[hider= NPC Paul Mulder]

[b]Name:[/b] Paul Mulder
[b]Alias:[/b] “Legacy” 
[b]Team:[/b] Valkyrie 
[b]Gender:[/b] Male
[b]Age:[/b] 20

[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Height:[/b] 6’ 
[b]Weight:[/b] 185 pounds
[b]Hair:[/b] Blonde
[b]Eyes:[/b] Blue
[b]Languages:[/b] English, Dutch, French, and German

Paul is handsome with blonde hair and blue eyes. He has a fit toned physique with long lean muscles and a 6 pack. He is classically handsome. He is just as comfortable in jeans as he is in a designer suit.

[b]Personality:[/b]
Paul is an easy going charming fellow. He can fit in anywhere and becomes the life of the party. He oozed charm and charisma. He has the ability to blend in and be a social chameleon. He is just as comfortable sipping champagne in a designer suit and talking about politics as he is in a dance club, or at the gym. He is just as comfortable drinking a beer in a pub with friends and hanging out as one of the guys and always up for a pick me up game of soccer or pool. Paul is competitive and has drive and energy. This part of his personality typically shows itself on the racetrack and in practice. 

[b]Backstory:[/b]
[b]Family:[/b] 
[b]Father:[/b] Audrick Mulder Deceased
[b]Mother:[/b] Alicia (Lhonneux) Mulder Age: 46

Paul Mulder was only 2 years old when his father, famous pioneering Anti-gravity racer Audrick Mulder died in a fiery crash during the second AGA Racing Season Finale. His father was a happy and laid man who oozed charm and charisma. Everyone wanted to hang out with him. Men wanted to be him and women wanted to date him. His father had started his career in racing as a dirt track racer who qualified for Ferrari's Youth Academy. He spent his teen years racing on the junior circuit and building his reputation and presence. His father was chosen over other racers because he was so marketable and likable and had the skills and reflexes to win on the track. His father had been the whole package. His mother Alicia said he had met her at a dance club. He had been out celebrating a win. According to his mother, his father had charmed her out of a dance and kissed her goodnight declaring that he was going to marry her someday. They celebrated him finishing in the top 5 at Le Mans that year with a wedding. 

His mother had been pregnant with him when his father began racing anti gravity racers. His father had been in the top 5 racers and in the competition to win it all when he lost control of his ship in a race. His ship hit the wall head on at over 400kph and exploded in a fiery crash. He grew up with the ghost of his father haunting his life. His mother never remarried or even dated. It was like her life stopped that fateful day. His mother poured all her energy and time into him. He never wanted for anything and grew up in a protected world attending private schools. His mother loved art and was a photographer. She didn’t have to work but photography was her passion. He traveled with her during the summer while she took assignments all over the world. He was well educated and spoke 4 languages. His mother's passion project was to create the Mulder Foundation. It was a charitable organization to honor his father's memory. They had two missions to provide low income children and people with the equipment and training so that they can become professional athletes and they provide art supplies and teachers to children's arts programs across Europe. 

He loved his mother but she never understood his need to follow in his father’s footsteps. He grew up idolizing a father he never really got to know. He got to know his father through his mother’s stories, home videos, pictures, old news reels and interviews for the media, and stories from his friends. His mother mentioned that he had been friends with a racer named Alexander Knight. She refused to tell him much about the man. He learned more of the story as he got older and could find the information for himself. He could tell his mother still had resentment and anger towards Alexander. He didn’t know what her issue was with the man. Maybe she resented that he lived that day while his father had died. 

He was 13 when he found his father’s journal. He read it and felt like he was getting to know his father all over again. He felt connected to his father. He began racing go-karts. His mother was completely against him trying any racing sport. He could understand her fear but how did he help her understand his need to do it? He felt that his father would understand his need to prove that he could handle the speed and endurance of racing. He loved the thrill and adrenaline that came from focusing his attention on getting the most he could out of any vehicle he drove. He felt as if his father was in the vehicle next to him as he poured on the speed. Those feelings and focus brought him comfort and helped him feel even closer to his father. 

He and his mother began to argue about his choice. He insisted his future was in AG Racing. When he was old enough, he began to apply for youth training academies around Germany and Belgium. He was 16 when his father’s name got him an entrance trial. His mother was against his choice but he snuck off to the test anyway. He had all the same natural charm and skill his father had. He didn’t have any augmentations yet but he was still able to perform at the top level on raw talent. Team Valkyrie AGR Sport took a chance that he would become a top level competitor like his father. His mother almost blocked his way and they had a massive fight about it. Her stipulation was he had to finish high school first. His mother gave him his father's journals on his 16th birthday. He never revealed to her that he had already read them. 

He was 18 and free to follow his own path now. He was back at Valkyrie in the youth academy. He had spent the last 2 years honing his talent in the Junior league. He had received his first set of augments which was a neural link to improve his reflexes and response times on the track. The neural link allowed him to connect with the vehicle and make minute changes at lightning speed. His neural link also supported and augmented his lungs and heart which allowed him to increase his heart rate and blood flow and lung capacity which helped regulate his blood pressure and breathing during a race. Now was his chance to shine. They had tapped him for the Rookie driver for this year’s season.  


[b]Racing DNA[/b]

[b]Overview:[/b] 
Paul never raced his competitors. For him it was about him, the vehicle, and chasing that feeling of connection to his father. The faster he went the more dialed in and focused he got. For him it was about seeking that perfect line when everything was instinctual and just felt right and the rest of the world faded away. It was like a light switch flicking and it was effortless when it was all working as planned. Paul was extraordinary when everything was clicking and going his way. He could be a bit of a wild card because he was either on his game or off. When he was off, he over compensated and tended to get into his own way. 

[b]Skills:[/b] 
Paul was a natural raw talent gifted with great hand and eye coordination and reflexes. He had the ability to dial in and hyperfocus. He had a neural link that allowed him to connect with the vehicle and make minute changes at lightning speed. His neural link also supported and augmented his lungs and heart which allowed him to increase his heart rate and blood flow and lung capacity which helped regulate his blood pressure and breathing during a race. His augmentations allowed his body to handle the physical requirements for racing at this level and the g forces and strain his body would endure. 

[b]Special Trait:[/b] 
Paul’s special trait is that he is handsome and naturally gifted with charm and charisma like his father. He handles the media with charm and a youthful enthusiasm that fans and media alike adore. He has the natural raw talent, skill, and potential to go with it making him a sponsor’s dream driver. 

Controversy :
Paul is always being compared to the racing legend of his father. There was always speculation happening if he would live up to the legacy of his father. Comparisons between them were constant. When he didn’t perform well, the criticism could be brutal. Many speculate if he had not earned his spot was given his spot in honor of his father. Some media had even theorized that Valkyrie was banking on the nostalgia of die hard AG Race Fans to bring in sponsors and sell tickets. That he was there for his name not his skills. Paul was under tremendous pressure to measure up. 

[b]MISC[/b]
[b]Theme Song:[/b] [url= https://youtu.be/MXFklH5A4jA?si=Jwtx_DToYNAaUrP8] Who I am by Ben Fuller [/url]

[b]Likes:[/b] Women, having a good time, dancing, wine, cats, and running. 
[b]Dislikes:[/b] Beer, lying, fake and superficial people, and he hates marshmallows. He is scared of dogs but doesn’t hate them.
[b]Other Information:[/b] 
He both loves and hates being compared to his father. He loves the idea that he is making his father proud. He hates being compared to his father in a negative way. He would hope he is becoming the man his father wanted him to be. He resents when people act like he has not put in the time and sweat to earn his spot. 
[/hider]

[hider= Paul Recap]

What has Paul been up to so far: 

[h2] Episode 1 [/h2] 

Paul's ship wouldn't start during his first qualifying race leaving in last position. He managed to move up the pack to 13 place but he didn't earn any points. Paul's team has a new team principal, Alexander Knight. He was not sure about the change at first. He knew what to expect under the old team principal Dominic Rossi. Paul hadn't like Rossi very much but if he wanted to be a professional in this very competitive sport, you had to put up with all kinds of personalities. Paul had an easy going relationship with his teammate Dorian. Paul's mother came clean about what she knew about Alexander Knight when he went home to visit here after the Auckland race. He know knew for sure he could trust Alexander Knight. His mother was supporting his decision to race. He understood her fears better now after learning the suspicions that his father's accident wasn't an accident. He may never know the truth but he would certainly be careful. 

[h2] Episode 2 [/h2] 

Paul had relaxed and supported the changes that Knight was making to their training regime. Paul had to admit that the strategy Knight had discussed with Dorian and Knight had worked. They did better at Cape Town that expected. Paul was grateful for his mother and felt closer to her than ever. He had decided he wanted to do something to show her how much he cared about her. He decided to plan a fundraiser for his father's foundation as a surprise for her. He has started approaching his fellow pilots to contribute to raise awareness and money for the foundation. So far Paul had only approached Beatrix Ward, but it was successful she agreed to be a part of it. They had a side bet going whoever lost had to make a social media wearing the other person's team shirt admitting they lost the bet. 

[h2] Episode 3 [/h2] 

Paul was now training for Tokyo. He was focusing his efforts on energy system deployments and utilizing Valkyrie's superior ship handling to take advantage of chicanes and cornering. Paul knew that Valkyrie should do well in Tokyo. 

Paul did alright in Tokyo but not as good as he had hoped. He learned that he needed to spend more time training on ELS systems. He was well paid for the work he did with Enigma Lux but it was not as enjoyable as he had hoped it would be. He had been quite social in Tokyo with three parties and the Enigma Lux party at the fashion show. Paul won his bet with Beatrix Ward and she held up her end of the deal. So he made a post in solidarity wearing the shirt she had sent him. He was feeling a little isolated being such a busy athlete at his age. It was hard to find a group of people who understood the lifestyles and pressures of an AG Pilot. He was hoping to make friends with some of the other pilots. He knew they were competitors but that didn't mean they couldn't be friendly competitors. He was still working on planning the charity gala for his mother's foundation. He met with Hyeon-Ae while he was in Japan. She agreed to be a part of the event. 

[h2] Episode 4 [/h2] 

The Italian GP was a fun race for Paul. He loved the beautiful scenery. There had been another crash this time between Astrid and Han. Astrid was penalized for poor sportsmanship. Paul spent his spare time trying to ingratiate himself with his fellow rookies. Paul was beginning to reap the benefits from the sponsorship money he had earned from the Enigma Lux fashion house. He put most of the profits into savings and invested some. 

[h2] Episode 5 [/h2] 

Paul took part in the rookie go kart race in Portugal. He enjoyed some fun banter with Bea and Hyeon-Ae. He won his first Podium in Portugal taking third place in the race. Now he is training hard for the Luna race. 

[h2] Episode 6 [/h2] 

Just before the Lunar Race, the CEO of Team Valkyrie was arrested for fraud. The upheaval at headquarters was staggering. Paul couldn't move without someone asking for his opinion and reaction to the news. Paul had decided he trusted Alexander Knight. The more he worked with him the more he saw why his father had developed a close friendship with the man. Paul made a statement in support of Knight to the media. Then he refused to engage with the media or social media until after the Lunar Race. Paul trained hard for the race on the moon. He found he was going to need a whole new set of skills for racing on the moon. Alexander kept making adjustments and trying to solve issues as they came up, but the team was plagued by technical and mechanical issues on the moon. Paul's dream of doing well there went right out the window. His performance fell back to the middle of pack. It was a disappointment but he owned his performance. Paul didn't even get to finish the race as two major crashes happened at the same time. One of them saw one of his fellow rookies, Nora Kelly, almost die. She would have died if the other pilot in the crash hadn't come to her rescue. Nora survived but had to replace an arm and a leg. It was harsh reminder that while the sport had become safer, it was still dangerous. Paul's experiences on the moon left him bitter. His first trip to the moon soured his outlook on coming back to race on the moon again. He knew before he did, there would have to be a lot more training and a much better ship. A ship designed to race in zero gravity, and deal with the lunar environment. Paul tried to put the moon behind him. He was looking forward to racing at Monaco. The Monaco race was important to him. He wanted to race in his father's footsteps in the best ship he could. He wanted to win at Monaco. His father had won at Monaco. It was another link to his deceased father. It was the perfect way to honor him. He also worried that controversy happening with the team would affect the fundraiser he was planning for his mother's foundation. Paul was finding little to be excited and happy about it. Staying motivated was a challenge. The lure of walking in his father's footsteps at Monaco was pushing him forward. The media had gotten ahold of photos and video of Paul spending time with Hyeon-Ae  in public. They had begun to spread rumors that the two were seeing were each other. Paul had reached out to apologize to her. He was not sure how he was going to handle the press. 
 
[h2] Episode 7 [/h2] 

Paul had put any reservations or worries he had about racing to rest at Monaco. He didn't win the race which would have been the ultimate high but he did podium with Dorian taking the top spot. Amy had taken second. It had been an experience that he would always cherish. He could almost feel his father in the cockpit with him. He could imagine the joy he felt at taking the optimum racing line and holding off more experienced and reckless racers. Considering the number of wrecks that happened in the midfield at that race, Paul had done a great job to come out clean. He had been unable to catch Amy but Dorian had held her off for the win. The points and positive press had been great for the team. Paul was a little worried since he had not heard from Han in a while. He had sent Nora and Ava both wishes for a speedy recovery. He was pleased to see them both racing at Monaco. Nora had charged right back into the field. She had done as well as she probably could have on a different track. The tight track at Monaco called for skill and precision handling and stability. Southern Cross ships were built for speed. Paul had been proud of himself for holding off Astrid and then Harrison. His skills had been truly tested at Monaco. He could see why it had been his father's favorite track. Alexander had leaned into his request to honor his father by using his livery at Monaco. They had used it to garner some more positive press with AG fans.  Paul had gained some new fans from the older crowd. He had received fan mail from some of them that had reminisced watching his father race. The fan mail had made Paul smile. He felt more connected to his father than ever. Now he was excited about racing again. The mess with the CEO had faded somewhat with the positive press from the wins. Paul was still worried on how it might impact the fundraiser he was working on but everything seemed to be moving forward for now. He was training hard for the next race at Silverstone. He was so excited that he was going to get to drive Lauda's Ferrari. He could hardly wait. Even if he didn't win, driving Lauda's Ferrari was a once in a lifetime experience that he planned to relish and savor for years to come. 

[h2] Episode 8 [/h2] 

Paul had pushed too hard to overtake Cassie and ended up colliding with her ship in a corner as she aggressively defended. They shared responsibility for the crash not that Cassie was owning up to her part in it. Paul didn't have any bad feelings towards Cassie about it. He chalked it up to one of those things that happens when you pit highly competitive people against one another in super fast ships. Paul flew home to visit his mother when he left Silverstone. He had decided to rest and recuperate at home. He wanted to spend some time with her and reassure her that he was alright and fully healed before he dove back into training for Canada. The team needed time to rebuild his ship anyway. He had been checking in with Dr. Montgomery the team's restorative medicine and Medical Team Lead, the physical therapist, and his trainer. He had suffered a concussion, severe bruising, and some pulled muscles and tendons in his shoulders, neck, and back. He had been checked out at the emergency room and released after a few hours of treatment and monitoring. He was working his way back into mobility and flexibility with light stretching, yoga, and exercises dictated by the team. He had taken the time to work on the fundraiser for the Mulder Foundation while he was unable to train in the simulator or ship. He had been overjoyed and pleased that Kais had responded and was joining the efforts to help out with the fundraiser. Kais had suggested that Nora would be interested in helping out. He had sent her a message and was waiting to hear back about it. In the meantime, Paul was looking for a new agent. He had fired his old one. It was getting harder for him to find someone he trusted. 

[hr] 

[h2]Episode 9[/h2] 

Paul was pleased to see the advertising for the fundraiser was up and was already doing well. While Paul had been out recovering from the accident, he and Dorian had received the neural interfaces and their first injection of nanites. The speed, clarity, and ease of use for the new neural interface was light years ahead of his old one. It made his old neural interface feel like he had been using an Atari while his new one was the latest Xbox. The new neural interface was more institutive and when coupled with the team's cognitive training that he had been doing, gave him a big advantage. He was able to cope with more data from the ship faster than ever before and the ship was responding to input faster as well. Paul saw a significant improvement in the ship handling especially for tight quick maneuvers such as those needed in tight corners. The advantage, his ship, focus, and skill brought him his first win. Paul had been pleased to share the podium with Jen Lowry and Nora Kelly. He had given her a hug and congratulated her. Paul was still processing that he had beat Amy Stirling. He knew he had nothing really do with it. That whatever had happened to Amy was her own fault. Paul had simply run his race. 

[h2]Summer Break[/h2] 

Paul spent his two week vacation at home visiting his mother. He kept up his physical training enjoying runs through the gardens. He hired a new agent, Chelsey Vandecasteele. Chelsey is a childhood friend who has a degree in public relations and marketing. She had not really done much agent work except for artists but Paul trusted that she would have his interests at heart. Paul did some advertising on local television and radio networks about the upcoming fundraising gala for the Mulder Foundation. He also did some personal endorsement work which landed him a hotel to host the pilots' dinner party for Spa. Instead of a paycheck, Paul rented the hotel out for the Spa race and  invited the other pilots to stay. He hired a world renown chef to come in and cook for them. Staff had been vetted by security and the property is surrounded by a wall making it easier for the security staff. Paul endured the pilot upgrade to his skeletal system and dialing in improvements on the ship before the race at Spa. 

[h2] Episode 10 [/h2] 

Paul had hosted the pilots dinner in a hotel he had done some endorsement work for. He had arranged the hotel to house Team Valkyrie and his guests during the days surrounding the Spa race. He brought in a chef to cook for everyone as a thank you to the team for all their hard work. The pilot dinner was more intimate than the party at the club in Tokyo or the Yacht in Monaco. He had enjoyed not having the press and public watching them interact. Their had been a lot more laughter over shared stories and beer. It had been more friendly competitor talk. He had enjoyed it more. He had been surprised when his  mother had come to watch him race at Spa. He had raced at Spa before and she had not come. It was the race where he had lost his father. Maybe it was because it was his first Formula AG race at Spa since the junior league. She had been worried but supportive. Something changed for Paul at Spa. He had really wanted the win. He had given everything he had but Bea was just little bit faster. He knew she was talented but he refused to believe that she was more talented than him. He did believe she had a faster ship. Their race had made him feel alive in a way he had never experienced before. She had pushed him and he had pushed back. He couldn't wait to do it again. She had sent him a lovely painting of his ship with his father's smiling face in the clouds above it. It now hung over his sofa in his apartment at headquarters. He absolutely loved the painting. He had taken a picture of it and sent it to his mother. She had cried when she saw it. She had loved it too. She had already asked for Bea's information since she wanted to commission a piece from her. Paul smiled at that. He knew that Bea's art career was about to get a boost in Europe. Paul had wrapped up the fundraiser which had been a huge success. They had raised millions for the foundation. The press was still talking about the event. The Mulder Foundation was still getting donations from celebrities that had attended the event as well. Paul turned his attention now to the German Grand Prix. He had been working with Dorian to dial in some modifications that they hoped would give them that little edge they needed for speed. Only time would tell. 

[h2] Episode 11 [/h2] 

Paul had been talked into trying a setup for Germany that changed up the airbrake system for speed. It was an utter disaster for Paul. He fought the ship the whole race. He ended up in P8 with Dorian loosing 3 places to finish in P7. They did pick up some points for the team but it was a hard lesson for Paul. He would not sacrifice his chances at a good race to support Dorian again. He probably would have excused it if Dorian had finished well but he hadn't lived up to the promises he made. Paul apologized to his fans. In the Pilot Group Chat Bea had sent a picture of a burned out lap asking if he or Cassie was responsible. Paul was a little annoyed and angry to be accused. He wanted to beat Bea but he wanted to do it fair and square. When he beat her, he didn't want any excuses as to why. He had apologized to his fans and took responsibility for his decision with the setup. He was already looking forward to Hawaii. 

[h2]Episode 12 [/h2]

Moa Tempesta Circuit. Paul participated in the Fan Zone for Hawaiian race which was very different due to the conditions from the local. He enjoyed learning to surf which was part of a Delta Hyper challenge. Paul struggled in qualifying and the race. He should have done much better than he did. He fell out of points contention while Dorian took the podium win. Paul was frustrated and angry. He had no idea why he did so poorly. He had poured over the data available and simply didn't understand the issue. Alexander caught him after the race and called him out on his behavior. Alexander shared some hard truths with Paul that left him in an even greater sense of confusion and frustration.  

[h2] Episode 13 Singapore [/h2] 

Paul had been embarrassed over his meltdown in Hawaii. He had avoided going out in public and the press. Alexander had rightly called him out over his behavior and forced him to work with a Sports Psychologist, Dr. Ingold. Paul had resented it at first but he had to admit it was helping. He had been learning a great deal about himself that he had didn't know. He had been repressing emotion and trying to live up to all these expectations everyone else had for him instead of accepting and putting his needs first. He had discovered that yes he had gone into racing to feel closer to his father but also because he had felt he needed to somehow take his father's place in his mother's life. Dr. Ingold had been helpful in bringing his relationship to his mother to a better place. Paul was now trying to learn what his racing style was. He had listened to Alexander's advice and it had helped him in Singapore. Now he was focused on getting ready for Argentina.  

[/hider]