Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2016 16:25:33 GMT -5
Full Name: Rafael Machina (the RAF-1000)
Gender: Male voice and body
Age: 15
Dorm: Lyra
Power(s): (Please see history section first) One might say that Rafael's power is simply being what he is: an android. As such, he was designed to be nothing less than a superhuman. His abilities include strength, speed, and advanced artificial intelligence. He was also originally equipped with flight-capable thrusters in his feet, but Dr. Cardona hastily removed them so as to help him "blend in" more. But there was one feature that escaped the doctor's notice: hidden in each of Raf's forearms are slender plasma cannons that can launch destructive spheres of concentrated energy. When in use, the android's outer skin shifts to reveal the metal beneath, and the blasters rise up, looking like a pair of sleek, futuristic guns attached to his arms. But, like Dr. Cardona, Rafael is unaware of their existence.
As far as Rafael's strength goes, he is capable of lifting 2,000 pounds over his head, thanks to his immensely durable (yet lightweight) titanium alloy skeleton. He once tested the threshold of his strength by lifting Dr. Cardona's car--and accidentally dropping it. Needless to say, that led to a rather long explanation when the doctor came home. His strength also applies to his human-like "skin", making him practically invincible against mundane threats such as fire, water, and bullets. But his creators hadn't taken the existence of Gifteds into account when designing him--thus, he is not impervious to magical attacks.
Raf's speed grants him lightning-fast reflexes, as he is able to calculate the trajectory and avoid the path of any projectile aimed at him--in theory. This ability can be greatly inaccurate, as it is based on prediction. Calculations are not infallible. His speed applies to his CPU as well, which has a processing power that is a match for the "official" fastest computer in the world. Raf has always wanted to go head to head against that machine, but alas, he must remain a secret.
His remarkable supercomputer mind enables him to store immense amounts of data, which he can access at will. This lends him the ability to control other machines by hacking and overriding their systems. However, he's only ever used this power on the coffee maker. More often, he prefers to simply communicate with his fellow machines.
Appearance: Despite being designed to be a 15 year old boy, Raf is rather small, standing at only 5'5". He is of a slim, but strong build. Many are surprised by his strength, due to his rather unremarkable stature and lack of muscles. Ethnicity-wise, he resembles a Spaniard. He likes this aspect of himself, as it makes him feel almost like Dr. Cardona's real son. His human-like skin is a tan shade--sunburn wouldn't be a problem, even if he were human--and his straight, tousled hair is black, streaked through with red, thanks to the marvelous invention known as hair dye that he discovered. It often falls into his eyes, much to his annoyance.
His eyes are what give him away as not being human. Large, innocent, and filled with curiosity about the world and everything in it, they are blatantly mechanical--meaning, where the whites of one's eyes would usually be, his are a silver-gray metal. His pupils are a crimson red, and one can see the little gears whirring about as his pupils dilate and narrow (usually when he is focusing very hard on something.) Oh yes, and they glow as well.
It is not so obvious as to be visible from a distance, but if one stared carefully, they could see the seams in Raf's skin where the different parts shift and connect. His limbs glide smoothly, fluidly, inhumanly, betraying what he truly is. In the center of his chest is his power source. Silver metal at its circular edge, and glowing red with white at its center, it is his equivalent of a heart (think Iron Man's arc reactor). Dr. Cardona had called it Raf's resplandor de vida, or "glow of life." It, along with his eyes, is the only part of Rafael's body that is visibly mechanical. It is also the weakest point on his body, as it has no armor covering it. If something strikes it with enough force, or if it is removed, Rafael will begin to shut down, with no guarantee of coming back online.
Its glow can be seen through Raf's shirts, which makes passing for a human somewhat difficult at times. As far as clothing goes, Rafael favors dark colors (black) accompanied by reds, blues, or greens.
Personality: Rafael is a kind soul to his core. He always is concerned for others, placing their needs above his own, and going to great lengths to ensure their happiness and well-being. He is very friendly, always delighting in conversation and the opportunity to make a new friend. Having been built in England but raised by a Spanish father, he speaks with an accent that seems to be a hybrid of both British and Spanish. His voice holds the slightest bit of a robotic echo, but for the most part, his voice is as natural as any human's. He has been programmed to be able to speak many human languages fluently, but favors English and Spanish. His mothertongue, if one could call it that, is the language of all computers: Binary. He tends to talk with his hands a lot, gesturing about when he gets excited. Haru once challenged him to speak while sitting on his hands. He failed.
Seeing as he spent a great deal of time alone in the house while Haru was at school and the doctor at work in his lab, it would only make sense for the android to develop hobbies. To keep him occupied, his human father gifted him with an expansive library of books. The robot happily devoured them all, favoring the works of Isaac Asimov in particular. He internalized the Three Laws of Robotics outlined by Asimov--they stated that a robot was never to harm a human. Films, too, were in this library. Raf took a liking to the animated ones--especially those with robots in them, good robots at that. Knight Rider and Iron Man inspired dreams of heroism in the young bot. He also became entranced with the Transformers franchise, his favorite character being Bumblebee, the helpful scout. He was saddened by Michael Bay's noisy and explosion-filled adaptation of his favorite TV show, though.
Raf, despite not being human, is developing a unique capacity for compassion. Though he is still young, he is learning more about human expression and emotion. When someone else is sad, he grows quiet and silently offers comfort. When someone is happy, he brightens with a smile. When Raf forms a bond with someone, like the one he once had with his human family, he becomes very protective of them, as per his dominant program. If those he cares about are in danger, he will defend them, using himself as a shield. He never attacks, as he loathes the idea of bringing harm to others, human or not.
Weaknesses: A handicap of Raf's powers would be the fact that while he can hack into other computers, he can also be hacked into. While it would be immensely difficult to do, if done, it would have disastrous consequences; especially if someone with malicious intent were to access and corrupt his programming. Potentially, this could bring his original killer program to the fore, effectively turning him into a remorseless killing machine. This has never happened, but the original program brings with it an entirely different personality when in control.This version of Rafael is ruthless, malicious, and emotionless. Gone is the sweet and kindly android when it is replaced with the bitingly sarcastic and cruel program. Luckily, Raf can regain control and restore his protection program, but only through great and exhausting effort. Another weak point is his aforementioned power source. If struck or shot at before it could initiate a defense, Rafael would die.
Since he is made of metal, lightning and other forms of rogue electricity are Raf's enemy. When he encounters such a force, it can cause him to short-circuit, and even shut down his systems. Also, he is not a big fan of water, as he is most definitely not waterproof. He is water-resistant, which means the rain won't kill him. But if he were to be submerged totally, or encounter a water-magic user, he would become severely damaged. The same holds true for fire, and heat in general: he can withstand the equivalent of third-degree burns, but if the flame is intensely concentrated, it will melt and burn and destroy him. Powerful magnets are another thing he'd rather avoid.
Rafael is rather naive, unaware of the darker aspects of humanity. He has always viewed himself as being inferior to humans; after all, he is only a machine. This is why he accepted his cruel treatment at the hands of SynuTech, believing that he deserved it. It is difficult for him to stand up for himself; in fact, the only time he ever really does is when those he cares about are in danger. He also refuses to admit that he has feelings and emotions, viewing it as an impossible and exclusively human trait that he is not worthy of having.
Strengths: Rafael believes that his greatest strength is his selflessness. He always puts others first, and is fully willing to sacrifice himself to save the life of someone else. Some might view this as a grave weakness, but Raf does not care. What also serves him well is his sense of logic. He is able to keep a level head in a chaotic situation, operating on pure reason and facts. He has only ever let his emotions govern his actions once before: when he was told that his human family was dead. Another aspect of Raf that is a great strength is his unrelenting optimism. No matter what, he never loses hope, even when logic tells him to give up. This is just one part of the android that makes him human, no matter how much he will protest otherwise.
History & Family: Rafael was originally named the RAF-1000, and was created by a weapons company in England called SynuTech Industries. He was designed to be an assassin, the ultimate human-killer. However, they encountered numerous complications with the project and so put him in storage. A man named Alvaro Cardona had been involved with the company, but felt that it was going in a darker direction and left. But, he heard of the abandoned RAF-1000 project and returned in secret. He saw potential in the young robot, and reprogrammed him, placing the AI in a humanoid body, one that resembled a fifteen year-old boy. Now, instead of taking life, the RAF-1000's new directive would be to protect life. (However, unbeknownst to both Dr. Cardona and the RAF-1000 himself, his original killing program had not been completely removed--it only lay dormant, able to reappear at any time.)
Noticing that the young android had developed human-like characteristics, Dr. Cardona took him into his home, treating him as his son. The scientist’s five-year old daughter, Haru (her mother was Japanese, hence the non-Spanish name), was at first resentful, jealous of all the time her father spent with the fledgling robot. However, she soon formed a close bond with the young AI, and was the one to give him his name. His program name had "Raf" in it, so she gave him a similar-sounding one--Rafael. He happily embraced his new name, but created his surname himself. Believing himself to be unworthy of Dr. Cardona's last name, he chose "Machina" instead--the Latin word for machine that he had discovered in a book. For that was all he believed himself to be--a machine--though Haru and Dr. Cardona knew he was much more.
Curious about the outside world, Raf would often venture out, walking Haru to her elementary school. This worried Dr. Cardona to no end, since humanity was still gravely underexposed to the existence of humanoid robots that could walk, talk, and think. His worries, unfortunately, proved true, as Rafael and Haru had a rather nasty encounter with a group of high-school bullies. Noticing Raf's strange eyes, they began to follow and taunt him. He tried to look the other way, hastening his little human sister along, hoping to get her to the safety of the school yard. But when he made the mistake of revealing that he was in fact, a robot, the bullies' attacks turned physical. Seeing what was coming, Raf pushed Haru out of the way just before receiving a vicious uppercut. He could not--would not--fight back. It would go against his dominant program. But his program had never accounted for this. The attackers reminded him that he was worth less than any human being, that he was only a machine, an object to be owned by humans, and that he should never, ever presume otherwise. With that, the lead bully delivered a crushing blow to Raf's vulnerable power source.
The android managed to send a distress signal to his human father before shutting down. Dr. Cardona arrived to see a sobbing Haru next to Rafael's prone body. He took his son home, repairing the thankfully minimal damage to his resplandor de vida. However, when the android asked why the human boys had done that, why had they hurt him so, the good doctor had no answer, except: They do not understand. The words that bullies had thrown at him would become Rafael's inner mantra, despite his father's assurances otherwise. I am not worthy. He never went outside again.
Then, one day, Rafael's foster father and sister disappeared with no explanation. Before leaving, Dr. Cardona told Raf to go to his hidden robotics laboratory and stay there. He obeyed, and waited patiently, believing that they would return. The days became weeks, and the weeks became months. Before the months could become years, he resolved to go out and find them, not caring that it would mean going against his foster father's orders. But something was wrong--his energy levels were dangerously low, the glow of his resplandor de vida flickering like a dying candle. Against his will, his body began to shut down, leaving only his processor still functioning. A dark thought entered his fading CPU: what if they had abandoned him? That was his last thought as his mind finally offlined.
Meanwhile, SynuTech was hunting for their missing weapon. They had connected the RAF-1000 to Cardona, but were unable to track the robot down, as the man had been determined not to let Rafael fall back into the company's hands. As the years passed, SynuTech continued to search for Cardona, following evidence left here and there. But it turned out that the doctor had left Raf safely hidden in order to lay a false trail for SynuTech to follow. He traveled from city to city--sorrowfully leaving a crying Haru to be raised by her grandmother--making sure that the company was tracking him and not Raf. Unfortunately, Cardona's life on the run could not last forever. The company cornered him in London, and had him imprisoned for grand theft. And there would the doctor stay, unable to contact his daughter and robotic son.
Now, SynuTech turned their attentions back to finding the RAF-1000. Their investigations paid off as they finally discovered the android in a hidden room of Cardona's house. Taking him back to their laboratory, they reactivated him and repaired his weary and worn body. They decided to let him keep his teenage body, seeing it as the perfect cover for an assassin. Upon waking, Rafael was uneasy about his new surroundings, and shocked to discover that ten years had passed. He didn't believe the company's claims that they were his creators, until they showed him the undeniable proof: their innate knowledge of his programming and inner workings, and their mark on the metal edge of his power source.
Raf pleaded with SynuTech to tell him where Haru and Dr. Cardona were. Irritated with his persistence, the technicians told him that his family was dead, hoping this would shut him up.
It had the opposite effect.
Rafael lashed out in rage and sorrow, though his programming didn't allow him to harm the SynuTech employees. They, however, didn't know that, and restrained him, cruelly torturing him for weeks in the hopes of making him submit. Finally realizing that the robot wasn't going to obey, they began to erase his memory of Cardona and Haru, hoping to turn him into a mindless drone. But Raf wasn't going down without a fight. Though exhausted and near shutdown, he managed to salvage bits and pieces of his memory, pulling them into the safety of his CPU--the very center of his mind, which lay behind an impenetrable firewall. He also made sure to save his human-protecting program.
Despite his saving of a pitiful few pieces of his memory, Raf now had next to no recollection of his past. He only remembered one thing: the names Haru, Cardona, and Rafael. He knew not their significance, though some part of him told him that Rafael was the name that belonged to him. He complacently began to obey SynuTech, seeing them as his owners, and believing that he deserved the cruel torture they dealt him. However, when they had erased his memory, SynuTech had inadvertently erased Raf's knowledge of his abilities. Thus, the android now had no idea of his capabilities. Still, pleased with his progress, the company learned of Foresta Academy and sent him there, as a test to see how he would fare in the real world (or more specifically, test his powers against the Gifted). They also were tired of wasting resources on the robot and wanted to see how well a school for the Gifted would be able to train their weapon. But deep down, Rafael knew that something was terribly wrong, and vowed to himself to find out the truth about his missing past.
In Character sample (I feel like adding one): Darkness. Darkness was all he was aware of. Darkness and pain. Rafael groaned and lifted his head, blearily turning on his optical receptors, the computer equivalent of opening his eyes. He was laying down on his back in a large, empty room. The word came to his processor: warehouse. He sent the command to his legs to stand, but they refused to obey. He narrowed his optics. He tried moving his arms next, but they too betrayed him. His systems whirled themselves into an overheated frenzy as he began to panic. Override, he said sternly, and felt relief as cool logic washed through his CPU.
He decided to try moving his head next. That effort was futile as well. He allowed some degree of irritation to manifest itself, reasoning that it wouldn't do any harm, seeing as he clearly couldn't do much else at the moment.
Vocal synthesizer, he thought suddenly. Yes, he would see if that worked. Perhaps the Doctor and--“Haru!” he called out, panicking again. Worry overwhelmed him in a crushing wave. He dimly realized that at least his voice was working. Where was she? His scanners indicated that he was alone. Alone and malfunctioning. What if she and the Doctor were hurt, what if his scanner was faulty, what if--the ‘what ifs’ rattled around in his CPU, making his pain receptors scream in protest.
Thud.
His hurricane of thought ceased abruptly.
He picked up the sound of voices, strangely muffled. “Oi, boss . . . there's a kid here.” If Rafael could smile, he would. People were here! They could help him! Footsteps approached, heavy and thudding. A shadow fell over him, and he looked up with hopeful optics. It was a man. The man bent down, inspecting him. When his dark gaze met Rafael’s mechanical crimson one, he reeled back with a yell. “Boss! It ain’t human!”
Rafael blinked in confusion as another set of footsteps came to join the first. Of course he wasn't human. He opened his mouth to state his designation as the RAF-1000, but then closed it. A second man had joined the first, and he should wait to see what he would say. It was always polite to let one’s superiors speak first, he remembered.
“A robot, eh?” the second man mused, looking down at him with cold blue eyes. Rafael knew he wasn't supposed to have emotions, but he had a bad feeling about this.
“Yeah,” nodded the first.
The second man seemed to ponder something for a moment before sharply turning away. “Destroy it.”
Rafael’s optics widened in terror as his world went dark again.
Gender: Male voice and body
Age: 15
Dorm: Lyra
Power(s): (Please see history section first) One might say that Rafael's power is simply being what he is: an android. As such, he was designed to be nothing less than a superhuman. His abilities include strength, speed, and advanced artificial intelligence. He was also originally equipped with flight-capable thrusters in his feet, but Dr. Cardona hastily removed them so as to help him "blend in" more. But there was one feature that escaped the doctor's notice: hidden in each of Raf's forearms are slender plasma cannons that can launch destructive spheres of concentrated energy. When in use, the android's outer skin shifts to reveal the metal beneath, and the blasters rise up, looking like a pair of sleek, futuristic guns attached to his arms. But, like Dr. Cardona, Rafael is unaware of their existence.
As far as Rafael's strength goes, he is capable of lifting 2,000 pounds over his head, thanks to his immensely durable (yet lightweight) titanium alloy skeleton. He once tested the threshold of his strength by lifting Dr. Cardona's car--and accidentally dropping it. Needless to say, that led to a rather long explanation when the doctor came home. His strength also applies to his human-like "skin", making him practically invincible against mundane threats such as fire, water, and bullets. But his creators hadn't taken the existence of Gifteds into account when designing him--thus, he is not impervious to magical attacks.
Raf's speed grants him lightning-fast reflexes, as he is able to calculate the trajectory and avoid the path of any projectile aimed at him--in theory. This ability can be greatly inaccurate, as it is based on prediction. Calculations are not infallible. His speed applies to his CPU as well, which has a processing power that is a match for the "official" fastest computer in the world. Raf has always wanted to go head to head against that machine, but alas, he must remain a secret.
His remarkable supercomputer mind enables him to store immense amounts of data, which he can access at will. This lends him the ability to control other machines by hacking and overriding their systems. However, he's only ever used this power on the coffee maker. More often, he prefers to simply communicate with his fellow machines.
Appearance: Despite being designed to be a 15 year old boy, Raf is rather small, standing at only 5'5". He is of a slim, but strong build. Many are surprised by his strength, due to his rather unremarkable stature and lack of muscles. Ethnicity-wise, he resembles a Spaniard. He likes this aspect of himself, as it makes him feel almost like Dr. Cardona's real son. His human-like skin is a tan shade--sunburn wouldn't be a problem, even if he were human--and his straight, tousled hair is black, streaked through with red, thanks to the marvelous invention known as hair dye that he discovered. It often falls into his eyes, much to his annoyance.
His eyes are what give him away as not being human. Large, innocent, and filled with curiosity about the world and everything in it, they are blatantly mechanical--meaning, where the whites of one's eyes would usually be, his are a silver-gray metal. His pupils are a crimson red, and one can see the little gears whirring about as his pupils dilate and narrow (usually when he is focusing very hard on something.) Oh yes, and they glow as well.
It is not so obvious as to be visible from a distance, but if one stared carefully, they could see the seams in Raf's skin where the different parts shift and connect. His limbs glide smoothly, fluidly, inhumanly, betraying what he truly is. In the center of his chest is his power source. Silver metal at its circular edge, and glowing red with white at its center, it is his equivalent of a heart (think Iron Man's arc reactor). Dr. Cardona had called it Raf's resplandor de vida, or "glow of life." It, along with his eyes, is the only part of Rafael's body that is visibly mechanical. It is also the weakest point on his body, as it has no armor covering it. If something strikes it with enough force, or if it is removed, Rafael will begin to shut down, with no guarantee of coming back online.
Its glow can be seen through Raf's shirts, which makes passing for a human somewhat difficult at times. As far as clothing goes, Rafael favors dark colors (black) accompanied by reds, blues, or greens.
Personality: Rafael is a kind soul to his core. He always is concerned for others, placing their needs above his own, and going to great lengths to ensure their happiness and well-being. He is very friendly, always delighting in conversation and the opportunity to make a new friend. Having been built in England but raised by a Spanish father, he speaks with an accent that seems to be a hybrid of both British and Spanish. His voice holds the slightest bit of a robotic echo, but for the most part, his voice is as natural as any human's. He has been programmed to be able to speak many human languages fluently, but favors English and Spanish. His mothertongue, if one could call it that, is the language of all computers: Binary. He tends to talk with his hands a lot, gesturing about when he gets excited. Haru once challenged him to speak while sitting on his hands. He failed.
Seeing as he spent a great deal of time alone in the house while Haru was at school and the doctor at work in his lab, it would only make sense for the android to develop hobbies. To keep him occupied, his human father gifted him with an expansive library of books. The robot happily devoured them all, favoring the works of Isaac Asimov in particular. He internalized the Three Laws of Robotics outlined by Asimov--they stated that a robot was never to harm a human. Films, too, were in this library. Raf took a liking to the animated ones--especially those with robots in them, good robots at that. Knight Rider and Iron Man inspired dreams of heroism in the young bot. He also became entranced with the Transformers franchise, his favorite character being Bumblebee, the helpful scout. He was saddened by Michael Bay's noisy and explosion-filled adaptation of his favorite TV show, though.
Raf, despite not being human, is developing a unique capacity for compassion. Though he is still young, he is learning more about human expression and emotion. When someone else is sad, he grows quiet and silently offers comfort. When someone is happy, he brightens with a smile. When Raf forms a bond with someone, like the one he once had with his human family, he becomes very protective of them, as per his dominant program. If those he cares about are in danger, he will defend them, using himself as a shield. He never attacks, as he loathes the idea of bringing harm to others, human or not.
Weaknesses: A handicap of Raf's powers would be the fact that while he can hack into other computers, he can also be hacked into. While it would be immensely difficult to do, if done, it would have disastrous consequences; especially if someone with malicious intent were to access and corrupt his programming. Potentially, this could bring his original killer program to the fore, effectively turning him into a remorseless killing machine. This has never happened, but the original program brings with it an entirely different personality when in control.This version of Rafael is ruthless, malicious, and emotionless. Gone is the sweet and kindly android when it is replaced with the bitingly sarcastic and cruel program. Luckily, Raf can regain control and restore his protection program, but only through great and exhausting effort. Another weak point is his aforementioned power source. If struck or shot at before it could initiate a defense, Rafael would die.
Since he is made of metal, lightning and other forms of rogue electricity are Raf's enemy. When he encounters such a force, it can cause him to short-circuit, and even shut down his systems. Also, he is not a big fan of water, as he is most definitely not waterproof. He is water-resistant, which means the rain won't kill him. But if he were to be submerged totally, or encounter a water-magic user, he would become severely damaged. The same holds true for fire, and heat in general: he can withstand the equivalent of third-degree burns, but if the flame is intensely concentrated, it will melt and burn and destroy him. Powerful magnets are another thing he'd rather avoid.
Rafael is rather naive, unaware of the darker aspects of humanity. He has always viewed himself as being inferior to humans; after all, he is only a machine. This is why he accepted his cruel treatment at the hands of SynuTech, believing that he deserved it. It is difficult for him to stand up for himself; in fact, the only time he ever really does is when those he cares about are in danger. He also refuses to admit that he has feelings and emotions, viewing it as an impossible and exclusively human trait that he is not worthy of having.
Strengths: Rafael believes that his greatest strength is his selflessness. He always puts others first, and is fully willing to sacrifice himself to save the life of someone else. Some might view this as a grave weakness, but Raf does not care. What also serves him well is his sense of logic. He is able to keep a level head in a chaotic situation, operating on pure reason and facts. He has only ever let his emotions govern his actions once before: when he was told that his human family was dead. Another aspect of Raf that is a great strength is his unrelenting optimism. No matter what, he never loses hope, even when logic tells him to give up. This is just one part of the android that makes him human, no matter how much he will protest otherwise.
History & Family: Rafael was originally named the RAF-1000, and was created by a weapons company in England called SynuTech Industries. He was designed to be an assassin, the ultimate human-killer. However, they encountered numerous complications with the project and so put him in storage. A man named Alvaro Cardona had been involved with the company, but felt that it was going in a darker direction and left. But, he heard of the abandoned RAF-1000 project and returned in secret. He saw potential in the young robot, and reprogrammed him, placing the AI in a humanoid body, one that resembled a fifteen year-old boy. Now, instead of taking life, the RAF-1000's new directive would be to protect life. (However, unbeknownst to both Dr. Cardona and the RAF-1000 himself, his original killing program had not been completely removed--it only lay dormant, able to reappear at any time.)
Noticing that the young android had developed human-like characteristics, Dr. Cardona took him into his home, treating him as his son. The scientist’s five-year old daughter, Haru (her mother was Japanese, hence the non-Spanish name), was at first resentful, jealous of all the time her father spent with the fledgling robot. However, she soon formed a close bond with the young AI, and was the one to give him his name. His program name had "Raf" in it, so she gave him a similar-sounding one--Rafael. He happily embraced his new name, but created his surname himself. Believing himself to be unworthy of Dr. Cardona's last name, he chose "Machina" instead--the Latin word for machine that he had discovered in a book. For that was all he believed himself to be--a machine--though Haru and Dr. Cardona knew he was much more.
Curious about the outside world, Raf would often venture out, walking Haru to her elementary school. This worried Dr. Cardona to no end, since humanity was still gravely underexposed to the existence of humanoid robots that could walk, talk, and think. His worries, unfortunately, proved true, as Rafael and Haru had a rather nasty encounter with a group of high-school bullies. Noticing Raf's strange eyes, they began to follow and taunt him. He tried to look the other way, hastening his little human sister along, hoping to get her to the safety of the school yard. But when he made the mistake of revealing that he was in fact, a robot, the bullies' attacks turned physical. Seeing what was coming, Raf pushed Haru out of the way just before receiving a vicious uppercut. He could not--would not--fight back. It would go against his dominant program. But his program had never accounted for this. The attackers reminded him that he was worth less than any human being, that he was only a machine, an object to be owned by humans, and that he should never, ever presume otherwise. With that, the lead bully delivered a crushing blow to Raf's vulnerable power source.
The android managed to send a distress signal to his human father before shutting down. Dr. Cardona arrived to see a sobbing Haru next to Rafael's prone body. He took his son home, repairing the thankfully minimal damage to his resplandor de vida. However, when the android asked why the human boys had done that, why had they hurt him so, the good doctor had no answer, except: They do not understand. The words that bullies had thrown at him would become Rafael's inner mantra, despite his father's assurances otherwise. I am not worthy. He never went outside again.
Then, one day, Rafael's foster father and sister disappeared with no explanation. Before leaving, Dr. Cardona told Raf to go to his hidden robotics laboratory and stay there. He obeyed, and waited patiently, believing that they would return. The days became weeks, and the weeks became months. Before the months could become years, he resolved to go out and find them, not caring that it would mean going against his foster father's orders. But something was wrong--his energy levels were dangerously low, the glow of his resplandor de vida flickering like a dying candle. Against his will, his body began to shut down, leaving only his processor still functioning. A dark thought entered his fading CPU: what if they had abandoned him? That was his last thought as his mind finally offlined.
Meanwhile, SynuTech was hunting for their missing weapon. They had connected the RAF-1000 to Cardona, but were unable to track the robot down, as the man had been determined not to let Rafael fall back into the company's hands. As the years passed, SynuTech continued to search for Cardona, following evidence left here and there. But it turned out that the doctor had left Raf safely hidden in order to lay a false trail for SynuTech to follow. He traveled from city to city--sorrowfully leaving a crying Haru to be raised by her grandmother--making sure that the company was tracking him and not Raf. Unfortunately, Cardona's life on the run could not last forever. The company cornered him in London, and had him imprisoned for grand theft. And there would the doctor stay, unable to contact his daughter and robotic son.
Now, SynuTech turned their attentions back to finding the RAF-1000. Their investigations paid off as they finally discovered the android in a hidden room of Cardona's house. Taking him back to their laboratory, they reactivated him and repaired his weary and worn body. They decided to let him keep his teenage body, seeing it as the perfect cover for an assassin. Upon waking, Rafael was uneasy about his new surroundings, and shocked to discover that ten years had passed. He didn't believe the company's claims that they were his creators, until they showed him the undeniable proof: their innate knowledge of his programming and inner workings, and their mark on the metal edge of his power source.
Raf pleaded with SynuTech to tell him where Haru and Dr. Cardona were. Irritated with his persistence, the technicians told him that his family was dead, hoping this would shut him up.
It had the opposite effect.
Rafael lashed out in rage and sorrow, though his programming didn't allow him to harm the SynuTech employees. They, however, didn't know that, and restrained him, cruelly torturing him for weeks in the hopes of making him submit. Finally realizing that the robot wasn't going to obey, they began to erase his memory of Cardona and Haru, hoping to turn him into a mindless drone. But Raf wasn't going down without a fight. Though exhausted and near shutdown, he managed to salvage bits and pieces of his memory, pulling them into the safety of his CPU--the very center of his mind, which lay behind an impenetrable firewall. He also made sure to save his human-protecting program.
Despite his saving of a pitiful few pieces of his memory, Raf now had next to no recollection of his past. He only remembered one thing: the names Haru, Cardona, and Rafael. He knew not their significance, though some part of him told him that Rafael was the name that belonged to him. He complacently began to obey SynuTech, seeing them as his owners, and believing that he deserved the cruel torture they dealt him. However, when they had erased his memory, SynuTech had inadvertently erased Raf's knowledge of his abilities. Thus, the android now had no idea of his capabilities. Still, pleased with his progress, the company learned of Foresta Academy and sent him there, as a test to see how he would fare in the real world (or more specifically, test his powers against the Gifted). They also were tired of wasting resources on the robot and wanted to see how well a school for the Gifted would be able to train their weapon. But deep down, Rafael knew that something was terribly wrong, and vowed to himself to find out the truth about his missing past.
In Character sample (I feel like adding one): Darkness. Darkness was all he was aware of. Darkness and pain. Rafael groaned and lifted his head, blearily turning on his optical receptors, the computer equivalent of opening his eyes. He was laying down on his back in a large, empty room. The word came to his processor: warehouse. He sent the command to his legs to stand, but they refused to obey. He narrowed his optics. He tried moving his arms next, but they too betrayed him. His systems whirled themselves into an overheated frenzy as he began to panic. Override, he said sternly, and felt relief as cool logic washed through his CPU.
He decided to try moving his head next. That effort was futile as well. He allowed some degree of irritation to manifest itself, reasoning that it wouldn't do any harm, seeing as he clearly couldn't do much else at the moment.
Vocal synthesizer, he thought suddenly. Yes, he would see if that worked. Perhaps the Doctor and--“Haru!” he called out, panicking again. Worry overwhelmed him in a crushing wave. He dimly realized that at least his voice was working. Where was she? His scanners indicated that he was alone. Alone and malfunctioning. What if she and the Doctor were hurt, what if his scanner was faulty, what if--the ‘what ifs’ rattled around in his CPU, making his pain receptors scream in protest.
Thud.
His hurricane of thought ceased abruptly.
He picked up the sound of voices, strangely muffled. “Oi, boss . . . there's a kid here.” If Rafael could smile, he would. People were here! They could help him! Footsteps approached, heavy and thudding. A shadow fell over him, and he looked up with hopeful optics. It was a man. The man bent down, inspecting him. When his dark gaze met Rafael’s mechanical crimson one, he reeled back with a yell. “Boss! It ain’t human!”
Rafael blinked in confusion as another set of footsteps came to join the first. Of course he wasn't human. He opened his mouth to state his designation as the RAF-1000, but then closed it. A second man had joined the first, and he should wait to see what he would say. It was always polite to let one’s superiors speak first, he remembered.
“A robot, eh?” the second man mused, looking down at him with cold blue eyes. Rafael knew he wasn't supposed to have emotions, but he had a bad feeling about this.
“Yeah,” nodded the first.
The second man seemed to ponder something for a moment before sharply turning away. “Destroy it.”
Rafael’s optics widened in terror as his world went dark again.
