William Barnes

**Dr.** **William Barnes** is a POV character of the **Into the Dark** *series* and a survivor of the initial outbreak.

Prior to the outbreak, he was an oncologist with a pHD. in microbiology he was one of the founding members of the Revolutionary Army alongside **Lt.** Dante Bishop as chief medical officer and their head of research.

## Appearance

Dr. William is shown to be a tall Caucasian male with fair skin, medium length brown hair, and a very slim build.

He typically wears a long white lab coat over top a dark gray sweater with dark blue pants and brown dress shoes. In addition he also wears a pair of rounded glasses and a black arm band to signify himself as a high ranking member of the Revolutionary Army.

## Personality

Prior to the outbreak, William was known as a brilliant, visionary, perfectionist who was passionate about his research into cancer as well as a respected member of the University of Virginia's School of Medicine faculty.

During the outbreak, coming to grips with the state of the world leading to the once famed doctor and scientist isolating himself being wracked with depression and attempting to cope by using narcotics primarily his own supply of medicine. When first meeting the **ex-**Navy SEAL **Officer** William had no desire to live and was in the midst of attempting suicide via overdose, however, it was due to Dante's intervention that allowed the scientist to gain a greater sense of purpose in life beyond himself and eventually stabilized his mind.

William has been described by the Revolutionary Army's Research & Development Team as very challenging to work with, extremely bull-headed, and egotistical. **Lt.** Dante Bishop his co-founder often describes him as the mature and level headed when things are dire and completely devoted to the rebels cause of finding a cure for humanity which contrasts with Dante who desires to destroy the totalitarian military dictatorship of the U.S. military/F.E.M.A. regime.

## Biography

### Background

Prior to the outbreak, William was a world-class oncologist with a pHD. in microbiology and a respected faculty member of the University of Virginia School of Medicine. His profession and medical knowledge carried over into the post-apocalypse.

### Events of the **Into the Dark** *series*

#### Early Outbreak

After the outbreak, while many of William's colleagues fled for safety, the doctor was escorted by a number of soldiers leading him to a Center for Disease Control facility, after two weeks the soldiers had all been killed by the infected leaving Barnes on his own. Faced with the reality of the state of the world he quickly spiraled into depression and developed an addiction for drugs, chiefly from his own medicine supply.

Within a month of being alone the facility was infiltrated by ex-Navy SEAL and Black Ops **Lt.** Dante Bishop. Dante assisted him in surviving in the post-apocalyptic America forming a close friendship and a mutual respect for one another. As a result when founding the Revolutionary Army a rebel organization, William was offered the position of co-leader as chief medical officer and head of research a position he readily accepted.

#### Late Outbreak

While still recruiting volunteers for the newly formed Revolutionary Army, Doctor William, Lt. Dante Bishop **Specialist** Annie Stevens and a number of newly enlisted revolutionary soldiers encountered another survivor living alone in the woods of the Appalachian Mountains region named Jacob Rogers. Quickly recognizing his potential as a future soldier Dante orders William and Annie to get closer to him and help assimilate him into the organization which they do overtime. With the help of Jacob as a newly enlisted member of the Rebels they would eventually form the Expeditionary Force as well as the Research & Development Team.

#### Research & Development Team

Utilizing the team of researchers with himself as the head William begins conducting a series of experiments with the newly formed Research & Development Team using the Infected captured and transported by the Expeditionary Force.

#### Human Test Trails and Breakthrough

For many years the Revolutionary Army searched to create a vaccine to counter the infection which was spearheaded by the Research & Development Team which was lead by Doctor William himself. Morale within the organization grew when one of the test subjects finally developing a passive resistance but due to the lack more test subjects with the rarity of the genetic makeup of the original they couldn't replicate their results.

They eventually set up their new research laboratory on a small island in the middle of a lake some time after a group of survivors occupied it. While there, they set up a guard tower that was maintained by a number of Revolutionary guards who monitored the surroundings of the area as they were tasked with ensuring the safety of the researchers.

At some point, they would eventually capture the Alpha Male of the Infected-Horde Army which would provide the breakthrough that they needed in developing a vaccine.

## Skills and Abilities

Barnes is a very skillful doctor, and is shown to have a great knowledge with medicine as well as microbiology. He was able to cure hundreds of people from a sickness that attacked the Revolutionary Army during a pivotal time in *The War Against the Military* which would ultimately secure their victory over the United States Federal Government .

Prior to the outbreak, Barnes was hailed as a genius in his field. When his wife was diagnosed with cancer he was able to not only treat her, but also her entire family. William's intelligence and wit are not the only valuable traits he has however.

Due to his research with the Infected, he is constantly very close to them and because of this, has developed an impressive reaction time that allows him to always slip through their fingers and evade them if need be. In Addition his years as the head of the Research & Development Team have helped him gain decent combat skills and he is easily able to take down Infected with his sidearm: his Glock 19.