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Franklin Crye

Franklin Crye (born Franklin Duggan 9 May 2006 in Memphis, TN to parents Robert Duggan and Jini Jayaweera) is a Sinhalese-American mercenary, revolutionary activist and military veteran of the conflicts in Central America. He is most well known for his involvement in the Logan County Workers Uprising and his written accounts of the Burning of Phoenix. He currently recides in Cochise County, AZ after his failure at Port Republic.

Franklin's mother Jini passed away due to complications shortly after his birth. He was the pair's first and only child, leaving the father-son pair the only members of the Duggan family. The two would bond over a shared interest in music. Robert was an avid music collector and would frequently show his son records of all eras. A particular favorite of Robert was southern soul singer Al Green. Franklin would often visit a local Buddhist Temple to connect with friends of his late mother's and learn about her past. He'd attend Melrose High School and excell in arts, literature, and social science subjects. But without many future prospects, Franklin would be drawn to a different profession.

At the age of 18, Franklin enlisted in the army and sent to the frontlines of Panama. In the army, Franklin would meet a boy named Anthony Martinez who he developed a deep romantic relationship with. Though they tried to keep it a secret, they would be chastised and excluded by their fellow service members.

A year later, while on patrol, a grenade flew through the window of their humvee and landed in Anthony's lap. After coming to, Anthony had already passed and Franklin was being dragged into cover. In the infirmary, the remains of Franklin's left arm had to be amputated just bellow the shoulder. His left lung had also experienced major injuries. This made him unfit for service.

It was while in recovery in David, Panama, that Franklin would be approached by a man named Willam Schroeder with a propositions. He was the Commander of the Enhanced Special Operations Unit under codename: Project Silverhand, trying to intergrate the next generation of prosthesis and cybernetics into military operations. Franklin would accept.

As a member of the ESO Unit, he would be fitted with a gunmetal prosthetic and respiratory cybernetics to restore his lungs to full capacity. They would work as a black-ops unit deep in the jungles of north Colombia and the Darien Gap. After two years under the command of William Schroeder, an especially brutal mission would lead to the deaths of many members of the Unit and Franklin's desertion.

For three months, Franklin would slowly make his way through Central-America back up to the United States. He would take on the name Franklin Crye and travel with refugees and border-hoppers. After crossing the Rio Grande, Franklin had finally made it back to the united States. He'd hitchhike his way back to Memphis.

In Memphis, he'd reconnect with his friends at the Temple and learn his father had fallen into alcoholism in his absence. He'd return to his fathers home and wait until he'd gone to work. Franklin would go inside to grab a box of CDs, his journals and leave his father a note to explain that he'd no longer come home. Franklin would then leave Memphis for good, setting his sight west.

Franklin would first find roots in the alternative scene of the Bay Area. He'd would immerse himself in the anti-war movement and celebrate as the United States finally pulled out of Panama. But something much worse was on the horizon.

A slow simmer in the U.S. was finally boiling over, and the country would break into Civil War once more. The first shots rung out in the east on the border of California. Then, militias in the south would take the opportunity to "reclaim" their country. Franklin would join up with a gang led by Douglas Durand. They would attempt to lead resistance against the war and run supplies to civilians and refugee camps.

The Burning of Phoenix was the turning point of the war. Bombs rained down on the metropolis, and millions would die. Franklin would write about his firsthand accounts seeing the first bombs land and leading civilians to safety in his journal. With the help from techie Jessica Smythe, they would publish and distribute his accounts on the net. They were one of the first detailed accounts from the incident, and included pictures showcasing the atrocity. News outlets would write about it, and the files would be shared on BBSs and email chains across the net. It would sway public support for the war, turning many against it. This would be his first bit of noteriety.