Zek

Zek is raised in one of many extremist cults. His adoptive mother monitors his every waking move. This conditions Zek to always be on high emotional alert. His mom and the rest of the cult focus heavily on anti-cyborg, teaching these beliefs to Zek, who absorbed it like a sponge. Around age 14, Zek begins to question these beliefs as he is allowed to go out a lot more with his mom and the cult members, being exposed to more and more cyborgs. When he presents questions to his mom, he suffers extreme punishments. This only deepens his curiosity, now fueled by spite.

### The Operation:

At age 16, Zek is presented with the opportunity to become a cyborg when EXOGEN representatives parade the streets, claiming to offer free cyborg surgery to three lucky people. Zek rips out of the arms of his mother and runs to the representatives, who then claim to select him due to his “spirit.” Only as he looks back from the EXOGEN aircraft does he realize the sorrow and concern his mother has for him.

Upon landing, Zek is immediately taken to the operating table. Zek is constantly afraid throughout this whole experience. EXOGEN surgeons claim that this operation is meant to test new cybernetic gear that they hope to push into the market. Zek only communicates to them through nods and shakes until he is finally put under. Little does Zek know, the main purpose of the surgery was to test cybernetic pain tolerance. Zek is purpously woken up halfway through the surgery, in absolute agony. His ear lobes, toes, and right pointer finger have been removed; he now only has his right pointer finger replaced with a cybernetic. This is all done so that, as the doctors put it, “His reaction to medium pain levels can be recorded.” Zek’s emotional and physical responses are extremely over what was expected by the doctors, however, successfully overloading the pointer finger and releasing the electric energy within it. Zek is left with lightning scars across his chest and right wrists; everyone else that was in the room is dead. Zek flees the facility, cauterizing his other operation wounds with the malfunctioned pointer once he is clear.

### Birth of Raijin:

Zek’s beliefs are now more extreme than any of the cult members he was raised with; he hates cybernetics. Zek proceeds to live off the pockets for two years, learning how to fight others for resources and control, as well as how to properly avoid EXOGEN agents. He runs into people along the way, but he doesn’t stick around anyone or any place for too long. Not once does he desire to go home to the cult. He now has a distaste for religions of their type, believing that their values are fueled by ignorance rather than actually grasping the dangers of cybernetics.

During this time, Zek also learns how to control the power within his malfunctioned pointer. This is the time when he develops all his current abilities. On top of this, his physical body develops normally into a state of adulthood. He is given the name "Raijin" by both the agents that seek his arrest and the individuals he protects.

### Space Marine Enlistment:

Zek, recognizing these developments and now confident in his ability to deceive EXOGEN, decides to enlist in the space marines. He does this in a split state of mind. He doesn’t know whether he wants to sabotage EXOGEN and free humanity of cybernetic dependency, or if he just wants to explore the greater universe and seek out a better, peaceful life. He will find his answer in the journey yet to come.

***Other Ideas to be Expanded:***

* Zek’s true origin is he is the clone of a renowned EXOGEN official’s newborn son. The original son serves in the space marines, but dies before Zek enlists himself. The father is still alive.
* The remains from Zek’s operations are still used to make more clones to test the results of cloning a clone. 13 clones are produced, all with horrible cognitive and physical deficiencies. Otherwise, they are prime soldiers and slaves that cannot deny any order (an extreme version of android laws). They are all provided the full cybernetic operation that Zek was offered; only 1 survives.