Ex Machina

Bob 'Mach' Finlay

Illustrated by Tonia Walden

Ex Machina, illustrated by Tonia Walden

Background: There are two versions of what happened on the night in question. The mostly official one is that he was involved in a motorcycle/pedestrian altercation at the bi-annual Wandilla Bachelor and Spinster's Ball -- he was the pedestrian. The other one, as written by Candy Meissner in the Good Weekend exposé, started with him flying into a jealous rage and ended with him trying to escape his eventual beating on somebody else's bike. Truth is, he can't quite remember either way. The third version -- the actually official one -- is that nothing happened at all. The law tends to be a few steps behind by the second day of a B&S (or, as was the case here, under the billiard table).

Still, Bob Finlay remembers the night well enough. He remembers being all but wrapped in the motorcycle, the frame bent out of skew, the stench of oil and dust pouring into his face, his wounds. The pain was unbearable. Only the blackness behind that pain was worse, and he reached out for something else, something to comfort him. But the cycle was in pain too, so they had to be content with comforting each other. They had to cut the bike away from him, and he felt that too, blacking out after all. When he awoke he felt oddly alone.

He found himself in a small country hospital -- massive trauma to the left chest and side, scarring and minor burns to the face -- but he left sooner than anyone thought he could have, and drove himself back to the cattle station. He drove a manual car but that was fine, he didn't need the gearstick at all.

The cattle station was gone. Completely.

When he tracked down the head Jackaroo, now working in the Northern Territory, the man shrugged and said people just left. He didn't have an opinion on what happened to the buildings or equipment. Bob kept looking, and in the search came across ASHES, who were looking as well.

Bob Finlay was born and raised with a sister and a brother on a cattle station in Western Australia, about 250 kilometres NW of Kalgoorlie. In the two years since the accident, a little after his twenty sixth birthday, he was moved to Canberra and thence Sydney to join Phalanx. Any attempt at a secret ID (he would like to point out that 'Ex Machina' was Judy's idea) was blown by the exposé, and he was not overly worried. He went to see the reporter who had written the piece, and she actually turned out to be quite nice ("I'm Candy, it means I'm hard and bad for your teeth"). Six months later, he's still seeing her, much to ASHES's annoyance, though he takes his oath of secrecy seriously. He certainly hasn't given up on his family, but has accepted that being a part of Phalanx is the best way to keep looking for them -- not to mention the various other properties and two entire towns that are similarly gone. He likes the other members of the team, but doesn't get too close to them. He prefers being called Mach or just Bob, but Sheona and Ted seems to think Skidmark is an amusing option.

Quote: "Don't blame the car -- blame the driver."

Personality: For all the trauma of his 'awakening' and somewhat startling looks, Mach is a calm and charming individual, with a self-depreciating brand of humour, a knack for listening to people, and a seemingly effortless way of getting things done. He still feels a bit out of his element in the city, and although he is very fond indeed of Candy, he doesn't really understand her (the gap between the journalist and his missing sister -- who is as hard as they come -- is wide). Getting away from it all every now and again isn't a luxury; it's a requirement.

Powers/Tactics: He never tries to explain what it feels like to enter the machinery, but it seems a bit like how meditation is described -- a calmness and an extending of perception. Indeed, it is more like the machine becomes an extension of himself -- he can adapt its purpose to his own almost unthinkingly, though he can do more invasive work (jamming an opponent's weapon with a brief touch) as well. Electronics are denied to him, but with his own knowhow and extra ASHES training, he can usually control hybrid systems well enough, particularly if it is just a case of making sure the power is flowing.

Within Phalanx he handles technical support, some stealth and surveillance and, of course, driving -- he has been given some time on a variety of planes and different combat vehicles, and he picked them up just fine. He tends to keep out of fights, leaving that to the more specialised members of the group, but reckons he can sling the odd fist... He avoids use of his pistol if at all possible (certainly preferring the bolo gun), but has never complained about carrying the firearm offered to him -- even if others wonder how much a machine's purpose may influence his own.

Appearance: In 'civvies' as much as possible, he is a lanky, sun-browned young man, his smile out of sync with the odd mess of his face (the most distinctive feature being the bloody eye and extended parallel scars over his ear, both on the left side). His left arm tends to hang forgotten at times, but he has enough movement to tuck his hand into his belt or pocket, which keeps it out of the way. He wears his protective suit (dark and tight, for infiltration work) when he must, but usually keeps a shirt on over it -- and of course his hat as often as he can manage it.

Val	Char	Cost	Notes
18	STR	8	3½d6, 300 kg
20	DEX	30	OCV: 7 /DCV: 7
18	CON	16
12	BODY	4
13	INT	3	PER Roll: 12-
14	EGO	8	ECV: 5
15	PRE	5	PRE Attack: 3d6
6	COM	-2
8	PD	4
7	ED	3
4	SPD	10	Phases: 3 6 9 12
8	REC	0
36	END	0
30	STUN	0

Costs
Char: 89 + Powers: 161 = Total: 250
Base: 100 + Disad: 150 = Total: 250

Cost	Powers	END
5	Soul of the Machine: Elemental Control (10 pt pool), only works within mechanical devices being touched (-1)
7	a) STR 10 Telekinesis, fine control	2
5	b) Clairsentience (Touch)	2
9	Pistol: 1d6 RKA, OAF, 8 charges, autofire (because of machine empathy)	-
18	Bolo Gun: 4d6 Entangle, OAF, 3 recoverable charges, entangle and character both take damage	-
18	Protective Suit: Armor (+10 PD/+8 ED), OIF	-
Cost	Talents (3)
3	Fast Draw
Cost	Skills (95)
20	Skill Level: +2 w/ all skills
15	Skill Level: +3 w/ use and manipulation of mechanical devices
	Combat Skills
10	Combat Skill Level: +2 w/ mechanical weapons
14	Martial Arts - Bar Room Brawling (14)
	Maneuver OCV DCV Effect Jab +1 +3 3½d6 strike Hook -2 +1 7½d6 strike Dodge +0 +5 Dodge, affects all attacks, abort
	Technical Support
3	Mechanics 15- *
3	Electronics 13-
3	Lockpicking 15- [18- *]
3	Weaponsmith: Slugthrowers 16- *
	Transport Skills
4	Familiarity w/ ground and air vehicles <>
3	Combat Driving 18- *
3	Combat Piloting 18- *
	Background Skills
3	Stealth 15-
3	Tracking 14-
3	Horse Riding 15-
3	KS: Motor vehicles +1 14-
2	AK: Western Australia 13-
1	CK: Sydney 10-
	*: Mechanical skill level included (all skills include general SL)
100+	Disadvantages
10	Distinctive Features (Concealable). Country ways
10	Distinctive Features (Concealable). Scarring from crash - includes bloody eye
15	DNPC (Normal, occasionally): Candy Meissner, girlfriend
20	Hunted (campaign)
20	Normal Characteristic Maxima
15	Phys: No strength in left arm
20	Psych: Code of Honor (keeps his word, tells the truth, doesn't take unfair advantage, common, total)
15	Psych: Must follow all leads to find family (uncommon, total)
10	Psych: Uncomfortable in closed or crowded places (common, moderate)
5	Psych: Obeys orders from ASHES (strong, hit limit)
10	Public Identity (Bob Finlay)

Candy Meissner

Skills: Contact: friend inside police 11-; Acting 12-, combat driving 11-, conversation 14-, deduction 12-, CK: Sydney 15-, Japanese (basic; native is English), persuasion 12-, shadowing 11-

Disadvantages: Psych: overly curious (common, strong), Psych : in love with Bob Finlay (common, strong), fear of heights (uncommon, strong); Reputation: recognised as a reporter 11-