[hider=James "8 Track" Walker][center][h1]James "8 Track" Walker[/h1]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/520041678032207887/1190545547472404480/2077_Tech.jpg?ex=65a230f1&is=658fbbf1&hm=9c72ffa436d840c31b2d280b5e7b54f1afeb8a97da28ffb8185acf98219e6123&[/img][/center]
[b]Age:[/b] 34 years old
[b]Gender:[/b] Male
[b]Faction:[/b] None

[b]Appearance:[/b]
James Walker stands at around 6' even, and is of an average build. He is almost always seen wearing construction or utility pants with several pockets filled with various components and scrap that can be used to cobble something together quick. He often manually dyes his hair, most recently choosing a sort of bluish purple. He keeps his beard long, but well trimmed. He sticks simple while at work, often opting for a simple plain-colored flannel or just a sleeveless tank top. When out on the streets or at various nightclubs after work, Walker can be seen sporting custom-smelted rings and a pair of cyberglasses. He almost always keeps his Ticon tucked into the back of his waistband, no matter what. Most of Walker's cyberware is somewhat hard to spot to the untrained eye, though his arms and hands have clear signs of military-grade cyberware upgrades. Walker's most noticeable cyberware feature are the 8 shard sockets (4 on each side) embedded in his neck behind his beard. It is the source of his street handle, 8 Track.

[b]Cyberware:[/b][list]
[*] Projectile Launch System (Right Arm)
[*] All-in-One Tech Hand and integrated Tech Scanner (Left Hand)
[*] Ballistic Coprocessor (Right Hand)
[*] Kiroshi "Doomsayer" Optics
[*] Biomonitor
[*] Subdermal Armor (Moderate, covering Torso/Arms)
[*] Fortified Ankles
[*] 8 shard sockets, 6 are full of various user manuals and schematics
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[b]Equipment:[/b][list]
[*] Modified Militech Ticon (integrated suppressor, extended magazine, custom type 2080 red dot scope)
[*] Modified Militech Crusher (collapsible stock, Reverse-Engineered Kanetsugu scope, armor piercing rounds)
[*] Hand-Built Militech M-179 Achilles (Custom Thermal/infrared Scope)
[*] Titanium-Core Crowbar
[*] Polarized Cyberglasses with integrated anti-flash technology
[*] Kang Tao portable Gas Mask
[*] Fragmentation and EMP grenades, along with a handful of remote detonation charges stored in a box labelled "Vanilla BDs" in his van.
[*]Modified Villefort Columbus V340-F Freight (Armor plating, Bulletproof tires, Back-Mounted Manually-Operated Machine Gun, Improved Suspension, small shielded smuggler's storage space)
[*]Walker owns a Quadra Type 66 Avenger and a Brennan Apollo that he will use on occasion, or loan out for a price.
[/list]
[b]Biography:[/b]

James Walker was born a drifter of sorts, a nomad of the Jode Nation while they were on the decline. His family had a long history of traveling and road work, transporting supplies around the fractured remains of the United States following a series of environmental disasters that left the heartland barren. James Walker was the youngest of three sons, but was easily singled out as an expert with a wrench in his early teens. He spent plenty of time fixing vehicles for the family at large. By the time he was 18, he was tuning up the clan's vehicles professionally. He learned quick how to use salvage and spare parts to upgrade clan vehicles to deal with the growing dangers of traversing the roads.

After four years, war broke out between the NUSA and the Free States. Seeing the writing on the wall as tanks and convoys rolled through the country, James felt like he wasn't seeing his full potential fixing up cars for the clan. He already knew how to fire a gun and had a decent head on his shoulders. He enlisted with the Northern California militia, and was quickly scouted after some aptitude tests to serve as an armorer/mechanic. In an effort to expedite his training, James Walker was made into a new man. On top of the standard cyberware enhancements given to most recruits, he was given something extra-special to bring him up to speed: 8 shard slots embedded in his neck, filled with manuals and schematics to aid in his work. With a lot of drugs to keep him from going into cyberpsychosis from the shock, James began to pick up skills and experience that would change the trajectory of his life.

James Walker was one of the lucky few who was on the backlines for the Battle of Ridgecrest, and managed to walk away with no serious injuries. NUSA and Militech were ruthless, and the constant escalation of weaponry in the Unification War kept Sgt Walker busy. He developed an addiction to nicotine and caffeine pills to keep himself awake at all hours, fixing up Panzers and various other vehicles and weapons to keep NorCal in the fight. He was forced to keep up with combat drills, but managed to avoid most combat due to his vital support role. The blood, sweat, and tears of hundreds of thousands of people managed to keep the war going on long enough to see an end to the conflict. Myers signed the Unification Treaty, Night City became independent, and the veterans of the unification war were the ones who were left sidelined. Those who were injured got fixed up just enough to keep suffering, but those who were still in good condition were left with a fistful of eddies and whatever they could snag on their way out of the proverbial door. Walker wasn't able to walk away with much else but the cyberware in his body, and two vital shards containing weapon schematics that were not confidential enough to warrant sending a repo man.

In the interim, the Jode Nation was fractured, weak, and had been one of the first bought out by Biotechnica. Having been screwed once by working for a larger organization, James Walker cut his losses. The first year away from the clan was hard. He ventured out to Night City with barely any connections, settling out in Santo Domingo and picking up contract work for smaller shops in the area. He eventually managed to secure a job working at Gun O'Rama in Rancho Coronado, not far from where he lived. He used his business connection and some free time to get some more working knowledge of the firearms he was selling professionally. He spent several late nights tearing apart Overtures and Copperheads to understand how they worked inside and out.

What kept Walker from getting complacent were edgerunners. Solos would swarm in from time to time, looking for some serious gear before a big job. They preferred their guns a certain way: serial numbers filed off and with heavy modifications. Of course, Gun O'Rama prided itself on selling guns factory fresh. So, Walker would often take a smoke break and meet Solos in the alley out back, where he would offer heavily modified weaponry for a slight markup. Of course, some edgerunners had a fun habit of trying to trade various guns they had picked up off the corpses of some poor gangers they flatlined for store credit. Luckily, the blood was usually easy to wash off.

Word travelled back to James Walker's manager, and his stint at the Gun O'Rama was over. Luckily, Walker had made some decent connections with some local fixers and edgerunner crews. He would meet with clients at the El Coyote Cojo for preliminary meetings to talk shop and specs, and Walker began modifying guns to order for a time. He was able to make some decent eddies for a while, and even began taking on orders working on upgrading cars for edgerunners looking to get a little more speed and power for when conflicts were taken to the highways. Eventually, Walker had managed to save up enough eddies to buy an abandoned repair shop in Arroyo three years ago... around when things began to go south for Arasaka.

Walker has a working relationship with what remains of the 6th street gang, but has no formal loyalty to them. His clientele is much more expansive, and he has had to hire on temporary techs just starting out in the business. For the most part, Walker provides custom modifications to various weapons and vehicles as a premium service for well-paying edgerunners and gangers from around Night City... especially those wanting to steer clear of Corp influence or control. Of course, Walker has begun to have dreams and aspirations for himself. He seeks to move out of the local Megatower and into a nice apartment in the City's Center, and possibly own a Rayfield himself. He's fallen hard for the charm of Night City and the pipe dream of being a true edgerunner and Night City legend. He loves his workshop, nicknamed the Devastation Depot... but he loves the thrill and eddies that come from running gigs on the side even more.
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