Gender: Male
Age: 17
Grade: Junior
Hobbies and Interests: Bass guitar, rock music, video games, reading (particularly mystery novels, horror novels and historical nonfiction), drawing and sketching
Gift: Sensejacking
Power Details: Austin's Gift allows him to "tune in" to the senses of another person, allowing him to see, hear, and feel the things his target is experiencing. The way he does this is somewhat akin to tuning a radio, with other people's bodies being the radio signals. The exact maximum range is one and a half miles, but in practice trying to sensejack someone more than a mile away rarely works for longer than a second or two, and maintaining a clear and consistent connection is easier the closer the target is. People he uses his Gift on may get some sense of his presence, often getting the uneasy sense of being watched or spied upon; they are otherwise unaffected. Austin has some ability to "speak" directly into the minds of people he's tuned into, though this requires great focus and is entirely one-way; his sensejacked target must speak out loud to respond. Austin can (and generally must) use this power while sleeping, too; it's easier to use over longer ranges this way, but harder to use precisely.
Limitations and Drawbacks: Austin uses the senses of his target exactly as they are; he cannot see through a blind person's eyes, and he'll feel everything a chronic pain sufferer feels. The "tuning" process is imprecise, favoring nearby people and people Austin is familiar with, so it occasionally takes time and effort to find the exact person he wants. Austin's body goes completely limp while he uses his Gift, usually leading to him collapsing on the floor if he wasn't already lying down. He always sensejacks when asleep and cannot turn off his Gift while sleeping, making sleep less restful than it should be. He's prone to sensejacking accidentally when drowsy or when his attention drifts. The experience of effectively inhabiting other people's bodies is intense and disorienting, and sometimes Austin's memory of things he personally experienced and things he experienced via his Gift is confused. While he could theoretically remain sensejacked indefinitely, Austin is still tethered to his body and its basic needs, and his consciousness will still die if his body does.
Appearance: Austin is 5' 8" and weighs 188 lbs, being somewhat overweight for his height and age. He wears his straight sandy-blond hair to just past his shoulders, and takes pains to keep it neat and maintained. His skin is quite pale and largely unblemished, save for dark circles under his eyes. He has a round face with soft features, including round, green eyes and a small, straight nose. Austin dislikes his facial hair and consistently keeps it shaved off.
Austin's style of dress is comfortable, casual, and a bit unfashionable. He wears a lot of jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies of varying colors, occasionally with some logo or design. He's a bit nearsighted and wears black rectangular-frame glasses. When abducted, he was wearing a dark pink hoodie over a striped black-and-blue t-shirt, blue jeans, and leather sandals.
Background:
- Austin is the second child of Justine and Ryan Greene, born in Bend, Oregon a year after his older sister Jenelle and six years before his younger sister Karen.
- His relationships with his family are varied, but generally tense. He has a strained relationship with his parents, due in no small part to his grumpy and irritable personality; he thus rarely confides in them, and at times feels he might be their least favorite. He's a bit afraid of Janelle, not only because of her highly dangerous Gift but also her aggressive personality and her apparent jealousy of his milder Gift. He's fond of his younger sister, and she's one of the few people he's consistently warm to.
- Austin dislikes his Gift due to how it interferes with his sleep, how he occasionally slips into it accidentally, and how unsettling using it feels. He doesn't complain about it much, though, feeling some of his other problems are more important and knowing many people's Gifts are far worse.
- His personality makes forming and maintaining friendships a bit difficult. He usually bonds with others over shared interests to make up for his sometimes unappealing behavior, and finds companionship with people whose personalities are similarly moody.
- Austin is gay, but closeted and too nervous to come out to his family. He's had occasional relationships with boys, but only secretly, and they've usually ended poorly.
- He's is a solid student for the most part, excelling in most literature and history classes, but struggling a bit more with sciences and math. He's never outright failed a class, but his performance in these courses tends to be weaker.
- Many of Austin's hobbies, while legitimate interests, are also born in part from a need to focus to avoid accidentally using his Gift; thus whether it's drawing, reading books, playing video games or practicing bass guitar, he is rarely doing nothing with his leisure time.
- He's somewhat rudderless and unsure of what he wants to do with his life. He's hoping eventually graduating from high school and going to college may point him in the right direction.
Other Skills: None
Designated Number: Student No. 005
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Conclusion: "The information that S005 will have access to is unparalleled. If his Gift is used properly, he would be able to play the game at a macro, strategic level while everyone else is operating on an incomplete, micro level. With some charisma, a decent partner, or a good weapon, he could go far very, very easily." - Tiger