[Center][h2][b][color=bc8dbf]Benjamin Fumio Vipond, PhD in Visual Anthropology[/color][/b][/h2] [h3][b][color=bc8dbf]Male-Bodied | 43[/color][/b][/h3] [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/dc/a8/0c/dca80c474702e71a771b0eaf80c323b5.jpg[/img] [color=bc8dbf] Picture a fellow walking the halls of a centuries old Japanese university earning neither the affection nor the ire of the students passing by. Imagine one of relatively normal height and build, perhaps with shoulders a touch broader than some, with a soft mid section that rounds an otherwise slender frame. A slightly furrowed brow and lips made into a thick line, a constant look of minor distraction, like worlds are circling in the mind behind them. What you might remember is the glimpse of a warm smile over a glass of wine, a cannabis cigarette, or a good book. Though in many ways this man might be forgettable, what is most likely to linger in the memory are two synthetic limbs. An odd choice for one so studious, no?[/color] [/center] [b]Ship Role Designation:[/b] [color=bc8dbf]Authority on Human Culture and Art Preservationist, Specializing in Visual Culture[/color] [b]Nationality:[/b] [color=bc8dbf]Nagasaki Conglomerate[/color] [b]Strengths:[/b] [color=bc8dbf][list] [*] [b]Synthetics:[/b] Benjamin knew several who sought synthetic implants and replacements. Artificial arms to boost strength and retain improve fine motor skills, an implant to enhance the senses to seemingly super-human levels. Renovations of the flesh in the same manner as one who might approach a home with good bones. He knew several who mused over the possibilities and a few who could afford to realize the dream. Benjamin never gave proper consent to his own synthetics. The physicians would say otherwise, of course, and years later he stands tall with the help of two cybernetic appendages. From time to time he still wonders how many who dreamed of such enhancements would come upon them in the way he had. Should he be grateful? - Chikara M12 Prosthetic Left Arm: The Chikara series of prosthetic limbs was designed for increased durability and strength. While other models boast special features, a Chikara prosthetic is built simply and with one purpose in mind -- to endure where others fail. This series was created by the Nagasaki Conglomerate with the military and law enforcement. Some say the added abilities are achieved in part from muting pain sensors surrounding the prosthetic. - Jisoku B6 Prosthetic Right Leg: Nagasaki Conglomerate designed the Jisoku series of prosthetic limbs for athletes, infantry, and other professions valuing speed above all. A Jisoku prosthetic is known for unique flexibility, impressive response time, and a level of control of small muscles beyond the average human foot. Rumours suggest that a small percentage of patients retaining other major biological limbs may develop disorders regarding balance over time. [/list] [list] [*] [b]Slow to Forget, Quick to Remember:[/b] Benjamin encountered a professor during primary school with little love for their charges. When a student would act foolishly and suffer a poor grade or discomfort, the professor would simply exclaim, "Stupid hurts. The smart ones will remember." Over the years Benjamin has made missteps foreseeable and entirely unpredictable, however, those words drove him to take every bit of unpleasantness as a lesson learned. Whether taught a valuable lesson or shown great disloyalty, Benjamin shan't forget any time soon. [*] [b]Insatiable Appetite for Knowledge:[/b] A doctorate is far from proof of great intelligence -- rather it is a symbol for the ability and dedication to pursuing wisdom. Benjamin is a quick study of human expression and behaviour, often deviating from the core of his specialties into a Jungian track more suitable for a psychologist. Such is unavoidable for one so endlessly fascinated by the universe. [*] [b]Love is My First Language:[/b] Honeyed words, a low and soothing voice, and both a nonthreatening and nonjudgmental demeanor makes Benjamin uniquely likable. Dabbling with poetry in his youth, he noticed the way his words often caused others to swoon and has since honed the inherent ability into a refined skill. Benjamin knows how to read body language and appeal to the individual. After a couple of drinks he might put that [i]love language[/i] to work as well -- perhaps keep some distance. [/list][/color] [b]Weaknesses:[/b] [color=bc8dbf] [list] [*] [b]Not Built For That: [/b] Benjamin is a proficient boxer, a decent sprinter, and runs a seven-minute mile -- as of 2188. After beginning courses for post-secondary school early the fun and games of sports melted away. The young Benjamin spent long hours at a desk over several books rather than on the track and such has become a fact of life ever since. He is as physically capable as any able-bodied man, but he is among the last of those chosen to lift heavy objects conquer physical feats. [*][b] The Fine Print: [/b] Humans are biological creatures who begin to know their bodies before anything else. When this process is changed abruptly, through an accident or synthetic replacement, recovery is key. Benjamin believes the wide berth between his natural and synthetic abilities may make him more susceptible to rumoured disorders associated with robotic prosthetics. No doctor has confirmed his suspicions yet, however, Benjamin increasingly suffers confusion after excessive use of his synthetic abilities. [*][b] Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: [/b] Benjamin has experienced a number of dangerous environments in his life. He walked the nuclear wastelands of Europe and recovered artifacts in the warring South Pacific, however his first venture into space left the most greatest impression. The experience not only took his flesh, it wounded his psyche. Benjamin suffers minor anxiety when faced with reminders of space and may fall into a full panic attack given a few triggers. Greenery helps keep his disorder in check, including plants both artificial and synthetic, as well as cannabis. [*][b] 1/2 Oz of Aged Cannabis Sativa: [/b] Cultivation of cannabis began several millennia ago. Almost three centuries prior humanity recorded benefits from micro-dosing key cannabinoids when concerning illness physical, mental, and emotional. Benjamin began using cannabis regularly for such benefits. He is not technically dependent, but small doses of CBD and CBN clearly offer greater comfort. [/list][/color] [b]Personal Effects:[/b][color=bc8dbf] Benjamin keeps a small trunk filled with flamboyantly stylized and yet surprisingly dark clothes. He has a modest collection of large, dusty tomes regarding human artwork, visual language, and Jungian psychology on a small bookshelf near his bunk. Beneath his pillow he keeps a small tanto, while a pistol the size of his hand rests at the bottom of his trunk. Finally, Benjamin is known to write poetry, notes, and sketch the artwork for which he is responsible. Learning need not stop during their great voyage. [/color] [b]A Summarized Jaunt Through the Past:[/b][color=bc8dbf]Youth inspires a person to dream. The twilight of young naivety and old pessimism wrought an adventurous and educated vision that would lead child-Benjamin to become an anthropologist. He mused about artists and cultures lost centuries ago, one moment accepting their passing and the next daring to wonder what surprises they might have left behind. This strange dichotomy bred a scientific and creative mind suitable for exploration. He would explore such mysteries from the comfort of his bed for nearly two decades. Benjamin was born and raised in Japan. His Afro-French father and Japanese mother both worked as government officials for Nagasaki Conglomerate as they would for until retirement. The obscurity of his town made government jobs seemingly special, in the same way the children of a cop might earn fear or respect. Growing up Benjamin heard teasing that he needn't try so hard to impress, that the government would swoop in one day with a job regardless -- 'the Conglomerate takes care of its own'. No one understood that Benjamin did not try harder to impress, however, he did so to follow a passion. Benjamin was eighteen years old when fate proved his friends right. Learning came easier to Benjamin than to most. By graduation from secondary school he was already completing courses for post-secondary and seriously debating what field held the greatest interest. When the Conglomerate made contact he had chosen art history. He quickly found himself placed as an intern for a government agency dedicated to preserving the Asian cultural icons. The work began tediously. Cleaning and polishing works was more common than study or discussion. Nearly a year passed before Benjamin became an employee outright and chose to study communities in the years after devastation. The topic captured him so wholly that the visual expression responding to Hiroshima and Nagasaki became the core topic of his Master's thesis a few years later. The opportunity of a lifetime came to Benjamin after publishing his thesis. In less than six months, and shortly after beginning work toward his doctorate, the offer to join an expedition came fell at the young academic's feet. Under the tutelage of more astute minds than his own, Benjamin ventured into the long abandoned swaths of Europe. For weeks at a time they would set up in towns nearest to the Red Zones -- regions still too radiated for human habitation -- and from where they launched their investigations. First they would send drones to measure the precise threat of the environment and complete as much work from a distance. Afterward, the team donned protective suits and traveled into the Red Zones personally to recover artifacts of cultural or artistic importance. For every four weeks near a Red Zone the team would spend one exploring the hellish terrain. Six months passed until the fruits of their labour were presentable and after a fortnight of radiation treatments the group revealed their findings. Returning centuries old cultural icons to humanity proved as much moving as it was a political symbol. Benjamin and the group soon found themselves repeating their presentation within the Conglomerate and set for Mars as well. It was during this trip off-planet that the [b]Three Day War[/b] broke out. The evacuation notice came too late, leading civilian vessels take off as the violence erupted around Mars. Many civilians died in the chaos, while a fortunate few survived long enough for treatment back on Mars. Benjamin remembers only glimpses of his shuttle being hit. What comes back most easily is the horrific abundance of blood. Benjamin sought recovery through the life of an academic. Years of intensive work revealed a mind unlike the youth who'd left Earth before, his study now cast in the light of one who survived great devastation firsthand. As Benjamin grew accustomed to the robotic prosthetic earned from the war, so too did his professional reputation grow. Shortly after the turn of the century Benjamin became Doctor Vipond. His life as an expert concerning visual anthropology soon balanced teaching and continuation of his work in Europe. The work continued uninterrupted until his boss approached him on behalf of the Conglomerate about the Genesis Protocol. Until the day Benjamin stepped foot upon Vitae he looked upon the Earth differently. [/color] [b]Code Word:[/b] [color=bc8dbf]It's like a tree, but a fruit. The skin resembles a strange hybrid of crusty scales and rich bark. Nothing about the appearance suggests something sweet or pleasant might reside inside, that's more fact than opinion too. Some might see the tuft of green sprouting from the top no less than a symbol for nourishment within, but I find such a description befits mold just as well. Go ahead and call this unfortunate lot pineapples, I'll stick to a more suitable name -- [i]complete shite.[/i][/color]