With the long null state that this blog wound up taking, I thought long and hard about how to manage my time and still bring good things here for you. Well, I think you'll enjoy the Character Spotlights, giving you and inside view to the characters of GZ. Today, we're looking in on a member of the Chessmen. You can check out his adventures in my novel, Chessmen: Opening Moves. It's available on Amazon. (Click on images for larger view)
Yes, that pic is of Viro, but he didn't always look that way. Viro was an astronaut sent on a mission to investigate a new energy source on a distant star. Unfortunately, the energy turned out to be a strange radiation that overtook his ships controls. As the radiation flooded his craft, he was headed for a nasty crash landing. Overwhelmed, he blacked out.
The next time he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find out that he still lived. While his own people were unable to save him, another race of beings was nearby. The Cyborians had nothing to fear from the radiation so they intercepted his craft with a powerful tractor beam and pulled him to safety. But the damage had been done. In order to save his life, he had to be put in a containment suit. They warned him, should that suit be breached, the intensity of what he had become, could wipe out all life on any given planet. The very thought made him wish he hadn't been saved at all.
Viro couldn't return to his people. He preferred that they believe him to be dead. So he took to wandering the spaceways, trying to figure out what to do with himself. In his travels, he discovered that he could force some of his viral power out of his suit and that it would do whatever he commanded. This made him think that there was some better purpose for him. He just needed to find it. Eventually, he came across the planet, Chyssia and befriended a member of the Royal Guard named, Haley. He joined the Royal Guard and now, with the Chessmen, fights to protect their orphaned Princess.
The viruses Viro can emit will literally do almost anything he can think of. He can dissolve solid steel into a puddle. He can override the computers of a starship. He can even heal wounds or possibly regrow someone's missing limb. Even with all the practice he has had, Viro is still working out all the things he can do. His only limit is his energy levels. At times, he must rest and recharge. He is sustained by energies of the universe around him or by dissolving items with his power to absorb.
Viro's containment suit is a powerful suit of armor. It can withstand heavy damage and gives him some extra strength. He can fly through space and lift a thousand pounds.
While his face can be seen inside the green fog within his helmet, it is thought that there is very little left of his original body. Some think what he's been through is why he's so sarcastic and surly in nature. Haley will say not to let it fool you. Underneath it all, Viro is a caring person and devoted to the Chessmen and the Princess completely. Of course, if you ask him, he'll tell you he's often annoyed with the antics of Chessmen member, Major Xeroh.
While you won't find a more serious member of the Chessmen, you won't find one more unshakable in purpose either.
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