THQ's Homefront 2/Jack Burnett

## Dr. Jack Burnett

**Document Status: Yellow [Work in progress]**

## Background

**Dr. Jack Burnett’s** family moved from Phoenix when was Jack was a teenager. A 48 year old African-American, he’s still not used to the cold and damp of his adopted city, and gets perverse pleasure from grousing about it. He’s still in shape and his grey hair is full, if not so carefully cut as when his private medical practice flourished. Burnett is a charismatic, thoughtful man who is repelled by the suffering imposed by the Occupation. He dislikes Lisa Moore for closing herself off from the suffering and concentrating only on defeating the Koreans, but he is more comfortable with the Activist agenda than that of the Tech group. He regards Wong as a terrorist. He is most at ease with Parrish.

Immediately after the Invasion, Burnett was conscripted into the Citizen Medical Corps. This was a KPA-run unit designed to give emergency assistance to injured or wounded Philadelphians. The enemy’s idea behind the CMC was that rebels wouldn’t be tempted to harass or lay traps for “first responders” if they were fellow Americans.

When a severe flu outbreak swept the city during the first winter under Occupation, Korean forces were given priority for treatment. In desperation, Burnett and two CMC nurses hijacked a KPA supply of vaccine to treat the city’s children and elderly. Burnett’s friends were caught and executed; he escaped to the Philadelphia underground. Since then, he’s become a leader in the Samaritan Branch. This Resistance faction is largely composed of former doctors, nurses, paramedics, teachers and social workers, along with pacifists, clergy, and others who risk their lives for the needy but avoid violent revolution. Although not formally one of the various Resistance Branches, the Samaritans will treat wounded rebels and pass information to them. The Samaritans also provide medical services, grief counseling, midwifing, food, and so on.

Dr Jack has become addicted to morphine and is tormented by the guilt of using the scarce drug for himself rather than to ease the suffering of others.

*THQ: Love this added bit for him. This also presents some interesting motivations and possibilities of conflict. As we develop his place in the story, how do we integrate this facet? E.g., does the addition factor somehow into his selling out the Resistance, or is it just one of many factors? Is this a hidden addition that will be uncovered by Mailman or another character at a critical moment?*

*Crytek: I'm wondering if we need to explicitly call out everything or whether we just hint at things or even have additional backstory for the characters available to be discovered and read via the app. If we want to be explicit we could even have him openly using the drug.*

*THQ: We don’t need to be explicit—let’s have this as backstory/thing you might discover or pick up on. But, it might be cool to just walk in on him or otherwise witness him shooting up, and not necessarily commenting on it, or making it critical to the plot.*

The conditions in the city have deteriorated in the last year, forcing Jack to bargain with black market thugs, roving street gangs, and even the KPA to get aid to victims. Unfortunately, Burnett’s fierce dedication to his mission will soon lead to a devil’s deal with the enemy. In exchange for a promised increase in the ration and the release of stockpiled Red Cross supplies he will betray the EU Agent to the KPA. In his view an invasion will only lead to even more death and suffering for the civilian population, better to try and improve their conditions and stop fighting so society can be rebuilt (albeit under KPA rule).

## Story Presence

Story Arc: *a few sentences on the evolution of the character*

### Samaritan

* Jack is introduced in the opening scene as he tries and fails to save Russo
* He agrees to introduce Mailman to some resistance members
* He asks Mailman to help him carry out Samaritan duties while the meeting is arranged
* He is becoming convinced that Resistance is doing more harm than good

### Independence Hall

* Jack presents Mailman to Lisa Moore, Sam Parrish and Harold Wong
* He participates in Walker's rescue by driving the getaway ambulance as he admires Walker's service to the people
* He sees life in the green zone, how much better it is to cooperate with the KPA

### Wetlands

* Jack finds out about the invasion, he sees only more suffering and death
* He decides to strike a deal with the KPA, in exchange for medical supplies and increased rations for the city he will betray the location of the EU agents airdrop
* Jack confronts Mailman and the Agent as they escape and is killed by Mailman