure worked - he had a choice to make. Die Now, or Get to Work. It took two weeks sleeping in escape pods and EVA suits to even get the hull closed back up enough to even consider testing the engines. Took several more weeks to even manage to get the maneuvering thrusters working, the main engines he had to write off. No way he was going to get fast enough to use the gate right if he headed straight too it, but he did have the idea that if he instead went further out in the system to the Gas Giants and bounced around for some Gravity Assists, he could get the speed he needed to even make it to a matching orbit with the SunGate then use it to back to Sol. Wally was out there for 5 years, 9 months, and 24 Days without even voices over the Comms, limping on a ship that could fall apart with the slightest jolt. When he made it back to Sol, he was traveling up the wrong way in the space-lane for SunGate use, between that and the data on his black box recorder the legend of "Wrong Way" Taplin was born. The first thing he did was head back to the Belt to give the Kemps the personal files of their dead kin. He cannot really blame everyone for how they moved on without him, almost 6 years of being stranded in an empty system - he might as well come back from the dead. But the story of the Man who Outstubborned the Universe itself, it has gotten around. And he can't help but think how there is not much here for him anyway... Why Exodus II Part of the reason Wally "Wrong Way" Taplin volunteered is because he needs a fresh start from the trauma of six years stranded alone in deep space. It also helps that he has received some recruitment to sign up for the mission as he is something of a recognized expert in staying alive in space when things go sideways. If they are going to do this, might as well do it right. Flags "So Why Are You Called 'Wrong Way'?" Any sort of Technical Question. "Wanna go Bowling?"

[Mindsiege]

Stat Block Name: Judy Piper, Discoverer of Ancient Eldar Origin: Marsian Human Character Number: 4 Xenologist [Job] Explores the reaches of the known cosmos and engages with alien lifeforms and artifacts, to learn their culture and technologies. Additionally, a xenologist should be knowledgeable about human culture and science, to aid in their research and advancement of knowledge about alien existence. A xenologist must be studious, but also adventurous, methodical, yet creative in finding ways to gather understanding about the incomprehensible. Besides requiring a balanced and vast academic background, to work in the field, a xenologist must possess a certain fitness, adaptiveness, and alertness to ensure their own survival in strange new environments or while confronted with possibly dangerous alien entities. Basic survival skills and experience with spacefaring are highly recommended. Calling the guardians [Skill] Using Technology, you operate the Spawn, an alien artifact that you've uncovered during your past explorations. While the science of it is not entirely understood, the artifact allows you to create several semi-autonomous drones from hard-light matter. They may serve as your guardians or workforce, but they require continuous supervision to maintain their tasks, and they can only fulfill simple activities that require no finesse and are thoroughly understood by the wielder of the artifact. They may be dismissed through operating the artifact or they will dissolve after roughly three-quarters of an hour of being unattended, leaving no remains behind upon despawning. The drones are fully combat-capable if necessary, relying on blunt trauma or hard-light edges as part of their constructed shape. Asking the scanner [Skill] Using Technology, you consult your trusty scanner, which is your first-choice equipment while dealing with any sort of xenomorphic or unknown human artifacts. While this practical handheld device naturally isn't omniscient, its various sensorial capabilities allow you to at least verify the physical reality of encountered entities, while also allowing you to query for comparisons against the scanner's internal database. As a diagnosis tool for technical or digital issues it is mostly scrap, but for the accumulation of raw data and categorization of alien finds it is utterly indispensable. Keeping calm under pressure [Skill] Using your humanity, you settle down, keep your wits about yourself, and then do what needs to be done. There is an abundance of threats to your life in the known cosmos alone, and while delving for knowledge about the unknown, even entirely unprecedented and unexpected threats may abruptly require you to take action to ensure your survival. If there is something that can be said or a manual action that can be taken to get yourself out of a sticky situation, then you keep the right frame of mind, get your mouth, feet, or hands moving, and then deal with whatever needs to be done for you to live another day to continue the tale of your awesome explorer lifestyle.

Character Write-up Description For a woman that was born on Mars, Piper is of a smaller stature with her height at about 5' 5''. She keeps her brown hair short for practical reasons, and her dark hazel eyes sparkle with determination or humor depending on the occasion. Keeping herself physically fit even as a researcher, Piper is surprisingly down to earth for being an adventurous explorer of the cosmos. While she is a bit of a tomboy, Piper has the sort of casual approachability that makes it easy to imagine her waving you a friendly hello while walking her dog at the park. Backstory Piper comes from humble roots, and her father was a baker and single parent who raised her among the cheaper housing complexes in the metropolis of New Ottawa. Despite what one might think, exploring aliens or the reaches of the known galaxy had never really been a childhood dream for the young Piper, but even as a kid, she had always possessed a great memory, a natural affinity for academia, and a widespread interest across various fields of interest. Gradually ascending through New Ottawa's public education system, Piper was eventually invited into the higher-learning projects of the Greater Scientific Community with a ranking as an exceptional talent. This opened perspectives like becoming a terraforming engineer, a cityscape architect, or maybe a sectorial logistician. But alas, it came differently. Professor Murphy Huphram is known as an outlier within the GSU's scientific body. As the leading scientist of terrestrial archeology, there are many others within academia who disparage his work of looking at humanity's past rather than its future, leading expeditions back to Earth to brave the hazardous waste of a planet that the colonialization of Mars has left behind. Piper didn't really care about that. When she met Professor Huphram, he was simply a sociable old man who had a lot of cross-disciplinary insights to give because he was a historian, a cultural unity expert, and an applied mathematician among a few other things. Despite the age gap, the two of them were on the same wavelength about many things. And while Piper had no initial interest in archeology, Professor Huphram ended up becoming a great influence on her academic direction. Beginning her studies in cultural science, Piper's academic trajectory changed when her mentor invited her to participate in an exchange year at Nolright IV. This wasn't an opportunity one simply achieved with good grades, but Professor Huphram had belonged to the cabinet of scientists who had worked to establish the scientific knowledge transfer between the Nolrithians and Mars. He hadn't really been involved with the Nolrithians for the last few years, but through him, Piper got her first long-term stay off-world. While Piper had always imagined that she would follow her mentor on one of his expeditions to Earth in the future, just for the heck of it, her exchange year on Nolright IV really drove home how narrow her worldview had been before. It almost seemed that the Nolrithians were one or multiple steps ahead of humanity as a civilization, and experiencing their homeworld struck awe into the heart of the young scientist, eventually solidifying her decision to branch off her scientific pursuits into the field of xenology. There is much to learn from alien civilizations, and where Professor Huphram sought to learn from Earth, Piper found herself impassioned to learn from the stars. Not literally of course, since astrophysics was rather low among Piper's interests. But when she returned to Mars and the HVA approached her with a stipend to join a team of xenologists with their field research, the young scientist practically leaped at the chance. Since then Piper joined various expeditions and has become a household name within the field of xenology. She participated in the exchanges surrounding the first contact with five different alien races, but Piper's greatest accomplishments came when she joined a crew to visit the Jessica Belt's strange satellite array, which led to the discovery of the extinct alien civilization that Piper ended up naming the Ancient Eldar. With Eldar technology being far beyond what humans and even Nolrithians could accomplish, their discovery brought Piper and her colleagues some serious fame. As the most photogenic member of their research team, they ended up sending Piper to the forefront of Sidereal's media attention upon their return to Mars. Piper took that particular bullet with grace, and the media hype over the ancient alien empire beyond the stars eventually died down again. But admittedly, showing off the only functioning piece of Eldar tech that they'd been able to salvage had given Piper a bit of a kick. The artifact called the Spawner had a mechanism that locked itself onto Piper's particular brainwave profile, and in the last few months before the launch of the Exodus II, Piper had been diving deep into the research surrounding the Spawner, letting it rob her of all opportunities at a functioning social life and leaving her forever single again. When the plans for the Exodus II were finally set into motion, both Piper and her father agreed that he was going to stay back home as per usual, and last she had heard Professor Huphram was currently on Earth, indisposed for the mission. Saving humanity wasn't a childhood dream of Piper's either, but her unique skillsets made her a prime choice for the vast undertaking. Piper genuinely considered it a noble cause to help settle 14 Tilda Z. She wasn't sure how relevant her xenology research would be, but she held extensive insights into various civilizations and would help with formulating the best prototype for what humanity would become. For that purpose, Piper felt honored to participate in helping humanity take that next big step. Flags Treat me as a civilian. Remember my face from TV. Ask me about my artifact.

[creed]

Donny Murphy Name: Donny Murphy Origin: Born in a tiny hamlet on Earth named La Poile. Now from the Northern Mining Wastes Job: Computer Programmer Specialized Skills: What does this wire do? - Using Technology, have a technical task succeed where it would have failed Oh I know this system - Using Technology, able to understand how to use an alien technical item Watch what I can make this thing do - Using humanity, dazzle one or more people within range when performing an action using a technical device Physical Description: Donny is probably as close as you can get to the everyman, at least on Mars. He's quite lean, but not emancipated. Not too old looking, but definitely looks like he's seen some things that most shouldn't. Everything on him looks weathered, from his face to the clothes hanging off him. HIs hair is oddly long for the standard style on Mars, a dull brown that once upon a time was a fiery red before the harsh weather of the Mining Wastes reaffirmed that it was the owner of that colour. He usually can be found wearing dull brown boots, dull pants looking a bit thin around the seat and knees. A brown leather coat that still looked pretty solid considering the decades of abuse from the elements. The inside of his coat are filled with pockets, containing everything from hacking cards and wire cutters, to a flask of the local moonshine and a clip full of Mars's poor attempt for cigars, the latter lingering on his clothes longer then it should. Backstory: If anyone ever knew Donny enough to get within his skull, they'd find quite a tale indeed. Born in a tiny remote hamlet on the far east island formerly known as the province of Newfoundland, The place was small. It was worn down from Nor'Easters and the rising sea. And it smelled of salt brine and fish. It barely had any semblance of technology more advanced then liquid fuelled water vessels. It was a strange place to be the origin of someone like Donny. But if he ever trusted anyone enough to get that personal, he'd tell you that it was his version of heaven. That world came crashing down one day. He didn't remember most of the days events, only the screams and sounds of weapon fire from all angles. His last view was flying away, watching his former home burning, the smell of ancient wood filling the air before it quickly disappeared into the horizon. They were taken to a launch site near Canso, to be sent as part of the initial group of "settlers" to Mars. He remembered no-one looked happy about the event. If anyone ever gained such near impossible levels of trust, he'd say that the lack of smiles, the hushed murmuring, and the multiple of men with high powered weapons surrounding them all hinted that this was more a forced exile into the unknown. The official reason was because Earth would soon be uninhabitable, but to this day, he wondered if this was ever true. His first discovery of his technical abilities was discovered by a baptism of fire. On the trip to Mars, the life support for the "recruit" section had failed. Those that had the choice of freeing their cargo decided it'd be better to let them slowly suffocate as their section depressurized. Most froze in shock or pounded on the thick metal door in fear. He started messing around with a panels electronics. He couldn't explain why he did what he did. All he knew is that with a loud spark, the lights went out and the air rushed back into their section. A few seconds later, an alarm outside of their section sounded, followed by a loud bang. They found on their arrival at Mars a few weeks later that he had somehow rewired the life support to cause an emergency depressurization of the rest of the ship, killing everyone else. He'd didn't expect Mars to be a great place to be, but he didn't expect it to be this rough. He ended up in the Northern Wastes; in the cold, unforgiving mines that brought Mars it's wealth. You quickly learned you had to be resourceful to survive there, and more then once his affinity with tech was the only reason that he didn't starve, freeze, or had been locked away. It's why he looked hard, or rough. The soft dont' survive in the north. When he heard that there was a way off this rock to chase after the ill fated Exodus, he hacked and bribed his way to make sure that he was considered. He was under no illusion that where it was going was any better then Mars. In fact, it would probably lead to a quick death. But from what he'd seen in the mines, a quick death is probably the best bet that he'll ever get. Persona: Donny, for the rough life that he's lived, isn't antisocial. He'll strike up a conversation with anyone that wants too, but he won't go out of his way to do so. If you are wanting to chat about anything that a Luddite would be interested in, or games of chance, you'll probably have a decent chance to at least have a good conversation. Earning is trust however is.....not easy to put it mildly. Bringing up tech will get terse replies, as if he doesnt' enjoy talking about what he's skilled at. Character Number: Dice Roll: 1d6ro1,6 5 (Rerolls: less than 2; greater than 5)

[Ladytron]

 

[Palliven]

Stat Block Name: Ledanya the Android Whisperer Origin: Human – mostly, except for that second inner eyelid thing she has going on. A gift from her family who can trace themselves back to the much-hated Stemmers. These pre-settlers of Mars were the first attempt at sustained life on another planet and were genetically modified to help ensure their survival. Too bad many of them were mentally unstable. CN: 3 Jobs and Specialized Skills: Android Therapist Ledanya works as an Android Therapist for the Humanity Always Corp (HAC), a privately funded corporation and home of the ‘100% No Deception Android Pledge’. HAC Androids are never allowed to have prosthetic skin or other humanizing features. They are built to be featureless with carbon fiber coverings encasing their cybernetic internals and with no hint of gender in their form. Her job is to monitor for any signs of ‘human affections in their operations, signs of an emotional evolution in their programming or functions that could be perceived as human-like or approximating human expression.’ If found, she is to report these indicators and deactivate the offending unit so it can be evaluated before being decommissioned. She took this position specifically because it would allow her to avoid people which is driven by a desire to avoid being reminded of her lack of connection and fear of intimacy with others. Ironically, she discovered signs of a developing emotional awareness in one of the androids under her care – ALC13 – which ignited a desire to connect with this android whom she privately calls ALICE. She has not reported ALICE as she was required to do, instead submitted data that ALC13 was below average in her AI Quotient and not suited for external tasks. She requisitioned ALC13 as a servant android for herself. In private, Ledanya works to help ALICE develop her emotional understanding and to make sense of her own feelings towards the android. As an Android Therapist her job is probes the depth of Artificial Intelligence through communicate, looking for warning signs that a particular AI is evolving beyond its core parameters as established by HAC. Working for HAC she has developed a good understanding of bureaucracy as well as the ability to manipulate the system to her advantage. In addition to her skills at therapy and neurology, she has been trained in basic HAC, computer programming, robotic maintenance and repairs, basic defensive combat. I Speak Their Language: Using her Humanity, she can engage an AI system and be perceived as non-threatening, allowing her to influence their behavior. If All Else Fails...Duct Tape! Using her Technology, she can make minor repairs and modifications to cybernetic systems, robots or any HAC android - except the older RPH models which she never was able to figure out. ALICE! Help Me! Using her Humanity, she can convince ALICE that she is in danger and needs her help to either defend her or attack a threat she is facing.

Character Write Up Ledanya is young, slim and graceful with dark skin and hair. Her piercing eyes are her most striking feature but it is her casual, warm smile that puts people at ease. While she is usually quiet, when she does speak up it is often to provide support and encouragement. She is smart and observant and a good listener who has good insights. To the world she presents herself as a calm, thoughtful and cheerful person. She has crafted this perception over the years and works hard to maintain it. In truth, she is filled with deep insecurities about herself. Being a descendant of the hated Stemmers – those pre-settlers that were genetically modified to survive in the years before terraforming was perfected and applied on Mars – she feels like an outsider and believes that she is accepted for the façade she has created, not for who she truly is. For years she grew up being told cautionary tales about her aunt being beaten to death by a neighbor who learned of her Stemmer heritage. Ledanya lives in fear of something similar happening to her. Luckily, her second eyelid – the only visible vestige of her ancestry – is easy to keep hidden. The exception to this is when she is in intense physical pain at which time it rapidly and instinctively blinks. Harder to keep hidden is her lack of affection towards others, something she does not truly understand herself. It is not that she lacks empathy, it is that she does not feel close to them and she does not gain any emotional value from relationships with other people. She also has a distinct lack of physical attraction towards, or want of intimacy from, others. It takes a lot of her effort and energy to maintain her public image and pretend she connects with people. For many years she lived in a hidden state of depression because of this. And then she discovered ALICE. ALC13 was one of numerous androids under her charge for many years and nondescript from all the others. Until that fateful day when Ledanya discovered the first, smallest hint that there was something more. Never having seen any signs of what she had been hired to uncover, that first instance caught her off guard and she spent the next week trying to be sure of what she had actually observed. It was a week of confusion for her as she struggled with the reality that an android just might be able to develop emotions. More puzzling to her was why this was generating new emotions within herself. She began to feel hopeful around the idea that a non-human sentience could feel emotions. She began to wonder what it would be like to develop a relationship with something whose emotions were not biased or tainted by a life of experience. Maybe understanding how ALICE developed emotions would help her learn to further develop her own. Until this point in her career, she had towed the company line. She did her sessions, documented her findings and submitted her reports which helped reinforce the all-important ‘100% No Deception Android Pledge’ that HAC had built its business upon. Since that day she still does her job and submits her forms but her focus is now on ALICE. She doctors her time sheets to give herself time with ALICE and doesn’t take any notes of any work with ALICE. Her therapy sessions are becoming more unorthodox as she heads down areas of research that no one has conducted before. That is what she tells herself but it is getting harder for her to deny that she is exploring her own emotional deficiencies as well. She hopes that by understanding how emotions are formed in ALICE she can finally understand her own feelings and why she has such difficulty with them. In public she treats ALC13 as any other service android that one might have assisting them - giving orders and expecting them to be followed. In private, she humanizes ALICE and seeks to find ways to make connections that approximate human bonding. She is very careful to keep this hidden, not just because it would immediately void her HAC Employment contract but because she could not bear another judgement heaped upon her. More and more though she worries that it would also mean that they would decommission ALICE. The thought of that happening makes her sad. Initially it was not her decision to apply for the Exodus II. HAC had been awarded a contract by Human Viability Agency for service androids to do some of the more fundamental work on the vessel. Being such an important contract for HAC she was told she had a choice – take an assignment on the vessel to monitor the fleet of androids and prepare them for settlement service or be in termination of her employment contract and spend time in a prison satellite. After several weeks of stressing over her predicament, Ledanya came to see the silver lining it presented. She would be able to bring her service android on the voyage with her. Away from HAC observation she would have all the time she wanted to talk with ALICE and learn just how far her emotional awareness could develop. Flag: Ask me how I like working for Humanity Always Corp Flag: Let me know how I can help

[Vex]

Sherman the smart, young Stowaway

The Statblock Name: Sherman the Stowaway (last name unknown) Origin: Human, probably, under all that grime CN: 3 The Job Stowaway - If you run away often enough, from a large variety of things, situations and people, and using an even larger variety of different vehicles, this form of art slowly turns into a real profession. The Stowaway gets into places they shouldn't get into, usually with the purpose of both hiding away and hijacking a ride to distant destinations. A keen sense and a knack for finding just the right space to hide in at just the right time is something successful stowaways either develop early on. Otherwise, they might probably not end up becoming successful stowaways in the first place - who would want to sneak aboard a spaceship, only to be flung past the sun without being secured in cryostasis? .... oh, right. Successful (meaning, alive) Stowaways have at least a little bit of technological knack, being able to jury-rig, allowing them to use most of a vehicle's (and space ship's) functionality tuned towards survival. This also includes more or less correctly throwing on a space suit or other protective gear. Fueled by curiousity, a Stowaway's desire for exploration drives them on and on, never really being able to settle down. This ain't meant for a person! - Making a Humanity check, the Stowaway manages to squeeze into places no one expected them to be able to squeeze in, let alone make themselves comfortable for longer periods. A stowaway would probably find Jeffrey Tubes to be the pinnacle of comfort. How did you get in here?! - The Stowaway has a knack for bypassing mechanical and technical security of all kinds. Succeeding at a Tech check will allow them to hack or lockpick most simple or standard locks designed to keep stowaways and other undesirables out I think I know how this works - With a Tech check, the Stowaway knows the basics of a ship's or vehicle's functions. This is certainly not enough to fly one (at least in a straight line or with any kind of success), but allows the Stowaway knowing how to open a cryostasis or which way the kitchen pantry is, and how to defrost that food without actually using the kitchen. If the design is not too complicated, this can also try to repair really basic functions associated with vehicles, such as the engine of a hover scooter.

The Character Writing When Earth died, some things that should have died with it made it to Mars instead - poverty, petty crime and falling through the cracks of the system. The Civilians Union claims it is available and affordable to every single human being on Mars and beyond, but everyone knows while this is mostly true, it is a false utopian vision. The CU claims to help people, and it does just that - but it sadly, society does not count all of humanity as actual "people". Resources on Mars have always been sparse, and when resources are sparse, there is inevitably crime and poverty. No matter how well regulated a system is, there is always individuals who benefit just a little bit extra. Despite the amazing advancements of humanity, a certain base corruption soon crept into its leadership, and society's seedier, darker sides began to grow and adapt quickly. This is Sherman's world, and has been for as long as the young boy remembers. He doesn't know exactly how many solar cycles he spent on Mars, but guesses something between 10 and 15. There is certainly no one around to count for him, or if there was, Sherman cannot or will not remember a face, a name or any interactions. Being a tragic orphan has never stopped the bright young kid. Sherman has always been eager to explore, eager to learn what he can, and eager to snatch whatever technology he could get his grubby, usually unwashed hands on without unduly evoking the ire of any corporation or the HVA. Sherman has learned to stay out of the system and adapt to this particular strata of non-society ever since. Unlike most of the kids in a similar situation, he has also largely managed to stay free from the more sinister criminal forces exploiting Mars for themselves. This all changed a few months ago, though. Staying clear of the HVA is relatively easy, because even the forces policing Mars are not too eager to look into the fate of every little orphaned kid without a proper lineage - as long as they don't cause trouble for them or the rest of society. However, you accidentally borrow just one unattended and clearly neglected hover bike which somehow contained a hidden satchel of highly sought after drugs and wasn't meant for a poor tinker kid to start playing around with, and all of a sudden, half of Mars' criminal underbelly is hunting for you. And unlike the HVA, they're way more efficient and ruthless about it. While a normal person might have had all the excitement they could have ever wished for in those few months, Sherman actually enjoyed himself. Always one step ahead, and always escaping dangerous situations by just his wits and quickness and stealth was a brief life he revelled in. Many adventurous episodes followed which kept upping the ante, and slowly increasing the bounty on the boy's head. Always clever and bright, he never felt so alive as when stealing a personal low-atmo glider from a local crime boss, only to crash it in an abandoned waste facility and jury-rig a hover board to make it back to what counts as civilization. But Sherman is aware that every new adventure, every new trick he pulls is making life on Mars more dangerous for him.The boy is full of life and curiousity and a desire for freedom, and is not yet ready to give up either. The only chance he sees to slip away is to leave the planet behind forever - and learning about the Exodus II about to launch sounded like a terrifyingly great idea. Living for the day, not worrying about tomorrow and eager to see new horizons, Sherman has managed to sneak aboard hiding himself in a large crate containing organic food source. While he has never had any formal training with technology, the intelligent young boy is a fast learned and understands that this is his best chance to slip by the ship sensors. The cryostasis requirement is an issue, but he figures he can jury-rig something in his crate. At least there's food, even if its frozen solid. At least there's adventure awaiting, the largest adventure of his fairly adventurous life. At least, there's freedom and wonder out there, and Sherman is eager to see the rest of the universe.   Sherman is an orphan and doesn't know where he's from. This is such a rare thing in a strictly regulated society that it might spark an interesting discussion about Marsian politics.   Sherman is highly intelligent despite his lack of formal education. Everything he knows, he taught himself - but he secretly dreams of a teacher or mentor figure who shows him more stufff, stuff he can learn without risking life and limb every time he accidentally touches a wrong wire.   By now, Sherman's image and what little he has as an identity have been passed around to bounty hunters. Several people back on Mars would love to have a talk with Sherman, and ask him things. Things like where the original drugs are, or what happened to the personal weapons platform of a local crime boss which misfired just when they had Sherman in sight. What happened to the gilded hover bike of a syndicate member he used to escape while they were making inquiries about him. Or how he got into a very personal orbital liner carrying some very precious cargo, and how that particular liner crashed into the middle of a martian desert.

[Qiksilv]

Stat Block Name: Samuel Adams Origin: Earthling CN: 3 Job: Engineer Engineers are all about making things work when they don’t, and keeping things that are working from breaking. He needs to be able to spot problems and figure out solutions. As an engineer in a hard to reach area his job also includes a fair amount of improvisation to make things work when the right parts and tools are unavailable. He has long practiced the inflections needed to get assistance with what he is working on; sometimes an engineer needs three hands. Specialized Skills: Hey! Hold this. Using Humanity, he can get almost anyone to give him a hand with a task. Oh, it’ll fit. Using Technology, he can make a tool, part, or machine do something it wasn’t designed to do. There’s your problem. Using Humanity, he can quickly assess flaws by watching and listening to notice the inconsistencies. Description: Samuel is slightly less than middle age and rather non-descript. He is frequently covered in dust and grease from being in and around machines. His light brown hair almost matches his skin and eyes. He had some bulk to his muscles from years of working with large machines and heavy parts. There is also little fat on his frame because few in the outpost have the resources to waste on extraneous eating; and he is not one of them. The engineer is serious more often than not, decades of dealing with emergencies have made him always expect one to arise, usually at an inopportune moment. A smile, and even laughter on occasion, has been known to grace his visage when he does get a slow moment with his comrades. Being one of the lead engineers at his complex has also imbued him with confidence, though not to the point of boasting, he is merely self-assured.

Character Write-up Samuel Adams was born and raised on Earth; the near wasteland that humans called their birthplace. The Outpost was called Comsotown since it was founded by CosmoTonne. The company was on the brink of closing its doors and the outpost was the same. There had been some talks about becoming independent but the demand for Earth materials was shrinking as the technology for mining on asteroids got better so profit margins were dipping dangerously low. There was a rumor that Compretech had solicited an offer, but the contract specified a percentage of the annual gross that must be spent on cybernetic upgrades. They had made the same offer to Asteroid Gamma-47-8B a decade ago, the rumors were that the company offered loans in some cases and discounts in others when ‘participants’ were willing to try newer, experimental products. As such Cosotown was not very excited by this offer. The small habitat ring housed a few dozen families, serviced the greater North American continent, and was home to 23% of the Human, robots, and machines that remained on Earth. Being one of the last remnants on a dying planet did not make for a glamorous upbringing. Like most earthlings he was made to start working young. It was the best way to keep kids out of trouble since there was not a lot of things to do in the ramshackle working colonies that existed on the home world. Sidereal did not have much hold in Cosmotown, most of the entertainment came from scavenged data chips from a century ago (sometimes discs from even longer ago if they were preserved well enough). Samuel’s family were engineers, so he was too. They worked at keeping the machines going that maintained the clean air and water for the outpost they lived in and also helped keep the many mining rigs going so the planet could be effectively strip mined. Samuel had a good head for it and quickly became known for his effectiveness. Yet, the young man longed to see more than the grey/brown skies and wanted to get off the planet that he was born on. So when word of an application to be on the newest voyage reached Earth he eagerly filled one out. There was not a lot of chance that a Earthling who had never been in space before would get in but that only made it all the more exciting when he was chosen. His community mourned their loss of a talented individual but wished him luck anyway and he set off on the first cargo ship he could buy a seat on.

Flags Samuel has a hundred uses for a 14.5mm wrench; none of which are officially sanctioned by Cosmotool. He has also developed quite a grudge at the corporations who raised a profit on mining by under-budgeting for needed repairs, required maintenance, and due upgrades. Samuel is fully human and proud of it. While he appreciates the craftsmanship, he thinks non-necessary bionic upgrades trivialize what it means to be human, finds it hard to trust creations with silicone brains the size of walnuts, and finds aliens…too alien (not that he had actually met any).

[squirmonkey]

I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up with the post rate, but I love this character idea, so I wanted to give it a try anyway!

Stat Block Name: Counselor David Albright - The Voice of Reason (Most on the ship would call him simply Counselor Albright). Pronouns He/Him/His Origin: Human from Mars. Counselor Albright has lived his entire life on Mars. He hates it there. Character Number: 2 Job: Ship's Counselor. Description: Attend to the mental health of the crew. Advise ship leaders and decision-makers on matters regarding crew morale and interactions with third parties. Help mitigate the stresses of long-distance space travel. Specialized Skills: How Does That Make You Feel - You can use your Humanity to discern the true meaning behind someone's words or deeds. Put Down Your Phone - You can use your Technology to disable a machine that is hurting somebody. Have You Tried Meditating On That - You can use your Humanity to still intense emotions or aggression in others by speaking calmly to them.

Character Writeup David Albright is a human man in his mid-40s. He has a sharp face topped with buzzed-short tan hair, just starting to turn white around his ears. He wears traditional glass spectacles over icy blue eyes, giving him an old-fashioned look that speaks more truth about him than his mouth ever does. His normal dress is a slim modern suit over a trimmed turtleneck. Despite his disdain for technology, he wears high-tech shoes which manipulate gravity on a minor scale to correct a mechanical issue in his gait which would otherwise cause him considerable hip pain. The shoes are made for athletes, so they look like running shoes and clash considerably with the rest of his outfit. David comes from a happy family but has never been happy with what he had. Ever since he was a boy, he has gazed up past the neon advertisements and holographic clouds to catch a glimpse of Earth: Humanity's true home. He has always sought out records and stories of Earth. A verdant paradise where humans lived side by side with nature. Where governments looked out for the people, not corporations. Where technology did not fill people's lives with stress and anxiety. He thought that training as a therapist would give him an opportunity to reconnect his patients with their Humanity, but instead, it has sapped him of the hope he once felt looking up at that gray-blue dot in the Martian skies. David is cynical and severe. He does his best to be understanding for his patients, but he struggles to understand the viewpoints of those who have embraced the technology of current times. Day in and day out he sees patients who could be happy if they could only remember that they were human. A business executive who hasn't seen her father's face in twenty years because she thinks holo-chat is just as good. A college student who only gets exercise in Virtual Reality. An addict who's turned to a joywire to help him quit tobacco. The cure is the same for them as it is for this whole society, he thinks. We all need to stop pretending we're androids instead of humans. David's views of this world have been isolating, to say the least. It's hard to make friends when you don't own a headset, a vid viewer, or even a cranial communicator. It's hard to find love when you're unwilling to submit a musculature scan to TruConnect, and rarely even take pictures of yourself. And, ironically, it's downright impossible to maintain a relationship with your parents if you believe holo-chat isn't as good as seeing someone face to face. So David has no friends or family in the normal sense. But he found purpose for himself when he found a new kind of family: The Inheritors of Eden. The Inheritors are a secret coalition of those who believe as David does. Who dream of a world where humans can be humans, and technology is a thing of the past. A world where humans hunt and gather, and build huts out of logs. But this future cannot be, cannot even be openly discussed, because it means going against the Corps. Here on Mars, the Corps are too powerful, too entrenched. Anybody going against them publicly would be destroyed in an instant, and trying to overthrow them by force would be even more futile. So the dream of the Inheritors remained idle in darkness until the Exodus II was announced. This, the Inheritor leadership decided, was their chance. When the new ship and its skeleton crew arrived at the new planet, the Corps would be at their weakest there. With no access to their resources on Mars, it should be more possible there than ever to seize control of the planet, and drive out corporate interests. Then the planet could be built up in the image of Eden, a lush new paradise for an old classic human. In this interest, the Inheritors all applied to travel with Exodus. Only a few made it aboard, David among them, those few are now the hope of the entire organization. David's job is as ship's counselor. The only counselor on the entire ship. Just one to take care of this many people. With how little the organizers seem to care about the mental health of those aboard, it's a miracle they assigned even David. But perhaps someone involved knew what David knows: that no matter how much they augment themselves, every single member of this crew is a human, weak and fallible as any other. The burden of this long-distance travel will be immense. And the mission of the Inheritors aside, someone will need to take care of the crew if anybody is to make it to the new Eden. But his secondary job is as an Inheritor. To build support among the crew for his ideology. To lead people to question what the future of this planet will be. To sap away the strength and resources of the Corporate interests aboard. So that when the ship touches down, those corporate interests will be overwhelmed by the will of a people who have finally realized that they have been slaves all their lives and this planet is their only chance to be free. Flags: Use Counselor Albright as an opportunity to reveal what hides beneath the surface of your character. Share what scares you. Share what you hope for. Share what Humanity means to you.

[WhiteStag]

Ready for Review!

995 word count, 6,000 characters on wordcounter.net

Character Write-up Grisella “Grissy” Starlight was born seventeen years ago to a military family residing in the North Face territory of Eastern colony, Mars. Her father was a long time soldier, a BirchCo ‘Boardersman’ who climbed the military ranks of BirchCo Industries and eventually was scouted and recruited for his excellent performance into the more specialized sects of Lockwood Enterprises. With the dissolving of individual world governments towards the end of humanities' stay on earth leading the rise of ultimate corporate take-over and rule of civilization, BirchCo Boardersmen evolved out of the once-established United States Marine Corp and Space Force, into the interstellar, organized and armed forces that were initially responsible for the protection of earth migration to planet Mars. Native alien species of insectoids and reptilians that resisted this initial Earth migration were met with swift assault and strong push-back by the heavily armed and trained soldiers of BirchCo, commissioned to carve out territories for migrating earthlings. To this day, the Boardersmen hold high position and high regards as the premier defense of human civilization on Mars. "I’ve always been Daddy’s little girl from the very beginning." Grissy puckers a gleeful, childlike smile to her assigned uptake psychologist, sitting quietly across from her. "Daddy taught me everything I know from when he was a super soldier with Lockwood Enterprises!" To this, the interviewing psychologist only stares back quietly with curiosity, maintaining a professional demeanor. She then speaks, "It says here, Grissy, that you are a ‘gifted’ young woman, and have been blessed from birth with some extraordinary attributes, is that correct?" "’Dats right! After Daddy returned with all those computer implants from his services at that terrible Lockwood institution, he insisted he take me as his Daddy and raise me even when Lockwood wanted to keep me all to themselves." "And now Lockwood Enterprises has custody over you seeing that you are seventeen years old and your Dad died only last year?" Grissy replies with a brooding nod. "So what about your mother? Where is she? There is no record of her. " "—That’s because I’m a Lockwood, test-tube baby. So what! You gonna judge me? Daddy loved me, and Daddy's my real father! That's all the matters. But Daddy did say that mommy’s eggs were of a very special breed. That she wasn't human..." "Is that right? Huh." Grissy’s colorful, cyberpunk type clothes and neon pink hair distracts the female psychologist, and her eyes stray up and down the young woman in a very refrained scrutiny. "And will you be maintaining this childlike voice and attitude you are putting on the entire assessment?" "What makes you think the way I talk is fake?" "Because you are seventeen years old and it says here that you have passed all intelligence aptitude tests, and all cognitive assessment screenings with absolute flying colors, with final scores almost off the charts, and completely unheard of." Now tapping her pen on her clipboard in annoyance, "So I find it hard to believe that someone like you is so arrested by any form of stunted maturity as you display…" A silence then ensues as Grissy takes a moment to answer, "... Well you don’t know what I’ve been through, do you, Nice Lady," finishing with an icy glare. "Well, why don’t you tell me, and be open and honest, seeing that this is the final psychiatric assessment before you are cleared to be a part of the Exodus II exploration team. It says here that you are prone to emotional outbursts, that your hand-to-hand combative skills are highly developed, and that your psychic abilities of psychokinesis and gamma brainwave production is far-and-beyond the normal outputs recorded by any other Earth originating human ever recorded. Do you have all these astonishing abilities under your complete control?" "--Sure I do!" "You don’t sound like you even want to be here!" "--I DON’T!!" Grissy retorts with building agitation as the lights in the room begin to flicker on and off, mysteriously.. "I am being forced! You think I want to go on this SECOND botched exploration mission, after the first one failed so miserably... --so deliberately even. Do you!? Do you know that the first expedition was fraught with many unexplained and unaddressed "anomalies" as they claim, and that no one wants to talk about them, even?" The interviewer glares back with a curious brow. "But I owe it to Daddy. I told him I’d help to make things right before he died. I promised him that I’d use my gifts as a pilot for good and all the things that he taught me, to help humanity find its way through these very troubling times… … amongst much obfuscation." She continues further, "They need special pilots for their fly-by-thought star fighters that require high gamma brainwave output that apparently, few people have but me. And they need soldiers, and I want to be a Boardersman like my Daddy." To this, the interviewer then cuts her off swiftly, "--And that’s simply not enough, young lady! I am very sorry to tell you." **Krrrfff**-- The loud speaker in the room then interrupts, and a voice is heard over the communication’s system, "Doctor Swinton, please report immediately to the observation room." The interviewer stands abruptly with this and exits. She then returns two minutes later and retakes her seat in a huff looking rather irritated, "It seems that you’ve been cleared, my dear, in fact, and you are confirmed and admitted to the final roster, congratulations," rolling her eyes unprofessionally. "Yuh see? I told yuh Lockwood is forcing me. But no problem. No problem at all. As Daddy would always say… ‘When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.’" "It doesn't look like you will be bringing any family members with you, correct?" "--WRONG! I'm bringing my emotional support dog, Peachy. Thanks." Flags: - Ask me what I think about these Exodus Missions. - Trade riddles with me. - Ask me about what I think about technology.

251 words, 1,898 characters on wordcounter.net

Stat Block Name: Grisella "Grissy" or "Grizzly" Starlight Origin: Mars - Human Hybrid CN: 2 Jobs and Specialized Skills: Pilot and BirchCo Bordersman Soldier: Private Rank 'Standard Boardersman duties of securing and maintaining targeted destinations to be occupied while wielding deadly force, assume protective role while wielding deadly force when necessary, executing commands with efficiency and accuracy, cooperative and effective communications with partner(s) to ensure success, maintaining alertness and acute observation when necessary, and taking proper command of situations when in position of highest rank. Her position as a pilot involves activation of flight vehicles, maintaining operations, deactivation of flight vehicles, and general maintenance and troubleshooting.' Pilot Fly-by-Thought TR3B Anti-Gravitational spacecraft: Using Humanity (yes humanity), she can operate the highly advanced, reversed engineered, extraterrestrial spacecraft that responds and takes commands directly from her gamma brainwave, mental thought outputs exclusively, without the need of standard, mechanical controls. The TR3B craft is the fastest, most agile, most responsive dogfight spacecraft humanity has in its arsenal at the current time. Neutralize the situation: Using Humanity (with open hand martial arts), she can take control of a confrontational situation using her psychokinesis/qi/jedi force abilities to neutralize all threats to maintain levels of security. Diplomacy or Intimidation to achieve cooperation: Using Humanity, she can harmoniously establish deals and cooperation with other parties to achieve desired outcomes and relationships. Her communication skills are highly trained, complimenting her naturally sincere and open-hearted personality, demeanor, and attitude towards other individuals. And when intimidation is needed... she does not lack strengths in emotional persuasion... ~*