Professor Jackson

4 min read

Professor Jackson

Overview

A MedTech professor at Knight City University. One of Golden Girl’s professors — and apparently one of her favorites. Spiffy, chromed out, and sharp enough to identify nanomachine protein signatures from a partial chemical diagram on short notice. Session 04 revealed a less flattering side: he was sleeping with a student, “Misty Cerulean”, for better grades — leverage Broker used to force his cooperation at 2 AM.

Session 05 update: Assimilated into The Calling overnight — apparently infected by Misty herself via some faster method than ordinary Vilify use (“we’ve discovered some way to accelerate the process”). Forcibly cured (or at least quieted) by the crew via a mouth-forced dose of Choo-Two and an emergency blood transfusion from Kenny; survived, badly drained, with the hive-mind voice weakened but not gone. Handed to Continental Brands for further treatment and study.

Appearance

Color-changing hair running on a loop pattern (off-duty: a ratty robe, flannels underneath, and what’s probably a wig standing in for his usual cyber hair). Chrome-colored lab coat during work hours. Astute-looking. “Rather spiffy looking for what you’d expect from a professor.”

Known Facts

  • Teaches at KCU’s MedTech building
  • Regards Golden Girl as one of his best students; received the crew cordially because she vouched for them
  • Analyzed Martin Gorsky’s partial chemical diagram — identified protein open-ends consistent with nanomachine delivery mechanisms; described the compound as experimental, well beyond student-level, requiring low-gravity conditions to synthesize
  • Noted that local corps (Militech, Arasaka, Biotechnica) might have experimental labs capable of this, but not at commercial scale
  • On treatment: would require “some other kind of nanomachine-based operation” to cleanse a user; beyond his own reckoning
  • Aware that Vilify users are disappearing — including some KCU students; concerned, but no police presence to act on it
  • Warned Golden Girl to be careful: “You’re one of my best students.”
  • Woken at 2 AM by the crew, dragging a hive-minded, blindfolded student with them; initially hostile, assumed a shakedown
  • Was sleeping with the student in question (“Misty”) for better grades — confirmed when Broker pieced it together and used it as leverage (“your job’s already on the line”)
  • Reluctantly agreed to research a safer way to taper the student off the Vilify nanite connection (methadone-style, rather than the lethal Choo-Two purge Dr. Brightowski suggested) — was given a vial of Vilify and the Choo-Two findings to work from
  • Genuinely fascinated by the science of the hive-mind connection once he understood what he was looking at (“that’s amazing… why are you trying to—”), despite his self-preservation instincts
  • Kept Misty overnight under duress, with the explicit condition that she not learn she’s being cured rather than helped
  • Session 05: found by the crew already assimilated into The Calling — claims nothing sexual happened, but “she got the drop on me” when directly asked how he was infected
  • Refused to cooperate or give up his research; the crew forced a mouth-administered dose of Choo-Two on him at gunpoint. Nearly died of organ failure before Golden Girl stabilized him with an emergency blood transfusion from Kenny
  • Survived, badly drained (“the worst hangover of my life”), with the hive-mind connection weakened but not severed; handed to Continental Brands for further treatment overnight

Relationships

  • Golden Girl — student; he holds her in high regard
  • “Misty Cerulean” — student; was sleeping with her for grades; apparently the one who infected him with The Calling’s accelerated assimilation method

Open Questions

  • Does he have deeper knowledge of the nanomachine synthesis process?
  • Could he help identify which corp is behind the low-gravity compound?
  • How exactly did Misty “accelerate the process” and infect him? Method unknown
  • What is Continental Brands doing with him now that he’s in their custody?

Appearances

  • Session 03 — First appearance; analyzed Martin Gorsky’s chemical diagram; identified nanomachine delivery proteins and low-gravity synthesis requirement
  • Session 04 — Woken at 2 AM and shaken down by Broker; his relationship with Misty exposed; reluctantly tasked with finding a safe way to cure her hive-mind connection
  • Session 05 — Found assimilated into The Calling; forcibly dosed with Choo-Two and stabilized via blood transfusion; handed to Continental Brands for treatment

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