Freelance
Traveller
Zachary Higgins-David
4th level academic; 22 years old; 180 cm; 56 kg.
ABILITIES: Strength - 15; Dexterity - 14; Constitution - 13; Intelligence - 12; Wisdom - 7; Charisma - 8; Education - 18; Social - 6
SKILLS: Decipher script-6; Drive-4; Entertain-2; Gather information-4; K/Antares-2; K/Imperial history-3; Liaison-7; Move silently-3; Navigation-5; Pilot/grav-0; P/Prospecting-0; Read/write languages-6; Sense motive-2; Speak languages-4; Spot-0; T/Communications-6; T/Computer-6; T/Sensors-4; Use alien device-4
FEATS: Connections/Underworld, Endurance, Hacker; Mental discipline; Research, Skill Focus(K/Imperial history); Vessel/grav; Languages: Galangic, Hiver
STAMINA: 13; Experience: 8,000
HOMEWORLD: Antares/Antares.
CASH: Cr21,000
Zachary was raised in an orphanage in a run-down district (Eastwood) beside a sprawling industrial complex (Shurinkin Valley). He grew up in build up areas, destitute and dependant on wits and luck. He has no known family, which does not matter as he is no longer on Antares.
Growing up, Zachary remembers two boons. One New Year's he received a donated computer with a flexible AI already installed. Everyone else got a blank one, suitable only for schoolwork. Zachary named it 'Hal.' It has been his constant companion since then, with Hal collating information Zachary collects for it.
The teachers thought he was obsessing with the computer. The following year Zachary received a guitar. He tried to play it, but one day it disappeared in mysterious circumstances. No one would tell Z that they took the guitar; this incident reinforced his distrust of his orphanage companions. Instead, he spent his time off grounds around gangs, malls, and coffee bars.
He began his lifelong research into conspiracies. He spent his middle school years scouring the areas outside Shurinkin Valley (alone) looking for evidence of fossil or earlier settlement. Sometimes he fantasized about traveling offworld to prospect.
Entry into College could have been a turning point. His academic learning was cancelled his poverty, low social status, and strange social contacts. Zachary could not get a recommendation from anyone who knew him.
Zachary got a minor job were he proved talented but unenthusiastic. One of his classmates, recalling Zachary's prospecting, involved Zachary involved in quality control at a site where the organized crime syndicate sorted 'misdirected' raw materials. Zachary's ability to decipher foreign scripts proved a key addition to the operation. Zachary continued to make friends with people from different backgrounds. He'd ask about their groups' histories, collected stories, and so on.
Mr. Goshi, a local crime boss, recognized his ability to work with others. Zachary was 'invited' to help with a project involving employees of a subsector trading company and workers at the spaceport maintenance section.
The break was slow in coming. Mr. Goshi sponsored Zachary into the local church of Absolute Dignity. With its requirement of ancestor worship, the orphan Zachary was a hard sale. He was never fully accepted. He approached a member girl about marriage (producing heirs is a requirement for ancestor worship), but she flatly refused him. The project was being investigated by the police, and the church had turned against Zachary. Mr. Goshi cut his losses in a sad farewell. Since he liked Zachary, Mr. Goshi had Zachary placed in low berth and shipped Zachary and Hal 15 transits away from Antares. (Zachary was due Cr30,000 for his share of the project.)
A curious Hiver, B'bree, had Zachary unfrozen. B'Bree thinks he made a wonderful choice by befriending Zachary afterward. Zachary likes meeting people; he can't help explaining how he thinks the universe really works; and the Hivers get to observe the customers' amazed reactions. The whole Hiver colony now uses Zachary as their go-between with transients needing computer or other work.
Zachary did have some mental damage from the unauthorized low berthing. He has less control over his action (reduced Wisdom) and acts more impulsively than before.
APPEARANCE: Zachary is recognizable by the photo-optic shades implanted over his eyes (to counter Antares' brightness). He dresses neatly, in white with black edging, but always firmly lower class. He is perversely proud of the status that helped get him shipped off Antares.
TALK: In negotiation, he is humble about his talents, and sells what the Hivers can do instead. Zachary is obsequious to anyone in authority. Once work is in process, he relaxes and chats with the customers. The Hivers take as long as it takes to run out of interesting reactions from their customers.
HAL: Once Zachary starts explaining his theories, Hal will 'speak up' in a firm, friendly voice. Throughout Zachary's exposition, Hal will assist with video and map holo displays.
ZACHARY'S FAVORITE TOPICS:
To a Noble: A Vilani faction used the Terrans to overthrow the established regime of the Ziru Sirka. Hal has an assortment of charts and graphs of relative industrial capability and charts mapping the movements of various 'key' individuals designated by Hal as go-betweens.
To military characters: A Terran faction called the Illuminati runs the Imperium through the Archdukes. That is why the Archdukes stayed out of the Imperial Civil War. The 'real' nobility considers the Navy and Army to be expendable toys. Hal displays the relevant sections of library data about the Imperial Civil War, which records Admirals claiming the throne but makes no mention of the Archdukes.
To academic, scout, or Traveller: Antares/Antares must have been created by the Ancients. There are rumors of underground tunnels disappearing miles under the surface. Hal displays orbital mechanic charts and maps of how a hollow world could work. And so on.
DEVELOPMENTS: When he was shipped off world, his DNA and ID were processed. He has received a one-way message from his natural parent(s) asking for a meeting. It included contact information, but he is no longer on Antares to use it. He is looking for someone going to Antares. He will ask that person to relay a message to the contact address.