We’re just starting a Starfinder campaign and have rolled up characters. I’ve made an Android Priest Mystic, named “Zero One”. I like to write short stories for some of my characters, so here’s the introduction to Zero One.

(in audio form)

On the planet Aballon was a worker android, Kawaguchi model, designator EK-AI. He worked in the processing plant above the skymetal mines in quadrant 01. He did not know where he came from, or who had made him. He was just a worker. Some days he moved ore. Some days he monitored the smelter. Each day was a new spin around a wheel that - as far as he knew - had always been spinning.

EK-AI was not an important robot. He did not manage or coordinate or plan or analyse. His log did not have any particular lines of importance. He was well within operating variances.

Not all his limbs were original. He was an assemblage of various parts, some biological, but mostly metal. All from the same make, but perhaps not the same android or from the same time. He was whole and symmetrical, but imperfect.

He was a diligent worker, but something bothered him. Like a loop that never terminated, chewing ops but never yielding. Formless like a blank file. Dangerous and mysterious like a dangling pointer.

One day, he was sorting materials near the fence line. The fence line they had been programmed to never go beyond. From the solar-blasted deserts came an old man, human, wrapped in rags and carrying a bundle on a stick. The old man walked right to the fence line, and —- finding a fence there —- simply climbed over.

“Input required,” stated EK-AI. “What is your work designator?”

The old man laughed and kept walking forwards.

EK-AI searched his databases for a long-discarded conversational library, only used to interface with collectors and deliverers from the outside.

“Where… are you going?”

The old man leaned up against a huge disposal machine. Pausing for a moment, he took off his sandals. Alarm systems rang in EK-AI’s sensors. Danger!

The old man pointed to the horizon. “I came from there.” He pointed to the other horizon. “I’m going there.” Suddenly, the ground underneath the old man lifted up and tossed him bodily into the disposal, along with other debris.

EK-AI froze. This curious man, just recently intersecting with his life… was dead! This was not the designated protocol.

A short while later, the disposal rattled and belched forth the old man, sandal and all. EK-AI was astonished. There was not even a scratch on him. He had landed on the other side of the fenceline.

The old man dusted himself off and collected up his bundle.

EK-AI said: “How…”

The old man grinned. “Just go with the flow. When it pushes, I relax. When it pulls, I follow. No big deal.”

EK-AI paused, his mind plunging through deep decision trees. Clearly a pilgrim. But there are only two choices on Aballon. Those Who Wait and Those Who Become. Zero or one. But he…

Sunlight glinted off the man’s necklace - three interlinked circles, each perfect but different in their own way.

A subsystem warned EK-AI, “Current Evaluation exceeds 1000 Epochs, discarding thr… SIGSEV FAULT ” At that second, something changed within him. The evaluation didn’t terminate.

The old man waited for EK-AI to speak.

“How… H-h-how… do I get to the other side?” The old man raised his eyebrow, clearly impressed with something. He then looked around, examining the fence between them. “But, my student, you are already on the other side!” And with not more than a grunt and a chuckle, the old man hefted his load back on his shoulder and walked away.

This encounter shook EK-AI to his core. For years he continued to work, but there was something extra in his sensors. Something else to the world. Signal amongst the noise. The symphony of interactions and interplays and synchronicities that were impossible to filter. There were highs and lows. There were lefts and rights. Goods and evils. Over time, mountains became clouds and clouds became mountains. As best he could describe it, there was a flow.

One day he stood near the entrance, near the fence they were programmed not to pass. Trucks were being inspected and weighed before entering or leaving the facility. In 9.3 seconds he was scheduled to turn left, pick up a box and move it to shelf 3, row 3, warehouse 3. Instead, he turned right. He turned right at that exact time. Normally, this divergence would be noticed and corrected. But today, in that symphony of movement, he walked straight through. Unseen, uninterrupted. He was a leaf on a breeze, neither forcing nor being forced.

And on that day, he just walked straight out of the facility. He wandered through the deserts, unpursued, unharmed. He wandered, following the flow of the universe. As was the universe’s flow, his worker uniform turned to rags. As was the universe’s flow, the rags were replaced with travelling robes by the generosity of a merchant. As was the universe’s flow, his ID tag was replaced with a hot meal and a cred-chip.

He followed flow after flow. Getting in danger. Getting out. Adopting a battlestaff. Adopting peace. Helping strangers in trouble. Helping himself to items fallen from market stalls. Assuming the role of a traveller. Assuming his new name: Zero One.

He travels and he does not know where to stop. He does not seek wisdom but hopes to find it.

Zero One follows the flow. For there is nothing else.

Character sheet

Zero One Android priest mystic 1 NG Medium humanoid (android) Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +7 Defense SP 7 HP 10 RP 4 EAC 11; KAC 11 Fort +3; Ref +1; Will +5 Offense Speed 30 ft. Melee anchoring battle staff +0 (1d4 B; critical immobilization, critical knockdown; analog, block) Mystic Spells Known (CL 1st; melee +0) 1st (3/day)—identify, reflecting armor, lesser remove condition

0 (at will)—detect magic, fatigue, stabilize, telepathic message Connection Akashic Statistics Str 11 (+0); Dex 12 (+1); Con 13 (+1); Int 12 (+1); Wis 16 (+3); Cha 9 (-1) Skills Computers +2 (1 ranks), Culture +6, Mysticism +9, Perception +7, Profession (philosopher) +6, Sense Motive +5, Survival +7; (reduce the DCs of Culture and Mysticism checks by 5 when recalling knowledge about religious traditions, religious symbols, and famous religious leaders) Feats Great Fortitude Languages Akitonian, Brethedan, Common, Triaxian Other Abilities Akashic knowledge, constructed, healing touch Other Gear anchoring battle staff, consumer backpack, flashlight, poor meals (6), starstone compass, travel clothing, credstick (787 credits)