“You were on the Head’s side. What made you change your mind?”

Doc’s lips turned up ever so slightly. “You should be able to guess. I forgot what it was to have principles or convictions until that idealistic dreamer came along. After I was sent to the base as a spy, he reminded me–in no uncertain terms, either. You’ve seen how pushy he is.”

Gordon couldn’t help a smile.

When I asked which character from Implant you wanted to hear about, you overwhelmingly voted in favor of Neil Crater, the idealistic dreamer of the the rebels. So here I am to tell you a little bit about this leader–and hopefully whet your appetite for the rest of the story. See what I did there? I’m an author! We have to market our books! It is, of course, all one big ploy to get you to buy something. If you are opposed to such measures, STOP reading now, close the tab, and go watch a kitten video. And forever wonder who exactly this Neil Crater is.

After Gordon gets pulled into the future, he meets two people–Doc and Neil–who will change his life forever. We’ll learn more about Doc later, but for now, who is Neil?

Neil is just what I said–idealistic dreamer. He’s passionate, convicted, principled, incredibly intelligent, kind, and visionary. He cares about every individual rebel, and believes redemption is always possible–but at the same time he has no patience with evil or stupidity. He’s a scientist, a brilliant engineer. He can usually be found in the laboratory, in his slightly mismatched clothes, big glasses, and red kerchief around his neck, bending over some device that he believes will help them take down the Academy once and for all.

He’s quick to trust, but also quick to urge caution. He reminds others of their humanity, not only with his words (which are certainly numerous) but with his actions. He finds as much value in serving a bowl of soup to a tired worker as in giving a rousing speech or building a complex element of a master plan to save the world.

Neil Crater is the perfect leader–combining brilliance, strength, and compassion to create the kind of man that others can look up to, love, and follow. His weakness–his compassion and emotionalism–are mitigated by Doc…

But I’m not supposed to talk about Doc just yet. You’ll just have to wait a little while longer.

So tell me–does Neil Crater sound like someone you would like to read about?