Zhang Wei Adama
Zhang Wei Adama (a.k.a. Z)
Cleanse Arc: Find a way to cure Soleia's affliction
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Working at his father's repair shop since he was little, Z has developed a tall and well rounded body with strong arms.
Body Features
Apart from his mechanical right hand prosthetis, Z doesn't seem to have any other body enhacements.
Facial Features
Z has tanned skin and sharp brown eyes which can be related to his different ancestral ethnicities. His hair is black and he has a goatee style beard.
Identifying Characteristics
It is easy to spot his mechanical right arm.
Apparel & Accessories
Z is wearing a grey leather jacket with orange stripes. On his back, in an one strap backpack, he holds some of the many tools needed for repairing machines, engines. A laser pistol situated on the right part of his belt, together with a smart device and a reasonably big steel wrench on the left complements his outfit.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Born and raised in the Barsoom City on Mars. At 4 years old a terrible accident which happened while left unattended in his father's workshop left him without his right arm. Eventually his parents will gift him a mechanical prosthetic.
At 13 years old Z starts working regularly in his father workshop.
At some point, after Z finished highschool, due to health issues, his father couldn't anymore drive the ship with which he used to deliver machines or supply the workshop. Z had to step in and take on this duty.
Feeling that his life is becoming bland and that it passes by him, at 26 years he decides to participate in the Red Road Race. The teams must be composed of minimum 2 people, a pilot or a mechanic, so he proceeds to post some leaflets in the city, looking for a pilot or a mechanic. This is how he gets to meet Alan Aldanis, a young graduate from the Piloting Academy. They participate in this event for 3 years in a row and, in the last year they even manage to get the 1st place!
Around this time he meets Carla, the woman with whom he will marry and have a little girl, Soleia. They will settle in a dome near Barsoom where Z starts a small repairing shop.
The relationship with Alan continued and, for Z, Alan is the closest he has for a friend. Though Alan was going through a hard time with substance abuse, Z tried to help and support him into rehabilitation.
When Soleia was only 18 months old, during a regular medical visit, Z and Carla find out that their daughter has a an affliction which affects the way her bones are absorbing minerals. This is not something uncommon for Mars residents and with regular exercises and medical treatment it can be held under control. For some unkown reason Soleia's body doesn't fully process the substances which are supposed to counteract the affliction's effects. The medics Z went until now don't know what might cause this and they don't what to prescribe to her, apart from a bigger dose of substance.
This led Z to pursue better paying jobs to keep affording Soleia's treatment and, eventually, to find someone who can find out a way to cure her. Doing so he begins working for a conglomerate that operates supply flights between Mars-Earth-Venus.
One time, when he was returning from Venus he used a less common rute that would yield a faster travel time, but doing so attracted a small fleet of pirates. Fortunately he managed to run them off until he came across Battlefleet Valhalla. The fleet managed to push the pirates into retreat and, while doing so, discovered a small civilian ship that was avaried by them. Z offers to fix the problem and there he meets Dolos Machiavelli, the son of a rich couple from Venus. He tells Z about his ambitions and, although Z doesn't find himself very much in Dolos's sayings, he came acroos to him as a good person. They keep in touch and depart after the fleet escorted them to a safe route.
While in one of his convoys, Z hears rumors of a well paying project that is in need of a pilot. Normally these rumours wouldn't be enough for him to be interested, but the fact that a skilled doctor is supposed to take part in that project stirred his interest. He contacts Dolos to ask him if he knows about this and he indeed confirms the gossip; they made a deal and now Z is preparing to join the crew of SS Damascus as a pilot.
Education
The only official education Z has received we're the 11 years he spent in the martian education system.
Apart from that he was taught and taught himself at the workplace: as a mechanic while working in his father's repair shop, as a pilot when he had to take on the task of piloting the family cargo ship, as a racing copilot and mechanic when he decided to participate in the Red Road Race.
Employment
He worked for his father for 15 years. Firstly learning all the mechanical notions and applying them in various repairs or even crafting machines. After that he had to take on the task of piloting the family cargo ship to different places to deliver or retrieve tools, materials. After he married Carla he started his own workshop. After discovering his daughter affliction, he had to find a better paying job and began again to pilot, now bigger, cargo ships, between Mars-Earth-Venus.
Accomplishments & Achievements
1st prize in the Barsoom Regional Science Faire - Undergraduate Section
1st place in the Annual Red Road Race, together with Alan Aldanis
The birth of his and Carla's daughter, Soleia
Intellectual Characteristics
Z isn't exceptionally bright, but he has his ways with mechanical stuff and excels at repairing them.
Morality & Philosophy
Z believes in simple things. Do your job good, don't deceive, do fair deals, take care of your family, be honest.
He understands that everything has a price and he doesn't take anything for granted.
He will always try to repair a device, machine before replacing it.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Having a simple life together with his family is Z's biggest wish.
Likes & Dislikes
- Likes anything that has screws and bolts and that can be disassembled.
- Dislikes politics and drinking.
Virtues & Personality perks
Independent, self-taught, pragmatic.
Vices & Personality flaws
Solitary, doesn't care about people that are not part of his family.
Personality Quirks
- He seems to have better dexterity with his mechanical hand than with his natural one.
- The way he deals with different mechanical parts and tools when repairing something seems, for inexperienced viewers, aggresive and almost brutal.
Hygiene
He periodically does fine adjustments to his mechanical hand.
Social
Contacts & Relations
- Dolos Machiavelli, whom he met while being escorted by Valhalla Fleet out of the threat of some pirates. They kept in contact and later Dolos would help Z to get a better paying gig by enrolling him into Project Pythagoras as a pilot on the SS Damascus, an experimental dragonfly class spacecraft.
- Alan Aldanis is the closest thing Z has for a friend. He is the young graduate who responded to Z's leaflet in which he was looking for a pilot to participate in the Red Road Race. After they obtained an honorable 5th place, they decided to keep in touch. For the next 3 years they will participate together in the Red Road Race and even win 1st place once. This collaboration cemented their relationship.
Family Ties
- Father: Johannes Adama
- Mother: Zi Adama
- Wife: Carla Adama
- Daughter: Soleia Adama
Wealth & Financial state
Z and his family are part of the middle class. They began confronting with their class limitations when they found out about Soleia's affliction. Unable to find a proper diagnosis on Mars, Z decides to take on bigger projects which will allow him to make more money while travelling between Earth and Venus, where the odds of find proper medical services are better.
Z is a skilled pilot and mechanic but above all he is a family man. Together with his wife, Carla, they have a little daughter named Soleia. He will do everything for them.
View Character Profile
Age
33
Date of Birth
19th May 2365
Birthplace
Barsoom City, Mars
Children
Current Residence
Barsoom City, Mars
Gender
Male
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Mulatto
Height
6.4 ft. (1.95 m.)
Weight
209 lb. (95 kg.)
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The saddest day
22th January 2397
- Your daughter has a high resistance to the medical treatment. Unfortunately we don't know what causes this, we recommend seeing other doctors and, until then, increase the dosage. We wish you the best, but also please prepare for what will come, as the medical treatment will not be able to counteract the affliction as it normally should.
- Oh, Zhang! Our little baby ...*starts sobbing*
- We will figure something out, my dear.
Z and Carla receiving the bad news from the doctors
The happiest day
15th August 2395
Look at her, she is so perfect! My little baby! From now you will be known as Soleia Adama.
Carla Adama, Soleia's mother
A happy day
3rd June 2394
*cheering noises followed by silence*
- Do you, Zhang Wei Adama, take Carla Cavela as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?
- I do.
- And do you, Carla Cavela, take Zhang Wei Adama as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?
- I do.
Z's and Carla's weeding
Distracted
9th March 2393
- And as I turned my eyes to the crowd, I've met hers. We were looking at each other as if time wouldn't be a concern. She had dark skin, long beaded hair and glamming brown eyes accompanied by a pair of yellow round glasses - the lines of her chin were arch.. *starts to be vigorously shaken by Alan*
- YOOO Z! Wake up man! What happened with you? C'mon, people wait you to give the speech!
- Oh, yea... We are honored to be holders of the Red Road Race 1st Prize this year, lots of good ships entered the race and we had a hard time with them. Eventually, together, we managed to come on top! We are very happy and very thankful to all our loved ones, our fans, the ones that believed in us! Thank you!
Z's winning speech
An unexpected collaboration
9th March 2391
*excitement noises*
- Yes! Someone finally responded to my leaflet! Now I can participate in the Red Road Race! Seems that the respondent is a young graduate of the Piloting Academy - Alan Aldanis.
.
.
.
- Oh my God! Alan, steer right you mad son of a bitch! STEER THE FUCK RIGHT! Ooooh, *heavy breathing* that was so close, we could've died!
- No worry, Z! I've got all under control, exactly as they told me!
- They?!? Alan, the ship's shell isn't made to resist these kind of speeds! Above this, the engine could explode at any time in the way you're pushing it to the max.
- Then make it last longer, you know. Do your stuff. We are still halfway in the race.
.
.
.
- I can't believe we finished this alive. Guess we can call it a win!
- Helluva a ride, Z! Let's keep in touch!
Z's and Alan first race together
Like a machine
29th November 2390
*foosh, cigarette smoke fills up the cockpit walls*
- At the beginning, the idea of piloting this cargo ship to the asteroid mining stations didn't sound that bad. Now here I am, it has been 7 years since I started helping my father with his bussines. I knew that our family was short on money and said to myself that this is the right thing to do. But I feel how my life goes past me. *foosh*
Z reflecting on his life
Hello engine!
2 September 2383
*applause noises*
- Congratulations Mr. Adama! Your minituare ionic engine has received the 1st prize of the Barsoom Regional Science Faire - Undergraduate Section. Looking forward to hear from you in the future!
- Well done, son! I'm so proud of you!
A lesson to remember
27 March 2378
*door slams*
- Huh, son? You're home already? How was school?
- SCREW THIS STUPID ARM! Z shouted with anger while detaching his arm and tossing it to the ground. It's the fifth time this week already, it keeps malfunctioning on and on! It brought me only problems, rather than solving them. I'm better without it!
Johannes leaves the engine that he was repairing and lifts the arm from the floor.
- Come close, Zhang. Pay attention.
Slowly detaching the casing, Z's father pulls out some wires, replaces some broken parts with new ones and puts all back together.
- Try it now!
- Hmm... seems to be working now... But who knows if tomorrow it wouldn't break again!
- This is how things are, Zhang. Even people break sometimes, but tossing them on the ground will leave them worse than before. Rather you can try to repair them, as much as you can. It's true that with people things aren't that easy though, but when it comes to machines and mechanical parts, I can show you how to do that. Come here, in my workshop, after you finish your homeworks, and I'll show you how to tend your arm in such way that it will become not a burden but a valuable asset!
From that day Z regularly joined his dad in his workshop, helping him and learning about machines, how mechanisms work, engines and much more.
A conversation between father and son
A beautiful gift
19th May 2372
*birthday noises*
- Come on, son, blow out the candles!
*deep breath in. Fooosh!*
- Hurray! Happy 7 years, my dear Zhang! Go on, open your gift!
*Z awkwardly unwrapping the box*
- Woooow, this is soo cool! I can be like those cyborgs now! Thank you mommy and daddy!
Z receiving his first mechanical prostethic from his parents
Accepting the reality
12th December 2369
*at the hospital*
- Ma'am, sir, I have good and bad news. After a week spent in an unstable and unconscious state, Zhang is now stable and opened his eyes earlier this day for a brief amount of time. Unfortunately, our surgeons did everything they could and couldn't salvage his right arm. There is the possibility of aquiring a mechanical prostethic for him, but these don't come as cheap. I will leave you with this leaflet with the available ones here and their prices.
- Oh, Johannes, thanks God he is well now. I haven't closed an eye this past week, I feel so tired. But what will we do? ... these prices are way out of what we can afford.
- My dear Zi, the only thing that matters is the fact the Zhang is well now. We will figure out something.
Z's parents receiving the news from the doctor
A tragic accident
4th December 2369
*loud child screams*
- How could you let him all alone in there! What was on your mind? He is only 4 years old, Johannes... drive faster, we must get to the doctor!
Conscious of the situation they we're in, Johannes didn't say anything and kept concentrating on driving as fast as he could towards the hospital.
Z's parents, Johannes and Zi, arguing
The beginning
19th May 2365
Look at him, he is so perfect. My little baby! From now on you will be known as Zhang Wei Adama.
Zi Adama, Z's mother
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