I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling place of jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant. - Jeremiah 9:11
Outskirts of Santa Marta, Colombia - August 7th, 2019
Victor looks as one would expect a professional solo to look; huge. Standing at 6'5", and weighing in at 240lbs of muscle and metal, he's a bit more than intimidating. Bronze-brown skin, black hair, and dark brown eyes place him squarely from Latin America before his accent can. A wide grin shows off well-kept teeth under a slightly crooked nose, the result of more bar brawls and lost bets than would be considered smart. Attached to his temples are a pair of small, cybernatic
implants that when activated generate a pair of lenses over Victor's eyes. His hair is generally kept short and normally just ends up thrown up into a controlled mess after the shower. The result of this lack of long hair though is that the remarkably few neural ports Victor has are visible, a 22mm neural port on the back of the neck near the base of the skull, along with a pair of 5mm ports on both sides of his neck, near the jaw and ear. Outside of an operating environment, he keeps his ports plugged.
His right arm, while not obvious cybernetic, sports several more ports; a pair of 6.5mm SmartGun ports on the inner forearm (palm-side), a Cuerpo Libre Inc. quick-inject port on the inner wrist, and three (5mm, 8mm, 10mm) general purpose ports. A pair of large, vertical scars run up Victor's sides from surgery. His torso brandishes several gunshot scars that he has refused to have removed and strange ridges where his ribs would be located. Aside from cybernetics and scars, he sports an
ornate cross tattoo on his back, and the
Sacred Heart on his left pectoral, both done in MoodInk. Additionally, he has a small tattoo of the name "Marie" on his left palm.
g e n d e r :: Male
o c c u p a t i o n :: Messenger
Victor's been called a lot of things throughout his years. Bastard, Leadhead, Solo, Fuckface; to name a few. In jest, he calls himself a glorified delivery boy and he's not that far off. Previously under Cuerpo Libre's payroll, Victor, along with other "Escobas" were tasked with sweeping away undesirable elements within newly acquired Cuerpo Libre properties. As the corporation was aggressively expanding its international holdings, Victor spent a lot of time in North Africa and the Middle East removing criminal elements and upstart street operations as directed.
After becoming a contractor, Victor had the opportunity to engage in more varied work. With a natural flair not normally found amongst mercs, his contracts started to flow in one vein. Intimidation. Whether it was tearing through a safe house just to leave a birthday card for a capo, simply shooting an employee in front of corporate headquarters, or razing a village to the ground, this one man army had a better track record than most. Under budget, occasional equipment loss, and generally little collateral damage. No surprise that a big corp like Biotechnica would take notice.
Lead Delivery BoyIf it shoots bullets, Victor can quickly adapt to its use. From pistols to shotguns to heavy machine guns and more, while he may not have used the specific model he finds in his hands, he's probably used something similar and can quickly get a feel for it. His specialty lies in firefights medium to close range where assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, and grenades dominate.
Anything is a Weapon if You Kill Someone with ItVictor is not a master of hand to hand combat. While trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Russian Systema, his habit of shooting someone in the chest with a shotgun before they start throwing their fists at him has let those skills wane. If Victor does, somehow, get caught with his pants down and his underwear gun unloaded, he has an unsettling knack for using just about any object in reach with deadly results. Combining brute strength, dirty fighting, and a fierce survival instinct, it would likely be less painful to just get shot and die quick.
Shock and Awe with a Lot of LoudA natural development from his personality mixed with his line of work, Victor is not someone to call in for a quiet sneak-and-steal type of mission. He's more like a sledgehammer with three screaming airhorns attached shooting bullets and confetti. If you need a place stormed quick with a whole lot of fire and fury, he's the guy that can plan and execute it with gusto and bravado.
e n h a n c e m e n t s ::c y b e r n e t i c s ::
Modelo 3H-B "Razón" - Perro Negro Industrial
A no-frills neural interface that does not offer many of the utilities offered by other devices. The Razón does not boost a user's mental faculties, and its boost to processing speed and sensory interpretation is average a target best. What it lacks, it makes up for in security against outside interference. Lacking wireless capabilities, an outside system must be connected by cable to the user through the sole 22mm neural port to directly communicate with the neural system. As a result, the system can not access the Internet or other outside systems without the help of peripheral attachments nor be accessed without a direct connection by cable. Networking with other cybernetics is accomplished through direct connections within the user's body. Currently, Victor uses a wireless-enabled module when accessing the Net.
Additionally, the entire unit is covered in a grounded mesh that shields the unit from EM interference rated for about 100V/m. This protects it from the effects of all but the more expensive EMP grenades but doesn't do much for larger sources of EMI such as lightning strikes, power generation facilities, and higher end fryguns.
Modelo Z31M-B "Búho Gris" - Perro Negro Industrial
This pair of implants, attached to the temples, generate a pair of lenses over the user's eyes when activated. A suitable replacement for if a user hasn't lost their eyes and doesn't want to, these lenses overlay a non-intrusive HUD over the field of vision. Due to the processing necessary to keep track of the user's eye movements and adjust the HUD, the overlay is rather simplistic in design and doesn't support some of the more advanced features one would find in a cybernetic eye such as zooming capability, and SmartGun integration.
After some aftermarket mods, the lens support infrared and night-vision along with offering protection from intense light, such as sunlight and flashbangs.
"León 5" Full Arm Cybernetic Replacement - Nuñez-Castillo Cibernética
Following the same vein as his neural gear, the León line of limb replacements place a bigger focus on security and defense from outside interference than fancy gadgets and added utility. This arm is not much more than an arm and while it has a variety of ports for SmartGun integration and other accessories, it doesn't offer much else aside from a reliable and comfortable arm replacement that auto-calibrates to mesh with the strength of a user's back and chest muscles to prevent damage due to strength mismatches. These calibrations can be overridden manually if need be either through a neural command or a small switch hidden on the upper arm.
Aftermarket additions to the limbs have been rather simple. The first is a monomolecular wire garrote hidden within the pinky finger. The second is a RealFlesh coating that helps the arm pass off as a real flesh and bone arm. Carefully crafted to look as lifelike as it can be, the real giveaways are the faint arrays of wire that can be seen under the "skin" on close inspection, the fact that the arm doesn't sweat, and the ports visible on the forearm.
b i o m o d s ::
"Enduro" Cardiovascular Reinforcement - Cuerpo Libre Inc
A combination of two surgeries that enhance a patient's cardiovascular system to Olympic levels and more. First a patient's arterial muscles are reinforced to increase their pumping action and accelerate blood flow throughout the body. Secondly, Cuerpo Libre's patented engineered virus agents modify a patient's marrow stem cells to produce red blood cells carrying the metaheme molecule in place of hemoglobin. As a molecule with a much greater attraction for oxygen than hemoglobin, this increases a users aerobic ability and allows them to hold their breaths for much longer than normal.
"Guardián" Torso Endoarmor - Cuerpo Libre Inc
Protecting the chest and upper abdomen, Cuerpo Libre's endoarmor replaces the ribcage with a custom fitted series of flexible bone plates sheathed in calcified cartilage that heals when damaged using the body's natural processes. While it won't stop armor-piercing rounds, it also won't trigger metal detection systems or reduce your agility and will protect you from small arms fire (up to .45 caliber!) from hitting you were it really hurts.
"Sobreviviante: C" - Cuerpo Libre Inc
A suite of biomods designed specifically for their Escoba-class personnel being sent into high heat climates abroad and domestically, over two invasive surgeries several new organs are implanted in the body.
In the first surgery, the stomach is modified with the addition of several small tendrils that help detect toxins within consumed food and drink. Much quicker to detect naturally derived toxins over synthetic poisons, when the tendrils sense a toxin, they trigger the vomit reflex to empty the stomach. Additionally, several lymph nodes in the vicinity of the stomach are replaced with a dense "optinode" that integrates itself into the lymphatic network and continuously monitors the fluids of the body for antigens and others foreign bacteria while serving as a reservoir for lymphocytes. When triggered, the optinode releases its stored lymphocytes, alerts the rest of the lymphatic to the infection, and begins producing lymphocytes at an inhuman rate. This results in an extremely robust immune response that fights off most natural diseases with ease.
The second surgery focuses on the intestines of the patient. First, the small intestine is modified with the addition of a new section that converts normally indigestible cellulose and proteins into a form that can be processed and absorbed by the rest of the small intestine. Secondly, the large intestine is modified by the addition of an artificial organ that coils around within the intestine and absorbs up to 70% of the water in solid waste.
In effect, this suite of biomods allows a soldier to shrug off diseases common to new environments, eat just about any sort of natural and edible product and reject poisonous material, and survive for longer without water.
If you don't have cash, Colombia is a shithole. Before the mega-corporations there was already a noticeably gap between the haves and the have-nots. You would have a new hotel made of white stone and glass not even a block away from a tangled mass of plywood, salvage and corrugated tin that couldn't even be called a slum. Tourists could be eating steaks, lobster, and ice cream while the nearby locals scrounged for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The gap didn't close when the mega-corporations like Cuerpo Libre Inc and
N.C. Cibernética started buying up the land. They promised millions and a place to live for all of the poor on their holdings in exchange for ownership. They built housing, implemented infrastructure, and brought food. They let the people stay on their lands, giving the old residents first dibs on housing. Rent was low but millions spread out over hundreds of families didn't last nearly as long as those unused to money would have thought. Contracts were re-written and rules changed. A family could stay if they worked in the corporation factories conveniently nearby. WHile they worked their children would be taken care of and educated. The parents would receive a stipend and extra rations for each child.
It was working all so well, the workers that stayed didn't want to leave. Those outside, wanted to work and join the corporation communities because their own situation was terrible in comparison. Workers had three meals each day. They had clean water to drink. Their kids could be educated. It was a paradise compared to the squalor. The corporations had built themselves up to be saviors of the poor. In the long run, it's much easier to make a horse walk with carrots, rather than whips. It even lives longer that way. As this complex of the benevolent corporation became more and more ingrained amongst their uplifted workers, the prices went up and up. In time, children could be transferred into the care of the corporations themselves to help pay off debt, or even just to get a hefty bonus. Victor was one of these "corponiños" and once he was processed and moved to Cuerpo Libre's Centro de Educación para Niños things got a whole lot better; temporarily.
Up through the age of twelve, he was educated extensively in mathematics, physics, computer science, critical thinking, teamwork, social structures, and more. Literature consisted of technical manuals, the arts were non-existent. Physical education was an important component of the curriculum along with proper nutrition. As a child, Victor took to this structure well and while he was no superstar by talent, his fierce competitive streak kept him in the upper echelons of his class. He liked winning, and he worked for it with gusto. What he truly lacked a capacity for was use of the Internet. While he enjoyed playing some of the VR games, he had a strong attachment to the physical world where the "everything was actually real". This strong detachment and lack of interest proved to be a huge detriment when using the Internet for more than diversion and entertainment. It was no matter though. A single C wouldn't kill him. He was just excited to move on, to move into the teenage dorms and take the more advanced classes. He'd heard a rumor that the dorms were even
co-ed.
What he didn't know was that those "teenage dorms and classes" were little more than smoke and mirrors. A carrot that led them to work hard in their schooling while making them complacent.
One morning, he didn't wake up in bed. There was no air conditioning, no food, no water, no room, no books. All he had were the clothes on his back and a small note pinned to his chest with the Cuerpo Libre letterhead. He was in something of a ramshackle hut, made of wood pallets, with no roof. The note said one thing. "Sobrevivir durante seis años", survive for six years. There was no briefing, and there was no further instruction. Before he could panic, he could already feel thirst on his lips and his stomach beginning to rumble. The sun was almost overhead and the air was thick and humid. When he exited the hut, he was surrounded with wood, plastic, and dirt. Others of his class, dazed and confused, were wandering through the trash.
It was six years of misery in "Patacon" as they called in. Even amongst the garbage, a hierarchy was present based on time within the grueling crucible. In theory, the only thing someone needs to survive is food, water, and shelter but a fourth necessity was very quickly discovered amongst the new entries to the trial, a weapon. While at first people tried to help each other to make it through, time, heat, thirst, and hunger quickly did away with that sentiment. Those that could not capture some of the game that was strangely present, or forage for food withered away. Those that could not play nice with others were more violently removed. Some would isolate themselves, some would turn to thievery and flight. Others would organize and manage resources for groups, and others would defend them from the threats. Victor found a good niche in that last category and in hindsight, it was probably that choice that led him down the path of a corporate soldier and eventually freelancing solo.
Through his six years, he learned many lessons over human nature and his own tendencies. He picked up some habits, both good and bad. When his six years were up, he came out of the forge a soldier and a survivor. Immediately, his training in firearms and tactics began. A more focused curriculum that worked to hone his strengths and blunt his weaknesses. At the age of twenty, Victor started to receive real assignments from Cuerpo Libre. Initially working under a veteran Escoba as a sort of apprentice before receiving assignments for himself. The rest; the work abroad, the injuries, the surgeries, and the freelancing all seemed to come in a frenzied blur. The letter from Biotechnica was just the latest in an uninterrupted river of lead, chrome, blood, and paperwork.
BIOTECHNICA S.A. REGISTRANT PERSONALITY QUIZThis quiz is a way for your employer to better understand who YOU are! Your candor is important and required, as lying on this document can warrant you a $5,000 fine and 2 to 24 months in prison!Favorite food: (What food do you like to eat?)
Bandeja Paisa - Rice and avocado salted, ají for the chicharron and chorizo, chimichurri for the steak (medium rare), two eggs sunny side upLeast favorite food: (What food
don’t you like to eat?)
Oatmeal - Texture is fucky with no taste
Dessert - I don't do sweets after my meals, just a a cigar is fineUse three words to describe yourself: (Pretty simple!)
Sinning
Winning
Grinning
But for real, give us more than three words next time. Soy mucho más complicado, amigo. Likes: (What do you like? Do you have hobbies? Is there anything or anyone that is
extra special to you?)
- I like to cook
- I like seeing my bank account grow and my investments do well.
- I like shooting guns, it's fun as hell. Oh, and grenades.
- I also like it when I scare the piss out of a suit. Shit's funny.
- I like dates. The fruit and the activity. Dislikes:- I don't like militant atheists. We don't have to agree but don't tell me my beliefs are dumb or we'll have a problem.
- I don't like when people touch the food on my plate.
- I don't like people without a moral compass. Shit circmstances don't give you the go ahead to be a shit person.
- I really don't like human traffickers.
- I don't like Egyptians.Values:- My relationship with God
- Self-improvement and personal accountability
- Loyalty and good communication amongst peers
- I work not for the now but for the future I want
- I keep my personal feelings and relations seperate from my work as best I canStrengths:- I know my way through a battlefield and when the lead starts flying and the mortars start dropping, I'll keep my cool and help any others through the shock too. God's with us after all.
- I'm very group minded despite my stint as a lone solo, I see the value in having more eyes than mine around along with different skill sets. I try to get to know who I'm working with. A team with no trust doesn't function all that well, like a robot without oil.
- I'm strong as hell. These muscles ain't just for show ladies.
- In typical merc fashion: I shoot gud.
- Oh, I also give a shit about my team. No man left behind and all that. Flaws:- I've got cyberpsychosis, could be worse but it ain't exactly all candy and rainbows. My doc says I can develop delusions of grandeur with religious undertones when over-stimulated, show violent possessiveness regarding food and water and religious symbols, and can develop tendencies for self-harm in response to mental stress generally in the form of self-flagellation.
Basically, I can get a bit Jesus-freaky when shit's hitting the fan or just during a real fun firefight. I don't share my food and water, and I don't take other peoples. What's mine is mine and what's yours is yours. If you give me some of yours, then it becomes mine and, again, what's mine is mine. Lastly, I've gotten a bit carried away before with the Catholic guilt, doesn't come up too often but it happens. Nothing a doc can't fix.
- Biomods ain't free. While they don't cause mental problems, as I've mentioned below, I've gotta get a different array of nutrients than most to keep me running at 100%. At the same time, I can't eat crustaceans specifically anymore. Some people develop these sorts of reactions as a side effect of biomodification. Crustaceans don't jive with my system anymore, they'll leave me exploding out of everywhere for hours and feeling like a dumpster fire for days afterward. No seafood restaurants for me anymore, thanks.
- I only use the Net for movies, music, and entertainment. Don't ask me to do anything complicated through it because it ain't happening.
- Sneaking isn't really in my wheelhouse as a 6'5" pile of muscle and bullets. If you need a distraction though, I'm your guy. Anything else:-I pray every day and go to church when I can. I don't kill clergy and I don't deface holy ground.
-I don't take stock options as payment. I'll invest where I damn well want to invest. I'd also like a copy of my contract to review.
- I've got different nutritional requirements than standard. If I'm on the clock and need to get more supplements, it's gonna be on your dime. Luckily for you, I'm not gonna shit away all your money on fancy dinners and overpriced drinks.
