<OOC>
I thought this was fun to write, so I figured I'd post it here in hopes that someone else could get 2-3 mins worth of entertainment reading it. I don't write much, but enjoy it when I do. (this was the story for an ARK applicaiton, but figured sharing it wouldn't hurt anything)
</OOC>

Why, Hello there. My name is .. not relevant; call me "Ghir". So you want to know a little about me? Nothing special, but OK, here you go.

I didn't know my parents. I'm told my mother died during childbirth (some freak accident involving some new "upgrade" Omni-Med was trying to enhance Homo Opifex even more with), and my father couldn't handle the stress so figured out a way to Permanently Kill himself. Omni-Tek was my mother and my father throughout my entire childhood.

I was born on Rubi-Ka and lived most of my younger life in a small appartment in the Trade district of Omni-I. It suited me, and Omni-Tek took care of my base needs, including giving me a way to repay the debt I had incurred from them raising me. I was always a little different, but OT was large enough that everyone could find a nitche to fit into, even if they were the only ones filling it.

When I got old enough, I chose Fixer as my profession. There was no doubt in my mind that this was what I wanted to do: I was always good with computers, and the Grid just fascinated me, so I took a job as a courrier to get started. I had no concept of how little I actually knew about the world I live in, or how sheltered I truly was.

Early on, I was very dedicated to both my work and to Omni-Tek. They did, after all, raise me. I strove to be the best that I could be, proving myself time and again until eventually I was awarded the highest honor: the Flags of Glory and Redemption. I was sure it couldn't get any better than this.

During my off hours, I started hanging out in the Newland City area, just to "see how the other half lived". There, I met several followers of the Clans, which, of course, I had a natural dislike for at first since they represented everything I was brought up to think was sloth personafied. Just to prove how much better morally I was than them, I decided to take some missions (during my off hours, mind you) with them that did not go against Mother and Father (OT).

I'm not sure how it started. The best analogy I can come up with is that of a flower opening to the dawn: I felt like I'd only been living half my life. Here I had assumed that the feeling of "independance" and "self-reliance" I had felt since childhood was the norm only to find out that there were many, many others with very similar life-views, if significantly different due to political conflicts.

After much time of personal reflection and self-examination I decided that maybe my debt to OT was paid and that maybe I should start living life for myself. I aquired a Clans application, signed on the dotted line, and switched sides.

I was terrified.

Shortly thereafter, the friends that I made invited me to join their clan, Redemption, to help "the cause". Even though I was still very new to the whole "OT is bad" idea, I thought that maybe they were right, that maybe I *could* make a difference after all, especially if I could join forces with several other groups that felt similarly to myself.

I havn't looked back.

I'm still not the best fixer I can be, I know, but I know beyond any doubt that I can now go to sleep knowing that somone actually *cares*. It's quite amazing, really. Nearly as amazing as the fact that not everyone that works for OT has made the same desicsion that I have, not that I begrudge them for it. I know what they think they know, but I also know what they're missing.

So long for now. I'll see you in the shadows of the Grid... if you're quick enough to catch me!