BlessedWrath — Roleplayer Guild

Name: Samantha Cole

Known Nickname(s), Alias(es): Sam

Species: Human

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Personality:
Gruff, snarky, tactless, with just a hint of scorn. If it does not directly relate to computers or machines, she quickly loses interest. Misanthropic, bordering on hateful.

Sam's particular social situation is only partly due to her ability, owing the rest to her being treated like damaged goods by her parents. She learned at an early age that all humans are disposable, and has taken it to heart in recent years. You can almost see it in her eyes; the fact that she does not consider people to be people, but...more like walking resources. Unpredictable, uncooperative, inefficient walking resources.

In terms of mannerisms, Sam may seem unkempt and chaotic to others, but her workspace is her safe place. Sane, logical, coordinated, even in its perpetual state of organized chaos. Moving just one circuit board will set her off on an hour rant about how nothing is sacred anymore.

Appearance: 

Sam is slender, light on her feet, and built to favor speed over strength. Her posture and body language typically suggest submission, but those who know her well enough will recognize that as an act. The simple fact is that keeping your head down means fewer cameras catching a direct look at your face. As far as posture goes...if she can use body language to satisfy the egos of others, that just means fewer confrontations.

Her movements are methodical and precise, whether out of a need for careful attention during her tinkering or just being comfortable with economy of motion. There isn't a lot of fidgeting or wasted energy. The one thing she does move constantly is her eyes.

Whatever else can be said about her, Sam is always watching. She knows where the exits are, she knows how the people are moving around her, and she can probably spot the best places to stash something quickly. Sometimes it helps to be observant.

Her hair is often kept under her hood, but when it is visible, it is obvious she cuts it herself. There's no thought toward style or fashion, whatsoever. It's as if she only cuts it to get it out of her way.
 
Attire: 
Black tee or sports bra, black hoodie, black cargo pants, black steel-toe work boots. Never leaves home without her messenger bag full of goodies.

Her "style", if you want to call it that, really has no bearing at all on what's fashionable. She is interested in function alone. The choice of color is simple: It's more difficult to catch somebody at night when they wear dark colors. Plus, it was free; people really should watch their laundry more closely.

Much of her clothing is therefore in varying states of wear, and almost every garment has been modified in some way for concealment options. Where one might expect to find a weapon, however, one would instead find a soldering iron, a few lengths of wire, some clippers, maybe a battery or two...

Additionally, Sam appears to have a special hatred of beauty products. Not only does she refuse to wear cosmetics, but she often mocks those who do. Her appearance has no bearing on her talents as a tinkerer, therefore it is not considered an asset.

Powers:
Technomind

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

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

This ability causes such stresses on the brain that information gathered this way is permanently burned into her memory. As a side effect, sometimes other information (sounds, smells, simple facts, faces) can also be retained with perfect clarity. This eidetic memory cannot be used intentionally, and seems to be totally random.

Limits: 
Early indications are that the ability requires physical contact as a trigger, but this limitation may be mitigated with practice.

Weaknesses/Drawbacks: 
When triggered, the ability overloads her conscious mind with information, causing her to "bluescreen" and lose consciousness. The effect varies in intensity according to the complexity of the device. Again, this weakness may diminish with experience, but will never be completely eliminated.

Other: 
As a direct result of her power, Sam has an inherent attention to detail which stems from eidetic memory. This memory capacity normally relates only to the technology she maps, but can involve other pertinent data as well. Unfortunately, as it is not a talent she consciously uses, which facts are retained are completely beyond her control; seemingly random in nature.

Strengths:
Sam displays a dizzying intellect in many areas of science and mathematics, as well as the ability to cannibalize components to create all manner of fiendishly clever devices. As part of her audition for entrance into a group of misfit "heroes", back on Earth, she once completely bypassed a card reader by feeding the electrical current of its lock indicator LED directly into the actuator, all but bare-handed. She is therefore a handy tool to have on hand if the group needs to be someplace they shouldn't be, or needs to make a hasty exit from a locked room. She is a fast learner, particularly when legitimately interested in the subject matter, and has a natural instinct for mechanical engineering, electronics, physics, and computer sciences. 

Additionally, Sam's personal awareness and cunning appear to be abnormally sharp; perhaps honed by years of evading capture. She is therefore regarded by most as a tricky and difficult target to acquire. Naturally, infiltration, security countermeasures, and even computer intrusion are common tools in her portfolio.

Weaknesses:
Sam is not a social butterfly, by any definition of the term. She avoids human interaction whenever possible, and doesn't trust them even when forced to work with them. She is as far removed from the concept of "trust" as can be expected from a person with her background and history, therefore she shows great difficulty in team situations. She also prefers to acquire her materials in a manner not quite befitting the scrutiny of the law, which can get her into trouble with the local badges. 

Additionally, her singular focus on technology has left her almost devoid of practical combat experience. What she does know about fighting has been pieced together from online videos, old movies, and impromptu engagements with a few street punks. A soldier she is not.

Background:
From an early age, Sam showed signs of brilliant intellect. She would often dis-assemble random devices in an effort to determine how they worked. Unfortunately, this led her parents to question her social development, ultimately causing them to ship her off to a behavioral health center in a larger city. Sam has since escaped that facility and has been using her gifts to survive on the street. You can be paid quite handsomely for jailbreaking an iPhone.

In the two years since her escape from this facility, Sam has lived on the streets of New York. Her chosen profession has earned more than just clients; she has embarrassed local law enforcement by evading capture, toppled corporations with a few lines of particularly nasty computer code, and even maneuvered a high-ranking member of the local mafia into a turf war with at least two prominent street gangs.

At this time, Sam's movements are not precisely known. She has gone to ground until the heat dies down, at which time it is almost certain she will provide her services to the next client with a fistful of dollars and a reason why legitimate services cannot be employed.

Misc. Notes:
Because she is not specifically experienced as a fighter does not mean Sam is completely helpless. When engaged, she prefers to exploit weaknesses to magnify damage to her opponents, and to avoid and evade until escape is possible. Faced with the two options, Sam would rather flee than fight.

If forced into combat, Sam is better equipped than to fight with just her fists. Her technological prowess has allowed her to create an array of defensive devices capable of assisting her in protecting herself against aggressors, including (but not limited to) shock gloves cannibalized from dismantled stun guns and high-energy capacitors, pressurized capsaicin dischargers which aerosolize a concentrated form of pepper spray at high speeds, and Shriekers; a sonic device capable of causing sensory overload in humans.

Sam's interest in this type of technology is a recent development, brought about by the necessity to avoid capture by multiple groups. She has since begun studying the application of technology in combat situations as a method for leveling the playing field against stronger opponents. It is by no means a guarantee of survival, but as Sam would likely point out: "It sure ain't gonna hurt my chances, either."

In the event that loss of powers is a thing, it is important to note that, while losing her powers would rob her of the ability to map any new devices, Sam's eidetic memory will still retain any information she has already gained by use of the power. Her experience with technology would still allow her to use that knowledge to create new devices, although certainly not with the same level of effectiveness as if aided by her power.

@duskshine749, you are quite correct about the name conflict. It will cause some confusion, at some point, at least. However...at my first job, I worked with two Davids, two Brians, a Ryan, a Karen and an Aaron. You could not utter a single name in that place without at least two people lifting their heads. It's...honestly a very common name, although I'll admit not as common for a female. If I'm honest, I hadn't realized your character had that name until after I submitted my request. It may be something we'll just have to handle as "one of those things" in the course of the story.

For what it's worth, Sam hates her given name, which is why she utilizes the abbreviated version. Truth be told, in almost any scenario we'd like to imagine, she will use an alias of some kind anyway. "Sam" is only the name she gives to her closest allies; those she intends to interact with over a longer course than just the current job. It may be that her callsigns and street names are the majority of her identity.

In any event, I'm certain we can work it out to where we can indicate which "Sam" we're referring to. I'm willing to work for it if you are. ^_^

@Tergonaut, thanks for the speedy decision. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do to help out with the story. Sam's been inactive for too long and wants to stretch her legs. There are raw components out there, unused, forgotten...every chip a blank canvas waiting for the brush that is her soldering iron. I will post her CS to the Characters page immediately. IC postage may occur tonight.

BlessedWrath Member

Guardian, Champion Class

Status

Recent Statuses

Bio

Most Recent Posts