Meet the Stars of Mechanical Affection

I promised one of you guys some actual character descriptions. This is really just to tide you over until I start up Matt's side of the story. Also I have updated the ending and epilogue to what will be close to their final version (I've merged the two endings a bit to try and compromise). However, BOTH endings will remain available to read on Mediaminer (it is also likely that the Mediaminer version of Matt's story will have the split ending, I hate to alienate my readers)

I have only included descriptions of the three main characters as others will be described early on in Matt's version. I will add the other characters if there is demand enough for it.

Mitch (also known as Metalhead, It, and That Thing)

Physical Description: Death has caused some predictable physical afflictions. His dirty blonde hair (almost sandy brown) is prone to falling out if grabbed and his forest green eyes are clouded. His skin is a bit ashen with heavy veining and is firm to the touch (often described as waxy). Several species of bacteria, fungus, and invertebrate have made his body their new home.

And being a zombie has its hazards! Mitch sports a variety of wounds including but not limited to: bullet holes, animal bites, (initially) a single zombie bite, and various scrapes from falling over things and walking through thorny plants that he couldn't really feel.

In general, he's seen wearing the military uniform he died in.

He is slightly taller than Matt, but because he almost never stands up straight they usually see eye to eye. He's got a lean build with some nice muscle tone.

Post-Captivity Alterations (spoilers): After meeting Matt, Mitch has several major physical changes. His wounds are patched together with sewing thread and superglue. His hair was cut shorter and various parts of his body shaven. .. And he's given good bath. In later chapters, he suffers from several more human caused injuries, the most prominent being a gunshot wound the head. As the bullet mostly grazed his skull, most of his brain matter remained intact but a portion of his skull was lost. Upon his return home, he is fitted with a head plate to protect those precious zombie brains.

Matt uses various methods to keep Mitch from hurting himself and others. In addition to Mitch's normal clothes, he now wears gloves and bandages on his arms and legs. He also wears the ever important mask. Depending on the style, this mask may cover the lower half of Mitch's face (mouth and nose) or just his mouth. However, a cloth gag is used in a jiffy when no other means is available.

Brief Bio: Here's our star! Just a teenager when the apocalypse begins, he lived a relatively normal life. He liked to play video games, hang out with friends, and sleep around with his female classmates. However, with the number of infected dead growing, he saw a chance at some real excitement and joined the army to fight the zombies. He survived for a while, but inevitably during circumstances unknown he was bitten when he was in his early twenties.

After infection, he found he retained some memory of his previous life, though specific memories elude him. He was able to recall how to use most common objects, but severe damage to his nervous system renders his body essentially useless. He is not, however, able to form many new memories or use previous knowledge to deduce the function of new things in his environment. In short, if he didn't know it before he died, he's not going to know it now.

Spoiler: However, extended exposure can generate new memories. These are essentially long-term memories that can only be remembered in the presence of the subject in question. Unfortunately, these memories appear to be rudimentary in nature (it's like someone mentioning a movie and you say 'oh yeah, I saw that… but I don't remember what it's about').

New York (also known as Half-Face)

Physical Description: New York's appearance suffers from the same general affects as Mitch. He has waxy marble skin (though paler than Mitch's) with prominent veining and his black hair is thinner than it was before he died. He has grey eyes that are less cloudy than Mitch's.

His zombie hazard wounds are less numerous than Mitch's. He has a few bullet holes and scrapes, but the most prominent feature about him is his face. From his right cheekbone down to his lower mandible and from his nose back to his jaw the muscle and skin is missing. The traumatic injury is blackened with decay and houses several species of bacteria and invertebrate.

His death clothes are an 'I love New York' t-shirt featuring the Empire State Building, a pair of jeans, and sneakers.

He is taller than both Matt and Mitch, and appears to be in his twenties or teens. He's rather thin and looks like he didn't quite grow out of his awkward phase before he died.

Brief Bio: His background is unknown by Matt and Mitch, but from his appearance he was probably a very normal kid. Why he's wearing a 'I love New York' shirt is a mystery but a likely scenario is that he'd recently returned from a trip to the state/city and was wearing one of his souvenirs. If he could speak, it's almost certain he would remember the answer himself as he does not suffer from the same severe neural damage Mitch does. He's capable of opening doors, remembering faces, and actual problem solving. He's very clever.

Spoiler: After he meets Matt and Mitch, he becomes determined to help the couple stay together and alive for as long as possible. These attempts don't go unnoticed and he's recruited by the survivors to help with scavenging, which he is highly adept at due to his relatively high dexterity.

Matthew (also known as Matt, Crazycakes, and Mr. Trident)

Physical Description: Matt has short brown hair and pale brown eyes. He's a little shorter than Mitch and has a lean build making him look a bit scrawnier than he really is. So far, he's escaped the apocalypse with little physical consequence, though he often has a few scrapes from crawling into tight spaces. The only scar he has is on his stomach from when he had his appendix removed.

His most prominent feature is a tattoo on his forearm in the shape of a trident.

In general, he wears skinny jeans and mildly colorful t-shirt. He is fond of striped shirts as well. When it's cold out, he will wear a hoodie and the only shoes he has are sneakers and tennis shoes.

He's almost never seen without his backpack and is usually carrying a handgun.

Spoiler: After being shot and bitten, Matt displays some typical zombie characteristics including pale skin, dark veining, and a cool body temperature. However, his skin is not waxy to the touch and he has pink hues on thin skinned areas (such as around his eyes and lips). His eyes are bloodshot. He has two bites, one on his forearm and another over the bullet wound in his abdomen.

Brief Bio: Matt's a pretty normal young guy, but his past prior to the spread of the infection greatly affects his choices now. As such, he clings to the past in many ways and finds peace in any normalcy he can create. Among survivors, he is unique in his hesitation to kill zombies and is the first to accept Mitch into the group.