Nova Name?
Matrix.
You forgot "Master of Machines".
Yeah, that. The Utopia PR people will probably
have a talk with me later. :)
(After this interview, very likely.)
Real Name?
I'd rather not say.
Aw, come on...
Sorry, I like being able to get away from being
a Nova for a day.
How old are you?
28.
When did you erupt?
I was an early one, about a month after Portman.
What was it like?
Not really that amazing. I was working on a project
in a friend's garage. I felt tired all of a sudden and passed out while
trying to make my way into the house. When I woke up, I realized my powers
had prevented me from getting impaled on some machinery.
So what was your life before signing on with
Utopia?
Fairly normal, I think. A job, a house, hobbies,
bills, girlfriend, a cat. A slice of Americana. Sort of.
How much of that life do you still live?
Not that much. Moving to New York and being a full-time superhero is
definitely a lifestyle change.
Were you a computer whiz before?
I knew how to use them well enough. I programmed
a bit for work and did some stuff on my own, little utilities to see what
I could do. I was a better mechanic than programmer.
How do you like being a member of Team Tomorrow
Beta?
It pays the bills :).
I bet. :)
Seriously, it’s a blast. We get to travel all
over the world and do some good. Plus they seem to be the only ones who
know how to help us develop our powers. And there is a sense of comradery
among the Novas. We understand each other, ya know.
Your team lost one member and gained another,
tell us about that.
Heh. Magician just didn't quite fit into the
mix. He wanted to do other things so Utopia found a better assignment for
him. Tower's been a welcome addition. It took a while for the team dynamic
to adjust, but as they say, having another guy who's strong and bulletproof
on the team doesn't hurt.
Describe your powers in layman's terms.
Like the trading card says, I can control machines
and computers. Simple stuff better than complicated stuff.
Speaking of trading cards, what do you think
of the action figures?
Not too bad. They could have done a better paint
job for my costume. At least they didn't give any of us rocket launchers.
Yeah, that would've been dumb.
What part did you play in the Y2K effort?
Well, being the resident tech-head, I had plenty
to do. Most of it was behind the scenes. I was stationed at various sites
in the city to make sure the systems were ready and to make any fixes needed
to keep things up and running. I also tested Utopia's systems for Y2K problems.
Overall, the computer industry did a good job fixing most of the affected
systems ahead of time.
What do you think the next year will bring
for Novas?
Well, there'll be more of us. I expect Team Tomorrow
Gamma will be in operation soon. Now that people are getting used to us,
I think you'll see some more everyday stuff for Novas.
"Everyday"? That's not a word you normally
think of for a Nova.
I guess it's all perspective. Most of us are
normal people, we just happen to have this ball of goo in our head that
gives us powers. There are some of us still living our normal lives. Now
that the early paranoia is over, we'll probably start seeing Nova cops
and firemen and lawyers and all that. Don't be surprised if Nova celebrities
make a name for themselves.
What did you think of the recent efforts of
Project Utopia and your team's "War on Crime" here in New York? Were you
surprised by the declaration?
Yes, I was. Though in retrospect I shouldn't
have been. It's nice to see a large organization like Utopia want to make
the world a better place. I'm not totally sure I'm happy with the precedent
it sets.
What do you mean?
Well, I voiced some objections and had concerns
over what we they were asking us to do. "Go out and round up all the criminals"
- has a rather ominous ring to it at first blush. I insisted we get clarification
as to what we could do and what authority we had. Turns out we were merely
concerned citizens taking a bite out of crime. Luckily, Utopia's lawyers
found some precedents to back up our actions.
What was your role in the crime-elimination
effort?
Mostly technical support. I did some other stuff
like stop the cars of fleeing suspects and doing surveillance. Personally,
I didn't care so much about the drug trafficking and gambling operations.
I did what I could to root out protection rackets, police corruption, ponzi
schemes, price gouging, smuggling, kidnapping and hitmen.
So you don’t have a problem with drug dealers?
I didn’t say that. I don’t want to see kids getting
high any more than the next guy. I just think the War on Drugs is a waste
of time and money, re-legalization is the only sane solution. But this
isn’t a public policy interview.
Right. So do you think your efforts were a
mistake?
Hard to say. Sure, I think stopping crime and
making New York and the world safer is great. I guess the civil libertarian
in me felt uneasy at times. We were stopping people who were hurting others.
Ultimately, I think the world will thank us for it.
The big news is your recent raid on the meeting
of the mafia dons. The media have been giving some conflicting reports
of the events. Were you there? What was it like? What was your part?
I wasn't in the fight, if that's what you're
asking. My role was mostly surveillance. I was kinda busy with another
project at the time.
What do you think will happen as a result of
Utopia's latest project?
Some people will love us more, some will hate
us more. We'll definitely see new laws passed governing Nova activity in
this area in the future. I'll bet you my next paycheck an anti-telepathy
statute will be on the books soon. And we'll probably get some Novas who've
been in hiding to sign on. And the criminal element will start hiring Novas
to protect their interests. Oh, and there'll be more criminals behind bars,
though not as many as people think.
How so?
I have a feeling not all the evidence will stick
and deals will be made. Probably my pessimistic side emerging.
The 2000 election season is starting up, whom
are you planning on voting for for president?
Definitely 3rd party. Right now, the
general election, with Gore and Schroer, looks like it’ll be as exciting
and inspiring as watching paint dry. I’ll probably vote for Harry Browne.
Is that a protest vote?
No. Though I do hope the millions of disillusioned
voters out there find a minor party candidate to vote for and send a wake-up
call to the Dems and GOP in November. Our system only works if everyone
is paying attention. And I think Mr Browne would make a good president.
Now an easy one…
Finally! :)
What’s your favorite color?
I’d have to go with black. |