Questor, AI-Hunter (A to Z, Q)

He dressed practically to fit into wherever he is working, nothing too expensive, just average or above average.  The only thing that people might notice about him, is his lack of electronic devices, just a basic smartphone and nothing else.

Background: He would like to know that too, Questor awoke one morning in a hotel room with a bag of equipment, a stack of cash, and several identification packets.  But no memories, no idea why he was here or what he should be doing.   He was pondering that when two cybered punks burst in and tried to kill him.  His training took over and he killed them using the weaponry to hand, while it was instinctive, he could not remember when he learned these skills.

Taking what he had, he vanished into the night.  Part of him knew that he was being hunted by an AI but not why.  Looking through the information he had, he realized that something had attacked him through his direct neural interface, which was now burned out.

So, he devoted himself to tracking down rogue AIs that were a threat to humanity.  Slowly gathering allies and staying off the network as much as possible, which is a challenge in the highly interlocked world.

Presenting this Character: Questor is quietly competent but also completely devoted to his task.  He does not hate AIs, he knows that they are as varied as people, but he is suspicious of all of them.  But rogue AIs, those he fears as having the potential to end the human race, and they must be destroyed.

What can he do?: Questor has all of the skills of a highly trained secret agent and commando and these skills has been enhanced by extensive biological enhancements.  His knowledge of both AIs and avoidance surveillance are deep, though it frustrates him deeply, still, that he does not know the source of his skills.

He has access to tricks and tools, including weaponry that will destroy a system hosting an AI completely, to aid in his mission along with a handful of allies that are willing to help in the task.

Who might know him and why: Questor has no presence in the network, so people have to meet him face to face, preferably well off the grid.  So those that share his fears of AI may have met with him as an “unnamed expert” or a report could have contacted him as an “informed source”.

Someone from Questor‘s former life might recognize him.

Plot Hooks: If the characters have reason to need to kill an AI, they might have heard of a man with those skills, if you can find him.

One of the characters is saved from a murder attempt by cyborged thugs by a mysterious man.  He leaves a note giving a time and address in a very off-the-grid location.  Do you meet up with them?

Notes: What was Questor’s former life?  Whatever works best for your campaign.  Government agent?  Corporate AI expert?  Constructed pawn of an AI?  All are possible.

Image of Robert Foxworth, stolen from the web.  He played the title character in the Questor Tapes from where I got today’s name.