SEVERE language warning, including the N-word. Proceed with caution.
youtube.com/watch?v=XRvpGGc9Jv8

Name: Anna-Gilyan "Angie" Hightower
Born: June 2, 2172
Age: 26 (at start of rp)
Gender: female


Faction: Buzzard, but will accept contracts from almost anyone
Gear/weapons:
custom sniper rifle
bullpup marksman rifle
twin pistols
bulletproof vest
low caliber rifle
air rifle

Skills:
Marksmanship (guns) - primary
General combat
General survival/self-sufficiency
Cooking

Powers: (genetically engineered)
greatly enhanced eyesight, able to see over a mile with no loss of clarity
ability to track multiple targets simultaneously
enhanced reflexes
somewhat enhanced speed and agility
slightly enhanced strength and sturdiness
somewhat heightened senses
improved immune system




Description: Angie appears several years younger than her actual age, and this is only exacerbated by her lack of height. She’s quite thin, almost spindly, but carries enough muscle that she manages to avoid appearing weak. She has a fair complexion, with freckles sprinkled across her face and shoulders. Her curly auburn hair is midlength, but she always keeps it tied back in a high ponytail to avoid it getting in her face. Her green eyes are markedly unusual, a product of the project that she came from: three concentric rings surround her pupils, rotating as she changes where she’s focusing. She carries her rifle slung across her back or over a shoulder, and her pistols in underarm holsters. Her clothing is generally combat boots, sturdy pants, and shirts, often with a jacket. She likes reds, greens, and blacks, for the most part, though she avoids colors that will draw the eye unless in a settlement.


Personality: Angie is not a people person. She tends to be wary of those she doesn’t know, and she can come across as abrasive. She has the more tactic- and resource-oriented mind of the pair, and she handles the business side of her partnership with Lexie. She has a soft spot for children and a quick temper, both of which she tries to keep in check. She generally prefers to leave other people to their own devices as long as they don’t get in her way, but she has occasionally turned her sharp tongue on someone for no better reason than them rubbing her the wrong way.

History: Angie was part of a Solution experiment even before her birth. Genetically and biomechanically engineered to be a supersoldier with a focus on sniping and marksmanship as a part of the ALICE project, her early years were spent in conditions only marginally better than those of most Solution test subjects, and that was only because the scientists had a vested interest in the survival of the ALICE children. She learned about combat and tactics almost before she could talk, and was instructed in the use of weapons as soon as she could be taught with minimal risk of death from simple lack of coordination. Among the various drills and exercises the girl was expected to complete were ones that involved small groups, and her future partner Lexie was a member of many of them. It was expected that they would serve as members of a squad in eventual field operations, and they were encouraged to learn combat techniques both together and with the rest of their team. The friendships that formed as a result were not discouraged, as it was believed they would be beneficial so long as they did not interfere with following orders.

The program was flawed, however, as some of the modifications made were either not as effective as hoped, or had unexpected side-effects. Over the first several years, it was not strange news to hear that a child had become deathly ill, or gone insane and attempted (often successfully) to harm either themselves or others. Incidents gradually became more common, but in Angie’s eighth year, illness swept through the ALICE children. It was initially believed to be the Greater Canilo virus, and that is a possibility, but if it was, something in the engineered virus interacted with the engineered children. Many of them started questioning orders that previously would have been obeyed without second thought, and authority figures were viewed with growing distrust. The fact that the illness spread through the child subjects rapidly and started claiming lives didn’t help matters.

The final day of the compound’s operation saw an outright rebellion. Most of the children still well enough to be up and about turned their education in the art of war against instructors, scientists, and guards, wiping out those that oversaw them, destroying lab equipment and study records, and eventually using explosives to blast their way free of the Solution’s control. Unfortunately it was too late for the majority of the children, as few survived the experience, death coming as a result of the illness or lack of supplies. Angie was lucky, as her squad commandeered a vehicle and took off in a direction that brought them to the general vicinity of a Bears outpost before their mostly empty tank of gas ran out. With no water and little knowledge of the area, the four team members still conscious discussed their options, and decided to set off a flare. The signal was seen at the nearby outpost, and the children found and rescued.

Even with medical care provided by the Saints, only two of the six surviving teammates fully recovered from their ordeal. Angie and her squadmate were taken in by the Saints, where they grew up in what was basically an orphanage. The pair immediately took an interest in the Bears, preferring to watch the adult soldiers than play with the other children. After a while, one in particular had caught their interest -- a lady colonel who had gained her position right around the time the children joined the Saints. Eventually Angie and her friend ventured too close to some exercise or other, mostly so Lexie could see better, and the woman came over to confront them, and caution them that they needed to stay farther back. The encounter lead to a friendship between the two girls and the older woman, based on mutual respect.

As a young teen, Angie started doing odd jobs around the settlement, mostly ones that fit her skill set, and nearly always working with Lexie to do so. At fourteen she started doing more solo work, as her best friend had joined the Bears the moment she was old enough to do so. However after hearing about Lexie’s experiences with them, Angie wasn’t as keen on the idea, and together they decided to head off on their own. This decision was only encouraged by their dislike for the way the Saints treated them simply because they were female, as in the ALICE project it was your skill, not your gender, that was important. They’d already managed to earn a bit of a reputation for being both tough and reliable, and they had little doubt they could prove themselves well enough to make their own way, even if they had to work to overcome problems they encountered due to general bias.

They set to work earning enough to acquire supplies to head out, and in the spring of her fifteenth year, Angie bid farewell to the settlement that had served as home since she’d been brought there. In the following years, the two made names for themselves as mercenaries, taking out troublesome beasts, raider gangs, and various other threats. A contract with the Diesel after a year or so netted them a vehicle, which they dubbed the Hunk. They also found an abandoned bunker, and fixed the place up to make a permanent home, though they don’t often stay there. It serves more as a place to stay when they want to take some time off.

Etc:
~Angie speaks in a very distinctive style, a quick and chirrupy sort of accent that drops letters left and right. She can articulate more clearly than she does, but she doesn’t choose to often.
~Angie has acquired a number of guns over the years, though she only regularly uses six of them. The rest are because she likes collecting them.
~Angie is vulnerable to sensory overload. Sudden bright light is unpleasant, though bearable, as is loud noise. However, bunch of multi-colored lights, especially if they flash or have strobing effects, or many different sounds with multiple sources is incredibly painful and confusing.
~Angie requires a higher calorie intake than would be expected, as well as higher levels of various vitamins and minerals. She is more likely to suffer malnutrition if she doesn’t pay attention to her diet, and she needs fresh foods -- particularly proteins -- to stay healthy.
~Has a lasting dislike of the Solution, and is not usually willing to work for them.
~She and Lexie have an excellent reputation for getting the job done, though they tend to be quite selective, not to mention on the pricey side. However, enough people feel that paying a little extra is worth the additional expertise that the pair do pretty well for themselves. Work they take includes clearing out threatening beasts, dealing with marauding Buzzards, escort services for traders, and security in the occasional interfaction negotiation. They don’t generally accept assassination contracts for anything less than an exorbitant price, and prefer to do research on the target to determine danger level before finalizing the deal.
Song: Iron (Within Temptation)

Name: Alexandra "Lexie" Swift
Born: July 5, 2170
Age: 28 (at start of rp)
Gender: female


Faction: Buzzard, but will accept contracts from almost anyone
Gear/weapons:
an assortment of knives
handgun
lightweight body armor

Skills:
Melee combat (knives and unarmed) - primary
General combat
General survival/self-sufficiency
Driving

Powers: (genetically engineered)
greatly enhanced speed, reflexes, and agility
somewhat increased strength and sturdiness
somewhat heightened senses
improved immune system




Description: Lexie is a taller woman, with a tanned complexion, a snub nose, and blue eyes. She’s leaner than most, but appears quite solidly built due to her muscular build. She keeps her long brown hair in a braid with sharp spikes woven into it to discourage those who might grab it in a fight. She wears sturdy clothing and combat boots, with a knife belt carrying five knives around her waist. She favors darker colors overall, navy blues, drab greens, earthy browns, and a variety of grays.


Personality: Lexie is an amiable woman, though she does not go out of her way to make close friends. She has an easy smile and a relaxed demeanor, along with a level temperament. She’s better at reading people than Angie, and she handles the public relations side of their partnership. She is generally mellow and easy-going, willing to go with the flow and not cause too much of a fuss. In general, if it doesn't involve her, she will keep it that way unless paid to take an interest, though she has stood up for others on occasion simply because she didn’t like what was going on. She doesn’t anger easily, but when she does, she has a tendency towards serious violence, something she struggles to keep in check.

History: Lexie was part of a Solution experiment even before her birth. Genetically and biomechanically engineered to be a supersoldier with a focus on melee combat as a part of the ALICE project, her early years were spent in conditions only marginally better than those of most Solution test subjects, and that was only because the scientists had a vested interest in the survival of the ALICE children. She learned about combat and tactics almost before she could talk, and was instructed in the use of weapons as soon as she could be taught with minimal risk of death from simple lack of coordination. Among the various drills and exercises the girl was expected to complete were ones that involved small groups, and her future partner Angie was a member of many of them. It was expected that they would serve as members of a squad in eventual field operations, and they were encouraged to learn combat techniques both together and with the rest of their team. The friendships that formed as a result were not discouraged, as it was believed they would be beneficial so long as they did not interfere with following orders.

The program was flawed, however, as some of the modifications made were either not as effective as hoped, or had unexpected side-effects. Over the first several years, it was not strange news to hear that a child had become deathly ill, or gone insane and attempted (often successfully) to harm either themselves or others. Incidents gradually became more common, but in Lexie’s tenth year, illness swept through the ALICE children. It was initially believed to be the Greater Canilo virus, and that is a possibility, but if it was, something in the engineered virus interacted with the engineered children. Many of them started questioning orders that previously would have been obeyed without second thought, and authority figures were viewed with growing distrust. The fact that the illness spread through the child subjects rapidly and started claiming lives didn’t help matters. Lexie herself avoided the worst of the symptoms, and remained relatively healthy.

The final day of the compound’s operation saw an outright rebellion. Most of the children still well enough to be up and about turned their education in the art of war against instructors, scientists, and guards, wiping out those that oversaw them, destroying lab equipment and study records, and eventually using explosives to blast their way free of the Solution’s control. Unfortunately it was too late for the majority of the children, as few survived the experience, death coming as a result of the illness or lack of supplies. Lexie was lucky, as her squad commandeered a vehicle and took off in a direction that brought them to the general vicinity of a Bears outpost before their mostly empty tank of gas ran out. With no water and little knowledge of the area, the four team members still conscious discussed their options, and decided to set off a flare. The signal was seen at the nearby outpost, and the children found and rescued.

Even with medical care provided by the Saints, only two of the six surviving teammates fully recovered from their ordeal. Lexie and her squadmate were taken in by the Saints, where they grew up in what was basically an orphanage. The pair immediately took an interest in the Bears, preferring to watch the adult soldiers than play with the other children. After a while, one in particular had caught their interest -- a lady colonel who had gained her position right around the time the children joined the Saints. Eventually Lexie and her friend ventured too close to some exercise or other, mostly because the girl’s distance vision wasn’t nearly as good as Angie’s, and the woman came over to confront them, and caution them that they needed to stay farther back. The encounter lead to a friendship between the two girls and the older woman, based on mutual respect.

As a young teen, Lexie started doing odd jobs around the settlement, mostly ones that fit her skill set, and often working with Angie to do so. As soon as she turned sixteen, she joined the Bears, figuring it would be an excellent place for one of her skills. But the pervasive discrimination and general lack of respect she encountered made the job unpleasant, and though she did her best to keep it from getting to her she was only partially successful. Certainly Angie would not be, and her temper would likely result in trouble. After consideration, the two decided to head off on their own. This decision was only encouraged by their dislike for the way the Saints treated them simply because they were female, as in the ALICE project it was your skill, not your gender, that was important. They’d already managed to earn a bit of a reputation for being both tough and reliable, and they had little doubt they could prove themselves well enough to make their own way, even if they had to work to overcome problems they encountered due to general bias.

They set to work earning enough to acquire supplies to head out, and in the spring of her seventeenth year, Lexie bid farewell to the settlement that had served as home since she’d been brought there. In the following years, the two made names for themselves as mercenaries, taking out troublesome beasts, raider gangs, and various other threats. A contract with the Diesel after a year or so netted them a vehicle, which Lexie immediately named the Hunk. They also found an abandoned bunker, and fixed the place up to make a permanent home, though they don’t often stay there. It serves more as a place to stay when they want to take some time off.

Etc:
~Lexie is usually the one that drives the Hunk, the somewhat battered but very sturdy SUV the pair travel in. She’s also the one who named him. They’ve added (well, had the Diesel folk add) a bit of armor to the Hunk, and there is barely any indication that the thing once had a paint job, but the pair see it as a home equal to the actual home they fixed up near the Saints’ settlement.
~Lexie is vulnerable to sensory overload. Sudden bright light is unpleasant, though bearable, as is loud noise. However, a bunch of multi-colored lights, especially if they flash or have strobing effects, or many different sounds with multiple sources is incredibly painful and confusing.
~Lexie requires a higher calorie intake than would be expected, as well as higher levels of various vitamins and minerals. She is more likely to suffer malnutrition if she doesn’t pay attention to her diet, and she needs fresh foods -- particularly proteins -- to stay healthy.
~Isn’t very fond of the Solution, though she isn’t completely unwilling to let them purchase her services.
~~She and Angie have an excellent reputation for getting the job done, though they tend to be quite selective, not to mention on the pricey side. However, enough people feel that paying a little extra is worth the additional expertise that the pair do pretty well for themselves. Work they take includes clearing out threatening beasts, dealing with marauding Buzzards, escort services for traders, and security in the occasional interfaction negotiation. They don’t generally accept assassination contracts for anything less than an exorbitant price, and prefer to do research on the target to determine danger level before finalizing the deal.
Song: Let Us Burn (Within Temptation)

Designation: 𝜏chi (Tauchi/Tachi)
Age: several years, exact number unknown
Gender: none


Faction: Complex Unaligned (Derek - Diesel)
Gear/weapons:
two gross manipulation arms
two fine manipulation split arms (retractable)
four support arms, extendable claw grips
three enclosed rotors (one fore, two aft) (damaged)
LED light sources (visible, UV)
short-range radio
solar paneling

Skills:
information archive (resource damaged)
limited sampling, testing, and analysis suite

Powers:
multiple camera modes (primary, infrared (damaged), UV, combination)
GPS (has been known to malfunction)
limited flight



body reference


reference for rotors

Description: Tachi is a Cifereca-class drone, suitable for observation and testing. Small and lightweight, it is less than two feet in any given dimension and easily portable. Four camera “eyes” -- three on the head and one on the underside of the abdomen -- are intended to provide 360° vision, but the rear-facing camera has been damaged beyond repair without Complex-exclusive knowledge. Four legs with clawed attachments allow for overland maneuvering and some climbing, depending on the surface, and manipulation arms are used to interact with objects and environment. The rotor system is intended for long-distance flight, but due to damage both to the rotors and the systems that handle them, Tachi is only able to fly for brief periods (under a minute), and exhibits a clear list. Tachi originally had a mottled brown paint job with a light gray underside, but damage and wear have left spots where the dark metal underneath shows through. Both body and limbs have evidence of dents that have been repaired.


Personality: Tachi is bubbly, cheerful, and eager to please. It has an active curiosity about the world, and loves travelling. Its inquisitive nature has gotten it into trouble more than once. It does have a sense of humor, though it doesn’t always understand everything humans find funny. It is very attached to Derek, and can be jealous and possessive when it comes to him. It does not like those who treat it roughly, or who give Derek a hard time.

History: Tachi, like other Cifereca-class drones, was created by the Complex so they could conduct tests long distance. These drones were equipped with a variety of tools for this purpose, including a basic AI system so they could operate independently. Tachi was adopted by a particular man with a gift for coding, and became his pet project during off hours, with the goal of upgrading the AI into a fully-aware virtual persona. He made reasonable progress, and Tachi showed signs of personality, but encountered a block in the form of certain pieces of the original code that handled commands.

Before he could find a workaround, Tachi encountered a severe dust storm on a surveillance run, losing contact with its base. The storm drove the drone off-course and damaged it severely, eventually slamming it into a low and rocky rise. All but incapacitated, Tachi was able to recharge when the sun emerged again, but flight systems were not functioning, and with two support limbs rendered inoperable it was stranded.

Several days passed before Derek encountered the broken drone, his attention attracted by the distress chirps Tachi emitted. It couldn’t convey its circumstances very well, but the fact that it still exhibited some activity was intriguing. He gathered the pieces and took them back to camp to repair as best he could. Internal systems were also affected by the storm and subsequent crash. A large amount of stored data was gone, including most information on the Complex. However, the losses weren’t all bad, as a large part of the command input system was lost as well, allowing Tachi’s personality to assert itself properly.

Tachi, no longer having a way to find its way home, stayed with Derek. Over the past three years, it’s grown quite attached to him and can often be found clinging to his shoulder or back.

Etc:
~Owned by Derek Walker (played by [@TerrorBubbles]).
~Not particularly sturdy. Any sort of serious blow will inflict damage.