Alright... so as not to seem entirely delinquent, I'm going to respond now, even though I haven't had time to write up the full bios that I'd like to use to introduce these two. (Yes, two; the second character sprang to life while I was working on the first and thinking more deeply on his relationship with the late Prospero.) But I figure those can come later, if/when I get the opportunity to compose them; in the meantime, these brief
[EDIT: Or maybe not so brief.... o_O'] sketches will have to do.
A few notes:
- I have replaced the thoroughly modern term "Operator" with "Familiar," which I feel is an appropriate parallel given the setting. Idea being that they can communicate through the (un)holy symbols carried by the jacked-in Heretics (or perhaps little animate cat/imp/whatnot construct programs, who knows). Chaos, what do you think?
- Prospero, the man I mentioned in my previous post, was the captain of the Globe, a hovercraft distinguished by many years of faithful service on the front lines.
- Though I refer to crosses as symbols of the Inquisition, I have been consciously avoiding using Christian, Catholic, or any other named religion when referring to the Inquisitors and their Church. (After all, the Agents did not work for any particular organization.) What's the feeling on this one?
- For those who aren't getting my Shakespearean references, here's an online full text version of The Tempest. It's not the longest of the Bard's plays, and makes for a good read if you'd like to get into the swing of the language of the times. (Which may or may not be used IC, but it can't hurt.) Of course, my characters won't necessarily follow in the footsteps of their namesakes any more than this version of the Matrix has matched the one depicted in the movies, but you might pick up on an inside joke or two.
And now, without further ado... the characters.
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Name: Caliban
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Faction: Heretics (Matrix-born)
The man now known as Caliban was freed by Prospero from one of the most unlikely of places: a Holy Monastery. His status as a potential of considerable power was noted by Ariel in his twenty-first year (six months after she herself was freed by Prospero), and the crew of the
Globe moved quickly to liberate him from the jaws of the enemy. Though initially convinced that in being unplugged he had been spirited away by Satan himself, Brother Francis (as he was then known) was finally convinced of the veracity of the Heretics' story when, in a foolish attempt to return to his former masters, he was nearly killed by an Inquisitor in cold blood. After a narrow save by Ariel and Prospero, he returned to Zion humbled and tormented.
Could it be that the God he had prayed to all his life was nothing more than a construction of the AIs, designed to help keep humanity asleep and subjugated? This he could not believe – the fervent sense of piety which had driven him toward life in a Monastery would not let him accept such an answer. And in the end, he did not have to. Happening upon the historical database within the public portion of the Zion mainframe, he was astonished to find that it was in fact humans who had first conceived of the idea of a deity, and elevated it to the exalted position it held within his own worldview. As he pored over the accounts of ancient saints and mystics whose thoughts and experiences mirrored his own, he slowly began to come alive once more. There
was meaning within the faith of his fathers, for it was the faith of
their fathers' fathers, from before the time of the Machines and their prison of lies.
With newfound resolve, he sought to enlist in the ranks of the Matrix-cracking Heretics. ("The anger of the Lord has long been sleeping, but now I feel it rising against these blasphemers and false prophets of soulless steel. I shall be a weapon of His Vengeance, in whatever wise I am able, an though it may claim my life I care not. For Brother Francis is already dead.") However, as his faith would not allow him to don the traditional robes of his fellow Heretics, he instead insisted on venturing forth in the garb of a monk with a cross around his neck. This resulted in much controversy and reluctance on the part of the Council to allow him to jack in at all. (Imagine sending a man into Germany during WWII who insisted on wearing a Nazi uniform.) In the end Prospero stepped forward and announced that he would take the man on as a member of his own crew, to which the Council reluctantly agreed.
In a move typical of his wry humor, Prospero dubbed his new recruit "Caliban," since faith in the God of the Inquisitors is nothing less than bestial in the eyes of the Heretics. But the captain must have seen some potential in the man, and was soon proved right, for the full intensity of Brother Francis's reverence for the Inquisitors was turned to bitter hatred in the heart and mind of Caliban. The combination of this savage vendetta and absolute faith in his God and mission made the man willing to follow Prospero to the very gates of Hell – or the Cathedral – itself.
Sadly, those who knew him only as "the cross-carrying Heretic" immediately suspected Caliban as the Judas behind Prospero's capture. As a result, he was imprisoned almost immediately, and was unable to influence the decision to unplug Prospero. When Sebastian was finally revealed as the double-crosser, Caliban was reluctantly freed. His sincere despair upon hearing of the death of his savior and captain further convinced some of his innocence, but there are still Heretics who distrust him and refuse to believe that he is truly on their side.
Caliban is firm in his faith that the beliefs he once held, though preached by corrupt agents, have at their core some inner truth, and he will not rest until those who perverted them have been completely annihilated.
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Name: Miranda
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Faction: Heretics (Zion-born)
The daughter of Prospero and Selene, a woman of Zion, Miranda's childhood was happy until her mother was murdered by political opponents of her husband. From that point forward, ever since the tender age of 7, Miranda has grown up aboard her father's ship, the only place he knew he would be able to guard her safety.
However, as the years passed this guardianship became less and less one-sided; if it's said that behind every successful man there is a strong woman, then Miranda is living proof that said woman need not always be a wife. As a result of her immersion in the day-to-day life of a hovercraft almost constantly within broadcast range of the surface, Miranda is one of the most skilled Familiars and engineers in the fleet. Her ability to secure entry and exit points has reached near-legendary status among her peers, and she is used to tracking squads of up to a dozen Heretics in no less than three locations simultaneously.
Her relationships with the members of her father's circle were always distant at best, born of a distrust instilled in her early on. She turned a blind eye to Prospero's dalliance with Ariel, refusing to comment on or acknowledge it other than to say of the program that she "made a good ally." She trusts Caliban because her father did, but believes him to be a twisted individual at best, completely insane at worst. Since Prospero's death she has retreated even further into herself, though she has continued to serve diligently in whatever way she is able in the fight against the Machines.
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After Prospero's death, the surviving crew of the
Globe was voluntarily split up among the rest of the fleet while their ship underwent repairs. I can see either one (or both) winding up aboard the hovercraft
Resolute, dependent upon the will of its captain.
And with that, I bid you good night!
Exeunt.