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Post by Coolguy on Sept 20, 2018 21:09:41 GMT -5
Ashton Winters (Operations Technologist)
Affiliation: Fairbrook Orbital Defense Cluster, Space Loonies
Species: Human (Male)
Birthplace: Fairbrook Orbital Defense Cluster Habitation Module
Birthdate: August 14th, 1286 (OSC)
Height: 6'2
Weight: 312 lbs
SUMMARY
Ashton Winters is a Space Looney with a love for all things technological, to the point of replacing more than 80% of his body with cybernetics. He is a Ground Operations Technologist by trade; an engineer trained in conducting Space Looney asset recovery operations on Set with minimal allied support.
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Post by Coolguy on Jun 26, 2019 15:24:54 GMT -5
APPEARANCE
Ashton spends every moment on Set in a white and grey softsuit, made with a high degree of quality and long term wear in mind. Lightweight alloy plating covers most of the exterior of the suit, with the joints covered by cut resistant synthetic fibers. Various seals, ports, and storage areas are scattered throughout the suit for various needs, along with other standard issue sensors and instruments. Electrostatic barrier emitters are placed in strategic areas of the suit to provide 360 degree protection. The back of the softsuit has a cluster of small tanks mounted on the right side, and the right arm is covered in heatsinks. The left arm has multiple cylindrical protrusions on the upper and lower part of the arm. Both the gloves and boots of the softsuit are equipped with electromagnets. The only visible identification on the softsuit is the FODs emblem polished to a shine on his left shoulder, and an anchor on his right arm.
A helmet is connected to the suit, following the same color scheme. It fits close to his head, and is made out of metal and plastic alloys. The mask of the helmet features two glowing green lenses for eyes, and a rebreather at the mouth.
Overtop the softsuit Ashton wears a red robe outlined with a gold trim. It is held closely to the softsuit by various straps and belts with the hood almost constantly covering his helmet. The bottom of the robe is covered in tears and bullet holes, with the rest of the robe patched up and resewn.
Only a few know what Ashton looks like underneath his softsuit. More machine than man, what remains of his body is deathly pale and covered in healed surgical scars. Cybernetics make up the rest of him - replacement eyes, ports lined on his neck and lymph nodes are a few visible augments. His limbs have been fully replaced at the joints, and it's hard to tell just where his organic body stops and where the cybernetics begin.
Four mechanical arms are attached to his back close to the spine, anchored to his skeleton. Two rest just below the shoulders, with the other two mounted on his lower back. Each of them look similar to a silver spider leg with servos allowing for a wide range of movement, and contain a multitude of tools and instruments hidden inside the tips. In addition to the arms, a Multi-Purpose Laser Emitter is mounted on a swivel mount on his left shoulder, with several heatsinks placed on his shoulder around it.
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Post by Coolguy on Jun 26, 2019 15:26:08 GMT -5
BEHAVIOR
Ashton likes technology. A lot. It's what his life is about, and it's what he's made out of. He will enjoy the company of a toaster more than the company of another person, as the toaster will not scream and make a mess when you open it up to see how it works.
Ashton is focused on the job at hand, rarely doing anything but working. The little amount of spare time allowed up in orbit has made him this way, and having nothing to do will quickly make him anxious. Any downtime he takes is dedicated to keeping himself organized, adjusting schedules, notes, and other things on his PDA.
He follows the protocols of the Space Loonies zealously, only breaking them if deemed absolutely necessary for the success of the mission. The technology and secrets of the Space Loonies are theirs alone to Ashton, and anyone not authorized will swiftly be dealt with.
Experiences on the ground have caused him to start taking a leading role on missions, preferring to keep everything under his control. This causes him to make plans of action throughout operations, and while he will listen to input from others he prefers to stick to plans that he makes.
A life of being in a sealed pressure suit along with experiences on the planet has made Ashton a germaphobe, though experiences on Set have helped to alleviate this phobia. He’s still an extremely clean person that will run away if someone sneezes, but he isn’t as scared of dirt as he used to be.
Growing up in the confined space of the FOD, where everyone knew each other and interacted with each other daily, has made him agoraphobic. He does not like wide open spaces, nor does he like being around people he does not know, but will tolerate them when needed.
In terms of combat Ashton likes to keep his distance and avoid close combat, using the tools integrated into his body as weaponry alongside explosive traps to keep control of the fight. That isn't to say that he's useless in close combat, but it avoids having to clean blood splatters out of his robe.
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Post by Coolguy on Jun 26, 2019 15:31:19 GMT -5
GOALS- Upgrade himself. There is always better and more high tech cybernetics to be installed, and Ashton needs them.
- Succeed in his orders. Ashton needs promotions to gain access to better equipment and cybernetics. Being successful in his orders help in that goal.
- Keep Busy. Doing nothing means he has time to think about things Ashton doesn't want to think about.
- Keep Clean. Ashton wants to keep clean. Set doesn't like to keep him clean.
- [ LOCKED: Project Lazarus ]
- [ LOCKED: Family Matters]
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Post by Coolguy on Jun 26, 2019 15:39:20 GMT -5
RELATIONSHIPS- Ashton is part of the Space Loonies through and through. He was born into them, raised as one of them, and acts like one of them. The secrets of the Space Loonies are theirs alone, and Ashton will die to ensure it stays like that.
- He sees the Loonies as obsolete, having low respect for them. They are ancestors that hid away from their problems instead of accepting the steady march of progress like the Space Loonies did.
- He is disgusted by the Cult of Meat. Experience with the Dough-Man has taught Ashton to shoot first ask questions later if meat that shouldn't be wiggling jiggles.
- Ashton has a preference to working with humans and AI, but won't outright deny working with other Species. Sure they might fry his electronics and make his air filters scream at him, but he'll work with them as long as they have a use.
- Ashton is cautious around Wastelanders. Having worked closely with one before, he understands that most of them are just trying to survive. He also understands that some would shank him for his shiny bits.
- Unionites, though odd, have Ashtons cautious approval. Experience with them has shown that they're good at what they do, and they like cybernetics about as much as he does. They're also just as secretive as the Space Loonies are.
- The Senators of Cloneston are things Ashton could live the rest of his life without seeing again. Two want to kill him dead, one of which he shot in the face. One acts as a pretty good reference on his resume. All are examples of why rampant AI is a bad idea.
- The Cloneston Rampage Crew was Ashtons first ever encounter with people living planetside, and are people he will not forget anytime soon. His home station sitting in orbit above Cloneston means that he tries to keep in regular contact with those in the city below. Finnigan Waterpipe is probably the only wastelander he would (and have) trust with his life. Allie Markell, though he didn't interact with her much, is in Ashtons good book. Ezimat nes Zak isn't something Ashton wants to meet again. Valadile is in oddity Ashton didn't get to know. Commissioner Ironbrains is considered to be the best clone in Cloneston by Ashton. Amin'Solah somehow is a pretty good friend of Ashtons, and he keeps in regular contact with her. Ves'Narun was an acquaintance at best before her disappearance, and Raki'Sakazzah is nothing more than a name.
- He has good relations with his Family. He talks with his parents at least once a week, and visits at least once a month when he isn't on an assignment. They're a bit concerned with how much of his body he replaced, but are supportive of his career choice.
- Vari is a touchy subject. They are his best friend and greatest achievement, but they are also something he shouldn't have saved. Their relationship is a bit strained as a result, but he still tries to ensure their well being.
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Post by Coolguy on Jun 26, 2019 15:40:58 GMT -5
HISTORYAshton’s always had initiative. He did extracurriculars in school. Score as high as possible in tests. Cut off his arms and legs and replace them with cybernetics so he can work for longer. Go on suicidal missions because he’s broke and wants to look good to his superiors. If it can further his goals or improve him, he’ll do it. He won't enjoy it, but he'll do it. CHAPTERS- 1. An Ordinary Beginning
- 2. The Urban Jungle- 3. Making New Friends- 4. The Eye Stares Back- 5. It Doesn't End
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Post by Coolguy on Jun 26, 2019 15:42:31 GMT -5
An Ordinary Beginning
Ashton was born and raised on the Fairbrook Orbital Defense Cluster, his father a security guard at the Interdiction zone, his mother an Atmospheric Technician. Ashtons childhood wasn't anything to call home about, finishing school and going on to become an apprentice to an engineer during his teen years. During this apprenticeship he had an accident with a faulty airlock that forced him to replace his hand with a prosthesis. This, combined with the other implants that were mandatory aboard the FOD, kickstarted Ashtons addiction to upgrading himself. He started to get more and more replaced, though always followed one rule - No touching the brain. Everything else was fair game, each augment helping him with his job. By the end of his apprenticeship, he had more augments than most of his co-workers.
Constantly overhearing and reading about how life is on the planet underneath him, Ashton wanted to see what it was like first hand, see how different and alien life on the ground is like before he settles down. When his father told him of an expedition team requesting an engineer for a mission to the city of Cloneston down below, he quickly accepted, and after being trained on surviving down on the planet, was sent off with the team down to Cloneston.
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Post by Coolguy on Jun 26, 2019 15:44:18 GMT -5
THE URBAN JUNGLE
Cloneston turned out to be the most scarring experience of his life. Left without a team due to circumstances out of his control, Ashton was an alien stepping foot on the planet for the first time. Wide open areas full of strangers, grimy undercities full of mutants, hordes of clones controlled by murderous AI, close encounters of the meat kind, and a variety of mental breakdowns were just some of the obstacles he faced on the wild goose chase for the missing plasma gun.
But despite all of this, Ashton succeeded with his mission, and thrived. He learned how to survive down on the planet, how to work with people he never knew before, and a few new engineering tricks. Returning to the FOD, he was welcomed back with a full decontamination, a burning of nearly every bit of clothing he wore, and a confiscation of everything he acquired on his mission, aside from his personal belongings. For succeeding in the mission and even exceeding expectations, he was rewarded with a promotion, a fair amount of credits to spend on new equipment and cybernetics, and a couple months of therapy before being sent back to work as an engineer onboard the FOD.
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Post by Coolguy on Jun 26, 2019 15:47:33 GMT -5
Making New Friends
[LOCKED: Family Matters]
As funds got low due to the expenses of his project, Ashton was offered another mission to the surface, this time to follow a research team into Zorah's Eye to gather information about it. Armed with better cybernetics, armor, and a companion, Ashton accepted and was sent down to the surface once again.
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Post by Coolguy on Jun 26, 2019 15:50:22 GMT -5
THE EYE STARES BACK
Zorah’s Eye managed to be even worse than Cloneston was. Horrific anomalies, ghosts, novel contagions, razorblade storms, mirror wasps and an embrace with death were just some of the things he encountered during the mission. But Ashton managed to make it out on top once again. Not only did he manage to bring back the data, he also brought back evidence of two destroyed Space Looney wrecks, a plasma gun, a Space Looney survivor, and a functioning ship back to the FOD.
It was a pyrrhic victory however, as the anomalies he recorded followed him back home. An ally left soon after the end of the mission, and the physical and mental trauma finally caught up with him. Much of what he made was spent on replacing faulty cybernetics and failing flesh, along with more therapy to keep him sane. Issues aboard the FOD was horrible for a time when he got back; A freak radiation storm caused Fairbrooks systems to declare him dead. The data he acquired went missing. People in charge of the data ended up mysteriously dead. It finally resulted in the marine captain coming to Ashton to personally ask him to delete whatever he had found about Zorah’s Eye. Ashton, not one to question a superior, did so immediately.
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Post by Coolguy on Jun 26, 2019 15:54:42 GMT -5
IT DOESN'T END
After all of that, Ashton settled back down in the FOD. He was given a good amount of time to recover from his ordeals, and given command of the ship that he brought back, now crewed by drones and whiteworlders. Only problem, the ship needed retrofitting and testing, both of which will take a good amount of time. As it stands, his captainship is in name only.
Once Ashton fully recovered he was sent back out. A quick pit-stop at Lebedrovez station to find an AWOL Space Looney and an old friend. This time, the mission went quite well. He had found enough evidence pointing to the AWOL Space Looney being aboard Lebedrovez, submitting it to his superiors and letting the marine side take care of the extraction. After that was a week long vacation in Lebedrovez (mainly composed of shopping for parts he normally can't get) before heading back home to Fairbrook to wait for his next operation.
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