VOLUME 6: MORTALS

AND

HUNTERS

Federal Vampire Zombie Association................................................................................................................3 Administration..........................................................................................................................................3 Investigations...........................................................................................................................................4 FVZA Academy.........................................................................................................................................4 Extermination...........................................................................................................................................5 Recruitment.............................................................................................................................................5 Tools of the Trade.....................................................................................................................................6 Pecos, Doctor Hugo (Former Head)..............................................................................................................7 The Firm....................................................................................................................................................10 Airwolf (NEED STATS)..............................................................................................................................10 Hawke, Stringfellow (NEED STATS)............................................................................................................11 Santini, Dominic (NEED STATS).................................................................................................................11 Moffet, Doctor Charles Henry (NEED STATS)...............................................................................................12 Foundation for Law and Government.............................................................................................................13 Knight, Michael (FLAG Operative)..............................................................................................................13 Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT)......................................................................................................14 Other Knight Industries Vehicles................................................................................................................17 Independent Baselines.................................................................................................................................22 Calvin, Theodore (T.C.)............................................................................................................................22 Fisk, Wilson (Kingpin of Crime).................................................................................................................22 Hayes, Billy............................................................................................................................................23 Higgins, Jonathan Quayle III (Majordomo)..................................................................................................23 Knight, Garthe (NEED STATS)...................................................................................................................24 Mach, Jesse (Vigilante)............................................................................................................................25 Magnum, Thomas (Private Investigator).....................................................................................................25 McCall, Robert (The Equalizer)..................................................................................................................26 Peck, Templeton (Faceman)......................................................................................................................28 Rutledge, Bernard Benny (Chicago M.E.)..................................................................................................29 Smith, John (Hannibal)............................................................................................................................29 Wright, Orville Wilbur III (Rick).................................................................................................................30 Hunters.....................................................................................................................................................32 Bannister, Frank (Paranormal Investigator).................................................................................................32 Dane, Father Sullivan (Team Shiva Minister)...............................................................................................33 Kolchak, Karl (Intrepid Reporter)...............................................................................................................33 Office of Scientific Intelligence......................................................................................................................36 Austin, Steve (OSI Operative)...................................................................................................................37 Mason, Kate (OSI Operative)....................................................................................................................40 Sommers, Jaime (OSI Operative)..............................................................................................................40 Perfection Valley.........................................................................................................................................42 People of Perfection Valley........................................................................................................................43 Gummer, Burt (Hunter)..........................................................................................................................43 Reed, Tyler (Driver)...............................................................................................................................45 Twitchell, W.D. (Government Agent)........................................................................................................46 Former Residents....................................................................................................................................47 Bassett, Earl (Hunter)............................................................................................................................47 Residents of Rejection..............................................................................................................................47 Graboid (Precambrian Life Form)...............................................................................................................48 Department of Interior Report.................................................................................................................51 External Anatomy..................................................................................................................................51 Internal Anatomy..................................................................................................................................53 Ecology................................................................................................................................................54 Evolutionary Overview...........................................................................................................................54 Hypothetical Taxonomy..........................................................................................................................58 Historical and Mythological References.....................................................................................................59 Threat Assessment................................................................................................................................59 Vampire Hunter S.......................................................................................................................................61 X-Files and SAD..........................................................................................................................................62 Cooper, Dale (FBI Agent).........................................................................................................................75 Twin Peaks Incident...............................................................................................................................76 Mulder, Fox (The Truth Seeker).................................................................................................................89 Project Emerald.......................................................................................................................................90 1

Scully, Dana (FBI Agent)..........................................................................................................................91 X (Mysterious Informant).........................................................................................................................92 Index........................................................................................................................................................93

FEDERAL VAMPIRE ZOMBIE ASSOCIATION

Vampires arrived in the United States with the first European settlers and followed the general population shifts of Americans in the early days of the Republic. During this time, fighting vampires was a task left to individual bounty hunters and local militias known as the Vampire National Guard. As the country grew and became increasingly urbanized, a more ambitious vampire abatement program became necessary. The Copper Creek Seige of 1855, in which vampires took over an entire California mining town, underscored the country's need for an organized, well-trained force to combat the growing plague. The Civil War delayed implementation until 1868, when President Ulysses S. Grant officially formed the Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency. Initially, the FVZA was a specialized branch of the Armed Forces, modeled after similar troops in France and Great Britain. The troops were known as the "Vanguard," a contraction of Vampire National Guard. They worked mostly in large cities. By day, they scoured likely vampire/zombie hiding places; by night, they patrolled areas of high vampire/zombie activity (slums, waterfronts, parks, etc.). Though they were underfunded, ill-equipped and often shuttled off to fight wars on foreign soil, the FVZA made some strides in controlling resident vampire and zombie populations. However, the huge surges of immigrants coming to America helped increase the U.S. vampire population to 300,000 by the turn of the century. In 1897, President William McKinley moved the FVZA into the Department of Justice. The Agency was split into two groups: a scientific team in Washington, and a military unit with bases all over the U.S. In 1901, new President Teddy Roosevelt hired his friend Hilton Dickerson as FVZA Director. Dickerson ruled the FVZA with an iron fist for the next 34 years. When the zombie vaccine was created in France in 1911, the FVZA administered vaccination programs in the U.S., while the "Vanguard" focused on destroying remaining zombies. With zombies largely eradicated, the focus of the FVZA shifted to vampire research and abatement. A 1935 Supreme Court ruling declaring that vampires have the same rights afforded to all citizens complicated the FVZA's job greatly. In response, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Emergency Relief Act in 1936. The Act converted the Agency to an undercover operation. Roosevelt also put together the Zozobra Project, which brought the best medical minds in the world to a secret lab in New Mexico to work on a vampire vaccine. The Project was operated by the FVZA and reaped its greatest success with the creation of a vampire vaccine in 1950. In its early days, the administration of the FVZA was very much a work in progress. Leadership fell to old Civil War generals who knew little of the specialized fighting necessary to combat vampires and zombies. The Agency developed an unsavory reputation for corruption and inefficiency as it became a dumping ground for friends and family of well-connected officials. At one time, the Agency had more bureacrats on the payroll than agents! Worst of all, the Agency served as a cover for white supremacists carrying out attacks against blacks in the Reconstruction South. The result, not surprisingly, was an agency held in low regard by the public. Administration As vampirism spread and touched more and more lives, that same public demanded a better FVZA. William McKinley was elected in 1896 largely due to his promise to rid the country of vampires and zombies. In 1897, he moved the FVZA into the Department of Justice. When McKinley was assassinated in 1901, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt took over the job and installed his friend Hilton Dickerson as FVZA Director. The Agency would never be the same. Few figures in American history cast as long a shadow as Hilton Dickerson. Born and raised in Saint Louis, Dickerson had cut his teeth hunting vampires and zombies in the west, where he met Roosevelt. Even before he arrived in Washington, Dickerson was reknowned for his take-no-prisoners approach. At well over six-feet tall, he struck an imposing figure in his customary bearskin jacket. Once he took over at the FVZA, Dickerson conducted a purge of all Agency cronies and hacks. He also stepped up nationwide recruitment and raised the hiring standards for agents. While Dickerson played the role of Wild West soldier of fortune to the hilt, he was actually a savvy politician expert at using the media to promote himself. When Hollywood came calling, Dickerson handpicked Tyrone Power to play him in a series of movies called The Night Watch. In addition, Dickerson was the hero of a comic book series, and he produced and narrated a radio show, The Vanguard, based on real-life FVZA cases. Unfortunately, his dramatic instincts were not on par with his vampire-hunting skills, and the show failed to take off. Despite that misstep, his exhaustive public relations work paid big dividends: in a 1930 poll, Americans selected Dickerson as Public Hero Number one. To be fair, not all of Dickerson's accomplishments as FVZA Director were the result of good self-promotion. Dickerson's purges helped restore public faith in the agency, and his scrupulous standards in the hiring of agents enabled real inroads into vampire and zombie control. In 1933, he started the FVZA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico; a year later, he helped organize FDR's Vampire Emergency Administration (VEA), which gave hordes of unemployed men a limited role in assisting the FVZA. But Dickerson's ego created an inevitable backlash. The Agency's overzealous pursuit of the undead resulted in significant civilian casualties and occasionally turned public sentiment away from the Agency, as in the case of LeDoux versus the FVZA. Dickerson clashed frequently with President Roosevelt, whom he felt tried to take too much credit for progress in the war on the undead. But in the end, it was a single incident that brought about the demise of Hilton Dickerson. 3

Throughout the fall of 1935, a highly-elusive vampire pack had been operating in northern New Jersey. On the night of November 4, the pack snatched a baby from its bedroom at the home of Donald Swanson, a prominent local businessman. The Swanson Baby disappearance was a media sensation, and when the baby was found dead a few days later, the public cried for blood. The Agency shifted virtually all its resources into pursuing the renegade pack and, on the night of November 19, an FVZA team cornered the pack in a wooded cabin near Trenton and destroyed them. Dickerson arrived on the scene, had his picture taken and told the newspapers, incorrectly, that he had led the raid on the cabin. When the lie was uncovered, Dickerson's time was up. He was fired by Roosevelt, and though he resurfaced from time to time, the once-formidable leader of the FVZA gradually faded from view and died in 1950. The rules changed in the post-Dickerson era of the FVZA. Directors were limited to two terms (eight years), and all their decisions had to be rubber-stamped by Congress. The new oversight, combined with a succession of outstanding FVZA Directors, transformed the Agency that had once been an embarrassment into one of the most respected in government. Ironically, it was the Dickerson-instituted recruitment and training programs that enabled our leaders to draw upon such a large pool of qualified people for the role of America's top vampire and zombie hunter. Investigations FVZA investigators, or "gumshoes," served as the interface between the public and the Agency in the days before the FVZA went undercover. In most states, the Agency would have one large regional office, usually in a city, with several smaller satellite branches in surrounding towns. Regional offices in major population centers like New York or Los Angeles had as many as 50 investigators handling cases at any one time. The Emergency Relief Act of 1936 closed FVZA offices to the public; henceforth, FVZA Investigators communicated only with law enforcement officials. While the popular Fifties TV show McCullough, FVZA, depicted the job of an FVZA investigator as one filled with terrifying encounters and comely femme fatales, the real job could be a lot more tedious. Junior investigators, fresh out of the Academy, would do the "grunt work" of fielding phone calls and taking reports from walk-ins. They also analyzed missing persons reports for patterns that might indicate vampire and zombie activity. While this work was hardly exciting, it was a crucial part of the job and made things easier for the senior investigators. Senior investigators were agents who had chosen to stay in investigation after their initial two-year enlistment was up. Over time, investigators would develop an uncanny instinct for separating credible reports from time wasters. Senior investigators spent much of their day out of the office, tracking leads. They interviewed bite victims at hospitals and walked neighborhoods, trying to think like a vampire or zombie. Nighttime stakeouts were often necessary to pinpoint exact hideout locations. Ultimately, the job of the investigator was to develop leads on vampire and zombie hideouts and pass them on to the advance team. While their job was considerably safer than extermination, they had to stand by and watch someone else get the glory of actually destroying the undead. For this reason, many investigators poked their noses into places they didn't belong and wound up getting bitten, or worse. FVZA Academy In its early incarnation, the FVZA was a rag-tag troop of vagrants, soldiers of fortune and ex-convicts. But the growing vampire population necessitated a better-trained force, and so, in 1933, the FVZA Academy was established on Air Force property in the shadow of the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Students were culled from the country's finest colleges and universities, as well as the four branches of the military, and had to pass a battery of physical and psychological tests to gain admission into the program. Upon arriving in Albuquerque, recruits were thrown into a six-week boot camp known as the "Baptism of Fire." The focus was on physical fitness, teamwork and intensive martial arts training. Drill sergeants were tough on the newcomers, and less than half of the recruits were around at the end. Freshly "baptized" recruits then began intensive classroom study in vampire science. In addition, martial arts and weapons training were stepped up. Recruits dubbed the Academy "Fang University," or "Fang U." for short; the nickname eventually came to adorn the hats and T-shirts recruits wore during training. Much of the final phase of training took place in "Fangtown," the Academy's mockup of a town, complete with abandoned buildings, a sewer system and a small town square. Each day, agents were briefed on a vampire sighting, then taken to the Fangtown to confront the problem. After interviewing witnesses (local actors), agents took appropriate actions. Other local actors were employed to act as vampires. The training culminated with night missions, in surroundings where the "vampires" had the upper hand. After graduation, junior agents were sent out to FVZA offices around the country, where they spent their first two years working with the Investigations staff before moving on to the Advance and Assault teams. FVZA Agents had the most dangerous job in the world. In the years before the vaccine, an average of 50 agents were bitten by vampires each year. Those that were transformed into vampires were a particular problem, as they retained memories of their FVZA training and thus were one step ahead of agents in the field. While FVZA Agents were as busy as ever in the years following the vaccine, eventually, incidents of vampire attacks shrunk, and the Academy was no longer cost-effective to run. On June 24, 1960, the Academy was closed. Though there briefly was talk of renting the compound out as a movie set, eventually it was torn down and replaced with a golf course. 4

Extermination After all the recruiting, training, investigating and planning was done, it was left to a few brave souls to go into dark places and exterminate vampires and zombies. No matter how effective their training at the Academy, very few new agents were prepared for their first encounter with the undead. Because of this, the FVZA developed a system in which new agents were slowly indoctrinated into combat. Agents fresh out of the Academy served two years as investigators, where they learned about vampire and zombie movements and habitats. Some agents stayed on as investigators while others, their appetites whetted, joined the advance team. Advance Team: Advance teams conducted daytime reconnaissance missions in vampire and zombie hideouts. The advance team's primary objective was to identify hideouts and obtain estimates of undead numbers. This information was then passed on to the assault team. Advance teams carried a minimal complement of equipment in order to increase stealth and mobility. They were instructed not to engage the enemy unless absolutely necessary. If vampires awakened and spotted them, the advance team's directive was to retreat and leave extermination to the assault team. Despite these precautions, many advance team members lost their lives doing reconnaissance in the dark and dangerous spaces preferred by vampires and zombies. In cities, advance teams usually found vampires and zombies in abandoned buildings, underground sewer systems and subway tunnels. In the country, caves, abandoned mines and old barns were the most popular hideouts. Despite their importance, advance teams were a luxury many communities could not afford; in these areas, advance reconnaissance and extermination were conducted by the same agents. Assault: FVZA agents who showed promise on the advance team would eventually be promoted to the paramilitary assault team. When it came to killing vampires and zombies, assault teams did the bulk of the work. Assaults on vampires were almost always conducted in the daytime, in stages. The general strategy was to drive the vampires into a confined area where they could be eliminated by gunmen using explosive bullets. In smaller spaces, like the basement of an abandoned building, tear gas was used to flush vampires. For larger areas like subway tunnels, flamethrower-wielding agents (Firemen) tried to drive vampires toward the gunmen. While vampire packs tended to avoid confrontation, zombies exhibited a fearless aggression that, ironically, made the assault team's job easier. The team would conduct a frontal assault and overwhelm the zombies with superior numbers. The chief danger for the assault team was stumbling into a larger zombie pack than had been anticipated. For this reason, the advance team's estimates of zombie numbers were crucial to the mission's success. Assault team members who displayed conspicuous excellence along with an independent streak were offered a spot in the most elite troop of FVZA vampire and zombie fighters: the Shadows. Shadows: Night missions were highly dangerous and required a great degree of stealth. Only the most skilled, experienced agents, known as "Shadows," took part in these missions. With a premium on stealth and agility, Shadows wore black jumpsuits and carried minimal equipment. They moved without sound, whether stalking a hunting pack or slipping into a vampires' den, and were experts in various martial arts disciplines. The relentless pressure, along with the strange hours, took its toll on the personal lives of Shadows; they had the highest rates of alcoholism and suicide in the FVZA. Recruitment Recruiting qualified, motivated people to fight vampires and zombies was never easy. Rewards were hardly commensurate with risks: the prospect of tangling with the undead was enough to send most fighting men into the relative safety of the Armed Forces. In the early days of the FVZA, most recruits came from the nation's criminal justice system. Able-bodied convicts were offered early release in return for a five-year stint in the Agency. While these castoffs generally served with courage and fortitude, their unruly, untrustworthy nature forced the Agency to run an extremely tough ship, with harsh penalties for deserters. The growing vampire population at the beginning of the Twentieth Century forced the FVZA to begin organized recruitment in earnest. Recruitment centers were set up in major cities amid radio and poster campaigns appealing to a sense of patriotism, chivalry and honor. The burgeoning movie industry pitched in at recruitment mixers, where stars danced with would-be agents. Successful movies like The Night Watch, featuring Tyrone Power as an FVZA agent, sent recruits flooding into FVZA offices. Despite these efforts, the low pay and dangerous conditions faced by FVZA troops continued to bedevil Agency efforts to recruit and retain qualified men. Most agents left after their five-year stint was up. Ironically, the Great Depression helped ease the shortage. As part of his New Deal legislation, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt created the Vampire Emergency Administration (VEA). The VEA provided free housing and food to any man willing to fight vampires and zombies, and allowed shorter enlistment stints as further incentive. During the Thirties, an estimated 100,000 men served in the VEA, helping to cut the U.S. vampire population by one-third. After the Agency went undercover in 1936, public recruiting was curtailed and future agents were culled from other branches of law enforcement. World War II proved to be a major setback for the Agency. With so many men needed for the war effort in Europe and the Pacific, the Agency fell to a subsistence level, relying on aging WWI veterans and men with physical handicaps and disabilities to take up the fight. As a result, thousands of GIs came home in 1945 to discover that vampire numbers had increased dramatically in their absence. New President Harry Truman acted quickly, creating a bill that gave ex-GIs a new house at low interest just for joining the FVZA. These "tract house agents" helped bolster the FVZA at a time when more and more young men were opting for careers in business.

The 1950 creation of the vampire vaccine energized Agency recruitment efforts. "Finish the Job" became the theme of the new campaign. The burgeoning medium of TV helped spread the word. FVZA-related TV shows, while not always accurate, helped bolster the Agency's profile. The diminishing numbers of vampires allowed the Agency to raise its enlistment standards, emphasizing quality over quantity. In 1964, ROTC programs began on college campuses, and in 1967, the Agency accepted its first class of female cadets. But by then, the end was near: the Agency was becoming a victim of its own success. In its 107-year history, the Agency welcomed a diverse group of Americans to its ranks. Whether convict or valedictorian, senior citizen or teenager, they all shared one thing in common: unselfish bravery. Tools of the Trade In over 100 years of fighting vampires and zombies, the FVZA evolved from a motley assortment of illequipped soldiers to a sophisticated fighting force with all the latest technology at its disposal. The Agency's tireless quest for better ways to combat the undead resulted in technological innovations, like night vision, that proved to be of great use long after the FVZA was gone. An FVZA soldier's arsenal generally consisted of two types of weapons: those for protection, and those for killing. Protection: Advance teams probing for vampire packs were limited in the amount of firepower they could deploy. Regular bullets were not effective against vampires and could be dangerous in confined, dark spaces. In an emergency situation, an overwhelmed soldier would call upon a variety of repellents to drive off attackers. Early repellents were often crude and homemade and reflected the prevailing superstitions of the times. Soldiers would smear garlic on their necks and wrists and drape crosses over their necks. But voracious vampires quickly proved the folly of these repellents, and more powerful means became necessary. "O'Malleys": One of the first great vampire-fighting inventions of the Twentieth Century was discovered almost by accident. On a chilly fall night in 1912, a Minnesota farmer named Willis O'Malley was awakened by a great commotion from the animals in the barn. Thinking a fox had slipped into the chicken coop, O'Malley grabbed a shotgun and went to investigate. When he entered the barn, he was set upon by two vampires. O'Malley blasted away at the intruders, to no avail; they tossed his gun aside and prepared to sink their teeth into him. Desperate, O'Malley grabbed the only thing he could reach: a cattle prod. The implement worked like a charm, and the vampires disappeared into the night, hissing fiercely. Thinking he might be onto something, O'Malley spent the next day in his workshop, where he modified two prods, adding leather arm straps and jerry-rigging a button to be operated by the user's thumbs. Within a year, "O'Malleys" were being mass-produced for vampire fighters all over the world. The prods allowed soldiers to drive off attacks from all sides. FVZA soldiers who employed the prods were known as "Buzzers" and received highly-specialized martial arts training. Repellents generally exploited the fact that vampires have heightened senses of smell, sight and hearing: bright lights, powerful odors and loud noises can drive them off. In 1954, FVZA researcher Tom DiStefano discovered that ultrasonic sound waves, inaudible to normal human beings, could create extreme discomfort in vampires. The discovery led to the invention of portable devices that could be quickly and easily deployed. The most popular of these, the "Wavemaker," was made available to the general public and helped save quite a few lives in the late 50s/early 60s. Like Wavemakers, mace and pepper spray were also easily portable and served as a last resort in close, hand-to-hand combat. Unfortunately, all repellents, no matter how powerful, proved to have a limited shelf life. Vampires were supremely adaptive creatures, and older, more experienced vampires quickly developed countermeasures for repellents. Inevitably, vampires had to be destroyed, and a host of sophisticated weapons were developed for that purpose. Killers: There have always been two reliable ways to kill vampires and zombies: decapitation and incineration. FVZA weaponry reflected these choices. Flamethrower: Flamethrowers were merely the latest, most efficient example of a long tradition in vampirefighting. In the Middle Ages, mobs armed with torches trapped vampires in buildings, which they then burned down. The flamethrower first came into use early in the 20th Century. Early flamethrowers were hopelessly bulky and required two men to operate. But the close-quarters combat of World War II necessitated more portable flamethrowers, and when the war ended these machines were put to good use by the FVZA. Each FVZA platoon had at least one specialist, known as a "fireman;" once the advance team had confirmed the presence of vampires, the fireman would lead in the Extermination Team to finish the job. A turning point in the war on vampires came with the invention of the explosive bullet. FVZA firearms specialist Don Cassidy called his creation the Migraine Molly, after his wife. Coupled with the Ruger "Night Stalker," a high-powered pistol with a night vision scope, the bullet greatly increased the safety of FVZA operations and was responsible for the majority of vampire kills from 1950 to 1975. After the FVZA was disbanded, these weapons found their way into inner-city gang wars, with catastrophic results. Of course, all the explosive bullets in the world would have been useless without another important innovation: night vision. Night vision goggles first appeared in the years after World War II and grew more sensitive and portable through the 1960s. Night vision goggles allowed for safer extermination operations in the dark quarters (basements, caves, etc.) that vampires called home. Capture: Occasionally, it became necessary to capture vampires for research and study. Capture operations were always done in the daylight and typically began by flushing the vampires from their base with tear gas. Once in

the daylight, the disoriented vampires were surrounded and restrained with long-handled snares similar to those used by dogcatchers. Armed FVZA staff stood by in case of escape. Pecos, Doctor Hugo (Former Head) I was born in Texas in 1925, son of a migrant farm workers from Mexico. We traveled the country in a battered truck with all of our possessions piled high in the back, and we went wherever there were crops to be picked: apples in Washington, chile in New Mexico, tomatoes in California. It was the depression, the time of the dust bowl, and many of the native workers didn't want us around. Though we were often the targets of hate, the discrimination made use closer as a family. Eventually, that family grew to include one girl and four boys; I was the middle child. Some people may think it was a terrible thing for children to be working all the time, but we knew no other life and so were happy in ours. In fact, I'd wager that we were closer than many of the families I see today, with their big houses and cars and modern conveniences. When I wasn't working in the fields, I tagged along after my older brother Orlando. I looked up to him and tried to emulate him in every way. He was handsome, a gifted baseball player and a magnet for the girls. The vampire population in the U.S. was near its peak in those days, and the effects were apparent all over the country. Every night at dusk, no matter where you where, curfew sirens would shatter the air. As children, we never really understood why our parents made us come in when those sirens sounded. After all, none of us had ever seen a vampire. Life had settled into a steady rhythm when we arrived in North Carolina for the tobacco harvest in the Summer of '31. It was hard work, with the sun beating down and the sticky tobacco juice getting in your eyes. To make matters worse, the forest around the workers camp was said to be home to a vampire pack; several farmhands had been dragged away in the months before our arrival. Shortly after we arrived, Orlando began a flirtation with the plantation owner's teenage daughter, Rayleen. At the end of the day's work, she would find some excuse to ride her horse out and steal moments with him. When my father found out, he told Orlando that he couldn't see her anymore; he knew well what would happen if the owner found out. But Orlando was headstrong, and he continued the relationship in secret. One night, I awoke with a strange feeling of dread and discovered Orlando's bed empty. I slipped out of the cabin and looked for him all over the camp. I finally found him with Rayleen: they were kissing under an enormous oak tree. Embarrassed, I turned away for a moment. When I looked back, four vampires dropped out of the tree and dragged them away. Though the vampires only appeared for an instant, I'll never forget their bluish pallor, black eyes and malevolent smiles. I ran back to our cabin and awoke my father; he organized a search party of about a dozen men, and they went into the woods with torches. They called for him all night, to no avail. The next day, the plantation owner organized a larger search party, with dogs. Two days later, the party returned, with a bound and gagged Rayleen draped over one of the horses. My father and I ran out to see if there was any news on Orlando. That was when I noticed that the men were dragging something behind one of the horses. My father tried to shield my eyes, but I broke away and saw what had once been my brother. The owner blamed my family for what happened and threw us off the plantation. Though we quickly joined up with another tobacco farm, my grieving father could barely rouse himself for a day's work. When he collapsed the next summer in a field of strawberries, the coroner listed the cause of death as a heart attack, but I know he died of a broken heart. My mother was left to raise four rambunctious children by herself. She was a strong woman, and she had to be. After we settled with some relatives in Dallas, my mother worked as a maid by day, cleaning lady by night, and still managed to keep us kids on a short leash. All that discipline paid off for me when I graduated high school first in my class and enrolled at the the University of Texas. Plans to attend medical school were derailed, however, when I was drafted into service in World War II. My interest in medicine compelled me to enlist as a medic, and after some brief training in New Jersey, I shipped out to England with the 31st Infantry Division on October 31, 1944. After a month of additional training in England, we crossed the English Channel on a bitterly cold, blustery day and arrived in France to help the Allied push east into Germany. I am not going to dwell on my World War II experiences here. To go into them in any detail would require far more space than this Web site can provide. One day, I intend to publish the whole story in book form. For now, let's just say that I saw things no 19-year-old should see, and nothing was worse than the experience of liberating a POW camp in Luxembourg that had been overrun by vampires. Some say the Germans intentionally infected the POWs in a desperate attempt to slow the Allied invasion. Whatever the case, I gained valuable experience fighting vampires and treating those wounded by them. And so, when the war ended and I returned to the States, I was summoned to Washington D.C., where I heard for the first time the words "Zozobra Project." The Zozobra Project was an attempt to bring an end to several millenia of vampire activity by developing a vaccine for the virus. Mindful of what happened to my brother, I signed on, and a day later, in an atmosphere of stonefaced secrecy, I was flown to the air force base in Albuquerque and then escorted into the back of a van with no windows. Some time later, I arrived in what could have passed for a summer camp, with trees and cabins, except for all the scientists milling about. 7

The scientists of the Zozobra Project were a true "dream team." Men I had read about in books were now sitting across from me in the lunchroom. As one of the younger scientists, I felt like I was in over my head. But there was no time for anxiety, as reports of vampire outbreaks were reaching us almost every day. The early years of the project were a string of failures. In vaccine work, the objective is to expose the patient to enough of the virus to develop immunity, but not enough to make him sick. With HVV, the Human Vampirism Vaccine, it was always the same problem; injections of "killed" virus failed to stimulate antibody production, and injections of the treated, live virus caused vampirism. We knew that the secret lay in finding the right way of manipulating the virus before injecting it into the patient. Fortunately, the war ended without the threatened onslaught of vampire armies. But most of us stayed on with the Project, plugging away. Weeks turned to months, years. To alleviate the stress, we played chess, formed a softball team and enjoyed frequent barbecues. And then, five years after the Project had begun, we finally had a breakthrough. Simply put, we injected the virus into a chicken egg, took fluid from that egg and injected it into another egg, and repeated the process about a dozen times. In doing this, we were able to weaken the virus, but not so much that it failed to stimulate antibody production. So, on a sunny October day (Friday the 13th, believe it or not), a Santa Fe auto mechanic named Joe Valdez was brought to Santa Rosa showing early signs of vampirism. We gave him the new vaccine, stepped back and held our breath. It was a long night as Mr. Valdez tossed and turned with fever, then slipped into a vampiric coma. But the next morning, to our amazement, Mr. Valdez awoke with no symptoms of the disease! We put on some music, had a brief celebration and then got back to work. After all, the world was waiting for this vaccine. In my years in New Mexico, I had fallen in love with the strange beauty of the state, and so when the Zozobra Project was folded into the Santa Rosa Institute, I decided to stay on. I also agreed to head up the Southwest Office of the Federal Vampire & Zombie Agency (FVZA). I must confess, there was another reason for me wanting to stay: Maria Turner, a microbiologist who had fled Germany in 1934. We were married in 1953 and eventually had two beautiful boys. The vampire vaccine was an unqualified success at checking the spread of vampirism, but as FVZA Regional Director, I was busier than ever, as vampires proved to be particularly tough to root out in the Southwest. Where my work at the Zozobra Project had been confined to the lab, my FVZA duties took me all over the region. I mastered martial arts and weapons, I faced vampires in abandoned mines, old Indian ruins, forests and caves. I grew to know their smell, the sound of their breathing; it got so I could sense their presence well before I saw them. Between 1950 and 1960, my New Mexico office alone destroyed over 1500 vampires. My dedication to my work took its toll on my personal life. I divorced, remarried, and got divorced again. My family grew to include two more children. Slowly but surely, the vampire population dropped to a point where my life got quieter. I taught classes, watched my children grow into adults. My son Rogelio is an emergency room physician in Santa Fe. The next oldest, Ferdinand, manages a restaurant in Corrales, New Mexico. My daughter Rosa is a Professor of Hispanic Studies at the University of New Mexico. You may have noticed that I mentioned only three of my four children. That is because my youngest son, Emilio, is no longer with us. He realized his dream of going to medical school and came back to New Mexico to set up a family practice in the small town of San Miguel, where he was the only doctor for 150 miles. One night, he got called out of bed to deliver a baby. On the way back home, his car was struck by a drunken driver and he was killed. I had lost my brother, mourned the deaths of my parents, but I never expected to have to bury my own son. I was laid low for awhile, and the world moved on. During the Eighties, profit-hungry drug companies mounted an assault on Congress, pushing to overturn the ban on vampire research. This outrage was enough to wake me from my stupor: I spent many a day in Washington lobbying to uphold the ban. In the end, we were outmanned and outspent: President Reagan signed the bill and, in short order, the Vampire Genome Project (a.k.a., the Methuselah Project) was launched. I was glad of at least one thing: the Santa Rosa Institute was chosen as the base for the Project, enabling me to keep a close eye on the proceedings. And all that I have seen convinces me that we are moving too fast. Recently, the Project moved into the animal testing phase, housed in the appropriately ominous-looking Bluestone Center. Behind its thick walls are thousands of animals that have been injected with mutated vampire DNA. If just one handler gets bitten, we'll have a new plague on our hands. In perhaps the cruelest irony of all, one of my former students, Edward Westhead, recently returned to New Mexico to take over the Vampire Genome Project. Dr. Westhead was an exceptional student with a never-ending supply of questions about vampires. He would follow me after class and pick my brains. It's funny, I always hoped that he would return to the Institute, only I expected it would be to take over for me at the reigns of the Vampire Studies program. While I have no doubt that Dr. Westhead is motivated by an altruistic desire to help people, my opposition to the Vampire Genome Project is well-documented on this site and elsewhere. Rest assured I will continue to try to impress upon him the risks in opening this Pandora's Box. Lest you think I'm obsessed with vampires, I do have other interests. I live in an adobe house on two acres of land in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. Years of practice have made me, if not exactly a master gardener, then at least a worthy apprentice. I have a pretty fair vegetable garden and grow prize-winning roses. I enjoy reading and have a weakness for detective stories (perhaps a natural outgrowth of the detective work involved in finding vaccines). I am blessed with good health and six beautiful grandchildren. I try not to dwell on the losses. There is, however, one thing that bothers me. As vampires have faded into folklore, there has been considerable glorification of them in our media. Vampires in movies and TV shows are depicted as charismatic, 8

sexually potent, the life of the party. Vampire Chic has swept the country, with vampire-themed nightclubs and cults and music. I have even had some young people tell me they wish that vampires were still around. Folks, let me assure you of one thing: we should all thank God that vampires no longer live among us in large numbers. Vampires are bloodthirsty, indiscriminate killers. They prey on the elderly and infirm, they will snatch newborn babies from their mothers. I speak with authority when I tell you, their lives are a constant torment. I'll never forget one young man who'd been brought to the Institute after being bitten on his way home from a bar. We had him trussed-up to a table, and I was walking about preparing to draw blood from him, when I noticed him looking at me and trying to say something through his muzzle. I leaned close to him, and he hissed, "please, make me like I was before." Memories like these fuel my desire to counter the current wave of misinformation about vampires. Each pair of eyes I can open makes the struggle worthwhile. But sometimes I wonder: who will do it after I am gone? My strong voice has cost me much: most recently, my job. I'll miss my daily walks across the picturesque Institute campus, just as I'll miss greeting the new students every fall. You don't spend over forty years in a place without forming some strong friendships. But I feel too strongly about this to stand pat. I know Dr. Westhead sees me as a cranky old-timer who prefers living in the past. I don't blame him. He didn't grow up in a world of vampires, he doesn't know how it really was. Perhaps because I have endured so much tragedy in my life, I am extra cautious. I unequivocally believe that we should not be opening the Pandora's Box of vampire DNA research until we know more about genetics. My opponents often say to me, "don't you want to live three-hundred years?" I admit, the idea of immortality has its allure, but I don't believe we are meant to live forever, and any attempt to do so will meet with unforeseen consequences. This propaganda poster appeared 1933, when the worldwide vampire population was estimated at three million. Now that vampires have been largely eradicated from our lives, I have seen the cautious sentiment expressed in this poster replaced by what at times seems like a nationwide celebration of everything vampire. Vampire-themed nightclubs and cults are all the rage, their popularity fueled by the profusion of vampire images in advertising. Young people raised on Hollywood movies and TV shows believe vampires are something to be admired. As the former Director of the Federal Vampire & Zombie Agency and a man who had seen firsthand the terrible toll wreaked by vampires, I am appalled by these developments. Even more troubling to me is the collective amnesia exhibited by our scientific community. In their lust to unlock the secrets of immortality, scientists have thrown caution to the wind and are venturing down a dangerous new road of research. As many of you know, I recently resigned my position on the Board of Directors at New Mexico's Santa Rosa Institute for Advanced Genetic Research in protest of their decision to begin testing altered vampire DNA on animals. My opponents should not confuse resignation with surrender. On the contrary: I intend to use this web site and my speaking engagements to raise public awareness and create pressure on Washington to put the brakes on this research. Some twenty years after I helped develop the vampire vaccine, I promised my grandson that he would never have to live in a world overrun by vampires. With your help, I intend to keep that promise. Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2, Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 4; Abilities: Academics (Law, Lupine Lore, Occult, Vampire Lore, Wraith Lore) 2, Athletics (Dodge 3), Awareness 3, Brawl 4, Bureaucracy (Covert) 2, Computer 2, Drive 2, Endurance 1, Etiquette 2, Firearms 4, Intimidation 3, Intrusion 3, Investigation 4, Medicine (Vampirism) 3, Melee 4, Resistance 2, Science 3, Stealth 3, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 2, Survival 3; Backgrounds: Allies 2, Backing 1, Contacts 3, Library 2, Resources 3; Merits: Clear Sighted; Flaws: Ward; Virtues: Conscience 4, Self Control 3, Courage 4, Humanity 7, Willpower 6

THE FIRM
The mysterious organization known as the FIRM is a covert branch of the Central Intelligence Agency, led by Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III (Deputy Director of The FIRM; code-name: Archangel). In the first two seasons, Archangel is often assisted by Marella . She had doctorates in Aeronautical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Psychology, Microbiology, and French Literature. She was one year away from completing her Medical Doctorate as of the episode Fallen Angel. The first season of the series was dark, arc-driven, and quite reflective of the contemporary Cold War, with the FIRM personnel distinctly dressed in white, implicitly boasting that wearing white hats distinguished them as good instead of evil to the unconvinced Hawke and Santini. Early episodes detail the efforts of the United States government to secure Airwolf from Hawke. Because CBS wanted to transform the series into a more family-oriented series, the show transformed during Season two into a more light-hearted series with Hawke and Santini being portrayed as cooperative partners with the FIRM. The FIRM, during the first three seasons, served as both ally and enemy for Hawke and Santini; when an opportunity to seize Airwolf presented itself, FIRM operatives often took it. Airwolf (NEED STATS) Airwolf was painted Phantom Gray Metallic (DuPont Imron 5031X) on top, and a custom pearl-gray (almost white) on the bottom, in a counter shaded pattern. The craft was also fitted with various prop modifications, such as "turbo jet" engines and intakes, an in-air refueling nozzle and blister cowling on the nose, retractable chain guns at the wingtips, and a retractable rocket launcher, known as the "ADF Pod" (ADF standing for All Directional Firing, as the pod could rotate 180 degrees to fire at targets at the sides and rear of the copter) on its belly. The concept behind Airwolf was a super fast and armed helicopter that could "blend in" by appearing to be civilian and non-military in origin- A "wolf in sheep's clothing." Airwolf's insignia patch (also designed by Probert) as worn by the flight-crew was a snarling wolf's head with gossamer wings that appears to be wearing a sheepskin complete with the head of lamb over the wolf's forehead. Airwolf is sometimes referred to in-show as "The Lady" by Santini and Hawke. Airwolf was an armored, stealthy aircraft. It could perform impossible maneuvers and stunts, including traveling at mach speeds (the theoretical maximum speed of a helicopter is significantly below Mach 0.5, or half the speed of sound), flying upside down, and flying into the stratosphere. Some of these impossible capabilities are explained in the show by such features as auxiliary jet engines (visible at the roots of the landing gear sponsons), rotor blades that can be disengaged for supersonic flight and a lifting body fuselage. Sound effects were also associated with many of the aircraft's abilities. When Airwolf bolted across the sky in "turbo boost" mode, one would hear it "howl like a wolf" as it made a glass-shattering sound effect. When sitting idle, the aircraft made a mechanical trilling sound, and while hovering the rotor blades made a ghostly wind drone. The weapons were state-of-the-art, with machine guns that could rip apart tanks and bunkers. The belly missile pod could fire a variety of rockets, including Air-to-Surface Mavericks, Hellfire and heat-seeking Sidewinders. Airwolf was also equipped with an advanced computer system which could identify and track aircraft and ground vehicles. It could display 3D wireframe models and schematics of its targets. The communications system could eavesdrop on radio and telephone conversations, tap into and foul up computer systems, jam enemy transmission frequencies and disrupt ground-based electrical systems. The stealth systems were capable of rendering Airwolf invisible to radar, as well as producing multiple radar returns. The weapons system could be tied in with the communications system to lock the missiles onto any monitored electronic system. In the first episode, a Bullpup missile was launched from Airwolf against an American destroyer while the helicopter was being used by its in-story inventor, Doctor Charles Henry Moffet. Airwolf had an evil twin, the Airwolf II, also known as Redwolf. The Redwolf was built by The Firm to replace Airwolf, but was stolen and flown by an egotistical test-pilot rival of Stringfellow Hawke's called Harlan Jenkins. Redwolf differed from Airwolf in that its underbelly was painted red (where Airwolf' was painted pearl-grey). It was also equipped with a powerful laser weapon. Season 4 also featured a similar copter to the Redwolf, known as the Scorpion, though the footage of the dog fighting was recycled from the "Airwolf II" episode.
Crew Passengers Length Height Weight Speed Range Ceiling Power Wing Guns ADF Pod Defense 2-3 (pilot(s) & weapons technician) 1-2 (non-crew may use the copilot seat and/or a seat behind the technician's seat) 49.54 ft (15.1 m) 11.68 ft (3.56 m) unspecified 345 mph (555 km/h) conventional, Mach 1.5 with turbo thrusters, Mach 2 max speed 950-1450 mi (1529-2334 km), Mid-Air Fueling Capable 11,000 ft (3,353 m) unpressurized, 89,000 ft (30,482 m) pressurized Unspecified 30 mm Cannon (2), .50 BMG Chain gun (4), firing up to 40 rounds / second Red Laser, AGM-12 Bullpup missiles (2), AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles (8), AIM-95 Agile missiles (4), AGM-45 Shrike missiles (6), M712 Copperhead shells (4), FIM-43 Redeye missiles (6), AGM-65 Maverick missiles (4), AGM-114 Hellfire missiles (4) Sunburst anti-missile Flares (10), Bullet-proof armored fuselage, Learning flight/combat computer, Radar/Radio Jammer

10

Hawke, Stringfellow (NEED STATS) Stringfellow Hawke (portrayed by American actor Jan-Michael Vincent) is a fictional character on the American action-adventure television series Airwolf (1984-1987). During the series' first three seasons, Hawke is its central character. A freelance agent of a division of the CIA known as the F.I.R.M., Hawke serves as pilot and custodian of the prototype supersonic attack helicopter for which the show is named. Born in 1950, Vietnam War veteran Stringfellow Hawke lives in seclusion with his Bluetick Coonhound "Tet," named for the 'Nam action the Tet Offensive, at a log cabin by a California lake. When Hawke was twelve, he and his parents were in a boating accident on the lake. He was rescued by his brother Saint John, but their parents drowned. Beginning with this incident, Hawke grows to believe that anyone he loves is destined to die tragically, a belief that subsequent events only serve to reinforce. The orphaned Hawke brothers are raised by Dominic Santini (Ernest Borgnine), a friend and fellow military aviator of their father's, and an acknowledged but unexplained exception to Hawke's "curse." Upon reaching adulthood, both Saint John and Stringfellow enlist in the U.S. Army and are dispatched to the front lines of the Vietnam War. Both Hawke brothers prove their valor and piloting skills during the conflict. In 1969, tragedy occurs again when Saint John is separated from his brother and the rest of their unit during a mission. Stringfellow was hospitalized prior to the fall of Saigon and lost contact with his Vietnamese girlfriend, Nhi Huong. Saint John is listed as M.I.A. in Southeast Asia, causing Stringfellow to further withdraw from society. Hawke returns from the war and earns a Master's degree in Applied Physics. He lives a solitary life in the mountains and uses his cabins dock as a helicopter landing pad. He serenades eagles with Prokofiev on his Stradivarius cello, and is an avid fisherman. Hawke has a first-rate art collection, which his grandfather collected for his grandmother. He works with Dominic Santini, his adopted father and mentor (and now also his employer) and the owner of Santini Air (a helicopter service for hire, mostly to the movie-making business). Hawke also works for Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III (intelligence code name: "Archangel"), deputy project director for the F.I.R.M. As Hawke had been chief test pilot for Airwolf during its development program, he is recruited by Archangel as the logical--indeed, the only--candidate to retrieve the helicopter after its designer and builder, Charles Henry Moffet, absconds with it to Libya. Hawke is further convinced to accept the mission by Archangel's assistant Gabrielle Ademaur (Belinda Bauer), with whom Hawke ultimately becomes romantically involved. Hawke accepts the mission on the condition that the Firm hand over classified information on the whereabouts of his missing brother. Thus, Hawke and Santini run the mission to take back Airwolf, and they discover that Moffet has used it to destroy American targets for the Libyans. Gabrielle goes undercover to thwart Moffett's nefarious plans, but she is detected and captured by Moffett, then tortured and left to die in the desert. At the same time, Hawke and Santini have stolen Airwolf from its compound. Hawke finds Gabrielle, only to have her die in his arms. Hawke hunts Moffett across the desert, and finally kills the fiendish engineer with his own invention. With Airwolf secured, Hawke fulfills his part of the deal with the F.I.R.M., but Archangel claims to as yet have no further information about Saint John. Unsatisfied, Hawke hides and booby traps Airwolf in a desert cave and becomes custodian of the aircraft, vowing not to hand it over until the F.I.R.M. finds his brother. Over the next two and a half years, Hawke pilots Airwolf on a number of national security missions at Archangel's request. Hawke also occasionally pilots Airwolf to save or protect endangered innocents he encounters, to help friends in peril, or to correct injustices. In these adventures, Hawke is commonly supported by Santini, former Texas Highway Patrol officer Caitlin O'Shaunnessy (Jean Bruce Scott), and occasionally, Archangel himself, who does supply them with the unusual fuel and ammunition which "the Lady" (Dom's nickname for Airwolf) requires. Caitlin is first encountered in the second season premiere, as a helicopter-flying state police officer. Having seen Airwolf in the air and met Stringfellow Hawke separately on the ground, she resigns her position and traces Hawke, by his unusual name, to Santini Air. Both men deny any knowledge of the aircraft she describes, but Dom gives her a job. Eventually, an ill-timed injury to Santini forces them to recruit Caitlin into the Airwolf operation. In the first episode of Airwolf 's fourth and final season, Stringfellow is critically injured when a bomb planted in one of Dominic Santini's helicopters explodes, killing Santini. "Company" (the F.I.R.M. having been replaced) administrator Jason Locke (Anthony Sherwood) recruits Major Mike Rivers (Geraint Wyn Davies), who ingeniously locates Airwolf's "Lair" with satellite photos that show the helicopter's prop wash in the surrounding desert sands. To their surprise, Dominic Santini's niece, Jo Santini (Michele Scarabelli) has already found the lair and insists on being part of the operation. They use Airwolf to liberate Saint John Hawke (Barry Van Dyke), who has been working under very deep cover for another agency of US intelligence, from an assignment gone bad. Saint John and Stringfellow reunite in the United States, and Saint John subsequently replaces his wounded brother as the primary pilot of Airwolf (and as the central character of the Airwolf television series). String tells Saint John, "I don't want to die in this place," and his brother carries him out of the hospital. To where and to what fate is not specified. Santini, Dominic (NEED STATS) Dominic Santini is a fictional character on the U.S. television series Airwolf, which ran from 1984 to 1987. Veteran actor Ernest Borgnine portrayed the character during the series' first three seasons. Santini is of Italian-American descent, and was born and raised on the fictional Caribbean Island nation of San Remo. His wife Lila, from whom Santini had been long estranged, was murdered by San Remo's criminal element during the Season Two Airwolf episode "Sins of the Past." Dominic and Lila had a daughter, Sally Ann, but Sally Ann died of a drug overdose shortly before the beginning of the same episode. Santini's other known relatives include his younger brother Tony Santini and Tony's daughter (Dominic's niece) Jo Santini, who becomes an important supporting character on the series during its fourth and final season.

11

Dominic also has another niece, Holly Mathews, who suffers from a delusional emotional illness and nearly causes a disaster for her uncle and his friends during the episode "The Truth About Holly." Santini is a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, serving as a combat aviator for the U.S. Army in both conflicts. During his wartime experiences, Santini becomes a good friend of fellow American military aviator Alan B. Hawke. After Hawke and his wife are killed in a boating accident, Santini takes it upon himself to raise the Hawkes' two young sons, Saint John Hawke and Stringfellow Hawke, to manhood. A gruff, but loving father figure, Santini teaches both Hawke brothers the art of flying, and both grow up to become excellent aviators under his tutelage. After Saint John goes missing in action during the Vietnam War, Santini and Stringfellow dedicate themselves to the operation of Santini Air, a Van Nuys, California-based air charter service founded and owned by Santini that specializes in performing aerial stunts for Hollywood film productions. As Santini Air's chief proprietor, Dominic was known for his willingness to take on even the most difficult flying stunts and for being very budget-minded. In 1984, Santini helps Stringfellow to recover the high-tech espionage helicopter Airwolf from Libya, where the sophisticated aircraft had been taken by its insane creator Doctor Charles Henry Moffet to serve the needs of Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi. Over the next two and a half years, Santini would serve as flight engineer on Airwolf, with Stringfellow as pilot and aircraft commander. When necessary, Santini would also occasionally take Hawke's place as Airwolf's pilot and aircraft commander. On such occasions, the flight engineer's duties would be transferred to Caitlin O'Shaunessy, a former Texas Highway Patrol officer whom Santini and Stringfellow had befriended and whom Santini had hired as an employee for Santini Air. Santini and Hawke would fly Airwolf on a number of national security missions in cooperation with the government intelligence agency known as the Firm, which had supplied funding for Airwolf's construction. Santini and Hawke would also periodically use Airwolf to help friends and innocent people in dire peril, to conduct humanitarian missions, to aid in scientific research, and to correct injustices. Santini has great admiration and fondness for the elegant and sleek espionage aircraft, which he affectionately dubs "the Lady" and to which he often speaks as if the machine were alive. In 1987, Dominic is killed in a helicopter explosion that also severely injures Stringfellow Hawke. This explosion was caused not by an accident, but by an act of sabotage by Santini and Hawke's enemies. After Dominic's death, his niece Jo becomes the new chief proprietor of Santini Air. Following the rescue of Saint John Hawke from Southeast Asia, Jo also takes her late uncle's place as an Airwolf crew member, as does Saint John for his wounded brother Stringfellow. Moffet, Doctor Charles Henry (NEED STATS) Moffet is clearly a genius, and just as clearly a sociopath. There are indications in the pilot episode that he has perhaps had run-ins with the American government in the past, but his abilities make him too enticing for the government to pass up. Working for a division of the CIA known as the F.I.R.M., Moffet then designs and builds the prototype supersonic attack helicopter known as Airwolf, which carries a price tag of a billion dollars. During Airwolf's development, the project's chief test pilot is Vietnam veteran Stringfellow Hawke, the dark and Byronic star of the series. (Hawke and Moffet never meet on screen until their final showdown; although they must have known each other; any relationship they may have had during Airwolf's development is hidden within the back-story.) Upon Airwolf's completion, the F.I.R.M puts the aircraft--piloted by Moffet himself--through a live-fire exercise to demonstrate its abilities to William Dietz (Eugene Roche), an important but skeptical U.S. senator who believes the project to be too costly. Upon seeing what Airwolf can do, however, the impressed senator radios his congratulations to Moffet. But Moffet apparently holds a grudge against Dietz for an earlier run-in, and he proceeds to unleash Airwolf's weapons against the control center, killing Dietz, and wounding several F.I.R.M agents, including its senior official, Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III (code name: "Archangel"). Expressly said to have been blinded in one eye by the attack, Archangel also walks with a cane and a limp for the rest of the series, but the precise nature of this injury is not specified (although in one subsequent episode when he loses part of an ear, his right-hand woman, Marella (Deborah Pratt), quips that they might need to clone him for spare parts, implying that he has used a prosthetic leg since this incident). Moffet and his crew then fly Airwolf to Libya. The Libyan government caters to Moffet's sadistic desires in exchange for Moffet's use of Airwolf to strike at Libya's enemies. ("There's nothing wrong with a little perversion, Mark," Moffet tells one of his crew at one point, "so long as you don't hurt yourself."). On one occasion Moffet even uses Airwolf to sink an American destroyer with all hands. Discovering that an exotic dancing girl, Gabrielle Ademaur, is actually a F.I.R.M. agent assigned to locate him, Moffet abandons her in the desert to die. At the same time, Hawke and his friend Dominic Santini have stolen Airwolf from its compound. When Hawke, who is romantically involved with Gabrielle, finds her only to have her die in his arms, he hunts down Moffet across the desert with Airwolf, killing the inventor with his own creation. Moffet, however manages to return from beyond the grave. Before fleeing to Libya, he destroyed the plans to Airwolf, making the prototype--now in Hawke's hands--one of a kind, and thus forcing the F.I.R.M. to work with Hawke on the latter's terms in order to have use of the helicopter. Moffet also implanted a software logic bomb in Airwolf's computers; when a certain length of time went by without him entering a special code, the computer took over control of the helicopter and sent it on a spree of destruction before Hawke and Santini could erase the software (season 2's "Moffett's Ghost"--the name was incorrectly spelled by MCA Universal's titles department). Although Moffet appears in only the pilot and (as a video recording in Airwolf's on-board computer) "Moffett's Ghost", his shadow hovers over the plot for the life of the series.

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FOUNDATION

FOR

LAW

AND

GOVERNMENT

Knight, Michael (FLAG Operative) "Knight Rider, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law. Michael Knight, a lone crusader in the dangerous world, the world of the Knight Rider." Richard Basehart, Knight Rider Born Michael Arthur Long, outside of Reno, Nevada in 1949, son of blue-collar people. At 20, he joined the Green Berets and spent three years in counter intelligence work in Vietnam. Captured once, he fought his way out of a POW camp, incurring an injury which required surgery - and a metal plate that was inserted into his skull. Back in the States, he joined the Reno, Nevada Police Department. After 10 years on the force, he was promoted to Detective Lieutenant. In 1982, in an undercover sting operation involving stolen microchips, his long-time partner, Muntzy, was killed. An informant then turned on Long and shot him in the face. Picked up on a desert highway by Wilton Knight, Long barely survived, thanks to the metal plate. Facial surgery was performed, and Michael Long became Michael Knight, a new face (which looks a lot like a young Wilton Knight), a new identity, thanks to perfect ID cards, credits cards and driver's licenses - and a new car, KITT With this new identity, no one can ever trace his source of funds, or information, and for that reason, his real identity must always remain a secret to all but Devon Miles, Bonnie Barstow and KITT. Our hero, the strong arm of F.L.A.G., is impetuous and intuitive, a not-by-the-book guy. On a case, he will be the one to get responses from people - from the crooks, fear and loathing, from the good people, admiration, and from the woman, something more than admiration. He's tenacious, a fighter, the kind of man who "rattles cages until the monkeys fall", who'll never quit. He has blue-collar sensibilities and a gentleman's demeanor - suave, with a few rough edges. These rough edges make for a few rough times with Devon Miles, his boss. While Michael and Devon often clash, it's always a matter of style, not substance. Michael's relationship with Bonnie is a little more complicated. He likes her, but she's a little stuck up. She likes him, but he's a little different from the guys she knew back home. Sparks sometimes fly, but underneath their surface animosity lurks something. Neither are quite sure what, but there's something there. The Foundation for Law And Government is a crime-fighting organization, founded by Wilton Knight. FLAG's main purpose is to fight against "criminals who operate above the law". FLAG has been run by three different individuals: Wilton Knight (until 1982). Devon Miles (1982-2000). Russel Maddock (2000 and later). Not much is known about the founding of FLAG, but it has been a subject of much speculation. Some show FLAG was founded by a young Wilton Knight, however, other stories see FLAG as brand new. Another theory often espoused is that FLAG and the Knight Foundation were secretly a front set in the same universe as Battlestar Galactica, based on both series being works of Glen A. Larson, KITT and KARR both having the distinctive "red eye" look of Cylons, the plot of Galactica 1980 being based around trying to improve humanity and its technology, the series being set only 2 years after Galactica 1980, an episode of Galactica 1980 where several damaged Cylons were captured, and lastly, as an explanation for how FLAG could have access to the incredible technologies like artificial intelligence, impossibly powerful and accurate sensors, and the molecularly bonded shell armor. More is explained as we learn that FLAG was on-line at the time before KARR was activated and Wilton Knight had a chosen man for the job of the Knight Rider. However, this man, Ken Franklyn was fatally shot by the criminal C. J. Jackson, nearly destroying Wilton Knight's dreams of FLAG. However, Wilton continued his project, but it almost came to its end again, as the industrial espionage expert Tanya Walker crossed paths with Wilton. As Michael Long (now as Michael Knight) defeated Tanya's gang, FLAG seemed to regain stability. Wilton Knight is dying of an undisclosed illness. Given a new face via facial reconstructive surgery, Long is resurrected as Michael Knight. Together with a high-tech automobile called the Knight Industries Two Thousand, Michael Knight agrees to carry on Wilton Knight's crusade of aiding the powerless. He usually was given mission objectives by the new director of FLAG, Wilton Knight's longtime friend and confidante, Devon Miles. Michael was selected for his high level of self-defense training, intelligence, law enforcement experience, and his ability and preference to work alone without assistance or back-up. Michael Knight was a special type of hero, a modern knight who avoided violence whenever possible and generally refrained from using firearms. Although most of Knight's cases were based in Southern California where FLAG was headquartered, the operation was not confined there. He could travel to whatever part of the country where trouble arose, sometimes even crossing borders into Mexico. FLAG also had facilities in Las Vegas and Chicago. FLAG's legal jurisdiction, however, was within the boundaries of the United States. The organization also owned an 18-wheeler that served as a mobile office and also offered technical support for KITT. Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5, Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3, Perception 5, Intelligence 3, Wits 4; Abilities: Academnics (Occult) 1, Athletics (Dodge) 3, Awareness 4, Biz 2, Brawl 4, Bureaucracy 3 (Covert), Command 3, Computer 2, Drive 3, Engineering 3, Firearms 5, Intimidation 3, Intrusion 3, Investigation 5, Linguistics 2, Medicine 1, Melee 4, Perform 1, Rapport 1, Stealth 3, Streetwise 4, Style 3, Subterfuge 2, Survival 1; Backgrounds: Allies 4, Backing 4, Contacts 4, Influence 3, Resources 5; Merits: Agency Insider (FLAG), Top Secret Access; Flaws: Potent Blood; Virtues: Willpower 7 13

Comlink: KITT is in constant contact with Michael via a two-way Casio communication wristwatch Michael wore. The watch also had a micro camera and scanner that KITT could access to gather information. Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT) KITT (Model # AD-227529-B): KITT (an acronym for Knight Industries Two Thousand) is the name of a fictional computer that controls the high-tech Knight 3000, a silver Chevrolet Camaro concept hybrid. KITT was said to have been designed by the late Wilton Knight, a brilliant but eccentric billionaire and founder of the Foundation for Law and Government, (commonly shortened to "FLAG"), and its parent the Knight Foundation. KITT's main cybernetic processor was first installed in a mainframe computer used by the United States government in Washington D.C. However, Wilton saw better use for "him" in the Foundation's crime-fighting crusade and eventually the system was installed in the vehicle. KITT was in fact the second vehicle built by Knight Industries with artificial intelligence. His predecessor was KARR, the Knight Automated Roving Robot. KARR was programmed for selfpreservation, but this proved to be dangerous to the Foundation's interests. KARR was later deactivated and placed in storage while KITT was given to his new operator, Michael Knight (the new identity of Michael Long). KITT was essentially an advanced supercomputer on wheels. The "brain" of KITT was the Knight 2000 microprocessor which is the center of a "self-aware" cybernetic logic module that allowed KITT to think, learn, communicate and interact with humans. Although KITT wasn't programmed to have feelings, he always had an ego that was easy to bruise and displayed a very sensitive personality. The system was programmed to drive the car better than a human operator could. He also has an in-dash entertainment system that can play music and video, and run various computer programs including arcade games which Michael sometimes indulged in whenever KITT was driving. The belief that KITT was truly sentient was never discussed in the show. KITT was fully aware of himself and programmed to obey all orders given to him by his human creators, so long as they didn't violate his prime directive of protecting human life (especially Michael's) to the best of his abilities. KITT has, however been referred to as being "alive" in at least one episode. KITT's "Alpha Circuit" is mentioned quite a bit throughout the series, however its function was never clearly explained. It is most likely part of KITT's main control system which allows the CPU to drive the car. All that is really known is that the system is vulnerable to damage, (having been damaged when KITT towed a small hatchback in Episode 3, "Deadly Maneuvers"), which hinders KITT's performance in several ways. When KARR was encountered a second time, the time he spent submerged in water damaged his Alpha Circuit, which required KARR to have an operator to control his Turbo Boost function. KARR crashed into the Knight Transport vehicle, in an attempt to find new "Alpha Capacitors" to fix the problem. His driver stole KITT's experimental defensive laser system in addition to having forced Bonnie to install the new Alpha Capacitors. This is demonstrated during KITT's and KARR's first nose to nose encounter during the episode, when KARR backed off because his system was not yet up to full strength. Had the parts not been replaced, KARR would have had no reason to wait in expectation of his system gaining full strength. Unlike KARR, KITT is programmed primarily to protect Michael at all cost as well as all human life (referring to Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics). This is made clear in the pilot episode where Michael asks Devon Miles if KITT will protect anyone driving it. Devon's answer is that KITT's primary function is the preservation of human life, and Michael's in particular. Strength 20 (Towing), Dexterity 4, Stamina 6 (to resist internal damage), Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception (Sensors) 7, Intelligence (Facts) 5, Wits 3; Cruise Speed 100 mph, Maximum Speed 300 mph (420 with SPM); Maneuver 10; Brake 1/5 (1/10 with EBS); Armor Rating 8/10 (10/15 versus heat and fire); Talents: Awareness 4 (Sensor Systems), Athletics (Dodge) 2, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 4; Skills: Drive 4, Etiquette 2, Repair 4 (Own Systems), Security 4, Stealth 4 (when in Silent mode); Knowledges: Chemistry 4, Computer 5, Forensics 4, Investigation 3, Law 4, Linguistics 3, Medicine 4, Science 4 Cruise Modes: On Normal, Michael had control of the car. In an emergency, KITT could still take over and activate Auto Cruise mode. In order to prevent this, one has to use the Manual Override. In Auto, KITT could drive himself utilizing an advanced Auto Collision Avoidance system. "Pursuit" is used during high-speed driving and is a combination of manual and computer assisted operation. KITT could respond to road conditions faster than Michael's reflexes could; however, Michael was technically in control of the vehicle and KITT helped guide certain maneuvers. Silent mode allows KITT to run silently using battery power in place of normal engine power. The speeds attainable in this mode are only 45 cruise, 130 maximum and this use will quickly drain KITTs battery backups. Maximum cruise time on batteries is thirty minutes. These recharge quickly however (one minute per minute of normal engine operation). Super-Pursuit mode was the result of a redesign of the car to integrate new concepts consisting of improved rocket boosters, retractable spoilers for aerodynamic stability, and movable air inlets for increased cooling. Super-Pursuit mode provided a 40% boost in speed beyond the car's original top speed of 300 MPH. Ski mode used advanced gyroscopic mechanisms to allow KITT to "ski" (driving up on two wheels). He could drive in this manner for an almost unlimited time so long as he kept above 10 mph in speed. The Third Stage Aquatic Synthesizer allows KITT to hydroplane, effectively "driving" on water, using his wheels and turbo system for propulsion. The top speed for this is 90 mph with a sustained cruise of 45 mph and a maneuverability of 6 and a braking of 3. Fuel Processor: KITT was powered by a turbine engine primarily fueled by hydrogen gas. However, his complex fuel processor allows him to run on any combustible liquid, even regular gasoline. KITT's actual fuel requirements and 14

efficiency ratings were classified, however in one episode, KITT mentioned his fuel economy was at least 100 miles per gallon. However, when operating on fuels other than liquid hydrogen, KITT's fuel efficiency and power output may be lowered. Tri-Helical Plasteel 1000 Molecular Bonded Shell: This coating on KITTs hull provides protection from damage. It provides an armor rating of 8/10 versus all damage. Against heat and flame, his pyroclastic lamination provides resistance even more profound (10/15). The shell is vulnerable to some potent acids and at least one formula was made to completely neutralize the shell. It is also shown that long exposure to seawater can weaken the shell as in the case of KARR. Turbo Boost: A series of rear mounted undercarriage rocket motors allows KITT to accelerate to incredible speeds in excess of 200 mph. When activated in combination with the Trajectory Guidance System and a pair of rocket motors mounted just behind the front tires that lift the front of the car, KITT can jump 40 feet into the air and pass over obstacles in the road. The system also allows KITT added power whenever maneuvering heavy objects such as pushing a heavy boulder off a cliff, or pulling a large vehicle out of danger. The boosters could fire forward or backward. Voice Synthesizer: KITT's voice synthesizer allows his logic module to speak and communicate. With it, KITT can also simulate other sounds, such as a police raid to fool criminals or a wild animal's growl, useful for scaring away animals intending to pee on his tires. KITT's primary spoken language is English, however by accessing his language module, he can speak fluently in German, French and Spanish. Drivers Compartment: KITT could automatically open and close his doors and T-tops. He could also lock his doors to prevent unauthorized entry into his driver compartment. He could also open his hood automatically. KITT's windows could darken to opacity for various situations. KITT had two front ejection seats, mostly used when Michael needed a boost to fire escapes or building roof tops. KITT had two CRT video display monitors on his dash for various readouts. They are controlled by two systems, the Graphic Translator (which sketches likenesses from verbal input) and the Anamorphic Equalizer (which gathered visual information from KITT's front scan bar) and micro-scanners. KITT could release oxygen into his driver compartment and provide air to passengers if he was ever submerged in water or buried in earth. This is also used to overcome the effects of certain drugs. KITT could release cryogenic gases and "flash freeze" the driver compartment. This was used once when a baby tiger managed to get inside to gnaw on his steering wheel and KITT wanted him out. This does up to five dice of cold damage to any creature in the passenger compartment. KITT could spray a gas into the driver compartment that could render an unwanted occupant unconscious. People in the compartment must make a Stamina roll (6) and achieve four successes to resist the gas. Otherwise, they will fall asleep for up to an hour. KITT could expend all breathable air from the driver compartment, however, only KARR ever used it to harm someone. KITT used this to rid the compartment of smoke after bombs were detonated in his trunk. Anamorphic Equalizer: KITT's most apparent feature is his front scan bar called the Anamorphic Equalizer. The device is a fiber-optic array of electronic eyes. When KITT's surveillance mode was active, the bar would light up and make an ominous swooping sound as it panned left and right. Occasionally, the bar could pulse in different patterns and sweep rapidly or very slowly. The scanner could see in all visual wavelengths as well as X-Ray and infrared. KITT can see in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, allowing him to see clearly and without penalty whenever UV illumination (such as from the sun, moon or stars) is present. Like a cat, he is able to see in conditions of very little light. KITT can see as well in darkness as in daylight, provided that there is at least some light (even faint starlight is enough). If he is in total blackness (such as an unlit underground room), he cannot see. KITT is also able to see in the infrared spectrum. Not only can he see anything illuminated by an IR light, he can see the heat given off by living things and hot objects. Hot things appear bright, cool things dark. KITT can magnify objects in him line of sight, as though he were a high-powered telescopic scope or electron microscope. This can be used to view tiny objects but it can also help see objects at a distance. The character can also see distant objects as if they were close up. The magnification provided by this is approximately x100. This negates range penalties. KITT can transmit and receive waves from the gamma- and x-ray end of the electromagnetic spectrum. This allows him to see through solid objects, at a range equal to 180 yard range. By making a Perception roll, KITT may see through solid objects. The Storyteller may increase the difficulty to scan through particularly dense objects. The scan bar is also KITT's most vulnerable area. In an attempt to stop KARR, Bonnie rigged a laser that could penetrate KARR's sensor and disable his electronics. Etymotic Equalizer: His etymotic equalizer system allows KITT to hear sound. An array of audio sensors are threaded throughout his interior and exterior. He can hear and transmit sounds that are too high-pitched or low-pitched to be audible to the normal human ear, such as dog whistles, radio waves, or security devices that utilize ultrasonic sound. KITT gains an additional three dice on any Awareness roll related to hearing. KITT can hear infrasonic or ultrasonic sound, though the Storyteller may require an Awareness roll if the sound is extremely soft or distant - just like he would with any normal whisper or distant sound. The name of this technique is slightly misleading, since it actually allows the character to perceive all broadcast waves, including radio, television and cellular telephone transmissions. The character may also transmit along such wavelengths, though he can transmit voice only. KITT can process spoken voices and determine if someone may be lying. Atmospheric Sampling: KITT can "smell" via an atmospheric sampling device mounted in his front bumper. This allows KITT to track a person by scent. He may make an Awareness roll to follow someone by scent alone. If the scent is particularly strong (for example, the person hasnt bathed in a week), reduce the difficulty by one. If the person being tracked passes through an area with a lot of other scents (like a crowded city street), walks through a stream or does anything else that might confuse or mask his scent, KITT must make another roll at an increased difficulty (+2 or more, usually). KITT is equipped with a bomb sniffer module that can detect explosives within five yards of the vehicle. 15

Microscanners: Microscanners are tiny audio and visual sensors embedded into the grooves of KITT's body. They allow for visual tracking and display of anything around the car. He can sense all around himself more or less as readily as he can look straight ahead. He can perceive things in a 360-degree circle around himself. This prevents KITT from being surprised by people sneaking up on him from behind. Attackers do not gain Flank or rear attack bonuses to hit him. It also allows him to keep track of everything surrounding him. Ultraphonic Analyzer: An ultraphonic chemical analyzer with a retractable tray with an electron scanner could analyze the chemical properties of various materials. It could even scan fingerprints and read ballistic information off bullets and compare these with a police database. Aside from the scanning tray, the system could also analyze chemical information gathered from KITT's exterior sensors. Surveillance Mode: Surveillance Mode did several things: KITT could detect people and vehicles and track their movements and discern proximity. KITT could gather structural schematics of buildings, vehicles, or other devices and help Michael avoid potential danger when he was snooping. KITT could tap into computer systems to monitor, or upload and download information as long as he could break the access codes. KITT had 10 dice for these actions (Intelligence + Computer). To alter, read or remove existing data or insert or create new information. KITT can read or alter approximately 500 megabytes of information per minute. For each success achieved beyond the first, this time is cut in half. Any changes to or deletions of information are permanent; the data must be reentered into the computer by hand. He can also change the instructions or programming used to run a computer or similar device. The difficulty of roll should be determined by the Storyteller; the more sophisticated the computer and its software, the greater the difficulty. The changes or additions to a computers software are permanent until otherwise corrected. Medical scanner: KITT has a medical scanner that includes an electrocardiograph (ECG). The medical scanner can monitor the vital signs of individuals and display them on his monitors. It could indicate such conditions as if they were injured, poisoned, undergoing stress or other emotional behavior. KITT could even monitor Michael's physical activity through sensors inside the driver seat. Override Controls: Computer Override is a hidden switch and setting dial under the dash that either completely shuts down his AI module or deactivates certain systems should the need arise. Manual Override is a function which can be activated in order to completely lock the AI from all the vehicle controls. Unlike the Computer Override, Manual Override simply keeps KITT from activating Auto Cruise or preventing anyone inside the car from doing something that would probably hurt them. KITT is still able to protest such actions vocally. Police Lights/Siren: KITT's headlights can flash red and blue as police lights, and he has a siren. Grappling Hook and Winch: KITT has a hidden winch and grappling hook system, one mounted under his front bumper, and another in a compartment behind his tail light plate. Most often the hook is connected by a strong cable, but a metal arm has also been seen. Oil Jets / Smoke Screen: KITT can spray an oil slick and a plume of smoke from under the rear bumper. Emergency Braking System: The EBS is used to slow KITT down from Super-Pursuit speeds. It consists of a forward breaking booster and air panels that extend out to create air friction. After it is deployed, the vehicle is immobile for 5 turns as the system retracts. Microwave Jammer: KITT has an electronic jamming system that played havoc on electrical systems. The system could take control of electronic machines, allowing things like cheating at slot machines, breaking electronic locks, fouling security cameras and withdrawing money from ATMs. To control, the number of successes achieved indicates the Strength of the control. If the machine (or its user or driver) tries to counteract the control, assign the machine Strength to reflect its power and resolve the situation as a resisted action. To overload, it sends a pulse of electricity or electromagnetic energy through it, stresses it so that it jams or seizes up. If a roll is successful, the machine will not work. The Storyteller may increase the difficulty of the roll for machines that are particularly advanced or difficult to affect for some reason. The jammer can also be used to magnetically charge ferrous metal items within the vicinity, causing them to attract or repel one another. This could, for example, wrench a gun from a foes hand or trap an armored guard against the metal bars of a prison cell. A magnetically charged ferrous object exerts an effective Strength equal to the 3 plus the successes scored on the roll. KITTs dice pool for jamming is 10 (Intelligence + Computer). Laser Power-Pack: KITT can fire a high powered ultra-frequency modulated laser capable of burning through steel plating. Like most of KITT's components, the schematics for the laser device are classified. The laser is computer targeted (7 dice) and does 13 dice of damage. The range of the attack is 1000 yards and the vehicles pack has enough power for 10 shots before it requires recharging. Flame Thrower: KITT has flame throwers mounted under his bumpers. Difficulty is a 5 with a dice pool of 7 dice. The range of the flame throwers is 10 yards and each shot does 10 dice of fire damage. Tear Gas Launcher: KITT can dispense a cloud of tear gas along with his smoke screen. Tear gas is commonly used by military and law-enforcement agents when killing the opponent is not the main goal. Severe eye irritation, coughing and gagging incapacitate the victim. All dice pools are reduced by three dice for 10 minutes after exposure. A gas mask, similar breathing apparatus or other forms of self-contained breathing prevents the effects of the gas. Passive Laser Restraint System: The restraint system helped protect Michael and any passengers from the shock of sudden impacts and hard stopping, especially after Super-Pursuit Mode. It is speculated that this is a primitive form of an inertial dampening device. Any damage resulting from a collision or sudden movement is reduced by five dice while this system is active. Magnesium Charges: KITT can launch magnesium flares, which can also be used to divert heat-seeking missiles fired at him. 16

Rotating License Plate: KITT can rotate his KNIGHT license plate to reveal a fictitious one reading "KNI 667". Michael used this to evade police when an APB was placed on him. Fire Extinguisher: KITT could put out small fires from a CO2 sprayer in his bumpers. These have a range of five yards. Homing Device: In dire emergency, Michael can activate a secret homing beacon hidden inside a gold pendant he wears around his neck. The beacon sends a priority signal that can remotely activate KITT and override his programming so that he rushes to Michael's aid. Other Knight Industries Vehicles F.L.A.G. Mobile Unit (The Semi): KITT has access to a mobile "garage", sometimes referred outside the show as "The Rook", which was a semi-trailer truck owned by the Foundation. The mobile unit usually roamed somewhere near Michael's location. The trailer has an extendible ramp that dropped down and allows KITT to drive inside even when the truck is in motion. The trailer was loaded with spare parts and equipment for KITT. It also had a computer lab where technicians Bonnie or April would work and conduct repairs and maintenance. At the front of the trailer is a small office area. During early episodes, the trailer was plain white. In later episodes, of the first season and beyond, it was painted black with a gold stripe and a gold Knight chess piece emblem. The laboratory area was redesigned in the second season with more a pseudo lounge appearance. The truck cab itself was always black, though gold pin striping was added when the trailer's exterior was changed to black and gold, and three different trucks served as the tractor itself. The first had no sleeper compartment, and the latter two did, as well as other visual differences. Other than coloring, a common factor between all three versions of the Semi was that it had a single-stack exhaust, with the stack on the right side. All were GMC General tractor trailers. The first was a 1980 General with no sleeper compartment. The second and third were both 1984 Generals with a sleeper, although the shape of the sleeper differed between the two, with the third being more aerodynamic. Knight Industries Three Thousand (Alternate): The Knight Industries Three Thousand (K.I.T.T.) is an upgrade to The Knight Industries Two Thousand (K.I.T.T.) voiced by Val Kilmer. KITT is a 2008 Ford Mustang GT500KR and has similar features as compared to the original KITT including the ability to morph into a "Super Pursuit mode", a new effect achieved primarily with CGI animation. The new KITT boasts the following features among others: 550 horsepower solar hybrid engine, sports-tuned suspension, Xenon headlamps with infrared night-vision, metallic paint with nanotech enhanced camouflage including morphing License Plate, military satellite access, FBI database access, self-regeneration and damage repair, high-speed Internet, Artificial Intelligence, voice-activated GPS, Apple Wireless Keyboard in the glove box under an accessory drawer, biometric Interface to access security features, wireless headset to communicate with passengers within a limited distance, biomedical Scanner. It is important to note that if KITT's Artificial Intelligence is offline, the self-regeneration mechanism is inactive, making him as vulnerable as an ordinary car. Part of the shutting down procedures of KITT's AI includes the release of the clutch pedal as well as a stick shift to allow manual control. Other details from the pilot film: Driving cross-country, KITT can average a speed of 191 mph (307 km/h). (627 mi (1,009 km) in 3 h 17 min). Although largely solar powered, KITT does use gasoline; with 91% of the energy being recycled, he averages 167 miles per gallon. Instead of the famous communicator watch, KITT communicates with his operators via a wireless headset, and can access wireless phone networks. Since KITT can tie into numerous computer systems, he is able to emulate many of the functions of the watch, such as unlocking doors. The 2008 update to Knight Rider includes a new KITT the acronym now standing for "Knight Industries Three Thousand". The KITT platform is patterned on a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR and differs from the original Two Thousand unit in several ways. For example, the 2008 KITT utilizes nano-technology, allowing the car's outer shell to change colors and morph itself into similar car forms temporarily, including its license plate. The nanotech platform is written as needing the AI active in order to do any of these effects, unlike the original car's gadgets and super "molecular shell" which allowed it to endure extreme impacts. These nano-tech detriments are shown as when the bulletproof ability of the car windows is lost and the villains are able to shoot through to the driver when the AI is deactivated. These new effects are achieved primarily with CGI animation. While the original series stated that the original KITT was designed by Wilton Knight, the 2008 TV movie says that Charles Graiman designed the car and the AI for Wilton Knight, and was subsequently relocated to protect him and his family. Also, some have noticed the car model name (GT-500 KR) bears the initials of the series, though this is merely a coincidence as the initials actually stand for "King of the Road." The 2008 model is a 40th Anniversary tribute to the original Shelby Cobra GT-500 KR, produced in 1968. KARR (Knight Rider): KARR (the Knight Automated Roving Robot), is a fictional character and a villain from the cult television series Knight Rider. KARR is the prototype version of KITT, originally designed by Wilton Knight and built by his company Knight Industries. Upon completion of the vehicle, KARR's CPU was installed and activated. However, a programming error made the computer unstable and potentially dangerous. The project was put on hold and the car was placed in storage until a solution could be found. Unlike KITT, whose primary directive is to protect human life, KARR was programmed for self-preservation, making him a ruthless and unpredictable threat. He does not appear as streetwise as KITT, being very nave and 17

inexperienced and having a child-like perception of the world. This has occasionally allowed people to take advantage of his remarkable capabilities for their own gain. Despite this, he does ultimately consider himself superior and unstoppable and due to his programming, the villains don't usually get very far. KARR demonstrates a complete lack of respect or loyalty, going so far on one occasion to eject its driver to save weight and increase its odds of escape. Once KITT was constructed, it was presumed that his prototype KARR had been deactivated and dismantled. However, the latter did not occur and KARR was placed in storage and forgotten following the death of Wilton Knight. When two thieves break into the warehouse where KARR is "sleeping", they unwittingly reactivate him and he escapes. When the two thieves realize how useful the vehicle could be, they use KARR to go on a crime spree. Michael and KITT are sent to recover KARR before anyone gets hurt. Fearful of being taken back to storage and certain deactivation, KARR is unwilling to go back to the Foundation, and flees when Michael and KITT come looking for him. KARR's only weakness is his primary directive of self-preservation, and Michael used this to his advantage. When KARR threatens to destroy KITT in a head-on collision, Michael plays "chicken" with him, knowing KARR will veer out of KITT's path in order to protect himself. Unable to stop in time, KARR drives off a cliff and seemingly explodes in the ocean. Although KARR was believed to have been destroyed, this wasn't the case. KARR was damaged and ended up buried in the sand on the beach below the cliffs. When the tide had gone out, a young couple stumbled upon the partially buried car, dug it out, and reactivated it. This time, KARR was furious and had only one clear motive: revenge against Michael and KITT. KARR was still damaged, however, after the last encounter with KITT and forced the young couple to disguise him and then drive him around to carry out his plans. In a ravine, KARR challenges Michael and KITT to a final showdown. After releasing the young couple, KARR fires a stolen laser and damages KITT. However, Michael and KITT destroy KARR's laser by reflecting the beam back to the emitter. Damaged, KARR prepares for another attack. KITT and KARR both turbo boost and collide in mid-air. KARR is blown to pieces. Michael and KITT survive the impact; however at the end of the episode, amongst the wreckage, KARR's CPU module is lying undamaged on the ground, its LED still flickering. Originally, KARR appeared identical to KITT, with a red light scan bar, and the only physical difference was a yellow LED voice modulator on his dash (KARR's voice modulator is the prototype to the one seen on KITT in the later seasons). When KARR returns in "K.I.T.T. vs. K.A.R.R.", KARR's scan bar is now a yellow hue. KARR later gets a two-tone paint job incorporating a silver lower body into his familiar all-black finish. KARR's scanner originally made a droning noise, but in the comeback episode it sounds similar to KITT's but with a slight reverb audio effect added to it. The sound of KARR's engine, originally sounding rough and "fierce", here sounds similar to KITT's, again affected by a reverb. KARR's voice is also different. KARR's personality is different in the comeback episode. His child-like perceptions are diminished into a more devious personality, completely cold, and bent on revenge. His self-preservation directive is no longer in play when KARR is close to exploding after receiving severe damage: he willingly turbo-jumps into a mid-air collision with KITT hoping that his own destruction would also spell his counterpart's. Even KARR's modus operandi is different. Servile enough in the first episode, he aims to actually make use of other persons, anyone, to serve his own needs. One explanation of this change could be as a result of the damage he received after falling over the cliff at the end of "Trust Doesn't Rust", which further malfunctioned his programming; Indeed, KITT himself is seen to malfunction and suffer change of personality as a result of damage in several other episodes. In "Trust Doesn't Rust", KARR checks basic human desires by querying an internal pre-loaded database, a parallel to the actual Cyc project. In "Trust Doesn't Rust", the voice of KARR was provided by voice actor Peter Cullen, better known as the voice of Optimus Prime in The Transformers cartoon series. In "K.I.T.T. vs. K.A.R.R.", KARR was voiced by Paul Frees. Frees was uncredited on-screen for his role, leading Peter Cullen to sometimes be wrongly credited as providing KARR's voice in "K.I.T.T. vs K.A.R.R." The creators gave KARR a three bar LED voice display. Midway through Season One (from the episode "Hearts of Stone"), KITT was given a three bar LED of his own (previously his voice display had been a flashing red square). KITT's "voice bars" were red and all appeared from the middle of the display; KARR's were yellow, and the outer two bars protruded from the top and bottom. It is never explained how KARR survived the seemingly fatal explosion at the conclusion of "Trust Doesn't Rust". The only apparent damage that the vehicle sustained was a dislodged what resembles a scart socket under the dashboard and the mysterious Alpha circuits which are mentioned several times throughout the show. Bonnie explains in Season One's "Deadly Maneuvers" that the Alpha Circuits on KITT can only be damaged by towing another vehicle. KARR storms the Foundation's Mobile Semi in search of these Alpha Capacitors in "K.I.T.T. vs. K.A.R.R." KRO (Knight Reformulation One): K.R.O., short for Knight Reformation One, was designed to be a replacement for FLAG's highly successful revised prototype super car, KITT. FLAG's engineers put all of the years of experience and technological advances they'd developed while KITT was in service and put it into the shell of a Ferrari. KRO was suppose to spearhead the Foundation's efforts into a new decade. Unfortunately FLAG apparently didn't take as much care selecting KRO's driver, Martin Jantzen, as they did building KRO. He proved to be to unstable and was pushed over the edge by his car\driver relationship with KRO which also warped KRO's personality. KRO became extremely dangerous, resulting in the deaths of several technicians before he was shut down. He was later reactivated during the KRO 18

mission and had to be hunted down my TKR in much the same way FLAG's first prototype, KARR, was. He was eventually destroyed and his driver killed, when he was buried in molten metal. Along with his long list of capabilities, KRO's scanners were specially configured to search for weaknesses in his targets, and exploit them. This proved to be a problem for TKR since FLAG had decided to incorporate special weak spots into their vehicles after the incident with KRO so they could be stopped easier if they went out of control. Knight Reformulation One (K.R.O., Modified Ferrari GTS): K.R.O. is a Series One Knight Foundation vehicle, Marland Technologies Project #17-328-2. Driver: Martin Jenson; License Plate: KRO; Driver Override Code: N/A KRO did not have this feature built in because the idea of the driver symbiosis was overlooked. After Kro killed six people and was deactivated, the D.O.C. was installed in the other five TKR vehicles; Functions: Grappling Hook, Holographic Projector, Infra-Scan, Intruder Control-Arm Restrains, Ceiling Laser, Steering Wheel Shock, Microwave Laser Beams, Remote Locator, Tracking Beacon, Video data Bank, Voice Print Analysis. Dante: Nickname: N/A; Make: 1997 Ford Expedition; Seating: 5; Top Speed: 160MPH; Weapons and Accessories: Six Front Missiles, Six Side Missiles, One Front Laser, One Roof Rocket Launcher, Two Front Knock-out Darts, Aquatic Capabilities Dante is the wise-cracking SUV of the group. He relies heavily on hiw witty sarcasm and blunt remarks to comunicate his opinions. He always manages to tease each member of the group, including his fellow motor vehicles. Regardless of his somewhat snub-nosed attitude, however, Dante has proven himself very loyal and capable on any given mission and always pulls through. Dante has a lot of fun teasing Kyle about many things, including his relationship with Jenny. In arguments or battle-of-quips, Dante will usually take Kyle's side against the others, unless of course it's just between the two of them. Though he talks back to Kyle a great deal, Dante is also very fond of his driver and expresses concern for him whenever Kyle is in grave danger, particularly in #7 In Your Dreams where Kyle is on his deathbed. As soon as he knows Kyle is OK, though, Dante always returns to his smart-alec self. Dante thinks of himself as the leader of the other cars, and takes on that role in various chapters throughout the fanfic series, including #8 Impossible Target as well as the chapter called AI Power in season 04. The other vehicles often do not appreciate his bossiness, but they also appreciate his leadership abilities (that he got from Kyle, no doubt) as well as his "fast-inputting" in tough situations. Dante is a modified sport utility vehicle large enough to hold the entire TKR team. He's the traveling command post. Fast, versatile, rugged, and his personality is Kyle to the extreme. Whereas Kyle will sometimes keep his opinions to himself for the sake fo peace and harmony, Dante will confidently express his opinions in his haughty british manner. And he loves ribbing Kyle about his obvious attraction to Jenny. He loves making his passengers feel uncomfortable. And he never hesitates to deflate his driver. Domino: Nickname: Dom; Make: 1997 Ford Mustang GT Convertible; Seating: 2; Top Speed: 180MPH; Weapons and Accessories: Six Front Missiles, One Front Laser, Two Front Tracking Darts, Two Front Knock-out Darts Domino is an asset to the rest of the team. She is always a calm voice amidst confusion and never loses her temper, unlike the others. She is very compassionate to the feelings of others, and is also quite emotional. Like Erica, she can also use her sexy voice to gain many an audience, and even to startle some unsuspecting cuties. Kyle, Jenny and the others all enjoy having Domino around to add some spice to things, as well as to offer her expertise. Domino is one of the very few members of the team who does not constantly bug or argue with her partner. She and Jenny share a bond quite unlike the others, in that they do not hold any negative feelings for the other, and they display their affection for each other in positive ways. Domino is always keeping an eye out for her driver in dangerous situations, and worries a great deal when Jenny is in trouble. On the outside, Domino and Jenny are a great match because they are both sexy and appealing. However, while Domino openly flaunts her stuff and does not hesitate to flirt with any handsome guy she sees, Jenny is much more reserved and instead channels her energies on the missions. Domino is slowly trying to break her of this. When it comes to the other cars, Domino has different relationships with each. Besides the rapport she has with Dante, who playfully calls her the Bimbo-Mobile, Domino also exchanges friendly insults with Kat, since it is obvious the less-sexy motorcycle is a tad jealous of the sports car. Where Beast is concerned, Domino every so often displays signs of jealousy that Beast is more interested in Jenny than in her. Whether she actually "likes" Beast, she never really says. And, like the rest of the team, she merely puts up with Plato's rantings. Jenny's car is a modified Mustang with a seductive power and an exotic voice of experience. She's the counterpoint to Jenny -- fast, sleek and sexy. She loves to flirt, and constantly tempts Jenny into taking more risks, especially in her personal life. Domino loves to gossip which often leads to conflicts with the other car personalities. Jenny takes it all in stride. Even though Domino is the opposite of her own shy, reseved self, she has a bond with her car. They're girlfriends in a way. It's just a little strange to see a car telling a woman that she should act more feminine and to be more open to a man's interest. Attack Beast: Nickname: Beast; Make: 1997 Ford F-150; Seating: 3; Top Speed: 160MPH; Weapons and Accessories: One Roof Rocket Cannon -- 360/degree range, One Rear Flame Thrower, One Front + One Rear Hook & Cable, One Front Microwave Laser, Four Front Grill Knock-out Darts, One Front Crash Shield, Reinforced Steel Shell/Molecular Bonding Beast is the grouch of the bunch. He is gruff and tough and exudes physical power and brunt force, much like his driver. He is often the one called upon to blow something up or knock something down, and always takes great pleasure in doing so. His ability to break through walls proves very useful in many chapters, including #7 In Your Dreams. He is always impatient to rush into action, and prefers the up-front approach to sneaking around. Also, for some reason he has an abnormal crush on Jenny, something that not even Trek can explain. 19

Beast does not like taking orders from anybody, including his driver, Duke. The two of them are so much alike they are constantly arguing and debating. Beast is always making fun of Duke, but deep down Duke knows Beast really does care, and is glad to have him as a driver. Though Duke has often appealed to Jenny about switching cars, he and Beast just wouldn't be content to be apart. Awww... Beast more or less has a blase relationship with the other cars. He ignores them when he feels like it, and argues with them when he disagrees. On occassion he'll work with them and back them up when needed, but he doesn't really have a close bond with any of them. The exception to this might be Dante, whom Beast gets a kick out of rescuing, then teasing him about it later. Duke's car is part all-terrain vehicle, part tank. It's loaded with a succession of winches, cranes and a laser cannon. The Beast is stubborn. He has a mind of his own. He doesn't like taking orders from Duke, and feels free to talk back to him. He also growls a lot. It's just part of his charm. He also has a crush on Jenny. He's always asking why she can't be assigned to him. Whenever Jenny's a passenger in the Beast, he's a pussycat, doing everything to make sure her ride is comfortable and enjoyable. The Beast is the only one who can come close to breaking Duke's cool. They have a love-hate relationship. But at the end of the day, you know the Beast is fiercely loyal to Duke, and would do anything to protect him. Kat: Nickname: N/A; Make: 1997 Honda Blackbird; Seating: 2 (1 comfortably); Top Speed: 175MPH; Weapons and Accessories: Three Front Missiles, One Front Mini-Laser, One Side Missile (right), Combo Car / Separation Kat is the brown-nosing tattle-tale of the group. She does not hesitate to rat on any other members of the team, especially Erica, from whom she derives a great pleasure of getting into trouble. Kat would sooner de-activate herself than tell a lie, particularly to their leader - though she has been known to break her own rule once or twice. Because of her honesty, Kyle can trust her implicitely about anything. Kat is always reliable and is a very hard worker. Kat and Erica are always at odds since Erica just wants to have fun and Kat is all-business. It's sometimes a wonder why Kat isn't paired with Jenny and Erica with Domino since, on the outside at least, those matches seem more sensible. But aside from the almost constant bickering between them, Kat and Erica nonetheless respect each other. In fact, Kat has been known to actually worry about Erica's welfare on a number of occasions, and Erica couldn't get through a mission without Kat's help. Though they may disapprove of each others' polar-opposite methods, perhaps it is for this reason that they make such a great team. Kat is forever expressing herself as superior to the other vehicles, even to Dante, at whom she takes jabs every once in a while. It is true enough that Kat has a very large database, but every so often she must admit that the other cars are just as important to the team as she is. Erica can't understand how she wound up with Kat as her primary vehicle. Kat is one half of a hybrid motorcycle and sidecar that joins together with another to form a high pursuit vehicle. She's the polar oposite of her dark side, mysterious driver. Kat is a "goody two-shoes" who's overly concerned with rules and regulations. She's got a strong moral compass, a very clear and traditional idea of right and wrong, that often gets in the way of how Erica wants to do things. When Erica dresses in a revealing gown to infiltrate an important affair, Kat can't help but point out, "Erica, this is a funeral." And yet, if the cars are supposedly a computer-simulated extension of their driver's personality, then Kat just adds to the mystery of Erica. How could this be even a small part of Erica's character? It implies that Erica's seemingly amoral traits are nothing but a facade. Plato: Nickname: N/A; Make: 1997 Honda Blackbird; Seating: 2 (1 comfortably); Top Speed: 175MPH; Weapons and Accessories: Three Front Missiles, One Front Mini-Laser, One Side Missile (left), One Front Electrical Staff, Combo Car/Separation Plato is more or less an enigma. No one, with the exception of Trek, can understand what he is saying since he speaks using pop culture quotes and strange, fragmented sentences. The team needs Trek around in order to glean any knowledge from Plato. Since Plato's personality came from Trek, the reason for this is quite clear. Plato, though eccentric, proves extremely valuable to the team for the reason that because of his unique insight into things, Plato has given them lead after lead when otherwise they'd all be stuck. Plato and Trek have a very strong, unique bond. They are best friends and would suffer intolerably if ever separated. They go everywhere and do everything together, from completeing missions to staying up all night watching old reruns. For the most part, the others think their relationship is either cute or weird. They all do appreciate Plato and Trek's contributions to the team, and would have to admit that some of the missions wouldn't have been successful without the dynamic duo. Plato does not talk much to the other cars since doing so would just be futile. The only one Plato really talks to is Trek. Every once in a while Kat will adress Plato, but she doesn't really expect to understand his reply, if he even gives one. Plato is usually very quiet and only speaks up occasionally. Though they may not all understand him, there is no doubt that the other vehicles and humans alike all respect him. Trek's half of the high-pursuit vehicle he shares with Erica has the voice of a brainiac, the nerd who is totally consumed with facts, figures and data. Plato and Trek have a unique relationship. Plato is the only one who understands Trek, and Trek is the only one who understands Plato. It's like Trek created his own best friend. The computer-human symbiosis is at its most efficient with these two personalities, and no one else can figure it out. Plato talks in a shorthand that only Trek, the consumer of all information, can seem to comprehend. In analyzing a situation, Plato may recite a line of poetry, or use a line of dialogue from an obscure television show. From this, without missing a beat, Trek will extrapolate what Plato means. So for instance, faced with jumping a ravine, Plato will cryptically respond "Evil." Trek will interpret this as "Not evil as in bad, but Evel, as in Knevil, and his failed attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon because 20

he hit his rocket booster too soon." Unfortuantely, for the other team members, Plato doesn't like talking to anyone else. So this invariably leaves the other TKR members to solve the puzzle of what Plato means when Trek isn't around. High Speed Pursuit Vehicle: Nickname: Combo Car; Top Speed: 210MPH; The High Speed Pursuit Vehicle AKA Combo Car is the combination of Kat and Plato, the two motorcycles. As the HSPV, they can reach speeds far greater than their teammates to outrun almost any vehicle. Also, with their unique ability Kat and Plato can separate into two vehicles in order to gain more maneuverability or duck out of the path of an approaching missile. This technique proves very useful on many occasions. KIFT (Knight 4000): The second version of KITT, known as the "Knight 4000", appeared similarly to that of a Pontiac Banshee prototype in the movie Knight Rider 2000. The vehicle had numerous 21st Century technological improvements over the previous 1980s version of KITT, such as an advanced amphibious mode (which allows the car to ride on water like a speedboat), a virtual heads-up display (or V-HUD, which utilized the entire windshield as a video display), and a microwave stun device that could remotely incapacitate a human target and bring them down (similar in application to a taser). The Knight 4000 has most of KITT's original features including a few new and improved systems. Voice Activated Controls - The Knight 4000's dashboard is less "cluttered looking" than KITT's original dash with most of the controls now being completely voice activated rather than having to push a button. Virtual Reality Heads-up Display - Rather than dash-mounted CRT displays, the Knight 4000 utilizes a virtual reality heads-up display (VR-HUD) that makes use of the entire windshield as video monitor. Microwave Stunner - Much like the new non-lethal Seattle police sidearm, the Knight 4000 is equipped with a microwave stunner that can bring down a criminal by disrupting the central nervous system and rendering them immobilized. Thermal Expander - The Knight 4000 is equipped with an offensive weapon which consisted of a microwave projector that caused the temperatures of targeted objects to quickly rise and either ignite or explode. Fax Machine - The Knight 4000 can print out faxed messages from a dash mounted printer. Amphibious Mode - The Knight 4000 can float and maneuver on water much like a boat. The system was actually a major improvement over KITT's original hydroplane ability which during the original series was prone to malfunctions during its experimental phase.

21

INDEPENDENT BASELINES
Calvin, Theodore (T.C.) Industrious, fun-loving, athletic, powerfully built, small business owner and helicopter pilot, whose friendship with Magnum and Rick dates back to the late sixties and the Vietnam War, where he was a USMC UH-1 ("Huey") helicopter pilot (Rick was his door gunner) involved in troop transport, reconnaissance, and attack missions with the VMO-2 squadron. He served three tours of duty and was a POW (with Magnum) for three months. He operates a helicopter tourist charter business called Island Hoppers at the Makai Pier in Makapuu. His chopper (a Hughes 500D) and combat-trained flight skills are often enlisted (begged) by Magnum during the course of an investigation. T.C. is also a highly skilled mechanic. Helicopters, of course, are his specialty, but he is also a very good auto mechanic as well. He grew up in New Orleans where his father was a shopkeeper. He has four brothers who were never seen or named in the show. He graduated from Grambling State University in 1968, where he was an All-American Tight End in football and the 3rd all-time leading basketball scorer in school history. After college, he enlisted in the USMC. He trained at Camp Lejuene where he was a Light Heavyweight Gold Glove Boxing Champion. After his Vietnam service ended in the early 70s, he resigned from the USMC. He worked for Ken Enderlin Charters as a helicopter pilot, among other jobs, for "several years" before saving up enough money to start his own charter company in 1980. Theo owns a house in central Oahu with a great view, high in the Waianae Range, near the Kolekole Pass and the Schofield Barracks. He was previously married to Tina Calvin and has two children, a son (Bryant Calvin) and a daughter (Melody Calvin), who live on the mainland with their mother. In the series finale, T.C. reconciles with his wife. Theodore spends quite a bit of time volunteering for underprivileged kids and coaches a Little League baseball team. He is also a member of the Marine Forces Reserve. T.C. is a southpaw. His hobbies include music (especially singing), reading (Michener, Buck Gibson, Robin Masters & others) cajun-style cooking, dance (ballet), basketball, softball and volleyball. He is an expert at street fighting and is a teetotaler. He can often be seen wearing a VMO2 Da Nang baseball cap, blue jeans and stripped suspenders. T.C. is 6 feet, 2 inches tall. He sports a Da Nang baseball cap. His combat-trained flight skills are often enlisted by Thomas Magnum during the course of an investigation. He is also very powerfully built, which Magnum exploits when he expects to run into physical trouble. T.C. avoids alcohol, instead preferring milk, soda, or juice. However, he does partake of alcohol in many of the early season one episodes, and can be seen with a beer bottle in his hand in the opening credits of seasons (1-5.) T.C. has a wife, Tina, and two children: Melody and Michael. Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Charisma 4, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4; Abilities: Academics 2, Area Knowledge: Hawaii 4, Arts 5 (Cooking), Athletics 3, Awareness 2, Biz 3, Brawl 4 (Boxing), Bureaucracy 3 (Covert), Drive 3, Engineering 4 (Helicopter), Firearms 3, Intimidation 1, Investigation 2, Linguistics 1, Medicine 1, Melee 2, Might 2, Perform 2 (Music, Singing), Pilot 4, Science 1, Stealth 2, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 1, Survival 2; Backgrounds: Allies 3, Contacts 4, Influence 1, Resources 3; Willpower 6 Fisk, Wilson (Kingpin of Crime) Wilson Fisk, the man who would one day become the Kingpin, started out as a common thug in the Bronx. He was noticed by one Don Rigoletto, an accomplished crime boss who admired Fisk's sheer brutality and hired him as his primary enforcer. Fisk eventually murdered his benefactor and took control over his mob empire. Thus, the Kingpin was born. While his wife, Vanessa, knew of Wilson's criminal activities, he was careful to shield their only son, Richard, from the life he led. That effort was in vain, as Richard finally did learn of his father's mob connections. Richard faked his own death, and returned to New York as the Schemer, intent on destroying his father's empire. He had also taken on the guises of the original Rose and later, Blood Rose, but was never able to do much damage to the Kingpin's organization. Wilson Fisk is a criminal mastermind who is involved in extensive illegal activities such as drug running, smuggling, murder, and so forth. Despite this, he has no criminal record and an army of lawyers to keep it that way, and is a criminal financial strategist without parallel. Fisk has no superhuman powers, but the majority of his 400plus pound bulk is solid muscle. When he delivered a kick to the Kingpin's back, Daredevil could only think, "Whatever that was, it wasn't fat. Felt more like rock". He is a superb fighter who has held his own against Spider-Man, recently Daredevil occupies most of his attention. He has been aware of Daredevil's secret identity for years, thanks to Karen Page's indiscretion. Though Spider-Man and Daredevil are his greatest enemies, he has also tangled with Captain America, Moon Knight, Dr. Strange, the Punisher, the Avengers, and Ghost Rider, among others. He has employed any number of costumed criminals and assassins, most notably Elektra, Bullseye, Jack O'Lantern, and Typhoid Mary. Recently blinded himself like his arch-nemesis Fisk found it hard to control his men as they now saw a weakness in their leader. The Kingpin's own son and a mobster from New Jersey named Silke formed a coup and with the help of the Fisk's Captains seemingly assassinated him. They we're all tricked though, Wilson's man Dini found the Kingpin close to death and got him to safety. Fisk's wife then took revenge on those that did this to her husband killing all involved (even her son) except Silke who got away and went to the F.B.I. for protection. It was Silke who told the F.B.I. about Daredevil's true identity. The Kingpin eventually regained his sight due to surgery, but no sooner had he been able to see the world again, he was thrown into prison for his crimes. But he wasn't through plaguing Daredevil yet; he was able to mastermind a plot 22

that put Daredevil's secret identity into the hands of the F.B.I, and also managed to arrange the near-fatal stabbing of Foggy Nelson, Daredevil's longtime friend and fellow lawyer. Kingpin has no superhuman powers. However, he is as strong and durable as it is possible for a man of his height, weight, and build who engages in intensive regular exercise to be, and he is a very large man (over six and a half feet tall). His stamina is likewise honed to the virtual pinnacle of human ability. He has remarkable agility and dexterity for a man of his size. Real Name: Wilson Grant Fisk; Aliases: The Brainwasher, Harold Howard; Identity: Fisk is publicly known to be the Kingpin, but his dual identity has never been officially proved.; Occupation: Criminal organizer and mastermind, president and owner of legitimate businesses; Citizenship: USA with no criminal record; Place of Birth: Unknown, probably in New York City area; Known Relatives: Vanessa (wife), Richard (Rose/Bloodrose, son, deceased), Anatoly Fyskov (ancestor, deceased); Group Affiliation: Leader of a coalition of East Coast non-Maggia criminal organizations, former manager of Las Vegas HYDRA faction, "Acts of Vengeance" prime movers; Education: Unrevealed; Height: 6' 7"; Weight: 450 lbs; Eyes: Blue; Hair: none Concept: Criminal Mastermind; Strength 5, Dexterity 5, Stamina 5, Charisma 4, Manipulation 5, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 5; Abilities: Athletics 5, Awareness 3, Biz 4, Brawl 5, Bureaucracy 1, Command 4, Drive 2, Endurance 3, Engineering 1, Etiquette 2, Firearms 4, Intimidation 4, Intrusion 3, Investigation 3, Linguistics 3, Medicine 1, Melee 3, Might 3, Occult 3, Perform 3, Resistance 3, Stealth 4 (Darkness), Streetwise 5, Style 3, Subterfuge 5, Survival 2; Backgrounds: Allies 5, Backing 5, Cipher 4, Contacts 5, Influence 4, Resources 6, Status 4; Merits: Huge Size; Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 5, Humanity 4, Willpower 7 Hayes, Billy Real Name: William Hayes; Identity/Class: Normal human; Occupation: Scientist; Affiliations: The Misfits of Science, Dick Stetmeyer, Humanidyne Institute, Link, Brick Tyler; Enemies: Unknown; Known Relatives: None; Aliases: None; Base of Operations: Humanidyne Institute; Powers/Abilities: Highly intelligent. Billy Hayes was a scientist investigating cases of human anomalies for the Humanidyne Institute. When one of his bosses got involved in unscrupulous and dangerous experiments, Billy and his colleague Elvin gathered a team of "Misfits of Science" to sort things out. Although Billy has no powers of his own, he is considered the leader of the group. Willpower 6; Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Manipulation 3, Charisma 3, Appearance 3, Perception 2, Intelligence 4, Wits 3; Abilities: Academics 3, Athletics 2, Awareness 2, Biz 3, Brawl 2, Bureaucracy 3, Command 2, Computer 1, Drive 3, Engineering 2, Investigation 3, Medicine 3, Rapport 2, Science 3, Streetwise 1, Style 2, Subterfuge 2; Backgrounds: Allies 3, Backing 4, Contacts 3, Influence 1, Resources 3; Soak: Bashing 2 dice Higgins, Jonathan Quayle III (Majordomo) Pudgy, world-wise, eccentric, sedentary, and honorable British majordomo of Robin Masters' Oahu estate, which he oversees with help from "The Lads", his two beloved, and highly trained, Doberman Pinchers, Zeus & Apollo. He is an ex-British Army Sergeant Major with a lengthy, impressive personal military history. He fought in WWII (North Africa, Italy and Southeast Asia), the Korean War, assisted the French in Vietnam, participated in special operations with MI6 and was involved in dozens of minor military skirmishes throughout the world. He is the second son of the Baron of Perth in a family that has been in the English peerage for almost 800 years. As the second son of the Duke of Perth, he is actually Baron of Perth, Lord Higgins, but with his brothers and their children, he'll never become the Duke. His great-aunt Matilda was lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria and claimed the family descended from Richard the Lionheart. The family traces back to Henry VIII. His Father's great grandfather's aunt was the Duchess of Clyde, whose uncle on the mother's side was Earl of Throckmorton and nephew of Edward VI, son of Jane Seymour and Henry VIII. His father, Albert Stanley Higgins, sired numerous children out of wedlock during his travels in WWI - Elmo Ziller (American), Fr. Paddy McGuiness (Irish), Don Luis Mongueo (Spanish), Soo Ling (Chinese), Elizabeth Whitefeather (unknown) and Catooba Noomba (African). He also has "several" older brothers (never named), and a sister (never named) who lives in Sussex, England with her four children. As a young lad, he was educated at a UK preparatory school. When he was seven, he entered a military school somewhere on the "rainy, windswept coast of..." (England). In his early teenage years, he was a stellar student at a prestigous public school somewhere near Sussex, England. He attended The Royal Military College (RMC) at Sandhurst, but was expelled during his third year after being falsely accused of causing the partial paralysis of a fellow student during a school prank. The following spring, he enlisted in the British Army and served extensively in WWII, mainly in North Africa and SE Asia. After the war, he graduated from the University of Cambridge as a Doctor of Mathematics and continued to serve in various military and intelligence-related capacities, namely MI6 operations, up to the late 60's. He became the major-domo of Robin's Nest in 1972, where he's been ever since. Higgins is an expert at war history, pool, bridge, croquet and chess. He is fluent in Chinese and sign language, and was the top Fencer at his public school. He is extremely intelligent and is knowledgable on almost every subject imaginable, something which he demonstates frequently in his many unsolicited orations. His hobbies include shortwave radio, photography, gardening, polo, martial arts, music, reading, antique weapons, chess, wargaming, model making, musical theatre, Shakespeare and working on his memoirs. He also enjoys flying RC aircraft and shooting 18th century 23

British cannons. He is very active in the Oahu high-society social scene, serving on dozens of committees and organizing numerous fund raising events. He is also head of the board at the King Kamehameha Club. He has never been married and has no known children. To T.C., he is known simply as "Higgie-Baby"! Known facts about Higgins: He was once a Sergeant Major in the British Army. He was present at the bridging of the River Kwai during WWII, which he claims was "nothing like the movie". He is the heir to a Scottish peerage. He has a half-brother in Ireland who is a Catholic priest (who was also played by John Hillerman). He holds a doctorate in mathematics from Cambridge University. He owns two highly trained Dobermann pinschers, Zeus and Apollo (A.K.A. "The Lads"). Higgins is often known for his tendencies to ramble when someone asked him a question. He always manages to relate it usually to a story in either Korea or World War II, but sometimes other events. In the pilot episode it is found he had a conjoined twin, separated at birth. World War II: Seconded for a time to a British Museum field team in Cairo, where he learned something of pottery restoration. Saw combat action against the Germans in North Africa. Attended some part of the Nuremburg war crimes trials, which were conducted 1946-1949. 1946: Posted to the Suez. 1948: Served in India, where he picked up some knowledge of hypnosis. 1951: Sergeant Major for a SAS unit in Hong Kong (ep. 1.5) Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 5, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 4; Abilities: Academics 5 (History), Animal Training 4, Archery 2, Arts 5 (Writing), Athletics 4, Awareness 3, Biz 3, Bureaucracy 5 (Covert), Command 3, Diplomacy 3, Disguise 2, Drive 3, Engineering 2, Etiquette 5, Firearms 4, Intimidation 3, Intrusion 3, Investigation 2, Linguistics 2, Martial Arts 3, Medicine 2, Melee 4 (Fencing), Perform 3, Ride 4, Science 2, Stealth 2, Streetwise 2, Style 4, Subterfuge 5, Survival 3; Merits: Jack of All Trades; Flaws: Dark Secret (Double Identity); Backgrounds: Allies 5, Alternate Identity 4, Backing 4, Contacts 5, Influence (Alternate ID) 4, Resources 5; Virtues: Conscience 3, Self Control 5, Courage 5, Humanity 7, Willpower 9 Knight, Garthe (NEED STATS) Garthe is the estranged son of Wilton Knight, the son of Elizabeth Knight, and the brother of Jennifer Knight. Garthe is the most ruthless, evil human being that Michael Knight (also played by Hasselhoff) has ever encountered. In turn, Garthe hates Michael Knight because he believed that his father intended Michael to replace him. At one point, Garthe is in an African prison, sentenced to three consecutive life sentences there. He meets an African Revolutionary named Tsombe Kuna, a member of the Pan-African Liberation Movement. Garthe is able to avoid his life sentences because of a top official who is taking bribes on leases on diamond mines, bribed by Garth's mother, Elizabeth Knight. The official dies not too long afterward. Garthe and Tsombe work together for some time. Garthe returns to the United States and works with Tsombe and his mother to steal missiles from a government installation called "Red Bluff" in Nevada. Garthe creates a semi truck which he names "Goliath" (which is similar to a Peterbilt 352 Pacemaker). Ron Wilcox, one of Garthe's employees, finds out about Garthe's plan and tries to take pictures in the compound where Goliath is kept, but he is killed by Garthe. Ron's sister, Rita, goes to the Foundation for Law And Government (FLAG) for help and later meets Michael Knight, who helps her. Elizabeth helps Garthe to get his hands on the formula for the Molecular Bonded Shell, which makes Michael's car KITT invulnerable. Elizabeth drugs Devon Miles to get the partial formula and another member of the Foundation in Rio de Janeiro to get the other part of the formula; the second man dies not long afterward. Garthe applies the formula to Goliath and the shell is ready. Garthe does a demonstration of Goliath for Tsombe Kuna; he rams KITT and Michael is wounded. KITT is badly damaged, but Michael fixes KITT by rigging the car into a ramjet. Michael and KITT make it back to the Foundation and tell Devon about Goliath and what Garthe is planning to do. Michael figures a way to outwit Garthe to capture him. Michael goes to the casino and challenges Garthe by using Garthe's ego against him; playing a casino game, with the help of KITT, Michael wins the game and Garthe is angry. He follows Michael and gets captured by Devon Miles in the Foundation's mobile unit. Michael poses as Garthe to plant an explosive in Goliath. Garthe escapes and captures Michael. Garthe and Tsombe's soldiers proceed to Red Bluff; Goliath breaks through the wall, and they succeed in stealing the missiles. KITT manages to rescue Michael and they have a final confrontation with Goliath. KITT finds a weak spot in Goliath where the trailer hitch connects to the truck, and uses the laser that was installed by April Curtis. Garthe gets captured in the end. A year later, Garthe escapes from prison with the help of Adrianne Margeaux, a woman Michael Knight has dealt with earlier. She finances Goliath's repair, and she and Garthe work together to kidnap a Swedish scientist named Dr. Klaus Bergstrom, a brilliant physicist, to force him to use his genius for their own purposes. Garthe and Adrianne give another man plastic surgery to look like Dr. Bergstrom so that his niece, Christina, and others would not get suspicious. Garthe kidnaps Devon and April and takes them to a mansion out in the country. Garthe's men build a special cell for Michael Knight made out of the same stones from the African prison Garthe was in. Christina notices that her uncle, after spraining his foot earlier, is walking better and she gets suspicious. Michael goes to the hotel where Dr. Bergstrom and Christina are staying, asks him a question and senses that he is not Dr. Bergstrom. Michael manages to trace a call going out of the hotel, which leads him toward the mansion. He encounters Goliath; KITT gets hit by the truck and goes off a cliff, though KITT doesn't suffer as much damage as he did in his first encounter with Goliath. Michael manages to activate the parachute and saves them both, and then he gets captured by Garthe. Michael is put in his cell, but later manages to escape with KITT's help, and the two escape from the mansion. Michael goes to the hotel and confronts the fake Dr. Bergstrom, who is holding Christina against her will, and the impostor is apprehended by hotel security. Michael and Christina head back to the mansion to rescue Devon and April. 24

Garthe plans to overload the systems in the mansion to kill Devon and April. Garthe and Adrianne take Dr. Bergstrom in Goliath to meet a submarine to take the doctor out of the country. Michael arrives at the mansion and saves Devon and April by turning off the power. Devon tells Michael he called the Army to stop Goliath, but they failed to do so. Leaving Christina with Devon and April, Michael goes after Goliath to rescue Dr. Bergstrom. Michael manages to rescue Dr. Bergstrom; Garthe sees this and follows Michael. Michael and KITT go near the edge of a cliff and use the grappling hook to save themselves. Garthe is about to ram into KITT, but Adrianne, who is attracted to Michael, turns the steering wheel to prevent Garthe from killing Michael. Goliath goes off the cliff and into the sea, killing Garthe and Adrianne. Mach, Jesse (Vigilante) Jesse Mach had been a motorcycle cop until he was struck by a black truck while off duty; the same vehicle killed his partner too. Deemed unfit for active duty, he was reassigned to the Public Relations department, but he chaffed at being deskbound. Then he was approached by Norman Tuttle, a bookish federal agent and engineer who had designed a prototype super-bike, codenamed Street Hawk. Tuttle was looking for a rider to test the bike in real world conditions, and saw Jesse as the ideal man for the job. Jesse agreed to be the secret test driver, on condition that he also use the bike to solve the mystery behind the vehicle which had killed his friend and injured him. Afterwards Jesse continued to act as an undercover federal operative, taking on cases at Norman's behest. A cop moonlights as undercover law enforcer riding a state-of-the-art motorcycle called Street Hawk. Jesse Mach, a highway patrolman results injured by a van that kills his partner. After being assigned to the detective department, he is approached by Norman Tuttle, a brilliant engineer who works undercover for the government. Norman convinces Jesse to ride a powerful motorcycle known as the Street Hawk. Jesse investigates a gang of car hops. During a chase, one of the crooks dies and his brother blames Jesse, so he hires a killer to do him in. But the hireling turns out to be an old pal of Jesse's. Jesse impedes an illegal jewel sale. A murderer, pretending to be a cop, retrieves the gems. Unwittingly, Jesse and Norman become embroiled the case of Linda Martin, an important witness against a mobster. She is being pursued by the mobster's henchmen bent on getting rid of her. Jesse attempts convincing a rock star to appear in a public service ad. A series of arsons at six different factories make Jesse and Norman doubt about their fortuity. Yet, when they set out to investigate, the two of them grow quite baffled by the fact that the detonator of the bomb is untraceable. Jesse comes to the assistance of a former girlfriend. Her Chinese family gets in trouble after a valuable statue is stolen. The widow of an overthrown dictator employs an escaped prisoner for a hideous scheme. Jesse investigates after the prisoner leaves a stand-in at the jail. Jesse pursues a gang of gunrunners, and their trail leads him to laser weaponry. There Norman reencounters an old flame. Jesse helps an authoress to solve a crime committed years before. Jesse competes with a beautiful and intelligent insurance agent when they investigate a horse-switching scheme. Altobelli comes to Jesse's aid when a federal agent tries to justify his own failure to halt an assassination. Jesse and Norman survey the underground activities of a neighborhood watch squad. Tuttle sat in an abandoned warehouse refitted to be a central command center where he could monitor Mach's actions and the bike's functions, including the computer assist Hyperthrust which launched the bike into incredible speeds up to, and even past, 300 mph. The bike itself was a modified 1983 XL500 from Honda. Real Name: Jesse Mach; Identity/Class: Normal human; Occupation: Motorcycle cop, undercover federal agent; Affiliations: Norman Tuttle, Marty (partner in the force, deceased); Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 3; Abilities: Athletics (Dodge) 2, Awareness 4, Biz 1, Brawl 3, Bureaucracy 3, Command 2, Computer 2, Drive 3 (Motorcycles), Endurance 2, Firearms 4, Intimidation 2, Intrusion 4, Investigation 4, Melee 3, Rapport 3, Stealth 2, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 3; Backgrounds: Allies 4, Backing 3, Contacts 4, Resource 3; Virtues: Willpower 6 Street Hawk (Top secret government project): Maneuverability 8, Brake 1, Cruise 120, Maximum 200 (300 for Hyperthrust Mode); Weaponry: Laser Cannon (7/10/1000), Machine Gun (6/8/150), Mini-Rocket Launcher (7/12/1500/10 Rockets); Other Features: Infrared Cameras, Compressed Air Vertical Lift System, On and Off Road Capability; An all terrain attack motorcycle designed to fight urban crime. Capable of incredible speeds up to 300 miles per hour, and immense fire power ranging from machine guns, to a particle beam, to a miniaturized missile launcher. The name Street Hawk would apply to the rider of the motorcycle as well as to the motorcycle itself. Magnum, Thomas (Private Investigator) Thomas Sullivan Magnum III was born on August 8th or January 5th, between 1944 and 1947, with August 08, 1945 (1945-08-08) (age 61) fitting the most references. Both his father and grandfather were naval officers. Magnum himself attended the Naval Academy, Class of 67 or 68, depending on the episode referenced. He served ten or more years as an officer in the United States Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant before resigning from the service in disillusionment in 1979 and promoted to lieutenant commander when re-instated. Magnum was a Vietnam War veteran and a former POW who believed his wife Michelle died in bombing during the final pull-out from Saigon. He served in both the SEALs and Naval Intelligence during his Navy years, and as such maintained many contacts in both communities. In scenes in which he wore his uniform with decorations, it could be seen that Magnum won the Navy Cross in Vietnam. After leaving the Navy, Magnum became a largely penniless private investigator beach bum in Hawaii who, despite irregular employment, nevertheless managed to live a comfortable existence thanks to celebrity author Robin Masters's offer of the guest house on his Hawaii estate "Robin's Nest" and use of his red Ferrari 308 GTS in exchange for quality control of the estate security. In the course of the series, Magnum and his friends became involved not only in typical P.I. cases but also 25

a wide variety of adventures involving espionage, covert operations, paramilitary escapades, and lifestyles of the rich and famous. The private investigator/"beach bum" mix allowed the mix of a strong comic element into the action-drama series. Magnum invariably appeared in khaki boardshorts or jeans, an Aloha shirt, and deck shoes or sandals. He often wore battered baseball caps of his favorite sports teams, the Detroit Tigers or USC, and maintained an easy-going cool in all but the most stressful situations. Always an imposing and competent man-of-action, Magnum was nevertheless both vulnerable and occasionally bumbling, which made his character appealing to a broad range of viewer demographics. Magnum regarded friendship as perhaps the most important element of life for him, and the theme of friendship ran throughout the many episodes. His most enduring friendships were with his former Vietnam comrades, Rick Wright and T.C. Calvin, and their friendship not only survived but flourished under the eccentricities each showed the others, and the extreme, sometimes perilous stresses they shared. His other close friendship, of a love-hate nature, was with Jonathan Higgins (referred to by T.C. as Higgy-baby), the ostensible Majordomo (domestic staff) of the estate where Magnum was a perennial guest (or in Higgins view, moocher). Magnum persistently tried to foil Higgins efforts to impose an orderly regimen on Magnums disordered lifestyle, and as they traded verbal jabs and one-ups-manship games with each other. Other friendships were woven throughout his encounters in the series. He continuously took advantage of Mac MacReynolds, a Navy officer and intelligence source for his cases, but was devastated when Mac was killed in an assassination attempt on Magnum. For almost every season in the series, Magnums investigations paralleled and sometimes crossed those of Honolulu Police Lieutenant Tanaka, with the obvious respect they held for each other going well beyond a shared enjoyment of the Detroit Tigers. Magnum maintained friendships with women as well, most notably Assistant District Attorney Carol Baldwin and Lieutenant Maggie Poole, McReynolds successor. Magnum was no less apt to exploit his friendship with Carol or Maggie as he was his male friends, and no less loyal. Numerous episode plots featured old friends calling on Magnum for help, requests he always honored, even when helping conflicted with his best judgment. Magnum was endowed with a rich assortment of personality traits, quirks, and preferences. He was an avid sports fan, not only of professional sports (a lifelong Tigers baseball fan), but of American football (being a former quarterback for Navy he evinced an intense fondness for the annual Army-Navy Game that often worked its way into plot lines), and during varied episodes he tried out for a professional football team, coached and played both basketball and softball, and participated in the Ironman Triathlon. Magnum regularly worked out on a surf ski and participated in local competitions, and enjoyed daily swims in the tidal pool off Robin's Nest. Magnum was an Everyman in the sense that his lifestyle represented every man's dream: coming and going as he pleased in an island Paradise, working only when he wanted to, the almost unlimited use of a Ferrari 308 GTS and other luxuries, a mini-fridge filled with a seemingly endless supply of beer, interaction with innumerable beautiful women, and adventures with his best buddies usually on his own terms. Magnums drink of choice was Old Dusseldorf beer, though he enjoyed sneaking fine wines out of Robin Masters wine cellar when he thought Higgins wasnt looking. Among his trademarks was his stuff, souvenir possessions collected over the years such as baseball bats and gloves, a gorilla mask, and a rubber chicken. Perhaps his most valued possession was his wrist watch, handed down to him by his late father, a naval aviator killed in the Korean War when Magnum was only five. A genuine Gauguin hung on the wall of the guest house he occupied, he had free use of Robins Ferrari, and he often bartered with Higgins for use of expensive cameras, the tennis courts, and other accouterments of rich living. The series was also marked by Magnums character growth over eight years, shedding an immature and often lazy beach bum streak that at times fostered an occasional callous hardness and a tendency to resolve problems by violence. Yet the change was subtle, almost imperceptible, and throughout it he managed to maintain the humor and other appealing traits which drew his friends (and viewers) to him. That he went back into the Navy, and simultaneously took on the role of responsible father, at the end of the series run was only superficially surprising; his character had been meandering toward that responsibility in small increments for years. Personal details: In Memories are Forever (Ep.2-05), Magnums drivers license was shown on screen giving the viewer the following information: SSN 546-10-8740, Hair BRN, Weight 205, Height 6'4", Eyes BL, DOB 1/05/46, and his old address (pre Robins Nest) of 11435 18th Ave., Honolulu, HI 96816. The first episode to reference Magnums birthday was Memories are Forever (Ep.2-05) which listed it as January 05, 1946 (1946-01-05) (age 61) on his drivers licensee. Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 4, Perception 5, Intelligence 3, Wits 4; Abilities: Academics 2 (History), Animal Training 1, Area Knowledge: Hawaii 4, Athletics 4, Awareness 4, Brawl 5, Bureaucracy 3 (Covert), Command 2, Diplomacy 3, Disguise 2, Drive 4 (Boating), Engineering 2, Etiquette 4, Firearms 4, Interrogation 3, Intimidation 2, Intrusion 5, Investigation 4, Linguistics 3, Medicine 1, Melee 3, Rapport 2, Ride 3, Science 1, Stealth 4, Streetwise 4, Style 2, Subterfuge 3, Survival 3; Backgrounds: Allies 5, Backing 3, Contacts 5, Rank (Naval Intelligence) 3, Resources 4 McCall, Robert (The Equalizer) McCall is a ex-senior operative for an espionage agency known as "The Company." He is welldressed, divorced, 5'10" tall, 175 pounds, with gray hair, hazel eyes and in his mid-fifties. Disillusioned with his 30 year career of fighting terrorists and playing the spy game, Robert voluntarily retired in 1985 from an occupation that usually doesn't let its employees leave... alive. He now hires himself out as an urban vigilante and advertises in the local newspaper with an ad that reads "Got a 26

problem? Odds against you? Call the Equalizer 212-555-4200." Robert travels about in a 1985 black XJ6 Jaguar sedan [license plate: 5809-AUG] McCall screens his answering machine for possible clients and generally doesn't charge them for his help. Robert conducts his operation using money he earned through wise investments and large fees earned on assignments over the years. In the end, McCall hopes that his generosity, though belated, will somehow repay a debt he feels he owes humanity. When the job called for additional help, McCall recruited former spy associates Mickey Kostmayer, Jimmy, Sterno, Dana and Control, his ex- supervisor at the "Company" to provide surveillance or protection for his clients. They helped Robert perhaps to protect a man marked for death because he witnessed a murder; to deter the activities of a child pornographer; to help a .high school principal combat the gang responsible for the rape of a girl in the school gymnasium; or to seek out and stop a series of robberies directed against the deaf community. While on a case, McCall's methods of persuasion varied. At first, he simply informed an offending person, in a fair but firm manner, to please stop their wrong-doing. When that failed, some threats, blackmail, or intimidation followed. And finally, when the initial methods failed (and the target was really, really crummy) Robert might pull out a gun and execute the person. But Robert didn't take a life on a whim. He genuinely tried to resolve his problems without the use of force, but when it came down to the safety of his clients, McCall's sharply-honed skills as a spy could quickly kick in for the kill. McCall's clients problems varied as well. One day, McCall might protect a woman being stalked by a psychopath. Another day, Robert might offer his services to save a women from her abusive husband or a blind music critic who swears she just heard the voice of the man who raped her years earlier. In between, his day-to-day affairs as a vigilante, McCall might also be called upon to assist people he had known in the past as a spy. On one occasion, Robert became the defense counsel for Control when a "Company" tribunal charged him with treason. While another time, McCall jumped into extricate Mickey Kostmayer from a hostage situation after a rapist held him and others as collateral to save himself from a mob assassin. McCall's N.Y.P.D. police contacts included Inspector Isadore Smalls (74th Precinct) and Lt. Jefferson Burnett (83rd Precinct). When Robert was not in his luxurious apartment, he frequented O'Phelan's, a local restaurant owned (Robert was a silent partner) by Pete O'Phelan, a widowed friend from Robert's "Company" days (she joined the "Company" in 1972). McCall had earlier used an eatery called The New York Cafe across from the United Nations to meet with his clients. Robert's family included his ex-wife, Kay who left Robert because of his dedication to his career; son Scott, an aspiring musician whom Robert is just now getting to know; daughter Kathy [deceased]; and another grown daughter, Yvette Marcel whom McCall fathered with an agent named Manon Brevard and only recently discovered was his child. 1933: Robert McCall born November 16th. 1951: Robert received commission in the British Army. 1952: Robert serves in Egypt with his father Captain William McCall in Port Said. Randall Payne kills Robert's father (shot in the back). 1960: Robert joins the "Company" and meets Manon Brevard. Manon kills assassin Nikos Yanakis and saves Robert's life. 1961: Robert stationed in London, France and takes a assignment in Cambodia. Army chaplain Father O'Donahugh saves Robert's life. 1962: Manon becomes pregnant (by Robert). Robert leaves France not knowing he is a father. 1963: Manon delivers a baby (Yvette) in 1963 while married to Philip Marcel. 1964: Robert marries Kay. She has a sister Helen. 1966: Scott McCall born 1966. 1970: Robert assigned to Biafra, Africa during a civil war. 1971: Kathy McCall is born. She is diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. 1973: Kathy McCall dies on November 26th. She was only 18 months old. 1974: Robert and Kay separate. 1975: Robert and Kay divorce. 1977: Robert sent to Czechoslovakia with Control. 1980: Robert receives near mortal wounds in Angola (four bullets to the chest). 1980-81: Robert assigned to Poland to help trade union reformers. 1982: Robert assigned to Vienna, Austria. Manon delivers an order from Control to rescind Robert's execution issued by the Bentley administration. She is believed killed. Later, Robert is assigned to find terrorist Joseph Hyden who planted a bomb that killed McCall's godson in Paris (he was also a Company agent). After this assignment, Robert was assigned as Overview to the Company's Internal Review of Agency Operations. 1984-85: Robert assigned to South America. 1985: Robert and Richard Dyson, (the southern Control) resign the "Company" Robert becomes "The Equalizer" and recruits former spy colleagues like Michael "Mickey" Kostmayer to help him (McCall had proved Mickey innocent of charges lodged by the Navy in 1978 that he had murdered his partner. Mickey joined the "Company: in 1979. Mickey was bon in Houston, Texas on December 2, 1952.). 1986: Robert travels to Pakistan with Control to checkout the tensions in the region. 1987: Robert learns that Yvette Marcel is his daughter. In October of that year, Roberts is kidnapped by the "Company" and gets shot by the KGB. He takes on new associates Pete O'Phelan and Harley Gage. 1988: Yvette Marcel discovers Robert is her father. 1989: Scott McCall kidnapped by Bulgarian agents. The same year, Robert confronts Randall Payne, the man who killed his father in 1952. The series stars British actor Edward Woodward as Robert McCall, a former secret agent of an unnamed organization who tries to atone for past sins by offering, free of charge, his services as a troubleshooter (often literally), a protector, and an investigator. People in need find him through a newspaper ad: "Got a problem? Odds against you? Call the Equalizer." In the pilot episode (as he "opens for business"), we discover that the nickname "Equalizer" was bestowed on him by another operative, played by comedian Jerry Stiller. Aided by a group of sometimes-mysterious contacts (some of whom date back to his spying days), McCall traverses the streets of New York City, visiting justice upon hoodlums, rapists, racists, murderers, kidnappers, drug dealers, and other truly deserving people. His contacts are also prone to human foibles, ranging from egotism to domestic problems. 27

McCall himself is divorced, a "lost dad" long estranged from his son, Scott (William Zabka from The Karate Kid). Scott comes back into his life as a young adult, at first bitterly judgemental of his father's world, but who becomes drawn into that world to the dismay of both of his parents. McCall also lost a woman he was in love with named Manon Brevard and discovers that she had secretly given birth to his daughter. Many episodes focus on McCall performing assignments for "Control" (played by Robert Lansing), the unnamed head of the secret organization for which McCall used to work. In later episodes, Richard Jordan joined the cast as fellow "equalizer" Harley Gage, in order to reduce the workload on Edward Woodward, who suffered a heart attack during the series. Robert Mitchum also filled in for Woodward during that time. Most of the time, McCall was aided by Mickey Kostmayer (Keith Szarabajka), who was more or less permanently lent to him by Control. There were a large number of cameo and occasional appearances by other known stars, but as a general rule the people answering the newspaper ad were unremarkable, average, and unknown. The show had quite a number of notable guest stars. Eight-year-old Macaulay Culkin appeared in one episode as a kidnap victim, and Christian Slater appeared as a high school student in the episode "Joyride." Jon Polito played a "mobster" named Carmack. Adam Ant played a villain. Vincent D'Onofrio appeared twice in the series -- the first time as an arsonist, and the second time as a mentally challenged young man. Melissa Sue Anderson played McCall's daughter by an old girlfriend. Shelby Anderson lent her singing ability as a lounge singer in a very notable episode that also involved her Giant Panda, ZhenZhen. Additionally, Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, John Goodman, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Moriarty, Sylvia Sidney, Telly Savalas, and many others appeared in episodes. One of the notable weapons McCall uses is a ballistic knife that is capable of launching its blade. This is especially useful when he must surrender his gun to help a client or when his gun is lost in a fight. Other weapons range from pistols to machine guns. McCall's personal weapons cache is hidden behind the tool board on a wall of his apartment's workshop. He may be able to obtain more weapons through a variety of sources (pawn shops, gun shops, the agency, or various contacts). One feature of "spy genre" shows that was blatantly missing was a reliance on unusual gadgetry, disguises, and similar diversions. In nearly every case, the hardware was off-the-shelf, commonly available on the open market. In this way, it was unlike most other spy series. McCall's main weapon was a stainless steel Walther PPK. Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 5; Abilities: Academics (Law, Politics, Research) 3, Animal Training 2, Athletics (Dodge) 2, Awareness 4, Biz 3, Bureaucracy (Covert) 3, Command 3, Computer 2, Drive 4, Endurance 2, Engineering 2, Etiquette (Diplomacy) 4, Firearms 4, Interrogation 3, Intimidation 4, Intrusion 3, Investigation 5, Linguistics 3, Martial Arts 4, Medicine 2, Melee 4, Might 2, Perform 3, Rapport 1, Resistance 2, Science 2, Stealth 4, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 4, Survival 3; Backgrounds: Allies 5, Contacts 5, Backers 2, Favors 5, Influence 3, Rank 4, Resources 4, Retainers 1; Virtues: Conscience 1, SelfControl 4, Courage 5, Humanity 4, Willpower 8 Peck, Templeton (Faceman) Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck, (often referred to simply as "Face") is a fictional character in the 1980s action/adventure television series, The A-Team. Tim Dunigan played this role in the pilot episode (it was rumored that he was thought to look too young to be believable a Vietnam veteran, and he was also much taller than the rest of the cast), but was replaced by Benedict for the rest of the show's run. Face appeared on The A-Team from 1983 until its cancellation in 1987. The A-Team is a group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who were wrongly convicted of a crime during the Vietnam War. Managing to escape from the military police, they fled to Los Angeles, where as fugitives, the A-Team work as soldiers of fortune, using their military training to fight oppression or injustice. Face, along with Hannibal Smith, B.A. Baracus, and H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock make up the A-Team. Suave, smooth-talking, and hugely successful with women, "Face" (so called for his clean-cut good looks) serves as the team's con man and scrounger. He seems to be able to get his hands on just about anything they need. Effectively second in command behind Hannibal (although technically Murdock has a higher rank), he is the one who arranges for supplies, equipment, and sensitive information using numerous scams and hustles. He has an uncanny ability to talk anybody (especially women) out of (or into) just about anything. He regularly appropriates explosives, tools, automobiles, and even airplanes for the team's various missions. Because of his talent as a con artist, Face generally lives the high life, staying in ritzy apartments and wearing expensive suits. He drives a custom white Corvette sports car with a red stripe (to match B.A.'s van), which is equipped with a CB radio and a mobile phone. He is also an expert at picking locks. B.A. once said that if Hannibal hadn't put Face on the team, he would probably be in jail. Not much for hand-to-hand combat, Face is forever complaining about the inevitable fighting that ensues. His trademarked fighting move is a flying body attack, although he often has to call in B.A. for help during a fight. Face also handles the team's money. As revealed in several episodes, Peck is an orphan. He was abandoned by his parents at an early age, and was raised in different orphanages. In season two there is an episode that tells some more of his back-story: he fell in love in college only to have the woman leave him and become a nun. It was this event that led Face to dropping out of school and joining the Army, where he would eventually meet the rest of the team. It is also implied that the incident is what led to his womanizing ways. Ironically, in the episode "The Bells of St. Mary", it is revealed that Peck played football in a parochial school run by a nun. 28

In the season 4 episode "Mind Games", it is revealed that Templeton Peck is not his real name. In season five ("Family Reunion"), Face learns that his father was a man named A.J. Bancroft and that his birth name is Richard, and he has a half-sister named Ellen. His assumed names in order are Richard Bancroft, Alvin Brennar, Al Brennan, Al Peck, Holmes Morrison, Morrison Holmes, and finally Templeton Arthur Peck. Because of the nature of Face's character, Face will traditionally hook up with that episode's female lead at the end of each episode. Only a few female characters are either an exception or are mentioned because of the non-traditional way in which they are seduced by Face. Jackie Taylor ("Till Death Do Us Part", season 1 episode 12) - Jackie Taylor is remarkable because the A-Team's plan is for her to wed Face and thereby cross that episode's antagonist. Afraid of the commitment at first, Face eventually gives and has a short fling with Jackie, but, as he always does, leaves her at the end of the episode, and their marriage is annulled. Leslie Bektall ("The Only Church in Town", season 2 episode 17) - Leslie Bektall is one of Face's first romances, but she disappeared shortly after he had given her his fraternity pin. As Face learns in the episode, she went into a nunnery. Before, Face had seriously considered asking her to marry him, and she is often cited as the reason Face ended up such a womanizer. In the episode, she needs his help, and tips him off by sending the pin back to him. It turns out that she had followed his military career closely and still prayed for him every night. They came close to rekindling their romance, but it was no longer possible. Face left his fraternity pin with her once more and left. Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma 4, Manipulation 5, Appearance 4, Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3; Abilities: Athletics (Dodge) 2, Awareness 2, Biz 3, Brawl 3, Bureaucracy 2 (Covert), Diplomacy 4, Disguise 3, Drive 1, Engineering 1, Etiquette 4, Firearms 3, Interrogation 2, Investigation 4, Linguistics 3, Medicine 1, Melee 1, Perform 4, Rapport 3, Science 1, Streetwise 4 (Scrounging), Style 4, Subterfuge 5; Backgrounds: Allies 4, Alternate ID 6, Contacts 5, Influence 1, Resources 3 Rutledge, Bernard Benny (Chicago M.E.) When out on a call he tends to dress like a cop, in the morgue he wears scrubs and off duty... well... think Quincy and you won't be far of the mark. He is a journeyman member of the Arcanum and isn't likely to advance beyond that level. He also has some unwitting influence with the Inquisition. He owns a two story brownstone in the city left to him by his family. A Barnard's College School of Medicine Grad and medical veteran of two wars. Bernard Rutledge is the senior medical examiner for the city. Bernard got his first taste of the Occult in Korea and has been an avid collector of knowledge on these topic for years. He knows that vampires exist and suspects that Werewolves exist too. He is very proud of his team and his investigative skills. he still insists on going on calls himself whenever things are slow and whenever training some F.N.G. Bernard is eventually going to cause his own death allthough if you pointed it out to him he'd tell you to stick it... He chain smokes and since the death of his beloved wife Doris two years ago, has been hitting the bottle with two fisted vigor. Never enough to impede his abilities at work... yet. Worse, his investigations into the kindred haven't gone unnoticed, Benny is starting to really worry about the fact that he's having blackouts and he's seemingly lost interest in his primary fascination. But unfortunately he's chalked it up to the booze. The only real friends that Benny has are his Lab geek family and his best friend Father Mike Donahue who talks about every thing with. Although Benny acts like a lapsed catholic he actually does still have the faith. Father Mike is his Contact with the Inquisition although he himself is not a member. It should be noted that while his body is in shit shape and his soul isn't much better, His mind is absolutely razor sharp when it comes to matters of evidence, medicine, and other related fields, he has even developed enough political savvy to keep his job and the Lab Geeks hold him in something like god-like awe. If you need an autopsy, or more likely, you simply need to see a report, this is the man to talk to. He is the storytellers best friend when it come to handing post-mortem evidence to the players. If your players are playing Vampire though and they are the least bit sloppy he'll be on your trail like a shot with Inquisition types watching him to make sure he doesn't get killed. Strength 1, Dexterity 3, Stamina 1,Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3; Nature: Jobsworth; Demeanor: Honest Abe; Abilities: Academics (Arcanum Lore, Kindred Lore, Law, Lupine Lore, Occult, Police Procedure) 2, Arts (Photography) 2, Athletics (Dodge) 1, Awareness (Intuition, Spot Hidden) 3, Bureaucracy 3, Computer 2, Drive 2, Engineering 3, Etiquette 2, Firearms 1, Investigation 4, Linguistics 2, Medicine 3, Might 2, Perform (Singing) 2, Science (Biology, Chemistry, Criminology, Forensics, Toxicology) 3, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 2; Backgrounds: Allies 3, Backers 2, Contacts 4, Favors 3, Influence 1, Resources 3; Merits: Common Sense, Occult Library, Police Ties, Judiciary Ties, Church Ties; Flaws: Lifesaver, Emotional Isolation, Whimsy, Aging, Offensive to Animals, Addiction (cigarettes); Virtues: Willpower 6 Equipment: A van and a station wagon of his own with two very large tackle boxes of forensic equipment each, an antiquated cell phone that the department bought for him. Other Notes: Benny speaks Korean and Vietnamese but does not read either language. Smith, John (Hannibal) Col. John "Hannibal" Smith is a fictional character in the 1980s action/adventure television series The A-Team played by George Peppard. The producers originally had James Coburn in mind to play the part of Hannibal, but it eventually ended up going to George Peppard. The character of Hannibal appeared on The A-Team from its beginning in 1983 until its cancellation in 1987. 29

The A-Team is a group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who, at the end of the Vietnam War, were convicted of a crime they did not commit and managed to escape from the military police. As fugitives, the A-Team work as soldiers of fortune, using their military training to fight oppression or injustice. Hannibal, along with B.A. Baracus, Templeton "Faceman" Peck, and H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock make up the A-Team. "Hannibal", naming himself after the famous military commander and strategist, is the leader of the A-Team. He is distinguished by his constant cigar-smoking, his black leather gloves, and his many comic disguises. He is a master tactician (although his plans rarely turn out as they are supposed to) and seems to have a plan for getting the team out of any situation they get into. He is probably best known for his catch phrase, "I love it when a plan comes together". He fought in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (although, he is most often referred to simply as "Colonel"). Thriving on adventure and the adrenaline rush of lifethreatening situations (or being "on the jazz", as the rest of the team refers to it), he seems to genuinely enjoy every challenge they encounter. He is renowned by both allies and enemies for being cool-headed and extremely clever. There is rarely a situation where he is not able to smile in the face of adversity. He will usually light up a cigar, when he needs to do some thinking often when coming up with a plan, and in the heat of a dangerous or exciting moment. He is also often seen putting on his gloves when he senses the action is about to pick up (such as a fist fight breaking out). When captured by their enemies, he will deliver flippant or sarcastic remarks. He regularly dispenses aphorisms, especially to their foes, upon defeating them. He also has some medical skills which he picked up when in Vietnam. He styles himself a "master of disguise", though his skill lay not so much in how convincing his disguise was, but in his ability to assume any role and convince others that his role is genuine. Most episodes begin with the prospective clients coming to meet the A-Team, and instead, being introduced to one of Hannibal's comic aliases. Hannibal uses his various disguises to screen all the A-Team's potential clients to assure they were not fronts for the militarysometimes playing more than one at a time. Clients often make reference to a "Mr. Lee", the owner of a Chinese laundromat who tells them where to meet the team, who often makes use of clich Chinese proverbs. Mr. Lee first appears in the pilot episode "Mexican Slayride, Part One". The alias of Mr. Lee is often referred to throughout the series, and Hannibal assumes the alias again in some episodes. When not working with the team, Hannibal works as an actor, playing monsters in low-budget horror movies (being a fugitive, he can only choose roles in which his face cannot be seen). His many roles include "Gatorella", "Killgator" and his most famous, "The Aquamaniac" . Naturally, Hannibal secures his roles playing his own agent. Dr. Maggie Sullivan ("Black Day at Bad Rock", season 1 episode 6) - In an uncharacterstic moment in the series, it is Hannibal that is capable of seducing the episode's leading female role, rather than Face. The character of Maggie Sullivan returns in the season 2 episode "Deadly Maneuvers", where Hannibal and the doctor rekindle their romance briefly. Anne Sanders ("Fire! season 3 episode 41) - As the A-Team is hired by a female firefighter, who is capable of challenging Hannibal. The sexual tension between the two rises throughout the episode, and Hannibal gives in too a short fling with the woman. She is not seen afterwards again. Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Charisma 5, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4; Abilities: Academics 2, Athletics (Dodge) 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 4, Bureaucracy 2 (Covert), Command 4, Disguise 3, Drive 2, Engineering 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms 4, Interrogation 1, Intimidation 2, Intrusion 2, Investigation 2, Linguistics 2, Medicine 2, Melee 2, Occult 1, Perform 5, Rapport 1, Ride 3, Science 1, Stealth 4, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 4, Survival 3; Backgrounds: Allies 4, Backing 2, Contacts 4, Influence 2, Resources 3 Wright, Orville Wilbur III (Rick) A suave, street savvy, man-about-town of small stature who manages the King Kamehameha Club, an exclusive beachfront, members-only, club in southeast Oahu. He is a former USMC door gunner, and weapons specialist, who served in the Vietnam War with T.C. and Magnum in the VMO-2 squadron. He has close ties with Hawaii's underworld and often uses these connections to help Magnum in his investigations. His main contact, an underworld boss named "Icepick", is actually his stepfather, although his friends don't know this until years later. Rick was born and raised in a tough inner city Chicago neighborhood. Both of his parents died in 1958. His only sibling, Wendy, was killed by a drug dealer in Oahu in 1983. He loves to wager bets, is a big fan of Casablanca and Humphrey Bogart, and is skipper of the King Kamehameha II & III luxury yachts. He's a big baseball fan and grew up rooting for the Cubs. He has a particular fondness for expensive suits and tight designer jeans. In the late seventies, he owned a glittery discothque called Rick's Cafe Americain, otherwise known as The Snow Palace. Rick dressed, talked, and acted like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca during this period. He even referred to the DJ as "Sam", even though that wasn't his real name. The club folded in 1980 due to financial problems and Rick soon became manager of the King Kamehameha Club. He married Cleo Mitchell, a former prostitute, in 1988, in the show's last episode, although the words "I Do" were never seen uttered. A running gag in the series is that in brawls, Rick is easily dispatched by the opponents. Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3; Abilities: Academics 1, Area Knowledge: Hawaii 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Biz 2, Brawl 3, Bureaucracy 4, Command 1, Diplomacy 5, Drive 1 (Boating) , Etiquette 4, Firearms 5 (Heavy Weapons), Interrogation 2, Intimidation 1, Intrusion 2, 30

Investigation 2, Linguistics 2, Melee 4, Occult 1, Perform 4, Rapport 1, Stealth 2, Streetwise 5 (Contacts), Style 4, Subterfuge 3, Survival 1; Merits: Underworld Ties; Flaws: Susceptible to Bashing Damage (Double Damage); Backgrounds: Allies 3, Backing 3, Contacts 5, Resources 3; Virtues: Willpower 5

31

HUNTERS
Bannister, Frank (Paranormal Investigator) Frank Bannister was a successful architect until he accidentally drove his car off the road while drunk. His wife was in the car with him, and when police found them both hours later, she was dead. They presumed the crash killed her, but in fact the truth was much more sinister. Although Frank would blot out the memories of what he saw for the next five years, what had actually occurred was that ghostly sixties serial killer Johnny Bartlett and his still-living girlfriend Patricia Ann Bradley came across the two of them lying near their car. Not spotting Frank, Patricia watched as her undead boyfriend reached inside Debra's body and squeezed her heart, killing her. Then Patricia cut the number 13 onto Debra's forehead. Johnny had murdered 12 people with his girlfriend's help back in 1964 before being sent to the chair; now that Debra had brought him back with a sance, the two planned to start right back up again. Luckily for Frank, they never realized he had seen them in action. As a result of the experience, Frank discovered he now had the ability to see ghosts, the spirits of people who did not enter the tunnel of light offered to them when they initially died. This combined with his loss drove him to the depths of despair. He quit his job, and when his money eventually ran out, he talked three amiable ghosts, The Judge (the spirit of a Western gunslinger, now so lacking in ectoplasm he was falling apart), Stuart (a geek) and Cyrus (an Afro-haired left-over from the seventies), into helping him set up a fake exorcism business. The ghosts would haunt someone, Frank would be called in, and after a bit of theatrics, remove the "poltergeists" plaguing his marks. This went on for five years. Meanwhile Johnny grew in strength, masking his appearance with the form of the Grim Reaper, or Soul Taker as the Judge would term him. Bartlett's killing spree grew and sped up. While bilking his latest client, Frank saw the number 37 on their forehead in burning letters; it was only the next day when he encountered the man's ghost did he realize the significance of this. The new ghost asked Frank to help him contact his widow, Lucy Lynskey, but grew angry when he realized that Lucy had been about to leave him anyway, and that there was clearly a spark between her and Frank. Needing a break, Frank went to the rest room, only to witness Bartlett in action, slaying his next victim. When the police arrived, they accused Frank of being the murderer, an attitude not helped when Frank spotted yet another person with numbers on their head and the Soul Taker moving in. While his ghosts provided distraction, Frank grabbed the unwilling target and tried to save her. The Judge fell to the Soul Taker, who then chased down Frank's car, driving him off the road at the same spot where he had crashed five years earlier. Once again Frank had to witness the death of an innocent. Surrendering to custody, Frank found any chance of reasoning with the police destroyed by the arrival of an insane FBI agent, Milton Dammers. Dammers was convinced of Frank's guilt no matter what he said, and Frank resigned himself to incarceration...until Lucy arrived to visit him in his cell, and Frank saw numbers glowing on her forehead. With the assistance of Lucy and his remaining two spirit friends, Frank escaped, but both Stuart and Cyrus met their ends, sliced by the Soul Taker's scythe. Reasoning that it takes a ghost to catch a ghost, Frank had Lucy use medical equipment to temporarily freeze him, entering a death-like state. In this form, Frank confronted the Soul Taker in the local cemetery and stripped him of his mask. Before he could end Bartlett though, his spirit was whisked back to his body as Lucy revived him. Now they knew who their enemy was, the two crusaders went to warn his girlfriend Patricia, little realizing she was still in love with her murderous partner. Facing two murderous foes, Frank and Lucy hid in Patricia's closet during a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, and chance upon Bartlett's ashes stored within. They decided to try and exorcise the ghoul by emptying his ashes on consecrated ground, in the chapel of the abandoned asylum adjacent to the house they were in - the same asylum where Bartlett and Patricia had carried out their original killing spree. Patricia, Johnny pursued them in., followed moments later by Milton Dammers. As Frank was subjected to flashbacks to the fateful events in 1964, Dammers caught up with them, shot Frank and emptied out the ashes too early. The FBI agent had his head blown off by Patricia for his trouble. Frank, once more at death's door, grabbed Patricia in his spirit form and ripped her soul from her body. Simultaneously the tunnel of light formed to take him to the next world. Frank started to rise heavenward, dragging Patricia's ghost with him. Bartlett, unwilling to give up his lover, followed, but by so doing, he attracted the attention of some higher power. The tunnel transformed into a gaping maw full of tentacles, which snatched both the murderers and dragged them away screaming. Then it changed back and Frank reached his destination, apparently Heaven. He was greeted by Stuart and Cyrus, and also by his wife Debra. She told him it was not his time yet, and to be happy. Then Frank awoke, back in his own body. Frank and Lucy became lovers, and he began to get his life back together. And Lucy, thanks to her own near death experience, gained the same power to see ghosts that Frank had. Real Name: Frank Bannister; Occupation: former architect; later fake exorcist / psychic investigator; Affiliations: The Judge, Cyrus, Stuart (ghostly partners); Dr. Lucy Lynskey; Enemies: The Soul Taker (Johnny Charles Bartlett), Patricia Ann Bradley, Milton Dammers; Known Relatives: Debra (wife, deceased); Base of Operations: Fairweather, New England; Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2, Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 3; Abilities: Academics (Occult) 1, Athletics (Dodge) 1, Awareness 1, Biz (Architecture) 3, Bureaucracy 2, Command 1, Drive 2, Endurance 1, Engineering 3, Firearms 1, Investigation 2, Melee 2, Perform 3, Rapport 3, Science 1, Stealth 2, Subterfuge 2; Merits: Medium, Spirit Magnet; Backgrounds: Allies 3, Contacts 1, Influence 1, Resources 3; Virtues: Willpower 5 32

Dane, Father Sullivan (Team Shiva Minister) Nature: Loner; Demeanor: Survivor; Concept: Witch Hunter; Strength 2, Dexterity (Catlike) 4, Stamina (Determined) 4, Charisma 1, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2, Perception (Curious) 4, Intelligence (Discerning) 4, Wits (Devilishly Clever) 5; Talents: Acting 2, Alertness (Supernatural) 4, Athletics (Gymnastics) 4, Brawl (Boxing) 4, Dodge (Slippery) 4, Streetwise 3; Skills: Animal Ken 1, Drive 2, Etiquette 2, Firearms (Assassination) 4, Melee (Fencing) 4, Music (Violin) 5, Repair 1, Security 3, Stealth (Darkness) 4, Survival 2, Technology 1; Knowledges: Bureaucracy 1, Investigation (Deduction) 5, Kindred Lore 2, Law 2, Linguistics 3, Medicine 1, Occult 4; Numina: Auspex 1, True Faith 8; Backgrounds: Contacts 5, Resources 3, Status 1; Merits: Clear Sighted, Ecumenist, Fist of God: Holy Fire, Fountain of Life, Holy Aura, Light Sleeper, Symbol Independence; Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 4, Humanity 8, Willpower 10 Kolchak, Karl (Intrepid Reporter) Karl Kolchak was a relentless reporter who believed that it was the press' job to find the truth and then tell the public about it... an attitude that hadn't made him many friends before his first truly bizarre case, and made him even fewer after. Karl ended up working for a newspaper in Las Vegas, under editor Tony Vincenzo. He was assigned to look into a series of violent night-time murders of local women, and swiftly came to the conclusion that, no matter how insane it seemed, the killer was a genuine vampire; however the local authorities refused to acknowledge this, and were desperate to sweep the story under the rug. Finally Karl had no choice but to take matters into his own hands; he stalked and staked the vampire, Janos Skorzeny. For his life-saving efforts, he was run out of town under threat of a murder charge if he tried to tell his side of the story. He next surfaced in Seattle, where he bummed around a bit, until he ran into his old boss Vincenzo. Feeling guilty for Karl being railroaded the last time, and against his better judgment, Vincenzo hired Karl on at the newspaper he now ran. Unfortunately Karl's first story for his new journal proved to involve the supernatural once more - this time an ancient alchemist killing women to steal their blood for a formula to keep him young. Things followed a familiar pattern - by being prepared to accept the facts for what they were, Karl was able to track down the truth behind the serial killer, while the police were hamstrung by the insistence from various elected officials that they treat the murderer as a regular lunatic, since to admit otherwise might be bad for business. Karl located the hideout of the alchemist, Richard Malcolm, and destroyed his serum, causing him to age to death. However he was once again run out of town by the authorities - only this time they kicked Vincenzo out too. Both men ended up working for the INS (International News Service) out of it's Chicago office. Now that his eyes had been opened to the supernatural, time and again Karl found himself dealing with cases of it, facing werewolves on cruise ships, Native American spirits up skyscrapers, politicians in league with the devil, and even an immortal, youthstealing, Helen of Troy. Time and again Karl won the day through persistence, wits, and dumb luck. Eventually a case in an underground facility in Merrymount cost him his job once more, and he moved on. Most recently Karl has been working out of Los Angeles, once more in the employ of Vincenzo. He continues to confront the supernatural and bizarre far too often for his own liking. In The Night Stalker, Karl Kolchak is described by his editor, Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland), as "a has-been bigcity reporter". In the same film, his girlfriend Gail Foster (Carol Lynley) recounts the number of times Karl has been fired: Foster: "Let's see, how many times has it been... uh, twice in Washington, three times in New York, twice in Chicago, and once or was it twice in Boston?" Kolchak: (holds up three fingers) Foster: "Oh." At the conclusion of The Night Stalker, Kolchak finds himself out of a job once again, and blackmailed by the Las Vegas police never to return to Las Vegas. Kolchak is told that his girlfriend Gail has also been "asked to leave town". Karl exhausts his savings placing personal advertisements across the country in an attempt to find her: he is unsuccessful, and Gail does not make an appearance in The Night Strangler or any of the television episodes which followed. At the beginning of The Night Strangler, Kolchak encounters his former editor Vincenzo at a bar in Seattle, where Kolchak is trying in vain to use his old news clippings to convince someone that vampires exist. Although Vincenzo does not appear happy to see Karl, he hires Kolchak as a reporter for The Daily Chronicle, where Vincenzo now works as an editor. Kolchak recruits exotic dancer/pre-med student Louise Harper (Jo Ann Pflug) to assist him in tracking down the eponymous strangler, but he confesses to his tape recorder (Sony TC-55) that his interest in her is not limited to the story. "I telephoned my belly-dancing undergraduate friend, and asked her to attend an afternoon tour of the underground with me. Confession of news man, chapter one: her being with me had nothing to do with the story." Despite this confession, there is no evidence that the relationship between Kolchak and Harper is anything other than platonic (although Jeff Rice introduced a romantic relationship in his novelization of Matheson's script). At the conclusion of The Night Strangler, Kolchak is once again out of a job, but this time he is accompanied by Vincenzo, who has been fired for attempting to print Kolchak's story. The pair are last seen driving to New York, with Harper in the back seat; all three are arguing. When a rash of serial murders suddenly begins in the Chicago area, Kolchak establishes a similarity between the new killings and the murders committed by Jack The Ripper. The killer soon reveals himself to possess superhuman characteristics, and Kolchak suspects that they may be dealing with the original Ripper after all. Karl follows up on a series of murders where key figures in the Chicago numbers racket are turning up dead, their spines snapped by someone with incredible strength. The body of a murdered numbers runner keeps turning up at the scene of each crime, and Kolchak soon learns that someone is using voodoo to gain revenge on the criminals in the form of a murderous zombie.

33

Kolchak is witness to a bizarre manifestation when an unseen force decimates a building and causes a cache of lead ingots to vanish into thin air. He soon draws a connection between the disturbance and a series of incidents where both animals and human beings are turning up dead, the marrow mysteriously sucked out of their bones. In this sequel to the original "Night Stalker" telefilm, a road crew accidentally unearths the grave of a vampire in Las Vegas, a female victim of Janos Skorzeny. Kolchak gets word of the recurrence of vampire-like murders and flies to Las Vegas under the ruse of interviewing an Indian guru, but soon enlists the help of a friendly real estate agent in his hunt for the home of the rampaging vampire. When a tax audit interrupts Vincenzo's plans to take a cruise ship vacation, he sends Kolchak in his place to follow up on a story about swinging singles. Kolchak becomes more interested in a series of mutilations that begin taking place on the ship, perpetrated by a creature that seems to be half man, half wolf. Kolchak looks into several instances of spontaneous combustion, where the victims were suddenly incinerated as they dozed. He finds that the apparition of a renowned orchestra conductor was spotted at the scenes of the crimes, but the catch is that the conductor isn't dead. With the help of a gypsy, Kolchak learns that a vengeful ghost known as a "doppelganger" is at work, impersonating the conductor in an attempt to take over his life. When Kolchak himself is marked for incineration, he must avoid falling asleep until he can stop the ghost once and for all. An aspiring politician is surrounded by a series of deadly "accidents" that obliterate any opposition to his career, and Kolchak discovers a bizarre supernatural element to his campaign: a deal with the devil that affords him protection and allows him to change form into that of an ominous dog. Soon it's up to Kolchak to get him off the campaign trail once and for all. A Native American legend materializes in Chicago, and Karl discovers it when he investigates the mysterious deaths of two wealthy society matrons who possessed priceless jewels. When the murders increase, Kolchak learns that the force at work is know as The Diablero, a being cursed to roam the Earth in search of valuable gems. A pair of seemingly unrelated deaths are connected by the fact that each victim had a small amount of Spanish Moss on the body. When more murders occur, Kolchak is able to determine that each victim is indeed connected to a comatose Cajun man who is part of a sleep experiment where he is denied the ability to dream. The man's subconscious is able to physically manifest a vengeful monstrosity, the "Paramafait", a legendary Cajun boogeyman who dispatches anybody who wronged the sleeping man. Kolchak's intention to stop the Paramafait marks him for death, unless he can stop the creature before it kills him. Kolchak faces another Native American monster, this one known as the Matchemonedo, when he learns of a series of mishaps taking place in a newly opened hospital. The construction of the hospital has awakened Matchemonedo, an invisible manifestation that causes ruptures in the building's constitution, electrical outbursts, and deaths that are seemingly caused by electrocution. Kolchak enlists the help of a reluctant Indian shaman to combat the rampaging force. Karl investigates a series of deaths that take place in a community mostly populated by the elderly. The bodies are partially devoured, seemingly by rats, but Kolchak begins to suspect that a more sinister force is at work: a ghastly flesh-eating Hindu demon known as the Rakshasa has set up shop in the area, and it has the ability to take its victims by surprise by appearing to them as the person they trust the most. An arctic oil-drilling expedition unearths some strange organic matter, cells which begin to spontaneously multiply. When the cooling unit in their storage facility fails, the cells grow into a violent and deadly life-form, a murderous ape-man. Kolchak finds the feature story he's planning on writing about the murders blocked by the authorities at every turn, and it seems that pressure from the large corporation which sponsored the drilling is threatening to squelch the truth about the murders. Kolchak arranges to meet an informer at the Trevi Salon. But the man falls from an unoccupied top floor studio before Karl can learn what he knew. Now the mob is after Karl, and worse than that, so might be a supernatural force. A bit of research leads Karl to some people who might be able to help him. But all magic benefits from a little misdirection, and Karl has to correct his mistake before the real culprit's plan succeeds. Former members of a biker gang from the 50s are being decapitated, and a key witness claims that the murders are being committed by a headless figure on a motorcycle wielding a sword. Kolchak pieces the story together and finds that the specter is out to avenge his death due to some rather unusual circumstances surrounding his burial. When an ancient stone tablet is unearthed in the Mid East and brought back to American for study, a deadly mystical force is unleashed. Kolchak follows a series of deaths where healthy young men were found dead of heart attacks, each accompanied by the bodies of women who seemed to have died in unrelated circumstances and locations. Kolchak discovers that the murders are the work of a Succubus, a Sumerian demon that assumes the form of recently deceased women and lures men into her deadly embrace. A series of brutal murders all share a particularly grisly characteristic: each victims has his or her heart cut out, much like a human sacrifice. Kolchak discovers that the murders are all connected to a modern-day Aztec cult that has been preparing for an apocalypse for centuries. Kolchak tries to stop the final sacrifice from being made, but he soon discovers that the mummified corpse of the cult's leader may not be as inanimate as it appears. A ghostly knight is making a habit out of executing certain persons responsible for the 'desecration' of his burial site; that is, anybody involved with the creation of a restaurant/disco near the knight's resting place. Kolchak catches on when he happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses one of the murders with his own eyes. An axe that's been blessed is the only thing that will stop the ghost from exacting his gruesome revenge. A dating service for young, fabulous singles proves to be a breeding ground for supernatural murder when certain members start turning up as elderly corpses. Kolchak makes the connection and discovers that the proprietor of the dating service has a mysterious way of remaining young and beautiful. An underground data-storage facility uncovers a problem when they excavate a tunnel for a new wing. Karl investigates the deaths of several employees of the facility who appeared to have been killed by a wild animal, and he 34

discovers a rampaging reptile that has been disturbed by the digging of the tunnel. As Kolchak tries to stay one step ahead of the law, the beast continues its assault on the facility, destroying anything and everything in its quest for the eggs that have been stolen from its nest. Kolchack automatically passes sanity rolls for viewing dead bodies, (Ive seen more dead bodies than youve had TV-Dinners.); vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies, Elder Things, Old Great Race, Ghouls or Ghosts or Ghasts, and the Colour Out of Space. Murders, having to kill, and the grisliest murder scenes may make Kolchack uncomfortable, but during Korea far worse happened, and now hes totally immune. We wont even take into consideration the things hes seen from being a reporter, (burnings, suicides, car crash fatalities, etc.). Full Name: Carel Michail Kolchak; Age: 63; Birthplace: New York City; Relatives: Janos and Fanny Kolchack (parents deceased); Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Charisma 4, Manipulation 5, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 5; Abilities: Academics (Law, Occult, Research) 2, Animal Training 1, Arts (History, Photography, Writing) 4, Athletics 2, Awareness 4, Brawl 1, Drive 4, Etiquette (Haggling) 3, Firearms 1, Intrusion 1, Investigation 4, Legerdemain 4, Linguistics 1, Medicine (Psychoanalyses) 2, Melee 1, Might 1, Science 1, Stealth 4, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 5, Survival 1; Backgrounds: Allies 2, Contacts 5, Influence 1, Resources 2; Virtues: Willpower 7

35

OFFICE

OF

SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE

This Chronology page is a representation of the chronological sequence of bionic-related events (past and future). 1870: A group of alien scientists sets up a colony within the San Andreas mountain region. 1927: May 3 - James Sommers (Jaime's biological father, future OSI agent) born. 1930: Aug 08 - Oscar Goldman born. Oct 26 - Ann Sommers (Jaime's biological mother, future OSI agent) born. 1941: Feb 5 - Steve Austin is born (The production designer on the episode "Ghostly Teletype" made an error on the date of Steve's birth on his driver's license giving the date of death in 1942.) Dec 7 - Sam Goldman, the older brother of Oscar Goldman, is killed while stationed in Hawaii during the attack on Pearl Harbor. 1942: Carl Austin, the father of Steve Austin, is killed when his plane was attacked by Japanese fighters during on a top-secret courier mission over the Himalayas. 1945: Jaime Sommers is born. 1948: Carl Franklin, son of Dr. Franklin is born. 1951: Trish Hollander born. 1958: Dec 31 - Steve and Jaime kiss for the first time at Steve's senior class New Year's party. 1959: Steve Austin graduates high school. Steve goes to college. In college, Steve Austin rooms with John Perry for at least two years, writes a song. Oscar Goldman joins OSI. 1960: Dr. Franklin begins his employment at the OSI. 1961: Apr 16 - OSI undercover agents James and Ann Sommers, Jaime's parents, were killed (presumably murdered) in a car accident. (The production designer on the episode "Jaime's Mother" made an error on the dates on James' and Ann's headstones, giving their dates of death as 1966.) Jim Elgin and Helen Elgin become the legal guardians of Jaime Sommers. 1962: Oscar Goldman serves as Executive First Officer under the command of Admiral Richter during The Cuban Missile Crisis. They spend four days and nights on duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Apr 14 - Jaime's Senior Prom (Aladin's Lamp) at Ojai High School; as seen in Jaime's scrapbook in Mirror Image (Another usual blunder from the production designer by screwing up the dates). Jaime Sommers graduates high school; goes to Carnegie Tech majoring in education while playing tennis. 1963: Steve Austin joins the Army out of college; spends several months flying choppers during the Vietnam War until his chopper was shot down. 1964: Karen divorces Steve Austin (doesn't tell Steve she's pregnant). Steve Austin transfers to Air Force and becomes a test pilot for the SR-71 and other aircrafts at Lackland for OTS. During his career in the Air Force, Steve also befriends Fred Sloan. 1965: Steve Austin joins NASA. At NASA, Steve Austin catches Julian Richmond stealing components. Richmond's arrest leads him in Florida State Pen for 12 years. Michael Austin, son of Steve Austin, is born. Jul 26 - Kate Mason is born. 1970: Dr. Franklin's employment at the OSI is terminated after too many continuing conflicts with his superior, Oscar Goldman. 1971: Karen Austin, Steve's ex-wife, Michael's mother, dies. Steve and Jaime meet up for last time until they are reunited four years later. 1972: Dec 07, 12:53AM - Steve Austin blasts off for the moon; walks on it four days later. Dec 11 - Apollo 17 lands on the moon. Dec 17, 2:24PM - Apollo 17 returns to Earth Bob Crandall embezzles money from his uncle, Horton Budge, to pay for wife Nora's medical bills. Budge finds out and makes Crandall be his chauffeur and sacrifice Christmas bonuses to pay him back. Oliver Spencer proposes the Project Cyborg to the OSI Board of Directors. 1973: While Steve Austin is test piloting an experimental aircraft, a malfunction causes a crash. Austin's injuries are so severe, he loses both legs and his right arm. He is also blinded in one eye. One of Austin's closest friends, Dr. Rudy Wells, a doctor and scientist, is a specialist in the newly emerging field of bionics. Oliver Spencer, who had recently proposed the Cyborg Project to the OSI's board of directors as a means of reducing agent casualties, is able to authorize the funding to take a severely injured Austin and rebuild him with bionics. Rudy Wells is ordered to perform the procedure on Austin. Steve Austin goes on his first mission for the OSI . Oscar Goldman is appointed director of the OSI, succeeding Oliver Spencer. May 01 - Barney Hiller crashes race car, loses both arms and legs. (18 months prior to "Seven Million Dollar Man" episode). Sep 12 - "Wine, Women and War" - August thru Sept. 12th. Nov 17 - "The Solid Gold Kidnapping" 1974: Jan 18 - "Population: Zero". Jan 25 - "Survival of the Fittest". Feb 02 - "Operation Firefly". Feb 08 - "Day of the Robot". Feb 22 - "Little Orphan Airplane". Mar 01 - "Doomsday, and Counting". Kelly Woods becomes the first American woman in space. Date of the telegram Jaime sends to Rona confirming her appearance at his tournament. Mar 08 - "Eyewitness to Murder". Mar 15 - "The Rescue of Athena One". Mar 29 - "Dr. Wells is Missing". Apr 05 - "The Last of the Fourth of Julys". Apr 12 - "Burning Bright". Apr 19 - "The Coward". Apr 26 - "Run, Steve, Run". Sep 13 - "Nuclear Alert". Sep 20 - "The Pioneers". Sep 27 - "Pilot Error". Oct 04 - "The Pal-Mir Escort". Nov 01 - "The Seven Million Dollar Man" - Steve Austin meets Barney Hiller, the world's second bionic man. Nov 08 - "Straight On 'Til Morning". Nov 15 - "The Midas Touch". Nov 22 - "The Deadly Replay". Dec 06 - "Act of Piracy". Dec 13 - "Stranger in Broken Fork". Dec 20 - "The Peeping Blonde" 1975: Jan 10 - "The Cross-Country Kidnap". Jan 17 - "Lost Love". Jan 19 - "The Last Kamikaze". Jan 26 - "Return of the Robot Maker" - Dr. Dolenz resurfaces one last time with a new robot duplicate of Oscar Goldman in tow. Goldman is kidnapped and replace with the robot impostor. The robot successfully steals several OSI top secret files until Steve solves the case and defeats the robot. Dolenz is finally taken into custody by the authorities. Steve Austin relocates back to Ojai and buys a ranch. Steve and Jaime are reunited after four years of no contact. After a near fatal skydiving accident, Jaime Sommers receives bionic enhancements as authorized by Oscar Goldman and administered by Dr. Rudy Wells. Peggy Callahan is hired by the OSI as Oscar Goldman's secretary. Sep 14 - Jaime revives but suffers amnesia - goes to Rudy's Colorado Springs complex. Barney Hiller's bionics are temporarily reactivated. 1976: Jan 11 - Jaime returns to Ojai, teaches at Ventura AFB in between OSI jobs. Jaime Sommers officially becomes a part-time OSI agent. Steve Austin encounters Bigfoot and the colony of alien scientists in the San Andreas mountain region. However his memories of their existence has been erased. Dr. Franklin makes plans to build fembots, infiltrate the OSI and then steal the OSI Weather Device. He meets and strikes a deal with Russian finance minister Baron Constantine. With the money Constantine's board of directors funded Franklin, he was able to build his first fembot, which he named Katy. Jun 01 - The Liberty Bell kidnapped by Robert Meyer - Steve saves it with help of Neils Lindstrom - federal prisoner. Sep 01 - Philly bomb squad captain Doug Witherspoon retires 3 months after helping save the Liberty Bell. By orders of Dr. Franklin, Peggy Callahan 36

and Lynda Wilson are put under surveillance by Katy and Rawlins. Sep 19 - "The Return of Bigfoot" - Gillian, an alien colonists from San Andreas mountain, makes contact with Steve Austin. She revives his memories of his previous encounter and asks for his help against their struggle against a group of renegade colonists and Bigfoot. Oct 27 - "Kill Oscar" - Franklin begins phase 1 of his scheme to obtain the weather control device. Lynda Wilson and Peggy Callahan are abducted and replace by fembot duplicates. With his fembot spies in place, they easilly aranged Oscar Goldman to be an open target an soon enough Goldman was kidnapped and held hostage along with Wilson and Callahan in Franklin's complex. Franklin and Oscar stood face to face for the first time in seven years as Franklin reveals his fembots and his plan to steal the weather control device. Dec 24 - Steve Austin meets greedy, penny-pinching industrialist Budge. 1977: Steve Austin encounters the first Russian Space Probe. August - While in prison awaiting trial, Dr.Franklin becomes ill. Before he has the chance to stand trial for his crimes, Franklin succumbs to his illnesses and dies in prison. Sep 01 - Julian Richmond is released from prison. Tammy Cross is abducted and replace by a fembot. Julian Richmond hires a contract to kill Steve Austin and stop a rocket launch. Sep 10 - "The Bionic Dog". Oct - "Dark Side of the Moon". "Fembots in Las Vegas". "Fembots in Las Vegas (Part II)". "Dark Side of the Moon (Part II)". 1978: Feb 06 - Steve Austin captured, made to believe it's 1984. May 13 - "On the Run" (final episode of The Bionic Woman airs). Jaime Sommers goes into semiretirement from the OSI. Steve Austin captures Lyle Stenning (Fortress leader). Stenning is soon sentenced life to in prison. 1979: Steve Austin retires from the OSI. 1985: Max, the bionic dog, dies. Chris Williams is killed in the line of duty, on a mission with Jaime Sommers. 1988: Fortress stages the ninth raid for weapons. Oscar Goldman decides to call on Steve Austin. Mike Austin crashes during his graduation solo flight. Rudy Wells rebuilds him with advanced bionics. 1990: Steve and Jaime at World Unity Games. Kate Mason becomes bionic. 1994: Nov - Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers are finally married. Austin, Steve (OSI Operative) Steve Austin was born February 5, 1942. His father, Carl, was a captain in the US Army Air Force, commanding a DC-3 nicknamed My Little Girl. While on a top-secret courier mission over the Himalayas, his plane was attacked by Japanese fighters. It was reported that Carl Austin bailed out of the plane and left the crew to die (Steve eventually learned it was his co-pilot, Christopher Bell, who fled the plane.) Steves mother, Helen, later married Jim Elgin, who brought the family to a ranch in Ojai, California and formally adopted Steve as his son. Steve excelled at athletics, but also possessed a strong scientific streak. Fascinated by airplanes and flying, he cajoled his parents into letting him get a pilot's license before he could drive a car. He joined Army ROTC in high school to earn money for college and fell in love with local girl Jaime Sommers, but their relationship ended when Steve left for college. While at college, he roomed with future recording star John Perry, and even wrote some songs he claimed would make John famous if he recorded them. In college he was outstanding in football, but turned down offers to join the pros in favor of graduate school. Steve earned masters degrees in aeronautical engineering, geology and history, and occupied what little spare time was left him with programs in wrestling, judo, aikido, gymnastics, and fencing. After college, Steve spent a year in Vietnam flying a helicopter gunship, but was shot down (breaking three of his ribs) and sent back to the U.S. to recuperate. He took the opportunity to transfer to the Air Force to fly jets. He commanded a wing of F-111 fighter-bombers, then was assigned to Edwards Air Force Base in California, where he became one of their top test pilots. He also met Doctor Rudy Wells, who quickly became one of Steve's closest friends. The reputation Steve earned at Edwards made him very attractive to NASA, who recruited him for the astronaut program. Even among the competitors of the astronaut corps, Steve stood out as the youngest astronaut, along with a combination of sheer genius, athletic ability and ladies'-man magnetism. It was at this time that he became seriously involved with Barbara Marsh; he and Barbara were engaged for a time, but his commitment to NASA ended the relationship. Steve was selected as backup mission commander on Apollo 17, the final lunar landing. When the primary mission commander broke his arm in a car accident two weeks before the launch, Steve was promoted to commander of the prime crew. At 12:53 a.m. on December 7, 1972, Apollo 17 launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida. Four days later, Steve landed his lunar module on the Moon; he carried out a series of successful experiments and even set the record for longest single moonwalk at seven hours, thirty-seven minutes. When Apollo 17 returned from the Moon on December 17, 1972, Steve Austin was a celebrity. After making the obligatory rounds of talk shows and special appearances, Steve returned to Edwards AFB. He was anxious to return to space, but the next round of missions aboard the Skylab space station were already spoken for. NASA wanted him for a rotation aboard Skylab II, but Steve set his sights on the Space Shuttle, and quickly became chief design officer and chief test pilot of the M3F5, a lifting body prototype designed to test a spacecraft's ability to reenter atmosphere and land like an airplane. The test flight began well. The M3F5 detached from its carrier B-52, ignited its engines and brought Steve Austin to the edge of space. He piloted the ship back into the atmosphere and to the runway back at Edwards, but a crucial component of the M3F5's steering system blew out, and the ship crashed to the desert floor. Steve Austin survived, but barely. His right arm was torn off by the twisting forces of the crash, which also crushed his legs. A fragment of metal penetrated the front of his flight helmet, shattered his jaw and destroyed his left eye. His ribs were crushed, a heart valve was damaged, and his skull was fractured. Rudy Wells, who was present at the

37

test, had Steve rushed to the base medical center and supervised hours of surgery. Steve was kept in electrosleep to allow his body to recuperate and to spare his mind the horror of his injuries. While Steve slept, Rudy Wells was approached by Oliver Spencer of the Office of Scientific Intelligence. OSI's director, Oscar Goldman, had long sought to create a cyborg, a melding of man and machine through the new science of bionics. Working with the Bionics Research Laboratory in Colorado Springs, he had the technology; now all he needed was the right man. Steve Austin was the perfect candidate. Spencer convinced Rudy Wells that bionics were Steve's best hope, and offered to pay six million dollars to make it happen. The next several months were difficult. When Steve was revived from electrosleep and learned of his condition, he attempted suicide. Rudy Wells knew that while Steve's physical condition had stabilized, his emotional state was delicate. He spent hours explaining bionics to Steve, using the astronaut's scientific curiosity and engineering genius to draw him out of his shell. After months of discussion and education, Steve agreed to the surgery. Steve's skull was reinforced with cesium, enabling him to withstand ten times the impact of his original injury. His shattered ribs were replaced with vitallium, making them unbreakable and also an excellent radio antenna. Cosmetic surgery erased his scars, and extensive dental surgery repaired his broken jaw and missing teeth. Then came the real miracles: two bionic legs, one bionic arm and a bionic eye, all indistinguishable from the originals. Once activated, they gave Steve incredible abilities. His legs enabled him to run at nearly seventy miles an hour and swim at forty miles an hour, to leap thirty feet into the air, and to kick down virtually any door. His arm could crush a brick in its grasp, lift up a car, or punch through a brick wall. (For a time, the middle finger of his bionic hand contained a tiny CO2-powered dart gun, but it was later removed.) His eye could see in the dark, into the infrared, microscopically or telescopically. All his bionics were powered by tiny atomic generators, giving Steve limitless endurance. The recuperation process was long and difficult. The months it took for Steve to use his new limbs easily and safely took a heavy toll on his self-esteem. After a long period of testing and refining, Steve learned that OSI planned to use him as a special agent on missions too dangerous for normal agents and too specialized for regular military. His first mission was to rescue an Israeli sympathizer from Arab insurgents; Steve was captured and learned that his objective had been shot trying to escape months before. Steve was able to escape after destroying the insurgent base. Returning to the United States, Steve came under the direct supervision of Oscar Goldman. Their relationship was strained at first; Steve chafed at being obligated to OSI, and Oscar treated Steve as a machine. It took many months before the two began to thaw towards one another, aided in part by a mission where Steve protected Oscar from assassins. Eventually, the two became close friends. Steve Austin retained his rank and pay in the Air Force, officially listed as an advisor to OSI. In reality, he was their top agent, traveling the world and using his unique skills on behalf of the American government. After ten years of little contact, Oscar Goldman seeks out a retired Steve Austin. He hopes to persuade him back into service for an OSI mission. A terrorist group calling itself Fortress has been on the move lately. This group feels that the American way of life is under siege. They want to stamp out those who they feel threaten their country, under the guise of patriotism. In reality, they are simply a paramilitary criminal organization looking to make their mark. But Austin doesn't want to get back into that kind of life, worrying about who's going to shoot him in the back next. Besides, he has something else on his mind these days: his son. Austin has a son named Michael Austin whom he abandoned, along with his mother, Karen a long time ago. Michael's mother died when he was six, and he went to live with Austin's sister-in-law. Later, Michael joined the Air Force: and will soon graduate from the Academy. Austin has decided he wants to become a part of Michael's life again, if he will have him. Austin tells Goldman about how he's decided to meet Michael at a restaurant on the pier, where his boat is docked. Austin now owns a boat named Summer Maiden a reference to his former sweetheart Jaime Sommers which he uses to do chartered trips and earn a living. Goldman then decides to play matchmaker with Austin and Sommers. He knows Austin still loves her, even though he won't admit it. Goldman makes sure Sommers is in the restaurant that night. When Austin arrives at the restaurant, Sommers is upset to see him. It turns out she received a concussion on her last mission for the OSI. When she woke up, Sommers remembered everything she had forgotten since the incident when she rejected her bionics the day she almost died. So she remembers being in love with Austin, and can't handle the emotions right now. Not to mention she blames Austin for the death of Chris Williams a fellow agent, and lover on that last mission. Sommers ends up throwing Austin through the restaurant's front window, in anger. Just then Michael shows up, cracking a joke about "using the front door next time" at seeing his father lying amongst the broken glass shards. Just when Austin thinks things can't get any worse that night: he ends up upsetting Michael at the end of their conversation. Michael wants Austin to be there on his graduation day, when he does a solo flight in a fighter jet to prove his skill: but Austin isn't sure if he wants to come. Austin ends up kicking himself, figuratively, for totally screwing up the evening. Goldman talks to Sommers the next day, asking her to stop blaming Austin for Chris Williams' death, and to give him a chance. Goldman tells Sommers that Austin still loves her, and he is guilty enough for the both of them, for not helping Sommers and Williams in their time of need. Sommers decides to get to know Austin all over again, now. Meanwhile, Fortress has decided that one of their goals is to capture either Austin or Sommers in order to learn about bionics. They try to capture both of them, but fail. Austin ends up rescuing Sommers from being kidnapped, and they come to talk about their feelings. The two make up, and want to start a new relationship. Sommers finds out about Michael Austin, and decides to be at his graduation. When that day comes, Michael does his flight: as Austin, Sommers, and Goldman watch. Unfortunately, something goes horribly wrong with Michael's plane. It could be sabotage Fortress seeking retribution against Austin. The leader of Fortress, Lyle Stenning, has a personal grudge against Steve Austin. It was Austin who put him behind bars 38

ten years ago. But now that he has escaped from prison, Austin is enemy number one on his list. Michael Austin ejects from the crippled jet, but it's too late. He is severely wounded in the crash. Now Steve Austin is really upset and angry. He decides to make a deal with Goldman. If Goldman will do bionic surgery on Michael to save his life, Austin will deliver Fortress on a silver platter. Goldman agrees to Austin's request, and Dr. Rudy Wells is called in to operate. The surgery is successful, but Michael is certainly not ecstatic when he wakes up and finds out what they did to him. He tells Austin that "no matter what happens now, your son died in that plane crash". Sommers steps in, to help Michael deal with his recovery. She nurtures his mental stability back to normal, and eventually Michael comes to feel that the bionics are actually pretty "cool". This whole situation is great news to Fortress, once they find out. Now they want to grab the newest "bionic chip off the block". They can get their hands on the latest in bionic technology, and get back at Austin once again. Fortress proceeds to kidnap Michael, along with Rudy Wells. Once Austin finds out where Fortress' hideout is, he and Sommers beat a path to their door. With some help from Michael, who manages to escape, they clean up the entire operation. Goldman is proud of his new bionic creation, and wonders if Michael Austin would like to become an OSI agent. Steve Austin is not pleased to hear this, and tells Goldman to keep his hands off Michael. Later, a traitor within the OSI is leaking vital security information, that threatens the upcoming World Unity Games. That someone is also discovered to be bionic. Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers, who have been helping with preparations for the games, are now suspects. Can Austin and Sommers clear their names and prove that neither of them is the traitor? The World Unity Games a sports competition not unlike the Olympics, in the name of world peace is being held in Toronto, Canada. Oscar Goldman is asking Steve Austin to come out of retirement again, to become Chief of Security to the games. Austin reluctantly agrees. Later, someone manages to steal some information possibly vital to security of the games. It turns out that "someone" is bionic, because the thief tossed everyone about, including Goldman, like rag dolls. Meanwhile, Jaime Sommers is giving a helping hand in preparing the OSI's newest bionic agent, Kate Mason, for her new life. She has been paralyzed since age six, and bionics will now allow her to walk for the first time in years. Mason's bionics are of a totally new design, which are based more on augmenting her present biological systems unlike her predecessors' cybernetic replacements. It proves to give her superior abilities over Austin and Sommers, while comparing favorably with Austin's son Michael Austin, who received the latest in advanced cybernetic replacements two years earlier. As the story progresses, the enemy forces who planted the bionic thief at the OSI, want to eliminate Steve Austin so he doesn't pose any kind of obstacle for their eventual plans. At the same time, U.S. Army General John McAllister has now been temporarily placed in charge of the OSI, due to the serious nature of the information theft. McAllister's job is to re-evaluate the organization's current effectiveness, and make changes if necessary. He holds all the OSI's bionic agents suspect for the theft. Since Kate hadn't been "activated" at the time, and Michael Austin wasn't anywhere near the games: McAllister begins with securing Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers for questioning. However, McAllister is barking up the wrong tree, because the enemy has their own advanced bionic agent, like Kate! Later when Austin and Sommers are free, the enemy bionic agent plants a bomb on Austin's boat in order to kill him. Instead of this happening, Oscar Goldman's nephew Jim Goldman is caught in the blast. Now Oscar schemes up a plan to flush out who's behind all this. Jim pretends to be severely injured by the bomb, and Goldman asks McAllister for permission to allow Jim to undergo bionic surgery. Goldman knows that McAllister would refuse, so he kicks up a big fuss and fakes his resignation, declaring he "would be better off with the enemy". The enemy forces take his words at face value and capture him. So now Goldman discovers who is behind everything, including the identity of the enemy bionic thief. Since Kate Mason is coming along nicely with using her bionics, the enemy forces feel that she is a threat as well, and want to eliminate her. However, they fail in their attempt. Later, it turns out the whole thing is an inside job: with Deputy CIA Director Charles Esterman leaking bionic (and other) secrets to a Russian General Dzerinsky, and OSI agent Alan Devlin is the bionic thief. Mason manages to kill Devlin, and Esterman and his accomplice Dzerinsky end up in prison. Bionic Ever After?, the final reunion film, saw Austin's bionics malfunctioning due to a computer virus, but in the end he is rescued by Jaime and the two finally marry as the film ends. Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4; Abilities: Academics 3 (History), Athletics 4, Awareness 4, Biz 2, Brawl 4, Bureaucracy 3 (Covert), Command 4, Computer 1, Disguise 3, Drive 4 (Boating), Endurance 2, Engineering 2, Etiquette 3, Firearms 3, Interrogation 3, Intimidation 3, Intrusion 4, Investigation 4, Linguistics 3, Medicine 1, Melee 4, Might 4, Perform 2, Pilot 5, Resistance 2, Science 3 (Nova Lore), Stealth 3, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 3, Survival 3; Backgrounds: Allies 5, Backing 4, Contacts 5, Influence 2, Resources 4,; Virtues: Willpower 7 Bionics: Steves bionics allow him certain advantages. His bionic legs allow him to run at an enhanced speed. He modifies his normal running speeds by 3 times when using his bionics. His jogging speed is 45 yards per turn (30 miles per hour) and his all out speed is 87 yards per turn or 60 miles per hour. The results of jump checks gain five automatic successes and the total is doubled. His bionic arm, combined with his legs and other enhancements, allow him to lift a great deal. He dead lifts 1000 kg (one ton) and gains 5 automatic successes to Strength rolls and close combat damage dice pools. His bionic sight allows him to add two dice to any visually based Perception test. Additionally, this enhancement provides a number of benefits: Steve can see in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, allowing him to see clearly and without penalty whenever UV illumination (such as from the sun, moon or stars) is present. Like a cat, he is able to see in conditions of very little light. Steve can see as well in darkness as in daylight, 39

provided that there is at least some light (even faint starlight is enough). If he is in total blackness (such as an unlit underground room), he cannot see. Steve is also able to see in the infrared (IR) spectrum. Not only can he see anything illuminated by an IR light, he can see the heat given off by living things and hot objects. Hot things appear bright, cool things dark. Steve can also magnify objects in his line of sight, as though he were a high powered telescopic scope. He can magnify distant or tiny images by a factor of 100. Use of this enhancement negates range penalties. Mason, Kate (OSI Operative) The World Unity Games a sports competition not unlike the Olympics, in the name of world peace is being held in Toronto, Canada. Oscar Goldman is asking Steve Austin to come out of retirement again, to become Chief of Security to the games. Austin reluctantly agrees. Later, someone manages to steal some information possibly vital to security of the games. It turns out that "someone" is bionic, because the thief tossed everyone about, including Goldman, like rag dolls. Meanwhile, Jaime Sommers is giving a helping hand in preparing the OSI's newest bionic agent, Kate Mason, for her new life. She has been paralyzed since she was a small child, and bionics will now allow her to walk for the first time in years. Mason's bionics are of a totally new design, which is based more on augmenting her present biological systems unlike her predecessors' cybernetic replacements. It proves to give her superior abilities over Austin and Sommers, while comparing favorably with Austin's son Michael Austin, who received the latest in advanced cybernetic replacements a year earlier. The enemy forces who planted the bionic thief at the OSI want to eliminate Steve Austin so he doesn't pose any kind of obstacle for their eventual plans. At the same time, U.S. Army General John McAllister has now been temporarily placed in charge of the OSI, due to the serious nature of the information theft. McAllister's job is to re-evaluate the organization's current effectiveness, and make changes if necessary. He holds all the OSI's bionic agents suspect for the theft. Since Kate hadn't been "activated" at the time, and Michael Austin wasn't anywhere near the games: McAllister begins with securing Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers for questioning. However, McAllister is barking up the wrong tree, because the enemy has their own advanced bionic agent! Later when Austin and Sommers are free, the enemy bionic agent plants a bomb on Austin's boat in order to kill him. Instead of this happening, Oscar Goldman's nephew Jim Goldman is caught in the blast. Now Oscar schemes up a plan to flush out who's behind all this. Jim pretends to be severely injured by the bomb, and Goldman asks McAllister to give him permission, to allow Jim to have bionic surgery. Goldman knew that McAllister would refuse, so he kicks up a big fuss and fakes his resignation, declaring he "would be better off with the enemy". The enemy forces take his words at face value and capture him. So now Goldman discovers who is behind everything, including the identity of the enemy bionic thief. Since Kate Mason is coming along nicely with using her bionics, the enemy forces feel that she is a threat as well, and want to eliminate her. However, they fail in their attempt. Later, it turns out the whole thing is an inside job: with Deputy CIA Director Charles Esterman leaking bionic (and other) secrets to a Russian General Dzerinsky, and OSI agent Alan Devlin is the bionic thief. Mason manages to kill Devlin, and Esterman and his accomplice Dzerinsky end up in prison. Quantum (Reserve Energy in Bionics) 4, Quantum Pool 30 (Regenerates every 30 minutes), Willpower 7; Strength 1 (2, Lifter, Quantum Leap), Dexterity 5 (3, Accuracy, Enhanced Movement, Fast Tasks), Stamina 2 (3, Regeneration, Resiliency), Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 4, Perception 3 (2, Electromagnetic Vision, High End Electromagnetic Scan, Hyperenhanced Hearing), Intelligence 3 (1, Analyze Weakness, Eidetic Memory), Wits 2; Abilities: Animal Training 1, Athletics (Dodge) 3, Awareness 3, Brawl 3, Bureaucracy 1 (Covert), Computer 2, Drive 2, Endurance 3, Engineering 2, Firearms 1, Intrusion 2, Investigation 3, Melee 3, Might 2, Occult 1, Rapport 2, Resistance 3, Science 1, Stealth 2, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 3, Survival 1; Backgrounds: Allies 4, Backing 3, Cipher 3, Contacts 5, Influence 2, Resources 3; Quantum Powers: Armor 2, Hyperrunning 1; Soak: Bashing 14, Lethal 11 (Dice pool penalties reduced by 3, one extra Bruised health level) Bionics: Kates bionic systems are not like the previous generation. They are a completely new direction for the engineers at OSI. They are designed to work with her natural biological systems to make her stronger and faster. They effectively give her access to abilities previously reserved for Novas. Kate was born with a degenerative muscle condition that paralyzed her from the waist down and made even normal life difficult. The bionics in her body basically replaces her damaged musculature, along with metallic implants designed to strengthen her bones and other biological organs. This, combined with a sophisticated control computer in her brain, allows her to perform feats of strength and dexterity unparalleled by any other agent of Office of Scientific Intelligence. Kates bionics also provide her with a wide range of sensory abilities, from enhanced hearing and sight, to night vision, to medical diagnostic scanners. Sommers, Jaime (OSI Operative) Jaime Sommers' life has been filled with tragedy and success. Born in 1949, Jaime is the daughter of James and Ann Sommers. Jaime had an adventurous childhood in Ojai, California, and showed high potential in the sport of tennis. Her parents were political science college professors, but unbeknownst to Jaime, they also worked undercover for the United States government. Sadly, James and Ann were killed (presumably murdered) in a car accident on April 16, 1966. Longtime family friends Jim and Helen Elgin became 16 year old Jaime's legal guardians. She and Helen's son Steve Austin became high school sweethearts for a brief time, but he left Ojai to go to college and later to join the Air Force and space program. Jaime graduated from high school and went on to study at Carnegie Tech. She majored in education with plans to become a school teacher, but the tennis circuit was also calling her. After receiving her teaching degree, Jaime 40

became a professional tennis player. By 1975 she had won many major tournaments and was ranked among the top five lady pros. On a visit home to Ojai, Jaime was reunited with Steve Austin (now a colonel and former astronaut). With some matchmaking from Steve's Mom, Jaime and Steve's relationship quickly blossomed. But their happiness was replaced by tragedy one day when the couple went skydiving. Jaime's parachute ripped and she plummeted to the earth. Her injuries were critical with both legs and her right arm crushed beyond repair. Severe head trauma had also caused damage to her right ear. Steve, who was deeply in love with Jaime, contacted his boss Oscar Goldman at the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) and pleaded with him until he authorized a top secret procedure-Bionic replacement. Steve knew that it was the only way to save Jaime, because the government had performed the same experimental operation on him two years earlier. Under the skilled hands of Dr. Rudy Wells, Jaime's surgery was a success. Her badly damaged arm, legs, and inner ear were replaced with state of the art electronic prostheses. Upon learning of the radical surgery performed on her, Jaime was fearful of being a freak. She soon learned to accept her new limbs after Steve revealed that he is Bionic too. It seemed that Jaime and Steve were truly made for each other. The world's first Bionic man and woman were in the midst of planning their wedding when tragedy struck again. Jaime's body rejected her Bionics. Emergency surgery was performed to save her, but it was fruitless. With Steve by her side, Jaime died on the operating table. Miraculously, Jaime's life did not end here. Dr. Michael Marchetti used an experimental cryogenic procedure to cool her body and prevent cellular damage. This gave the doctors time to repair the massive cerebral clot which had ended her life. Her heart was restarted, and she was rescued from death. However, the radical operation was not a complete success. Jaime had suffered brain damage, and the memories of her past life were gone. Another surgery restored many of her memories, but the feelings of love that she had felt for Steve seemed unrecoverable. Jaime's extraordinary strength ruled out a return to the tennis circuit, so she decided to return to Ojai to put down some roots. She moved into a coach house apartment situated on Jim and Helen Elgin's ranch. She also got a job teaching school at the Ventura Air Force Base. Jaime felt very indebted to Oscar and the government for saving her life, and she insisted that Oscar contact her if the OSI should need an agent with her special abilities. Oscar did call on Jaime, and from 1976 through 1978 she was sent on numerous covert missions. Jaime became involved with fellow OSI agent Chris Williams, and yearned for a life of her own away from the government and the constant peril of undercover work. Feeling that she had repaid her debt to the government, Jaime resigned from the OSI. However, the powers that be were not prepared to let her go. Jaime realized that her Bionics had become a permanent part of her life, but they did not have to rule her or the life she wanted to live. She returned to the OSI and agreed to take occasional missions on the condition that she would be free to pursue her life. Jaime and Chris continued their relationship and became very happy together. After years away from the OSI, Jaime decided to accept a mission. She traveled to Budapest with Chris, but the two of them were separated and Jaime was caught in an explosion. Fortunately, she was rescued and hospitalized back in the US. When she recovered from the concussion, she started to remember her past life and feelings for Steve. She also learned the shocking news that Chris had been held captive and killed. With the tragedy of Chris' death in the back of her mind, Jaime continued her life working as a therapist at the Los Angeles Rehabilitation Center. In 1987, after nearly ten years with no contact, Jaime is once again reunited with Steve Austin. Steve had left the OSI and had been enjoying life away from the government by running a charter boat. The couple came to terms with their years of separation and decided to see if they could rebuild their relationship. Jaime and Steve occasionally returned to the OSI in times of international crisis. Their time together proved that the love they once felt for each other had never died, and in 1989 the couple officially became engaged to be married. During the five years that followed, Jaime became a doctor. She moved to Washington, DC and established a family counseling practice. Her experience with the government and top-secret clearance also opened the door for her to help government agents. For nearly twenty years, many obstacles had stood in the way of Jaime and Steve's happiness, but their love had brought them back together. On September 4, 1994, Dr. Jaime Sommers and Col. Steve Austin became husband and wife. Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4, Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 4, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3; Abilities: Academics 3, Athletics 5, Awareness 4, Brawl 3, Bureaucracy 1 (Covert Culture), Command 3, Computer 2, Drive 2, Endurance 2, Engineering 1, Firearms 1, Intrusion 3, Investigation 3, Linguistics 2, Medicine 1, Melee 2, Might 3, Perform 2, Resistance 2, Science 2, Stealth 3, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 3, Survival 2; Backgrounds: Allies 5, Backing 4, Contacts 5, Influence 2, Resources 4; Virtues: Conscience 5, Self-Control 3, Courage 4, Humanity 6, Willpower 6 Bionics: Jaimes bionics allow her certain advantages. Her bionic legs allow her to run at an enhanced speed. She modifies her normal running speeds by 4 times when using her bionics. Her jogging speed is 68 yards per turn (46 miles per hour) and her all out speed is 140 yards per turn or 95 miles per hour. The results of jump checks gain five automatic successes and the total is doubled. Her bionic arm, combined with her legs and other enhancements, allow her to lift a great deal. She dead lifts 1000 kg (one ton) and gains 5 automatic successes to Strength rolls and close combat damage dice pools. Her bionic hearing allows her to add two dice to any sonic based Perception test. She can also hear frequencies outside of the normal range of human hearing (infrasonic and ultrasonic).

41

PERFECTION VALLEY
Perfection, Nevada (originally known as Rejection) is located in Perfection Valley, way out in the desert (possibly the Mojave Desert), 38 miles away from a (also fictional) town called "Bixby". There are mountains on either side, and the north end of the valley ends at the edge of a high cliff. The only way out of town is a road leading through a narrow pass to the south. It is a former mining settlement, the silver mines in the mountains owned by Burt's ancestors. The most distinctive feature of Perfection is its water tower, the tallest structure in the area. Directly next to it is Chang's Market, a general store which pulls triple duty as the town's store, tavern, and base of operations during Graboid attacks. After the Graboid attack in 1990, Perfection became a popular tourist destination, and Chang's market became a souvenir shack, selling Graboid, Shrieker and Assblaster memorabilia. Both the water tower and Chang's Market have been around since the town's creation in the 1800s. In the town's early years, it had a number of other businesses, including a blacksmith shop, post office, bank, and hotel, but these no longer exist in Perfection. Up on a tall hill just outside of the town is the residence of Burt Gummer, which, after the original Graboid incursion, was fortified with an underground concrete wall. Burt used to own a house, which he destroyed in Tremors 3 when an Assblaster broke into his domicile. He now lives in an underground bunker, and is slowly rebuilding. Pefection Valley is home to the typical desert wildlife - coyotes, wild burro, etc. The area is famous, however, for its Graboids, (as well as its imago forms, the Shrieker and Ass-Blaster.) They are the town of Perfection's claim to fame, though they only appear sparsely and occasionally. As of 2003, there is only one Graboid living in Perfection Valley: El Blanco, the Great White Graboid, who is incapable of metamorphosing. Graboids are not the only strange creatures to reside in Perfection, however- thanks to the presence of the chemical compound "Mix Master" being intoduced into the food chain, many new and deadly mutations have been known to appear and cause trouble for the residents. Among these creatures are the Bacteria Vapour monster, a type of exploding plant/animal hybrid with an acidic sap, and the "Invisibat", a bat able to change colours to blend into the environment. If you like small towns, you're going to love Perfection! It's located in the heart of Perfection Valley, a pristine desert environment only a couple hours north of Las Vegas. Perfection Valley is an immense box canyon, with rocky cliffs to the north and mountains to the east and west. Aside from a few nearly impassable mountain jeep trails, there is only one road in and out of the valley; it leads to Bixby, Nevada, the closest town, 30 miles south through the desert. It's paved, and, as we locals say, "Stay on the asphalt if you want to stay alive!" Chang's Market, run by Jodi Chang, is the center of life in town. General store, post office and all-around watering hole, everyone who's anyone in Perfection can be found there. Desert Jack's Graboid Tours, run by ex-NASCAR driver Tyler Reed, is your best chance of seeing elusive old El Blanco, the "Great White Graboid," and living to tell about it! Sign up today for a once-in-a-lifetime spin through the lovely deserts of Perfection, But consider yourself warned - Tyler drives fast, so if you get a glimpse of El Blanco, don't blink or you might miss it! Burt Gummer's Survival School, run by worldfamous Graboid-hunter Burt Gummer himself, offers courses in everything from basic firearm safety to how to write your legally binding last will and testament using only a rock, a cactus quill and your own blood. The people of Perfection Valley are every bit as colorful as the scenery. Jodi Chang (Chang's Market), Tyler Reed (Desert Jack's Graboid Tours) and Nancy Sterngood (Perfection Souvenirs Online) all live in the town proper. Burt Gummer lives a few miles from town in his hilltop survivalist bunker. It took some heavy damage during a recent incursion by those monsters colorfully known as "AssBlasters," but Burt, plucky fella that he is, has vowed to rebuild. Rosalita Sanchez lives on her small cattle ranch several miles from Burt's bunker, on the opposite side of town. Agent W.D. Twitchell, U.S. Department of the Interior, lives in a charming ranchette home he purchased from Melvin Plug. The initial appearances of Graboids and their mutations here in Perfection, as well as in Mexico and Argentina, are well-known world news. The big TV networks have all done stories here. Our cozy little town is a must-see destination for truly adventurous tourists, who routinely come to take Tyler Reed's desert tour in hopes of seeing elusive El Blanco, the "Great White Graboid." Of course, we hear the same question over and over again: "How can you live in a valley with a deadly, giant monster?" We won't lie to you it's damned inconvenient being unable to get insurance for life or property anywhere in the valley, but we believe our isolation and the risks we endure are a small price to pay to keep our individualistic lifestyle safe from urban sprawl. It's an odd and delicate balance: The big creature that wants to eat us is also the very thing that allows us to live our lives on our own terms. Luckily, El Blanco is usually content to graze on coyotes, sheep or the rare stray cattle. If we don't annoy him, he doesn't eat us. Can't get a much fairer shake than that, right? Using seismic equipment, geo-phones, and other gear, we keep tabs on the Big Worm and (usually) avoid dangerous encounters with him. Truth be told, we pretty much take in stride living with Graboids, Shriekers and AssBlasters. We view them as do people in northern Canada seeing polar bears walking down Main Street: We know they're dangerous we just don't get hysterical, and we take the necessary precautions. Perfection Valley has a variety of wildlife that keeps the place interesting. Of course, the world-famous Great White Graboid known as El Blanco and the occasional incursion by other phases of the Graboid lifecyle, the Shriekers and Assblasters. There's also a new threat to the Valley known as Mixmaster. Graboids hatch from eggs which can lay dormant for as long as 300 years, and possibly even longer. Once hatched, Graboid worms grow very swiftly into 30-foot-long, sightless, underground eating machines that hunt via their extra-sensitive hearing. They can zero in unerringly on the slightest movement or vibration. They burst out of the ground unexpectedly to gobble up their prey. Meals that try to escape are quicky captured by the three snake-like tentacles that grow from the Graboid's mouth and are sucked down its throat. It's also worth noting that many people who have 42

survived encounters with Graboids have reported that one can smell the stench of a Graboid long before one actually sees its eel-like hunting appendages. When in an area infested with Graboids, it is important to remain absolutely motionless and silent. If you are in a stopped motor vehicle, do not let the engine idle, and be certain to turn off car stereos and any other sound-producing devices, such as portable CD or tape players with headphones. After an indeterminate time spent living underground, a Graboid surfaces and undergoes a gory metamorphosis: It divides into three to six Shriekers fast-moving, lion-sized bipeds. Though Shriekers, like Graboids, are technically blind, they can track their prey by sensing infrared radiation. They are especially sensitive to temperatures between 97 and 107 degrees F. the normal range for mammalian body heat. These extremely dangerous creatures reproduce asexually in effect, each Shrieker is "born" pregnant. Shriekers' ability to reproduce is limited only by their access to food. Once a Shrieker has eaten enough food, it disgorges a new, ravenously hungry Shrieker. Consequently, it is crucial that Shriekers be prevented from getting to plentiful food. Shriekers' prolific reproductive skills make them so dangerous that the U.S. government has decreed they are not a protected species, and should be killed on sight. If you encounter a Shrieker in the wild, do anything possible to mask your body heat. Thermally insulated blankets are effective camouflage against a Shrieker's infrared senses, but be certain to cover yourself entirely. Your exhaled breath can be a fatal giveaway if the ambient temperature differs from your body's internal temperature. Approximately 24 to 72 hours after being spawned, depending on numerous variables, Shriekers metamorphose into winged creatures that Perfection businesswoman Jodi Chang has nicknamed AssBlasters. AssBlasters are so named because they launch themselves into flight by igniting an explosive mixture of liquids produced in their bodies; they blast off like rockets, then glide for up to several miles. They cannot fly like birds. Like Shriekers, AssBlasters hunt via infrared radiation and are voracious. Also like Shriekers, AssBlasters are considered extremely dangerous and are not protected by law. They should be killed on sight. An AssBlaster is "born" with a single Graboid egg in its abdomen. It is thought that an AssBlaster's evolutionary goal is to carry its egg as far as possible, to ensure the spread of the species. This, however, is only a theory. Very little else is known about AssBlasters or Shriekers. One AssBlaster currently lives in captivity in Las Vegas, the property of Sigmond and Ray, who are underwriting research on the creature. It was sold to them by Nancy Sterngood and her teen-age daughter, Mindy, who captured it. If an AssBlaster is encountered in the wild, it is possible to conceal oneself by masking one's body heat (see the safety tip regarding Shriekers). Another important note is that, unlike Shriekers, AssBlasters do not multiply. If they eat to excess, they will enter a state called "food coma." If you are unable to mask your body heat from an AssBlaster, attempt instead to sate its hunger with high-calorie foodstuffs until such time as it becomes dormant. Mixmaster is a DNA-splicing chemical created 30 years ago in a top-secret government biotech laboratory buried in the desert near Perfection. The lab was run by the Proudfoot Corporation for the federal government. Mixmaster is capable of blending any non-human DNA from animals and plants, to create new mutated creatures in the Valley. When the Proudfoot Corporation destroyed the biotech lab, most of the plant and animal DNA, as well as the Mixmaster chemical, was left in the lab. As time took its toll on the remains of the lab, Mixmaster infected many of the DNA specimens there, then managed to escape the lab via airshafts disguised in a an abandoned silver mine. People of Perfection Valley GUMMER , BURT (HUNTER) Look up "prepared" in the dictionary that's Burt Gummer. He loves his independence and admires self-reliance above all else. For him Perfection Valley is the last, best hope for those who embody the true pioneer American spirit. His distrust of the government's intentions and his own discomfort with society at-large sent him into the desert wastelands (the home of his great-grandfather, silver-mine mogul Hiram Gummer) more than a dozen years ago. Now, divorced from his long-suffering, gun-toting wife Heather and deprived of her mitigating influence he relies on his neighbors in Perfection to keep his natural paranoia within limits. Like all true obsessives, Burt gets so consumed by his particular project of the moment (monitoring his Graboid sensors, scanning the desert surroundings with his periscope, midnight testing of the latest modification to his night-vision goggles) that he loses sight of how humorous he is to others. When his (now-deceased) neighbor Miguel suggested it was time Burt stop worrying about Graboids appearing in Perfection by reminding him, "It's been, what? Eleven years?", Burt simply responded, "No reason to lower your guard." Burt has a penchant for spouting that memorable line of dialogue that crystallizes the moment: "Broke into the wrong goddamn rec room, didn't you?!" "I feel I was denied critical, need-to-know information." "And that's why we're at the top of the food chain!" He is not actually a nut. He is, however, a gun nut. "You have nothing to fear but fear itself and running out of ammo," he has said. He can talk endlessly, and with first-hand experience, about any firearm from a CO2 paintball rifle to a .50 caliber anti-aircraft naval deck gun (a very effective tool for Shrieker eradication.) A hard-and-fast adherent to rules and regulations (his own, not the government's), Burt will never point a firearm at any human. Never. He's fanatical about gun safety. After selflessly sacrificing his hilltop bunker home during the "AssBlaster incursion" a couple years ago, Burt has doggedly soldiered-on in his houseless basement (now covered with a Quonset hut, scrounged piece-by-piece from a nearby abandoned government facility.) It contains his indoor shooting range, safe room, emergency escape tunnel and (in)famous gun wall. He has replenished only about 20 percent of his weapons. Painted gun silhouettes on the wall indicate the ones he hasn't yet replaced. 43

The bunker is Burt's command center, from which he monitors the Valley on his laptop, via his infrared satellite downlink; checks for Graboid movement via seismo readings from his network of strategically placed geophones; and watches lonely hours of war documentaries on television. ("If you ask me, Patton, not Eisenhower, should've been President," he grouses.)

He lives by his survivalist motto: "Doing what I can with what I've got." Often, it's Burt's uncanny talent for turning the most unlikely things into effective weapons that gets his neighbors out of a tough spot. Underneath his gruff bluster, Burt really is a sensitive guy. Perhaps one day soon he will be ready to take faltering steps in answer to the call of his lonely heart. A secret he'd never want uncovered is his regular presence in survivalist chat rooms in search of someone who could give him what only his beloved ex-wife Heather could: patient support and an ability to load an HK-91 like nobody's business. Jodi Chang takes Burt in stride and is even fond of him. Tyler Reed rolls with Burt's eccentricities. Rosalita Sanchez simply finds his overkill and paranoia odd. And ex-hippy Nancy Sterngood butts heads with Burt on almost every issue; she pokes holes in his arguments and tries to make him see reason. But for Burt there's always been "a little too much Summer of Love in that woman." After selflessly sacrificing his hilltop bunker home during the "AssBlaster incursion" a couple years ago, Burt has doggedly soldiered-on in his houseless basement. It contains his indoor shooting range, safe room, emergency escape tunnel and (in)famous gun wall. He has replenished only about 20 percent of his weapons. Painted gun silhouettes on the wall indicate the ones he hasn't yet replaced. The bunker is Burt's command center, from which he monitors the Valley on his laptop, via his infrared satellite downlink; checks for Graboid movement via seismo readings from his network of strategically placed geophones; and watches lonely hours of war documentaries on television. He lives by his survivalist motto: "Doing what I can with what I've got." Often, it's Burt's uncanny talent for turning the most unlikely things into effective weapons that gets his neighbors out of a tough spot. Underneath his gruff bluster, Burt really is a sensitive guy. Perhaps one day soon he will be ready to take faltering steps in answer to the call of his lonely heart. A secret he'd never want uncovered is his regular presence in survivalist chat rooms in search of someone who could give him what only his beloved ex-wife Heather could: patient support and an ability to load an HK-91 like nobody's business. Even at six foot four inches tall, with his long lanky frame, Burt doesn't seem intimidating at first, but when you know he's responsible for more Graboid, Shrieker, and AssBlaster kills on the planet, he seems a bit more impressive. He wears desert cammo mostly, trading it out for other combat-ready gear at times, along with his ever-present Atlanta Hawks hat. He's always seen wearing one of his tactical vests with pockets full of ammo, concussion gernades, and other survival gear. Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 5; Abilities: Academics (Conspiracy Theories, Politics) 2, Animal Training (Riding) 1, Archery 4, Area Knowledge (Perfection Valley) 4, Athletics (Dodge) 3, Awareness (Intuition) 3, Biz 1, Brawl 4, Bureaucracy (Covert) 1, Command 2, Computer 3, Drive 3, Endurance 3, Engineering 3, Firearms 5, Intimidation 2, Intrusion 4, Investigation (Enigmas) 2, Linguistics (Spanish) 1, Martial Arts 3, Medicine (Herbalism) 2, Melee 4, Might 3, Pilot 1, Resistance 2, Science (Perfection Geology) 3, Stealth 4, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 2, Survival 5; Backgrounds: Allies 3, Contacts 5, Influence 2, Resources (Silver Bars) 3; Willpower 7 44

REED, TYLER (DRIVER) Tyler Reed, the son of a hard-bitten Air Force colonel who oversees bomb runs on the nearby Nevada Test Site, is in his mid-to-late-20s. Less cowboy and more hot-rodder, Tyler looks good in his engineer's boots and jeans with rolled cuffs. He's got a thing for everything NASCAR. Before coming to Perfection Valley, he was an aspiring driver working his way up the circuit. When he crashed his car and lost his sponsorship, he saw it was time for a career change. He bought a local business, Desert Jack's Graboid Tours. After all, he's seen CNN: Look how well Valentine McKee, Earl Basset and Grady Hoover made out running that ramshackle operation. Surely, there must be another fortune waiting to be made from Desert Jack's.... But for all Tyler's big dreams and street-rodding skills he's a remarkably easy-going guy. Too easy-going for Burt Gummer, who criticizes Tyler for being unprepared for most situations. However, the truth is Tyler's quick wits, athletic grace, and NASCAR-inspired driving will prove to be valuable survival skills for himself and his neighbors. Tyler considers Burt to be a neurotic eccentric, but he admires the guy's "whole gung-ho M.O." The two of them make an odd dynamic duo, whether safeguarding their valley, rescuing careless tourists, or taking an outside assignment. Their differences, particularly Tyler's tendency to ignore Burt's rigid S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedure) constantly cause friction. Where Burt anxiously frets, Tyler rolls with it. Where Burt plans way ahead, Tyler makes it up on the spot. But, in reality, when Burt's outside his survivalist haven he's far less adept at dealing with the real world than is charming, savvy, streetwise Tyler. Jodi Chang is attracted to Tyler but channels her feelings into organizing his life, which is fine by him. Tyler's attracted to Jodi, as well. He admires her practicality and reliability. She, of course, wants to be admired for more than that. But fogging up Tyler's windshield is steamy Rosalita Sanchez. She's everything a guy could ever want, except for all the stuff only Jodi offers. In fact, Tyler soon has to admit that his all-time perfect woman is Jodi and Rosalita. "If I could just get the whole deal in one package...." Tyler laments. "Yes, every man's dilemma," Burt sagely replies. Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 1, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4; Abilities: Academics (Occult) 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Biz 2, Brawl 3, Bureaucracy 1, Drive (High Speed) 4, Endurance 2, Engineering 4, Firearms 3, Melee 1, Perform 2, Stealth 2, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 2, Survival 1; Backgrounds: Allies 1, Contacts 3, Resources 2; Merits: Crack Driver; Virtues: Willpower 6 Jodi Chang: Overly-organized Jodi was on the corporate fast-track in San Francisco until she discovered that she couldn't stand to work for anybody else. Facing her life's first big crisis, she bailed out to take over her late, eccentric Uncle Walter's general store. It's her chance to prove herself, and she dedicates her life to "growing the business of this theme-related retail outlet." Jodi is as quirky as her hustler uncle ever was and not above playing any situation to her financial advantage. She runs a tab on everybody in Perfection; gets a finder's fee for any tourist she strong-arms onto Tyler Reed's tour jeep; negotiates for the valuable remains of whatever nasty creatures Burt Gummer and Tyler might destroy; manages Burt's survival school; and runs the online part of Nancy Sterngood's souvenir business. Jodi's reliance on the Harvard Business School case-study approach to any situation contrasts with Tyler's instinctive, gut-level response to things. She's full of good business advice for him and gets jealous when he trumps her with an occasional, casually tossed-off brilliant idea, such as "Burt Gummer's Survival School." And although she'd never admit it, Jodi's also jealous of Rosalita Sanchez, whom Tyler clearly finds pleasantly distracting. Although Jodi is identified strongly with her store, she has a wealth of talents that she shares with her neighbors. She is experienced in fighting every form of Graboid mutation. She's fluent in Mandarin Chinese. She has extensive computer skills. And her business acumen has taught her to "follow the money" a mantra that helps her spot the corporate crooks and small-time hustlers who frequently blow into the valley looking to get rich quick at the expense of the locals. Although Jodi likes to think of her store as a "homey" place where she and her neighbors can gather for an occasional celebratory feast from her deli counter, no one dares touch a sandwich until she assures them it won't end up on their tab. Jodi is, as Tyler says, "no bigger than a ham biscuit." She's 5'3" tall with perky black hair and wholesome asian looks. She dresses in a sort of thrift store chic style all her own. Nancy Sterngood: Artist, ex-hippie and a lover of solitude and open spaces, Nancy Sterngood has capitalized on Perfection's dubious notoriety by creating ceramic Graboid hood ornaments, Shrieker ashtrays, Burt Gummer action figures, and AssBlaster paperweights, all of which she markets online with Jodi Chang's help. Nancy's the one person in town not struggling to make ends meet. At peace with herself, she quotes the Dalai Lama, meditates and uses crystal energy to keep El Blanco away from her small house/studio. She generally acts as a calming influence by exercising a wise, trusting, Earth Mother yin to balance Burt's suspicious, over-reactive yang. Both Jodi and Rosalita Sanchez look up to Nancy for her calm reassurance and because she's tough enough to stand up to Burt. At 5'10" tall, she's the only woman in Perfection that can hope to see him eye-to-eye. Besides the ever-present Graboid problem, Nancy's only other challenge is how to meet a nice, "fully actualized" guy when she lives in the middle of nowhere surrounded by man-eating predators. Nancy is in her fifties, though she fights it by keeping her long hair blond and her clothing reminiscent of her hippie days. Rosalita Sanchez: Rosalita Sanchez is not what one would call an optimist. This leggy, Hispanic ex-Vegas showgirl is cautious about getting her hopes up or making predictions. She has been disappointed too many times and hardened by bitter experience. As a beautiful twenty-something woman, she also has been hit on once too often; now she has a seriously defensive attitude. Rosalita has taken over her late Uncle Miguel's humble cattle ranch. But one has to wonder what Rosalita's doing here. What's she looking for in Perfection? Apparently, nothing. She is, in fact, trying to put something behind her, a dark past at which she will only obliquely hint, and justified her move to the desert with the explanation that she needed "a lifestyle change." The truth is she, like the others, is here because it's the only place she 45

can go. Unlike the locals, she remains one foot in, one foot out. She's urban, a native of East L.A., and feels out of place in this remote valley. But she's working hard to figure out things like fixing her own plumbing, avoiding rattlesnakes, and off-roading in her out-of-place Ford Mustang. Trying to make ends meet, she raises Miguel's dwindling herd of cattle with a "How To" book in one hand. A little overwhelmed by it all, she confesses she "was never comfortable around any mammal bigger than me, especially ones with horns." Not sparing anyone from her attitude, she periodically vents at anyone in her vicinity. TWITCHELL , W.D. (GOVERNMENT AGENT) W.D. Twitchell is a wiry, nervous man in his late forties. He is an agent of the U.S. Department of the Interior, assigned to monitor the Endangered Species Habitat that is Perfection Valley. He hates his job. Hates the desert. He carries a small, battery-operated fan when he makes his periodic inspections of Perfection's barren landscape. Sometimes he refuses even to get out of his air-conditioned government sedan, preferring instead to talk to people through a small gap in his tinted-glass window. He's terrified of El Blanco and any other creature he meets. But Twitchell hangs in there, looking forward to the promotion his superiors dangle as a carrot a comfortable assignment in a much nicer spot, like Yosemite. Twitchell has the authority to evict everyone from Perfection Valley should he decide their co-existence with El Blanco is just too dangerous for them or for the albino Graboid. Though he can be affable, he's not above employing underhanded tactics if he thinks they might get him out of this gig and up the DOI ladder. Twitchell would be much closer to realizing his dream (and lowering his stress level) had his boss not made him the point man on any investigations into possible Graboid activity outside Perfection Valley. Twitchell, realizing he needs expert help on such assignments, has struck an uneasy deal to subcontract the work to Burt Gummer. When Burt and his partner, Tyler Reed, go off to solve other people's monster-related problems, Twitchell occasionally will pop up to monitor the mayhem in Perfection and put a reassuring spin on the potentially bad public relations that surely will be caused by Shriekers running amok in the local shopping mall. Basically, Twitchell thinks the townsfolk should "give up" and go live in nice, suburban tract homes "like normal people." Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3, Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 3; Abilities: Academics (Law) 2, Athletics (Dodge) 2, Awareness 1, Biz 1, Brawl 2, Bureaucracy 2, Computer 1, Drive 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms 1, Intimidation 1, Intrusion 1, Investigation 2, Perform 1, Science (Graboid) 1, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 1, Survival 2; Backgrounds: Allies 2, Backing 1, Contacts 1, Resources 3; Virtues: Willpower 5 Larry Norvel: Larry is an early-twenties, overenthusiastic, geeky little fanboy. He is Burt Gummer's biggest fan, and his greatest dream in life is to live and work near the Great White Graboid. Larry wanders around town, with his everpresent video camera, interfering in the lives of the Perfectionites and generally making a nuisance of himself. If he weren't so darn lucky, Perfection Valley would have killed him off long ago. Harlow Winnemuca: Harlow Winnemuca is Rosalita's Native American (Southern Paiute) hired hand. He lives in Bixby but comes out to the ranch daily to help out with the heavy lifting, herding, and anything else Rosalita cannot handle herself. Calmness personified, he never raises his voice. If you want to hear Harlow, you have to listen. Cletus Poffenberger: Cletus Poffenberger is a former federal scientist who, 30 years ago, worked as a biochemist in a top-secret government biotech laboratory buried in the desert near Perfection. The lab was run by the Proudfoot Corporation for the federal government. This lab is responsible for creating a DNA-splicing chemical called Mixmaster, which was capable of blending non-human DNA from animals and plants, to create new biological weapons for use in the Vietnam war. When the lab was destroyed, Cletus fled into the desert with his pet project, named 4-12 and has been living out there ever since. Project 4-12 is gone now, killed when he went mad and set off on a killing spree, as he'd been designed to, Cletus still lives in the desert, a couple valleys away from Perfection, still spying on the denizens of Perfection, and stopping in from time to time to help out with any Mixmaster mutations that crop up. Dr. Casey Mathews: Dr. Casey Mathews, a Research Geneticist, and her assistant, Roger Garret, have set up a government lab in Perfection Valley to study Mixmaster's effects on the valley's ecosystem. While the lab was originally kept a secret from the Perfectionites, Dr. Mathews has since become a valuable resource to the Perfection denizens by identifying and finding solutions to Mixmaster mutations. Melvin Plug: Melvin Plug is a local real-estate developer who owns more than half the property in Perfection Valley and plans to raze the town of Perfection in order to erect a strip-mall sprawl known as "Melville." He grew up in Perfection and hated every moment of it. When he graduated high school he wasted no time shaking the dust from his feet and ran for civillization. He owns Perfection Valley Ranchettes, a company specializing in building family homes for Perfection, and The Oasis, a luxury golf community just outside of Bixby. He and Burt have a hate-hate relationship. Whenever Burt sees him, he calls him "the little turd." Kylie Callahan: Kylie Callahan is the newest Perfection Valley resident, having come from LA to visit her good friend Nancy for a few months. Though Kylie isn't good at much of anything, she tries to earn her way by helping out where she can. She gives daily "Graboid Tarot" readings to the tourists, contributing 20% of the take to Jodi as "rental" on the corner table she uses. She's thoroughly an LA Girl, and dresses and acts the part, from her stylishly tossled haircut to her manicured nails and designer clothes. But she's also adaptable - she blooms wherever she's planted. The night she showed up in Perfection Valley, Burt had to rescue her from the clutches of El Blanco, and Burt and Kylie have been a thorn in each other's side ever since. Kylie thinks Burt is a fascinating man, highly intelligent, very brave, with an infinite capacity of opportunities for her to practice baiting him for fun. Burt, while exasperated with Kylie's stubborn refusal to 46

heed his advice, is highly protective of Kylie and secretly enjoys their challenging arguments as much as she does. Kylie is a very small woman and makes up for it by wearing heels almost all the time. She's fantatical about fitness, devoting a couple hours each day to running and lifting weights. Former Residents Valentine "Val" McKee: Handyman who did odd jobs in town; helped kill Graboids (Moved away, married to Rhonda LeBeck). Jack Sawyer: Owner of "Desert Jack's Graboid Tours" (Sold it to Tyler, moved away). Heather Gummer: Burt's ex-wife; also fond of firearms (Divorced Burt, moved away). Mindy Sterngood: Nancy's daughter; grew up in Perfection (Attending College). Edgar Deems: Hermit and farmer (Died while hiding from Graboid). "Old Fred": Shepherd (Eaten by Graboid). Jim: Town doctor (Eaten by Graboid). Megan: Jim's wife (Eaten by Graboid). Walter Chang: Owner of the General Store (Eaten by Graboid). Nestor: Lived in a trailer (Eaten by Graboid). Miguel: Cattle rancher (Attacked by Ass-Blaster). Buford: Jack's assistant (Eaten by Graboid) BASSETT, EARL (HUNTER) Earl Bassett was a hired hand in the small desert valley town of Perfection, Nevada, working with partner Valentine McKee to eek out an almost entirely insignificant lifestyle. Though Valentine would've cringed at Earl's usage of the phrase "hired hands" ("Handymen, Earl! We are handy men!"), it was in truth what they were. Earl and Val constantly said that they were going to go somewhere and make a better life for themselves; they never actually did anything about it until one of Walter Chang's septic tanks blew up all over them in 1990. Hightailing it out of Perfection, Earl and Val had the bad luck of running across some dead townsfolk, and once they got back to Perfection to give the heads up to its other residents, they discovered that what they were dealing with was far from ordinary. They attempted to make it up to Bixby to alert the police, but the road was blocked by an avalanche caused by one of the monsters (which, of course were Graboids). Thus, they were commissioned against their will to take two of Walter's horses across the valley to try to reach the police until they were attacked by a Graboid and discovered how enormous they were. Earl and Val met up with grad student Rhonda LeBeck after having killed the Graboid, and after staying all night on top of a boulder to avoid another of the creatures, they drove in Rhonda's pickup truck back into town where they rallied together with their fellow residents to kill the three remaining Graboids. Earl had plans of using the Graboid situation to take his big chance in life. He wanted recognition in National Geographic Magazine; he got a cover story in People magazine. Still, that was enough to raise national interest in the Graboids, and before you knew it, Earl and Val were in ads for Nike, Inc., there were Dark Horse comic books, and even an arcade game. However, it ended up that Earl, though he was co-discoverer and co-destroyer of the Graboids, got no residuals from any of the merchandise that used the Graboid likeness, and he found himself, in 1996, stuck back in Perfection ranching ostriches. However, things changed when Grady Hoover, a big Graboid enthusiast and admirer of his, showed up on his doorstep and offered him his big second chance in life...to accompany him on a Graboid-hunting expedition for the Petro Maya oil company in Mexico. While there, Earl and Grady bagged 28 Graboids at the tune of $50,000 apiece, which ended up totaling at the sweet sum of $1,400,000. Earl and Grady also managed to talk the Mexican government into giving them money for each of the Shriekers, the second stage of the Graboid's biological life cycle, that they had managed to tag...considering the dozens upon dozens of Shriekers that they destroyed in a large explosion, one can only imagine how much more money they were awarded. Even if they did destroy the entire Petro Maya oil refinery. While battling Graboids with Grady in Mexico, Earl met Dr. Kate Reilly, the geologist working on the case for Petro Maya. They got along very well, and eventually discovered that they really, really liked each other...and at a time of utmost desperation, when they were camped out on a roof to avoid the Shriekers, Earl realized that she had been Miss October 1974, the Playboy Playmate he had pinned up on his wall. They fell in love and presumably got married. After the situation in Mexico, Earl and Grady used their newfound riches to operate a Graboid-themed amusement park, Earl and Grady's Monster World... Earl's third big chance in life. In Slither, which is squarely in the same genre as the Tremors series, a high school is named after him. Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Charisma 4, Manipulation 1, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3; Abilities: Animal Training (Riding) 2, Area Knowledge: Perfection Valley 2, Athletics (Dodge) 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 3, Drive 3, Engineering 4, Firearms 3, Linguistics 1, Medicine 1, Melee 2, Science (Graboid, Perfection Geology) 1, Stealth 1, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 2, Survival 2; Backgrounds: Allies 4, Contacts 2, Influence 3, Resources 4; Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 3, Courage 4, Humanity 8, Willpower 6 Residents of Rejection Hiram Gummer: Owner of the silver mine; Burt's great-grandfather. Christine Lord: Widow owner of the hotel; Hiram's eventual wife. Juan Pedilla: Rancher; related to Miguel and Rosalita. Pyong Chang: Chinese immigrant; original owner of the General Store. Lu Wan Chang: Pyong's wife. Fu Yien Chang: Son of Pyong and Lu Wan. Most likely Walter's ancestor. Tecopa: Native-American. "Old Fred": Freight driver; may or may not be related to modern Old Fred (Eaten by Graboid). Stony Walter: Miner; brother of Brick (Eaten by Graboid). Brick Walter: Miner; brother of Stony (Eaten by Graboid). Big Horse Johnson: Miner (Eaten by Graboid). Soggy: Miner and drunk (Eaten by Graboid). Various Miners: Seen but unnamed (Eaten by Graboid). Andrew Beck: Unseen (Left when town was going broke). Stan: Blacksmith; unseen (Left when town was going broke)

47

Graboid (Precambrian Life Form) The Graboid is the first stage of the life cycle of their species, followed by the Shrieker and ass-blaster. In Tremors 4: The Legend Begins, which is a prequel taking place in 1889, thus before they got their current name, they are referred to as "dirt dragons". The name "Graboid" was invented by shop owner character in the first film, Tremors, Walter Chang (Victor Wong); he was subsequently eaten by one. Promotional material written by the Sci Fi Channel gives them a scientific name: Caederus americana. As a result of the name of the series, "Tremors", many fans colloquially (and incorrectly) refer to the Graboid beasts as "tremors". The result of this was that onscreen in Tremors 3, a tourist erroneously refers to one as a "tremor", only to be corrected by the character "Desert Jack" who replies, "They're called Graboids!" Physiology: Graboids are depicted as subterranean animals, superficially resembling gigantic worms or grubs, with long, serpentine bodies. When fully grown, a mature Graboid will measure up to 30 feet long, and 6 feet across at their widest point, and weigh 10-20 tons. Graboids completely lack eyes; they don't need them, due to living underground. Their heads consist of a massive, black, armored beak, which is used to push aside the dirt whilst digging. The beak opens up like a grotesque flower; it consists of a wide upper jaw, a thinner lower jaw, and a pair of hooked mandibles on either side. Whether they possess a skeleton or not is unknown, though a faux scientific document written by the SciFi channel hypotheses they have a semi-rigid internal structure, similar to the internal cuttlebones of certain cephalopods, such as cuttlefish. Graboids have a trio of long, powerful, serpent-like tentacles, which are prehensile and have a reach of at least ten feet. Normally kept retracted in the Graboids throat, these tentacles were initially mistaken for the actual creatures, causing the characters in the first Tremors film to underestimate their underground opponents. The Graboids common name is derived from these prehensile tentacles, which "grab" prey and suck it back down the Graboids hungry gullet. At times, these tentacles appear to have minds of their own, hissing and writhing like snakes. Food is typically swallowed whole, though early in the original Tremors film, they are shown to dismember and decapitate their prey. A Graboids hide is thick and leathery, with a rough, pebbly texture, giving them a reptilian appearance, (though they are not reptiles). This makes them very hard to kill with anything short of saturation bombing. Graboids possess immense physical strength, able to topple over mobile homes, tow along an object heavy as a pickup truck without slowing down, smash through brick walls and pull an entire station wagon underground. Encircling their bodies are short spikes, which all move in unison to push the Graboid through the dirt, similar to the setae on an earthworm. They are able to burrow faster than a human can run; a Graboid in Tremors 3: Back to Perfection was able to keep pace with Jack's truck. With armored head and mobile spikes working together in unison, a Graboid can "swim" through the loose soil at high speed like a shark in the water, though they are incapable of tunneling through solid rock. Graboids (and their imago forms, the Shrieker and ass-blaster) have distinctive orange blood. Graboids also have a powerful stench, which is made evident on several occasions throughout the first film. Though underplayed in the 2nd and 3rd films, the Graboid's stench becomes a critical plot point in Tremors 4; Juan is able to identify the Graboids as being the unseen killers in the silver mines later in the film due to them sharing the same vile odor. Graboids are shown to be ravenous carnivores, always on the hunt for food. Indiscriminate eaters, their diet includes but is not limited to sheep, cattle, horses, donkeys, coyotes, and even humans. They are known to be cannibalistic when the opportunity presents itself; El Blanco consumed an ass-blaster in Tremors 3. Lacking eyes or a nose, they're shown to hunt by sensing seismic vibrations which are produced by sounds and movements (such as walking). Because they are unable to tell the difference between edible and inedible vibration sources they adopt a policy of "eat first, ask questions later," simply swallowing whatever sets off their vibration sensors and regurgitating anything that does not taste good. Inedible objects can be spat out with amazing force, being propelled high into the air. Due to the sensitive hearing they use for underground navigation, Graboids are so sensitive to sound they must retreat from loud explosions, which cause them great pain due to sensory overload. Graboids are ambush predators, preferring to sneak up on their quarry, though they are shown to chase it down with great determination. They erupt from the ground and use their tentacles to ensnare prey, pulling them into their mouth (sometimes only the tentacles break the surface). The tentacles wrap around the prey, biting into its flesh like pit bulls or hooking the prey with their horn-like spikes. When the prey attempts to flee by climbing (for instance onto the roof of a house or car), Graboids will simply dig away the earth under the hiding place, undermining it until it collapses or sinks low enough to allow the Graboid to pluck off the hiding prey. When they are unable to break down the prey's hiding spot, the undaunted Graboids will continue circling it like sharks until it ceases making vibrations. Usually they wait so long the prey dies of dehydration or starvation, i.e. several days. Graboids are highly intelligent, possessing memory and the ability to learn. For instance, in the first Tremors movie the characters successfully killed a Graboid by having it swallow homemade dynamite. The second Graboid (nicknamed "Stumpy" by Val) had apparently noticed this trap and simply regurgitated the dynamite. There are plenty of other examples, for instance when the characters escaped on a bulldozer which was too big to be toppled (weighing 30 tons) or undermined (it could drive away before the Graboids had a chance to dig away enough of the dirt under it), the creatures simply dug a trap in its path. El Blanco: In Tremors 3 and the following TV series, an albino Graboid named El Blanco was featured. El Blanco was believed to be sterile; he was unable to produce Shriekers. The lifespan of El Blanco (and other sterile Graboids) is unknown, but the time between Tremors 3 (2001) and the TV series (2003) indicates at least two years. 48

While El Blanco was initially believed to have a soft spot for Graboid hunter Burt Gummer, it was later discovered that this was only because of Burt's new watch (which utilized high pitched frequencies). El Blanco has been sighted numerous times outside Burt's compound in Perfection without bothering to attack, and Gummer has also been known to tease the Graboid with a remote control truck with watches strapped to it. El Blanco actually saved Burt's life by eating an ass-blaster that was carrying his watch. In the movie, El Blanco never managed to eat any humans, though he did corner real estate agent Melvin Plug on a boulder at the end of the film. In the TV series, any villains that appeared ended up being either consumed or arrested. It also proved that even when restrained, his tentacles were long enough to capture prey at certain distances. El Blanco is also notably one of the few Graboids that has ever survived a meeting with Burt Gummer. This is because that with El Blanco tunneling around, the Endangered Species Act protects the valley from development by Melvin Plug, who attempted to kill him but failed. El Blanco seems to be Perfection's mascot as he attracts many tourist; in addition, the population doesn't seem to mind the creature lurking their ground often as they treat it as a daily routine. Graboid: Strength 6, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Charisma 3, Manipulation 0, Appearance 0, Perception 3, Intelligence 1, Wits 3; Abilities: Alertness 3, Brawl 3, Dodge 1, Stealth 1, Subterfuge 2, Survival 3; Willpower 4; Attacks: Body Strike (7, 5 Dice Damage), Swallow Whole (2 Tentacles or Surprise Attack, 8 Dice damage + 2 dice of acid damage per round), Tentacle Bite (6, 4 Dice Damage); Health Levels: OK x3, -1 x3, -2 x2, -5; Movement: Land 1 / 3 / 6, Burrow 12 / 27 / 54 Adaptive Learning: Every three encounters the creature has with a more intelligent target, its Intelligence increases by one point. This learning curve caps out at an Intelligence of 3, putting them WELL above animal intelligence. Metamorphosis: After living for several weeks, a Graboid will transform into three smaller Shriekers. The conditions that cause this to occur are unknown. Shriekers: The Shrieker (Caederus mexicana) is a fictional species in the "Tremors" series of films. It appeared in Tremors 2: Aftershocks, Tremors 3 and several episodes of the Tremors TV series. It is the second life cycle stage of the creatures featured in the series; the Graboid being the first and the ass-blaster being the next and final. The Shrieker could be seen as a kind of nymph. The name "Shrieker" was given to the creatures by the special effects crew of Tremors 2 and later introduced to the audience in Tremors 3. Unlike their previous incarnations, the huge, subterranean and limbless Graboids, Shriekers live on the surface. Much smaller than Graboids, Shriekers are about 5 feet (1.50 m) long and 4 feet (1.20 m) tall. While Graboids are wormlike in shape, Shriekers slightly resemble dinosaurs or heavy ground-dwelling birds, having stout, three-toed legs and a compact body. They also have a short, stump-like tail. This tail, as well as some small bulges in the neck, has some orange coloring on it. Its function is unknown. The one thing that shows Shriekers are related to Graboids is their skull- just like a Graboid's, it consists of a powerful, beak-like armored upper jaw and a much narrower lower jaw surrounded by two mandibles. Both the jaws and the mandibles have sharp hooks and serrations, ideal to hold on to prey. The beak is very powerful; Shriekers are capable of ripping through sheet metal with ease. While Graboids have three prehensile tentacles for tongues, complete with jaws, Shriekers have more normal tongues: singular ones lacking jaws. Like a Graboid's, the tongue is relatively stiff (for a tongue). It can be stretched out approximately 3 feet (90 cm) and has some short bristles on it, not unlike the tongue of a cat. The Shriekers' most notable feature is their heat sensor, a brain-like pulsating organ atop their head which is usually covered by a frill-like flap of skin, which is supported by a small ridge at the base of the skull. Using this sensor, Shriekers sense infrared heat, which is their only sense other than taste and touch as they lack eyes, ears or a nose. As shown by shots in Tremors 2 depicting the creatures' point of view, the heat sensed by the Shriekers is apparently processed into an image highly similar to that of an infrared camera. Like Graboids, Shriekers have orange blood. Unlike the solitary Graboids, Shriekers are pack hunters, using their numbers to bring down large prey. Sensing heat, they let out loud screams (earning their name). While the sound is useless (as they are deaf) they produce a lot of heat when screaming, alerting each other to the presence of prey. Another thing unexplained in the films is the Shriekers' ability to "see" heat before raising the frill covering their heat sensor; they always seem to know when to raise it. It is explained on the Stampede Entertainment FAQ that they can see some heat through the frills. Raising them merely enables them to make full use of the obviously delicate sensory organ, similar to opening one's eyes widely. When hunting Shriekers show some good feats of insight and cooperation, using each other to form natural ladders to reach prey hiding on high ground such as rooftops. Graboids, hunting by vibrations, often attack inedible objects, and the heat-seeking Shriekers are no different. They have been observed attempting to eat warm car engines, electronic cables and steamed clothes. Shriekers also feed on cold objects which they find by dragging their tongue over the ground. They have been observed eating military rations, and could possibly also feed on plants, which would make them omnivores. Shrieker: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Charisma 3, Manipulation 0, Appearance 0, Perception 3, Intelligence 1, Wits 3; Abilities: Alertness 4, Brawl 3, Dodge 2, Stealth 1, Subterfuge 2, Survival 3; Willpower 4; Attacks: Bite (6, 5 Dice Damage); Health Levels: OK x2, -1 x3, -2 x2, -5; Movement: Land 7 / 16 / 32 Grappling Bite: A Shrieker that successfully bites a target will continue to hold on (by making a Grapple attack). If this is successful, additional bite damage is suffered each round until the target is dead or breaks free. Heat Vision: A Shrieker chooses its prey by seeing if they have heat it their bodies. They cannot see heat through walls, but they see you through just about everything else. Undead, constructs and anything else that does not give off heat is effectively invisible to them, although they will still attack if they are bumped into. 49

Metamorphosis: After surviving for about a week, a Shrieker will enter a cocoon shortly and emerge as an Assblaster. Food Effect: After eating, a Shrieker will vomit up a cocoon that will hatch into another Shrieker in 2d6 minutes. The amount of food does not matter. Adaptive Learning: Every three encounters the creature has with a more intelligent target, its Intelligence increases by one point. This learning curve caps out at an Intelligence of 3, putting them WELL above animal intelligence. Ass-blasters: The ass-blaster (Caederus mexicana combustus) is a fictional species in the "Tremors" series of films. It is the third and final stage of the life-cycle including the Graboid and Shrieker. The ass-blaster appears in Tremors 3 and an episode of the TV series. It is named in Tremors 3 by Jodi Chang (Susan Chuang), the niece of Walter Chang, who named the Graboids in the original Tremors. Also like Shriekers, ass-blasters have bird-like legs ending in three-toed feet, and their feet have three slender black talons. The ass-blasters' most striking features are their wings they have red/pink-colored sail-like structures at the back of their bodies, consisting of a semi translucent skin supported by rigid, stems. A third dorsal sail extends from the spine down the back and tail. Assblasters use these wings to glide through the air. In order to take off, they produce an explosion from their rear end, earning them their name. This is achieved by mixing two chemicals near their colon (by shaking their hind quarters). Creature Designers Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis borrowed this design from the real life Bombardier Beetle. The mix explodes upon exposure to air, launching the creature into the air. The ass-blaster also learns at an extreme rate and can easily comprehend how to use its natural means of transportation as a torch, such as when one attempted to melt through a fire door in Tremors 3. Ass-blasters have been known to spontaneously combust when accidentally poked with sharp flaming objects. Like the other life cycle stages, ass-blasters have orange blood. Ass-blasters hunt like birds of prey, scanning the ground for prey while gliding on hot air currents. Their heat sensors are much wider than Shriekers', allowing them to view large sections of land at the same time. Judging from shots in Tremors 3 depicting the ass-blasters' point of view the heat they sense is processed into an infrared-camera-like image, just like how Shriekers see the world. An ass-blaster's heat vision is much more detailed than a Shrieker's. Like the other creatures, ass-blasters are also attracted to inedible heat sources such as fires. For reasons unexplained in the film, an ass-blaster will slip into a coma after eating. Like the other life cycle stages, ass-blasters are intelligent, capable of learning from their mistakes. When several ass-blasters were blown up by being shot with burning spears fired from a makeshift potato gun in Tremors 3, one ass-blaster quickly learned to dodge these projectiles. Assblaster: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Charisma 3, Manipulation 0, Appearance 0, Perception 3, Intelligence 1, Wits 3; Abilities: Alertness 4, Brawl 3, Dodge 2, Flight 2, Stealth 1, Subterfuge 2, Survival 3; Willpower 4; Attacks: Bite (6, 5 Dice Damage), Flame Burst (8, 6 Dice Fire Damage, Rear Only), Flying Ram (8, 6 Dice Damage); Health Levels: OK x2, -1 x3, -2 x2, -5; Movement Land 7 / 16 / 32, Fly 12 / 27 / 54 Grappling Bite: An Assblaster that successfully bites a target will continue to hold on (by making a Grapple attack). If this is successful, additional bite damage is suffered each round until the target is dead or breaks free. Heat Vision: An Assblaster chooses its prey by seeing if they have heat it their bodies. They cannot see heat through walls, but they see you through just about everything else. Undead, constructs and anything else that does not give off heat is effectively invisible to them, although they will still attack if they are bumped into. Food Effect: An Assblaster will fall into a coma after eating at least 7 health levels of food. This coma will last for 1 4 hours as they digest and metabolize their food. Adaptive Learning: Every three encounters the creature has with a more intelligent target, its Intelligence increases by one point. This learning curve caps out at an Intelligence of 3, putting them WELL above animal intelligence. Graboids are hatched from eggs laid by ass-blasters (the final stage in the life cycle), as indicated in Tremors 3. These eggs split open diagonally. Carbon dating has shown that the eggs can lay dormant for at least 300 years, explaining why Graboid sightings are rare and random. As shown in Tremors 4, the hatching of the eggs is prompted by warmth - in Tremors 4 hatched eggs were found in a hot spring. Baby Graboids (or Dirt Dragons) are 4 feet (1.2 m) long and are much shorter and compact in comparison to the adults, but already have the typical set of jaws and mandibles. The baby Graboids also have a row of armoured scales on their backs for protection, which are shed before they fully mature. Like adults, they have large spikes used for digging; extra large rows of spikes sprout from the sides of their body. Being smaller than the adults, baby Graboids are able to hurl themselves out of the dirt to tackle prey, like "some kind of demonic trout", according to Hiram Gummer. Their tentacles are underdeveloped at this point in their lifecycle. Baby Graboids will attack and consume prey in packs shortly after hatching. The fledgling Graboids will feed ravenously to build up stores of energy for hibernation. After enough food has been found, the young Graboids will lay dormant for several hundred years, (explaining the vast stretch of time between Graboid discoveries) during which time they mature into their adult forms. Dirt Dragon: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Charisma 3, Manipulation 0, Appearance 0, Perception 3, Intelligence 1, Wits 3; Abilities: Alertness 2, Brawl 2, Dodge 4, Stealth 3, Subterfuge 2, Survival 2; Willpower 4; Attacks: Bite (6, 4 Dice Damage), Body Strike (7, 3 Dice Damage); Health Levels: OK, -1 x2, -2 x2, -5; Movement: Land 1 / 3 / 6, Burrow 6 / 14 / 28 50

Adaptive Learning: Every three encounters the creature has with a more intelligent target, its Intelligence increases by one point. This learning curve caps out at an Intelligence of 3, putting them WELL above animal intelligence. Upon maturing, Graboids will resume attacking and consuming prey. After that, they will seek a secluded spot where they will metamorphose. Three to six Shriekers will emerge from their body where they have been growing in large sacks, killing the Graboid. Upon emerging, Shriekers will search for food. When having eaten a sufficient amount of food, Shriekers will spit out a cocoon containing a mini version of themselves. This ability to reproduce asexually allows them to greatly expand their numbers over a short period of time, although it is unknown whether a Shrieker can produce more than one clone. The newborn Shrieker is fully developed, about 10 inches (25 cm) long and starts growing right after birth. When a Shrieker is around 24 hours old, it will undergo a molting process, turning into an ass-blaster. Assblasters can live up to several years (an individual sold to Siegfried and Roy in Tremors 3 was still alive two years later). They attack anything warm. While Shriekers reproduce asexually when they have fed enough, ass-blasters, slip into a coma when they eat a large amount of food. They can reproduce, however each ass-blaster carries a Graboid egg in its gut. Because they cover large distances when flying, they can carry these eggs further away, as theorized by Jodi Chang in Tremors 3. The Graboid's evolutionary origins are intentionally kept very vague; the creators of the film were unconcerned with this detail, offering no explanation as to where the Graboids came from in the original film, (wanting to avoid the typical clichs of the monster movie genre.) The main characters even satarize this convention by attempting to guess where they came from- outer space, nuclear mutations, genetic engineering and prehistory are all offered up as possible explanations. The answer was revealed in Tremors 2, when a fossil Graboid spike was discovered and dated back to the Precambrian, making it at least 600 million years old- the Graboids are apparently from earth, or have at least existed on earth for a very long time. Strangely, no prey large enough for Graboids to eat had evolved yet at the time; in fact there was no life on the land at all. A write-up written by the SciFi channel for Tremors: The Series retconned this by saying the fossil was incorrectly dated and actually from the Devonian period. By that time, prey big enough for Graboids to eat had evolved (amphibians), though they don't rule out a possible extraterrestrial origin. Though they resemble worms, in Tremors 3 the United States Department of the Interior calls them "desert reptilians", while the Department of the Interior classified them as cephalopods based on their intelligence, beaks and tentacles. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR REPORT The subterranean predators known as "Graboids," which ostensibly awakened in the late 20th century after a centuries-long slumber, are a life form unlike any other previously catalogued in Earth's genetic or fossil record. The first documented encounter with the species occurred in Perfection, Nev., in 1990. Graboid worms, which we have classified as Caederus americana, subsequently appeared in Mexico in 1996, and in Argentina and Nevada in 2001. During the Mexico incident, a second Graboid species, called "Shriekers," was identified. This species has been classified as C. mexicana. The second outbreak in Perfection revealed a morphological variant subspecies of Shriekers. Nicknamed "Assblasters" by the locals who first encountered it, its official name is C. mexicana combustus. Throughout this report there are references to "the Graboid species" or "the species" (plural). This generalized term should be understood to encompass the genus Caederus. The colloquial term "Graboid," when used alone, refers specifically to the wormlike subterranean predator C. americana. The species' hostile behavior and high rate of reproduction have triggered concern within the Department of the Interior (DOI) and raised many troubling questions. Where do Graboids come from? How could creatures so huge and aggressive go unnoticed before 1990? Do their lack of a logical place in Earth's fossil record imply they are extraterrestrial in origin? Or do they represent a previously undiscovered branch on the evolutionary tree? Are they intelligent? Are they sentient? Are they a true menace to humanity, or merely another animal curiosity to be studied with caution? In an effort to expand our knowledge base about the species and their life cycles, the DOI conducted the Graboid Ecological Research Initiative, in accordance with Executive Order No. 4371. The following report details our findings. NOTE: The contents of this report are to be considered eyes-only information. Individuals with a clearance level below SIERRA GREEN who read, copy, transfer, trade, sell, summarize or reproduce the contents of this report, in any format or medium, may be subject to penalties including, but not limited to, a fine of up to $500,000 and 30 years' imprisonment. EXTERNAL ANATOMY Graboids: The Graboid is a worm-shaped creature approximately 10 meters long and more than two meters across at its widest diameter. An adult specimen weighs approximately 10 to 20 tons, which makes it the largest land (or subterranean) animal on Earth. The Graboid displays linear orientation (its head is different from its tail), and dorsal/ventral orientation (the top of its head is different from the underside). It may also exhibit bilateral symmetry, but determining this conclusively will require a more detailed examination of multiple specimens. The Graboid's body is covered with a dense, leathery carapace. Twisting spines or spikes up to several inches long protrude in irregular rows, forming rings around the Graboid's tubular body. The Graboid appears to lack limbs or other significant external features apart from its head. This head consists of an armored or plated external sheath, under which opens a three-part jaw. Concealed within the mouth are three tentacles, which can extend several dozen feet beyond the Graboid's head to seize prey. Each tentacle appears to be bifurcated at its extremity, creating a biting jaw with sharp "teeth." This extremity resembles a 51

serpent's head due to horn-like protrusions on one side of the bifurcation. The armored jaw sections and the tentacles all seem designed to funnel prey into the animal's central gullet. The Graboid has been documented to swallow large objects whole (for example, in 2001, one specimen swallowed an entire 50-gallon metal drum containing noted Graboid-hunter Burt Gummer). This may indicate that the Graboid lacks a rigid jaw structure. More likely, it seems to indicate that the animal's mouth is an elastic, sphincter-like structure, perhaps lined with shearing and cutting teeth. If the animal does have a rigid jaw structure, then it can likely unhinge its jaw (as can many species of snake) in order to swallow prey as large as humans and cattle. The Graboid's sensory abilities are well-adapted to its underground environs. It has no external eyes, and therefore, presumably, no vision. It does possess remarkable hearing, or at least remarkable sensitivity to ground vibrations: It tracks prey by following noise and movement. (Whether this is a function of sensitive hearing or merely a sensitivity to vibrations remains unclear.) Behaviorally, the Graboid is carnivorous. It is essentially an ambush predator like a tiger, preferring to covertly stalk its prey. That said, most adult Graboids can move swiftly through loose soil, faster than a human can run. Although Graboids cannot move through solid rock, they can sense the vibrations of prey that has sought shelter on a large boulder or vehicle, or on an artificial structure such as a house. When possible, a Graboid will rapidly excavate the soil from beneath such a barrier, causing it to sink into, or closer to the ground, where the Graboid can attack with its three tentacles. In cases where such an assault is not possible, the Graboid has demonstrated a remarkable patience, lying in wait for its trapped prey. There are several documented accounts in Perfection Valley of individuals who died of exposure, thirst or starvation while perched on rock islands or atop utility poles, rather than face death in the maw of a Graboid. Furthermore, the Graboid seems to be highly intelligent. It appears to possess memory; it learns from its experiences. Confronted with problems, it will try to solve them. And it usually will not be fooled more than once by the same deception. Observers have documented several instances of Graboids traveling together, revealing a degree of socialization. They appear to act cooperatively for hunting, and may be able to communicate on some level (perhaps through subsonic vibrations, as elephants are known to do). All these factors combine to make the Graboid a startlingly sophisticated creature, despite its primitive appearance. The Graboid worm has been known, on occasion, to cannibalize its cousin species, Shriekers and Assblasters. However, the documented incidents involved a limited degree of deception by human observers, so it is not known whether the Graboid normally preys on Shriekers and Assblasters. Shriekers: At the end of its life cycle, a Graboid dies in order to spawn three to six Shriekers. This might be a factor of natural aging, occurring when the creature reaches a certain point in its life span. Alternatively, it might result after a Graboid devours a sufficient amount of prey, or it might be triggered by some other internal metabolic or external environmental cue. (El Blanco, the federally protected "Great White Graboid" of Perfection Valley, is an exception. This albino specimen of the species appears to be incapable of generating Shriekers, though we have not yet been able to determine why.) Shriekers are not a metamorphosed form of the parent Graboid. Rather, it appears that Shriekers grow within the Graboid and eventually burst out, killing the parent creature. The Shrieker is only about two meters in length, but its body shape and head structure are similar to the Graboid's. It is not clear whether the Shrieker possesses mouth tentacles for feeding as the Graboid does. It might be that its mouth tentacles are present but vestigial. The most striking difference between the Shrieker and its predecessor in the Graboid life cycle is that the Shrieker perches on two legs, allowing it to walk and run. These legs appear to be articulated with three joints, and they end in three-clawed feet. When not on the attack, Shriekers tend to move from place to place in spurts. They move, stop and scan, then move again. When traveling in this mode they make short, low-register grunting noises. According to available evidence, the Shrieker's most remarkable feature is that it can reproduce asexually by growing offspring within its mouth cavity. Once born or disgorged, an offspring is smaller than its parent but quickly grows to full size. A Shrieker, by consuming enough food, can multiply itself repeatedly; consequently, an initial population of three to six individuals can rapidly multiply into dozens. A Shrieker's primary sensory apparatus is thermal. Using a natural heat sensor mounted on top of its carapace, a Shrieker can "see" its environment and search for the specific heat signatures of its prey. When no heat sources are detected, these omnivores search for food by dragging their sensitive tongues along the ground. This enables them to find edible flora and fauna whose temperatures would otherwise blend into the ambient. The Shrieker is named, however, for the high-pitched noises it makes. Because Shriekers do not appear to have auditory nerves, they cannot hear the piercing sounds they make. Rather, the creatures emit the shriek while signaling each other via a rush of heat emitted from their fleshy mouths. This blast of thermal radiation alerts other Shriekers to the presence of food. Current evidence indicates that Shriekers do not open their mouths wide except when attacking or signaling. Shriekers appear to be social; they move in flocks and have not been observed to prey upon one another. There is evidence suggesting a dominance hierarchy among Shriekers, as well as evidence of learning behavior. These traits, coupled with their reproductive ability and rapid locomotion, make them relentless predators. Assblasters: When a Shrieker experiences a biological, hormonal or environmental cue (the exact trigger is unknown), it sheds its outer husks in much the same manner that a snake sheds its skin. The resulting morphological variation is known colloquially as an "Assblaster," the third (and possibly final) stage in the Graboid life cycle. 52

Assblasters exhibit the same type of carapace and hinged triple jaw found in both the Graboid and the Shrieker forms, except that on the Assblaster these structures are more slender and elongated. The presence of mouth tentacles seems unlikely, but remains unconfirmed. The Assblaster has several traits in common with the Shrieker. It possesses two three-toed legs that allow it to walk, run and jump. Its overall body plan and shape is similar to a Shrieker's, except that the Assblaster is longer and more fragile in appearance. In addition, it appears to share the Shrieker's thermal-sensory abilities. Like Shriekers they are deaf and, when they spot food, they open their beaks wide to release a loud, heat-emitting shriek to signal other Assblasters to join the hunt. On the ground, they hunt in a manner similar to that of Shriekers, making the same kinds of low, grunting noises as they pursue their endless quest for food. Most significant, the Assblaster has three unique anatomical peculiarities not found in Shriekers or Graboids. First, the Assblaster has wings. These are not true wings in the sense of being capable of self-powered flight; they do not resemble birds' or bats' wings (which are modified limbs). By contrast, the musculature behind an Assblaster's wings is fairly crude. There is no indication that the wings are capable of beating or moving quickly enough to provide lift, or that the wing muscles are well-developed enough to enable sustained flight. Also, though winged, Assblasters spend the majority of their time on the ground. Instead, an Assblaster's wings consist of a membrane of skin suspended between a series of spines radiating straight out from the body. The wings appear to consist of three structures equivalent to a left wing, a right wing and a fan tail. Assblaster wings most closely resemble the "wings" of the flying lizard Draco modified ribs that the lizard unfurls in order to glide. Assblaster wing struts are most likely modifications of the Graboid skin spikes. The Assblaster controls its glides by flexing, lifting, lowering and even folding these structures, yielding remarkably precise flight maneuvers. Because its wings cannot power its flight, the Assblaster has developed its second unique anatomical aspect: a biological rocket. In the act which has inspired its off-color but highly descriptive name, the Assblaster releases a propulsive force from its tail end. This fiery expulsion launches the creature skyward. At the apex of its ascent, the Assblaster opens its wings and glides, sometimes for up to a mile or more. An Assblaster gives warning of impending take-off via a unique "windup," or revving-up sound. Cephalopods use a variation on jet propulsion for locomotion, but the Assblaster has evolved the trait to a radically higher level. This feature is not seen in either the Graboid or the Shrieker, but the remarkably high metabolisms of those forms suggest the early gestation of such a robust biology. (We can only speculate on the specific mechanics of this ability; a more thorough examination will require a detailed autopsy of one or more intact Assblaster specimens. Unfortunately, the Department of Defense has claimed first priority in the study of all such recovered subjects.) The third trait that distinguishes the Assblaster from its other Graboid forms is that the Assblaster bears eggs. (A more detailed discussion of this can be found later in this report, in section 5.0 EVOLUTION.) Even more so than the Shrieker, the Assblaster is highly verbal, uttering a wide variety of unique cries related to specific desires or reactions to particular stimuli. This strongly implies that, in addition to the Assblaster's thermal sense, the Assblaster possesses fully developed auditory senses. Finally, as with the Shriekers, Assblasters are ostensibly social animals, at least to the extent of not attacking or eating their siblings. So far, they have not exhibited coordinated hunting behavior. INTERNAL ANATOMY With no access to an intact Graboid carcass for detailed evaluation (most specimens have been severely damaged in collisions or explosions), precise information about the creature's internal anatomy is difficult to come by. Much can be inferred, however, from observed appearance and behavior, and from the scattered biological samples that have been obtained. Anatomically speaking, the Graboid is a tube wrapped with thick skin-muscle, which is necessary to manipulate its external spines. Presumably, it must also possess a semi-rigid internal structure (though not a true endoskeleton, as discussed in section 6.0 - HYPOTHETICAL TAXONOMY) since it can burst through concrete (though such an impact kills it). Less dramatically, the Graboid's ability to lift its upper body into the air, as well as bear the weight of the soil through which it moves, also suggests a semi-rigid internal structure. This structure is probably coupled with a strong musculature. It is logical to assume that a Graboid propels itself underground partly with its surface spines, and partly with an overall motion of its body. A strong internal musculature would enable the Graboid to flex its entire body, undulating in a curling, corkscrew motion through the ground. For obvious reasons, it has been all but impossible to directly observe the creature underground; observations of the surface soil above a Graboid's route, however, show that such soil is sometimes humped erratically, producing a series of rises and falls rather than a continuous ridge. This disturbance of the ground is consistent with a writhing, flexing mode of travel. Furthermore, when a Graboid surfaces, it often does so while turning its head or body in a circular motion, supporting the corkscrew theory of locomotion. The Graboid, the Shrieker and the Assblaster all appear to respirate the same nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere as other terrestrial animals. Witnesses have heard Shriekers and Assblasters "puffing," while Graboids sometimes expel blasts of air. This implies that all three Graboid variants possess lungs. Whether these lungs resemble vertebrate lungs is unknown. On a related topic, the Graboid, Shrieker and Assblaster all have closed circulatory systems; their reddishorange blood has been well-documented. This suggests that they possess a cardiopulmonary system, a heart pump and an oxygen-based blood-transport system.

53

Little is known about the creatures' nervous systems, but all forms of the Graboid appear to have sophisticated brains, at least as compared with other predatory animals. All three forms have exhibited signs of being extremely quick studies. We cannot yet measure exactly how smart these creatures are, but they might approach the intelligence levels of such mammalian pack predators as wolves and lions. In addition, the Graboid would seem to require astonishing levels of energy to propel its prodigious bulk underground faster than a human can run aboveground, yet it does so almost routinely when pursuing prey. It is possible that the Graboid spends most of its time in a torpid or dormant state to recover from these short, intense bursts of activity. The Shriekers' rapid self-replication and the Assblaster's ability to generate volatile chemicals capable of launching it skyward suggest extremely efficient metabolisms. Like the Graboid, however, these creatures appear to need rest while digesting food and after prolonged expenditures of energy. Supporting this theory is the observation that, when fully fed, an Assblaster collapses into a "food coma" in order to digest and to regain its equilibrium. Curiously, in addition to its feats of speed and its ability to digest large prey, the Graboid has even shown an occasional willingness to eat metal. One of the creatures swallowed a large metal drum containing Burt Gummer, and there is also a report of Graboids attacking a station wagon. Did the Graboids involved in these incidents attack because their bodies are capable of deriving useful nutrients from inorganic objects? Or, as is considered more likely, did the car's vibrations (or Gummer's movements inside the barrel) mislead the Graboids into thinking they had found living prey? It is possible that the Graboid's underground life gives it access to elements or chemicals that "supercharge" its digestion and metabolism. Because the surface-dwelling Shrieker and Assblaster also show a similar level of digestive/metabolic ability, the discarded body of their parent Graboid might provide them with these required chemicals. It is also possible that this ability is simply inherent in all three species. Regardless, it remains one of the most impressive aspects of their physiology. Clearly, much remains to be learned about the bizarre internal anatomy of these creatures. It is strongly urged that the DOI intensify its efforts to collect intact carcasses for future studies. ECOLOGY The ecological realities of the Graboid (and its relatives, the Shrieker and the Assblaster) seem mathematically impossible; however, empirical evidence cannot be denied. Theoretically (in a conventional mathematical model), the Graboid would require a significant amount of prey in order to generate the energy it needs to function. It is odd, then, that the Graboid has appeared most frequently in areas of sparse human population. Of course, humans are not its only prey; the Graboid may, in fact, be willing to eat nearly any terrestrial animal. Regardless, it is still puzzling that the Graboid species apparently lives in areas with relatively scarce mammalian life, such as the Mexican oil fields and, most notably, the desert of Perfection Valley, Nev. It would seem that the mammalian populations of these areas lack the capacity to support the Graboid, the Shrieker and the Assblaster as predators, yet they apparently do. How is this possible? The Graboid's unprecedented metabolism is so efficient that perhaps the creature requires less prey than most conventional predators. This "frugal" metabolism would allow the Graboid to generate immense energy from relatively small amounts of food. Alternatively, the Graboid might have other sources of energy that we have not yet discovered; it may derive nutrients (and thus caloric energy) from plants, underground creatures, microscopic life in the soil or even non-living elements and chemicals. These possibilities might help to explain how the Graboid survives in ecological settings that, statistically speaking, should not be able to support its presence. One final possibility is that the species is not, in fact, surviving very well in these settings. Observed specimens almost never miss an opportunity to pursue prey. Whereas lions that have recently fed will often opt not to chase zebras, witnesses have reported that Graboids will attack even after a meal. This might indicate that the Graboid population is constantly in danger of starvation, resulting in desperately aggressive hunting and feeding behaviors. Indeed, had the residents of Perfection not developed successful resistance techniques, Graboids probably would have consumed the town's entire human population (estimated in 1990 at just under 20 individuals), which implies that Perfection Valley is not adequate to support a robust Graboid population. In conclusion, mathematical modeling suggests that the ecological systems in which the Graboid, the Shrieker and the Assblaster have appeared cannot support the creatures' presence in any kind of long-term, balanced predator-prey relationship. This may indicate that traditional models of predation should not be applied to the Graboid (because of its unique metabolism), that the Graboids have other unknown sources of energy, or that the Graboid species is in danger of extinction because of a shortage of available prey. EVOLUTIONARY OVERVIEW Evolutionary History: It is nearly impossible to determine where, when and how Caederus americana might have originally evolved. The species is estimated to be hundreds of millions of years old, meaning that it likely originated when most or all of the continents were joined as a single landmass. However, the species might have evolved on a continental island well away from the hotbed of vertebrate land evolution, where its isolation allowed it to evolve or adapt in unique ways without excessive competition. (There are many better-known examples of this phenomenon: Tasmanian tigers and kangaroos from Australia, giant sloths from prehistoric South America, the lemurs and elephant birds of Madagascar, the moas of New Zealand, and the giant turtles and iguanas of the Galapagos all evolved in relative isolation.) 54

Alternatively, C. americana may have evolved in temporal isolation. If it began to develop before the vertebrates started moving onto land, it would have been spared competition initially. Of course, at some point, no matter where or when it originated, this proto-Graboid had to contend with vertebrates that had limbs, but presumably this occurred only after the Graboid was set firmly onto its own evolutionary track. The Graboid's earliest ancestor was probably a small creature similar to a cuttlefish. Unlike the boneless octopus, the Graboid's progenitor probably possessed a shell. This shell may have been completely internal, like the cuttlefish's, or external, like that of a snail or clam, or some combination of both. It was likely a heavier shell than that possessed by the modern cuttlefish; whereas the modern cuttlefish is a fleet ocean swimmer, the prehistoric cuttlefish was probably much more slow-moving, due to the weight of its shell. It was likely a bottom and seashore dweller, preying on crabs and bottom-feeders. It required and consequently evolved a hard shell to protect its tentacles while dealing with armored or hard-shelled prey. In the long term, similar cephalopods moved into deep water and mostly lost their shells. Eventually, the prehistoric cuttlefish, which hunted the shallow water bottoms, could not compete with fish or with its lighter, shell-less cousins, all of which were more mobile. Specimens of this prehistoric cuttlefish might have become trapped in pools or mudholes by seasons and tides. The cuttlefish, trapped in a pool, probably then evolved the ability to crawl across mud flats to reach open water (like modern mudskippers, catfish, snakehead fish, and certain cephalopods), or to burrow into and through moist wet mud until the waters returned (like the modern lungfish). In this way, the cephalopod took its first step toward becoming a land creature; the prehistoric cuttlefish became a proto-Graboid in much the same manner that fish developed into lobefin fishes, which became amphibians and then reptiles. Of course, burrowing through mud was much more difficult than swimming through water. Mud was heavier, and its weight could put severe pressure on the delicate internal structures of the proto-Graboid. Luckily, the creature's internal shell offered some protection. Over hundreds of generations, the shell probably became larger, giving the body much-needed strength and rigidity. This, in turn, limited the proto-Graboid's mobility. To solve that problem, the proto-Graboid likely began to develop a jointed, segmented shell. If, in addition to an internal shell, the proto-Graboid had already developed an external shell, then it had already separated its shell structure into parts. From there it was only a short step to developing joints. A jointed, supportive internal shell system would be a great advantage for the proto-Graboid. It would multiply the creature's strength, allowing it to survive the crushing weight of mud while giving it the leverage to push and pull itself through that mud more effectively. Whereas limbs were the more convenient and appropriate evolutionary development for surface vertebrates, such physical features would not have been beneficial in the proto-Graboid's adopted environment. Above ground, the weight and stiffness of the proto-Graboid's internal skeleton would have made it easy prey. Among other land animals lacking limbs, the slug, with no skeleton at all, would have been more mobile than the protoGraboid, and the snail, with its protective external shell, would have been better protected. Unlike our hypothetical protoGraboid, these creatures were able to continue their evolution above ground, as were countless varieties of vertebrates that possessed legs and claws. During this time, the proto-Graboid would have been developing its armored head carapace and the hinged jaws that protect its important inner tentacles. Some of the musculature of its tentacles may have evolved to form the control muscles of the three rigid jaws. Indeed, it is not unreasonable to speculate that the proto-Graboid may have been a sixtentacled creature; three of its tentacles evolved into the Graboid's three major jaw muscles, while the other three remained the Graboid's serrated mouth tentacles. (An analogy can be made to the squid, which also has two different types of tentacles.) As the proto-Graboid became increasingly better suited to its underground existence, it no doubt became a successful scavenger (and occasional predator) in this small ecological niche. We suspect that it was during this period that the proto-Graboid lost whatever eyes it might have originally had. Eyes would have been a near-useless vulnerability for a Graboid, which, in a sense, spends its life propelling itself through an abrasive environment. Even small eyes would become a liability to a large tunneling creature because they are inevitably soft and at least partially exposed. Consequently, over millions or hundreds of millions of years, the trait was, presumably, bred out. The original proto-Graboid may have been the size of a sardine. Obviously one of the most significant aspects of its evolution was its incredible increase in size. This was likely caused by the proto-Graboid's twin needs to move through heavier mud or packed dirt and to hunt larger surface prey. In classic Darwinian fashion, this larger proto-Graboid was a better hunter than its smaller kin. With added size, speed and strength, it could capture larger, faster prey and attack animals located in places that previously would have been inaccessible. In addition, it could capture, kill and probably eat smaller proto-Graboids. By overpowering its only competitors in the underground ecological niche, the largest proto-Graboids were naturally selected to survive and procreate. In short order, as the proto-Graboid became increasingly well-adapted to dry environments, it rapidly evolved into the modern Graboid form. (Note: There are unconfirmed reports that Graboid skin-spike fossils have been found in extremely ancient rock, possibly dating to the Precambrian period. If so, the evolution of the Graboids would predate the formation of multi-cellular life on Earth. If these reports can be confirmed, it might support an extraterrestrial origin for Graboids; more likely, however, is the possibility that the rock samples were incorrectly dated and date to the Devonian era.) 55

Issues of Reproduction: The evolving Graboid had a problem: reproduction. Like every creature that moved out of the ocean, it had to find a way to preserve and protect its eggs in the harsh environment of dry land. Amphibians solved this problem by returning to the water. Reptiles solved it by laying strong, hard-shelled eggs in protected locations. Mammals (and, in a slightly different fashion, marsupials) solved it by carrying their young inside them and giving live birth. The underground lifestyle of the Graboid posed unique problems that only worsened as the creature evolved into its present form. The proto-Graboid could survive underground, but its delicate eggs could easily be destroyed by the weight of soil. Hard shells were a solution until the eggs became much larger, at which point the pressure of the soil across the eggs' increased surface area again became a serious danger. In addition, the conditions necessary to support eggs and juvenile proto-Graboids were undoubtedly difficult to find. Eggs laid too close to the surface would be dug up and eaten by predators; newborn Graboids that failed to burrow quickly faced the same threat. Eggs laid too deep would be crushed by the weight of the soil above. The proto-Graboid had the option to migrate back to the shores to find a viable habitat for eggs and newborn offspring (where the mud would be moist and easier to traverse), but that would have prevented it from migrating inland to richer hunting grounds. For an inland Graboid, with no access to a shore, there was only one safe place where it could incubate its eggs and give its offspring a decent chance of developing to maturity: inside its own body. For an octopus, a theoretical relative of the Graboid, reproduction can be a death sentence. A female octopus lays eggs and often dies as they hatch. The same is true for the Graboid, which possesses a reproductive strategy far cruder and more primitive than that of mammals (who possess specialized organs and a placental membrane for bearing young). A Graboid's multiple Shrieker young grow like tumors inside its body until it dies, devoured from within by its offspring. Strictly speaking, Shriekers are not a divided, metamorphosed form of the original Graboid. Rather, they are offspring, a larval form of new Graboids birthed by the parent. However, because they are vastly physically dissimilar to the parent Graboid and exist in a different environment, they have a separate taxonomical classification, C. mexicana. A mature Graboid produces only two or three Shriekers. Additional, undeveloped Shriekers are carried in the mouths of these initial offspring. Among humans and other mammals, fetal twins are not uncommon. Inside the womb, one fetus fails to develop and is absorbed into the body of its twin, surviving as a clump of tissue, sometimes with its own bones, teeth or organs. A newborn Shrieker is actually a dominant offspring, sheltering undeveloped siblings within the tissues of its triple-hinged jaw. As the Shrieker eats, the undeveloped offspring gestate, grow and eventually separate from their more fully grown sibling. Development of Shrieker Legs: The Shrieker's primary difference from its parent is that it possesses legs. From an evolutionary standpoint, this is extremely puzzling. Cephalopods may have many tentacles, but none has ever produced a leg. Indeed, in evolutionary terms, a limb is a complicated affair, with hinged bones and muscles working together in impressive unison. In vertebrates, limbs evolved millions of years after the initial development of an articulated skeleton in fish. Because the Graboid appears to possess a semi-rigid internal structure (though not a true endoskeleton, as discussed in section HYPOTHETICAL TAXONOMY), it is not impossible that parallel evolution would allow it to develop jointed limbs. In fact, the separate musculature of its tentacles could have been a precursor to the development of limbs; all that would have been required was structural reinforcement, to give leverage to that musculature. It may be significant that the Shrieker has three-toed legs, just as it has three rigid jaws and three tentacles. (Indeed, it is possible that the species as a whole might exhibit a trilateral symmetry, right down to its three-stage life cycle.) There are several possible reasons why proto-Graboids did not evolve limbs. First, their internal shell structure might not have been strong enough to support limbs that were as successful as those of boned vertebrates. Second, limbed Graboids might have been unable to displace well-established vertebrates from their ecological niche, and so died out. Third, the Graboid's level of success underground without limbs might have precluded any evolutionary interest in such developments. By contrast, however, the second-stage Graboid the Shrieker did develop legs (and, by extension, an aboveground lifestyle). The most likely theoretical explanation for this anomaly is that the newborn Graboid was absolutely unable to live underground successfully. It was too small and too poorly muscled, compared to its older relatives, to survive. Underground, it was an easy target for predators. Consequently, the Shrieker was forced to survive on the surface. To do so, it developed powerful legs and became a swift, deadly predator. Other species exhibit this dissociation between the appearance and abilities of the parent and offspring: butterflies / caterpillars and frogs / tadpoles are the most obvious examples, but one also finds among salmon and eels significant differences between juveniles and adults. The Graboid and Shrieker, while a more radical example of this phenomenon, are not unique. Ironically, by the time the Graboid evolved this solution to its breeding problems (disgorging its juveniles aboveground), eyes had been bred out of its genetic pool. As a result, the Shrieker and Assblaster had to dip into their genetic heritage and develop a thermal sensing organ that would function as a substitute for vision. Assblasters' Reproductive Role: After Shriekers achieve maturity, they enter the third known phase of the Graboid life cycle: the Assblaster (C. mexicana combustus). The Assblaster differs from the Shrieker in three significant ways: It possesses wings; it has a rocket-like ability to launch itself into the air; and it has the ability to lay eggs. To recap: An egg hatches a Graboid. The Graboid worm matures and dies to birth several Shrieker offspring. The Shriekers feed and produce additional Shriekers (which, as noted above, appear to be pre-developed siblings). The Shriekers then metamorphose into Assblasters, each of which lays at least one egg to produce more Graboids. The reproductive cycle of genus Caederus is, to say the least, unique among all known higher life-forms. 56

It has been proposed by some researchers that the Assblaster is simply the female of the Graboid species. The evidence supporting this theory is scant, however. The conclusion of this research program is that the Shriekers and Assblasters both appear to be gender-neutral and capable of parthenogenic (asexual) reproduction. Because Assblasters seem to be a genuine metamorphosed form of Shriekers, it is likely that a gestational version of the Graboid egg is present in each Shrieker. It is possible that the trigger for the metamorphosis of a Shrieker into an Assblaster is connected to the development and fertilization of the Graboid egg. It is still not understood whether an Assblaster lays only the one Graboid egg that is inside its body at the time it is spawned, or if it is capable of creating multiple eggs over the course of its lifetime. If Assblasters employ the same reproductive strategy as adult Graboids, they might be intended to serve as nourishment for the newly hatched Graboid. If, however, Graboid hatchlings are relatively self-sufficient, an Assblaster might be capable of gestating multiple eggs over the course of its lifetime. (Corollary: It is worth noting that there is no documented proof that the egg laid by an Assblaster will yield a Graboid hatchling. All such eggs and often the Assblasters that laid them have been destroyed prior to hatching. Furthermore, the one Assblaster known to have survived in captivity Sigmund and Ray's "Messerschmitt" has so far not gestated or laid any eggs. Whether this is a clue to a necessary fertilization step in the Graboid reproductive cycle, or evidence of a single-egg cycle, is unknown at this time.) Assblaster Biochemistry: Special attention should be paid to the Assblaster's spectacular rocket-propulsion ability. The closest natural analogy to this ability may be the volatile discharge produced by the bombardier beetle as a natural defense mechanism. The Assblaster, however, clearly generates a compound far more explosive than that of the bombardier beetle. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the Assblaster's fuel is a highly combustible, methane-based binary compound. This "ass-blasting" behavior almost certainly evolved as a by-product of the Graboid's digestive processes. Birds and reptiles have a continuous digestive tract that encompasses their reproductive organs. Consequently, whereas mammals have separate orifices and organs for sexual functions and excretion, birds have only a single orifice, known as the cloaca. It is unclear at this time whether the ass-blasting mechanism is a single organ or gland or multiple organs acting in concert; or whether it is segregated from or integrated into the Assblaster's digestive tract. For this report, however, we have agreed to refer to the Assblaster's rear orifice as the cloaca. The Assblaster is believed to produce the chemicals it requires within its body, perhaps as a result of its complex metabolism. We speculate that the fuel for the ass-blasting ability is binary (i.e., composed of two substances that do not ignite until mixed) and that the Assblaster stores these substances in separate glands or bladders. The process of filling these "bladders" is probably continuous. Then, when an Assblaster needs to fly, it empties the correct amount of propellant from some of its storage bladders into the colon above the cloaca. The storage bladders immediately seal after discharge and begin accumulating more fuel. In a coordinated release, the Assblaster then discharges its ignition bladder and releases its cloaca sphincter. If the propellant is a true binary compound, timing is critical: If the fluid ignites too early, the Assblaster will explode. If the sphincter opens too quickly, the propellant will disperse before it can be usefully ignited. The cloaca, or the bodily chamber that holds the propellant, must be a remarkable organ. It must be tough enough to withstand an explosion strong enough to propel a creature weighing more than 100 pounds hundreds of yards through the air. Simple Newtonian physics would argue, in fact, that the Assblaster should explode from the magnitude of the blast. The fact that it does not implies that its cloaca must be not only strong but fireproof. The cloaca presumably has some form of calcium lining, which is not without precedent in the species. The Graboid possesses the equivalent of an internal skeleton as well as outer shell segments. Furthermore, the Assblaster lays eggs with hard shells, so it must metabolize calcium. In birds, and probably in the Assblaster, the eggshell is generated within or just beyond the cloacal tract. It is therefore not unreasonable to posit that the Assblaster can secrete a calciumbased lining to reinforce its propellant chamber. The calcium reinforcing the cloaca is probably not a single structure (which would be too brittle) but rather a complex of jointed segments that can bend or stretch to absorb shocks more effectively. This cloacal structure presumably is linked to the semi-rigid internal structure in order to evenly distribute impact forces throughout the Assblaster's body. Despite its ungainly appearance, the overall structure of the Assblaster is incredibly tough. The question remains, however, how such a bizarre trait as ass-blasting could evolve. Certainly, there is no evolutionary advantage to exploding while trying to fly. The Assblaster would have had to have all its organs and anatomical features more or less lined up properly before it could take its first flight. This seems paradoxical, however, because such organs would not evolve as they did without a purpose. Perhaps, though, they developed for a reason other than explosive flight: defense and offense. It is well-known that a number of animals have bizarre escape mechanisms. Some lizards can actually detach their own tails; others can squirt blood from their eyes. Skunks can discharge pungent chemicals from glands under their tails. Octopi squirt clouds of ink as a diversion. Birds, when they take flight, automatically discharge waste so as not to carry unneeded weight. It may be that the prehistoric proto-Assblaster, fleeing such vertebrate predators as dinosaurs, discharged waste or gas behind it as a diversion or deterrent. This simple discharge mechanism could have evolved into a specialized defense: a natural flame-thrower. As the proto-Assblaster learned to control its blasts, it might have achieved subsequently larger and more focused explosions. Eventually, these blasts would routinely propel it through the air. Over time, the modern Assblaster evolved the physical features, such as wings, that would allow it to glide after blasting off like a wild rocket. 57

The Assblaster's wing structures likely developed for some other purpose and were only later adapted for flight. Most likely, the wings originally were skin spines (such as those still possessed by the Graboid) which grew longer and had membranes stretched between them. A number of prehistoric reptiles including Spinosaurus, Edaphosaurus and Dimetrodon all had sail-backs similar to this; their spinal vertebrae grew to extraordinary lengths and had delicate membranes stretched between them. It is believed that these features evolved for thermal control, because their greater surface area both absorbed and discharged heat quickly. The external membranes of the Assblaster may originally have evolved to serve a similar purpose. The simultaneous development of heat-radiating wings and the incendiary discharge mechanism does not seem to have been a coincidence. As the Assblaster intensified its metabolism to create the volatile chemicals needed for its combustible defense, it would have needed a better way to shed excess body heat and maintain a stable body temperature. The two different organs may well have developed in tandem. Consequently, when the Assblaster finally began blasting off it already possessed the rudiments of a gliding structure, enabling it to fly. HYPOTHETICAL TAXONOMY Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Bilateria (Triploblasts), Subphylum: Mollusca, Class: Cephalopoda, Subclass: Coleoidea, Order: Sepioida, Family: Vermiformidae, Genus: Caederus, Species: americana (Graboid), Species: mexicana (Shrieker) Variant: mexicana combustus (Assblaster) The proper taxonomical classification of Graboids, Shriekers and Assblasters was a curious challenge because the Graboid species does not clearly belong to any previously known Family grouping. To complete its zoological nomenclature, we were forced to look much deeper into the evolutionary tree than we had expected. Graboids have been described by some witnesses as being "reptilian," but this is probably no more accurate than describing the Assblaster as a bird because it flies or the Shrieker as a frog because it undergoes a metamorphosis. The Graboid does not appear to possess any of the features of true reptiles, though the Shrieker and Assblaster, curiously, each possess some, such as clawed toes. However, they share just as many similarities with birds and mammals, so a reptilian classification was not indicated. In fact, Graboids, Shriekers and Assblasters do not appear to belong to any existing class of vertebrates. They clearly are not fish, and it takes only a slightly more professional observer to see that they they are also neither amphibians nor reptiles, neither birds nor mammals. It is doubtful that they are even vertebrates, although they do seem to possess endoskeletonlike structures. Vertebrates, it should be stressed, derive from a family of creatures called notochords, which gave rise to fish. Also descended from notochords are amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. All these different forms share a heritage of organs and anatomy, ranging from bilateral symmetry to a similarity of organ/tissue types and functions. The three known forms of genus Caederus lack many of the features inherent to members of the vertebrate line. Most obviously, they lack eyes. Their multistage life cycle is similarly dissociated from known vertebrate reproductive models. In fact, research has not yet yielded any proof that the Graboid species is connected to the vertebrate line. Regardless, the Graboid, the Shrieker and the Assblaster are all highly sophisticated life forms, which implies that they represent the culmination of a long evolutionary history. Only three other non-vertebrate lines of animal life on Earth have reached a similar level of sophistication: arthropods, annelids and mollusks. Arthropods (including insects, arachnids, crustaceans and other forms) typically have hard, segmented or jointed exoskeletons, and generally remain small in size when compared with vertebrates. Most arthropods evolved with multiple external limbs and some form of eyes. All these traits are inconsistent with the speculated evolution of C. americana. Available evidence suggests the Graboid also is not a member of the subphylum Annelida. Annelids earthworms share some traits with the Graboid, such as an underground habitat, stiff hairs in the skin to assist in locomotion and an ability to extract nutrients directly from the soil. No annelid, however, has ever possessed anything resembling an endoskeleton or semi-rigid support system, which C. americana is believed to possess. In addition, C. americana and C. mexicana possess other features not found in annelids: segmented jaws; prehensile mouth tentacles; a multiphase life cycle; and thermal sensors. The Graboid is also larger and more sophisticated than any known annelid, making it highly unlikely that genus Caederus belongs in this subphylum. Genus Caederus might be unique, in a class of its own. It might even be extraterrestrial. More likely, though, it is a form of mollusk. The subphylum Mollusca is one of the oldest, most diversified and successful on Earth. It includes clams, mussels, snails, slugs, cuttlefish, nautili, squids and octopi. The most advanced form of mollusks are the cephalopods (octopi and squids), which share many important features with the Graboid. Cephalopods have multiple tentacles, ranging from eight to dozens, all surrounding a mouth or gullet an arrangement that resembles the Graboid's tentacled mouth structure. Furthermore, some cephalopods (such as the prehistoric ammonites or the modern nautilus) have external shells or carapaces, as does the Graboid. At least one cephalopod, the cuttlefish, has a Graboid-like external carapace, or bony structure. In addition, octopi have enough control over the muscles of their skin to change their texture from craggy to smooth, suggesting a skin musculature similar to that of the Graboid, although of different degree. The "wing structure" of the Assblaster bears at least a passing resemblance to the rippling "fins" of the cuttlefish. Although no known aquatic cephalopod ejects combustible compounds, it is a compelling similarity that several eject prodigious clouds of ink as a defensive mechanism, and some have a hydrojet-like propulsive organ that resembles the Assblaster's dramatically fiery self-launching ability.

58

Cephalopods are water-breathers, but other mollusks, including snails and slugs, exist on dry land. Many cephalopods, as well as certain bivalve mollusks, are able to survive for short durations out of the water. Cephalopods are the most intelligent non-vertebrate animals known to exist. Studies have indicated that they might possess a capacity for memory, learning and problem-solving, and witnesses have reported signs of social behavior among groups of squid and octopi. Cephalopods might well be as intelligent as some species of birds or mammals; certainly, they seem to show a level of "smart" behavior similar to that of genus Caederus. Finally, cephalopods have managed to achieve significant size and mass in aquatic habitats. The giant squid, for instance, is a deep-ocean-dweller that might rival the Graboid in size. The largest known giant squid have weighed several tons and stretched up to 55 feet from their flukes to the extremity of their longest tentacle. Although the Graboid and its related forms possess features previously undocumented among cephalopods (such as jointed limbs, endoskeletons and a multiphase life cycle), these differences do not disqualify their categorization as mollusks. For example, bivalve mollusks (clams and mussels) possess hinged shells; it is not unreasonable to assume that the Graboid family of mollusks may have developed hinged internal shells and eventually evolved more complex internal skeletons. However, no mollusk has evolved anything resembling the thermal sensors of the Shrieker and Assblaster; likewise, the incendiary metabolism of the Assblaster is unique to the Graboid species. Furthermore, no cephalopod or other mollusk possesses a life cycle nearly as complex as that of genus Caederus. Still, the shared traits documented above and elsewhere in this document are significant enough to justify a tentative classification of the Graboid, the Shrieker and the Assblaster as distant, terrestrial relatives of class Cephalopoda. HISTORICAL AND MYTHOLOGICAL REFERENCES The Graboid first appeared to the modern world in 1990. It is probable, however, that humans have encountered this unusual species many times since the dawn of human civilization. Dr. Kate Reilly has theorized that certain formations in Precambrian rocks are actually the remnants of Graboid skin spines. If her theory is correct, the Graboid predates all known forms of multi-cellular life on Earth. Our own research indicates that the genesis of the Graboid species likely dates to the early Devonian period, approximately 400 million years ago. If this is true, how has such a large creature escaped notice until now? Certainly it is possible that no human has ever survived a Graboid sighting until recently, preventing news of this creature from reaching the scientific community. But it is also possible in fact, likely that people have, indeed, reported Graboid sightings around the world and throughout history. These sightings, however, have until now been relegated to the realm of myth and legend. In South America, there are tales of an unknown creature called the "minhacao," sightings of which date to the 1840s. The minhacao is described as gigantic, up to 25 meters long. One report specifies that the creature has two horns (which might be a description of a Graboid's jaw parts or tentacles). According to the descriptions, the underground passage of the minhacao overturns trees, destroys orchards and diverts rivers. The creature is said to be a voracious predator that swallows cattle whole. On the opposite side of the world, in Mongolia, there are legends of the "olgoy-khorkoy," a species of giant worm believed to live in the Gobi desert. According to tradition, the olgoy-khorkoy is not as large as a Graboid, but it still supposedly attacks animals as large as men and horses. Deeper in humanity's vast reservoir of mythology lurk other fantastic creatures that might well be early Graboid descriptions. The ancient Greeks feared Cerberus, a gigantic, ferocious hound with three snapping heads that guarded the underground gates of Hades. Was this a description of the Graboid, with its doglike tenacity and its trio of prehensile biting tentacles? The Greeks also feared another three-headed monster, the Chimera, believed to be a combination of dragon, goat and serpent. Were the horns of the Graboid's tentacles the inspiration for the goat portion of the creature, and the sinuous movements of Graboid tentacles mistaken for the twisting of serpents? Indeed, folklore from ancient Greece, Mesopotamia and China is replete with multiheaded monsters. Furthermore, legends of dragons are common in Europe, South America and China. Modern retellings refer to the dragons as reptiles, but in the earliest chronicles, the word "dragon" was often synonymous with "worm." Dragons were believed to be the greatest of the "wyrms," gigantic and terrible subterranean predators. Even more intriguing is that, although dragons were reputed to be underground serpents, many medieval drawings and Chinese folk tales depict them as winged creatures, sometimes capable of exhaling fire. Could such stories have been inspired by encounters with Assblasters? The basilisk and cockatrice, staples of medieval bestiaries, were sometimes described as the two-legged offspring of dragons; many physical traits attributed to these monsters are similar to those of Shriekers. Similarly, the gryphon, described as a hybrid between a lion and an eagle, figures prominently in these records. Other human legends describe the Phoenix, a bird that was both consumed and reborn in a fiery conflagration, and the Thunderbird, a ferocious bird that made a terrible sound during flight. Any of these descriptions might reasonably be attributed to an Assblaster. These varied accounts, previously dismissed as works of fiction, might represent primitive witnesses' efforts to describe the Graboid and its subspecies. Humanity and the Graboid, it seems, might share a long and bloody history. THREAT ASSESSMENT Genus Caederus is a lonely species. Its evolutionary path has left it no known close relatives, in no small measure because the voracious Graboid probably consumed its evolutionary cousins. Other weaker offshoots of the species probably fell victim to competition or predation from vertebrates, or to habitat destruction. 59

The Graboid species' evolutionary path has also left behind few recognizable fossils. The life of the early protoGraboid, in wet mud or moist loose soil, would leave few impressions and fossil traces. Even where a loose collection of smashed Graboid shell might be found, its true origin would not be obvious to observers. This lack of paleontological context, coupled with a lack of basic samples and evidence from the modern creatures themselves, means that many questions about this unique animal remain unanswered. Among these critical questions: Is the Graboid the mature male, the Assblaster the mature female, and the Shrieker a gender-neutral juvenile? Or is the entire species gender-neutral and parthenogenic? Does the Graboid life cycle incorporate only the three forms so far observed, or is the Graboid capable of new life stages, mutations or adaptations? Can a Graboid survive underwater? Is it possible the species burrows beneath the ocean floor? A more troubling question, however, lurks in the rarity of the species' encounters with humanity. If myths and legends of dragons, chimeras, etc., are actually ancient accounts of previous encounters with genus Caederus, why have there been such long intervals between outbreaks? Do Graboids hibernate during these periods? Do they withdraw to some unknown and unobserved locale? Naturally, the most pressing questions about Graboids are those that impact humanity's survival: Where will the next outbreak be? Have the documented outbreaks been isolated incidents, or is a widespread re-emergence of genus Caederus imminent? Currently, our knowledge of the Graboid species is limited to the experiences and observations of those who have encountered it (particularly Burt Gummer and Earl Basset), and to a handful of poorly preserved remains. As of November 2002, there have been only four confirmed outbreaks of these creatures, each of short duration. Each outbreak has featured at least three or four full-grown Graboids, each weighing up to 20 tons. Worldwide, there is only one known living Graboid (El Blanco of Perfection, Nev.) and only one known living Assblaster, further limiting the possibilities for study. Yet study is essential if we are to continue answering questions about these mysterious and incredibly dangerous creatures. Indeed, a detailed threat assessment is impossible at this time; too many variables remain undefined. Genus Caederus might be nearly extinct and consequently of little threat. If Graboid outbreaks are rare, and not much larger than those we have seen, then it is likely that the threat to Americans and other technologically advanced countries will remain minimal. If, however, a much larger outbreak occurs (and the resulting Shriekers are able to multiply unchecked), then the entire human race might be confronted with a catastrophe on a par with a virulent plague or a small asteroid strike. While the worst-case scenario seems unlikely (after all, if genus Caederus was able to overrun the planet and eradicate humanity, surely it would have done so at some prior time, when humanity was less able to defend itself). Still, without further study, it is critical to stress that no possibility, no matter how farfetched or dire, can be eliminated. Final note: If a large, voracious predator such as the Graboid can take the modern scientific community by surprise as it inarguably did then it might be worth considering the possibility that other, equally fantastic creatures exist as well. Perhaps the Yeti really does wander the Himalayas, as the Sasquatch supposedly roams the Rockies. Perhaps the Chupacabra lurks in Central America. If the Graboid can exist undetected for millennia beneath our feet, what other mysteries await discovery in the lightless depths of the oceans or the untrodden paths of the wilderness? If we do not wish to be surprised again, then these oft-marginalized phenomena deserve less ridicule and more sincere attention than we have given them in the past.

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VAMPIRE HUNTER S
Yeah, I was feeling good that night. Two scores, two nights in a row. Fenokee was feeding me well. These little towns are the best. No Prince, no rules, no problems. So, I parked in the lot next to the club, and wandered up to the head of the line. And this fucking huge dog starts barking at me. His owner, a scruffy looking blind guy in green salvation army clothes pulls on the dog's collar, and says "Like, mister, could you spare some change? I'm, like, really hungry." The dog stops barking and looks at me soulfully, along with his master. I laugh and say, "Hey, pal, we're _all_ hungry." I push his scrawny bodyto the ground, and he and the dog get all tangled up. I ignore them and head into the club. The "blind" man looks at the vampire over his black sunglasses, and waits for him to go into the club. He then walks with the dog back to a blue and green van with the license plate "MR E" in the lot. He opens the side door and gets in. A soft red light illuminates the inside. A short, stocky woman with thick glasses and a bowl haircut smiles back and goes back to her typing at a computer console. The man in green smiles at her. "It's, like, solid." He pants the dog affectionately. "You found him good, didn't you, pal?" The great dane 'ruffs' back at him. "For that, you deserve a snack." He reaches into a box of dog treats, and pulls two out. He tossed one to the dog, who easily caught it in the air, and started chewing on one himself. "Are the others, like, in place?" The woman in orange nodds, and stops typing. She picks up a small speaker attached to the computer and plugs it into a radio. The computer's tinny voice croaks out. "V. to D. The ball's on the court. We have a make." The woman pulls down her orange turtleneck and absent mindedly scratches at a scar that crosses her throat. The man in green scratches the dog behind the ears, and says to it, "I, like, hate it when she's the bait. We're the best at it, aren't we?" The dog barks, as if to say, "Ruh-huh." A pretty feminine voice replys over the radio, "D. to V. Affirmative. I'm picking up the ball." So, I was scoping out the talent. And this incredibly cute redhead walked up to _me_. Usually I had to use the Whammy to get 'em to talk to me, I'm no Nosferatu, but I'm no pretty boy Toreador either. She couldn't barely be over 21. Thanks, Pa Frickle, for letting in minors. They're the freshest. "Hi there. Buy a girl a drink?" she said. Man, she was hot. She wearing this purple outfit that clung in all the right places. And she came on to me heavily. She hung on every word I said, and didn't even notice that I didn't drink anything. That's the way I like 'em. Dumb. Eventually, I decided to make my move. "So, you want to come back to my place?" She shrugged, and said sure. She dropped some cash on the table, and followed me out. I realized I didn't even know her name. We were out in the lot. Fortunately, there was no one around. I was intoxicated with her, and this little town. I was on top of the world. I was my own fucking Prince. So I pulled her close, and whispered in her ear. "What's yer name anyway, baby?" "Daphne," she cooed, and leaned back against a car in the lot. I leaned forward to take a bite. The headlights of a nearby van suddenly turned on behind me, and the horn blared at me. "What the-" I started to say, turning to face it, but then howled in pain. A big mother of a crossbow bolt rammed into my back and speared out the front. It was close to the heart, but didn't quite get it. Daphne was running away to the side. I started to follow, but slipped on an patch of oil on the ground she must have jumped over. I was jerked off my feet. The damn bolt was on a winch. I looked back to see this blond guy working a winch on the front of the van. "I didn't get him, gang," he shouted. I started to scramble to my feet. I was going to tear Daphne and her boyfriend some new and interesting orifices. Out of the van piled the "blind" guy holding another crossbow and an ugly broad with one of those big water rifles. The dog followed the guy in green. It was snarling at me but didn't attack. Setup. One big huge setup. Goddam Hunters. The blond guy and the skinny one both took aim with their crossbows. They hit but didn't get the heart. I was too fast for them. The winch kept dragging me off my feet. Then the ugly broad started squirting me with the gun. Wasn't Holy Water like I figured. It was gasoline. I lost it. I went nuts, clawing and screaming. If I'd been smart, I would have used the Whammy to make 'em let me go. But no, I had to be the Tough Guy. The broad with the squirter kept soaking me with gasoline. Daphne pulled a small handgun from her purse, and shot me. Incendiary bullet. I went up like the goddam fourth of July. The last thing that went through my head was, "And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for those pesky kids and that darn dog." Stats: Well, I didn't write 'em down, but here's some brief sketches. Fred: weapons man. Also has lots of mechanical skills, which he uses to design traps for Monsters. (Kindred and Werewolves) And has Leadership skills. Daphne: Lots of social skills. Usually the lure for male vampires who have a weakness for pretty women. No real combat skills, but is very lucky. Also has a knack for stumbling over secret doors and pits and the like. ("Danger prone Daphne did it again.") Velma: the most intelligent of the group. Is the best detective (though all of them are pretty good) of the team. Also has lots of knowledge/history and scientific skills. Shaggy: the best "bait" of the team. Very athletic (though you wouldn't know from looking at him), and can outrun frenzied vampires and enraged werewolves. Lots of dodge as well. Has some disguise skills, and taunt skills to get Kindred to foolishly follow him into a trap. Scooby Doo: a very smart, very cunning dog. Perhaps is the canine equivalent of Kinfolk. Has sharp tracking senses, and can smell out supernatural critters. Can run very fast and dodge well as well. He's not an attack dog, by any means, but he is strong and fast. 61

History: The "gang" have been together since childhood. Infatuated with solving mysteries since childhood, they pooled their money and bought a beat-up van (the Mystery Machine I), and traveled around the country, visiting friends and family. (They all have Contacts 5, and are constantly being called upon by friends to solve mysteries for them.) They became accomplished Ghost Breakers, exposing criminals who posed as ghosts/vampires/monsters to cover their crimes. Then, "it" happened. A routine case turned out not to be so routine. Mister Fernwiler, the owner of the amusement park next to their friend's farm, turned out to be a real vampire. Velma's throat was nearly ripped out by Fernwiler, rendering her mute and almost killing her. Fernwiler started to flee as the sun was about to rise, and accidentally tripped and fell off the roller coaster, landing on a flagpole, staking himself. When dawn came he went up like a Roman Candle. That night, everything changed. They were no longer kids out having fun solving goofy mysteries. They went from Ghost Breaker to Ghost Buster. The Mystery Machine was given a paint job, and the kids went undercover. They still keep their hand in Ghost Breaking, and Mystery Solving, but their primary mission is to Hunt. What They Know: Not much, yet. They know there are different kinds of vampires. (Normal appearing ones, bestial looking ones (Gangrel with a few frenzy problems), and hideous ones (Nosferatu)). They quickly discovered some of the false weaknesses (crosses, running water), but know fire and sunlight work best. They have no idea that the Masquerade exists (though they do know that most vampires are very secretive about their existence). Strangely enough, they're all immune to the delirium. All those years of fighting fake monsters has made them a bit blase about the real ones, and while they are by no means confident, they don't automatically panic either. Happy Hunting... and Happy April Fools.

X-FILES

AND

SAD

A group of men known as the Syndicate (or the Consortium) had been working with the original inhabitants of Earth, aliens known as the "colonists." Since 1947, they had been carefully laying out the plans and preparations for the colonization of Earth by these aliens. After originally colonizing the planet millions of years ago, most of the colonists left, leaving the rest dormant underground and in a central command spaceship in Wilkes Land, Antarctica. However, almost all of the Syndicate members were murdered. The colonists have three stages in their life cycle. The first is the "black oil," or the "black cancer," or "purity." The black oil was originally thought by the Syndicate to be a controlling force over humans, something that on contact would take over the body from the pineal gland in the brain. The only visible evidence of infection is a black covering over the eyes. The Syndicate, knowing that Earth would be colonized anyway, decided long ago to help the colonists, in return for having their lives spared. All along, however, the Syndicate had been stalling for time to create a vaccine, which could remove the black oil from humans or prevent it from infecting them, at a per-infection basis. The Russians have always been a step ahead, testing the amber-colored vaccine on the "criminal" in a gulag in Tunguska (where Mulder was infected with the black oil and cured by an early vaccine), Siberia. The vaccine is something that the colonists must not know about. If they were to find out, the timetable for colonization would be stepped up. Most likely this has already occurred. The Russians have already sabotaged the Syndicate's attempts at a vaccine, but the Syndicate obtained the Russians' vaccine (deceptively) from a double agent, Krycek. This is what Mulder used to save Scully, who was infected, from the underground spaceship in Antarctica where she was brought by the Syndicate. The aliens discovered the vaccine when Mulder saved Scully using it. When he cured Scully, he spread the vaccine throughout the ship as well, allowing the colonists to adapt to it and leaving the Syndicate with no defense against the colonization. The second stage of the colonists' life cycle is the "mean" stage, which the Syndicate didn't know about until recently. The colonists had been keeping it a secret from them because, as the name implies, the stage was a ferocious, instinctive alien that gestated from the torso of the person who was infected by the black oil. The Syndicate previously only knew about the black oil, which they thought would be just a controlling force, and the third stage, the "grey" aliens which are the most common perception of aliens. They were astonished when suddenly people accidentally infected with the black oil burst open at the torso to unleash a beast that proved that the colonists were using them all along. No one would survive the colonization, possibly not even them, because of the hidden stage of life that the aliens had tried to keep secret as long as possible up to colonization. Because of the unexpected nature of the second stage, it was known to the Syndicate as the "mutation." Scully was brought to Antarctica as an example to the colonists of the mutation. The Syndicate wanted the colonists' reaction and version of the facts. However, the entire ship was vaccinated, meaning the colonists now know the vaccine exists. The spaceship left Antarctica, presumably to space. Where are the aliens from? Cassandra Spender, an abductee, seemed drawn to the constellation Cassiopeia, often looking at it in the sky and even copying the pattern of its stars with her fingers on her window. Another possibility is that they are from Mars, since tests on a rock containing the black oil unearthed in Tunguska, Siberia indicated that its composition was the same as that of the "Mars rock" found in Antarctica. Scully believes that the original building blocks of life, along with the alien virus contained in the black oil, came to Earth on a meteor from Mars. The black oil, although it has been on Earth underground for millions of years (most of the colonists have left), has been rediscovered accidentally in a number of ways. First, in 1908, a meteor was rumored to have hit Earth in Siberia, containing the black oil. This is where the gulag is now located, and where prisoners are forced to dig for black oil so that they will be infected to test the Russians' vaccine. But the cold climate in Siberia is also fortunate, because the black oil becomes dormant in the cold. More accurately, the black oil cannot "mutate" in cold temperatures. Heat is also required for the transition from the mean stage to the grey form, and speeds up gestation. The Russians, along with the Syndicate, knew nothing of the mean stage. 62

Another rediscovery of the black oil was when the French ship Piper Maru, from information sold to them by Krycek, came across it when it infected a diver. The diver saw someone still alive in a downed WWII plane, kept alive by the black oil, before it transferred to him. The location where this occurred is the exact same place where Japanese scientists on the ship Talapus previously captured a grey alien to do genetic experiments on. (The greys and the black oil are basically the same thing.) The black oil as seen in the infected Piper Maru diver exhibited slightly different qualities than the Tunguska gulag oil. The Piper Maru form seems to be intelligent, and has a number of capabilities, including flashing a bright white radioactive light that can kill. The light emanates from the host body. This black oil seems very intent on getting back to its spaceship (wherever it may be) if it ever gets away from it. If this is the case, the oil will transfer from person to person so that one person in the "chain" is infected at a time. Otherwise, the black oil can transfer from one person to many others and replicate inside the new hosts, spreading into the population. Also, someone infected with this black oil can communicate with an alien ship through radio waves that to normal human ears seem like static. Anyone infected by the oil is immune to the radioactive flashes used as self-defense. The other form of the black oil seems thicker, and renders the host almost totally immobile. It doesn't cause radiation burns and doesn't make the flashing light. When it infects a host, it breaks up into smaller "worms" that go into the body. Upon closer inspection, it actually turns out that both forms are the same substance in different forms for different situations. The black oil is an all-purpose tool for the aliens that can be tailored to fit their needs at any time or place. Usually it is used for reproduction as outlined above. More specifically, the black oil itself is actually a virus with radioactive properties contained in regular oil from under the earth's surface. This explains how the WWII pilot got infected (through the plane's motor oil) and why previous hosts are left with a film of oil over their body. The virus can also infect people by itself without the oil coating. It is highly possible that the virus exists in dormant form in all oil on the earth, ready to be activated for the aliens' new colonization plan. See below for details on this and more on how the virus works to create mean aliens. Finally, some humans have a natural immunity to the alien virus contained in the black oil. These people are specifically from indigenous tribes in Mexico; this supports even more that the Navajo tribe and/or other native people are the "original" humans; more on the origins of humanity and the Navajo below. When these indigenous people are infected by the black oil, the virus contained in it completely dies and the oil leaves the person's body. Another rediscovery of the black oil occurred in North Texas in a town called Blackwood, where a small boy was infected by it. It was later discovered that the warm temperature and the coincidental occurrence of the boy falling into a cave where some black oil was located is the reason why it happened. The Syndicate discovered that the boy and four firemen sent after him in the cave were reacting differently than normal to the black oil. That is when they discovered the mutation. They then began to see the true forms of the colonists. The black oil contains the alien virus (more on this later) and is in fact the life force of the colonists. With it they can easily reproduce, transforming an entire population of humans into mean aliens. From there the mean aliens become the more docile greys. The Syndicate most likely realized that the mean aliens were just a short stage in the colonists' life cycle, meaning that they could still survive the colonization. The Russian vaccine works on both the black oil in controlling mode and people who would otherwise gestate. When the time for colonization comes on December 22, 2012, the last day on the Mayan calendar the black oil was originally supposed to be spread in a more efficient way than simple contact. Specially bred bees, using the "pollen" from specially bred corn, were to spread the alien virus through their stings. This method had been tested by the Syndicate using the smallpox virus. (Dr. Bonita Charnes-Sayre, an expert on smallpox, ran tests on the vaccine to the black oil.) Smallpox vaccinations, incidentally, were essential to the Syndicate's cataloguing system. Ever since the smallpox vaccinations began, they had been used for the purpose of getting a DNA sample from every American to be used as "identification tags." This ensured that the identity of all Americans (at least) would still be known after colonization occurs. Clones were also identified in this way. Therefore, people without their left arms, where the smallpox vaccinations were given, won't be tested with the black oil in the Russian gulag. When colonization occurs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will use its powers as the single controlling power of the United States whenever a major disaster occurs. In this way, the Syndicate, which controlled FEMA, would have controlled what happens on the day of colonization. Now that the Syndicate is dead, FEMA is controlled by a much more dangerous force within the government (more on this later). After colonization, the country will be controlled by the "shadow government" safeguarded in the Mt. Weather, Virginia military base where part of FEMA is also housed. Most likely the plans for the bees are destroyed. The Syndicate was helping the colonists in more ways than one. They were working with the colonists, from the colonists' design called the Method, to create hybrids from human and alien DNA that would be immune to the black oil. These hybrids would be able to carry out the preparations for colonization without becoming infected by the black oil, and would serve as a slave race after the colonization to the colonists. The hybrids have many distinguishing characteristics, although they have the appearance of humans. First, they are clones. There may be a certain number of "original" hybrids, but the rest are cloned from them. The originals are the most important hybrids because the clones are all cloned from them. Because they are all clones, they have a major disadvantage: they must be spread out in order not to be noticed. Some clones carried out the preparations for colonization, and others helped the Syndicate with its secret research to better the hybrids in facilities across the U.S. and Canada. Also the clones have green "blood," containing the alien tissue called "purity control," which is also a name for the cloning project. Purity control has an extra base pair in its DNA, two extra nitrogenous bases that are not found in nature. Purity control acts like an acid and also causes humans that come near it to catch a virus that thickens the blood, causing death unless the victim is put in cold water. This doesn't happen if the purity control is coming from a dead hybrid, though. In fact, the hybrids can breathe underwater and are resistant to cold. It is also hard to kill them: not only can 63

they not drown or freeze, but they can survive huge falls. The original source of purity control was an embryo of a grey alien. Purity control is the blood of greys and is therefore the blood of hybrids. However, the DNA in purity control and the DNA of the alien virus in the black oil are essentially the same thing. "Original" hybrids come from humans. The Syndicate members' children and some other family members were taken by the aliens in return for the alien embryo/fetus that would provide the alien tissue for hybridization. The fetus is a result of the aliens' natural reproduction process; in reproducing by using the black oil and humans as hosts, the "grey fetus" stage is bypassed for the mean stage instead. Mulder's stepfather, Bill Mulder, who was involved in the Project (as the cloning operations were also called), refused at first, then relented and allowed Mulder's sister Samantha to be abducted and taken to a cloning program. But unlike the other children, Samantha was returned secretly to the April Air Base, where Cassandra Spender and the Cigarette-Smoking Man raised her with CSM's other son, Jeffrey Spender. Jeffrey and Mulder are half-brothers sharing the same father, while Mulder and Samantha are half-siblings sharing the same mother. At the base, the Syndicate did hybridization and cloning experiments on Samantha. She was even abducted by the aliens from the base sometimes, and she had implants put in her too. The other Syndicate family members taken by the aliens were used as human collateral to ensure the Syndicate's cooperation. Mulder, it was hoped by Bill, would expose the Syndicate and its plans because Mulder's stepfather wanted the Project to stop. He could be assured that Samantha would survive the colonization as a hybrid made by the Syndicate. He quit the Project long ago after the Syndicate decided against resisting the aliens in favor of saving themselves. Secretly working on a vaccine to the black oil was Bill Mulder's idea. The vaccine was tested by the Syndicate by gaining access to the alien tissue/purity through "test programs" simulating the colonization, and the embryo itself. Dr. Bonita Charnes-Sayre, a "close friend" of WMM's, ran a convalescent home in which the residents were infected with purity and given an experimental vaccine for testing. Charnes-Sayre was killed by an ex-KGB agent (Vasily Peskow) working for "Agent Arntzen," or Krycek. The stalling was done by the continuing work on the hybrids, which didn't seem anywhere close to perfection. Cassandra Spender, the exwife of the Cigarette-Smoking Man, was abducted on the same night as Samantha, November 27, 1973. Cassandra and others were used as test subjects by the Syndicate for their hybrid. They were first taken to the aliens (who do the abductions), then to Syndicate scientists who did their hybridization experiments in railroad cars. Experiments with hybridizing have been done in a number of other ways. Elderly women have been given hormones to stimulate production of eggs, which were used in the cloning operations. Women have been abducted, having their eggs taken away. This also would prevent them from ever having children. And whole towns have been given purity control through their meat supply. Scully had eggs taken away from her during her abduction. This resulted in her finding out that she had a "daughter," although she was really a failed hybrid used for tests. Hybridizing has a unique side effect: it cures the human of all illnesses (like with Cassandra's paralysis), and the hybrid then becomes immune to all disease and can spontaneously heal itself. Experiments with purity control have been done on sick people. Until very recently, the Syndicate hadn't been able to create a hybrid that was totally immune to the black oil, which is why the colonization hadn't occurred yet. But that changed when Cassandra became the first success - until she was killed by the rebels. The reason the Syndicate was helping the aliens with making a hybrid is that they approached the aliens with the idea, so that they could stall colonization as long as possible under the guise of preparing a hybrid - and work on a vaccine. Cassandra being a success was not the good news that it would have been to the aliens, then. The deal was that when the Syndicate had a perfect hybrid, they would return the alien embryo and see their children again. Then they would give the hybrid (Cassandra) to the aliens, and receive the hybrid's genes themselves so they could survive the colonization. This isn't possible now because of the loss of Cassandra and the fact that the rebels also took the embryo. The deadline for completion was December 22, 2012, but Cassandra's success was unexpected. The Syndicate was forced to initiate colonization when Cassandra appeared as the first perfect hybrid because of the threat of the rebels. The rebels made it the one chance to follow through with the plans for colonization, because the 50 years of work were already being destroyed. If the threat posed by the rebellion had not existed, the Syndicate would have waited until the set date as planned - unless resistance was perfected. And since at this point the vaccine had been discovered by the aliens and was useless, there was no resistance. Now that the plans are destroyed, the aliens will still come on the same date. The cloning operations, sometimes overseen by clones themselves, cannot just be left alone. This is where the Alien Bounty Hunter, given to the Syndicate by the colonists, comes in. There are more than one, but they all have the same characteristics. The Bounty Hunters are actually greys, larger than normal, with exceptional abilities. They appear as humans when on Earth, because they have the ability to shapeshift. However, hybrids can recognize the Bounty Hunters in any form. They are controlled by aliens on spaceships through the alien virus, which all Bounty Hunters are infected with. Through communication with the radioactive virus, the Bounty Hunters are given orders from a "central command" of aliens. Successful hybrids (Cassandra has been the only one) show a limited ability to morph, too. Bounty Hunters, or shapeshifters, have the characteristics of hybrids when morphed into humans, with the added abilities of detecting and curing others' illnesses. The Bounty Hunter can only be killed by a puncture wound to the back of the neck, done with a kind of stiletto/"plam"/"gimlet"/ice pick. This is the same stiletto used by the Bounty Hunter to kill clones, if necessary. This stiletto is very important to the Syndicate, because anyone who gets a hold of it can kill the Bounty Hunter. Mulder's mother had one in their vacation home, until Mulder took it. The Bounty Hunter obtained it again, though. It seems that the stiletto can also be used to get the black oil out of someone infected with it. The stiletto works by severing the connections to the brain, causing the black oil to leave the dead host. If the killed person is a Bounty Hunter or clone, the exposed green blood won't cause the blood-thickening virus, since it loses that property when the person is dead. The Bounty Hunter can also be a warning to the Syndicate not to do anything out of line. He is also someone not to be told about the vaccine. Early attempts at creating hybrids by the Syndicate were aided by the Japanese (from Camp 731 in Manchukuo, where experiments were done on humans) and the Germans, who came to America after World War II in 64

Operation Paper Clip. These early hybrids failed. They also had the green blood. The Japanese have tried to defect from the Syndicate by making an unauthorized hybrid (the old type) and smuggling it out of the U.S. The early hybrids, known as the "merchandise," looked like the traditional alien, with large heads and beady eyes. However they had their smallpox vaccination marks still on their left arms, signifying that they are still part human. Most were destroyed. The reason that these older hybrids failed was that they were made from stolen alien DNA - from crashed UFOs and other such locations that came from mature greys' blood. The new hybrids were made from the embryo's DNA, after the deal was made with the aliens. The deal was made because, knowing that the colonization would occur, the Syndicate was working to try to save itself by hybridization. When it was decided that these efforts would fail, they voted to ally with the aliens to create a hybrid, which would give them the time they needed to stall colonization. At first the Syndicate started after the Roswell incident, being a part of the government, in a project to create a hybrid. This technology could be used to save some of the population. The aliens' colonization plans were discovered in the crashed ship's data banks in Roswell. In fact, the Syndicate threatened to use the atom bomb to destroy Earth and make it impossible for colonization if the aliens did not let them cooperate. In 1973 the same vote to ally with the aliens decided that they would become a private group, and work to create a hybrid for the aliens themselves. Many people have claimed to be abductees, or even multiple abductees. Abductions are done by the aliens in the grey form to either get ova from women for hybridization experiments or to experiment on the person directly. Then the abductee is handed over to Syndicate scientists, usually working in train cars, mentioned before, that are a part of the government's hidden railroad. The traditional abduction scenario involves a bright white light, loss of nine minutes of time (if the abductee is returned immediately), radiation burns, not being able to move, weightlessness, charred surroundings, and a residue of a strange dirt-like substance. Abductions may also be done to get attention away from or to cover up the Project. Fake abductions are done by the Department of Defense for this purpose. Abductees sometimes have "scoop marks" on their bodies, evidence of the tests. An international agreement was made to kill any of the greys if found to cover it up. ("E.B.E.") The ships where abductees are taken to first are usually triangular in shape. Abductees are usually taken repeatedly. Sometimes they are drawn to a certain place where mass abductions occur. These mass abductions, when begun by the aliens, were to signify the beginning of colonization, because abductees could begin to receive the hybrid genes to become slaves, while the rest of humanity would be infected by purity. The abductees could then be cloned to become cloned hybrids. In the war between the rebels and the colonists, the colonists began the mass abductions early to provoke the rebels in an attempt to fight them. Abductees were lost, but rebels were also killed (a sort of beam from a spaceship sets the rebels on fire themselves). But when the Syndicate was killed by the rebels, this plan of colonization (hybrids, mass abductions, bees, etc.) was destroyed as well. Abductees are drawn to mass abduction sites through implants placed in the back of the neck. Some earlier abductions used even multiple implants, some in the nose. These implants are placed on abductees on their first individual abductions by Japanese scientists working with the Syndicate. Some of them were secretly working to create their own hybrids, as said before, and were killed off. If an implant is removed, a terminal form of cancer will develop in the nose near the brain. Scully was diagnosed with it after she removed hers, and a replacement chip was found to cure the illness. The cancer stems from harmful branched DNA which under the control of the chip does no harm. The branched DNA, strands of already used DNA which appeared in abductees' bloodstreams after they returned, resulted from the experiments done during the abductions. She was abducted once to put the chip in, and drawn to a mass abduction site after she put in the new chip. Scully was probably abducted at CSM's insistence, so that she would survive the colonization by being abducted and turned into a hybrid. CSM would definitely give his son, Mulder, a vaccine or have him receive the hybrid genes. In this way both would be able to survive. Abductees who remove their implants can't be drawn to abductions. The chips are manufactured by a Japanese company with alien technology. Implants are used by the Syndicate to draw abductees to abduction sites. But their applications go further than that. The chips keep away the terminal cancer that abductees can get because they cure all human disease. This makes sense because hybridization with alien DNA cures people of all disease, and the chips are made from alien technology. At one point CSM used Scully to get the genetic research behind the chips to save his own terminal cerebral inflammation which resulted from his brain operation (more on this later). CSM needed Scully to get the information because he would be killed if the men he worked with found out he was exposing the research. CSM threw away the disk containing the data, however, and did not cure himself out of guilt. An interesting side note is that two separate incidents have pointed to Scully being immortal! This is just food for thought: Clyde Bruckman, who showed the ability to predict people's deaths, said Scully would never die. Years later, Scully looked away from the face of Death, which passed over her to take the life of someone else. These things in addition to the chip which she has, which CSM demonstrated works so well that it keeps people (such as Marjorie Butters) alive well past age 100 (and possibly forever?). Again, just something to think about. Abductions can happen to people who don't have implants. First of all, a "chosen" person who will become a multiple abductee is first abducted to get an implant. But sometimes if a person is within the vicinity of an abduction, they too will lose 9 minutes of time and probably will have been abducted to have their memory erased. In earlier abductions the time loss could be noticed when an abductee's watch jumped 9 minutes ahead. But later on the aliens caught on and stopped everyone's watches right before abductions. The "time loss" is actually memory loss; abductees' memories are stolen and they can't recall how they "jumped" 9 minutes in time. This is why they sometimes remember later on what happened through hypnotic regression. In some abductions a family member of an abductee can become a "conduit" to alien messages through TVs, etc., as a reassurance that they will return. 65

There is a rebellion against the colonists. Because of this the abductees at the mass abduction sites, among others, are burned to death with strange "fire wands." The abductees are special to the colonists because they will become hybrid clones once the hybridization process is perfected (it has been, after Cassandra, but the rebels also killed the doctors who perfected it and Cassandra herself). The rebels are Bounty Hunters who are not, for some reason, under the control of the alien virus. They mutilate their faces - covering their eyes, noses, and mouths with scar tissue - to prevent the black oil from infecting them with the virus. They burn abductees and Syndicate scientists to destroy the efforts of the abductions and colonization. They are shapeshifters going against the colonists, who want to control Earth and its resources and have it for themselves. They can mimic other people's faces just as the Bounty Hunters can, except the rebels only make one facial layer with simulated open eyes and mouths that covers their mutilated eyes. In this way, they are still protected from purity, but it seems that they have open eyes and mouths. These "masks" are a logical extension of the Bounty Hunters' morphing ability. Fox "Spooky" William Mulder (he lives in Arlington) underwent hypnotic regression in 1989 to regain his memories of his sister Samantha's abduction. He was Oxford-educated and a brilliant FBI agent. He was led to undergo hypnotic regression and became interested in the X-files through at least two incidents. In 1989, he met the Lone Gunmen, who told him of the government doing experiments on the public. And in 1990, after his regression therapy, he learned of his "father"'s involvement in experiments involving xenotransplantation, the grafting of alien tissue into humans. After the hypnotic regression, convinced of the existence of extraterrestrial life, Mulder threw away his promising career in the violent crimes section and requested assignment to the X-files, unsolved and unexplained cases. He began working with and opened the X-files with Diana Fowley, his love from the Academy. She is also the one who recommended his hypnotic regression. Mulder started being skeptical about extraterrestrial life years later, when a man from the Department of Defense named Michael Kritschgau told him that the entire thing was a hoax created by the government to take the public's attention away from other things. Mulder was the "pawn," controlled by the government's elaborate plans, according to Kritschgau. He told him that the same people responsible for Scully's cancer were behind the hoax. The cancer was given to her to make him believe. Lab tests proved that the same DNA found in a fake alien body was in Scully's cancer. The truth, however, is that members of the government who know about the Syndicate are actually covering up the Project and actual alien life, not just covert government projects, using the UFO phenomenon and fake abductions administered by the government, which Mulder begins to realize after he witnesses the ship in Antarctica. Mulder himself was used to help the Syndicate cover up its plans, by completely believing the existence of alien life and making believers look silly. Kritschgau was not lying, he was just told by the government he worked for that aliens didn't exist, even though he worked on covert projects. He was trying to "blow the whistle" on the government by telling what he knew to Mulder, as revenge for the death of his son from exposure to a secret government project used in the Gulf War (possibly the black oil). He was ruined and fired, then killed by Krycek after helping Scully save an ailing Mulder later on (and starting to believe in aliens himself). The origin of Scully's cancer is the same as the origin of the fake alien - the Syndicate. The tests done in her abduction made her sick, the implant being the only reason she was kept healthy. The Xfiles began when a secretary at the FBI in the early 1950s began filing these unexplained cases under "U." When she ran out of space, she started filing them under "X." The first X-file was filed by none other than J. Edgar Hoover himself. The X-files, of course, include files on the Syndicate's operations and Samantha. Those were added after Mulder discovered the X-files. The Cigarette-Smoking Man burned the X-files 5 years after Scully was assigned to Mulder and the X-files, keeping Samantha's file for himself. Mulder's sacred "I Want to Believe" poster was destroyed in the fire. He received a new poster to replace it from a veterinarian friend whom he met online. She was killed in an unrelated incident. Fortunately, Mulder was able to use a method of moisturizing the burned files combined with computer technology to recover most of the files. Mulder became an abductee himself later on but after his return (when Doggett and Scully ran the X-files) he was kept off the X-files then fired from the FBI by Kersh. Then, to protect Scully and their baby William, Mulder went into hiding in New Mexico Navajo country (with Gibson Praise to keep him company) because his life was threatened by the Super Soldiers (more on this later). Kersh told Mulder of the danger, and Scully persuaded him to go for the baby's sake. Mulder then returned months later when he finally learned the truth about the colonization's timetable. Dana Katherine Scully (she lives in Georgetown) was assigned to Mulder in 1993 by Section Chief Blevins, who was later killed by the very people he was loyal to, the Syndicate. Her assignment was to "debunk" Mulder's work - give his findings the test of science. Unbeknownst to her at the beginning, she was assigned to make Mulder look stupid and essentially keep him under wraps. Through her abduction and many other experiences she has had, she has begun to "believe." In one daring experience, she even got a tattoo on her back of an ouroboros (a symbol of completion, perfection and totality, the endless round of existence, etc.), which was removed after she found out that the dye contained ergot, which can cause dangerous hallucinations. She especially has begun to seriously consider the probability of aliens on Earth after seeing the spaceship underwater in Africa and its effect on Mulder. She and Mulder have a good relationship, and they only trust each other. Recently they shared a passionate kiss on New Year's Eve 2000. Scully graduated from medical school and went to the FBI so that she could "make a difference." Now the X-files and Mulder are the only interests she has there. Scully has to balance her belief that everything can be explained by science with what she sees and experiences while investigating the X-files, and also with her Catholic faith (sometimes helped by Father McCue). A significant point in her life was when she was coincidentally reunited with her former lover, Daniel Waterston. He was a professor of hers at medical school, and they broke up after Scully decided, against his wishes, to leave the medical profession for the FBI. Waterston was dying when they met again, and Scully opened up to ideas of mysticism and coincidence, things that may have helped her save his life. Mulder and Scully have grown closer and closer over the years: they seem to share a subconscious connection with each other. 66

A very interesting theory that ties together the CSM's motives with Mulder and how Mulder became interested in the X-files is that Mulder was meant to see Samantha's abduction and remember it years later, making him believe in the paranormal. CSM has said before that Mulder was his "creation"; this is further supported by the fact that Fowley, who worked for CSM, recommended that Mulder go under hypnotic regression. CSM may even have "helped" Mulder get into the FBI, and he possibly allowed for him to be assigned to the X-files. He then realized that by assigning Scully to him, Mulder could both be allowed to publicize whatever he wanted, making him and other believers look silly, and he could be debunked by Scully's science. Along the way, CSM made sure that Mulder saw things he was meant to see in order to strengthen his beliefs, such as the fake alien body and a fake abduction. When Mulder found out about the fake things he thought were true, he almost stopped believing in the paranormal altogether as mentioned above, still helping CSM's cause. When CSM orchestrated the second closing of the X-files and when Mulder had them reopened, CSM made sure that they would be kept away from them under Kersh. At this point CSM knew that Mulder was getting too close and he tried to break Mulder by holding the truth under his nose only to take it away each time. Eventually CSM spilled the beans to Mulder, knowing that no one would believe him anyway. Finally, Mulder would have been extremely useful to CSM when he himself became the last alien-human hybrid. All this time CSM kept Mulder alive for his purposes, and finally Mulder (almost) helped him in the ultimate purpose. More on Mulder as a hybrid later. All this time, Samantha was held as bait in front of Mulder, who was led to believe that she was still alive so that he would continue his pursuit. Only after the Syndicate was destroyed and Mulder knew everything did CSM tell Mulder the truth about his sister. After Mulder's discovery of the truth about his sister and his subsequent abduction, Scully became the driving force of the X-files with Doggett as her partner. She was determined to find Mulder and the truth about his illness and her mysterious pregnancy. One advantage of Mulder's abduction, however, is that Scully finally got a desk after 7 years. John Jay Doggett was in the NYPD (partnered with Duke Tomasick) and the Marines before joining the FBI and becoming a top agent rising fast. He has street smarts and is naturally skeptical and believes in the investigative process. He is blue-collar and could be classified as a "man's man," being very tough but also protective if necessary. Doggett is part of the fraternity at the FBI; he is very popular. He was assigned to lead the manhunt for Mulder by Kersh, and eventually was sent to the basement to work with Scully on the X-files. Doggett knows of the kind of obsession Mulder had from personal experience: his son, Luke Doggett, was killed, after which his wife Barbara divorced him. In the intensive three-day search for his son before he discovered the body, Doggett, then in the NYPD, was partnered with Special Agent Monica Reyes from the New York City branch of the FBI to track the killer. Doggett's intense skepticism solidified after his son's death, when he had a vision of ashes after seeing the dead body. Doggett forcefully denied ever having the experience because to accept such a paranormal event would also be to admit failing to exhaust all avenues of saving his son's life. This is why Doggett is so wary of the paranormal. Doggett reluctantly brought Reyes' expertise into the search for Mulder after hitting one too many dead ends. And when Kersh went under review for being involved with the alien conspiracy, Doggett assigned Reyes to the X-files, now without Mulder who went into hiding. Doggett later learned the truth of his son Luke's death. A man named Nicholas Regali killed Luke. Regali was involved with the Mafia, and often had dealings with petty criminals. One of these criminals was Bob Harvey, who kidnapped Luke when he was riding his bike around the block while Doggett looked on. Harvey molested Luke, and when Regali accidentally walked in he had to kill Luke, who was now a witness of his illegal dealings. Brad Follmer killed Regali, who was blackmailing him by threatening to expose Follmer's corruption. Harvey died in an unrelated car accident following a robbery. Follmer was presumably discharged from the FBI, since there was a witness who saw him shoot Regali without a struggle. Doggett has affection for Reyes which he will not allow himself to pursue. He also has a deep sense of respect and caring for Scully, although he would never try to ruin what she has with Mulder. The X-files were closed by higher powers (most likely CSM) a year after Scully first joined Mulder. This was done because Mulder and Scully got too close to proof - Mulder was exposed to the blood-thickening alien virus, and Scully saw the alien fetus when she broke into Fort Marlene. Skinner reopened the X-files after Scully's abduction. Before Mulder was abducted, the X-files were being audited and the project was in danger of being downsized. The auditor insisted that to save money, Mulder and Scully reduce their "vision" and concentrate their search solely to where aliens might be - in space. The X-files were then put in danger of being permanently closed after Mulder "reduced the auditor's vision" physically. After the abduction, these concerns were abated when Kersh piled on money for the high-profile search for Mulder. Certainly Kersh wants to keep the X-files open now to discredit Doggett. Monica Julietta Reyes investigated satanic ritual killings while working at the Salt Lake City field office. None of the cases were ever substantiated. She moved to Salt Lake City after breaking off an affair with Brad Follmer, then the Special Agent-in-Charge of the NYC field office, and later an assistant director at the FBI in Washington. When Doggett assigned her to the X-files, it was her "dream assignment." Doggett and Reyes subsequently ran the division themselves, with outside and unofficial help from Scully, who after giving birth taught forensics at Quantico. Reyes believes she has a special insight which allows her to sense things just beneath the surface of reality. This helps her detect evil or even past lives. She suspects that Doggett can see such things too but suppresses them. She and Doggett share a mutual affection, one which Doggett will never allow himself to pursue. There are main members of this worldwide group, but they also have allies in the government, and agents to do the "dirty work" for them, such as the Red-Haired Man, the Crew-Cut Man, Luis Cardinal/Hispanic Man, Quiet Willy, the two Black-Haired Men (all dead), and the Gray-Haired Man. The Syndicate originated as a shadow intelligence agency after WWII assembled to create plausible denial, such as UFOs, to cover up government actions. After Roswell it concentrated on the Project. It evolved in time into the group responsible for all the interactions with the aliens and the carrying out of the plans for colonization and cloning operations. Their leader is the German industrialist Conrad Strughold, who lives in Tunisia, a central location for the Syndicate and possibly colonization. They controlled a lobbying 67

firm called Roush (close to the German word for "smoke") and a research (alien research of course) company called Roush Technologies. The latter continued research for the Syndicate of the black oil. The Syndicate had control over the U.S. and other governments, Congressmen (i.e. Senators Sorenson and Matheson), and the military, all for their own uses. They could basically control everything and cause anything at all to happen, in their interest. Through the military, they used recovered alien technology for defense applications. The Cigarette-Smoking Man (C.G.B. Spender) is the most rebellious of the group. He was orphaned as a child. His father was a Communist spy who was electrocuted and his mother supposedly died of lung cancer. He was recruited to the Syndicate in 1963 for his first assignment of killing JFK. He assigned Scully to Mulder after a changing experience - having "Ronald" Deep Throat, his associate, kill an E.B.E. from a crashed UFO in 1991. His new mission became clear: To cover up any evidence of the Project. Mulder and Scully are a part of these plans, mostly as a smokescreen. He was "killed" by Quiet Willy, an agent, but he went to live in the snowy wilderness. He was later retrieved by Krycek. He often lies to the Syndicate if he has other plans or is unable to do something. He used to stay in Skinner's office, directing things. This caused Mulder to (correctly) think that CSM was monitoring Mulder and controlling Skinner. Scully was all part of his plan to discredit Mulder. Skinner eventually kicked CSM out. CSM is Mulder's father. It is for this reason that he has saved Mulder's life so many times and allowed him to live. He also hoped to let Mulder live until he discovered the hopeless truth - that on December 22, 2012, the colonization will occur. He was "killed" again by Krycek and Marita in retaliation, but turned up living in ancient Anasazi ruins before being smoked for the last time by government helicopters. The Well-Manicured Man was against the Cigarette-Smoking Man. He has tipped Mulder and Scully a number of times, and is one of the main leaders of the group. His grandchildren in England were the reason that he eventually spilled the beans to Mulder and then killed himself. He was actually giving Mulder the real version of the facts that he had lied to Mulder about before. WMM had an alliance with Krycek, since CSM tried to kill the latter several times. WMM was also against the First Elder, someone who has also tipped off Scully. He seemed to be the main leader of the group next to Strughold, in their main meeting place in a private club on 46th Street in New York City. They also called emergency meetings in London so Strughold can arrive in a short period of time. Another meeting place was WMM's farm in Charlottesville, Virginia. Elders 2-4 are also powerful members of the group. Second Elder was killed by a rebel, who tried to have the Syndicate help the resistance by morphing his face into the Second Elder's and impersonating him. CSM took care of the situation through his son Jeffrey Spender and Krycek, who saved Spender's life. Krycek began as Mulder's partner after the X-files were shut down the first time and Mulder and Scully were split up. He then showed that he was actually trying to sabotage Mulder's work. He aided the Syndicate in their plans of abducting Scully at Skyland Mountain, Virginia, a mass abduction site. When Scully was abducted, Skinner reopened the X-files. Now we know that he has ties on all sides, including Mulder, the Syndicate, the Russians, and even Marita Covarrubias, Mulder's latest informant. He had his left arm cut off by a band of one-armed men in Tunguska who did it for his "benefit" so that he couldn't be tested on with the black oil. Little did they know that he was on the Russian scientists' side anyway. Krycek devised a method to control Skinner by injecting microscopic nanorobots into his bloodstream which could cause fatal blood-thickening on command. Skinner finally had his revenge by killing Krycek as he was attempting to get rid of Mulder once and for all. Dr. Openshaw has been a scientist with the Syndicate since Samantha and Cassandra's abductions in 1973. He was with them when they began as test subjects for hybridization, and he was with Cassandra when she became the first success over 25 years later. He was ordered to kill Cassandra if she was a success to protect the secret from getting out, but the rebels killed the other scientists who knew how to do the perfected hybridization procedure - and kept Cassandra alive to expose the Syndicate. As the only person left knowing the truth, CSM killed him to make sure the secret would never get out. Later the rebels killed Cassandra. All of the U.S. members of the Syndicate and their families, who were also going to become hybrids, were killed by the rebels just before receiving Cassandra's hybrid genes. CSM initiated colonization because if it didn't happen at that time, the rebels would expose the Syndicate. But the rebels stopped it from happening. Only CSM, Fowley, and Krycek survived (and Strughold and the other members not in the U.S.), all of whom were killed later. It seems that CSM then recruited the help of the military, and they tried to prepare for the worst-case colonization scenario by working on defense against the aliens. Now the hybridization project is destroyed by the rebels, and the vaccine has no effect on purity. Mulder has had a number of informants over the years, and with one exception they all came to him first. Deep Throat was Mulder's informant for a year until the Syndicate killed him. He wanted Mulder to expose all the lies fed to the public, although he lied sometimes to throw Mulder off when he got close to something important. X was more reluctant, although he has saved Mulder's life at least twice. He didn't want the same fate as Deep Throat, but he was eventually discovered by the Syndicate. Before his death he was able to tip Mulder to the next informant, Marita Covarrubias, who works as a Special Representative to the Secretary General of the United Nations. She began as an assistant to the SRSG. She can sometimes be loosened up to give information. She is also friendly with the Syndicate, and the Cigarette-Smoking Man has told her to "tell (Mulder) what he wants to hear." The other two informants also had high positions in the government or Syndicate. Marita was infected by the black oil, and then cured with the Russian vaccine obtained by the Syndicate. Then she was used as a test subject to improve the vaccine, making her very weak. After that, however, she returned to her position as a henchman for CSM, but she "killed" him with Krycek because of what CSM put her through. Finally, Doggett had an informant in Knowle Rohrer, an operative deep in the government and CIA. Rohrer threw Doggett off several times since he was involved in the conspiracy. Later on he became an alien replacement (more on this later) and set up Doggett and Mulder, who narrowly escaped death. Rohrer was later liquefied and killed. 68

Mulder met the Lone Gunmen in 1989, and ever since they have been informants to him. They are three computer nerds who have saved Mulder's life many times by hacking into building locks and other such things. They also assist Mulder with information on technical things and covert government projects that he comes across in his cases. They also publish a newsletter, The Magic Bullet, or The Lone Gunman, about conspiracies and such. They are Ringo Langly, the long-haired, Dungeons and Dragons-playing, Ramones- and Korn-loving dude; Melvin Frohike, the wannabe babe magnet; and Jonathan Fitzgerald Byers, the more serious of the three. Their name originated from an early encounter with X in which he denied that the assassination of JFK was a conspiracy. He said that it was a "lone gunman." Sadly, the Lone Gunmen died while saving hundreds of lives from a terrorist bioweapon. They died in the presence of Jimmy Bond, their dim-witted friend, and Yves Adele Harlow (a.k.a. Lois Runtz), their mysterious nemesis/benefactor. They are buried in Arlington National Cemetery thanks to Skinner. Suzanne Modeski was a government scientist who got wind of the government's conspiracy to experiment on the public with paranoia-inducing gas. She tried to go public but was apprehended by X and the government in 1989. A pre-Xfiles Mulder actually was exposed to the gas, which may have helped him become so paranoid! Indeed, the Syndicate has continued its research in paranoia in a device which causes TV signals to subliminally cause paranoia and violence in people. Byers fell in love with her, and 10 years later they met again in a Las Vegas defense contractors' conference. It turned out she was saved from the government's experiments on her after the 1989 incident by someone other than Byers, and she was going to marry her savior and fellow scientist. He and she were going to go public with their findings of deceit from 10 years in government labs, after stalling the work as much as possible. But it turned out that her husband-to-be was playing both sides. Langly faked her death, and she now lives under a false identity, waiting for Byers to come to her. Agent Jeffrey Spender is the Cigarette-Smoking Man's other son, Mulder's half-brother. Spender's mother, Cassandra, was a multiple abductee. He was very skeptical of Mulder's work because he believed that his mother fed him stories to make him believe that he was abducted. This made him very bitter about the X-files and his mother's beliefs. The truth is, Spender probably was an abductee at April Air Base where he was raised along with Samantha. Of course he has no recollection of this because his memories were meddled with. He was assigned to the X-files with Fowley, and Mulder and Scully were reassigned. Spender had a deal with his father to keep Mulder away from the truth and to discredit him. However, he went against his father and was "killed" by him, and at Spender's recommendation Mulder and Scully got the X-files back again. Five months after her latest mass abduction, Cassandra was made into the first totally successful hybrid, then killed along with the rest of the Syndicate by the rebels. Three years later, Spender returned, completely disfigured by experiments done on him by the CSM after he didn't die from the bullet meant to kill him. Agent Diana Fowley and Mulder have a romantic past, and her reappearance in the case of Gibson Praise made Scully jealous. Trying to protect Gibson from the Syndicate, she was shot, but recovered. She reopened the X-files with Mulder in 1991. The X-files were closed for the second time after Mulder tried to have Gibson's assassin pardoned in return for getting information. They were reopened after the incident in Antarctica, but Mulder and Scully were reassigned, with Fowley and Spender manning the X-files. Fowley was approached with the assignment, and took it "so that Mulder could have an ally inside." But, she was under the control of CSM and worked for him to cover up abductees in Europe while Mulder and Scully worked on the X-files. She also flew to Tunisia weekly during her stay in Europe. She was shot and killed after she helped Scully get Mulder out of the Department of Defense facility where he was being kept by CSM. Dr. Alvin Kurtzweil was a "fellow traveler" of Mulder's father at the Department of State, where parts of the Project began. He was a gynecologist, suggesting his involvement in experiments on abductees and hybrids. He gave Mulder vital information about the Project, resulting in his murder by the Well-Manicured Man. Max Fenig was a multiple abductee who shared Mulder's search for the truth about the government's involvement with aliens. He had epilepsy which seemed to be induced each time he was abducted. In his earlier abductions, invisible aliens, only discernible by infrared vision or by the faint blur they make when traveling low to the ground, would kill anyone interfering with the abduction using radiation. It is possible that these aliens are a defense mechanism of the colonists or another form of their life force. His trailer, where he lived, was his base where he monitored secret radio transmissions and listened to the song "Unmarked Helicopters" by Soul Coughing. Max was eventually killed when he was abducted off an airplane. He would have been returned safely, but the UFO attached to the plane was shot down by a military airplane, which brought down the plane with it. He was abducted off the plane because he was carrying a part of a device that belonged to the aliens, which he obtained from a military base his "sister" worked in. She had another part, which was taken from her by the aliens. The third and final part of the device was located in a suitcase in an airport. Mulder obtained it, but a government worker in Mulder's plane got it from him just in time to "catch the connecting flight." However, the government obtained Max's piece from the wreckage of the UFO. The device, if found, would expose the Project. Morris Fletcher is an Area 51 employee who accidentally had his body switched with Mulder's when a UFO flew over both of them. Fletcher had been stopping Mulder and Scully from entering Area 51 when the ship appeared. It appeared because it was sabotaged by Mulder's Area 51 informant, causing it to "decloak" so that Mulder could see it. But the government's secret test flights of these crafts of unknown origin weren't succeeding. Whenever one was flown, its top-secret engine caused a rift in time and space, making things exist simultaneously in the same area of space. This is what caused Mulder and Fletcher to switch bodies, and it is also what caused such things as coins joining together to occur. Mulder and Morris were able to "de-switch" by going back to where they switched, where a craft flew over them again. The point of all this is that Area 51 does exist, but it has nothing to do with the aliens. In fact, Mulder's informant, high up in the base's command, asked Mulder if aliens existed. The people at Area 51, he said, only fly UFOs; they don't 69

know their origin (except that they are sent from Utah). The base, then, actually helps the Syndicate in its plausible-denial scheme. When Mulder and Morris switched back to their respective bodies, some things didn't change back - like the waterbed that Morris bought in Mulder's apartment. Mulder had no idea how it got there, but started using it anyway. But this little rift in space-time wreaked havoc when one Monday kept repeating over and over again until Mulder and Scully didn't die in a bank explosion. Morris met Scully again later in a Las Vegas casino, where she paid him back for his mischief. Morris no longer works for the government. Agent Arthur Dales uncovered the truth about experiments on government workers involving xenotransplantation in 1952. Mulder's "father," who was involved but wanted to expose the truth, used him for his purposes. After that, Dales discovered the X-files and worked on them until he retired. Mulder went to him in 1990 to find out what happened with the xenotransplantation case. What he learned led him to reopen the X-files. In a later case in 1999, Mulder and Scully (after the X-files were reassigned to them from Spender and Fowley) visited him at his new home, a trailer, in Florida, where they encountered a sea monster made of water. Dales called them for help on this case. Dales has a brother, a sister, and a goldfish also named Arthur Dales! His brother, now living in Washington, D.C., was a policeman in Roswell during the '40s and was sent to protect a Negro baseball player, Josh Exley, from the KKK. Ex was actually a shapeshifter who wanted to play baseball and kept himself in the Negro leagues to avoid attention. He was killed by another Bounty Hunter, but not before turning into a human through his love of the game. Agent Pendrell often helped Scully with technical problems. He helped her find out the maker of her implant, and discover how DNA identification tags were being used on the American people. He died on Scully's birthday from an errant bullet, on his way to give her a round of beer. Poor, typical Pendrell. Chuck Burks, from the University of Maryland, College Park, is a friend of Mulder's who helps him out in especially strange cases of the paranormal and the occult. Chuck began to believe in such far-out things (some things that even Mulder wouldn't believe) after witnessing an entire feast come into being out of thin air in front of him in India, 1979. Chuck can extract details from a simple photographic print, and is the "king of digital imaging" according to Mulder. Jeremiah Smith was a Bounty Hunter-type alien who was good and wanted to give Mulder the truth. There were more than one of him. When the Cigarette-Smoking Man captured the Jeremiah Smith that was contacting Mulder, Smith cured his lung cancer in return for his escape. The Bounty Hunter killed most of the Smiths. They were probably the first members of the resistance/rebellion, before they began resorting to violence. One last Smith later allied with Absalom, a cult leader, to heal returning abductees on the brink of death. Jeremiah was then taken by the aliens and killed. Penny Northern was an abductee who recognized Scully when she was conducting an investigation on the coverup of an alien abduction videotape. Betsy Hagopian, whom Scully was looking for, was at the hospital at the time. Both had their implants removed, like Scully, and both died of cancer. Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner is Mulder and Scully's boss, and was under the control of the CigaretteSmoking Man against his will. At one point, he did errands for CSM in return for getting a cure for Scully's cancer, which she eventually received in the form of a chip. Skinner is still haunted by his past in the Vietnam War. CSM discredited Skinner after he tried to threaten him by having Skinner sleep with a prostitute who died. Also he had someone try to kill Skinner's wife, who was on the verge of divorcing him. After that incident, Skinner took a leave of absence to try to piece together his new single life. Skinner was under the control of Krycek - unwillingly. Krycek had the ability to kill Skinner at will by activating small nanorobots which he injected into him. Skinner killed him in revenge. Skinner now believes in aliens after witnessing Mulder's insanity caused by the alien artifact. He is now completely on Mulder and Scully's side after watching Mulder get abducted. Deputy Director Alvin Kersh was Mulder and Scully's new boss as Assistant Director after they were reassigned from the X-files. He tried to make sure that they stayed away from them, but Mulder persisted in trying to recover the burned files. Kersh, just like Skinner, was under the control of CSM. After his promotion to D.D. after CSM's death, Kersh immediately assigned Doggett to lead the search for the abducted Mulder, fully expecting him to fail and be ridiculed. Kersh then assigned Doggett to the X-files to remove the possibility of him threatening his power, then when Mulder returned from being abducted he forced him off the X-files and later fired him from the FBI. It finally turned out that Kersh was in the alien conspiracy, and Doggett was able to put him under review (although he found nothing). Kersh eventually helped the cause of the X-files, albeit secretly. Assistant Director Jana Cassidy headed the Office of Professional Review for Mulder and Scully after their investigation of a bombing of a building which covered up the mutated black oil-infected firemen and boy. They were under investigation for the loss of five lives (including Darius Michaud, the FBI agent who worked for the Syndicate). The building which exploded was across the street from the one that had the bomb threat called in. Mulder and Scully happened to discover the bomb and saved everyone in the building except the ones who were being covered up (and the one who let himself die). The fourth fireman was kept for study, but gestated. The mutation killed Dr. Ben Bronschweig, the Syndicate scientist. Senator Matheson helps Mulder occasionally and tips him off to important cases. Mulder's ties in Congress are the only way he can keep the X-files open (when they are open), and Matheson is his main contact. Matheson helps Mulder get over political hurdles he may encounter along his way. He was involved in passing Senate Resolution 819, which would allow the exportation of nanotechnology to Tunisia and other countries. Krycek got a hold of the technology first, however, and was trying to get the bill passed by threatening its supporters (including Matheson) with their own technology nano-robots which can kill with the push of a button. After obtaining the technology, Krycek had Skinner poisoned with it, so now Skinner must follow Krycek's orders or die. 70

Duane Barry was a former FBI agent and multiple abductee who was so obsessed with finding someone to believe him that he took a travel agency hostage and demanded passage to an abduction site (Skyland Mountain) which he did not know. Mulder eventually gained his trust, but Barry was shot in the chest. Evidence of abductions were found on his body. Barry escaped the hospital, took Scully to the abduction site and she was abducted freeing him of his status as multiple abductee. He was directed through an implant to take Scully. He was killed by Krycek. The Kurt Crawfords were hybrid clones who, along with overseeing cloning operations as usual, secretly worked to save the lives of their "mothers," who all had cancer from removing their implants. Penny Northern and Betsy Hagopian were two of these mothers. Gibson Andrew Praise is a young boy with mind-reading powers. At one point the Syndicate used him for tests and to find an alien on the loose. Mulder theorized that his ability came from ancient aliens. He disappeared after being last seen in a nuclear plant in Arizona. Two years later, he resurfaced in a school for the deaf - convenient both for hiding from the aliens and for a respite from all the voices in his head. After eluding the Bounty Hunter, he was put into government protection. He turned up next in hiding with Mulder in New Mexico. Frank Black was the best criminal profiler in the FBI, who investigated the Millennium Group, which tried to help bring on the imminent apocalypse when the year 2000 came around. This was to be done by four members of the Group (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) killing themselves, coming back to life, and summoning the dead to kill everyone. Black checked himself into a mental institution to gain more luck in winning the custody battle for his daughter Jordan. Her dead mother's parents wanted custody, but Black eventually won. While investigating the disappearances of four bodies from graves, Mulder and Scully went to Black at the institution for help. He helped them kill all four "living dead," plus the member of the Millennium Group who helped them come back to life. The four were killed by shots to the head. So of course the apocalypse didn't come on January 1, 2000. We all know the apocalypse will be brought on by aliens. Special Agent Leyla Harrison was once assigned as Doggett's partner by Kersh at her urging. Doggett was alone on the X-files with Mulder fired and Scully on maternity leave, and the eager Leyla joined up with a new case ready to investigate. Her normal job in the FBI is compiling travel expenses, and through this job she tracked Mulder and Scully's progress through the years, becoming a true fan of the X-files herself. When she finally got on an X-file, her overeagerness and lack of experience almost got her and Doggett killed. Her persistence in believing her gut feelings does pay off, though. She learned after her first case that she should stick with the travel expenses. Mulder's and Scully's families have been unwillingly brought into some terrible experiences resulting from the agents' search for the truth. Scully's sister and Mulder's "father" were killed by Krycek and Luis Cardinal, a Syndicate henchman. William Mulder died as he was spilling the beans to him, and Scully's sister was mistaken for her. Also, Scully almost died after her return from her first abduction. Her father died from natural reasons while she was assigned to the X-files, too. And of course, Mulder's sister was abducted when they were both children from their home in Chilmark, Massachusetts in Martha's Vineyard. His mother committed suicide because she had a fatal disease, Paget's carcinoma. Scully also had a daughter, Emily, a result of her abduction. She was killed after she was discovered by Scully. Scully's brother hasn't let himself be affected by Mulder and the X-files, and he tries to get Scully to leave the FBI (or at least the X-files), just as her father wanted. He thinks it's dangerous for Scully to be around "this Mulder guy." The Cigarette-Smoking Man has a sinister past with the Mulder family. He was old friends with William Mulder and had an affair with Mulder's mom (the result being Fox Mulder) and Mulder has childhood memories of CSM in his house, and he remembers him fighting with his family (because of his insistence that Samantha be abducted). Of course his mother hated William for giving in, and they got a divorce after the abduction. After that, Mulder's mother vowed never to return to their summer home in Quonochontaug, Rhode Island (Samantha was abducted in their other house) and moved to Greenwich, Connecticut. (In CSM's letter to his son Spender, who didn't know that CSM was his father at the time, CSM wrote: "I remind myself of a Navajo story. Twin war gods come to their father, seeking magic and weapons to eliminate the monsters of the world.") He has helped Mulder and kept him from being killed by the Syndicate many times. His usual excuse is that "you can kill a man, but you can't kill what he stands for," or some variation of that theme. Mulder's importance became apparent when he (almost) became the savior of the Project. Samantha was returned by the aliens to April Air Base, where CSM and Cassandra brought her up and CSM had experiments (possibly more abductions) done on her. Part of the government's secret railroad, used to do experiments on abductees, led into the base, where the Syndicate scientists could perform the tests. The train cars, like the one Scully remembers from her abduction, served to transport abductees, after being abducted by aliens and returned to the Syndicate, to the base where the actual experiments (in the train cars) could be done. Samantha was experimented on along with the abductees at the base in train cars. Cassandra was first abducted from her home on the same night as Samantha, so she was probably taken to April Air Base in the same way, to help raise Samantha and Jeffrey. In 1979, Samantha ran away from the base and turned up at a hospital. Right before CSM and his men found her and were going to take her away, she vanished without a trace. What happened is that "walk-ins," friendly spirits, saved Samantha from the horror she would have to go through at the base for the rest of her life by converting her body into pure energy and taking her to a better place, the "starlight" (or heaven, or a variation of that idea). Mulder's mother and a nurse at the hospital (maybe CSM too) saw visions of Samantha before her disappearance. The walk-ins are friendly spirits from a spirit world made up of friendly and bad spirits, in a war over our souls. Either can replace a person's soul at birth or during a time of crisis, but friendly walk-ins intervene when a particularly horrible fate that wasn't meant to be looms over a child. Now the question is: Could Samantha return from the starlight? Or more likely, could her soul in the starlight find a new home in a person just born - or has this already happened? Gibson Praise got his mind-reading powers from DNA strands (that every human has) that were activated in his body. These activated DNA strands are alien (from the colonists) in origin, so he has the ability to communicate with the 71

aliens. The Syndicate used him for this ability so that they could find a loose mutated alien in Arizona. The fact that the DNA which gives him his special powers exists in everyone (as "junk" DNA) suggests that the human race is in fact an offshoot of the colonists, created by them. The alien junk DNA also suggests that the physical and mental aberrations witnessed by Mulder and Scully in various almost-human "monsters," and the psychic and supernatural abilities displayed by certain people (everything in the X-files), would come from the aliens and their DNA in various stages of activation in the human body. Kritschgau has tested such psychics at his old job with the CIA, which never told him that the powers were from aliens. In fact Gibson is the "missing link" between the aliens and the humans, a statistical possibility (the activation of all the alien junk DNA) that happened to occur when he was born. One theory that ties most of this together is that the colonists left at the beginning of the last ice age because the cold inhibits their actions. They created the human race to keep Earth in check and to preserve the alien DNA until their return. When the climate warmed and civilization became advanced enough to support the colonization, the aliens planned to return. A continuation of this theory explaining the animals is that the aliens left us to take care of the animals and plants, and to "reign over" (Book of Genesis) them until their return. Gibson's mind-reading abilities probably stem from the greys' "mind scan" abilities described by abductees and their telepathic communication abilities. Exposure to the black oil causes any human to be controlled, and then, as the Syndicate discovered after the boy in Texas was infected, turned into a mean alien. The conversion to a mean alien is done when the black oil uses up the body's resources for the creation of a new extraterrestrial biological entity (E.B.E.), created with the instructions in the alien virus itself. Even if the vaccine (specifically the prototype vaccine used on Mulder) is used to cure the body of the black oil, or purity, the alien virus stays dormant in the body. Mulder's exposure to rubbings of alien artifacts was the cause of his "insanity." The words themselves, which were duplicated on the rubbings, had power. The words are imbued with power. The dormant alien virus (given to him in Tunguska years earlier) was reactivating in his body due to the exposure, giving him the abilities that Gibson has. The virus started activating his junk DNA, like how Gibson's junk DNA was activated from birth. Also, Scully was exposed to a small amount of the alien virus (from the bee) which left her when she was vaccinated with a newer vaccine, so she wasn't affected by the radiation. Since Mulder's body couldn't handle the sudden abilities he obtained, he seemed both insane and dying. Mulder's mind was showing activity in normally "dead" parts of the brain, overloading his body. Mulder's (and Gibson's) specific abilities were remote viewing and anticipation of questions before they are asked, possible because they could read the minds of the people asking the questions, and even prescience (anticipation of events before they occur). Mulder, like Kritschgau said, was "the X-file." Mulder was living proof of the aliens' involvement in the creation of humanity. The aliens created humans, the Bible, the Koran, and all other religions! Religion was possibly used by them to keep humans in check and pacify them while they are gone. They left a message to us before they left in the form of spaceships underwater off the Ivory Coast and underground in Canada. Each monument is covered with writing in Navajo. The message contains verses from the Bible (Genesis) and other religious texts and the entire human genome. Which would mean that Navajo is actually an alien language passed to us, and that Native Americans were really the first humans! Pieces of the monument have fallen off and have washed away to the coast and other parts of the world. The pieces, or artifacts, have great power; they can spin around by themselves and fuse together when put near each other. The pieces themselves emit CGR, or cosmic galactic radiation, found only outside our solar system, proving their outerspace origin. This is also an explanation for their (the ship's) great power. Also the alien ship, which exhibits the same sort of power that has been witnessed in "religious miracles," causes occurrences such as those from the Seven Plagues: blood in the ocean, boiling water, locusts, etc. The "Vanishing Man," a figment of the African ship's power, even serves to ward people off from the ship. Its great power can also bring dead things to life, the same way people were brought to life by miracles (possibly done by shapeshifters) in the past and the same way that Mulder's "dead" or "junk" DNA was made "alive" by the rejuvenated alien virus. So God is the aliens, the ones who started the whole Universe. CSM knows this. The ships left on their own, the African one realizing that its power was providing immunity to the alien virus. Such ships have a small compartment which opens at the top. Anything or anyone locked inside is burned to ashes. Mulder was saved from his condition by CSM. He was taken to a DOD facility where his activated DNA was transferred to CSM, making Mulder normal again. CSM, if the procedure had worked, would have been a psychic just like Mulder was. The reason the procedure could have worked is that Mulder is CSM's son, so no DNA would be rejected by CSM's body. A side effect of Mulder's activated alien genes was that he became a "ready-made" human-alien hybrid, immune to the black oil. (Gibson has the same side effect.) Since the entire hybridization project had recently been destroyed by the rebels (and the vaccine presumably adapted by the colonists when Mulder used it to save Scully in the ship in Antarctica), CSM & Co. needed a way to survive the colonization. So when Mulder came along, CSM took his genes, trying to make himself a hybrid so that it would be possible to pass his genes on to others so they too can survive. (The Syndicate doctors tried to take Gibson's DNA in the same way, but he was needed to find a mean alien, and wasn't seen again...for a while.) In this way Mulder was the savior! CSM somehow foresaw that Mulder would be important to the Project, as he has said in the past, and his importance came to light when he almost saved the Project. Unfortunately, CSM's brain operation was a failure. He was dying of cerebral inflammation resulting from the procedure, plus possibly throat cancer, before Krycek and Marita pushed him down the Watergate Hotel stairs in his wheelchair. After Mulder was abducted later on, Doggett discovered that Mulder had been dying since he was "cured" from his brain condition. Maybe this is also the cause of CSM's illness. However, it is still possible that CSM became psychic despite the deadly inflammation he suffered. Krycek's motives for injecting Skinner with the nanorobots have become more obvious since Skinner assigned Mulder and Scully to the case involving the artifacts, probably under Krycek's orders. Krycek probably even foresaw what would happen to Mulder with his exposure to the artifact rubbings, hoping that he could survive the colonization by obtaining Mulder's immunity. He was doing this working for the Syndicate. He even tried 72

successfully or unsuccessfully - to ally with Dr. Barnes, who also sought the alien artifacts. Skinner had been forced to place Mulder and Scully under surveillance and secretly look at Scully's reports and report back to Krycek. If Skinner failed to comply with Krycek's orders, he would die with the push of a button. Mulder, with his mind-reading abilities, found out about Krycek's hold on Skinner. After the case of the artifacts, Krycek was jailed in Tunisia by CSM for selling something (the videotape of Mulder as a hybrid?) that belonged to him. Krycek was released by Marita under CSM's orders later on. In Mulder and Scully's first case, they investigated abductees in Bellefleur, Oregon. Seven years later, they discovered that even after the destruction of the Syndicate and its plans, the abductions were continuing there. A spaceship crashed in the woods in Bellefleur, and soon afterward abductees started disappearing. The Bounty Hunter rounded up all of them to be abducted and taken away, and Mulder was one of those abducted. It appears that since the destruction of the Syndicate by the rebels, the aliens had been doing new abductions, infecting abductees with the black oil and then vaccinating them and exposing them to the alien radiation (or maybe they have an "automatic" method to get the same effect). This resulted in the abductees having the same mental aberrations that Mulder experienced; they became hybrids. The aliens did not keep the abductees as hybrids, however; they were simply tested as new hybrids to be used as slaves during the colonization. Without the Syndicate's help with hybridization, the aliens needed to make their own. After the crash, in which the UFO collided with an Air Force fighter, no ship could be found in the woods. This is because it had a force field rendering it invisible, and violently shaking and pushing away any intruders. The ship, as it stayed in the woods cloaked, was regenerating itself, and contained the answers to all things, similar to the ship in Africa. (One theory is that the invisible alien that Max Fenig encountered is yet another incarnation of the aliens, since the force field shows their knowledge of invisibility.) This is why CSM summoned Krycek and Marita to retrieve the ship; in addition, he wanted to find more alien DNA as was done at Roswell in 1947 in order to restart the hybridization project that was destroyed. Mulder at this point was no longer a hybrid; he was a normal human like the other Oregon abductees who had experienced mental trauma. Since CSM's operation failed there was no protection from the colonization. What the spaceship was originally in Oregon to do, and what was done as it regenerated itself, was to gather all evidence of the abductions to cover up the existence of aliens. Now that the conspiracy was dead, the aliens needed to do their own cleanup work more than ever, although they have probably been doing this all along. Evidence of alien life of course includes former abductees and people who have or had their alien genes activated. Maybe the secret illness Mulder had after his activated genes were removed was also found in the other "new" abductees, and maybe the aliens could distinguish that they were former abductees from the illness. (This also explains how Mulder was let into the force field too.) Since Mulder was in the woods looking for the invisible ship, and since he had experienced the same mental aberrations that the new abductees had undergone, he was let into the force field and abducted along with the others. To retrieve all the abductees, the Bounty Hunter simply had to go near them, expecting to be shot at or stabbed. The resulting blood-thickening virus would be in the abductees from exposure to purity control, and the Bounty Hunter could take them to the ship and heal them. Oregon was just one stop on the ship's path, however, and next it went to Arizona to retrieve Gibson Praise, who eventually was able to elude the aliens. The ship didn't have just one Bounty Hunter; it was full of them, with no pure grey in sight. Mulder was subjected to numerous painful tests on board. Incidentally, Krycek may have very well known that Mulder would be abducted when he told Mulder what to look for in the woods. The aliens were covering up evidence of their latest attempts to revive their colonization plans. After covering up the evidence, however, a new foolproof plan was initiated, completely unreliant on humans or even Bounty Hunters and hybrids. A new form of alien was created, known as alien replacements, replicants, or Super Soldiers. They are essentially humans (the origin of humans and aliens is the same) except they are completely invincible due to bones that are made of an iron derivative. Also there are lumps on the back of the neck where metallic vertebrae protrude through the skin. The protrusions may also be their means of communication with alien ships and each other. If injured, the replacements can easily repair themselves with the same spinning motion that the artifacts from the ship in Africa displayed. They can breathe underwater like the original hybrids. The replacements' purpose are to police the colonization when it occurs and to infiltrate important positions in the government to carry out further preparations. The replicants therefore take over the functions of the hybrids and the shapeshifters, and they render the aliens' previous attempts at making ready-made hybrids of abductees (like the abductions in Oregon) obsolete. The rebels, shapeshifters, and hybrids are all obsolete and powerless against the Super Soldiers' invincibility. Replicants have red blood like normal humans. They are able to replace specific humans on Earth by a long process: the human is first abducted and returned several months later either "dead" or on the brink of death. Unbeknownst to the populace, the "dead" body was infected by the alien virus during the abduction and the vitals slowed down to give the appearance of death; the virus maintains this state of the body until a certain time (either immediately if there is a great need for a replacement, or at the time of colonization when many more replicants will be needed) when it activates and gestates an alien - the replicant - out of the old body. This is the same method as creating mean aliens, except an alien replacement is the product. Again it is apparent that the alien virus can be tailored to various needs. Temperature comes into play again here: the cold environment of a grave keeps the virus dormant; when Billy Miles returned "dead" but was put on life support on a hunch, he almost immediately gestated into a replicant because life support raised his body temperature. When Mulder returned "dead," a replicant would have gestated out of his body had Skinner not taken him off life support. A course of antivirals in this cold state cured the virus and brought Mulder back to health. Also, the abduction cured Mulder of his brain condition which resulted from his hybrid status a year earlier. So Mulder inadvertently became a part of this new colonization plan when he was picked up in Oregon essentially by accident. It was two replicants - Knowle Rohrer and Agent Crane, formerly Doggett's right-hand man - who Doggett saw in a late-night rendezvous with Kersh. Now that the aliens have a foolproof policing method, they have also perfected the delivery method of the virus which will convert humans to Super Soldiers as well: the virus will spontaneously activate on the given date. Since it exists dormant in all oil, everyone will be infected. But the new 73

conspiracy within the government working with the Super Soldiers can create them as well. The military had use for the Super Soldiers during the Gulf War. So, an alternate method of turning humans into Super Soldiers has been developed in conjunction with the aliens. Select members of the military were drafted into this program, including Knowle Rohrer and Shannon McMahon from Doggett's Bravo Company in the Marines. The method involves a series of injections. Spender underwent an early failed experiment of this process, resulting in his disfigurement. The Super Soldiers have been around as long as the other aliens, but have only begun as key players in the colonization plans recently. The one weakness of the Super Soldiers is a metal called magnetite (an iron compound itself), which fell to Earth on a meteor. It causes them to melt into the ground in quarries where magnetite is found. Another core component of the Super Soldier military program is birthing baby replicants. This is accomplished by altering the DNA of human ova (done inside a WWII-era ship, the S.S. Valor Victor, at sea year-round) and monitoring the mothers by surveillance and alien chip implants. The mothers chosen for this program are abductees who had their ova taken and then retransplanted later in altered form containing alien DNA. After colonization, women would begin to give birth to Super Soldiers en masse with the help of an additive in tap water, chloramine. Normally harmless, it has been slightly altered to promote genetic mutations in children and therefore create alien babies. Mulder's body was found upon return at the site of a cult of abductees run by Absalom, who with Jeremiah Smith worked to save the returned abductees. Smith healed the returned bodies - among them Teresa Hoese - in his ongoing crusade against the colonization. The results of his healing were both reviving the body and curing it of the alien virus, ridding the person of the threat of gestation. But Smith was taken by the aliens immediately after Mulder's return, which is why his body had to be exhumed three months after being buried in Raleigh, North Carolina under his custom-made tomb with the rest of his buried family - except Samantha. Not so fortunate was Gary, Richie's friend (from Oregon), who returned dead and was buried, ready to gestate. Absalom knew a secret of the alien conspiracy: that the Census Bureau is being used to track the current alien replicants in the same way that people were identified by DNA ID tags taken during smallpox vaccinations in the Social Security database and other Syndicate record-keeping methods in preparation for the colonization and hybridization. Absalom died for that secret. The mysterious rental receipts Mulder left after his abduction were from Mulder's trips to Raleigh, North Carolina to get his new family gravestone made up - with his own name at the bottom, and 2000 listed as his year of death. He predicted his death from the brain condition he was seeking treatment for. He went to Squamash, Pennsylvania before his abduction, where he met with a Native American folk creature with the ability to "eat" people's disease to cure them. He was searching for a cure to his brain illness. Mulder, however, saw the pain the creature had from taking everyone's disease and attempted to put it out of its misery instead. Scully discovered immediately after Mulder's abduction that she was pregnant even though she was diagnosed as barren after her abduction. She was surprised because a short while earlier, she had been told by Dr. Parenti, who was trying to help her conceive, that her attempts at artificial insemination had failed. To backtrack, Scully attempted to conceive, realizing that she desperately wanted a child, with the help of Dr. Parenti. She managed to ask Mulder to be the donor, and he accepted. Since she was barren, Parenti used a sample of her ova that Mulder stole years earlier from the government facility behind her original abduction. After the attempt, Parenti told her that it was a failure, but several weeks later she was pregnant. Parenti, meanwhile, was part of a group of scientists continuing the Syndicate's work of birthing alien babies from human mothers to generate more alien DNA for use in the hybridization project. Even after the Syndicate members' deaths, the work continued, and for this Parenti and his associates Dr. Lev and Duffy Haskell were killed by Billy Miles, already a replicant. When Scully discovered Parenti's involvement, she feared that her baby might be alien, part alien, or even artificially engineered. It turned out, however, that none of Parenti's work with aliens involved Scully. But his knowledge of the conspiracy led him to believe that the miraculous conception of Scully's child was a sign of opposition to the aliens, so he kept Scully under surveillance in order to protect her. Haskell even had their associate Lizzy Gill pose as Scully's "helper" during the final days of her pregnancy to assure her safety. And what Parenti and his associates feared leaked so that Krycek and the aliens soon believed it too: that Scully's baby was a perfect human, more human than human. Not a traditional hybrid but possibly a child like Gibson Praise, or even just a normal human that is perfect in every way. The aliens believed that such a perfect being would assert that a higher power than them exists and inspire others to resist; they therefore sought to destroy Scully and her baby. But this was a false belief. When Scully finally gave birth, with Reyes at her side hidden away in Doggett's birth town of Democrat Hot Springs, Georgia, the aliens had already found her, but their fear of what they thought the baby was also came into play as they surrounded her during the birth, awaiting its appearance and watching in awe. They soon realized that Scully's baby was special, but not as evidence of a higher power. Scully's baby turned out to be a Super Soldier, and the aliens surrounded her worshipping it as a savior. Scully's ovum, which Dr. Parenti used, was originally removed as a result of her abduction. Afterward, it was taken to the Super Soldier program on the WWII ship and manipulated so that it would create a Super Soldier if fertilized. It was then housed in the government facility that Mulder stole it from and used in the artificial insemination. This is what happened, then, although Dr. Parenti had no idea of the altered state of the ovum. So the baby's genesis is artificial, although Mulder and Scully did consummate their relationship around that time. That union, however, did not result in the baby. Although the insemination initially failed, the fertilized egg did "catch" a little later. This is where the alien miracle power comes in; the egg was part alien. Also, Scully's implant may have played a part in the success (and later monitoring) of the pregnancy. The baby, whose father is Mulder, turned out to be a boy, William, named after Mulder's "father." There was a mysterious star, like that described in the Bible, that led Mulder to the hidden birthplace of his and Scully's son. Other religious overtones during the event point even more to the fact that the baby was born with the help of a divine force, which as described above is actually the alien powers, like those displayed by the ship in Africa. The aliens believed that William was their savior, a Super Soldier that would lead the coming colonization. However, they also believed that if Mulder raised William, he would follow in his father's footsteps and stop 74

the invasion. Therefore, Mulder's life was in serious danger - and if Mulder could not die, then William must. They believed that one or the other must die. Scully's baby was one of a series of "miracle children" with strange powers of moving objects with their minds. These powers come from their Super Soldier DNA. The other mothers like Scully were part of a newer abduction program designed specifically for the Super Soldier experiments, as opposed to Scully's abduction which was part of the hybridization project. Therefore, William's birth as a Super Soldier was completely unexpected and accidental. This along with the fact that William was the first Super Soldier created by natural birth caused the great myth that surrounded him among the aliens. He was, as Knowle Rohrer said, the first "organic" Super Soldier. Scully eventually realized that she would have to give William away for his own safety. This decision was made clear to her after Spender, in his new disfigured state, returned. Spender, following his crusade against his own father the CSM, made it his mission to "humanize" William so that he would never become the savior of the aliens. Therefore, the aliens would be dealt a blow, and so would his father. Spender did this by injecting William with a substance containing magnetite. The result was that William became a normal human baby. He was then given up for adoption anonymously and taken in by the Van de Kamp farm family. A hacker known to the Lone Gunmen as The Thinker (the newest, fourth member of the group) got into the FBI's computer network and downloaded all the information on the Project and purity control (the Majestic or MJ files) to a digital tape. This tape, encoded in Navajo, has traded hands many times and has caused many deaths, including The Thinker's. The Syndicate eventually gained possession of the tape that rightfully belonged to them. The Anasazi ("ancient aliens") were a tribe of Navajo Indians which disappeared without a trace. Mulder and Scully took the tape (while they still had it) to the Navajo, specifically Albert Hosteen, to be translated. At Skinner's request, high members of the Navajo, through an ancient tradition, memorized the contents of the tape so that the information would go from generation to generation. Therefore the secrets are safe and their location is unknown within the four states of the Navajo reservations. Mulder hasn't returned to them because Skinner hasn't told him about their memorization of the tape. Also Hosteen, the main person behind the memorization, is now dead. Skinner had the Native Americans memorize the tape to counter CSM and to threaten exposure of the Project. This is why since the murder attempt on Scully, the Syndicate hasn't tried to kill her or Mulder. Scully returned to the tribe during the hogan ceremony of Hosteen, a WWII code talker, because he was dying of cancer. His life was in danger, even as he lay on his death bed, because of his knowledge of the alien artifacts, which he helped to translate for Dr. Sandoz, who was killed by Krycek. Circa 1973 many Navajo Indians disappeared without a trace resulting from abductions. They returned as the old type of hybrids and were burned and buried in a boxcar because of their failure. The Anasazi are "ancient aliens," if we are to believe that they were the first humans, descended from the colonists before they left. The disappearance of the entire tribe long ago foretold the Sixth Extinction, or colonization, and a savior (Mulder as a hybrid) with a disease who would save humanity from the event. Krycek and CSM knew of this myth, which is why Krycek made sure that Mulder was exposed to a rubbing of an alien artifact to give him the "disease." Krycek may have been working for CSM, but if he wasn't CSM realized later that Mulder was the one foretold in the myth. The myth is explained in a book that Fowley gave to Scully. The book shows that the myth is told with Navajo symbols, symbols that are exactly the same as those found on the ship in Africa and the artifacts coming from it. The Sixth Extinction is foretold by the symbols on the ship, also paralleled in the end-of-the-world prophecies of many religions, which also originate from the aliens. The Anasazi disappeared after they sought refuge in the rocky mountains of New Mexico which sat atop magnetite deposits. They knew that they would be safe from the alien invasion at that location, and they eventually destroyed themselves and their culture by staying in hiding. The ruins of this hidden civilization are where the CSM made his last refuge before he was killed - for the last time. It was also magnetite deposits, incidentally, which brought down the original Roswell UFO in 1947. Similarly, magnetite may be the cause of the "vortex" in Bellefleur, Oregon. When Mulder went into hiding, he chose the place where he would least likely be found: a Navajo reservation, where he had visited in the past. He stayed in New Mexico, at some point joined by Gibson Praise, and both waited until it was time for Mulder to return safely. That time never came, however, and Mulder grew restless. At one point he was summoned back by Scully on their predetermined mode of transport: railroad. Scully was being duped by a Super Soldier called the Shadow Man (who may have had them under surveillance for years), however, and Mulder narrowly escaped back into hiding. Eventually, he learned of a wise man in the Anasazi ruins who had all the answers. This wise man sent an access card to the Mt. Weather complex to Mulder. Mulder took it and snuck into the base, where he finally learned the truth about the colonization and the fixed date in 2012. At the base, Mulder came across Knowle Rohrer and threw him off a balcony in front of a room full of government employees. He was charged with murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection, although his trial was rigged and Rohrer never died. Kersh, the main judge of the military tribunal deciding Mulder's fate, was threatened and influenced by the Super Soldiers, mainly the Toothpick Man who was also one of the judges. Mulder was helped out of jail by Skinner, Doggett, Reyes, and even Kersh, and he and Scully were forced into eternal hiding. They visited the wise man in New Mexico, who turned out to be the Cigarette-Smoking Man, and escaped when government helicopters destroyed the ruins (Knowle Rohrer was killed by the magnetite there; the Shadow Man already perished in the same way at a rock quarry). The aliens presumably think that Mulder and Scully are now dead, although the two are still on the run. The X-files were packed up and closed for the last time, leaving Mulder's beloved "I Want to Believe" poster in Doggett's hands. The future seems to be set in stone, but Mulder and Scully still believe that fate can be changed. Cooper, Dale (FBI Agent) Special Agent Cooper, or "Coop" as he was known to Sheriff Harry S. Truman, became one of the most popular characters from a dramatic television series. This was mainly thanks to his quirky mannerisms, sense of humour and a 75

number of trademark phrases, along with his love for a good cherry pie and a "damn fine cup of coffee". Cooper was born on April 19, 1954, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended Germantown Friends School, an elite Quaker high school in the area. After high school, Cooper attended Haverford College. Cooper is highly introverted, and somewhat mystical, having a particular interest in Tibet, and Native American mythology. Much of his work is based on intuition and even dreams; this is in complete contrast to many fictional detectives who use logic to solve their cases. Like many fictional detectives however, he sometimes bends the rules or goes outside the law. He enjoys eating and drinking, and is told he "must have the metabolism of a bumblebee". He also appreciates nature, and falls in love with Twin Peaks, despite the problems there, and gains a great deal of acceptance within a tight knit community. Around the Great Northern Hotel, Agent Cooper is famous for giving a 'thumbs up' when satisfied, and nothing satisfies him more than an, above mentioned, good cup of coffee. Cooper was initially fitted up with Audrey Horne as a love interest, and is indeed obviously attracted to her. But when she turns up in his bed, he is forced to try and explain the situation, and turn her down. MacLachlan didn't want the two to have a relationship, as he felt his character wouldn't have a relationship with a high school girl. In the second season, he meets Annie Blackburn, the sister of Norma Jennings, whom he falls in love with. However, she is taken to the Black Lodge by Windom Earle, who also murdered Coop's first love (and Earle's wife), Caroline by stabbing her in the aorta. In the series finale, Cooper physically enters the Black Lodge in an attempt to rescue Annie. There he struggles with both Windom Earle and Cooper's own evil doppleganger. An unconscious Cooper and Annie later emerge from the Black Lodge, but his reflection indicates that, in trade for Annie's life, he is now possessed by Bob. As the final episode ends, the fate of both Agent Cooper and Annie remain unknown. Special Agent Dale Cooper grew up in Philadelphia (according to Season 2, Episode 18, as well as a book, The Autobiography of F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes, written by Mark Frost, providing background information about Cooper). This is no coincidence, since this is where David Lynch lived in the Eraserhead era. Lynch has claimed many times that Philadelphia has had a strong influence on his worldview. Kyle MacLachlan apparently could not stand cherry pie, unlike his character. The name of Dale Cooper might have been inspired by the mysterious "D.B. Cooper" who, in 1971, hijacked an airliner leaving Seattle and jumped from the plane with $200,000 dollars strapped to his chest, never to be seen again. Name: Dale B. Cooper, Nickname: "Coop", Birth date: 4/19/54, Sign: Aries, Likes: All kinds of jelly donuts and a good cup of coffee Education: Haverford College; FBI Academy; Agency: Federal Bureau of Investigations, Position: Veteran Agent; Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 5, Intelligence 4, Wits 4; Abilities: Academics (Law, Occult) 3, Athletics (Dodge) 2, Awareness 4, Brawl 2, Bureaucracy 2, Computer 2, Drive 2, Endurance 2, Firearms 5, Intimidation 3, Investigation 4, Linguistics 1, Medicine 2, Melee 2, Might 1, Rapport 3, Resistance 1, Science 3, Stealth 2, Streetwise 2, Survival 3; Background: Allies 2, Backing 2, Influence 2, Resources 2, Mentor 3; Willpower 9 TWIN PEAKS INCIDENT The first half follows FBI agents Chester Desmond and Sam Stanley as they investigate the death of a young drifter named Teresa Banks in northern Washington and deal with uncooperative local police. Agent Desmond suddenly disappears just as mysterious, long-gone agent Phillip Jeffries reappears at the FBIs Philadelphia office. The second part, set a year later and considerably longer than the first, presents the last week of Laura Palmers life. Laura, a homecoming queen at Twin Peaks high school leads a dual life, using cocaine and working as a prostitute at a local sex club. This is partially due to the trauma and confusion of being chronically molested by a mysterious figure called Bob a figure who has another identity which Laura discovers. Lauras best friend Donna tries to follow her into her secret life. Laura and Teresa were killed by the same person. On the morning of February 23, in the town of Twin Peaks, Washington State, lumberjack Pete Martell discovers a naked corpse tightly wrapped in a sheet of clear plastic on the bank of a river. Following the arrival of Sheriff Harry S. Truman, his deputies, and Dr. Will Hayward on the scene, the body is discovered to be that of homecoming queen Laura Palmer, the most popular girl at the local high school. The news spreads among the town's residents particularly Laura's family and friends who react in various ways. Meanwhile, just across the state line, a second girl, Ronnette Pulaski, is found walking along the railroad tracks in a fugue. Since Ronette was discovered across the state line, the FBI (Special Agent Dale Cooper) is called in to investigate. Cooper's initial examination of Laura's body reveals a tiny typed letter 'R' inserted under her fingernail. He recognizes this as the "calling card" of a killer who took the life of Teresa Banks a year earlier in a town described as "in the southwest corner of the state" (revealed in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me to be Deer Meadow). Cooper quickly establishes that Laura's character and relationships are not as they first appear, and that she's far from the wholesome homecoming queen that those closest to her believed her to be. It is revealed that Laura had been two-timing her boyfriend Bobby Briggs with sullen biker James Hurley, a situation known to Laura's best friend Donna Hayward. Cooper also finds traces of cocaine in Laura's diary, a habit she shared with Bobby. Meanwhile, Donna and James begin an investigation of their own into Laura's death, and find themselves embarking on a romantic relationship with each other.

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Laura's cousin Maddy Ferguson, arrives to stay with Laura's parents prior to the funeral. Maddy, who resembles Laura closely, befriends Donna and James and helps them in their efforts to find the killer even impersonating Laura at one point to fool Laura's psychologist, Dr. Lawrence Jacoby. During his investigation, Cooper stays at the Great Northern Hotel owned by the Horne family. The Hornes' sultry daughter Audrey develops a crush on Cooper (that at least initially appears to be mutual, until he later rebuffs her advances, on the grounds that she is a high schooler and she is part of the case he is working on). With Audrey's help, Cooper traces Laura's cocaine usage to a brothel called 'One-Eyed Jacks'. Audrey later infiltrates it on his behalf. It is revealed that Laura had also been working as a prostitute sometimes based at the club. Cooper also experiences a bizarre dream, in which he sees a one-armed man (a reference to The Fugitive) called Mike who chants a strange poem "Through the darkness of Future Past. The Magician longs to see.One Chants out between two worlds-'Fire Walk With Me'," and who then proceeds to tell Cooper about another man called Bob, and how they went "killing together." Bob also appears as a man with long grey hair, dressed in denim who swears to Cooper "I will kill again." As the dream continues, Cooper finds himself aged twenty-five years sitting in a mysterious red-curtained room. It is here he meets the diminutive Man From Another Place who intones clues to Cooper in the form of strange phrases and then proceeds to dance to a jazzy beat. Also present is the spirit of Laura Palmer, who kisses Cooper and then whispers into his ear the name of her killer. Lynch enhanced the profoundly surreal nature of these scenes by having the actors recite their lines backward, and then replaying the vocals backward (imitating the so-called backmasking technique). However, when he awakes, Cooper is unable to recall the killer's name. Cooper and the local police force are then able to track down the one-armed man known as 'Mike' in Cooper's dream, whose full name is Phillip Michael Gerard (another reference to The Fugitive, where the recurring police detective is named Phil Gerard). Gerard appears to be nothing more than a shoe salesman and claims to know nothing of the Bob that Cooper describes. However, it eventually becomes clear that Gerard is possessed by an "inhabiting spirit" (the true 'Mike') who reveals to Cooper and his allies the true nature of Bob - Bob is a fellow inhabiting spirit who has possessed someone in Twin Peaks "for over forty years." Cooper is also visited by an apparition of a mysterious giant who provides him with further clues in the murder investigation. All this information that Cooper has gained from psychic and observed means, including the mysterious utterances of an eccentric local woman known as The Log Lady, leads him to a number of suspects; but when he discovers the existence of Laura's second, secret diary, he realises that therein lies the key to solving the mystery. Harold Smith, a local man who was one of Laura's confidants, holds this diary. The secret diary reveals that from a very early age Laura was abused by a figure called 'Bob', and that her use of drugs and sex are the means she has used to numb herself and escape from him. On the night before she is to leave town, Maddy is brutally murdered by Laura's father, Leland who stands revealed as the man who is possessed by 'Bob'. Cooper and Truman apprehend Leland, and as they interrogate the Bobpossessed Leland, it becomes clear that Leland has no idea of the murderous actions he has committed while under Bob's influence. A crazed Leland then smashes his own head against the wall of his cell as his memories of what he had done to his daughter returns to him, and in his dying moment, Leland speaks of seeing his daughter Laura and how beautiful she looks, and finally his soul is restored. However, as Cooper and his allies note, if Bob had truly left Leland's body, it means his spirit is now loose in the woods of Twin Peaks. With the murder investigation concluded, Cooper is then all set to leave Twin Peaks when he is framed for drug trafficking by the criminal Jean Renault and is temporarily suspended from the FBI. Renault holds Cooper responsible for the death of his brother Jacques, who was murdered by a grieving Leland Palmer when Jacques was under suspicion for Laura's murder. After Renault is killed in a shoot-out with police and Cooper is cleared of the charges, his former FBI partner and mentor Windom Earle comes to Twin Peaks to play a deadly game of chess with Cooper in which each piece of Cooper's that he takes means someone dies. As Cooper explains to Truman, during his early years with the FBI alongside Earle, he had begun an affair with Earle's wife, Caroline, while she had been under the protection of him and Earle since she had been a witness to a federal crime. Earle went mad and killed Caroline, and seriously wounded Cooper and was subsequently committed to a mental institution. Now having escaped and in Twin Peaks, Earle establishes a secret baseof-operations in the woods from which to go about his revenge scheme. As this is going on, Cooper continues to try to track down the origins (and whereabouts) of Bob and learns more about the mysteries of the dark woods surrounding Twin Peaks. It is here he learns of the existence of the White Lodge and the Black Lodge, mystical extradimensional realms of which the gateway to both reside somewhere in the woods. Cooper also falls in love with a new girl in town, Annie Blackburn. When Annie wins the Miss Twin Peaks contest, Windom Earle kidnaps her and takes her to the Black Lodge which Cooper realises has been Earle's goal all along. The Black Lodge then stands revealed to be where Bob, the Little Man From Another Place and the Giant inhabit, and of which the red-curtained room of Cooper's dream is a part. Cooper follows and has a series of bizarre encounters including meeting his own shadow self, otherwise known as a doppelgnger. During Cooper's time in the Black Lodge, Windom Earle's soul is destroyed by an enraged Bob, and Annie's fate is unclear. Cooper then attempts escape, but cannot find the exit to the nonlinear labyrinth of the Black Lodge - he is also chased by his own doppleganger as he tries to find the way out. He is eventually captured by the doppleganger and returns to the woods, unconscious. In the last episode's last scene, he awakes in his room at the Great Northern Hotel to say "I wasn't sleeping," in a more ominous tone of voice than Cooper usually had. And in the final shot, his reflection in the bathroom mirror seems to be that of Bob, who turns to the camera laughing. 77

FBI Special Agent Chester Desmond is called out by his boss, Regional Bureau Chief Gordon Cole, to investigate the murder of a 17 year old girl named Teresa Banks, who was found wrapped in plastic. Desmond is introduced to his new partner, Special Agent Sam Stanley, and receives coded clues in the form of Lil the Dancer. Desmond and Stanley then begin their investigation by driving to a rural town called Deer Meadow. A few days into the investigation, Agent Desmond mysteriously disappears. His disappearance is reported to Regional Bureau Chief Cole, who then dispatches Special Agent Dale Cooper to pick up where Desmond left off. Special Agent Sam Stanley is assisting Special Agent Chester Desmond, using his forensics expertise to investigate the murder of Teresa Banks. Special Agent Phillip Jefferies suddenly appears out of an elevator in the Philadelphia office of the FBI, two years after his (equally sudden) disappearance. He hurries to the office of his former superior, Regional Bureau Chief Gordon Cole and starts raving in a loud and disturbed manner, referring at one stage to Special Agent Dale Cooper and yelling Who do you think this is, there? Jefferies goes on to narrate in abstract fashion where he has been since his disappearance. He mentions names and incidents that are unfamiliar to those listening. His words are illustrated by the intrusion of a ghost transmission showing a small group of characters including the Little Man From Another Place and Bob in a series of strange rooms. Most of Jefferies bizarre utterances remain unexplained throughout the course of the movie. He disappears into thin air once again after announcing I found something... and then there they were! Sheriff Harry S. Truman assists Special Agent Dale Cooper in the investigation of the murder of Laura Palmer. Harry is in love with fragile Josie Packard, and he is one of the Bookhouse Boys. Harry gets on well with Cooper. They hit it off almost from the start. Harry is very down-to-earth in contrast with Cooper's unconventional methods of policing, fascination with Tibet, dreams, etc. Harry regards Cooper as somewhat eccentric but well-meaning. In early episodes, Harry serves to introduce Cooper (and hence the viewer) to the more prominent residents of Twin Peaks. Harry begins to feel that he is the Dr Watson to Cooper's Sherlock Holmes. Despite their differences, Truman represents a literary alternate to Cooper: they approach the same goal through different means. As the case progress, Harry's respect for Cooper grows. He regards Coop as "the finest lawman he has ever known". Laura Palmer was her town's favorite daughter; she volunteered at Meals on Wheels, was the high school Homecoming queen, and was (apparently) the darling of her parents, Sarah and Leland. However, Laura led a double life she was a cocaine user, a victim of child abuse and had briefly worked at One Eyed Jacks, a casino/brothel just north of the Canadian border. The discovery of Laura's body brought Special Agent Dale Cooper to town and the investigation of her death, and the effects it had on those around her, propelled the first 15 episodes of the series. Laura remained prominent afterward, as her death had exposed many secrets related to her, and also in some cases unrelated, such as the Packard mill conspiracy. Laura's diary was uncovered in the first episode, but her secret diary was not recovered until later, and it contained passages suggesting that she had long been the victim sometimes willingly of abuse from a malevolent entity named BOB, who wanted to be close to her, or even be her. The identity of her murderer was revealed: her father, Leland, who had been possessed by BOB and made to molest, rape, and kill his own daughter. When Leland dies in prison, it is implied that Laura appears before him in a vision, forgiving him and welcoming him to the afterlife. Andy Brennan is a bit slow, even "dimwitted" deputy sheriff in the Twin Peaks Sheriff's department. He is very sensitive, and tends to cry at crime scenes. However, he is very loyal, and trustworthy... indeed at one point Albert Rosenfield compares him to a dog. Andy has been seeing the secretary of sheriff's department, Lucy Moran. She, however has grown tired of him, and seeks an adventure from seeing Dick Tremayne. Not much is revealed of Andy during the show, except perhaps through physical comedy, such as his inadequacy at handling guns and sticky tape. However, Andy later improves his gun toting skills by using the local range, and shooting Jacques Renault when he tries to go for Sheriff Truman. Andy was the one who (at Season Two) figured out that the drawing was a map, and therefore had a big part in FBI agent Dale Cooper finding his way to the Black Lodge. In the pilot, he is revealed as a trumpeter, albeit not a very good one. And he has a talent at drawing which we see demonstrated when he sketches Bob from Sarah Palmer's vision, and during the trial of Leland Palmer, when he sketches the back of Leland's head. Deputy Tommy "Hawk" Hill is a Native American, but it is not clear which tribe he belongs to. He is usually referred to as "Hawk" because of his excellent tracking skills, which extend not just to animal or human tracks, but also those of cars and trucks. He was born in 1951. Hawk works at the Twin Peaks sheriff's department under Sheriff Harry S. Truman. He is one of the Bookhouse Boys, and is an all-around dependable good guy. He has an unseen girlfriend who is a veterinarian. Hawk knows Harry (and FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper) well, which saves their lives on more than one occasion. Bobby Briggs was the boyfriend of Laura Palmer and therefore one of the lead suspects. He is the son of Major Garland Briggs, and has an uneasy relationship with his father, who is very strict and seemingly non-understanding about his son's rebelliousness, especially his smoking. Bobby becomes jealous of James Hurley when he discovers he was secretly seeing his official girlfriend, Laura. Laura Palmer on the other hand did not really love Bobby, she only used him to get a part of Bobby's cocaine. Bobby was secretly seeing Shelly Johnson even before Laura's death, and they move in together when Leo Johnson becomes comatose. Donna Hayward was the best friend of Laura Palmer, and after her death she was obsessed with finding out who killed her and why, with the help of James Hurley, Laura's secret boyfriend and Donna's new love interest, and Madeleine Ferguson, the look-a-like cousin of Laura. Donna's father is the town doctor, known simply as Doc Hayward, and her mother is Eileen Hayward, who sits in a wheelchair and tends to the house. Donna has two sisters, Harriet and Gersten, who are seen in the series only a couple of times. At the end of season two, it is strongly suggested that Doc Hayward might not be Donna's real father after all, and that she is in fact be the daughter of Benjamin Horne and half-sister to Audrey Horne. However, due to the series' cancellation, this theory has not been elaborated upon. 78

Doctor William Doc Hayward is a coroner, and performs the autopsy on Laura Palmer. His first name is not generally used, but because he is referred to as "Will" in one episode, it can be presumed to be "William"; he is normally referred to as just "Doc" most of the time. He is the husband of wheelchair bound Eileen, and father of three daughters Donna (who has by far the biggest role), Gersten and Harriet. The Doc is generally a balanced, fair man, but he is especially upset by Laura's murder, as he is a friend of the Palmer family, and his daughters knew her well. Unlike most of the characters on Twin Peaks he appears to have no major nasty secrets, or eccentricities. However, towards the end of the second series, we learn he may have been cuckolded by Benjamin Horne, fathering Donna. This is never resolved, though, because of the third series' cancellation. Doc Hayward also has an altercation with the abrasive Albert Rosenfield, who calls his work "amateur", and wishes to do more work on Laura's corpse. Benjamin Horne is a fervent capitalist, his business schemes lead Twin Peaks to a number of potential disasters. He is the father of Audrey, who he tends to leave to her own devices, and Johnny who is severely mentally handicapped. He has a very close relationship with his brother Jerry. He is married to Sylvia, who is not featured in the series very much. As well as running the hotel, and the local department store, Horne also runs a brothel called One Eyed Jacks, that is a major location for several plot-lines throughout the series. As the series begins, Ben is seen to be cold-blooded, ruthless, and criminal. While having an affair with Catherine Packard Martell, owner of the Packard Mill, he is also in bed with Catherines sister in law Josie Packard, and he is manipulating both of them as part of his plan to obtain the Packard Mill, and Ghostwood, the land on which it stands. Ben, Hank Jennings, and Josie all seem to have been involved in the death of Catherines brother Andrew (Josies husband, and the original owner of the mill). In addition to playing Catherine and Josie against each other, Ben is also involved in criminal enterprises with Leo Johnson, Hank Jennings, the Renault brothers, and Black Rose. Ultimately, Ben orders Leo Johnson to burn down the mill, orders Hank Jennings to ensure Catharine will be killed in the fire, and finally orders Hank to kill Leo. Though the mill burns, it is not entirely destroyed. Catherine disappears, but no body is found, and Leo is put into a coma, but does not die. Bens plans are complicated by Catharines not signing her insurance policy, and by his being arrested for Laura Palmers murder. Things soon to begin to unravel for Ben as the second season progresses. Following Audreys abduction by Jean Renault, Ben was forced to deal with the knowledge his daughter was aware of his more illegal business practices. Though never suspected of the many crimes he was responsible for, he was arrested for the one crime he did not commit, and as a result, his plans for the Ghostwood development fell through. Traumatized by this string of misfortunes, Ben suffered a severe nervous breakdown. As a result, he comes to believes he is fighting the American Civil War in which the South emerges victorious, a delusion that takes the combined efforts of Dr. Lawrence Jacoby, Audrey, his brother Jerry, and Bobby Briggs for him to ultimately snap out of. Following this, he becomes an environmentalist (that is implied at being a front for ruining Catherine Martells plans for the Ghostwood project), but overall he does appear to making a genuine effort to be good. As the series draws to a close, Ben suggests to Donna Hayward that he might in fact be her biological father, a suspicion that had been slowly growing in Donnas mind. This immediately draws him into conflict with Doc Hayward, and Donnas mother, Eileen Hayward. Both men come to blows in the Hayward family home in the last episode, with Ben suffering a severe blow to the head on a fireplace as a result of the violent confrontation. The full extent of this injury, and even if it was indeed fatal, is unclear. Audrey Horne was born August 24, 1972, Audrey fits the image of a poor little rich girl. She is able to get anything she wants except for her father's love. Benjamin Horne, the town's business magnate, gave that love to deceased Laura Palmer, both physically and emotionally. Audrey is labeled a troublemaker and lives up to that expectation. In a memorable scene in the Twin Peaks pilot, Audrey blew her father's business deal worth millions by interrupting a meeting of Norwegian investors and telling them about Laura's murder. Audrey appears emotionally upset although she and Laura were not friends. She says she "kind of loved Laura" because she taught and looked after her mentally retarded brother Johnny. In later episodes, she develops a crush on Special Agent Dale Cooper and helps him investigate Laura's murder by infiltrating the brothel One-Eyed Jack's. In the final episode, Audrey is helping out at the bank where a bomb trap goes off, most likely killing Audrey, Andrew Packard and the banker. The bomb, being an ironic "reward" of a long treasure hunt, was planted by the late Thomas Eckhardt. Big Ed Hurley runs the local gas station, aka "Big Ed's Gas Farm" and is an "unofficial" deputy. He is married to Nadine, with whom he is clearly troubled. He looks after James Hurley, his nephew. He is secretly seeing Norma Jennings, with whom he had been in love with, since high school. He is also one of the Bookhouse Boys. James Hurley is the nephew of Big Ed, and lives with them, due to his parents' problems. He frequently has problems with women, and is a keen motorcycle rider. His major enemy is Bobby Briggs. James was Laura Palmer's secret boyfriend. She went off with him secretly the night she died, and she gave him half of her heart necklace. After Laura dies, he falls in love with Donna Hayward. Donna and James bury the half necklace out in the forest to try and allay suspicion from him. Norma Jennings owns the Double R Diner, which she runs with Shelly Johnson, a good friend of hers, and is organizer of meals on wheels, formerly with Laura Palmer. She is a former Miss Twin Peaks, and her birth name is "Blackburn", as in her sister Annie. It is implied she may have some kind of Roman Catholic background. She is the lover of Big Ed Hurley, and married to Hank Jennings, who is a paroled prisoner. Her mother is a food critic, and the two have a bad relationship. She does not care for Hank, but she adores Ed. She feels that she married the wrong man, and now she is stuck with him. She finds it difficult to trust Hank, because he is a criminal, and he has let her down in the past. What she would really like to do is to divorce Hank and marry Ed, but events continually prevent her from doing this. The neon sign outside the diner says RR Diner, which may stand for Railroad Diner, in reference to its location. Catherine Packard Martell, in the back story which occurs prior to the start of the series, Catherine was the sister of Andrew Packard, the owner of the Packard Mill. Catherine is married to a former lumberjack, Pete Martell, but their happiness was short lived. Though they remained married, Catharine holds her more simple and naive husband in 79

contempt. Her brother Andrew was killed in a boating accident, and though she runs the Packard mill, it is owned by Josie Packard, Andrew's young widow. Catherine is having an affair with local businessman and landowner Ben Horne, owner of Horne's Department Store, the Great Northern Hotel, and (secretly) the brothel One-Eyed Jack's, with whom she is plotting the burning down of the mill. Unknown to Catharine, Ben is also in bed with Josie, and the two of them are plotting to cut her out of the picture entirely, with the intent to eventually shut down the mill and develop the land for their own profit. Catherine does not suspect that Ben is also playing Josie against her. Toward the end of season 1, an insurance agent informs her that Horne and Josie have tried to take out an insurance policy on her, and she realizes she has been duped. She has a reconciliation of sorts with her husband Pete, but is lured to the mill by Hank Jennings, as she searches for a ledger. Leo Johnson burns down the mill, and Catherine's body is not found. Later, in season 2, a mysterious Japanese investor, Mr. Tajimora, comes to Twin Peaks, and offers Ben Horne $5 million in advance to pull out of his deal with the Icelanders. Immediately after accepting this money, Horne is arrested for the murder of Laura Palmer. All of his financial plans are ruined, and Mr Tajimora reveals himself to be Catherine in disguise. Catherine returns to the mill and her home. Meanwhile, Businessman Thomas Eckhadt, the true power behind Josie, demands that she return to Hong Kong. Josie, terrified, pleads Catherine for mercy and protection. At this same time, Josie's husband Andrew returns. Andrew had anticipated the plot on his life, and allowed the town to think he was dead. Catherine humiliates Josie and forces her to act as her personal maid. Thomas Eckhardt comes to the mill and Catherine tells him he can have Josie, then gives Josie a handgun. Andrew visits Josie one last time, and sends her off to her death. Josie meets Eckhardt in a room at the Great Northern, and shoots him dead. FBI Agent Dale Cooper and Sherriff Harry Truman arrive just as Eckhardt dies, and Josie confesses to shooting Cooper weeks before. Josie then drops dead, ensuring Catherine's revenge is complete. Peter Martell was born on June 28, 1934 Pete is a lumberjack who married his boss' sister, feisty Catherine Packard. What started as a "summer's indiscretion", developed into a marriage on the rocks, a marriage that from Pete's perspective never should have happened. "Catherine is plain hell to live with it", Pete once admits during the course of the show. Catherine is ruthless, stubborn and determined and doesn't make anything easy for her husband that she feels is a useless, soft old fool. However, it is also made clear that Catherine was far richer than him, before the marriage so he has at least a financial consolation. He is a keen angler. While Catherine plots to get back his late brother's business, the Packard mill, from his widow Josie Packard whom she despises, Pete spends his time fishing ("There's a fish in the percolator!") and joking affectionately with Josie. Perhaps too good to be true, Josie is pure balsam to Pete after Catherine's constant spite and contempt. Pete is a champion chess player, and regular winner of the Twin Peaks Chess Tournament. He uses this advantage in the second season to help Special Agent Dale Cooper with his chess game against Windom Earle. Lucy Moran is a first grade example of a "dumb blonde". She is a secretary at the Twin Peaks' sheriff's department and seems unable to stop talking once she gets started. She is seeing deputy sheriff Andy Brennan, until she gets bored of him and starts seeing Richard Tremayne on the side, who is responsible for men's clothing at the Horne's department store. Lucy gets pregnant, and she isn't sure who the father is. At the end she decides Andy would make a better father than selfish Richard, and Andy is eager for the job. Josie Packard is from Hong Kong, and is ethnic Chinese. In the opening credits, she is listed as Jocelyn Packard. On a show with many mysterious and unpredictable characters, few were more mysterious than Josie Packard. Josie's is the first face we see in the first moments of the pilot. She is seated at a vanity applying her makeup. When Pete Martell bids his wife Catherine Martell goodbye for the morning and is rebuffed, Josie turns around silently, her face pale like a mask, lips red as blood. She observes the sad scene without comment, but with an expression as artfully sad as a painting. Throughout the first season, Josie seems innocent, an easy mark and potential victim for her more savvy and cunning sister in law, Catherine, and Catherine's lover, Ben Horne. It is only later that we learn that Josie is not at all what she seems. A Chinese native, Josie owned the Packard Mill, which she received after her husband, Andrew's death in a boating accident. Andrew's sister Catherine Martell hated Josie with a passion, sure that she was responsible for Andrew's demise. Josie had in fact met Andrew under the employ of the sinister Thomas Eckhardt. After her husband's death, Josie started dating the town sherriff, Sheriff Harry S. Truman. Josie was good friends with Pete Martell, Catherine's husband. He was one of the few to see her fragile side and he strove to protect her the entire time he knew her. Though Josie's English was quite good (despite problems with idioms and turns of phrase), she was taking English lessons from Laura Palmer, right up until the day of Laura's death. (In the non-canonical Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, it is revealed that Laura and Josie were sexual partners as well.) At first, we see Catharine and Ben Horne conspiring to steal ownership of the mill away from Josie. Later, it was revealed that Josie herself was in fact working with Ben Horne to cut Catharine out of the picture, and that Josie employed Hank Jennings to kill Andrew with Ben's knowledge and complicity. Still later, it was revealed that all the while she was taking orders from Andrew's former business partner and rival, Thomas Eckhardt (played by David Warner). FBI Agent Dale Cooper, in town investigating the murder of Laura Palmer, had befriended Sherriff Truman, and quickly detected Truman's feelings for Josie, but did not himself trust her at all. He tries to warn Truman against trusting Josie too much, but to no avail. At the end of the first season, a mysterious caller shoots Cooper. (He survives, thanks to a bulletproof vest, but does not get a look at his assailant.) In the show's second season, Josie was horrified when both of the men in her life returned. Andrew had not been killed in the boat accident, and now he returned to live with Catherine. The two of them treated Josie as a maid. Eckhardt then arrived in Twin Peaks and ordered Josie to come see him. On the last night of her life, we see her as we first met her, sitting at a vanity, applying her makeup, and tragically sad and afraid. She considered Eckhardt a dangerous man, and feeling she was going to her death, took a gun with her. Cooper, who had been monitoring Josie discreetly, learns from coat hair fibers found at the scene that it was she who had shot him. He went to the Great Northern to arrest her, followed by 80

Truman. Unfortunately, he was too late to prevent Josie from killing Eckhardt. However, Josie suddenly collapsed dead, just moments later, in front of Coopper and a shattered Truman. At the moment of her death, Cooper saw a vision of BOB and the Man from another place. At the autopsy, her body had a dramatic loss in weight. Deputy Hawk speculated that her soul was no longer in the body. Indeed, it appeared that Josie's soul was trapped within the wood of the hotel. Due to the show's cancellation, any resolution to Josie's fate was never known. However, she was mentioned once more when Pete said - at the hotel - "Josie, I see your face." Leland Palmer and his family (wife Sarah and daughter Laura) have always been well-known figures in the town of Twin Peaks; they seemed to be the perfect family. When Laura is murdered, Lelands psychological foundations begin to crumble. After her arrival, Madeleine Ferguson, Lauras cousin (and spitting image), is of great help to him in learning how to deal with his daughters death. Born February 26, 1944, Lelands early summers spent at a beach house would change his life forever, when he met a strange neighbour who turned out to be a demonic entity named BOB who would possess him throughout his life. As an adult, he molested and raped Laura throughout her teens, all the while controlled by Bob. It is eventually revealed that Leland killed both his daughter and his niece while under Bobs control. Ray Wise's performance as Leland Palmer is one of the strongest in the series: as his character unravels with the growing realization of what he has done, his behavior alternates artfully between that of an anguished father and an insane killer. Leland is eventually exposed and arrested by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper and Sheriff Harry Truman. He dies in custody following a convoluted series of circumstances in the Sheriff Station on the night of his arrest. At the moment of his death, the memories of his actions while being possessed by BOB return to him. However, Leland also apparently sees a vision of his daughter as he dies. As Cooper explains to the widowed Sarah in the following episode, it was most likely Laura forgiving him and welcoming him into the afterlife. In the final episode of the series, Beyond Life and Death, Cooper encounters what appears to be a doppelganger of Leland (or at least a representation of some aspect of Leland) in the Black Lodge, who tells him I didnt kill anyone. What exactly is meant by this statement, or by Lelands sudden appearance, remains unclear. However, it is strongly implied by the episodes conclusion that in an ironic twist, Cooper himself has now become a new host for BOB. Major Garland Briggs is a U. S. Air Force officer involved in Project Blue Book. He is the father of Bobby Briggs, whose smoking he cannot abide. His work is highly classified; he does not tell even his family about it. The role can be seen as a precursor to Daviss character Lt. Gen. George Hammond on the series Stargate SG-1, who is also an Air Force officer involved in secret projects. His greatest fear is that love is not enough. Due to Major Briggss secret investigations, the entrance to the Black Lodge is discovered in the woods at Twin Peaks. He is himself abducted (taken to the White Lodge?), and is told to deliver a message to Special Agent Dale Cooper at one point, by the Log Lady. In the second season, Major Briggs and Bobby find some common ground and make up. Margaret Lanterman, better known as the Log Lady, is a former ballroom dancing teacher, the Log Lady is now a fixture of the town of Twin Peaks, but most residents regard her as at least a bit crazy. A nature fan, Margaret's husband was a firefighter who died on their wedding night. She seems to possess knowledge that no one else does. Her log (which fans theorize contains the soul of her husband) saw something the night Laura was murdered, and some day it will be ready to tell its information. The notion of a human soul being trapped in wood parallels Josie Packard's entrapment in the drawer handle of the Great Northern Hotel late in the second season. She seems to possess psychic abilities. She approaches Cooper in one episode, saying that she has a feeling something is about to happen, and there are "owls in the Roadhouse". Her husband brought back a jar of oil from Glastonbury Grove, which he said was an "opening to a gateway". She still keeps this oil, and in one episode, allows Cooper to examine it. In one of the later episodes, Windom Earle disguises himself as her to kidnap Annie Blackburn from the Miss Twin Peaks pageant. Although Margaret's birthday is not known, she is a Libra. She is particularly fond of bear claws and sticky pitch gum. Annie Blackburn is the sister of Norma Jennings, from whom she gets a job in the Double R Diner. She appears in the final 6 episodes of the series and briefly in the prequel feature film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. She is a former nun who hasn't decided if she wants to remain in the secular world, but is willing to see what it can offer her. Despite her lack of experience outside the convent, Annie is not naive about everyday sorrows and transgressions. She can be seen as a mirror for FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper. She seems to possess an intangible quality that he is drawn to, almost hypnotically. Annie ultimately begins to represent a dark and painful truth from his past. Subsequently, she is cast into Agent Cooper's urgent quest to elude/capture the progenitor of his increasingly nightmarish existence. In the final episode of the series she is trapped in the Black Lodge by Windom Earle who brings her there as his "Queen" after she wins Miss Twin Peaks (Earl was playing a "sick chess game" involving real people prior to this) At the end of the episode Dale Cooper is himself possessed by the spirit of Bob, and he and Annie depart the Black Lodge. In Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Annie appears to Laura Palmer in a dream bruised and bloodied to warn her of her death, but as the events are still to happen Laura does not understand the message. Annie says, "My name is Annie, and I've been with Laura and Dale. The good Dale is in the Lodge, and he can't leave. Write it in your diary." Denise/Dennis Bryson is a transvestite DEA agent. The characters binary identity reflects the dualistic leitmotif of the series, as implied by its name. Bryson is Denise as a woman, and Dennis as a man, depending on what he is wearing at the time. Denise is initially drafted in by the DEA, when Coop is accused by the Mounties and the FBI of drug dealing and mishandling of the One Eyed Jacks stakeout. He becomes a transvestite, when on a job for the DEA, where he was required to cross-dress to buy from a particular suspect and found it relaxed him. He said it was a very confusing two weeks. Denises transvestite side comes in useful during the Dead Dog Farm incident, where he is able to deliver a pizza into a stake-out site, as a woman, and thus end the siege. FBI Regional Bureau Chief Gordon Cole is Agent Coopers boss in the FBI. He is very hard-of-hearing (wearing large hearing aids) and thus speaks very loud. He often misunderstands what is said to him and replies with comedically 81

inappropriate responses. While in Twin Peaks, Cooper and he go to the Double R Diner where he is smitten by waitress Shelly Johnson (Mdchen Amick) who, hes surprised to find, he can hear perfectly well. At the beginning of Fire Walk with Me, Cole briefs agents Chester Desmond (Chris Isaak) and Sam Stanley (Kiefer Sutherland) on their assignment to investigate the murder of Teresa Banks. Cole uses a coded language, in the attire and gestures of Lil the Dancer (Kimberly Anne Cole), to inform the agents of what to expect in their investigation. Cole describes the Teresa Banks murder case as one of his blue rose cases. The exact meaning of this is never given, but fans have speculated that a blue rose case is one involving the supernatural. Coles coded messages sometimes baffle even his closest colleagues. In one episode, he says, Cooper, today you remind me of a small Mexican chihuahua. Cooper asks him what he means, but Cole changes the subject. The issue is never resolved. The name Gordon Cole is very likely a reference to Sunset Boulevard (1950), Billy Wilder's sardonic tale of Hollywood. In the film, Gordon Cole is a studio employee who cynically wants only to rent the car of a faded silent film star Norma Desmond, whereas she believes she is being recalled to the studio for her big comeback. Therefore, metaphorically speaking, Gordon Cole would be someone who is out of touch (can't hear), and is only interested in objects or symbols. Windom Earle is a former FBI agent, and the former partner of Agent Dale Cooper. He mainly features in the second season. He is an evil genius and a master of disguise, well-versed in esoterica from all parts of the world, including the dugpas who are said to be ancient sorcerers from Tibet, who were dedicated to pure evil. Cooper says of Windom Earle his mind is like a diamond: cold, hard and brilliant. Earle claims to have killed his wife Caroline, the love of Coopers life. He also has a fascination with the Black Lodge, whose secrets he is trying to unlock, as well as black magic. A homicidal psychopath, he kills a number of people throughout the series. Major Garland Briggs states that Earle was involved in Project Blue Book, as was Briggs; however, their investigation in which Earle was involved was directly related to Twin Peaks and not the usual UFO investigations. He is obsessed with chess and this also plays a role in some of the episodes, when he decides to use real people as the pieces. When he had worked with Cooper, they played a game every day. Cooper enlists the help of Pete Martell, a genius chess player, to stalemate the game with as few pieces lost as possible. At one point, Earle leaves a plaster mask of Caroline on Coopers bed, with a tape recorder underneath. At another, he shuts down the towns power station causing chaos. He also hides a bug within a bonsai in Twin Peaks Sheriffs Department, which Sheriff Truman thinks is from Josie Packard. Towards the end of the second season, Leo Johnson becomes Windom Earles slave, and is controlled by an electric dog collar. They capture Major Garland Briggs, and Earle interrogates him fairly unsuccessfully using Haloperidol. Major Briggs does, however, end up revealing that fear opens the gate to the Black Lodge. Earle chooses, three Queens (Audrey, Donna and Shelly) for a gathering of the Angels, by giving them each a third of a poem (If thou kiss not me by Percy Shelley) and arranging for them to meet in the Roadhouse. However, in the end he uses Annie Blackburn for queen after she wins Miss Twin Peaks, and takes her into the Black Lodge. Earle appears to be killed by BOB in the Black Lodge, when he attempts to take Coopers soul. BOB says that Earle cannot ask for souls, but he will take Earles. Dramatically, Earle represents an alternate Cooper - an FBI agent, once pure and following a code representing good, but ultimately being corrupted and pursuing evil; the implication being that even a pure soul like Cooper can wind up like Earle. Thomas Eckhardt is the former business partner of Andrew Packard, and is obsessively in love with Josie Packard. He has an assistant "Jones", played by Brenda Strong. He has strong connections to East Asia, particularly to Hong Kong, and it is not completely clear if he is English or Australian. The name "Thomas Eckhardt" is probably derived from Meister Eckhart, a medieval German mystic, who was a follower of Thomism, a doctrine based on the teachings of St Thomas Aquinas. Eckhardt controls Josie Packard, and made her assassinate Andrew Packard, her husband in a boating "accident". He himself is shot by Josie, and after he is shot, Josie apparently dies almost instantly in mysterious circumstances, accompanied by the appearance of "BOB", who says "Coop, what happened to Josie? What happened to Josie?" Before he dies, Eckhardt leaves a mysterious puzzle to Andrew Packard and Catherine Martell. It is a box, with an astrological code on it (paralleling the Black Lodge/Windom Earle theme), which contains several other boxes within it, Russian doll fashion, and which is finally discovered to contain a safety deposit key for the local bank. When the box is opened by Andrew, a bomb is triggered, but as it's the final episode ever made, we don't know what damage was done. Madeleine "Maddy" Ferguson first appears near the end of the first season, when she travels to Twin Peaks from her hometown of Missoula, Montana. She comes to help her aunt and uncle, Leland and Sarah Palmer, overcome the loss of their daughter, Laura, who had been murdered. Though Maddie seems to be a few years older than Laura, she quickly befriends Donna Hayward and James Hurley, Laura's closest friends, and helps them in their investigation into Laura's death. Maddie, innocent and sweet, stands in stark contrast to Laura, whose personal life is steeped in sex and deception. Because Maddie is played by the same actress who played Laura, the two characters look identical, excluding Maddie's dark hair and bookish glasses. Maddie even remarks that she and Laura used to pretend they were sisters. At one point, Maddie even appears in a blonde wig in order to lure out one of the suspects. Like Laura's mother and Laura herself, Maddie has premonitions, including one of a bloodstain on the floor of the Palmers' living room and another of BOB, a demonic entity plaguing the town. Eventually, the identity of Laura's murderer is revealed in the episode "Lonely Souls," when Maddie is herself murdered by Leland Palmer in a violent recreation of Laura's murder. Maddie's death shortly leads to Leland's arrest. In the week preceeding the night of her murder (i.e., the six prior episodes of season two), Maddy begins to resemble her cousin more and more: her hair (though still dark) straightens, she stops wearing her glasses, and in her carriage and demeanor she behaves more like the character of Laura seen in the prequel movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me than the Maddy shown in the first season. Resemblance to Laura may have been key to Maddy's murder, as it is revealed in Fire Walk With Me that Teresa Banks, the first of Leland's victims, was selected because "you look just like my Laura." Additionally, in the episode where Leland is caught, it is implied that Donna might have become victim #4 when Leland learns that Donna is wearing Laura's sunglasses, given to her earlier by Maddy. 82

Jerry Horne is the playboy brother of Ben Horne in the series Twin Peaks. He is fond of travelling, and food, but is not overweight. He also likes to frequent One Eyed Jacks. He is uncle of Audrey and Johnny Horne. Nadine Hurley is married to Big Ed and is well known in the town for her ferocity and eccentricity. Nadine wears a patch over her left eye, having lost it in a hunting accident on their honeymoon. Ed's guilt over the accident (and other things) is perhaps all that holds together their mostly unhappy marriage, as he would rather have married Norma Jennings, his high-school sweetheart. After trying to commit suicide at the end of the first season (by overdosing on a mixture of pills), Nadine awakes from the resulting coma believing herself to be a teenager in high school and, incidentally, just "dating" her husband. Inexplicably, she also acquires a permanent, almost superhuman strength after she awakens from the coma (though her potential strength is hinted at in a season one episode in which she bends the tempered steel bars of a rowing machine while furiously exercising). Though the cause of her "power" is left largely to the viewer's imagination, adrenaline is circuitously mentioned at one point by Dr. Jacoby, as well as is the comment, "that tissue's packed in there pretty tight." As series two progresses, Nadine and Ed decide to "break up," and she begins pursuit of teenage Mike Nelson (captain of the Twin Peaks wrestling team). This in turn leaves Ed free to pursue Norma. In the final episode, Nadine suffers a blow to the head that results in the simultaneous loss of her great strength and her delusions of teenhood (she apparently, however, has no memory of anything that has occurred at least as far back as the suicide attempt). The full repercussions of her recovery, including the potential scuppering of Big Ed's and Norma's newlyannounced marriage plans, were left to be addressed in a third season that was never to be. Dr Lawrence Jacoby is a highly eccentric psychiatrist. Born January 30, 1934, Jacoby grew up in Hawaii and remains fascinated by it. Jacoby was seeing Laura Palmer as a patient prior to her murder. Jacoby confesses to FBI agent Dale Cooper he's not a good person, and he really doesn't care about his patients who see him as their friend. Laura changed all that, and Laura changed him. Laura was in pain and the reasons for that were so mysterious that Jacoby couldn't penetrate the walls she had built around it. Dr. Jacoby is married to a Hawaiian woman, who is only seen once in the course of the series. He is known for keeping cocktail umbrellas marked with dates of influential events that affected him. He is also a keen surfer. A recognizable trait of the Doc's were his glasses - one lens of which was blue, the other red. He also could do some conjuring tricks. Hank Jennings was serving time in prison, and is due for parole, which he soon gets. A career criminal, albeit a more professional one than Leo Johnson. Prior to the start of the series, Hank was hired by Josie Packard to help in the murder of her husband Andrew Packard, owner of the Packard Saw Mill and brother of Catharine Martell. Andrew Packard is later revealed to have anticipated and secretly avoided this attempt on his life. Hank does time in prison for the crime of manslaughter in an apparent drunken driving accident, which he uses as an alibi for the night of Andrew Packard's supposed murder, on the understanding that Josie will pay him $90,000 upon his release. After being released from prison, he threatens Josie and tries to extort more from her. Hank ends up being hired for a number of shady dealings, firstly by Benjamin Horne, and then by Jean Renault. In particular, he is responsible for shooting Leo, after Leo set fire to the Packard Mill on Hank's orders. The shot does not kill Leo, but sends him into a coma. After this, he is part of the "friendly takeover" of One Eyed Jacks. Unfortunately for Hank, Leo had been attacking Bobby Briggs with an axe at the time, and Hank is unaware that Bobby is a witness. He has a difficult relationship with Josie Packard, who owes him a sum of money. He makes them "blood siblings" by the pricking of thumbs. However, one of Josie's associates from Hong Kong comes and sorts him out. Hank violates parole in a number of different ways, not only by committing crime, but also by going over the Canadian border, and by being involved with the Dead Dog Farm stake out. He also has a difficult relationship with his wife, for example, he uses her good faith to get him a job at the Double R Diner. He tries to get an alibi from his wife, Norma, by blackmailing her while she visits his cell at the police station. Norma wants a divorce to marry Big Ed Hurley, so Hank replies "you give me my alibi, and I'll give you a divorce". When he tells her, that she is Big Ed's "whore", she says "I'd rather be his whore than your wife." Big Ed and Norma have been having a relationship since high school but are both married to other people. When Hank decides to punish Big Ed, he has the misfortune to run into the superhumanly strong Nadine Hurley (Ed's wife), who instead gets a hold of Hank and beats him to a pulp. Hank spends the remainder of the series on crutches. Hank is bad to the bone, and when pretending not to be, he puts on a nice-guy persona which manages to convince some people. It is told by Sheriff Harry S. Truman that Hank was once one of the Bookhouse Boys, and in fact, "one of the best". How that is possible with all we know about him is never revealed, but in this respect Hank serves as an contrary literary figure, or foil, to Sheriff Truman. Leo Johnson is one of the major suspects in the murder of Laura Palmer, with whom he had sex at least once. He is a drug runner, and is also linked with Jacques Renault, whom he smuggles over the border. According to the town sheriff, Johnson is free only because the department hasnt found sufficient evidence. Johnson beats up his wife Shelly regularly, often just because he can but also because of his (accurate) suspicions of her infidelity. He also reads Fleshworld magazine and advertises for sexual link-ups through it. Leo traps Shelly in the Packard Saw Mill and sets it in on fire as revenge for her affair with Bobby Briggs, but Shelly is freed by Catherine Packard Martell and survives. To cover for the fire, Ben Horne hires Hank Jennings to shoot Johnson. By coincidence, Johnson is attacking Bobby at the time (with an axe), so Bobby witnesses Hank shooting Johnson. Leo subsequently lapses into a coma, and is confined a wheelchair. He appears to be brain damaged, but eventually returns to consciousness by unknown means and attacks Shelly. Towards the end of the second season, he becomes Windom Earles slave, and is controlled by an electrified collar. He releases Major Garland Briggs from captivity, apparently finding some degree of redemption in his desire to save Shelly from Earle. Earle responds by confining Johnson in a contraption which will release deadly spiders on his body as soon as he unclenches his jaw. Evelyn Marsh, unlike most of the other characters, did not actually live in Twin Peaks, but one of the towns nearby, which James Hurley "drifts" to, after he has a fall-out at home with Donna Hayward. She is very wealthy, and she 83

and her absentee husband, Geoffrey/Jeffrey, own a small fleet of expensive cars, which she initially drafts James into repair. (James' uncle, Big Ed runs the Twin Peaks garage) She engages James in a kind of toyboy sexual relationship, mainly with a view to set him up as a fall guy, for her husband's murder. She is actually involved with a third man, Malcolm Sloan, who she pretends is a brother. James is left to pick up the pieces. Her husband beats her. When her husband is murdered, she regrets framing James, and argues with Malcolm. Malcolm later tries to murder her, but ends up being shot by Evelyn, which allows James to go free. Mike Nelson was close friends with Bobby Briggs and was the boyfriend of Donna Hayward. He was on both the high school football and wrestling teams. Extra-curricularly he dealt drugs with Bobby. As Donna grew closer to James Hurley, she broke up with Mike. Mike initially didn't take the breakup well, but soon became involved with an amnesiac Nadine Hurley. Mike fell in love with Nadine and planned to marry her, but was heartbroken when she regained her memory and returned to her husband Ed. Mike was illustrative of the theme of duality that pervaded Twin Peaks. He was, with Bobby, one of two duos in the series named "Mike" and "Bob," the other being Mike Gerard the one-armed man and Bob. Blackie O'Reilly, nicknamed The Black Rose, is the madame of One Eyed Jacks, the casino/brothel just north of the Canadian border. She runs Jack's at the behest of its secret owner, Benjamin Horne. Andrew Packard was formerly the owner of the Packard Sawmill, brother of Catherine and husband of Josie Packard. He was the former business partner of Thomas Eckhardt, a sinister businessman, operating in the Far East. He was killed in a boating "accident". Naturally, Andrew is not really dead at all, but being shielded by Catherine. The accident was an attempted assassination by Josie, on the orders of Thomas Eckhardt. Andrew and Catherine have a mutual distrust, but are also mutually beneficient. Catherine seems to resent the fact that Pete, her husband, gets on so well with Andrew and that they joke together. Before he dies, Eckhardt leaves a mysterious puzzle to Andrew Packard and Catherine Martell. It is a box, with an astrological code on it (paralleling the Black Lodge/Windom Earle theme), which contains several other boxes within it, Russian doll fashion, and in which is finally discovered to contain a safety deposit key for the local bank - after Andrew shoots a couple of bullets into the smallest one. When the box is opened by Andrew, a bomb is triggered, but as it's the final episode ever made, we don't know what damage was done. Sarah Palmer is the mother of Laura Palmer and the wife of Leland Palmer. Laura is found murdered in the pilot episode of Twin Peaks. Sarah's husband Leland has been a bit unstable since the murder, and Sarah doesn't know what's going on. Sarah has some paranormal powers, and she is known for (on some occasions) predicting the future or seeing people (Bob) no one else sees. In the Pilot episode, she has a vision of the other half of Laura's necklace(buried by James Hurley) being dug up. The Renault brothers are a trio of Franco-Columbians and heavily involved in various kinds of crime, especially drug running. The three have connections with One Eyed Jacks, the casino and brothel, just over the border in British Columbia. Bernard, Drug runner, and youngest. Jacques croupier at One Eyed Jacks, bartender at the Roadhouse, drugrunner, had sex with Laura Palmer. He has several jobs on the go. Jean is the eldest of the three and hides his ruthlessness behind charm. He has the biggest role in the series. No two of the three brothers are ever shown together on screen during the series. By the end of the series, all three are killed. Bernard is the first picked up, and interrogated by the Bookhouse Boys (I aint no mule), refusing to answer all their questions properly. However, he manages to warn Jacques to stay away from the roadhouse, because something is afoot. He is later murdered and left in the woods by Leo Johnson. Jacques is an overweight bartender who had sex with Laura before she was killed. He is questioned incognito by Dale Cooper at One Eyed Jacks and produces a clue in the shape of a broken casino chip which had been bitten by Laura Palmer. He is fooled into returning to Twin Peaks, and is ambushed there. He is just about to pull his gun, when he is shot by Deputy Andy Brennan, whose gun toting skills have somewhat improved. He ends up in hospital, where he is suffocated by Leland Palmer. Jean is keen to take over One Eyed Jacks for himself and deposes Blackie, the madame, in favor of her sister Nancy. When Audrey Horne goes undercover in One Eyed Jacks and is caught and held to ransom, Jean delivers the ransom demand and video to her father Benjamin Horne. He tries to win the favour of Audrey by pretending to be her friend, but ends up falling foul of both camps when Cooper and Sheriff Truman gatecrash One Eyed Jacks and rescue Audrey. Jean escapes but is later killed when Cooper gets wind of a drug deal going on between Jean and Twin Peaks resident convict Hank Jennings at Dead Dog Farm. Albert Rosenfield is an FBI Agent and forensics expert brought in to apply his extraordinary forensic skills to the case of Laura Palmer's murder, and the linked murders and violent events. Albert quickly made fans among viewers, if not townspeople, with his extremely sarcastic and wittily abrasive manner. Rosenfield alienated the Twin Peaks sheriff's department relatively quickly, mocking Andy, and enraging Sheriff Harry S. Truman to the point where Truman lost his temper and punched Rosenfield. He also rowed with Doc Hayward, and was very disparaging about the capabilities of the local police and medical facilities in Twin Peaks generally, showing respect only to his FBI colleagues. A later appearance, and another conflict with Sheriff Truman, led to an emotional moment where Rosenfield exposed a sensitive and peaceloving side, seemingly at odds with his acerbic surface persona and to the complete shock of the sheriff and viewers alike. Such complex, contradictory characters were typical of Twin Peaks and the works of David Lynch in general. "While I will admit to a certain cynicism, the fact is that I am a naysayer and a hatchetman in the fight against violence. I pride myself in taking a punch and will gladly take another because I choose to live my life in the company of Gandhi and King. My concerns are global. I reject, absolutely, revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method, is love. I love you Sheriff Truman" Harold Smith has agoraphobia and thus does not leave his home. Laura Palmer delivered him his meals and that is how they met. Laura gave Harold her secret diary for safe-keeping, because BOB can't see him. Harold grows and 84

develops new orchid species in his home. Harold was found dead, the cause of death being ruled as suicide. His suicide note read "J'ai une ame solitaire." (Roughly translated from the French: "I am a lonely soul.") Dick Tremayne is an Englishman of the older mould, and has a keen interest in self-preservation and his appearance, particularly his clothing. He does not appear in the earlier episodes. Dick is a selfish, pretentious man, whom Lucy Moran saw awhile on the side. Dick doesnt give a time of day to anyone else but himself. He works at the Hornes Department store, at men's clothing. When he finds out Lucy is pregnant (and isnt sure who the father of the baby is), he has to get himself together; then he starts seeing and helping an orphan boy who needs a father figure. Because of this, he has an ongoing rivalry with Deputy Andy Brennan, shown embarrassingly in the episodes with Little Nicky. Teresa Banks is a 17 year old drifter and cocaine addict. Her murder in Deer Meadow, Washington, preceded that of Laura Palmer. Banks lived at the Fat Trout trailer park for a month (where minor series characters Mrs. Chalfont and her grandson also lived until they moved away following Teresa's murder). She worked the night shift as a waitress at Hap's Diner. Her body was found, wrapped in plastic, in Wind River. She died from "repeated blows to the back of the head by a blunt obtuse-angled object," according to FBI Special Agent Sam Stanley. The murderer took her ring, which was adorned with a symbol used late in the series in conjunction with the Black Lodge. Stanley also discovered a small piece of white paper imprinted with the letter "T" beneath the nail of her left ring finger, what would become the calling card of the serial killer who later murdered Laura Palmer and attacked Ronnette Pulaski. Stanley and Special Agent Chester Desmond investigated her murder on the orders of FBI Chief Gordon Cole. No one claimed her body after her murder, and she had no known next of kin. Like Laura and Ronnette, Teresa placed personal ads in Fleshworld, a fictional swingers magazine known to be read and utilized by Twin Peaks drug dealer Jacques Renault, who also ran a sort of lowkey prostitution ring on the side. It was through such an advertisement that she became acquainted with Laura's father, Leland Palmer, who muses "you look just like my Laura" (a later murder, Laura's cousin Madeline Ferguson, is also said to have been chosen because she resembled Laura). One day, Palmer arrives at a motel room having pre-arranged a rendezvous with Banks and "some of (her) girlfriends" and, to his surprise, discovers one of these to be his daughter. Palmer ducks out before Laura sees him, but Banks becomes suspicious of his sudden change of heart. Eventually, she discovers Leland's identity and attempts to blackmail him but is subsequently murdered before she can collect. There are many unanswered questions about the Banks murder, as left open-ended by the film and series, such as: What is Banks's association (if any) with the supernatural elements of the storyline? The existence (and then disappearance) of her ring suggests some connection, but this is never made clear. To what extent is the Banks murder committed by "Bob" and to what extent by "Leland"? It is clear that both are involved (the letter "T", the blackmail, etc.), but the levels of involvement are unclear given the assertion made in the series that Leland is unable to remember events that occur when Bob takes control of him (an assertion that the film arguably serves to disprove). What is the extent of the relationship between Banks and Jacques Renault (and, subsequently, the authorities in Deer Meadow)? The Bookhouse Boys are a secret society on Twin Peaks. They derive their name from the "bookhouse" in which they meet, and, as the name suggests, they are all male. They are formed partly to circumvent a kind of darkness surrounding the town, and many within the police department are members. They also play a kind of vigilante role against drug dealers etc. The series says that it was formed about twenty years previous to the events, so probably some time in the 1960s. Like the Freemasons, they have their own secret gestures. They are not afraid to take the law into their own hands, e.g. when Bernard Renault is interrogated in the Bookhouse. When Sheriff Truman loses Josie Packard, he goes on a drunken "bender" and trashes the place. The Man from Another Place is one of several spirits that live primarily in the White and Black Lodges, other dimensional places which are sometimes accessed by the unwary in the woods surrounding the town of Twin Peaks. The lodges seem to represent good and evil. The living can accidentally find them and become trapped in them. The lodges are also accessible to the souls of the dead. The spirits of the lodges seem to have different purposes. Some are evil, and feed on pain and lust. Some visit the living in dreams or appear out in the open, often to deliver mysterious warnings. The Man from Another Place has been seen to deliver warnings or shed light on mysterious tragedies, as well as mediate among the spirits, suggesting that he is a figure of balance. The Man from Another Place is dressed in a sharp red suit, is very short, and talks in an odd, distorted way. He seems to reside in a red curtained room, later learned to be the White and Black Lodges. If nothing else, the color scheme represents fear, terror, arousal, and imminent danger. The Man dances in an odd, old fashioned way to jazzy music. There exists in the Man from Another Place the queer promise of a strange, occult knowledge that is paramount for FBI Agent Dale Cooper in his pursuit of Laura Palmers killer. The events that occur in the White and Black Lodges do not always happen concurrently with the linear timeline of the outside world, suggesting that they exist outside of the regular flow of time, and can be unremembered by those who experience them. FBI Agent Dale Cooper first encounters the Man from Another Place, and the Lodges, in a dream which a caption (25 years later...) indicates depicts some kind of future events, and in the dream Cooper is noticeably older. In the movie prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Laura Palmer has a dream where she sees a young Dale Cooper meet the Man in the Lodge for the first time. When Cooper later dreams of the Lodge, he has no memory of this encounter. The character appears in five episodes over the course of the series, as well as material from the second episode which was aired as part of the pilot episode when released as an individual release in Europe and Japan. In the prequel to the Twin Peaks TV series, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, he appears again in a dream, where he enigmatically tells Agent Dale Cooper I am the arm. (Coincidentally, another character, Phillip Gerard AKA Mike, is missing an arm, raising the possibility that The Man From Another Place is the spiritual embodiment of the missing arm, which Mike cut off to free himself from his evil impulses). He also says, My voice sounds like this, and makes a high pitched beeping noise, like a beacon. This same noise is heard in the movie when Agent Chester Desmond visits a trailer park and disappears. When Cooper investigates the trailer park, he finds the words Lets Rock scrawled across the windshield of Desmonds car. These same words are 85

spoken by the Man in the 25 years later... dream in Twin Peakss second episode. Agent Cooper is also visited in dreams by the Giant, another spirit who also gives him warnings. In the show's final episode, Cooper enters the White and Black Lodges. He again encounters the little man, as well as the Giant. The Giant sits on the couch next to the little man, and they say to Cooper, "one and the same". In this same final episode, the spirits and souls that appear in the black lodge seemed to have good or evil doubles, including, surprisingly, the Man from Another Place. Bob, often written as BOB or Killer BOB, is the primary villain in the Twin Peaks. He is portrayed as a malevolent entity who possesses people and feeds off their fear and the pleasures. Bob possesses people and uses their bodies to murder and rape. He seems to be an evil spirit of some kind, who has a connection to the woods and the owls outside the town. Bob was once human; in his corporeal form, he was a serial killer who committed his crimes with a man named Mike (Al Strobel). At some point, Mike had a religious epiphany and repented, cutting off his own arm to rid himself of a Fire Walk With Me tattoo, which symbolised being touched by an evil one. When Bob would not repent, Mike killed him. Bobs spirit remained, however, and possessed Leland Palmer in order to continue his rape and murder spree. Mike searched for Bob, aware that he was still killing, but not who his host was. Bobs victims are not aware that they have been possessed. Leland Palmer was possessed by Bob when he was still a boy. As an adult, Leland molested, raped and eventually murdered his daughter, Laura, all while possessed. It is implied that Laura allowed herself to be killed, because she knew that death was the only escape from the abuse. Another interpretation is that Laura gave in and allowed herself to be possessed by Bob, whereupon Leland tried to physically stop her. Bob's bloodlust took over and he killed Laura through Leland, robbing himself of his new chosen host body. By the end of the series (including the prequel film), Bob is known to have killed at least four people through Leland: Teresa Banks, Leland's mistress; Laura Palmer, his daughter; Jacques Renault (though it is debatable whether "Leland" or "Bob" did this one); and Madeline Ferguson, Leland's niece by marriage. Bob possesses several people during the shows run, and appears to be able to possess whomever he wishes, provided they let him in. The final episode of the show climaxed with Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) being possessed by Bob. Bob is a symbol of the evil that can lurk beneath the surface of apparently ordinary people. FBI agent Albert Rosenfield articulates this at one point, suggesting that Bob is not a real entity unto itself, but rather an embodiment of the evil that men do. The Black Lodge is a fictional place from the television series Twin Peaks. It is an extradimensional place which seems to include the "Red Room" dreamt by Agent Cooper early in the series. It has a good "twin" in the "White Lodge". In the series, the character of Deputy Hawk says that the Black Lodge is from the mythology of his people, but the term also occurs in a book called The Devil's Guard by Talbot Mundy. In that book, it is associated with Tibet instead of Native American mythos. If that was the source that the writers used, then Special Agent Dale Cooper with his love of Tibet, would have been expected to know about it; this might explain the change. One entrance to the Black Lodge seems to be located in Ghostwood Forest surrounding the town of Twin Peaks. A pool of a substance akin to scorched engine oil, which may be an otherwordly substance, is surrounded by 12 young sycamore trees known as Glastonbury Grove. It is said that the key to gain entrance to the Black Lodge is fear. This is in contrast to the key to the White Lodge, which is love. Another requirement to enter the Black Lodge through the entrance in Glastonbury Grove is that it may only be entered "....when Jupiter and Saturn meet..." When the above requirements are met and one approaches the pool in Glastonbury Grove, red curtains seem to materialize out of nowhere which lead into the Lodge. There are some who believe there are portals in other locations around the world. There is a scene from the Fire Walk With Me script that was not put in the film. It precedes Phillip Jeffries's surprise appearance in the Philadelphia FBI offices. The scene is in the lobby of a hotel in Buenos Aires where Jeffries is staying. He boards the elevator and instead of getting off on the floor where his room is, he ends up in Philadelphia. Jeffries has been missing, according to FBI records, for two years. The experiences he relates to Albert, Cooper, and Gordon Cole can be said to have taken place in Buenos Aires, because the hotel was the last place he was seen. Major Briggs and the Log Lady's experiences also show that one can be "abducted" without being at the Lodge entrance, but just being near it. The Log Lady was in the woods when she disappeared and the Major and Cooper were camping in the woods at the time of his disappearance. These events tie all three disappearances to the Lodge. It remains unclear whether the White and Black Lodges are disparate realms. One could interpret the White Lodge and Black Lodge as one and the same placea possibility perhaps hinted at by the mirrored black and white tiling throughout the lodge. Indeed, neither black nor white stand out conspicuously in the Lodge; the dominant colour is the blood-red drapes in the background. This notion that the two Lodges are "one and the same" is consistent with the presence of other dualistic phenomena which seem to characterise the Lodge, such as the existence of one's doppelganger in apparently the same place and time. Another conception of the Black Lodge is that it is a realm of total evil which has usurped or absorbed its White counterpart. During the second season, Windom Earle relates a past-tense story about the White Lodge which is replete with Edenic imagery, possibly suggesting that the White Lodge belonged to a time now lost or forgotten. Earle then describes the Black Lodge in the present tense, perhaps indicating that it has replaced the White Lodge: A place of almost unimaginable power, chock full of dark forces and vicious secrets. No prayers dare enter this frightful maw. The spirits there care not for good deeds or priestly invocations, they're as like to rip the flesh from your bone as greet you with a happy "good day." And if harnessed, these spirits in this hidden land of unmuffled screams and broken hearts would offer up a power so vast that its bearer might reorder the Earth itself to his liking. Deputy Hawk describes the Black Lodge as "the shadow-self of the White Lodge. The legend says that every spirit must pass through there on the way to perfection. There, you will meet your own shadow self. My people call it 'The Dweller on the Threshold' ... But it is said, if you confront the Black Lodge with imperfect courage, it will utterly annihilate you soul." Life in the Lodge is difficult to describe. Time seems to have no meaning in this dimension, if it can be called that. Inhabitants of the Lodge speak in a warped dialect of English and often speak in riddles and non-sequiturs. This may be seen as parallel to some versions of shamanism, where the inhabitants of the otherworld may some times speak backwards. The Red Room is described by the 86

Little Man From Another Place as "the waiting room". It is unclear whether this implies differing locales within the Lodge or if it is, in its entirety, a place where things simply wait. One possibility is that the waiting room is a route through which all beings must pass in order to travel between the Lodge and the human world. An oft-recited poem from the series reads: Through the darkness of future past The magician longs to see. One chants out between two worlds, "Fire walk with me." In the final episode of Twin Peaks, Cooper meets the Man from Another Place in the waiting room before entering the Black Lodge proper. Only when the Man says ("chants out") "Fire walk with me" does the Waiting Room erupt in flame, and then descend into flickering blackness. This is arguably the moment at which Cooper has finally entered the Black Lodge. One Eyed Jacks is a brothel and casino owned by Ben Horne and run by Blackie O'Reilly, the madame. Like the Black Lodge, it is filled with red curtains. The girls are dressed up in outfits using playing cards. Unlike Twin Peaks, it is not in the U.S. state of Washington but just over the Canadian border in British Columbia. The name is significant - there is a one-eye leitmotif in the series for example, the Bookhouse Boys cover one eye as a secret gesture (which Laura Palmer also does in Agent Cooper's dream), and Nadine Hurley also has an eyepatch. A one armed man also features prominently in the series. One-Eyed Jacks is the name of a movie Stanley Kubrick, who Lynch has stated as an influence and frequently references, started to direct. Also, "One-Eyed Jack" is a euphemism for a penis. It is pivotal to the plot in many ways, because it is intimately connected with the murder of Laura Palmer, who worked there. It is also used for drug running. Audrey Horne has the unwise idea of trying to infiltrate One Eyed Jacks as a working girl, and nearly ends up sleeping with her father, who happens to be the owner. She avoids this by spurning him and putting a mask on her face. He only finds out later who she was. This mirrors Leland Palmer's sexual relationship with his daughter Laura. She discovers that girls are funneled into there through the perfume department of Horne's department store. Ben Horne, on Jerry's advice uses the place to secure a deal with some Icelandic investors. The three Renault brothers are all connected with One Eyed Jacks in some capacity. Jacques Renault works there as a croupier, and Jean tries to take it over. Jacques kept a One Eyed Jacks broken casino chip, which was bitten by Laura, when she was tied up and being pecked by a mynah bird. Hank Jennings and his father-in-law also visit One Eyed Jacks, pretending to be taking a hunting trip. The Bookhouse Boys go undercover to One Eyed Jacks, and later storm the place, which gets Agent Cooper into trouble with the DEA, when his enemies try to frame him. Notes on the Black & White Lodges: As the TP universe apparently revolves around the Black and White Lodges, they seem like a good place to start. So, this is what is going on... First, there is no 'White Lodge' (WL), at least not in the sense of there being a place separate from Twin Peaks in the same way that there is a Black Lodge (BL). In Fact, Twin Peaks IS the White Lodge (or at least, used to be). I think the best source of information we have about the Lodges is Windom Earle, since he has spent the most time researching them. When he describes the Lodges to Leo (ep26), he says "Once upon a time there was a place of great goodness called the White Lodge." Note that he uses the past tense here and elsewhere for the WL. He then goes on to describe the WL, which is an idyllic paradise - the garden of Eden. "Gentle fawns gamboled there amidst happy, laughing spirits. The sounds of innocence and joy filled the air. And when it rained, it rained sweet nectar that infused one's heart with a desire to live life in truth and beauty." Earle is describing TP as it once was, a place of perfect harmony. But that place no longer exists... "But, I am happy to point out that our story does not end in this wretched place of saccharine excess. For there's another place, its opposite: a place of almost unimaginable power, chock full of dark forces and vicious secrets. No prayers dare enter this frightful maw." Note that here Earle uses the present tense to suggest that the BL has usurped the power of the WL. This interpretation is at odds with the common views that 1) both Lodges exist separately from our world, or 2) both Lodges are really the same physical place. I believe the first view is wrong because the last two lines of Mike's poem state : "One chants out between two worlds, Fire Walk with Me". This indicates that the chant only operates between 2 worlds - if both Lodges were independent from Earth that would make 3 worlds (of course, it is possible that the poem only links the BL to earth and not the WL, but I don't then like the asymmetry of the fact that we are not given a corresponding link to the WL). In addition, Annie Blackburn, who makes a number of significant statements in her short appearance, tells Coop "Every forest has its shadow" (ep28), which alludes to the BL as a shadow-self of the WL. I don't accept the second view because Earle is very clear in describing the separate Lodges and in saying that the BL "is tangible, and as such it can be found and utilised" (ep27). The WL and BL both existed from the beginning of time. TP happens to be the site of the WL, which happens to be in our world and in our time-plane. The BL also has a physical 'site', though it is in a different temporal and spatial plane. Both worlds are completely independent of one other, but occasionally there are points in time and space at which physical gateways open up between the worlds - as depicted by the petroglyph in Owl cave. Coop tries to explain the fact that time for each Lodge is independent to Sheriff Truman using the meteor metaphor, essentially describing the ideas of relativity. From our point of view, time in the BL does not progress linearly (and vice versa). This will become important later. Just as there are spirits that inhabit the BL, there are spirits in the WL. The WL spirits still exist in the woods, but they have very little power in our present. At some point in the history of TP power over the WL was possessed by the spirits of the BL. In fact, we are told precisely when this occurred, again by Earle. It was when the Dugpas began to experiment with the power that they could gain via the BL. The spirits in the BL conferred some of their power on the Dugpas in return for an entry to the woods of TP. The power of the Dugpas was really an illusion - the BL spirits were exploiting them to increase their own power. The BL spirits are not able to cross between the two worlds at will - they need a special 'invitation': the spoken words "Fire Walk With Me". When these words are spoken, a spirit may cross from one Lodge to the other. So, in return for certain power, the Dugpas gave the spirits the opportunity to enter the WL through their chants, and they also provided the spirits with the fear that they need to survive outside the BL. Incidentally, this is why Mike repeatedly recites the poem: he wants to enable BOB to enter his world so that there can be a confrontation. It is also why Philip Gerard's arm had a tattoo of the phrase FWWM - people would often see the tattoo, and naturally enough read it, thus giving 87

frequent access to our world so that Mike could inhabit Gerard's body. When Mike no longer wanted to partner BOB in their killing, he cut off the arm to prevent the easy access. BTW, Mike is not reformed - but he has become the enemy of BOB - more later. When BOB kills Laura Palmer he leaves the phrase FWWM written on a piece of paper so that he will be able to return when the note is found. Ever since the rise of the Dugpas, the WL spirits have become increasingly impotent. Now, their only hope to conquer the spirits of the BL is to enlist the help of exceptional humans, notably The Major (not Coop). When the spirits became aware of the activities of Project BlueBook, they saw an opportunity to attract some help. They began signalling the Bluebook team to lead them to the forest. They attracted what they required when Major Briggs became involved. Ironically though, they also attracted the opposite of what they required with the arrival of Earle. Major Briggs and Earle are both exceptional people, one is purely good while the other pure evil. Recall that when Coop investigates Dead Dog farm (ep19) the real estate agent tells him of the legend of the farm: "Of all the people in the world the best and worst are drawn to Dead Dog.. most turn away. Only the purest of heart can feel its pain. And somewhere in between, the rest of us struggle." This ties in with the other local legend (the one that Hawk tells Coop about in ep18): "My people believe that the White Lodge is a place where the spirits that rule man and nature here reside. There is also a legend of a place called the Black Lodge ... the shadow-self of the White Lodge. The legend says that every spirit must pass through there on the way to perfection. There, you will meet your own shadow-self... But it is said, if you confront the Black Lodge with imperfect courage, it will utterly annihilate your soul." Together, these legends suggest the idea of the progression of the soul. Somewhere in the middle, most of us struggle, but probably through reincarnation, we have the chance to gradually increase the purity of our hearts (which could refer to pure good or evil). When one's heart is sufficiently pure, the BL is entered - if it is faced with perfect courage the soul may pass to perfection. If not, the soul is annihilated. Major Briggs and Earle have both been attracted to TP, though the purity in each of their hearts is very different. Major Briggs is being used by the WL spirits in an attempt to infiltrate the BL. They require someone exceptional, and with perfect courage so that they can enter without being annihilated. From time to time, Major Briggs is abducted by the WL Spirits. This is what happens when he disappears from the campsite with Coop (ep17). It has also happened many times before (as revealed by his wife in ep18). It seems that the Major is being sent into the BL, probably on a kind of fact-finding mission. When he returns, the WL spirits take his experiences from him to learn how they may enter the BL themselves - leaving Major Briggs with no memory of what has happened. Notes on Bob and Mike: We are told about the relationship between Mike and BOB by Mike (ep2 & ep9), when Mike says that he is similar to BOB, and that they were once partners. He then says that he saw the face of God, and was transformed, now intent only on stopping BOB. However, there is an alternative explanation... Mike says that BOB was his familiar, so BOB may originally have been Mike's lowly servant. It was BOB's job to collect fear for Mike in the BL. But BOB began to keep some of the fear for himself, and by feeding off the fear that he acquired he became very powerful powerful enough to inhabit humans outside of the BL. For a while, Mike enjoyed this, and the two became partners in killing, finding 'rich pickings' of fear in the human world and all the while increasing in power. At first BOB still needed Mike to gain access to the human world. When someone read the FWWM tattoo on Gerard's arm, Mike would have the opportunity to move into the WL. Once there, Mike could invite BOB by reciting the chant himself. However, BOB's power continued to increase, and when he found Laura, who liked to play with fire, he no longer needed Mike, and began killing on his own so as to keep the fear for himself. Mike became fearful of the power BOB gained and realized that BOB would have to be stopped before his power exceeded Mike's own. Not knowing that BOB had an alternate route into the WL (Laura), Mike cut off the tattooed arm so that BOB would not have the opportunity to enter via Gerard. Mike never did see the face of God, that is just a cover story to enlist the help of Coop and the others in finding BOB. Notes on Owls: It is tempting to link the Owl imagery to the experience of alien abductees who report screenmemories of Owls in order to black out the alleged truth of their stories. However, the evidence in the series points away from this interpretation. First, the fact that Project Bluebook started out investigating UFOs and then changed their focus to the events of the TP woods indicates that they believed there were terrestrial explanations for the UFO reports. Also, the messages that at first appear to be coming from outer space actually turn out to have emanated from the woods. So I don't think the Owls are part of an extra-terrestrial phenomenon. However, the Owls are not what they seem, as is repeated in the series. I propose that they are actually servants of the Lodges. Initially, the Owls worked for the WL spirits, and their job was to scout for love. It is possible that they are also able to collect love and transform it into water. I don't believe that these actually are Owls, rather they are servant spirits (also known as 'familiars') that take possession of the Owls. There are still some Owls working for the WL, but most have been taken over by BL spirits now, and their role is to scout for and harness fear rather than love. The Owls do not create fear, but they seek it, and either report back to the spirits or harness the fear for them. When Earle learns that fear opens the gateway to the BL (ep28) he exclaims "Of course! These night creatures that hover on the edge of our nightmares are drawn to us when we radiate fear, their bread and butter!" I think here he is referring specifically to the Owls as the night-time creatures on the edge of our nightmares. Note that Owls do appear several times as visions in nightmares (eg. to Coop in ep9). Recall also that: the Log Lady heard the same Owl call on the night her husband died and on the night Laura died (ep24), an Owl watches as Leo terrorises Shelley in ep21, when Coop and the others visit the Log Lady (in ep5) she takes them inside and says "The Owls won't see us in here", then the log tells the story of what happened on the night Laura died : as there were screams in the darkness "the Owls were flying" and "the Owls were near". The reason I believe that there are still some WL Owls is that the Owls are linked to the abduction of Major Briggs. The Owl appears to Coop in the woods (ep17) and the Major remembers a giant Owl that is "big enough to cloud (his) mind and memory" (ep20). If the Major is being abducted by WL spirits, then they too seem to take the form of Owls. The Major describes the Owl image as 'disturbing', but he doesn't seem to fear it in the way that people who have visions of BL spirits do. 88

Mulder, Fox (The Truth Seeker) Agent Fox Mulder, an Oxford-educated psychologist with a photographic memory, is one of the FBI Violent Crimes division's best agents, although he is in disfavor with not only his superiors but also his colleagues because of his interest in the Bureau's X files. He stumbled upon these files, dealing with unexplained phenomena, during his first three years with the Bureau, as a crack analyst in the Bureau's behavioral sciences department. His fascination with the paranormal stems from a childhood incident - his sister Samantha disappeared from their home in Chilmark, Mass. (pop. 650) when he was 12 and she was 8. Mulder claims she was abducted by aliens; during regressions he recalled hearing his sister's cries for help, and a bright light which kept him paralyzed and told him that his sister would be all right. This memory differs from a dream Mulder experienced one night. Mulder has come in contact with an alien hybrid who claimed to be Samantha and an alien bounty hunter who told him that his sister was alive. He has vowed to continue his search for her. Mulder's early meteoric rise at the Bureau enabled him to make high-placed friends in Congress - one of them being SETI proponent and influential senator Richard Matheson. These contacts had kept him from retribution from higher-ups, although they assigned him a partner, with the tacit idea of discrediting what he does so that he can be dismissed. However, Mulder picked up a somewhat vacillating ally in a mysterious covert individual known as Deep Throat. Deep Throat was killed by an equally mysterious covert opponent (Crew Cut Man) during an attempt to rescue Mulder. Mulder confirmed his burial at Arlington "through eight-power binoculars from a thousand yards away." But he has acquired a second "deep information" associate, someone who is referred to as X. This mysterious man has been less helpful to Mulder than his dead colleague. Mulder has also been told by an unknown individual that he has "a friend in the FBI". This friend mayor may not be Special Agent Alex Krycek, a younger agent who purported to be a believer, not only in Mulder's ideas but in Mulder himself. Mulder's days in this mind numbing duty were numbered, however. Assistant Director Skinner obliquely acknowledged that the X Files department served a valuable purpose in dealing successfully with the Bureau's oddball cases and was bringing to light information that other covert parties would prefer to keep buried. Following the disappearance of Mulder's former partner Dana Scully, Skinner officially reopened the X Files. At the end of Season 2, Mulder came into possession of a Defense Department classified, Navajo coded electronic document that purported to be the records of events surrounding a covert government operation from 50 years ago. Opponents tried to discredit him by adulterating his drinking water with a substance making him progressively violent. His father, who was somehow connected to the operation, was murdered, with Mulder as the prime suspect. Going into hiding with Scully, Mulder ended up in New Mexico investigating evidence that proved the validity of the secret document. He was found out by Cigarette Smoking Man, and his fate is, at this time, unknown. Mulder is known around the Bureau by the nickname of "Spooky" both because of his uncanny ability to process information and leap ahead to logical conclusions, and because of his interest in paranormal phenomena. "He is considered a loose cannon, a person who is maybe wasting time and money, and also his expertise, on an area the Bureau thinks has very little value." Due to an incident on one of his first Bureau assignments (a fellow agent was killed), he eschews following investigations "by the book," opting instead for his own instincts and methods. He keeps notes for his field reports in a handwritten journal. His favorite alias is George Hale. We believe Mulder doesn't "have a life," as we have seen nothing of his off-duty activities. However, some of this may stem from a relationship he had at Oxford ten years ago with a woman who is now with Scotland Yard (Phoebe Green). He apparently was in love with her but her not with him. With the dissolution of the X Files division, however, Mulder may have been trying to revive his social life; an answering machine message berated him for missing a lunch date. Mulder's birth date is Oct. 11, 1960. His parents appear to be separated. His father, Bill, worked in an unknown capacity for the State Department, and was murdered by Krycek before telling Mulder about secrets in his past. He has a fear of fire, which may have been conquered during his rescue of the children of British MP Sir Malcolm Marsden (who also happened to be Phoebe's latest fling). He is also a fan of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He has a habit of opening sunflower seeds (a habit he shares with his father), and making droll comments which X-Philes have come to note as "Mulderisms." Mulder enjoys wearing moderately wild ties to work, and seems to be a New York Knicks fan as well as a Washington Redskins fan. He appears to have a fondness for classic rock and classic science fiction movies, and iced tea seems to be his nonalcoholic beverage of choice. He also keeps himself physically fit by running and swimming. There are suggestions that Mulder has an interest in pornography - we see Mulder looking at the centerfold of some "men's magazine" talking about how the woman claims she was abducted by aliens; in another episode Scully remarks that she hadn't seen Mulder that excited since she caught him going through the Adult Video News; a third episode mentions a subscription to Celebrity Skin, and he appears to be viewing a porno video in a fourth. As a psychologist, he favors using hypnotic regression as a psychological healing tool, and hates the unnecessary use of medication. The following stats were generated according to "the Hunter's Hunted" and updated with "Project Twilight." Agency: FBI/X-Files Division; Position: Veteran Agent; Rank: 2; Nature: Penitent/Visionary; Demeanor: Fanatic (for "the Truth"); Method: Detective; Concept: Seeker of Truth; Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3, Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 3; Abilities: Academics (Law, Occult, UFO Lore) 3, Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Brawl 2, Bureaucracy 3, Computer 1, Drive 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms 3, Investigation 5, Linguistics 1, Medicine (Psychology) 2, Perform 2, Rapport 3, Science 4, Stealth 2, Subterfuge 3; Backgrounds: Backing 1 (in the FBI; would be higher but his reputation as an alien conspiracy theorist keeps working against his rep as a top 89

psychological profiler), Contacts 5, Resources 3; Merits / Flaws: Eidetic Memory, Political Ties, Driving Goal ("the Truth" and finding out about his sister), Notorious (as an alien conspiracy theorist); Virtues: Willpower: 7 Project Emerald Ralph Hinkley was a schoolteacher for 'special students', and was determined to get through to them. Coming back from a field trip late one night, the school bus broke down, forcing Ralph to walk back through the desert to get help. He encountered a swerving car driven by Special FBI Agent Bill Maxwell (Culp). Maxwell - slightly drunk and despondent after the death of his FBI partner - claimed that his car also was acting up. The car started up and they drove on until they are stopped and locked into the car as bright lights above them shine down and almost blind them. They were surprised to find that the lights are coming from an alien spacecraft. The aliens tell Ralph and Bill (by way of the car radio) that they are to work together to save the world and Ralph will be given the power to change it. They are given a black case. Later Ralph opened it up to reveal that they have given him a special bright red suit which endows him with superhuman abilities. Maxwell runs off from fear but later contacts Hinkley and hilarity ensues. The novelty of the show was based on Hinkley's inability to properly learn to use the suit, and even learn of its various capabilities, other than by trial and error, because he lost the instruction manual in the desert. A revolving gag involved Ralph clumsily trying to strip off his outer clothes to reveal the suit before his enemies can get away. In practice, Hinkley's superhero was more akin to a Buster Keaton-style clown. For example, sequences where he flies through the air under his own power usually showed him flailing his arms and legs, instead of adopting the Superman-like "arms extended, legs together" pose. In fact, his first flight resulted in a terrifying experience of him hurtling out of control until he rammed head first into a building wall. The basic powers outside of flying included super strength, resistance to injury, invisibility, precognition, telekinesis, remote viewing, super speed, X-ray vision and psychometry. He also showed signs of being able to control minds when he was exposed to high doses of plutonium radiation. Maxwell partnered up with Hinkley on most adventures to help the schoolteacher use the suit (which he called the "red jammies") to fight crime. Pam Davidson was an attorney who often joined Ralph and Bill on adventures. She was a corporate attorney who later became Ralph's wife. Also co-starring on the show were Michael Par and Faye Grant as two of Ralph's students. The series was created by producer Stephen J. Cannell and the show is typical of his style of character-driven quirky drama where the plot is secondary to the relationships between the characters. In 1986, the original cast reunited for a pilot film for a new NBC series that was to have been called The Greatest American Heroine. The pilot reveals that several years after the final episode, Hinkley's secret identity was finally revealed to the public. This upsets the aliens who gave him the suit, and they charge Hinkley with finding a new hero to wear the costume and use its powers for fighting evil. Hinkley finds a young woman (Mary Ellen Stuart) who spends her time looking for lost kittens and teaching young children, and most of the episode deals with her learning how to use the suit under Bill Maxwell's guidance. The hero persona never receives a "superhero name," either, although Scarbury sings the Elton John song "Rocket Man" in the pilot. The episode "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" was shot in St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands. The powers of the red suit were somewhat broad, but still were 'similar' enough to the abilities of Superman that Warner Bros., the owners of DC Comics, filed a lawsuit against ABC which was, ultimately, dismissed as the premise's core concept of a human receiving an alien costume/weapon to fight evil was closer to that of the Silver Age Green Lantern. The symbol on Hinkley's uniform resembles the Chinese character "center" (). As the symbol is red in color, Hong Kong television station TVB called the Cantonese-dubbed version of the show "Sky Flying Red Centre Hero" ( ). Real Name: Ralph Hinkley; Identity/Class: Human technology user (the technology is of extra-terrestrial origins); Occupation: High school special-ed teacher; Affiliations: Bill Maxwell (FBI liaison), Pam Hinkley (wife), Whitney High School (his employers); Enemies: Nelson Cory (megalomaniac billionaire), Johnny "the Dancer" Damanti (mobster), Gordon McCready (arms dealer), the government of the USSR, Tracy Winslow (corrupt cop), Robert Moody (corrupt US bureaucrat), Clarence Carter II (corrupt lawyer), the 4th-dimensional beast, Kelly Kim (Vietnamese communist plant in US), the electric squid from outer space, Carlini (magician); Known Relatives: Paula Hinkley (mother), Pam Hinkley (wife); Aliases: The Red Stallion (in South America); various other ways of referring to him were used through the series to hide his identity (such as calling him "the messenger") though these really don't count as proper aliases; Base of Operations: His house and Bill's house, Palmdale, California; Ralph Hinkley was a high school teacher who took his class on a field trip to the desert. When their van broke down, Ralph went for help and encountered Bill Maxwell (an FBI agent). The two were then both approached by a UFO. Communicating over the radio and via Bill's dead (but reanimated) partner, the aliens, whom Bill calls 'the greenguys', asked Ralph to accept a supersuit providing "unearthly powers". The suit was to be used to help save Earth from eventual destruction by man. Ralph agreed to use the suit, and he, his lawyer girlfriend Pam, and Maxwell, teamed up to solve cases and right various wrongs in the USA and around the world. The big catch - Ralph lost the instruction book, leaving him unsure of how to operate it, or what it's full powers are! The red jammies in the White Wolf universe are related to the phenomenon of the Nova, or mutant. They are, in fact, an alien device designed to mimic many of the powers of a Nova by tapping into the potential of the user. They are actually a symbiotic form of life, related to Eufiber, that give their wearer extreme powers at a cost. The cost? Well, the first time the wearer puts on the suit, it prematurely activates their MR node, flooding it with Quantum energies and stripping it of its own potential to produce Quantum. The node is conditioned to be a conduit between the user and the 90

uniform. This does mean, however, that only a pre-awakened Nova could use the suit. The suit has its own node rating and supply of Quantum that the user can have free access to while active. The suit has the following statistics, regardless of who activates it. Note that many more powers remain hidden, since Ralph lost the guidebook describing the suits functions. Attributes (All 0 except as noted): Perception 1, Intelligence 1, Wits 1; Skills (Granted to Wearer): Awareness 3, Endurance 3, Intuition 3, Might 5 and Resistance 3; Quantum 6 (Recovery once per 10 minutes), Quantum Pool 65, Taint 3 (Use is mildly addictive); Backgrounds: Eufiber 5, Node 5 (20 Quantum/Turn), Dormancy 5 (to Ralph); Mega-Attributes (Granted to Wearer): Perception 1 (Fourth Dimensional Scan*, High End EM Scan, Quantum Attunement), Stamina 1 (Durability, healing rates are tripled, lifespan 150+ years, dice pool penalties due to injuries and pain are reduced by one.), Strength 2 (Lifter); Powers: Armor 4, Domination 5 (only with exposure to radiation, duration special), Elemental Mastery 3 (Fire / Pyrokinesis, Lethal Blast), ESP 5 (Distant Scan, All Senses, Limitation: Must touch something relating to area to be scanned), Flight 1, Hyper Running 1, Invisibility 3, Magnetic Manipulation 3 (EMP, Magnetic Field, Magnetize, only useable after receiving a large electrical charge, then all are always on for a number of days equal to dice of electrical damage - 15), Pretercognition 3, Sizemorph (Shrink) 4, Telekinesis 2; Soak Bashing: +14; Lethal: +14 Ralph Hinkley (Abilities in parenthesis exist only when suit is worn): Quantum 1 (6, recovery every 10 minutes), Quantum Pool (Special: 65 when wearing suit, 0 when not), Willpower 6, Taint 1 (3, suit use is mildly addictive); Strength 2 (2, Lifter), Dexterity 3, Stamina 2 (1, Durability healing rates are tripled, lifespan 150+ years, dice pool penalties due to injuries and pain are reduced by one), Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3, Perception 3 (1, Fourth Dimensional Scan*, High End EM Scan, Quantum Attunement), Intelligence 4, Wits 3; Abilities: Academics 4, Athletics (Dodge) 1, Awareness 2 (3), Brawl 3, Bureaucracy 2 (Covert), Command 1, Computer 2, Drive 2, (Endurance 3), Engineering 2, Etiquette 3, Firearms 1, (Intuition 3), Investigation 3, Linguistics 2, Medicine 1, (Might 5), Occult 1, Perform 2, Rapport 2, (Resistance 3), Science 3, Stealth 1, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 3; Backgrounds: Allies 2, Backing 2, Contacts 3, Dormancy 5 (when suit not worn), (Eufiber 5), Node 0 (Ralph has a node, but it has been stripped by the suit, considered 5 while in suit with 20 quantum / turn), Resources 2; Soak: Bashing 2 (16), Lethal 1 (15) (Powers: Armor 4, Domination 5 (only with exposure to radiation, duration special), Elemental Mastery 3 (Fire / Pyrokinesis, Lethal Blast), ESP 5 (Distant Scan, All Senses, Limitation: Must touch something relating to area to be scanned), Flight 1, Hyper Running 1, Invisibility 3, Magnetic Manipulation 3 (EMP, Magnetic Field, Magnetize, only useable after receiving a large electrical charge, then all are always on for a number of days equal to dice of electrical damage 15), Pretercognition 3, Sizemorph (Shrink) 4, Telekinesis 2) *Fourth Dimensional Scan is equivalent to the Spirit Sphere 1 power Spirit Sense / Sight, attuned to the Shadowlands. Bill Maxwell: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2, Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 4; Abilities: Academics 3 (History), Athletics 3, Awareness 4, Biz 2, Brawl 4, Bureaucracy 3 (Covert Culture), Command 3, Computer 1, Diplomacy 2, Drive 3, Etiquette 2, Firearms 4 (Akimbo), Interrogation 4, Intimidation 3, Intrusion 4, Investigation 5, Legerdemain 3, Linguistics 2, Medicine 1, Melee 3, Science 1, Stealth 2, Streetwise 4, Style 1, Subterfuge 3, Survival 3; Merits: Ambidexterity; Backgrounds: Allies 5, Backing 3, Contacts 4, Resources 3; Virtues: Willpower 7 Anthony Villicana: Tony was born October 9th, 1964. Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4; Abilities: Academics 2 (History), Athletics (Dodge) 2, Awareness 3, Biz 2, Brawl 3, Bureaucracy 2 (Covert), Command 12, Computer 1, Drive 3, Engineering 2, Firearms 3, Interrogation 2, Intrusion 3, Investigation 4, Legerdemain 3, Melee 3, Occult 1, Perform 1, Science 1, Stealth 2, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 2, Survival 1; Backgrounds: Allies 2, Backing 3, Contacts 4, Influence 1, Resources 3; Willpower 7 Scully, Dana (FBI Agent) Dana Katherine Scully is a medical doctor with an undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Maryland. She was recruited for the FBI right out of medical school, and had been teaching at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va. She was assigned by Section Chief Scott Blevins to be Mulder's partner in order to keep an eye on him and determine whether he is perhaps too obsessed with the X files. Scully is skeptical of anything paranormal, believing that everything has a logical, scientifically quantified explanation. Though in most of the cases she and Mulder have been on she has not witnessed any overt paranormal activities, she has had brushes with unexplainable phenomena that may have her start questioning her beliefs. However, she is determined to uncover the science behind the phenomena. At the end of Season 1, the X Files division was shut down and Scully was reassigned, returning to the FBI academy at Quantico, Va. to instruct new agents on the basics of forensic medicine. However, Mulder called upon her expertise in violent crime cases to which he had been assigned. Scully was abducted by escaped mental patient Duane Barry and disappeared. After a three-month absence, she showed up at a Georgetown hospital in a coma. She revived and recovered, and is back as Mulder's partner. The missing memories during her disappearance may be surfacing, however. At 91

the end of Season 2, Scully went into hiding with Mulder, missing a scheduled meeting with Skinner and putting her career in jeopardy. Scully, born Feb. 23, 1966, is a middle child; she has one older and one younger brother, and an older sister, Melissa. Her father died early in 1994; they were apparently close at one time (she called him Ahab; he called her Starbuck), but her family disapproved of her joining the Bureau. She had a year long relationship with an instructor at the Academy, Jack Willis, with whom she shared the same birth date. She is just as much a workaholic as Mulder, and is currently not seeing anyone. Scully drinks her coffee with cream, no sugar. She was raised as a Catholic. She wears a necklace bearing a small cross, which was left behind in the car in which she was abducted and was returned to her by Mulder. The following stats were generated according to "the Hunter's Hunted" and updated with "Project Twilight." Agency: FBI/X-Files Division; Position: Veteran Agent; Rank: 2; Nature: Director; Demeanor: Curmudgeon; Motive: Duty; Method: Scientific/Detective; Concept: FBI agent; Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 2; Abilities: Academics (Law) 3, Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Bureaucracy 2, Command 2, Computer 2, Drive 2, Endurance 1, Etiquette 2, Firearms 3, Investigation 4, Linguistics 2, Medicine 4, Rapport 2, Resistance 2, Science 4, Stealth 2, Subterfuge 1; Backgrounds: Resources 3, Contacts 3; Virtues: Willpower: 8 X (Mysterious Informant) Who is the mysterious and dangerous man who alternately warns and informs Fox Mulder? Is he stringing Mulder along in a complex and devious campaign of disinformation, or is he an ally in the search for the truth? He has more than once admitted that he is afraid of getting killed like his predecessor, Deep Throat, and will not risk his neck for Mulder. He went head-to-head with Assistant Director Skinner after he refused Scully's request for information on Mulder's whereabouts. Later he took an even more active role, stepping out of the shadows to intervene directly in Scully and Mulder's case, spiriting away a key figure under Mulder's very nose. Angrily, Mulder told X he wanted nothing more to do with the man, and X warned him, "You're choosing a dangerous time to go it alone." X played an even more dangerous game using Mulder and other agents as pawns. And like chess pawns, they were expendable. Mulder was allowed to live, still with no clue as to whose side X was on. It was revealed however, that X worked for the Cigarette-Smoking Man, but may have his own agenda. Following this mysterious agenda, he takes surveillance photos of a meeting between the Cigarette-Smoking Man and Mulder's mother. Unknown to X, the Cigarette-Smoking Man finds out about these pictures and lays a trap for what he has learned is a leak in their organization. This trap is sprung and X is tricked into revealing his betrayal, which leaves him shot to death on Mulder's doorstep. With the last moments of his life, X leaves a message for Mulder SRSG, four initials that lead Mulder to a new player in the game, Marita Covarrubias. Just whose side is she on and why did X lead Mulder to her? With his death, X may have left more questions than answers. Agency: Unknown; Position: Unknown; Rank: Unknown (presumably very high); Nature: Curmudgeon; Demeanor: Autistic/Fanatic; Concept: Secretive Informant Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Charisma 2, Manipulation 5, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3; Abilities: Academics (Law, Occult, Politics) 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Brawl 2, Bureaucracy (Covert) 4, Command 2, Drive 3, Firearms 5, Intimidation 4, Intrusion 2, Investigation 3, Stealth 4, Streetwise, Subterfuge 4; Backgrounds: Allies 3, Cipher 3, Contacts 3, Mentor 3 (The Cigarette Smoking Man), Resources 3; Merits / Flaws: Dark secret (traitor to the CSM), Paranoia (discovery), Driving goal (his agenda), Pawn (Mulder); Virtues: Willpower 9

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INDEX
Airwolf..................................................................10 Attack Beast...........................................................19 Austin, Steve.........................................................37 Bannister, Frank.....................................................32 Bassett, Earl..........................................................47 Calvin, Theodore.....................................................22 Cooper, Dale..........................................................75 Dane, Father Sullivan..............................................33 Dante....................................................................19 Department of Interior Report..................................51 Domino.................................................................19 F.L.A.G. Mobile Unit................................................17 Fisk, Wilson............................................................22 Graboid.................................................................48 Gummer, Burt........................................................43 Hawke, Stringfellow................................................11 Hayes, Billy............................................................23 Higgins, Jonathan Quayle III....................................23 Hinkley, Ralph........................................................91 KARR....................................................................17 Kat.......................................................................20 KIFT......................................................................21 Knight Industries Three Thousand (Alternate).............17 Knight Industries Two Thousand...............................14 Knight, Garthe........................................................24 Knight, Michael.......................................................13 Kolchak, Karl..........................................................33 KRO......................................................................18 Mach, Jesse...........................................................25 Magnum, Thomas...................................................25 Mason, Kate...........................................................40 Maxwell, Bill...........................................................91 McCall, Robert........................................................26 Moffet, Doctor Charles Henry....................................12 Mulder, Fox............................................................89 Peck, Templeton.....................................................28 Pecos, Doctor Hugo...................................................7 Perfection Valley.....................................................42 Plato.....................................................................20 Project Emerald......................................................90 Reed, Tyler............................................................45 Rutledge, Bernard...................................................29 Santini, Dominic.....................................................11 Scully, Dana...........................................................91 Smith, John...........................................................29 Sommers, Jaime.....................................................40 Twin Peaks Incident................................................76 Twitchell, W.D........................................................46 Vampire Hunter S...................................................61 Villicana, Anthony...................................................91 Wright, Orville Wilbur III..........................................30 X 92 X-Files and SAD......................................................62

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