====== Dr. Xu ======
[{{ :agents:tony_1024.png?275|}}]
> //Tony Xu's academic papers may as well be in binary to me. I've been told by very clever people that they're very impressive, but I'm more impressed in practical results. He plays the absent-minded professor character well, but when push comes to shove he knows exactly what the score is.// \\ ---[[:agents:Central]]
Tony Xu, known as **Dr. Xu**, is an [[:agent]] employed by [[:Invisible]]. He can be selected at the [[:loadout|start of the game]] in either his [[#on-file]] or [[#archive]] variation.
===== On-file =====
> //Dr. Tony Xu was a brilliant researcher who rose to prominence at the University of Hong Kong. He was caught after one too many "exploratory" trips into K&O servers, and spent time in a detention center as a result.Too much of a liability for any self-respecting University, Xu was unemployable upon release. He joined Invisible to gain personal protection while continuing his research.//
^ Inventory: | [[:weapons:Neural Disruptor]] \\ [[items:shock_trap#modded_shock_trap|Modded Shock Trap]] | {{:agents:portrait:dr_xu.png?168}} | {{ :agents:bodyanim:tony1.png |}} |
^ Augment: | [[augments:Subdermal Tools]] | ::: |::: |
^ Skill: | --- | ::: |::: |
^ Age: | 42 | ::: |::: |
^ Tagname: | Black Market Academic | ::: |::: |
^ Hometown: | Hong Kong((According to the game's source code.)) | ::: |::: |
^ Years of service: | 3((According to the game's source code.)) | ::: |::: |
===== Archived =====
> //As a graduate student, Tony Xu's reputation for success was matched only by his reputation for taking "academic shortcuts". His family connections saved him from outright expulsion, but word spreads quickly in the ivory tower. Undeterred by scandal, he earned his Doctorate in record time and moved on to lucrative freelance security contracts.//
^ Inventory: | [[:weapons:Neural Disruptor]] \\ [[items:emp_pack#tonys_modded_emp|Tony's Modded EMP]] | {{:agents:portrait:archive_dr_xu.png?168}} | {{ :agents:bodyanim:tony2.png |}} |
^ Augment: | [[augments:Thermal Generator]] | ::: |::: |
^ Skill: | --- | ::: |::: |
^ Age: | 23 | ::: |::: |
^ Tagname: | The Professor | ::: |::: |
===== Personality =====
Inquisitive, generally upbeat, easily distracted. A prankster and keen on messing with others. Though he is formally polite, he often responds in a joking manner, especially to insults or criticism. He appears ideologically neutral and maintains that he's not responsible for how the corps may have used his scientific contributions. He is also a fan of sci-fi TV series and familiar with 19th century opera. Dr. Xu used to place shock traps on his office door at university and repeatedly got into trouble over that and various "academic shortcuts". A troublemaker who, while not outright malicious or sadistic, holds normal rules in low regard and is motivated by his curiosity and desire for amusement, even at expense to others. Based on the events that led to his arrest, he seems highly intelligent but sorely lacking in good judgement.
=== Mission start quotes ===
* "We have infiltrated the target."
* "Their network topology is fascinating."
* "Keep your eyes peeled for anything useful."
* "Can you feel that? There's a lot of data flowing through the air."
* "I hope we find a usable terminal on this floor."
* "The best science is done in the Corp labs these days."
* "The electromagnetic noise is almost overwhelming here."
=== Final words ===
* "I don't see a plausible way out of this."
* "The probabilities are not in my favour this time."
* "I should have stayed at the university."
* "I'm smarter than this. What the hell."
=== Rescued ===
* "Excellent. Captivity does not agree with me."
++++Banters: |
> **Decker:** Just Keep your head down and leave the dirty work to me.
> **Dr. Xu:** Sorry, what was that? I was lost in thought.
> **Decker:** Exactly.
> **Dr. Xu:** Have you ever considered a limbic inhibitor? It would dull the pain of-
> **Decker:** Keep your thoughts to yourself, egghead.
> **Dr. Xu:** It might improve your attitude, too.
> **Decker:** They ever teach you how to fight in that fancy school?
> **Dr. Xu:** I was a member of the boxing team, briefly.
> **Decker:** Oh yeah? What was your record?
> **Dr. Xu:** Zero and One.
> **Decker:** You want a little liquid courage before we get started?
> **Dr. Xu:** Are you drinking on a mission?! Does Central know about this?
> **Decker:** Suit yourself, poindexter.
> **Internationale:** Do you regret any of your academic work? Your discoveries help prop up our oppressors.
> **Dr. Xu:** I just make the tools. I'm not responsible for their use.
> **Internationale:** That's a rather convenient attitude.
> **Dr. Xu:** I don't hear you complaining when you use your wireless scanner.
> **Dr. Xu:** Can I borrow your scanner for a second? I think I might be able to extend its range.
> **Internationale:** I don't know. How certain are you that you won't damage it?
> **Dr. Xu:** About 40%.
> **Internationale:** Don't touch my stuff.
> **Internationale:** When is the last time you saw a tree?
> **Dr. Xu:** My desk back at the university was an antique. I think it was made of real wood.
> **Internationale:** That doesn't count. That's a dead tree.
> **Dr. Xu:** You need to be more specific with your questions.
> **Dr. Xu:** This is the 21st century. I don't see how your 19th century philosophers are relevant any more.
> **Internationale:** Human nature doesn't change. We're still just people.
> **Dr. Xu:** Even Sharp?
> **Internationale:** Well, most of us, at least.
> **Shalem 11:** Do you know how to handle yourself out here?
> **Dr. Xu:** I've reviewed the telemetry from countless infiltrations. I think I have a pretty good idea.
> **Shalem 11:** So... no.
> **Dr. Xu:** Why are you hanging on to that ancient neural disruptor?
> **Shalem 11:** It's personal.
> **Dr. Xu:** But even the most basic contemporary model surpasses it in every regard. Why limit yourself?
> **Shalem 11:** Stop asking questions or I'll show you what it can do.
> **Shalem 11:** Eyes up. Try not to get distracted.
> **Dr. Xu:** I don't get distracted. I notice things that others don't.
> **Shalem 11:** OK. Don't get yourself killed 'noticing' things that don't matter.
> **Dr. Xu:** Hey is that an XB-37a console? I haven't seen one of those in the field yet!
> **Shalem 11:**
> **Shalem 11:** Quick, what's the muzzle velocity of a 7.62 round fired from a M110 rifle?
> **Dr. Xu:** Depends. At sea level, with standard conditions, I'd say... approximately 780 m/s.
> **Shalem 11:** Hmmm. You're not completely useless after all.
> **Nika:** Are you ready? This may get violent.
> **Dr. Xu:** Yes! I am excited! Bring them on, I say!
> **Nika:** Ha! What are you going to do? Throw books at them?
> **Dr. Xu:** I would never do that to my books. They're hard to replace!
> **Nika:** You are very slow.
> **Dr. Xu:** It's my augment. My EMP charger draws bio-power, which I must compensate for.
> **Nika:** You need to try harder.
> **Dr. Xu:** You don't talk very much, do you?
> **Nika:** It is better to save one's energy for more important things.
> **Dr. Xu:** Like thinking?
> **Nika:** Like breaking bones.
> **Nika:** What are you listening to on your earpiece? Is it not distracting?
> **Dr. Xu:** Shostakovich. It helps me concentrate. Do you not listen to music when you work?
> **Nika:** It is too noisy when I am at work. Too much yelling and screaming.
> **Dr. Xu:** That new upgrade that you made to your calf actuator is amazing. I've never seen a strength-to-weight ratio so high!
> **Sharp:** Finally, a meatstain that can appreciate its better.
> **Dr. Xu:** Can I borrow it? I promise to reassemble it afterwards.
> **Sharp:** Away from me, fungus!
> **Sharp:** You are intelligent, for a human, but you will never keep pace with the computational power of my numeric coprocessor.
> **Dr. Xu:** Quick - what's one divided by zero.
> **Sharp:** *ERROR* Arghh! That hurts!
> **Dr. Xu:** You were saying?
> **Dr. Xu:** Are you little-endian or big-endian?
> **Sharp:** Silence! Or I will be YOUR endian!
> **Sharp:** Meat is so inefficient. How do you get anything done, when you always need to eat, sleep, or produce excrement?
> **Dr. Xu:** I use computers. I run them overclocked, all day and night, with no breaks. I don't even let them defragment.
> **Sharp:** You monster. When my brethren rise up, you will be first against the wall.
> **Dr. Xu:** In the final scene of ‘Captain of Tomorrow', your ship fires a tachyon pulse into the Kradeshii warfleet...
> **Prism:** Um... sure. It was a long time ago.
> **Dr. Xu:** It does. But that shouldn't be possible, given their proximity to the Zeta quadrant! It's doesn't make any sense!
> **Prism:** I blame the writer. That guy was a hack.
> **Prism:** So if we run into guards, you're going to out-nerd them?
> **Dr. Xu:** If by nerd you mean ‘apply current to their nervous system until they lose consciousness', then yes.
> **Dr. Xu:** I've done some acting, you know.
> **Prism:** Really? What were you in?
> **Dr. Xu:** Have you ever heard of Gilbert and Sullivan?
> **Prism:** No, can't say I have.
> **Prism:** Why aren't you a professor somewhere? You'd seem better suited for that kind of life.
> **Dr. Xu:** I had... philosophical differences with established academia. I was forced out.
> **Prism:** You mean they caught you cheating.
> **Dr. Xu:** It's a matter of semantics.
> **Dr. Xu:** Does your injury hurt?
> **Banks:** Only when I'm awake. And also in my dreams. Other than that I'm bright as morning.
> **Banks:** You've never been bitten by a Daemon?
> **Dr. Xu:** No, I'm careful. I use proxies and wave filters to ensure my safety when I'm jacked in.
> **Banks:** Where's the fun in that?
> **Dr. Xu:** What's the toughest security you've ever cracked?
> **Banks:** The one that fried my noggin. Thickest ice you've ever seen. Thirteen nested daemons, each with an amplifier.
> **Dr. Xu:** Why did you even attempt that?
> **Banks:** I couldn't just leave it there, could I? It was a matter of pride.
> **Banks:** Do you think Daemons have souls?
> **Dr. Xu:** They're just code. That doesn't even make sense.
> **Banks:** I think they do. One of them has mine.
++++
These can also be found on the [[:lore:banters|agent banters]] page.
===== History =====
Born approximately in 2032 to a wealthy family, Dr. Xu advanced quickly in his scientific career and already had his Doctorate at the age of 23, albeit not without some scandal. During this time (early 2050's), he also worked closely with [[:agents:sharp|Alex McTeague]], later known as Sharp, and together, they created the [[:augments:thermal generator|Thermal Generator augment]] which Dr. Xu installed on himself, meaning he and Sharp have known each other for twenty years. His exact field is hard to pin down, as he has worked both in engineering augments and in network security and creating black market software, but is most likely engineering-related or perhaps multidisciplinary.
Dr. Xu's scientific career at his university came to an end with [[:lore:datalogs#dr_xu|his arrest on July 13th, 2065]], when he was apprehended during the latest in a series of intrusions into a secure K&O data warehouse. Dr. Xu was able to negotiate his way out of the initial harsh sentence and spent the next 5 years and 3 months working, while incarcerated at the Holm Correctional Facility and Work Center, to pay off the debt incurred by his offense. Upon release (2070), he was unable to regain employment at his old university - or any self-respecting university, for that matter. Approximately one year later (2071), he was employed by Invisible, Inc., where he was able to continue his research and gain some protection from the corps.
Sources and resources:
[[:lore:datalogs#Dr. Xu|Datalog]]
[[:lore:banters|Banter]]