Hello all! Here's my character. It's a bit long, but it's all important when you read the fan fiction I'm writing for him. I will expand and edit this list as time goes on and as I develop the character more.

Last edited March 27, 2001

NAME: Dr. Anthony Zacharias (Dr. Zack)

TYPE: Human

Profession: Physicist, specializing in Theoretical and Applied Quantum Mechanics and Nanotechnology. Is currently Math and Physics Teacher at Meridiana High School.

Age: 48

Job: Math and Physics teacher, Meridiana High School.

Appearance: Premature white hair. White moustache. Physically fit. (Picture a jovial version of Batman's Commissioner Gordon, sans glasses. If somebody wants to draw him, please show him with a pipe.)

Residence: A walled townhouse next to a park, with a security system that gives it the deserved reputation of being the "Fort Knox of South America." (Pretty upscale for a guy on a high school teacher's salary, don't you think?)

Background:

There are probably five or six people on the planet who really understand quantum mechanics: Dr. Zacharias is one of them. He held a distinguished post at a prestigious university as a leading theoretician in Quantum mechanics. Three years after attaining tenure, he was suddenly dismissed under mysterious circumstances and without the support of the faculty council leaders. He held a series of jobs working on Nanotechnology in industry. He returned to the field of Quantum Mechanics when he was hired as a senior research scientist at the Energy Research Lab, a government lab run by the Department of Energy. He worked on several research projects, but eventually left, claiming discouragement at wasting taxpayer money on research projects that turned into blind alleys. He then applied for the teaching positions of math and physics in Meridiana High School. He continues to produce theoretical papers on Quantum Mechanics at irregular intervals. Lucas Amato will occasionally fill in for Dr. Zack when he is out of town delivering a paper at a symposium (which he was doing during "The Eye".)

Special Talents

His accomplishments are not solely due to genius, but to a genetic mutation that gives him what he calls "subatomic vision." An extremely low level form of Telekinesis Dr. Zacharias can focus it into an area as small as several square femtometers and "sweep" subatomic particles in a manner similar to an atomic force microscope. His insights into Quantum Mechanics come as easily to him as the laws of motion come to a first year physics student looking at a pool table. With extra effort, he can move and rearrange atoms and molecules, leading to his dabbling in nanotechnology, which is concerned with the construction of machines at the molecular level.

An interesting side effect of "subatomic vision" is the ability to tear holes in space similar to a wormhole. The holes can be made big enough to permit a man to step through them, but require more energy the bigger they are. This is a side-effect of the fact that the structure of the universe is quantized, and thus has a granularity that allows the grains to be pushed aside. His ability to determine the endpoint is also limited, and depends on the amount of practice he does (currently 20 meters (60 feet)). It takes a lot of energy to do this, so he can do this only a few times a day, and usually gets a headache afterwards.

He does not possess any other special talents or abilities. The technology that he uses was developed by a systematic application of the two special talents mentioned above, and are the results of research performed in earlier jobs.

Armor and Weaponry

He is able to manufacture surfaces called quantum wave emitters, capable of absorbing energy at any enthropy level, and quantum batteries to hold the energy. He has several "quantum wave suits", similar in appearance to thermal underwear, complete with socks, gloves, and full face ski hoods. He wears it constantly, which makes him appear rather eccentric, but also makes him the man most prepared for a nuclear attack. A voice activated microcomputer controls the suit

He has a double bladed knife in an arm sheath on his left forearm.

The suit can be a modified weapon. If Dr. Zack gets his arms around an opponent with the suit above 75%, it is impossible for that opponent to break the hold. If Dr. Zack chooses to set the suit to 100%, his opponent will eventually freeze and be as brittle as if dunked in Liquid Nitrogen. Later in the story, he will learn how to use the suit to direct energy from the quantum batteries to the suit surface, making it hotter than the coils of an electric stove.

Although carrying no other weapons while in public, in his townhouse he carries a 22 calibre, large capacity pistol under his sweater. He took up the "hobby" of target shooting after arriving at Meridiana High, and can handle pistols and rifles well enough to not be a danger to himself or others (unless he wants to). How good is he? On a lark, he competed for an Olympic berth in pistol shooting, and came in sixth in the country, ahead of many military sharpshooters who competed. (He would have won, but someone tampered with his firearm during the lunch break.) He is a crack shot, able to put a 22 calibre bullet into your eye at 20 meters 9 times out of 10. There is nothing preventing him from learning the use of hand-carried military weaponry with some instruction.

Relationships with Other Characters
(This section is still under development as I write the stories.)

Adrian Seidelman: He knows Adrian is a woman, but not that she is Cybersix. Interacts as a normal co-worker.

Cybersix: Although starting off poorly, they become friends. There are things about Dr. Zack that makes Cybersix curious, and the stories are mostly about the mutual dance they go through to arrive at a relationship of deep mutual respect. Normally, Cybersix would not relate so comfortably and easily with a stranger, but several factors work in Dr. Zack's favor. First, as Adrian, she works with Dr. Zack at Meridiana High School, and has come to respect his straightforwardness and appreciates his negotiating ability as informal "shop steward" for the faculty. Secondly, having a college degree herself, she respects Dr. Zack's academic credentials and scientific achievements. Thirdly, the large age difference between the two eliminates the potential for romantic involvement that charges her relationship with Lucas. The latter is an attitude shared by both parties, so both feel a freedom to be open that Cybersix denies to Lucas. (In fact, it is in practicing "openness" with Dr. Zack, that Cybersix finally gains the confidence to open up to Lucas.)

Lucas Amato: Interacts with Lucas as a normal co-worker, and they sub for each other at times. They both eventually find out that Cybersix is a mutual acquaintance. Tune in for details... (I.e. to be developed in a story.)

Jose: First met Jose robbing a museum. Jose never saw his face, but will recognize the suit, ski mask, and knife the next time he and Dr. Zack meet.

Von Richter: Also tune in for details. I aim to shock and inform.

Julian: Attempted to steal a case of money that belonged to Dr. Zack. After Cybersix intervened when Dr. Zack attempted to recover his money, they are now on good terms. "Neatest place in Meridiana" is how Julian describes Dr. Zack's basement.

Data 7: "Well Stocked"would be Data 7's discerning assessment of Dr. Zack's refrigerator and freezer. On their first encounter, Data 7 was losing to Dr. Zack's quantum wave suit when Cybersix intervened. It took Dr. Zack's entire stock of fillet mignons and a half dozen T-bone steaks to prove that the way to Data 7's heart (other than his sister) is through his stomach. He is a regular patron at "Chez Zacharias", thus sparing Cybersix the expense of feeding him. Dr. Zack can always count on being able to get a hold of Cybersix within 24 hours thanks to Data 7.

Lori: Dr. Zack is her math and physics professor. Because Dr. Zack knows that Adrian is a woman, Lori's antics with her literature teacher highly amuse the good doctor.

Other Fan chars :
As far as Dr. Zack is concerned, a friend of Cybersix's is a friend of his. Things get complicated when friends turn enemies and Cybersix still loves them (Like Anay's Quaren). If the night is cold and you're only a few jumps from the city park, Dr. Zack always has something hot to drink and a sympathetic ear. Jump to the section below on how to play Dr. Zack.

Arab Oil countries, Multinational Corporations, Government Security Agencies, Energy Research Lab:
Got your attention, didn't I? Yep, there IS a connection, but you'll have to wait until later! I hope to get a neat RPG out of this.

Personality and Mannerisms

Dr. Zacharias, like all academics, values honesty and thoughtful insight. He personally hates pretentious, stuffy, stuck up snobs. Do NOT invite him to parties where there will be "modern" artists or the "old" rich: he will go out of his way to pop their pride and quickly wear out his welcome.

He is a man with a past that is not chasing him now. However, he is worried that someone will start asking certain questions about his past work, realize the extent of his real accomplishments, and would want an interview with him sooner or later (preferably sooner.) Like a boy scout, his motto is "Be prepared". Unlike a Boy Scout, his preparations do not include being kind and courteous to any would-be assailants or vandals breaking into his townhouse. Dr. Zack will give you the benefit of the doubt, but if you attack first, he'll put up the best fight he can.

His basement operations, usually involving various nanotechnology applications, brings him a large and steady stream of income far exceeding his salary as a high school teacher. Like Richard Feyman, who initially thought up the concept of nanotechnology, he knows that "There's plenty of room at the bottom." This sense of being able to tap into abundance any time he feels like it makes it easy for him to be very generous with what he doesn't immediately spend.

He is a logical, persistent thinker. Alas, sometimes this leads to him being easily confused, because he believes that the world is orderly and lawful. He forgets at times that people are not often orderly and lawful. The trick to tricking Dr. Zacharias is in making sure he doesn't have a LOT of time to think. Also, his relationship with Cybersix weakens him by making him more trustful of people than he should: He will mistakenly leap to the conclusion that a genetic creation similar to Cybersix roaming free is necesarily like her. Every time he learns of his error, his appreciation for the uniqueness of Cybersix grows.

As stated in the Alternate Reality Fan Fiction, his heart is already "taken", and so he will never belong to another. He treats Cybersix like he was her thesis adviser while off-hours: a unique relationship which lies somewhere between being good friends and him temporarily adopting her as his child.

His only vice is that he smokes a pipe.

Strengths and Weaknesses (Not important for the stories)

In the event that I may play Dr. Zack in an RPG, here are his strengths and weaknesses. Also, I discuss the physics of the holes he creates, so if I use a hole during an RPG, don't complain about the effects!

Apart from the suit, he is as vunerable as any other person. Normally, the suit is worn with the ski hood hidden under his outside shirt and his gloves in his back pocket. The microphone to the computer is in the ski hood, so the suit will not activate until the hood is in place. It takes about 30 to 40 seconds for Dr. Zack to "suit up".

While the suit can be configured to absorb 100% energy, it has some drawbacks at this level. It will condense water vapor out of the air onto the suit, slowly building up a layer of ice. This happens quickly in very humid environments, like a jungle or a tropical island. Rainfall, or falling into water at 100% will obviously encase him in an ice cube very quickly, so the system is configured to cut back to 40% if excessive moisture is detected. However, if he sets his gloves to 100% and clamps them around anything, very soon it will be frozen solid and shatter like a light bulb if struck. Eventually, he'll learn how to pump heat energy out and make the surface hotter than a stovetop, but I won't use that ability until I write a story using it.

The suit is often set at 70 to 80%, which means that some energy does get through. At that level, it is as effective as Kevlar in stopping bullets and body blows, but he can be knocked around. Also, the ski hood has a hole for his eyes, so he is vunerable there. However, in an RPG, he may bring along some goggles for protection, but only if he knows he's going into trouble.

While the suit is great armor, it does not give him super strength. He cannot lift anything, but if he gets under something, he can keep it off the ground for a while. He can't jump to tops of buildings, but won't get hurt if he falls off one. As mentioned above, if he gets someone in a bear hug, they won't be able to break out because the suit will absorb the energy of their struggles.

As mentioned above, if he gets his hands on a gun, he can be dangerous.

The talent for tearing holes through space is cool, but has some limits. One end must be within a few feet of Dr. Zach. Accurate placement of the other end of the hole is limited to 20 meters (about 60 feet): good for jailbreaks, bank heists, and getting at that hard-to-reach itch. It takes him about 7 seconds to get the hole started, and at maximum size, will permit a person to step through it easily. He always gets a headache afterwards and will be tired unless he gets sugar. Don't expect him to do it more than three times a day. The strain is directly related to the size of the hole, plus how long he keeps it open.

A few notes about the holes themselves. The edges are VERY sharp, so don't get caught in it when he collapses it. Running into a hole when it is too small for you is also not good for one's health or bodily integrity.

I mentioned accurate placement of the other end of the hole. Nothing prevents Dr. Zack from putting the other end of the hole inaccurately in any part of a cubic mile either 200 miles straight up, 200 miles straight down, or 200 feet under the surface of Meridiana Bay. Since it is a real hole, stuff at the other end of the hole can come through to Dr. Zack's end. He's done it once, and isn't keen on duplicating "that fool stunt" anytime soon unless its really urgent….

His talent for submolecular insight makes it possible for him to detect Technos and Types, keying in on the biochemical synthesis chains that rely on sustenance. However, he won't do it indiscriminately unless he's suspicious.

Most of his technology is based on nanotechnology, which has subtle dangers in its own right. However, unless really pressed, he won't use it.

How to Interact with Dr. Zacharias

The really great fanfics have interactions not only with Cybersix, but with other fan chars. I'm planning some stories where He interacts with some Fanchars. Rest assured, I'll ask for permission and send you a link to get a preview so you can critique it. If you want to use Dr. Zach, there are two ways to do it.

First, just drop on in, discuss some science, pick up a useful gadget or two, have some hot tea or chocolate to warm you up, and hop out. Remember, if you're a friend of Cybersix's, you're his friend too. If you fix the plot so Cybersix introduces you to Dr. Zack (however briefly), all the better. Try to keep him in character and let me know so I can read it. For really extended interaction, wierd science, philosphy discussions, or for him to come along to use his abilities, I'd appreciate you getting permission first and a quick preview on the Cybersix Arts and Lit Forum with the opportunity to critique it. Obviously, he's not gonna open a hole into the First Meridiana Bank's vault. At least, not voluntarily....

Second, you may want to ask me to write a fanfic involving your character and Dr. Zack. Subject to time constraints, I'd like to. However, Your character needs to be rather well-developed (storyline wise). We both don't want me to waste my time writing a story that doesn't fit either of our characters.