Lee Jenkins

Clone of a light brown canine (dhole?), officially a "Lab Assistant." Unlike gigglers, has no management device, thus is not controlled by the Collective (or himself). Considers Alik Fedorov his uncle. Once ate only protein pellets as part of a skinner box test, but this was discontinued after the "incident." Code name is Bravo Two. Helmet decal is of a snaggletoothed grin. Likes to go commando. Knows how to say "chicken and chips" in every language and is very well-versed in the CORE's contractual red tape.

## CORE

Lee was grown in a confiscated Anarchist cloning vat and raised by the CORE with no growth acceleration as an experiment. Assigned to Julian's team and introduced to Tessa when he excitedly goes to show Julian that he can feel pain for the first time, as it is normally suppressed by the CORE's implants. Julian explains the behaviour as "he's crazy." When Tessa is informed Lee is a clone, she disbelieves it as he lacks the Anarchist controller. Lee explains that the CORE, not the Anarchists, created him. He then goes on to tease Tessa that she should talk, since at least he can leave whenever he wants, while Tessa is conscripted.

Tessa continues by asking how Lee can talk, which he explains as the Anarchist clones are 1. given growth acceleration, while Lee has been educated normally, and 2. given a control device to constantly flood their brains with endorphins, while Lee is not. Lee then proceeds to stab himself in the foot and time his implant healing factor. He also demonstrates a new telepathic radio feature (but describes it as telekinesis). Before he can explain much more, Central shuts him down, as it is classified, warning Lee that there are a lot of people looking for any reason to throw him out of the program. Lee thinks Central is being too strict, since Julian's team will learn anyway, but Central notes they will be taught by a responsible instructor the following week, NOT someone only recently trusted with cutlery.

### Training

Two months later, Julian's team is training with Corporal Grey, although Tessa is (mostly) handing the rest of the team their asses on a plate. Lee tries to bet Kerrie a million bucks that Tessa will beat Julian, but she turns down that bet, since "You can't get a candy bar for less then two million these days!" Grey then turns on Tessa's and Julian's implants with his tablet to make the fight more interesting, but Julian easily blocks Tessa's jump kick.

The next day, Dr. Ashmore leads a class on the team's implants, starting with a history lesson on the reason for the CORE's advancements in artificial upgrades, namely that the Anarchists' Inlays, especially the Bishop class, are designed to handicap, not kill, the enemy. This means that the CORE has lots of experience with regrowing, replacing, or technologically upgrading damaged and/or missing body parts. The earliest neural interfaces (circa mid-21st century) translate signals to/from the missing/paralysed body parts to/from the prostheses. Ashmore begins laughing maniacally when describing how current technology translates ALL brain activity, including pre-emptive thought response, which causes Julian and Lee to side-eye each other nervously.

When Ashmore takes a break, Julian asks Lee if he has seen Tessa, to which Lee answers if he'd known Ashmore was teaching, he would've also done a bunk. Julian then realises who Ashmore is, asking Lee if he's as bad as the rumours. Lee responds that Ashmore is WORSE, describing how Ashmore lost his eye: in order to test a new set of ocular implants quickly, he gouged out his own eye rather than wait for suitable test subjects.

Ashmore returns and gets on Lee's case for talking about him behind his back, threatening to have him "vivisected ag..." when Lee interrupts, reminding Ashmore what his father (Dr. Jenkins) would do if Ashmore tried that again, a threat that included detailed diagrams of the procedure in question.

### Suiting Up

Tessa and Kerrie put on their power armour suits, which include helmet decals that Tessa thinks is taking the piss. (Kerrie thinks it suits Tessa.) Kerrie goes on to assure Tessa that the helmet decals were chosen at random, not to make fun of them... which Lee disproves when they meet him and see his snaggletoothed grin decal.

Ashmore explains that their power armour is specially designed to sync directly with their brain implants, then forces them to run for hours around the airstrip. Lee complains that Ashmore said they were going to have fun, and Ashmore retorts that he didn't say it would be fun for THEM, although HE is enjoying himself. Later, Ashmore notes that the CORE power cells used for the suits died in less than ten hours of constant use, meaning they would need to instead buy the exorbitantly priced Maytec cells, which last forty-eight. To squeeze lemon juice on their wounds, the exhausted team returns to their bunks to find that "some bastard" has trashed every room except Tessa's, so they will have to tidy up before they can rest.

## North American Conflict

A few months later, Tessa, Julian, and Lee watch the news to find reports of fighting along the Texan/CAS border. While Tessa complains about both the Texans and Anarchists, Julian makes a move on her. Tessa protests that Lee will hear their "head radio" chatter, but Julian points out that Lee is too busy concentrating on picking his nose to notice them.

Julian's team is then placed into an urban war game against a squad of marines, with Kevin sniping, Julian issuing commands, and Kerrie and Tessa taking point. Lee is off messing around testing the new booster kit.

### Attack on Texas

After the Anarchists launch an attack on Texas, Lee takes Julian aside and informs him of the news. which Julian and Tessa had missed during their fraternising. Lee compared the ensuing mayhem to his high school prom night.

The Americans subsequently sign a non-aggression treaty with the Anarchists, which leaves only Canada as part of the CORE's North American presence. While watching the news, Julian asks Corporal Grey if that means he will go back to America, but Grey informs him that the CORE contract means he literally belongs to the CORE. With that, Grey pulls out a paint grenade and attacks Julian, Tessa, and Lee with it. Kerrie and Kevin laugh at them when they march past, covered in green paint, but Lee points out that they're "dead" and therefore Kerrie and Kevin will be the ones stuck cleaning up.

## Known Sexual Relations

Rose Callum

* What does Christmas mean to you? Lee