Submitted by Meredith Bell on Mon, 06/16/2003 - 12:24
Posted in
Real Name: Sydney King
Codename: Ricochet a.k.a Xi-051
Gender: Female
Race: Altered Human
Position: Hero
Group Affiliation: ATP:9 a.k.a The Project / The Vega City Liberation Group
Age: 23 Years
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 120lbs
Sydney "Ricochet" King is played by Angelina Jolie
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Description:
Aesthetics and Dress –
Sydney is 5’7” in height and weighs about 120lbs. She has a curvaceous figure and is toned rather than muscular although it is obvious she is in the peak of physical fitness. Sydney has a lightly tanned complexion, long, poker straight, dark-brown, almost black hair, blue-grey eyes and full pouting lips. She usually wears tight black pants and matching T-shirt to allow her to move freely and unobstructed, an oversized army jacket in khaki green to carry extra ammo and calf-length, black leather boots. (See Sydney’s Costume) Sydney also carries a pair of Desert Eagle 44 calibre pistols which are attached to strap on leg holsters, neatly concealed beneath her coat. Sydney also has a tattoo on the underside of her left wrist of the lowercase Greek Symbol Xi which she usually conceals underneath a wrist band or watch strap.
Attitude –
Sydney has spent her entire life as a cybernetically enhanced super-soldier, taking orders and fulfilling objectives. She is very confident, self-assured and capable of performing the most difficult tasks under pressure. As a soldier, Sydney is tough and resourceful; there aren’t many situations that she can’t fight or shoot her way out of. She has killed on many occasions and doesn’t have any qualms about taking a human life.
Sydney is a very meditative person, as a soldier she learnt to keep her thoughts to herself and to act rather than talk. As a consequence Sydney is a very silent person, when she does speak she is direct and to the point. She is also rather cynical and tends to believe the worst in people.
Lifestyle –
Sydney doesn’t have any of her own money, she makes a living where she can, taking things as she needs them. She doesn't feel bad about stealing, after all life's all about survival of the fittest. She isn't greedy though, she's used to living rough without creature comforts and will only take what she needs to keep on surviving. She lives in motels or cheap hotel rooms or will break in somewhere if she is desperate for some place to sleep.
Background:
Sydney was abandoned at birth and has no memory of her real parents or any life before she was part of the Project. As a baby, Sydney was selected along with nine other children by Doctor Avery Wyatt to be part of a secret government experiment to create the ultimate ‘super-soldier’ to protect America against the growing number of ‘mutants’ and so-called ‘superheroes’ that posed a potential threat to the country’s national security. This experiment was called ATP:9 also known as The Project.
Sydney’s entire childhood was spent training to become a soldier in a secure training compound on the outskirts of Gillette, Wyoming. Sydney was placed within a test group called the Xi-Series, which was to become Doctor Wyatt’s most successful creation. She, along with the rest of the Xi Series were subjected to a demanding and strict regime of combat and endurance training.
Over the years that followed Sydney was instructed in several modes of combat including kickboxing, street-fighting and many of the various martial arts, not to mention weapons training. Sydney excelled in the use of automatic handguns, proving to have both a steady hand and an almost perfect aim (earning herself the moniker ‘Ricochet’).
In addition to the rigorous training regime the Xi Series also underwent a succession of surgical experiments in cybernetic implantation from sensory augmentation to neuroprosthetic interfacing. The results were astonishing and transformed the group of soldiers from ordinary humans to super-enhanced killing machines.
At the age of twenty-one, with her training complete, Sydney began to be sent on various missions. This was her first real taste of the world outside of the training compound since the day she was born. Her initial missions concentrated on espionage and surveillance and gradually progressed to assassination. Sydney has made several ‘hits’ including the infamous super-villains Gadget-X, Madam Hellfire and The Scorpion – saving the lives of various notable diplomats and politicians in the process.
Sydney was happy in her work although she always felt an emptiness inside that she could not describe. She was close to Dr Wyatt and her fellow comrades and felt deeply the loss of her ‘friends’ when several died from neural seizures. After the death of six of the Xi Series, the remaining four - Sydney, Mia, Ford and Cal grew much closer.
Mini Series One ~
The beginning of our adventure sees the termination of the ATP:9 Project by the CIA after a senator is murdered. Fearing for the lives of his progeny, Dr Wyatt endeavoured to escape with the remaining Xi assassins. Unfortunately Ford double crossed them and Sydney found out that he had been working for Anti-Meta supporter Ethan Kale who's zealous enthusiasm to his cause led him to seek to destroy any trace of The Project.
After failing to save her fellow Xi's Cal and Mia, and forced to leave Dr Wyatt behind, Sydney escaped from the ATP:9 compound and headed out into the real world. A brief encounter with rich industrialite James Gates sent her in the direction of Vega City.
However, James had other things in mind for Sydney, he tracked her down to a motel in Vega City and offered her a chance to work for him and his secret group of 'freedom fighters' – The Vega City Liberation Group - who's mission is to relinquish the city from the tyranny of multinational stronghold The Trinity. At the same time Sydney met the dashing ex-Valhalla agent Eric Scott, though a brief affair ended in disaster and Sydney took to the road in an attempt to find her place in the so-called Real World.
Powers and Abilities:
Sensory Augmentation –
The first implant is the Cochlea Implant, this device works by converting sound features of auditory signals into electrical stimulation of the basilar membrane of the sound transduction organ, the cochlea. Manipulation of spatio-temporal microstimulation patterns has increased Sydney’s acoustic perception by 35-40% compared to that of ‘average’ humans. The implant also allows Sydney complete auditory control of the cochlea device.
Stunt: Sydney’s increased acoustic perception allows her to hear unobstructed sounds from up to a distance of ten metres. Obstructed sounds (such as those from behind a wall) are greatly reduced, in such a situation it is estimated that Sydney can hear through five foot of solid concrete.
The second implant is connected directly to her central nervous system and the pineal gland. The implant intercepts nerve impulses sent to the brain from receptors to modify degrees of somatosensation (sense of touch). As a result of the implant Sydney has a decreased sensitivity to pain. The implant connect to her pineal gland regulates the production of certain hormones in the brain such as serotonin and adrenaline, to alter and greatly reduce Sydney's sleep patterns. Thus, Sydney is able to function on a minimum of 4 hours sleep in any 24 hour period.
Neuro-prosthetic Interface –
Sydney has a neuroprosthetic interface (commonly referred to as NI) which has greatly increased her cognitive function by around 100% with significant improvement in memory and data analysis. The NI allows Sydney to perform a range of tasks such as probability assessment, information download and memory recall.
Stunt:Sydney’s increased cognitive function allows her to process information at a higher degree than ordinary humans. In a combat situation the NI will allow Sydney to study her opponent’s moves and anticipate their next course of action.
Combat Skills –
Sydney has been trained extensively in the field of Martial Arts such as Kung Foo, Karate, Akido, Judo and Tae Kwon Do. She is also familiar with other types of combat such as KickBoxing and Street Fighting. Sydney isn't afraid to fight dirty if it means she will win. She is stronger than she appears and although she doesn't possess any supernatural strength she is a worthy opponent being that she is agile, swift and precise. Also, the sensory augmentation implant stimulates Sydney’s adrenaline output increasing her strength significantly.
Stunt: Sydney could easily fight most regular human beings without any trouble. Superhuman’s or other supernatural creatures that have abnormal strength are more difficult, but her increased strength makes her more than capable of defending herself.
Weapons Expertise –
Sydney has been trained in the usage of several weapons but her speciality is the automatic handgun with which she is both skilful and efficient. Sydney has a steady hand and almost perfect aim, so long as her target is in range.
Sydney has also been trained in several other modes of espionage. She is highly skilled at breaking and entering and hot-wiring motor vehicles. Sydney is also an expert thief.
Weaknesses –
Although Sydney is a formidable combat opponent she is still limited by her very human physique. She gets tired like normal humans and is capable of sustaining injury. Sydney’s greatest weakness is that she is prone to seizures as a result of increased serotonin levels in her brain. Seizures can occur at any time and without warning but especially when Syd has had little sleep or limited access to a neurotransmitter such as Tryptophan (a primary protein also found in milk). Seizures can potentially be deadly if Sydney is unable to take such a neurotransmitter, which is why she tries to carry a supply around with her at all times.
Items:
Sydney always carries a set of Desert Eagle .44 Magnum pistols in black finish with specially calibrated grips and sights for Sydney’s own personal use. The pistols are attached to strap on leg holsters that are neatly concealed beneath her coat. She also carries a couple of extra magazine clips.
The only other items in Syndey's possession are a small amount of money and a half-empty jar containing tryptophan in tablet form.