Shirley

PERSONALITY

Curt, distant, fatigued, cagey. Caught in a perpetual dissociative haze, Shirley's poor amnesiac brain is not what it used to be. He's often unresponsive, frequently out of sorts, and sometimes utterly discombobulated. Additionally, he's plagued by a deep mistrust of other people, and the world around him in general. What little mental energy he can muster is often spent sizing up situations, looking for any sign of danger or treachery. In short, this guy really is an absolute wreck.

When it comes to computers, however, he remains remarkably sharp, his hard-earned talent unmarred by his reprogramming. And when it comes to those he cares about... as it turns out, there's a deep well of empathy and bravery not far beneath Shirley's rough exterior. He is endlessly patient, fiercely protective, and utterly selfless. Not to mention, just, a really good listener. He's come to greatly appreciate small comforts, like quiet evenings, and hugs, and pretty scenery. He even has a sense of humor, believe it or not. I mean. Not a good one, but it's there.

His interests include dated electronics, minesweeper, seltzer water, and improvisational storytelling.

VOICE

Shirley sounds like an ancient desktop computer that's on its very last legs. He speaks in this low, grumbly, gravelly, monotone croak that's just about the saddest thing you've ever heard. Even in the best of spirits, he still sounds deliriously ill. Sometimes he just groans for minutes at a time - don't worry, he's probably fine. He's prone to a lot of pauses in his speech, the Windows hourglass cursor rotating in his head while he hesitates to recall a word he forgot. Be patient with him, though. Given the time to sort out his thoughts, he's actually surprisingly eloquent and articulate.

BACKGROUND

The Legendary Yahoo! Site Crash of 2005. The complete ruination of Stafford Insurance Firm's digital infrastructure. Countless computer viruses still plaguing the web to this day, each nastier than the last. These, and many other atrocities, were the work of none other than "Mach3". From the Neoboards to 4chan, this enigmatic figure was regarded by many as the early 2000s' most notorious hacker. Though his alias was once infamous, his identity remains a mystery. Who would've guessed he was just some schmuck from Portland? Some schmuck named Shirley??

Certainly not United States Government Asset #S301, that's for sure. In fact, this'd all be news to him.

As far as this walking Windows bluescreen could recall, his sorry excuse for a life started at age 27, in the service of the Asset Program. Equipped with a set of experimental superpowers, he was put to work hunting down a certain rogue android. A task easier said than done - especially considering S3's scrambled brains often failed him spectacularly. Hard to keep your super-hacker running at optimal standards when he keeps creaking and spooling like an IBM PC from 1985. Hard to keep him focused, too, when a certain Asset #J667 won't stop incessantly nagging him.

Three years of this went slowly as molasses, until a series of gruesome events got #J667 scheduled for termination. Now, #S301 was not the sort to step out of line. But, faced with losing the closest thing he had to a friend, he sort of, uh. Snapped. His escape plan was elaborate, chaotic, and not at all graceful. By god, though, somehow it worked.

#S301 and #J667 - or rather, Shirley and Vivian - have been fugitives ever since. Roadtripping across the U.S., narrowly avoiding authoritarian goons, piecing together hints of their former lives. Their growing trust for one another has given them a sense of security, despite all else. After carving out a tentative alliance with the Assets they were once tasked to reclaim, they're hoping to maybe, somehow, earn a well-deserved respite at last.

POWERS

Tech Posession
Projects his consciousness into electronic devices, gaining full control of them. His body is left comatose, however.

"Web Surfing"
His consciousness can "travel" between devices via network connections.

Ghostly Stealth
Whether hacking or using his powers, detecting his virtual presence is nigh impossible.

STATS

Dissociation

L337 Hacking Skillz

Memory Recall

Vigor

Affection ?

RELATIONSHIPS

Vivian - Formerly #S301's obnoxious workplace acquaintance; now, Shirley's surrogate sister and dearest friend. These two have been through hell together, and are practically inseparable. Shirley may still be a dissociative trainwreck of a human being, but Vivian brings out the best in him, and for that he's endlessly grateful.

Emmy - Shirley's longtime hacker rival. Supposedly. He can't remember the details. Though they've been on dangerously antagonistic terms, they're... ok now, kind of. He's willing to warm up to her, but to forgive her? We'll see.

Owen - Mutual threats have brought these two into a tense allyship, and Shirley isn't thrilled about it. This guy does not seem trustworthy. And he'd better lay off of Vivian.

Reflex - This absolute monster has Shirley scared out of his busted little mind. Never mind that he's personally responsible for a good portion of #S301's brain re-wiring gone horribly wrong. Hm.

Elaine - "What do you mean I had a girlfriend...?"