OOC: 100 Questions Meme
I got this off kineticmachine and sarkraticmethod a while ago. I got stuck on question 90 for a good long while, so that's why this is only going up now. Hope you enjoy anyway!
Part 1: The Basics
1. What is your full name? Doctor Emmett Lathrop Brown.
2. Where and when were you born? I was born October 22nd, 1920, in the town of Hill Valley, California, in my family mansion. Mother preferred home births.
3. Who are/were your parents? My mother was Sarah Lanchaster Brown - she and her family had been living in California for a couple of generations. My father was Elias Brown, formerly Von Braun. He was a German immigrant who came to the states seeking a new life. He changed our family name during the first World War. Mother was one of the sweetest ladies you could know, though she had quite the temper when she got upset. Elias - well, you can probably guess my relationship with him just by the fact I don’t call him “Father.” He was hotheaded, and we - didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues.
4. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like? I have one sister, Emily Carmichael Brown Smyth. She’s older than me by a year. She was a real sweetheart, constantly worrying about everyone she knew and playing mother to them. She loved people unreservedly. I really miss her.
5. Where do you live now, and with whom? I’m currently residing at the Conrad Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. I don’t share a room with anyone, but I have a couple of friends who live in the hotel.
6. What is your occupation? I’m a scientist, first and foremost. Though for actual work I’ve been watching over a junkyard and helping make special fabrics for a clothing shop.
7. Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks: I - I’m a Caucasian male from southern California. I’m six feet one inch, though I have a tendency to hunch, and my weight - er, last I checked it was in the range of 210 pounds. I was previously a somewhat curly-haired blond, but my hair’s gone white and feathery with age. I keep it cut to about my jawline. My eyes are dark brown. My preferred style of dress is a brightly-patterned shirt with a pair of cargo pants - I like bright colors and lots of pockets to store things in. I also tend to wear a coat of some sort, my favorite being a long black one I got from the Conrad’s clothing closet. I’ve got a mole below one eye, and -
I’m not entirely human. My teeth and lower jaw are made of metal, as are the bones of my arms and legs. Brass gears stick out of my knuckles, elbows and knees. I also have small steam vents in my elbows and just above my tailbone. Part of the reason I wear a coat is to hide these.
8. To which social class do you belong? Er, I never really thought about it. Upper middle class, I’m assuming. My father had quite a bit of ‘old family money,’ and did a pretty brisk business as a veterinarian. I grew up pretty well off. Of course, now things have changed and I’m trapped in an alternate universe, so I don’t think social classes apply much anymore. Though I suppose “Wanderer” could count as such. . . .
9. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses? No diseases. I’m mildly allergic to synthetic fabrics - I tend to get itchy rashes. I also have a very weird allergy or weakness to alcohol that apparently comes from my mother’s side. It takes only one shot to put me out like a light. (That’s of harder liquor, like whiskey - I’ve never tried it with wine or champagne. Not interested in experimenting, either.) I don’t know about other physical weaknesses - I’d be tempted to list my mechanical parts, but those would be TOUGHER than my natural biology. . . .
10. Are you right- or left-handed? Right-handed.
11. What does your voice sound like? Hmm. A bit on the gravelly side, I think. Deep. I never really listened to the way I talk before.
12. What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently? Heh - I have a habit of occasionally using very scientific words to express simple thoughts. I tend to sprinkle long, complicated words into my speech. Can’t think of any I use particularly regularly. . . . I do have the habit of saying “I see” a lot, though. I’ve noticed that.
13. What do you have in your pockets? At the moment, some wire and a multitool I picked up at Ace Hardware, a wallet with a Chicago (fake) ID and some money, and a spare pen.
14. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? I tend to gesture a lot when I’m describing things. Big hand motions, things like that. I also pace a lot, especially when I’m thinking something up for a project. Basically, I like to be in motion. I also have this nasty habit of emitting steam at awkward moments. Though maybe that just annoys me more than anyone else.
Part 2: Growing Up
15. How would you describe your childhood in general? It - it was all right. Not the best childhood someone could have, but certainly not the worst. My father and I didn’t start fighting until I hit the age of 11 and I decided I wanted to be a scientist, so the early days were good. It wasn’t until puberty that things really started going downhill at home. And even then, most days were all right, so long as the subject of science didn’t come up between my father and me. So yes, it was reasonably happy most of the time.
16. What is your earliest memory? Wailing my head off as the doctor and the midwife cleaned me - Great Scott, I don’t think I remembered that before! Amazing what the Rift can do. . . . So, er, yes, thanks to the Rift, I apparently remember being born. Incredible.
17. How much schooling have you had? Grade, middle, high, and four years and a half years of college. I do have a Ph.D., but the school granted it to me as a honorary degree due to my accelerated coursework in college. I should probably also note that I was advanced four grades shortly after I entered first grade, so I graduated college at the age of 17.
18. Did you enjoy school? Depends on what part you’re talking about. I enjoyed the coursework quite a lot. I’ve always had a drive to learn as much as I can, so homework was never a problem for me. The social aspect, however. . . . I had almost no friends, and I was bullied quite a bit by the older (and larger, until I had my growth spurt) students. The teachers didn’t like me much either, honestly. When I was young, I’d occasionally correct them on the parts of the curriculum I knew to be wrong. None of them ever failed me for it, but they didn’t take many pains to hide their displeasure. I did what I could to focus on the actual learning and kept to myself.
19. Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities? Studying, either in school or on my own. Well, for my knowledge of physics and other sciences, that is. My more unusual abilities were gifted to me, by Andrew and the Rift. I’m still learning my way around the latter ones.
20. While growing up, did you have any role models? The great scientists of the age - Kepler, Galileo, Copernicus, Einstein. I also hold Jules Verne in very high esteem - it was reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea that inspired me to become a scientist in the first place.
21. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family? I got along with my sister and mother quite well. Emily and I often played together, and she took care of me at school when she could, keeping me away from bullies. Mother encouraged my interests and made sure I was happy. Elias - Elias was always a bit distant. When I was younger, we got along all right - we played together occasionally, and sometimes he’d show me some of his work in the veterinary business. After I decided to devote my life to science, however, we started arguing and avoiding each other. He didn’t trust most scientists, you see. (I think he - he wasn’t entirely right in the head, honestly.)
22. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Before reading Jules Verne, I kind of wanted to become a cowboy. The open-air life and chance for adventure appealed to me. After reading Jules Verne, I wanted to become a scientist and find out how the world worked and how to improve it for mankind. It took me a few more years to decide on applied physics as my speciality.
23. As a child, what were your favorite activities? Playing in the backyard (mostly pretending I was a cowboy until I read Jules Verne, then I went on “scientific expeditions”), reading books, doing math problems (yes, I was that kind of kid), and building things. I wish we’d had proper LEGOS growing up, I would have loved them. I had to make do with Tinkertoys in my younger years.
24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display? I was quiet and pretty shy, honestly. The older kids around me intimidated me. I kept to myself a lot. I guess I was also a bit arrogant at times, correcting the teachers in class. Holly, a friend, once described me as “very fun-loving,” though, so I’ll add that.
25. As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like? Oh, definitely not. Youngest and smartest kid in the class? The other kids saw me as a freak and either kept far away or bullied me unmercifully, trying to make me do their homework or just plain beating me up. My only real friends were my sister, Emily, and Holly Handlen. Holly was just as much of an outcast as me - her family was very much into the paranormal, and Holly claimed to be a witch. She saved me from some bullies once, and we turned into firm friends afterwards. Always fun to debate science versus magic with her.
26. When and with whom was your first kiss? Oh, Great Scott. . . My first kiss was on February 14th, 1938, with Lucy Childs, my first girlfriend. We’d gone out on a couple of dates already, but hadn’t done much more than hold hands. On Valentine’s Day I finally got up the courage to kiss her for the first time. It was pretty nice - she had soft lips. Unfortunately, I later learned her heart was hard as a rock.
27. Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity? I - well - I -
All right, YES! I’m a damn virgin! At 66 years old, I’m a virgin! I’m sorry for the extreme response, but it is a bit embarrassing. The simple fact of the matter is, thanks to the efforts of my mother, I was trying to save myself for marriage. Unfortunately, none of my relationships ever got that far. My father did take me to a brothel once, but - the things I saw there. . . . I’ll never resort to prostitutes, I’ll tell you that much.
28. If you are a supernatural being (i.e. mage, werewolf, vampire), tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities: Oh. This is a long, complicated story. Let me see if I can sum it up effectively. First, I am what is technically known as a Changeling - a Fae-altered human being. Back in the 1960s, I taught college for a few years. One of my students in 1965 was a boy named Andrew Sparks. I became close to him, not realizing that he was in fact a Faerie who intended to experiment on me. After we became friends, he tricked me into coming to his house, saying he wanted to do some inventing with me. I fell for it, and he whisked me away to his home in Arcadia and put me to work in the basement, creating a clockwork-powered artificial arm. I didn’t realize anything was wrong at first - he kept wiping my memory of any time I got scared. But once I finished the arm. . . .
He tied me to a table and replaced my left arm with it. WITHOUT ANESTHETIC.
I - I tried to get out after the operation was over and he’d healed me. He let me have a chance to make it through the Hedge, the border between Arcadia and the real world. But I got lost, and - and -
The Thorns ended up ripping my memory completely away. Andrew found me, took me back, and essentially locked me in that basement for twenty years, making me build all sorts of machines for him and his “friends.” Along with further replacement limbs and organs for myself. I went along passively, since I no longer knew anything else. Until he nearly killed me replacing my heart, however. After that, I regained a little of my former personality, but I still couldn’t work up the nerve to escape.
Then Marty came along. He’d been captured too, for his singing ability, and he and his captor wanted me to build him a microphone. I felt for the kid, and we ended up becoming rather close friends. It helped that he was from my old hometown of Hill Valley, and could help me remember some of my past. If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be here. We stuck it out together through a number of rough times, until one day we decided we had to make a break for it. While our Keepers were distracted, we ran into the Thorns.
Our escape went all right until we were set upon by the briar wolves. We were forced to separate to get rid of them. And then, before I could find Marty - I fell through a random Rift in the fabric of the space-time continuum, landing in Chicago, 2008, in a universe where I’m actually a fictional character. I’ve been here ever since.
As for abilities learned - my time in Arcadia gave me the power to break, fix, and create machines magically, with unusual materials and few tools, along with the ability to manipulate metal to my whims. The Rift, however, stripped most of that away, though I can still fix things temporarily with whatever I have on me, cause minor mechanical damage with a touch, and temporarily improve the operation of a machine. I just have to concentrate more to use them. The Rift gave me weather powers in return - from what I’ve seen, I can create darn near any meteorological phenomena I choose. Unfortunately, the powers are tied rather strongly to my emotional state, meaning I often create weather without meaning to.
Part 3: Past Influences
29. What do you consider the most important event of your life so far? Hmmm. It’s a bit of a tossup between being dragged to Arcadia by Andrew and coming through the Rift. Though if Andrew hadn’t taken me to Arcadia, I probably wouldn’t have fallen through the Rift.
30. Who has had the most influence on you? Jules Verne. Yes, I could name one of the great scientists, but it was the writings of Jules Verne that first inspired me to go into science in the first place.
31. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Honestly, I’d say I’m still working on it. I came up with the flux capacitor at the age of 35 - a device that would allow one to travel through time! Unfortunately, I was kidnapped by Andrew before I could complete it. Now that I’m here, though, I’ve finally gotten a chance to build it. I won’t consider myself fully done, however, until I’ve got a full, working time machine.
32. What is your greatest regret? Trusting Andrew Sparks. I should have never let that Fae dig his claws into me. I’ll be paying for it the rest of my life.
33. What is the most evil thing you have ever done? Bribed police officers. I haven’t done it often, but sometimes I needed to bend the law to get a part or just have someone ignore the noise complaints. I do try to stay within the boundaries of the law, but. . . .
34. Do you have a criminal record of any kind? No. That’s where the bribing comes in.
35. When was the time you were the most frightened? I - my operations. I suppose “most frightened” would apply to the first one, but they were all. . .and my run through the Thorns. . . . I’d really prefer not to discuss this in detail.
36. What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you? My second girlfriend Jill dumping me on-campus for my most hated rival, because I wouldn’t cooperate in some project of her father’s. Did I mention she was cheating on me for the duration of the relationship with said rival? I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.
37. If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why? I’d prevent myself from going with Andrew that day. Avoiding the hell that was Arcadia would be reason enough for me. Being fully human again, no years of lost memories. . . . Except what if that means I’m dooming Marty to be there alone? I could never do that! Alternately, then, convince myself and Marty to wait on our escape attempt. At least then I wouldn’t have lost him in the Thorns and fallen into an alternate universe.
38. What is your best memory? Coming up with the flux capacitor. Sure, I fell off my toilet and sustained a head wound, but the invention more than makes up for it. I’d never felt so inspired!
39. What is your worst memory? Having to hold a near-delirious from sickness Marty in my arms as he begged to go home to his family. Arcadia ruined both of us, and I’m really not sure which of us had it worse. Damn, I miss that kid. . . .
Part 4: Beliefs And Opinions
40. Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic? I try to be optimistic, but thanks to my experiences, pessimism generally wins out.
41. What is your greatest fear? Being dragged back to Arcadia and never getting free again.
42. What are your religious views? I’m agnostic, for the most part. My mother was Christian, my father - I never really knew, he just went along with Mother. I never really got into the whole ceremony of going to church and such, so once I was on my own I stopped and just generally believed in a higher power. Of course, I’m a little more doubtful now of His existence - would any just and loving God really allow the Fae to exist? Or is He - one of them?
43. What are your political views? Eh, I tend toward liberal, but most of the time I can’t be bothered. I vote for the candidate that promises the most scientific advancement.
44. What are your views on sex? I’d like to have some. Preferably with someone who loves me. Most preferably with someone willing to become my wife.
45. Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable? I don’t know. I can kill insects and other creatures, but that’s not what the question’s asking, is it? I honestly don’t know if I could take another human life. The only time I’d find it acceptable is in self-defense, or to stop someone bent on destroying the world or something. However, I know I could kill a Fae. In fact, I wouldn’t stop until it was dead. Kill the Fae, and the kidnappings stop. The people of Earth would be free. Those are more than acceptable circumstances.
46. In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do? Sell someone out to the Fae. Even killing is kinder than that.
47. Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love? It’s complicated. My experiences with love have left me rather jaded and unwilling to seek out another relationship. Yet there’s still some small bit of my mind that hopes that someday I’ll meet the one and just know. And we’ll live happily ever after. Scientific nonsense, to be sure, but it’s nice to dream.
48. What do you believe makes a successful life? Following your dreams to the end. Doing what makes you happy. Making friends and falling in love. Having a family that loves you. I’m not doing quite as well as I could by those criteria, but I’m trying.
49. How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)? I try to be fairly honest when dealing with people. I don’t like having to hide my true self from others. If they can’t deal with me as I am, it’s probably not a relationship worth having. (Wisdom I’ve particularly learned dealing with bad girlfriends.) The only exception I can think of has to do with my Changeling nature - I’d prefer to keep that under wraps, simply because it makes me feel - less human. Though I often end up revealing it anyway, given the fact I emit steam at intervals.
50. Do you have any biases or prejudices? I can’t stand lazy people. This is probably a result of teaching college and having to deal with students who put in the absolute minimum of effort. If you’re going to do something, you ought to do it right. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. I don’t like stupid people either, especially the willfully stupid. Learning is a joy, no matter what kind of learning it is.
51. Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it? I refuse to let myself be someone’s plaything again. And I refuse to sell my friends out for any reason. I am not ending up in another situation like I was in Arcadia. I will not go through that hell again. Nor will I make anyone I love suffer through that hell. Better to die first.
52. Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)? My friends. Specifically, Marty, but I’d do quite a bit for any of my other friends too. I’m rather protective.
Part 5: Relationships With Others
53. In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how? I try to treat people politely and kindly, though I’m sure occasionally I come off a little aloof. Comes with being the sort of person who often holes up in his room for days working on projects. My friends naturally get treated better than strangers. I also don’t react too well to people startling me, especially when it’s psychic/magical in nature. It doesn’t help that, thanks to my weather powers, I tend to create high winds when shocked. There was also the one incident where I panicked upon first meeting someone after hearing pretty much only negative press about her. . . . That wasn’t a good day. I’m going to try to avoid such situations in the future.
54. Who is the most important person in your life, and why? I care about my friends here, no doubt. But honestly, the most important person in my life is always going to be the kid who helped me start getting my memory back. Even if I never see Marty again, he’ll always hold a special place in my heart.
55. Who is the person you respect the most, and why? This is tougher than it sounds. I respect Marty for putting up with Carlos like he did (and for defending me against Andrew once - that took guts). Dealing with the Fae is never easy. But I also have quite a lot of respect for Farley. The man used to be a henchman for a world conquerer, but as soon as he came here, he made a fresh start and turned out to be a pretty decent man. It’s encouraging to know people can change.
56. Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people. I seem to have a circle of five main friends here, though I’ve met plenty of other people as well. There’s Revan, a youngish woman from another galaxy entirely with psychic powers. She found me when I came through the Rift, and we’ve had some nice times and conversations since. There’s Gladys, an older lady with more energy than you’d expect and a love of cookies. She’s always trying to help people. There’s Aubrey, a young androgyne and scientist who specializes in ecology but is a pretty fair hand at building too. Xe’s a pretty brilliant person. I should mention the Skid too, xe’s sentient vehicle - kind of like a big, boxy kid. There’s Farley, a heading toward middle-aged man who’s got rather interesting psychic powers and a talent for building things himself. He used to be a henchman for someone named Shiwan Khan, but I’ve had nothing but good experiences with the man. And there’s JD, a young man who seems eternally youthful and exuberant. He’s a doctor by training, though here in Chicago. . . . As for best friends, I think that label will always stick with Marty, a teenager with a great talent for music and a bit of a hot temper. You can’t get closer than sharing the same hell, really.
57. Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person. No, not at the moment. I’ve had two serious girlfriends in the past, but my experiences there made me shy of going for a third.
58. Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened. Yes, I’ve been in love twice. Both of the women I was in love with turned out to be using me. My first girlfriend, Lucy Childs, was only interested in me for my money (my family was one of the few who escaped the major ravages of the Great Depression). Once my father disowned me, she dumped me on the spot. My second girlfriend, Jill Wooster, wanted to force me to work on one of her father’s projects and change me to be more of a “team player” at the same time. Once I rejected that, she - publically dumped me on campus. For the man she was cheating on me with.
59. What do you look for in a potential lover? I like intelligent women, ones able to hold up their end of a conversation. I also like more independent women, the kind who don’t and won’t rely on a man for all their needs. I prefer scientifically-minded girls, especially the kind who like Jules Verne as much as I do. I seem to go for taller women too, both Lucy and Jill weren’t exactly short.
60. How close are you to your family? My father disowned me - we were estranged until his death. I stayed in fairly close contact with my mother and sister, though. I cared for them both very much, and I was extremely sad when my mother died. (I suppose I was sad when Elias died too, though I couldn’t dredge up too much emotion for him.) And now I’m worried my sister - never mind.
61. Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not? No, and I doubt I will at my age (my half-mechanical body can’t help either). I did want kids, though. I wanted to be able to share my wisdom, enrich future generations. I wanted to show someone I loved the wonders of the universe. I wanted to - to be a dad. Maybe that’s part of why I bonded so closely with Marty. He’s the closest I ever came to having a son.
62. Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help? Ideally, Marty. But as he’s not here, I’d probably go to Gladys. The woman seems to live for helping people, and I know she’d be willing to listen to me. (The fact that I’d most likely get cookies out of the deal is a mere incidental bonus, I assure you.)
63. Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why? I - don’t know. Farley certainly seemed ready to punch someone when I had a bit of a flashback from my past, so I suppose I could count on him. I just don’t want any of my friends to get hurt protecting me, physically or mentally. I’m the one who does the protecting.
64. If you died or went missing, who would miss you? I hope my friends. I certainly get worried when I don’t hear from them in a while. And my sister - Great Scott, Emily must have been worried sick when I disappeared. And Marty. . . .
65. Who is the person you despise the most, and why? ANDREW SPARKS. Perhaps this doesn’t count, as he’s technically Fae, but it’s hard not to despise the man who turned you into a - a mechanical doll! If I have to choose a human, Biff Tannen. He’s a juvenile delinquent and he made my life very hard for a couple of years.
66. Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict? I tend to avoid conflict, though I’m willing to argue a point if I feel I’m right. Especially if it concerns memory-erasing or human experimentation. End up on the wrong side of that discussion and I might start screaming. I’m not too proud to admit it.
67. Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations? Not usually. I’m content to stay in the background and do my own thing, as it were. Though I organized one social event - a movie trip - for me and my friends, that went off well. And when it’s more one-on-one, in a field I know, I suppose I’d automatically gravitate toward a leading role. Like when I was building things with Marty - I was the leader and he was the assistant.
68. Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not? Not particularly. It’s not in my nature. I’m a bit of a loner, and I prefer having space where I can think. I prefer smaller groups, mostly of people I already know.
69. Do you care what others think of you? No, not usually - but I can’t lie, it stings a little to be called “crazy.” I try to ignore all the insults, but sometimes they get through. And it doesn’t help when I need assistance for a project and nobody’s willing because of my reputation. Usually, though, I can let what others say about me roll off my back and just continue on with my own life.
Part 6: Likes And Dislikes
70. What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes? Inventing tops the list. If I’m working on a project, I’m at my happiest. I also like reading and watching science fiction, with Jules Verne and related works at the top of the list. Occasionally I do a little drawing - and not just blueprints. Not particularly talented, but it’s fun. A hopeful future pastime is flying.
71. What is your most treasured possession? Before, I’d say the flux capacitor. Now, though - my Christmas scrapbook. The one I got that has the (impossible) pictures of me and Marty in it. That’s MINE.
72. What is your favorite color? Honestly, I rather like orange. Silver too. And brown, though I don’t like to admit that because of my last name.
73. What is your favorite food? Technically, I can eat anything now. But I do have a sweet tooth, and I like chocolate. Also, pretzels. Great snack food and healthier for you than most.
74. What, if anything, do you like to read? As discussed before, science fiction. I also read plenty of science magazines, like “Popular Mechanics.” And I enjoy a good comedy book or magazine from time to time - I’ve picked up the odd issue of “Mad” magazine, for example.
75. What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)? I like things that make me think in some way. Something with a solid background in whatever it’s presenting as entertainment. For movies, I tend to prefer comedies over dramas. Same with TV shows. I’ll watch dramas and enjoy them, but - I just prefer to laugh. I also like watching shows about how things are made and how they work. For music, I have a bent for jazz, and I like rock and roll. My tastes are probably a little skewed toward “oldies” these days, but what are you going to do. Art - I like landscapes, portraits, simple scenes. Nothing too fancy, just something nice to hang on the wall. (I’m tempted to count “blueprints” as art, which probably says some interesting things about me.)
76. Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit? No, no, and no. I’ve actually got a very rare allergy to alcohol that causes it to metabolize in my system near-instantly. As a result, I get passed-out drunk from one shot. My first experience with it scared me so much I haven’t touched liquor since. I’ve avoided smoking and drug-use for fear of nicotine and the various types of drugs having similar effects on me. It’s not fun.
77. How do you spend a typical Saturday night? Actually, that hasn’t changed too much. Do some inventing, then spend a few hours watching TV. I used to have regular shows I watched back home, but nowadays I mostly just channel surf until I find something interesting. I’ve developed a fondness for the Discovery Channel, though.
78. What makes you laugh? A lot of things. Good jokes, bad jokes. . . I liked some of the old “Little Willy” series back in the day:
“Our Willy studied chemistry
But Willy is no more
What he took for H2O
Was H2SO4.”
I also like puns, though I’ve heard my share of bad ones. So long as something’s witty and clever (at least by my standards), it’ll make me laugh.
79. What, if anything, shocks or offends you? People defending the Fae (though I’m trying to remember faeries are different in different universes), suggesting memory erasure, or trying to defend human experimentation without a damn good reason (i.e., lifesaving cancer drug or the like). Any of those subjects is near-guaranteed to make me upset.
80. What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself? Oh, that’s happened before. Generally I turn to reading or building something simple to pass the time. I don’t like to do anything too complicated in the middle of the night, when I’m more prone to being groggy and making mistakes.
81. How do you deal with stress? Lately it seems to make thunder appear. I tend to channel any stress and frustration into building. I admit it’s not a perfect system - I’ve broken parts and tools before. I also pace a lot more when stressed. Motion seems to help a lot. And yes, once or twice I’ve punched a wall or thrown an available object.
82. Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan? I much prefer having a plan. I function better when I at least have an outline of what I’m going to do. I can be spontaneous when necessary, but plans make me feel more at ease.
83. What are your pet peeves? Being referred to as a “robot” or anything like that. I know I’m largely mechanical internally, but - I’m still human. Or, at least, there’s enough human in me to justify “cyborg” at the least. I also hate being called crazy. Too many bad memories associated with that word.
Part 7: Self Images And Etc.
84. Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted? I wake up around 6:00 A.M. I have a shower, brush my teeth, have breakfast, then typically do some inventing until about 11. Then I walk down to the junkyard in Chicago and watch the place while the owner has lunch from 12 to 1. Then it’s generally either back to the Conrad for invention, reading, or television, or over to Grant Park to practice my weather control. I typically eat dinner around 5:30 - 6:00 P.M., then it’s off to bed around 10 or 11 P.M. I like having a routine, but I’m certainly not opposed to changing it or having it disrupted. Variety is the spice of life, so they say.
85. What is your greatest strength as a person? I suppose my determination, my “can-do” spirit. The quote I’m most known for seems to be “if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” And I firmly believe in that statement.
86. What is your greatest weakness? I think it would have to be my fear of Arcadia. Simply because my worst memories are associated with that place. I completely lost my head those times I thought that Andrew was just - I don’t like being scared half to death of a place I’ll (hopefully) never see again, but I can’t help it.
87. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d like to be fully human again. Sure, having a partly mechanical body means I’m much more durable and efficient than a normal human, but. . .I can’t help feeling part of me’s been stripped away by the change. That I’m - less of a person.
88. Are you generally introverted or extroverted? I tend toward introverted. I often feel more at ease around machines rather than people. Though I’ve been better about initiating conversations here in Chicago.
89. Are you generally organized or messy? Messy, I admit. Though I try to organize what’s really important, like blueprints and notes on my inventions.
90. Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.
Good:
Inventing - not everybody likes my inventions, granted, but I love making them. Isn’t that what counts?
Temporal physics - I discovered a way to break through the time barrier, I have to be good at it!
Completing projects - Whenever I start a project, I don’t quit until I’m completely satisfied. Look at my time machine - I didn’t work on it for twenty years, but I’m STILL determined to complete it. Even in Arcadia I never left a project unfinished.
Bad:
Explaining my history - I was kidnapped by beings called “Faeries.” I can understand people might not take that seriously.
Interacting with women romantically - See my previous answers regarding my girlfriends. I can be friends with a woman, but anything else seems to blow up in my face.
Conquering my fear of faeries - Despite evidence that not all Fae are like the ones who kidnapped me and the fact I’m probably free of Arcadia for good. . . I’m still terrified. And it’s lead to one bad incident already.
91. Do you like yourself? I - this is a tougher question than I anticipated. Is it cheating to say I like the human parts? Because I’m comfortable with my eccentricities and such, but being partly mechanical is. . .I don’t think I’ll ever truly like it.
92. What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? Er - I’m not really an adventurer by choice. I more or less fell into it. And I haven’t really done anything heroic yet. I’m just there for my friends. My friends are important to me, and I could never let them down.
93. What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime? I want to finish my time machine. If I do nothing else in this world, I want to see at least that completed. I spent too many years working on it to have it go to waste. One trip through time - that’s all I ask.
94. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Ideally, back home with a working time machine, catching up on what I missed and continuing my friendship with Marty. Working on a new invention, maybe something to do with my new weather powers (if I keep them going back). Realistically, I’ll probably still be here in Chicago, though I still hope to have a working time machine.
95. If you could choose, how would you want to die? Quickly and painlessly. Like dying quietly in my sleep of old age. Old, old age.
96. If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left. First I’d say goodbye to all my friends - maybe organize another outing so we could all be together and have fun one final time. Then I’d take a walk around the city, taking in all the sights, sounds, smells, everything one last time. Finally I’d give away my blueprints and whatever parts I’ve finished on my time machine to someone I trust (probably Farley or Aubrey) and ask them to please try to finish it for me. I’d hate to leave my life’s work incomplete.
97. What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death? I could say the time machine, and I would like to be remembered for that. But, honestly, the thing I’d most like to be remembered for - is being a good friend. Being someone who was always there when they needed me.
98. What three words best describe your personality? Eccentric, loud, and determined.
99. What three words would others probably use to describe you? Wild, intelligent, and crazy (no matter how much I dislike that last one).
100. If you could, what advice would you, the player, give to your character? Don’t let the past get you down, Doc. The future holds a lot of possibilities. Remember, if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. (Don’t complain I’m quoting you back at you.)
Part 1: The Basics
1. What is your full name? Doctor Emmett Lathrop Brown.
2. Where and when were you born? I was born October 22nd, 1920, in the town of Hill Valley, California, in my family mansion. Mother preferred home births.
3. Who are/were your parents? My mother was Sarah Lanchaster Brown - she and her family had been living in California for a couple of generations. My father was Elias Brown, formerly Von Braun. He was a German immigrant who came to the states seeking a new life. He changed our family name during the first World War. Mother was one of the sweetest ladies you could know, though she had quite the temper when she got upset. Elias - well, you can probably guess my relationship with him just by the fact I don’t call him “Father.” He was hotheaded, and we - didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues.
4. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like? I have one sister, Emily Carmichael Brown Smyth. She’s older than me by a year. She was a real sweetheart, constantly worrying about everyone she knew and playing mother to them. She loved people unreservedly. I really miss her.
5. Where do you live now, and with whom? I’m currently residing at the Conrad Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. I don’t share a room with anyone, but I have a couple of friends who live in the hotel.
6. What is your occupation? I’m a scientist, first and foremost. Though for actual work I’ve been watching over a junkyard and helping make special fabrics for a clothing shop.
7. Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks: I - I’m a Caucasian male from southern California. I’m six feet one inch, though I have a tendency to hunch, and my weight - er, last I checked it was in the range of 210 pounds. I was previously a somewhat curly-haired blond, but my hair’s gone white and feathery with age. I keep it cut to about my jawline. My eyes are dark brown. My preferred style of dress is a brightly-patterned shirt with a pair of cargo pants - I like bright colors and lots of pockets to store things in. I also tend to wear a coat of some sort, my favorite being a long black one I got from the Conrad’s clothing closet. I’ve got a mole below one eye, and -
I’m not entirely human. My teeth and lower jaw are made of metal, as are the bones of my arms and legs. Brass gears stick out of my knuckles, elbows and knees. I also have small steam vents in my elbows and just above my tailbone. Part of the reason I wear a coat is to hide these.
8. To which social class do you belong? Er, I never really thought about it. Upper middle class, I’m assuming. My father had quite a bit of ‘old family money,’ and did a pretty brisk business as a veterinarian. I grew up pretty well off. Of course, now things have changed and I’m trapped in an alternate universe, so I don’t think social classes apply much anymore. Though I suppose “Wanderer” could count as such. . . .
9. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses? No diseases. I’m mildly allergic to synthetic fabrics - I tend to get itchy rashes. I also have a very weird allergy or weakness to alcohol that apparently comes from my mother’s side. It takes only one shot to put me out like a light. (That’s of harder liquor, like whiskey - I’ve never tried it with wine or champagne. Not interested in experimenting, either.) I don’t know about other physical weaknesses - I’d be tempted to list my mechanical parts, but those would be TOUGHER than my natural biology. . . .
10. Are you right- or left-handed? Right-handed.
11. What does your voice sound like? Hmm. A bit on the gravelly side, I think. Deep. I never really listened to the way I talk before.
12. What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently? Heh - I have a habit of occasionally using very scientific words to express simple thoughts. I tend to sprinkle long, complicated words into my speech. Can’t think of any I use particularly regularly. . . . I do have the habit of saying “I see” a lot, though. I’ve noticed that.
13. What do you have in your pockets? At the moment, some wire and a multitool I picked up at Ace Hardware, a wallet with a Chicago (fake) ID and some money, and a spare pen.
14. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? I tend to gesture a lot when I’m describing things. Big hand motions, things like that. I also pace a lot, especially when I’m thinking something up for a project. Basically, I like to be in motion. I also have this nasty habit of emitting steam at awkward moments. Though maybe that just annoys me more than anyone else.
Part 2: Growing Up
15. How would you describe your childhood in general? It - it was all right. Not the best childhood someone could have, but certainly not the worst. My father and I didn’t start fighting until I hit the age of 11 and I decided I wanted to be a scientist, so the early days were good. It wasn’t until puberty that things really started going downhill at home. And even then, most days were all right, so long as the subject of science didn’t come up between my father and me. So yes, it was reasonably happy most of the time.
16. What is your earliest memory? Wailing my head off as the doctor and the midwife cleaned me - Great Scott, I don’t think I remembered that before! Amazing what the Rift can do. . . . So, er, yes, thanks to the Rift, I apparently remember being born. Incredible.
17. How much schooling have you had? Grade, middle, high, and four years and a half years of college. I do have a Ph.D., but the school granted it to me as a honorary degree due to my accelerated coursework in college. I should probably also note that I was advanced four grades shortly after I entered first grade, so I graduated college at the age of 17.
18. Did you enjoy school? Depends on what part you’re talking about. I enjoyed the coursework quite a lot. I’ve always had a drive to learn as much as I can, so homework was never a problem for me. The social aspect, however. . . . I had almost no friends, and I was bullied quite a bit by the older (and larger, until I had my growth spurt) students. The teachers didn’t like me much either, honestly. When I was young, I’d occasionally correct them on the parts of the curriculum I knew to be wrong. None of them ever failed me for it, but they didn’t take many pains to hide their displeasure. I did what I could to focus on the actual learning and kept to myself.
19. Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities? Studying, either in school or on my own. Well, for my knowledge of physics and other sciences, that is. My more unusual abilities were gifted to me, by Andrew and the Rift. I’m still learning my way around the latter ones.
20. While growing up, did you have any role models? The great scientists of the age - Kepler, Galileo, Copernicus, Einstein. I also hold Jules Verne in very high esteem - it was reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea that inspired me to become a scientist in the first place.
21. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family? I got along with my sister and mother quite well. Emily and I often played together, and she took care of me at school when she could, keeping me away from bullies. Mother encouraged my interests and made sure I was happy. Elias - Elias was always a bit distant. When I was younger, we got along all right - we played together occasionally, and sometimes he’d show me some of his work in the veterinary business. After I decided to devote my life to science, however, we started arguing and avoiding each other. He didn’t trust most scientists, you see. (I think he - he wasn’t entirely right in the head, honestly.)
22. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Before reading Jules Verne, I kind of wanted to become a cowboy. The open-air life and chance for adventure appealed to me. After reading Jules Verne, I wanted to become a scientist and find out how the world worked and how to improve it for mankind. It took me a few more years to decide on applied physics as my speciality.
23. As a child, what were your favorite activities? Playing in the backyard (mostly pretending I was a cowboy until I read Jules Verne, then I went on “scientific expeditions”), reading books, doing math problems (yes, I was that kind of kid), and building things. I wish we’d had proper LEGOS growing up, I would have loved them. I had to make do with Tinkertoys in my younger years.
24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display? I was quiet and pretty shy, honestly. The older kids around me intimidated me. I kept to myself a lot. I guess I was also a bit arrogant at times, correcting the teachers in class. Holly, a friend, once described me as “very fun-loving,” though, so I’ll add that.
25. As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like? Oh, definitely not. Youngest and smartest kid in the class? The other kids saw me as a freak and either kept far away or bullied me unmercifully, trying to make me do their homework or just plain beating me up. My only real friends were my sister, Emily, and Holly Handlen. Holly was just as much of an outcast as me - her family was very much into the paranormal, and Holly claimed to be a witch. She saved me from some bullies once, and we turned into firm friends afterwards. Always fun to debate science versus magic with her.
26. When and with whom was your first kiss? Oh, Great Scott. . . My first kiss was on February 14th, 1938, with Lucy Childs, my first girlfriend. We’d gone out on a couple of dates already, but hadn’t done much more than hold hands. On Valentine’s Day I finally got up the courage to kiss her for the first time. It was pretty nice - she had soft lips. Unfortunately, I later learned her heart was hard as a rock.
27. Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity? I - well - I -
All right, YES! I’m a damn virgin! At 66 years old, I’m a virgin! I’m sorry for the extreme response, but it is a bit embarrassing. The simple fact of the matter is, thanks to the efforts of my mother, I was trying to save myself for marriage. Unfortunately, none of my relationships ever got that far. My father did take me to a brothel once, but - the things I saw there. . . . I’ll never resort to prostitutes, I’ll tell you that much.
28. If you are a supernatural being (i.e. mage, werewolf, vampire), tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities: Oh. This is a long, complicated story. Let me see if I can sum it up effectively. First, I am what is technically known as a Changeling - a Fae-altered human being. Back in the 1960s, I taught college for a few years. One of my students in 1965 was a boy named Andrew Sparks. I became close to him, not realizing that he was in fact a Faerie who intended to experiment on me. After we became friends, he tricked me into coming to his house, saying he wanted to do some inventing with me. I fell for it, and he whisked me away to his home in Arcadia and put me to work in the basement, creating a clockwork-powered artificial arm. I didn’t realize anything was wrong at first - he kept wiping my memory of any time I got scared. But once I finished the arm. . . .
He tied me to a table and replaced my left arm with it. WITHOUT ANESTHETIC.
I - I tried to get out after the operation was over and he’d healed me. He let me have a chance to make it through the Hedge, the border between Arcadia and the real world. But I got lost, and - and -
The Thorns ended up ripping my memory completely away. Andrew found me, took me back, and essentially locked me in that basement for twenty years, making me build all sorts of machines for him and his “friends.” Along with further replacement limbs and organs for myself. I went along passively, since I no longer knew anything else. Until he nearly killed me replacing my heart, however. After that, I regained a little of my former personality, but I still couldn’t work up the nerve to escape.
Then Marty came along. He’d been captured too, for his singing ability, and he and his captor wanted me to build him a microphone. I felt for the kid, and we ended up becoming rather close friends. It helped that he was from my old hometown of Hill Valley, and could help me remember some of my past. If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be here. We stuck it out together through a number of rough times, until one day we decided we had to make a break for it. While our Keepers were distracted, we ran into the Thorns.
Our escape went all right until we were set upon by the briar wolves. We were forced to separate to get rid of them. And then, before I could find Marty - I fell through a random Rift in the fabric of the space-time continuum, landing in Chicago, 2008, in a universe where I’m actually a fictional character. I’ve been here ever since.
As for abilities learned - my time in Arcadia gave me the power to break, fix, and create machines magically, with unusual materials and few tools, along with the ability to manipulate metal to my whims. The Rift, however, stripped most of that away, though I can still fix things temporarily with whatever I have on me, cause minor mechanical damage with a touch, and temporarily improve the operation of a machine. I just have to concentrate more to use them. The Rift gave me weather powers in return - from what I’ve seen, I can create darn near any meteorological phenomena I choose. Unfortunately, the powers are tied rather strongly to my emotional state, meaning I often create weather without meaning to.
Part 3: Past Influences
29. What do you consider the most important event of your life so far? Hmmm. It’s a bit of a tossup between being dragged to Arcadia by Andrew and coming through the Rift. Though if Andrew hadn’t taken me to Arcadia, I probably wouldn’t have fallen through the Rift.
30. Who has had the most influence on you? Jules Verne. Yes, I could name one of the great scientists, but it was the writings of Jules Verne that first inspired me to go into science in the first place.
31. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Honestly, I’d say I’m still working on it. I came up with the flux capacitor at the age of 35 - a device that would allow one to travel through time! Unfortunately, I was kidnapped by Andrew before I could complete it. Now that I’m here, though, I’ve finally gotten a chance to build it. I won’t consider myself fully done, however, until I’ve got a full, working time machine.
32. What is your greatest regret? Trusting Andrew Sparks. I should have never let that Fae dig his claws into me. I’ll be paying for it the rest of my life.
33. What is the most evil thing you have ever done? Bribed police officers. I haven’t done it often, but sometimes I needed to bend the law to get a part or just have someone ignore the noise complaints. I do try to stay within the boundaries of the law, but. . . .
34. Do you have a criminal record of any kind? No. That’s where the bribing comes in.
35. When was the time you were the most frightened? I - my operations. I suppose “most frightened” would apply to the first one, but they were all. . .and my run through the Thorns. . . . I’d really prefer not to discuss this in detail.
36. What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you? My second girlfriend Jill dumping me on-campus for my most hated rival, because I wouldn’t cooperate in some project of her father’s. Did I mention she was cheating on me for the duration of the relationship with said rival? I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.
37. If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why? I’d prevent myself from going with Andrew that day. Avoiding the hell that was Arcadia would be reason enough for me. Being fully human again, no years of lost memories. . . . Except what if that means I’m dooming Marty to be there alone? I could never do that! Alternately, then, convince myself and Marty to wait on our escape attempt. At least then I wouldn’t have lost him in the Thorns and fallen into an alternate universe.
38. What is your best memory? Coming up with the flux capacitor. Sure, I fell off my toilet and sustained a head wound, but the invention more than makes up for it. I’d never felt so inspired!
39. What is your worst memory? Having to hold a near-delirious from sickness Marty in my arms as he begged to go home to his family. Arcadia ruined both of us, and I’m really not sure which of us had it worse. Damn, I miss that kid. . . .
Part 4: Beliefs And Opinions
40. Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic? I try to be optimistic, but thanks to my experiences, pessimism generally wins out.
41. What is your greatest fear? Being dragged back to Arcadia and never getting free again.
42. What are your religious views? I’m agnostic, for the most part. My mother was Christian, my father - I never really knew, he just went along with Mother. I never really got into the whole ceremony of going to church and such, so once I was on my own I stopped and just generally believed in a higher power. Of course, I’m a little more doubtful now of His existence - would any just and loving God really allow the Fae to exist? Or is He - one of them?
43. What are your political views? Eh, I tend toward liberal, but most of the time I can’t be bothered. I vote for the candidate that promises the most scientific advancement.
44. What are your views on sex? I’d like to have some. Preferably with someone who loves me. Most preferably with someone willing to become my wife.
45. Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable? I don’t know. I can kill insects and other creatures, but that’s not what the question’s asking, is it? I honestly don’t know if I could take another human life. The only time I’d find it acceptable is in self-defense, or to stop someone bent on destroying the world or something. However, I know I could kill a Fae. In fact, I wouldn’t stop until it was dead. Kill the Fae, and the kidnappings stop. The people of Earth would be free. Those are more than acceptable circumstances.
46. In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do? Sell someone out to the Fae. Even killing is kinder than that.
47. Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love? It’s complicated. My experiences with love have left me rather jaded and unwilling to seek out another relationship. Yet there’s still some small bit of my mind that hopes that someday I’ll meet the one and just know. And we’ll live happily ever after. Scientific nonsense, to be sure, but it’s nice to dream.
48. What do you believe makes a successful life? Following your dreams to the end. Doing what makes you happy. Making friends and falling in love. Having a family that loves you. I’m not doing quite as well as I could by those criteria, but I’m trying.
49. How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)? I try to be fairly honest when dealing with people. I don’t like having to hide my true self from others. If they can’t deal with me as I am, it’s probably not a relationship worth having. (Wisdom I’ve particularly learned dealing with bad girlfriends.) The only exception I can think of has to do with my Changeling nature - I’d prefer to keep that under wraps, simply because it makes me feel - less human. Though I often end up revealing it anyway, given the fact I emit steam at intervals.
50. Do you have any biases or prejudices? I can’t stand lazy people. This is probably a result of teaching college and having to deal with students who put in the absolute minimum of effort. If you’re going to do something, you ought to do it right. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. I don’t like stupid people either, especially the willfully stupid. Learning is a joy, no matter what kind of learning it is.
51. Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it? I refuse to let myself be someone’s plaything again. And I refuse to sell my friends out for any reason. I am not ending up in another situation like I was in Arcadia. I will not go through that hell again. Nor will I make anyone I love suffer through that hell. Better to die first.
52. Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)? My friends. Specifically, Marty, but I’d do quite a bit for any of my other friends too. I’m rather protective.
Part 5: Relationships With Others
53. In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how? I try to treat people politely and kindly, though I’m sure occasionally I come off a little aloof. Comes with being the sort of person who often holes up in his room for days working on projects. My friends naturally get treated better than strangers. I also don’t react too well to people startling me, especially when it’s psychic/magical in nature. It doesn’t help that, thanks to my weather powers, I tend to create high winds when shocked. There was also the one incident where I panicked upon first meeting someone after hearing pretty much only negative press about her. . . . That wasn’t a good day. I’m going to try to avoid such situations in the future.
54. Who is the most important person in your life, and why? I care about my friends here, no doubt. But honestly, the most important person in my life is always going to be the kid who helped me start getting my memory back. Even if I never see Marty again, he’ll always hold a special place in my heart.
55. Who is the person you respect the most, and why? This is tougher than it sounds. I respect Marty for putting up with Carlos like he did (and for defending me against Andrew once - that took guts). Dealing with the Fae is never easy. But I also have quite a lot of respect for Farley. The man used to be a henchman for a world conquerer, but as soon as he came here, he made a fresh start and turned out to be a pretty decent man. It’s encouraging to know people can change.
56. Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people. I seem to have a circle of five main friends here, though I’ve met plenty of other people as well. There’s Revan, a youngish woman from another galaxy entirely with psychic powers. She found me when I came through the Rift, and we’ve had some nice times and conversations since. There’s Gladys, an older lady with more energy than you’d expect and a love of cookies. She’s always trying to help people. There’s Aubrey, a young androgyne and scientist who specializes in ecology but is a pretty fair hand at building too. Xe’s a pretty brilliant person. I should mention the Skid too, xe’s sentient vehicle - kind of like a big, boxy kid. There’s Farley, a heading toward middle-aged man who’s got rather interesting psychic powers and a talent for building things himself. He used to be a henchman for someone named Shiwan Khan, but I’ve had nothing but good experiences with the man. And there’s JD, a young man who seems eternally youthful and exuberant. He’s a doctor by training, though here in Chicago. . . . As for best friends, I think that label will always stick with Marty, a teenager with a great talent for music and a bit of a hot temper. You can’t get closer than sharing the same hell, really.
57. Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person. No, not at the moment. I’ve had two serious girlfriends in the past, but my experiences there made me shy of going for a third.
58. Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened. Yes, I’ve been in love twice. Both of the women I was in love with turned out to be using me. My first girlfriend, Lucy Childs, was only interested in me for my money (my family was one of the few who escaped the major ravages of the Great Depression). Once my father disowned me, she dumped me on the spot. My second girlfriend, Jill Wooster, wanted to force me to work on one of her father’s projects and change me to be more of a “team player” at the same time. Once I rejected that, she - publically dumped me on campus. For the man she was cheating on me with.
59. What do you look for in a potential lover? I like intelligent women, ones able to hold up their end of a conversation. I also like more independent women, the kind who don’t and won’t rely on a man for all their needs. I prefer scientifically-minded girls, especially the kind who like Jules Verne as much as I do. I seem to go for taller women too, both Lucy and Jill weren’t exactly short.
60. How close are you to your family? My father disowned me - we were estranged until his death. I stayed in fairly close contact with my mother and sister, though. I cared for them both very much, and I was extremely sad when my mother died. (I suppose I was sad when Elias died too, though I couldn’t dredge up too much emotion for him.) And now I’m worried my sister - never mind.
61. Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not? No, and I doubt I will at my age (my half-mechanical body can’t help either). I did want kids, though. I wanted to be able to share my wisdom, enrich future generations. I wanted to show someone I loved the wonders of the universe. I wanted to - to be a dad. Maybe that’s part of why I bonded so closely with Marty. He’s the closest I ever came to having a son.
62. Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help? Ideally, Marty. But as he’s not here, I’d probably go to Gladys. The woman seems to live for helping people, and I know she’d be willing to listen to me. (The fact that I’d most likely get cookies out of the deal is a mere incidental bonus, I assure you.)
63. Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why? I - don’t know. Farley certainly seemed ready to punch someone when I had a bit of a flashback from my past, so I suppose I could count on him. I just don’t want any of my friends to get hurt protecting me, physically or mentally. I’m the one who does the protecting.
64. If you died or went missing, who would miss you? I hope my friends. I certainly get worried when I don’t hear from them in a while. And my sister - Great Scott, Emily must have been worried sick when I disappeared. And Marty. . . .
65. Who is the person you despise the most, and why? ANDREW SPARKS. Perhaps this doesn’t count, as he’s technically Fae, but it’s hard not to despise the man who turned you into a - a mechanical doll! If I have to choose a human, Biff Tannen. He’s a juvenile delinquent and he made my life very hard for a couple of years.
66. Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict? I tend to avoid conflict, though I’m willing to argue a point if I feel I’m right. Especially if it concerns memory-erasing or human experimentation. End up on the wrong side of that discussion and I might start screaming. I’m not too proud to admit it.
67. Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations? Not usually. I’m content to stay in the background and do my own thing, as it were. Though I organized one social event - a movie trip - for me and my friends, that went off well. And when it’s more one-on-one, in a field I know, I suppose I’d automatically gravitate toward a leading role. Like when I was building things with Marty - I was the leader and he was the assistant.
68. Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not? Not particularly. It’s not in my nature. I’m a bit of a loner, and I prefer having space where I can think. I prefer smaller groups, mostly of people I already know.
69. Do you care what others think of you? No, not usually - but I can’t lie, it stings a little to be called “crazy.” I try to ignore all the insults, but sometimes they get through. And it doesn’t help when I need assistance for a project and nobody’s willing because of my reputation. Usually, though, I can let what others say about me roll off my back and just continue on with my own life.
Part 6: Likes And Dislikes
70. What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes? Inventing tops the list. If I’m working on a project, I’m at my happiest. I also like reading and watching science fiction, with Jules Verne and related works at the top of the list. Occasionally I do a little drawing - and not just blueprints. Not particularly talented, but it’s fun. A hopeful future pastime is flying.
71. What is your most treasured possession? Before, I’d say the flux capacitor. Now, though - my Christmas scrapbook. The one I got that has the (impossible) pictures of me and Marty in it. That’s MINE.
72. What is your favorite color? Honestly, I rather like orange. Silver too. And brown, though I don’t like to admit that because of my last name.
73. What is your favorite food? Technically, I can eat anything now. But I do have a sweet tooth, and I like chocolate. Also, pretzels. Great snack food and healthier for you than most.
74. What, if anything, do you like to read? As discussed before, science fiction. I also read plenty of science magazines, like “Popular Mechanics.” And I enjoy a good comedy book or magazine from time to time - I’ve picked up the odd issue of “Mad” magazine, for example.
75. What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)? I like things that make me think in some way. Something with a solid background in whatever it’s presenting as entertainment. For movies, I tend to prefer comedies over dramas. Same with TV shows. I’ll watch dramas and enjoy them, but - I just prefer to laugh. I also like watching shows about how things are made and how they work. For music, I have a bent for jazz, and I like rock and roll. My tastes are probably a little skewed toward “oldies” these days, but what are you going to do. Art - I like landscapes, portraits, simple scenes. Nothing too fancy, just something nice to hang on the wall. (I’m tempted to count “blueprints” as art, which probably says some interesting things about me.)
76. Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit? No, no, and no. I’ve actually got a very rare allergy to alcohol that causes it to metabolize in my system near-instantly. As a result, I get passed-out drunk from one shot. My first experience with it scared me so much I haven’t touched liquor since. I’ve avoided smoking and drug-use for fear of nicotine and the various types of drugs having similar effects on me. It’s not fun.
77. How do you spend a typical Saturday night? Actually, that hasn’t changed too much. Do some inventing, then spend a few hours watching TV. I used to have regular shows I watched back home, but nowadays I mostly just channel surf until I find something interesting. I’ve developed a fondness for the Discovery Channel, though.
78. What makes you laugh? A lot of things. Good jokes, bad jokes. . . I liked some of the old “Little Willy” series back in the day:
“Our Willy studied chemistry
But Willy is no more
What he took for H2O
Was H2SO4.”
I also like puns, though I’ve heard my share of bad ones. So long as something’s witty and clever (at least by my standards), it’ll make me laugh.
79. What, if anything, shocks or offends you? People defending the Fae (though I’m trying to remember faeries are different in different universes), suggesting memory erasure, or trying to defend human experimentation without a damn good reason (i.e., lifesaving cancer drug or the like). Any of those subjects is near-guaranteed to make me upset.
80. What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself? Oh, that’s happened before. Generally I turn to reading or building something simple to pass the time. I don’t like to do anything too complicated in the middle of the night, when I’m more prone to being groggy and making mistakes.
81. How do you deal with stress? Lately it seems to make thunder appear. I tend to channel any stress and frustration into building. I admit it’s not a perfect system - I’ve broken parts and tools before. I also pace a lot more when stressed. Motion seems to help a lot. And yes, once or twice I’ve punched a wall or thrown an available object.
82. Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan? I much prefer having a plan. I function better when I at least have an outline of what I’m going to do. I can be spontaneous when necessary, but plans make me feel more at ease.
83. What are your pet peeves? Being referred to as a “robot” or anything like that. I know I’m largely mechanical internally, but - I’m still human. Or, at least, there’s enough human in me to justify “cyborg” at the least. I also hate being called crazy. Too many bad memories associated with that word.
Part 7: Self Images And Etc.
84. Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted? I wake up around 6:00 A.M. I have a shower, brush my teeth, have breakfast, then typically do some inventing until about 11. Then I walk down to the junkyard in Chicago and watch the place while the owner has lunch from 12 to 1. Then it’s generally either back to the Conrad for invention, reading, or television, or over to Grant Park to practice my weather control. I typically eat dinner around 5:30 - 6:00 P.M., then it’s off to bed around 10 or 11 P.M. I like having a routine, but I’m certainly not opposed to changing it or having it disrupted. Variety is the spice of life, so they say.
85. What is your greatest strength as a person? I suppose my determination, my “can-do” spirit. The quote I’m most known for seems to be “if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” And I firmly believe in that statement.
86. What is your greatest weakness? I think it would have to be my fear of Arcadia. Simply because my worst memories are associated with that place. I completely lost my head those times I thought that Andrew was just - I don’t like being scared half to death of a place I’ll (hopefully) never see again, but I can’t help it.
87. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d like to be fully human again. Sure, having a partly mechanical body means I’m much more durable and efficient than a normal human, but. . .I can’t help feeling part of me’s been stripped away by the change. That I’m - less of a person.
88. Are you generally introverted or extroverted? I tend toward introverted. I often feel more at ease around machines rather than people. Though I’ve been better about initiating conversations here in Chicago.
89. Are you generally organized or messy? Messy, I admit. Though I try to organize what’s really important, like blueprints and notes on my inventions.
90. Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.
Good:
Inventing - not everybody likes my inventions, granted, but I love making them. Isn’t that what counts?
Temporal physics - I discovered a way to break through the time barrier, I have to be good at it!
Completing projects - Whenever I start a project, I don’t quit until I’m completely satisfied. Look at my time machine - I didn’t work on it for twenty years, but I’m STILL determined to complete it. Even in Arcadia I never left a project unfinished.
Bad:
Explaining my history - I was kidnapped by beings called “Faeries.” I can understand people might not take that seriously.
Interacting with women romantically - See my previous answers regarding my girlfriends. I can be friends with a woman, but anything else seems to blow up in my face.
Conquering my fear of faeries - Despite evidence that not all Fae are like the ones who kidnapped me and the fact I’m probably free of Arcadia for good. . . I’m still terrified. And it’s lead to one bad incident already.
91. Do you like yourself? I - this is a tougher question than I anticipated. Is it cheating to say I like the human parts? Because I’m comfortable with my eccentricities and such, but being partly mechanical is. . .I don’t think I’ll ever truly like it.
92. What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? Er - I’m not really an adventurer by choice. I more or less fell into it. And I haven’t really done anything heroic yet. I’m just there for my friends. My friends are important to me, and I could never let them down.
93. What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime? I want to finish my time machine. If I do nothing else in this world, I want to see at least that completed. I spent too many years working on it to have it go to waste. One trip through time - that’s all I ask.
94. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Ideally, back home with a working time machine, catching up on what I missed and continuing my friendship with Marty. Working on a new invention, maybe something to do with my new weather powers (if I keep them going back). Realistically, I’ll probably still be here in Chicago, though I still hope to have a working time machine.
95. If you could choose, how would you want to die? Quickly and painlessly. Like dying quietly in my sleep of old age. Old, old age.
96. If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left. First I’d say goodbye to all my friends - maybe organize another outing so we could all be together and have fun one final time. Then I’d take a walk around the city, taking in all the sights, sounds, smells, everything one last time. Finally I’d give away my blueprints and whatever parts I’ve finished on my time machine to someone I trust (probably Farley or Aubrey) and ask them to please try to finish it for me. I’d hate to leave my life’s work incomplete.
97. What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death? I could say the time machine, and I would like to be remembered for that. But, honestly, the thing I’d most like to be remembered for - is being a good friend. Being someone who was always there when they needed me.
98. What three words best describe your personality? Eccentric, loud, and determined.
99. What three words would others probably use to describe you? Wild, intelligent, and crazy (no matter how much I dislike that last one).
100. If you could, what advice would you, the player, give to your character? Don’t let the past get you down, Doc. The future holds a lot of possibilities. Remember, if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. (Don’t complain I’m quoting you back at you.)