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[underthesurface]

OOC
Name: Silk
Contact: email: silkenfeather@gmail.com
Plurk: needslineface
Timezone: US CST (GMT -6)
Current Characters: none

IC

Name: Pyunma (008)
Canon/Medium: Cyborg 009 (2001 anime and 2012 movie)
Canon/Medium Point of Origination: Just before his disappearance due to “His Voice”
Age/Sex: 50 (appears 23) / male
History Link: No link, sadly. Have some exposition instead!

008 was born Pyunma, in a small country called the Muamba Republic, in West Africa. Muamba was originally a colony of the European country Glutonia. In 1996, Muamba earned independence, but the first President of Muamba, Unbaba, turned his Presidency into a dictatorship with the help of Glutonia, and in exchange gave access to precious minerals mined in the Muamba. Although this deal was profitable for Unbaba and Glutonia, it left the people of Muamba living in terrible conditions. It was not long before a revolution began. Pyunma joined the rebels, where he not only learned how to fight, but fought alongside his closest friend, Mamado.

One night, Mamado and Pyunma were nearly caught by Unbaba's forces. Rather than allow both of them to be captured, Mamado drew the guard's attention, allowing Pyunma to escape. Unfortunately, Mamado's efforts did not keep Pyunma safe for long, since Pyunma was later shot and kidnapped by one of the robots of the Black Ghost.

Black Ghost was an organization of “merchants of death”—they created advanced weapons to be sold around the world, for the purpose of creating chaos and reaping the profits. Pyunma’s kidnapping was a part of that. He was given the designation “008” and turned into a cyborg, with mechanical lungs that allowed him to breathe underwater.

Doctor Gilmore, one of the scientists in charge of the cyborg project, had an attack of conscience, and orchestrated an escape for all of the 00 number cyborgs, including the most recent, 009, who was awakened telepathically by cyborg 001 and eventually joined them. After stealing a Black Ghost prototype ship and destroying the island base they were created in, the cyborgs fled to Japan.

The Black Ghost sent several other cyborgs after the 00 numbers during this time, and also kidnapped Professor Kozumi, the friend of Gilmore’s that they were staying with. After rescuing him, the cyborgs decided it was best for them to move on. Using their stolen Black Ghost ship, renamed the Dolphin, they began traveling the world, fighting the Black Ghost wherever they found them.

One such place was 008's homeland. There, the cyborgs discovered that the rebel guerrilla forces had been sold a weapon by the Black Ghost. 008 attempted to convince the rebel leader Kabore to give up the weapon, but was unsuccessful until an attack on the camp revealed that the Black Ghost was selling weapons to Unbaba's forces as well. Those weapons were controlled by other cyborgs, who included 008's former ally Mamado. Pyunma went off alone to confront Mamado, but in the process was captured by Black Ghost’s forces. After being freed by the other 00 cyborgs, Pyunma faced off against Mamado again, only to be forced to kill his former friend.

Shortly after completing this mission, the cyborgs were able to destroy the Black Ghost’s base, and Skull, the cyborg leader of the organization. With Black Ghost defeated, the cyborgs were able to live in peace for a time. Pyunma returned to his home in Muamba, as the country needed assistance- not only had their mines bottomed out, but drought had caused a famine that was hurting the entire country.

Although Pyunma had visited the friends living with Doctor Gilmore on occasion, it wasn’t until they discovered a group of cyborgs based on the Greek Gods causing natural disasters around the world, a remnant of the Black Ghost’s forces, that he returned to fight with the other 00 number cyborgs.

After a number of other encounters, the cyborgs discovered that Black Ghost still existed, in the form of a weapons manufacturing company led by a man named Von Bagoot. In investigating this company, the cyborgs also searched for strange animals with supersonic abilities that were capable of destroying buildings. In a fight against one of these creatures, Pyunma was seriously injured. Doctor Gilmore was able to save him, but replaced much of Pyunma’s skin with a scaly covering meant to increase his speed underwater. These modifications horrified him, but with the help of 004, he was able to accept them, and even use them in battle when they were attacked by Von Bagoot’s forces shortly after.

The cyborgs learned that the strange animals they had fought were from an underground kingdom called Yomi that Black Ghost had taken over. Knowing this, the cyborgs together decided to travel to Yomi and defeat the Black Ghost once and for all. However, before they were able to get there, they were ambushed by Black Ghost robots, and their ship, the Dolphin, was destroyed.

They were able to escape the wreck, and continue on to Yomi, though they became separated and captured. Upon their capture, they learned that Skull was still alive. They fought and defeated Von Bagoot, largely thanks to 004’s efforts, but were not able to stop Skull from using a ship/robot/statue he had built in Yomi to escape. 001 used his powers to teleport 009 onto the ship, but did not send the other cyborgs along, because he was trying to prevent as many casualties as he could. 002 nevertheless flew off to 009’s aid. 009 was able to defeat Black Ghost and destroy his ship, but 002 wasted all of his fuel in reaching 009, and the two fell to earth.

27 years passed by. Doctor Gilmore had created an organization to help further world peace, but most of the cyborgs did not stay to work alongside him. Pyunma, tired of fighting, was one of the cyborgs who left, though unlike the others, he didn’t join a security agency in his home country. Instead, he became an archaeologist and started searching in Africa for information about the origins of humanity.

During a dig in the Olduvai Gorge, he uncovered a strange skeleton, one that appeared to be the skeleton of an angel. His confusion only grew when he started hearing his dig staff speak of “His Voice.” When he asked them about it, they recited a passage to him; “In the beginning was the Voice. And the word was Him. And all obeyed his Word in great awe. But those who dwelt upon the earth, through vanity, cunning, and greed, built a multitude of towers, whose tops reached unto heaven, and hoarded the riches of the world. Scattered across the ravaged land, man turned a deaf ear to His Voice. However, he gave unto man an opportunity to atone for his misdeeds. Flame, smoke, and the roar of a Lion descended upon the earth, and the many towers were brought down into the dust.”

Initially, Pyunma believed it was a non-canon biblical text. However, a series of terrorist bombings began toppling towers all over the world, he was immediately reminded of that passage, and began to theorize that His Voice had something to do with it. For that reason, he went to join Doctor Gilmore in Istanbul when the scientist called for a meeting of the cyborgs. However, while pursuing more information about His Voice, Pyunma disappeared, leaving Albert with only his notes to show the other cyborgs.

Appearance: Pyunma is relatively short, about 5’5”. He has dark skin, dark brown eyes, short-cut hair, and a goatee (A Kanyeborg, if you like). His height and build don’t make him any sort of heavyweight, but he’s not as light as you might expect, thanks to the cybernetics throughout his body.

Special Abilities: Because of his history as a rebel in his home country, Pyunma is originally described as a “fighting professional,” the only one of the cyborgs who had experience with warfare before he was kidnapped by the Black Ghost. This comes in knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, but also in tactical ability he shows throughout the series. In the decades since then, he’s also become a trained archaeologist.

Most of his special abilities are granted by his cyborg parts, though. He has modifications that allow him to breathe underwater, and navigate in an underwater environment including depths a normal human couldn’t reach. In addition, most of his skin has been replaced by a scaled covering that reduces drag underwater to allow him to move extremely quickly.

SAMPLES
Sample Network Post:

I admit I’m no scientist, 

[That’s hardly a disclaimer Pyunma minds giving. He’s many things, but “scientist”  is a title he’s fine with never having.]

but creating nearly-exact clones, except for a genetic immunity, takes very advanced technology as far as I’m aware. If they have this much skill, there must be something keeping them from applying this to creating a vaccine for the people already alive. I suppose it’s not that easy to replace a person’s DNA.

Easier or not, those people deserve to live just as much as we do. [Maybe more so- the clones are the ones who might as well be getting a second chance at life, aren’t they?] New hope for humanity doesn’t mean letting everyone die.  

Sample Prose Post:

If there was one thing about his cloning Pyunma couldn’t say he minded, it was the freedom it allowed his wardrobe. He’d gotten used to long shirts and pants over the past twenty-seven years, the constant need to hide his very obvious modifications on the hottest of days, in the hottest of places. At least being a cyborg made it easier for him to stand high temperatures, otherwise he would have left Africa for cooler climates. Instead, he’d just had to deal with a reputation for being eccentric.

Not so any longer. He could feel the cool night air along his arms even standing out of the wind by the door to the bungalow as he was. As complicated as the situation he’d awoken to was, being able to feel again was something he was unequivocally glad to have. He’d taken to wearing short sleeves as soon as he could, but he still constantly noticed how every little thing felt against his skin.

It still wasn’t enough to distract him from the thoughts swirling through his head, however. Pyunma sighed and shifted away from the wall. He’d left the bungalow out of hopes that being outside would give him the space he was looking for, but it hadn’t helped any. He had no more answers now than he did when he’d first heard the news.

You’re our hero! They had said. A hero, just for being made. It didn’t sit right with him. None of it did, to be honest. He wasn’t sure what to do with these memories that weren’t his, but he wasn’t getting anything accomplished like this. He needed to get even further away. For a moment he considered the beach, but quickly decided otherwise. An ocean’s worth of water was the last thing he needed to be faced with now.

Instead, he made his way around the living quarters and toward the Jungle. He wouldn’t go far—just enough distance to make sure he’d be alone.

PERSONALITY

- How does your character feel about what he/she is doing with his or her life? Are they satisfied, or do they feel like they are waiting for something better?

Pyunma is satisfied with the direction his life is moving. He was able to move away from a life of fighting, something that not many of the others were able to accomplish. Although it was an unexpected choice of career, he clearly is invested in the work. There’s more out there for him to learn and discover, but he’s able to do that as an archaeologist, which is enough for him.

The only thing Pyunma feels that he is missing is the chance to help people more directly, which is part of why he responds to Doctor Gilmore’s summon- it’s a chance to help people.

- How does your character view the world? Do they find it pleasant or do they wish there was something else out there?

Even before he was kidnapped by Black Ghost, Pyunma would have had plenty of excuses to have a cynical outlook. Living first in a colony, then under a dictatorship where the people were worked like slaves, he would have had a good reason to think there was nothing but evil in the world. Even with that exposure to the atrocities humanity can commit, however, he isn’t entirely jaded. Becoming a rebel to fight for Muamba’s freedom showed that he still had some hope that the world could become a better place, if he and others stepped forward to make it happen.

He has this same kind of faith in individuals. Although he has no qualms about fighting anonymous forces of Black Ghost the way other cyborgs like 009 do, he is reluctant to give up hope in individuals he knows. He starts to suspect early on in the 00 number team’s time in Muamba that the cyborg they are fighting was once his friend Mamado, but even after Mamado captured him and brought him to Black Ghost, Pyunma still makes one final offer to his friend, for them to fight for their country’s future together. When Mamado meets that answer with a gun, Pyunma is prepared, and shoots first. In other words, he hopes for good, but is prepared for things to not work the way he wishes them to.

- Describe a situation in which your character said or did the wrong thing. Was s/he willing to admit this error? Was there a confession, or did s/he deny, deny, deny?

Interestingly, Pyunma does a number of dangerous things over the course of canon that put both him and others in danger. Sometimes, he’s just enabling Jet’s recklessness, such as the fight against Fuerge in the episode “Breaking In,” where he helps Jet leave the Dolphin and investigate their attackers. Other times, he takes action on his own- choosing to leave the others behind in Muamba to face Mamado on his own, during the series, and in re: Cyborg, when he leaves Albert to follow a clue about “His Voice” without explanation.

Despite this, the others never call him reckless or get irritated at him for these actions. In the incident with Jet, although Albert grumbles over Jet’s hotheadedness, and calls him a loose cannon, he never makes a comment about Pyunma’s willingness to help Jet with his plan. The others seem to take it for granted that 008 has good reasons for his actions, even if they are risky and land him in trouble. 

- Describe a situation in which your character was given the option of forgiving another. Did s/he? What was the ultimate outcome?

After Doctor Gilmore gave Pyunma extensive modifications without his permission, Pyunma had a lot of trouble accepting what had been done to him. It took a conversation with Albert, about 004’s own extensive modifications, to put things in perspective for Pyunma, and make him realize that Gilmore, in his own misguided way, was trying to help. Once he understood the Doctor’s motivations, he was able to forgive Gilmore, and continue helping the team.

- Describe a situation in which your character is exposed to another character who is in bad spirits. Did s/he try to cheer them up? Did s/he leave them alone?

Pyunma rarely approaches others who are obviously feeling down. One of the few times he did was when he was still a rebel fighting against Unbaba. Mamado had just lost his father, who worked himself to death in the mines. Mamado expresses his grief, but Pyunma does little more than stand witness as his friend vows to make their country a better place.

- Describe an important task that your character was responsible for. Did they abandon the task or stick with it to completion?

During the drought in Muamba, Pyunma often took it upon himself to bring supplies to especially hard-hit areas. During one such trip, a land mine blows up the truck he’s driving, and all of the supplies except for two bags of flour are destroyed. There is still a long way to go to reach the village, but although Pyunma almost gives up the trip, he decides that something is better than nothing, and walks through the night in order to make it to the village with the bags of flour.

- Is your character well-acquainted with his or her own motivations? Do others perceive his or her motivations the same way?

Pyunma generally has a good understanding of his own motivations, but even in situations where he’s uncertain, he’s good at setting aside his worries in order to do what he feels must be done, particularly in the midst of a battle, where being distracted could get him or the others killed. This means that the others generally see him as being sure of himself, whether he is or not. The times when he does feel uncertain, he is likely to take time to be by himself, and think things through on his own, only returning to the group once he’s worked out whatever is troubling him. In other words, the others may be able to recognize when he’s worked things out for himself, but they rarely get to see into his thought process.

- Describe a situation in which your character and a figure of authority did not see things eye-to-eye. Was your character willing to compromise or did s/he stand his or her ground?

Considering how much of Pyunma’s life he’s spent fighting against men in power, it’s pretty obvious that he’s willing to any figure of authority he does not agree with, whether they are the head of a government or a secret organization dedicated to creating global war. He never makes any grand speeches of defiance, but in these cases, actions speak louder than words.

- Describe a situation in which your character was out of his or her element -- whether with an unfamiliar group of people, in an unfamiliar place, or with an unfamiliar task.

The most obvious situation involved all three! Escaping from Black Ghost’s hidden island with a group of people he had never met before was a trying situation, but Pyunma rose to the occasion, helping 009 fight against robot sharks before he joined the group, participating in strategy meetings, and piloting their escape vehicles.

- Describe a situation in which the character accomplished something very difficult or with the odds stacked against them. What was their initial reaction? Were they prone to bragging or did they humbly and quietly enjoy their success?

Pyunma is not one to brag or show off. Instead, he takes a few moments to himself to revel in the success before moving on, because usually there are still other things that need to be taken care of- such is the life of a cyborg.

- Please tell us a joke that your character has made while trapped in a gloomy or hopeless situation.

It wasn’t exactly a hopeless situation (yet), but Pyunma is willing to make a joke at his own expense during a grim situation in Re: Cyborg, when he tells Albert “I was looking for adventure. I could meet you right away because fortune and glory still elude me,” when asked about becoming an archaeologist.

- Describe a situation in which someone that your character admires expresses values that differ from his or hers. Did your character stick to his or her guns? Did they speak up?

It depends on the situation. In Muamba, when his former leader Kabore refused to give up use of the Black Ghost weapon, Pyunma did not give up in trying to convince him that there had to be another way to fight against Unbaba, one that was less risky. However, when he faced a disagreement with Doctor Gilmore, the two of them never actually argued, and were able to understand the other person’s feelings, and eventually reconcile.

- Describe a situation in which your character described his or her feelings to another character. Was your character reluctant or more than happy to get things off his/her mind?

Although Pyunma does freely speak his mind when it comes to tactics and planning, on a purely emotional front he barely ever says anything about what’s troubling him. Even in situations when he is clearly troubled, he rarely speaks his mind. For example, after being modified by Doctor Gilmore, he doesn’t say anything about what he’s feeling to Albert, when he approaches him. Instead, he listens to the other cyborg describe his feelings about being modified. It’s having his own feelings put in perspective next to Albert’s that helps Pyunma to understand Gilmore’s actions and feel better, rather than talking about what was done to him.