Cyber-Rocky

> I know I am making this *look* easy, but it's actually incredibly complex.
>
>

Niklas Steiner, also known as Cyber-Rocky, is a talented hacker having stumbled into the Gray Zone in search of refuge and odd-jobs. A recent arrival, he has yet to gain any notoriety in this cultural crucible.

## Appearance

Cyber-Rocky, if he is identifiably seen at all in public, could be discerned by his jetblack, slicked-back hair as well as his large, rectangular glasses - usually reflecting a portion of light from the monitor he usually has his green eyes glued upon. Tending to dress sharply, he is rarely found to not be wearing an elegant, dark blue suit with a black tie and white undershirt. Matching, belted pants and shiny, dark business shoes round out the modest spectacle of extravagance, the ensemble contrasting his relatively pale teint. Outside, he is just about never seen standing up from his desk, which he takes along everywhere.

In absolute privacy, he may loosen the tie and strip off the jacket, but maintains an array of mostly white button-up shirts primarily.

## Personality

Guarded and withdrawn aptly describe Niklas' base attitude. He knows he is smart and talented, but ever since an altercation with the notorious and vicious Swiss Tax Collectors, he finds his focus hindered by a tinge of paranoia.

Nevertheless, when he is working a job, he stays focused on it as best as circumstances allow.

In his time off, he busies himself with studying new techniques to better his trade, looking for jobs, or browsing the web - dark and otherwise - either casually or to investigate his case. Sometimes, he'll retire to his refuge and spend a night of binge-watching various forms of media-entertainment.

While he can be personable in a private environment, he seldomly finds himself around people under those circumstances, a consequence of a guarded lifestyle mingled with limiting most of his interactions to online pursuits. Resultantly, he could end up nervously stammering when not wearing his "job-face". In other unguarded moments, he might find himself reminiscing (with regret) on what he left behind - including his family.

Being on the run from the Swiss Tax Collectors, he has grown inventive in his choice of equipment - and given the nature of the Gray Zone, such skill, he feels, will be much needed for survival as much as other endeavors.

## History

Having grown up in Hinwil, Switzerland, Niklas Steiner learned early the advantages of knowing his way around technology. When he saw a piece of tech, he just had to learn how it did the things it did, starting with his grandfather's old Commodore® computer.

Working his way up, his talent ever grew - as did the opportunities arising from that. By his late teens, he ended up being among the minor prodigy hackers in the world, renowned under his handle "Cyber-Rocky" - a play on words, Stein being German for "rock".

Living a comparatively easy life with his talents offered up for tasks in exchange for money or favors, he opted to move out from his parents' place when he turned 21, but maintaned good ties with them - keeping his shady activities a secret from them, as well as from officials who would object.
Things would have likely continued comfortably indefinitely, had not a mishap occured a week after his 28th birthday. Data corruption lead to his tax declaration turning out in such a way that he soon found himself hounded by the notorious Swiss Tax Collectors, demanding from him an exorbitant sum.

He needed time to investigate, and that, he would not have staying in Switzerland. So with heavy heart, he elected to disappear into the darkest corner of the world he could find that would, nonetheless, leave him with room for odd jobs and a capacity for investigating his own case and prove his innocence.

The Gray Zone offered precisely this opportunity. He thought to prepare well - to make up for his below-average strength, he armed himself and gave himself capacity for working on the move - both done in eccentric ways, the motivation for which can best be described as "let's try something different". Arranging for his motorized computer desk plus equipment to arrive when he did, he spent a considerable sum to make it here.

Now, he is seeking opportunities - he has to rebuild his existing capital and prepare for the eventual arrival of the Swiss Tax Collectors.

He may need allies. Perhaps, he considered, this is the place to find them.

And find them, he would, though not as he had imagined.

Shortly after his arrival, he decided his first order of business would be to find a place to use as a hideout, a base of operations. A warehouse, he figured, would do nicely for this purpose.

However, it was not abandoned as he had initially believed. Hiyori Tamura and her gang were there, and not amused by intrusion. Negotiations initiated by the Swiss man quickly deteriorated and combat ensued - with Cyber-Rocky, to his own surprise, coming out on top. Rather the ladies in the dust, however, he tried again to offer a truce - and more.

Soon after, on one of his first jobs, he ran into a young woman accompanied by a little kid, relatively close to a local speakeasy. He had only stopped to re-check his GPS coordinates, but this was enough time for her to start talking to him. An awkward conversation on his part followed, but during it, he learned some agreeable things about her, and after some coaxing and convincing, exchanged contact methods with her, promising to stay in touch.

## Relationships

Hiyori Tamura & Harvest - After a rocky start, the two of them quickly saw the advantages of keeping Niklas around in Harvest turf. In exchange for technical expertise and related favors, he could enjoy an extra layer of protection provided by Hiyori and her gang. The peculiarities concerning Hiyori's private preferences in dealing with her gang are something he may yet have to get used to - but at least he had so far not been on the receiving end.

Sasha “Sashima” & Aika - An awkward first encounter ended in a blossoming friendship. He has a feeling she might want to nudge him some ways, personality-wise. Of Aika, he has little opinion - the kid hasn't tried to mess with his stuff, so that's good enough for him, for the time being.