Armstrong

## Corporal Armstrong

Jax: Son (Deceased)

**Armstrong** was a Corporal serving in either the 4th or 13th Great Midwest Commonwealth Armed Infantry Division. He is now a mutant bodyguard for Presper. He serves as a protagonist in the prologue series 'Armstrong' and an antagonist in Roads Less Travelled.

## Background

Armstrong participated in the Anchorage Reclamation and was wounded in the line of duty. He was sent home, with a purple heart, after his mission was completed and found that he was no longer fit for front line combat. Armstrong refused to accept this and demanded to be put to use. His dedication impressed the higher ups and so, he was reassigned, instead of dismissed. In the meantime, he found himself serving as homeland security.

This meant that he was stationed in the US, during the months leading up to the nuclear holocaust and was asigned with escorting Presper to Boulder Dome. Several Communist insergents were in the area and were sent to assassinate Presper on sight. Presper arrived safely and after thanking Armstrong for his services, entered the lab and put herself in cryo stasis, hoping to ride the war out.

   As she and him parted ways, she whispered the name of a top secret military operation into his ear. It sounded to Armstrong, like it was something that he wanted to be a part of and it was something he brought up, with his CO, the next time they met.

Presper actually tricked him here, into making himself a liability, who had to be contained. Knowing anything about the project could compromise the whole thing and so, to prevent a leak to the outside world, he was arrested and forced into the project. He and one hundred other military personnel were put in Cryogenic stasis and frozen.

Presper was the first to wake up and realised what Armstrong had done and elected to awake Armstrong and the two of them travelled the wastes together, with Armstrong serving as the 'muscle.'

At some point, during this time, Armstrong proved to be flawed and Presper needed him stronger and more resistent to the environment. She gave Armstrong a 'vaccine' to help him fight off any post war viruses that he might encounter but it was actually a strain of FEV, that bulked up his muscle mass, heightened his senses and had several other benefits, such as immunity to radiation.

Armstrong isn't stupid and knows what Presper did to him but cannot deny the edge that it gave him, in combat. He also has no care for what happens to him, from here on out as his life as he knew it was over.

## Notes

* Through the narrative, it is implied that Armstrong is casually racist towards the chinese and asian people.
* He is typically given T-45 power armour and seems most familiar with it.
* Sam Armstrong has a love for his wife's pasta sauce and prefers to have it with Farfalle pasta.
* He is one of few Anchorage veterans still alive in the 23rd century.
* A lot like the male sole survivor, he served with the military and was put in cryo stasis in 2077 and awoke hundreds of years later, losing his wife and son.
* He is somewhat conflicted as to his feelings towards his enemies, he finds it easier to hate the sin of communism, rather than the sinners who follow it.
* Armstrong's injuries, sustained in Anchorage are left purposely vague. Though they did more psychological damage than physical and have damaged his stamina as well. Though he is still physically capable for the most part, he begins to grow tired, feel pain in his knees and hips and will eventually have to slow down or stop completely.
* He has a strong disliking for the FBI.
* The only hymn he knows is 'What are they doing in heaven today?'

## Behind the scenes

Sam Armstrong's character aims to be a lot more three dimensional than the gung-ho, stars and stripes loving escort, from Van Buren's tech demo. He keeps a bit of his back story and character traits but is meant to be a lot more fleshed out and sympathetic.

* His character was somewhat inspired by the protagonist 'Stripe' in the Black Mirror Episode 'Men Against Fire.'