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{{Incomplete}} | {{NPC | ||
|fullname=William | |||
|affiliation=*[[90WISH]] (GFL, formerly) | |||
*[[Paradeus]] (GFL, formerly) | |||
*[[Union of Rossartrism Nations Coalition]] | |||
|voiceactor=*Toshiyuki Morikawa ([[Reverse Collapse Credits|RCCB]]) | |||
|summary={{Incomplete|reason=[[Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery]] main story}} | |||
{{Spoiler}} | {{Spoiler}} | ||
'''William''' (威廉) is the name of the antagonist of several games in the [[Girls' Frontline]]'s series. The name is associated with elusive and deeply unethical scientists with an obsession for unlocking the power of [[Relic Technology]]. | |||
__TOC__ | |||
==Girls' Frontline== | |||
'''William''', real name '''Ballard von Oberstein''' (巴拉德•冯•奥贝斯坦),<ref name=Kernel24>{{cite|gfl|kernel|24}}</ref> sometimes called ''Professor'',<ref name=Singu2D2 /> and one of the holders of the title of '''Father''' within [[Paradeus]], is the primary antagonist of [[Girls' Frontline]]. He is a ruthless, self-centered and unethical young researcher who likes creating interesting events to witness, regardless of people's sufferings.<ref name=Singu2D2>{{cite|gfl|sg|Minor Pieces Draw II, William enjoys the chaos caused by the [[Collapse bomb]] used against the KCCO soldiers}}</ref> His goal is to resurrect [[Lunasia]] in the form of a "key" to [[Relic Technology]]. He has also claimed interest in the [[Rossartrism|Rossartrist]] notion of a post-war “Brave New World”.<ref name=C134E /> | |||
| | |||
William's face was revealed in part 5 of [[Convolutional Kernel]], nearly seven years after its introduction in [[Singularity]]. He has sharp features, slicked-back semi-long dark blonde hair, and wears elegant clothes and slim tinted eyeglasses with a chain. A younger William has been described as “baleful-looking”,<ref name=Cart6>{{cite|gfl|cartesian|e6}}</ref> with a constant tense expression and eyebags.<ref name=VP4 /> He is supremely arrogant, refusing to acknowledge even people directly threatening his life,<ref name=VP6 /> and comparing even the biggest obstacles to his plans to annoying insects.<ref name=QF32 /> | |||
===Childhood=== | |||
Ballard is the son of [[Rudolf von Oberstein]] and his wife [[Nemhran|Hanna]], and the younger brother of [[Lunasia]] von Oberstein.<ref name=C135 /><ref name=Cart6 /> His family nicknamed him “Bill”.<ref name=Cart6 /> Ballard was neglected by his mother and even the servants of the house. Whether a cause or a consequence of this treatment, Ballard treated other human beings with utter disdain from a young age, clashing with his mother and sister's ideals to save humanity from its suffering. Ballard complained that he had scared away everyone around him except for his own sister, who became the most important person for him. They still sometimes physically fought. Despite his personal beliefs, Ballard took part in the dinner prayer performed by his mother and sister.<ref name=Cart6 /> Lunasia claimed that Ballard's true nature was more gentle and thoughtful, but that he had taken to channeling Lunasia's own repressed negative emotions.<ref>{{cite|gfl|angular|10}}</ref> William hated his mother, commenting that she had become "a better mother" after being changed into a Nyto,<ref name=IF12 /> but he continued to perform her dinnertime prayer years later.<ref name=FP18 /> | |||
Growing up in the Frankfurt White Zone, Ballard read extensively about humankind and philosphy at a young age, but couldn't grasp the reason for the violent nature of humans. He was ostracized by other children, and in one incident saved a young dog who was being beaten by thugs, getting beaten in turn. After this incident, Lunasia used her social status to protect him, saying that it would be his turn to protect her in the future.<ref name=VP2 /> Finding no veterinarian in close proximity, Lunasia treated the puppy's collapsed lung herself in a public park. She named the dog "Bill", saying that by giving it Ballard's nickname, she could keep protecting "Bill" even after Ballard had grown into the hero she envisioned, who would change the world into a place without violence. Ballard accepted Lunasia's vision, describing her as a "goddess of destiny".<ref name=VP3 /> | |||
This incident is described as the moment Ballard began his path to becoming "William".<ref name=VP3>{{cite|gfl|[[Virtual Pair]] E3}}</ref> It's unclear if the incident happened before or after the events of Evangel Portal described in the next section. | |||
====Age reckoning==== | |||
In 2064, William was described as undergoing pubescent voice change<ref name=FP18 /><ref name=SSS6 /> and physically appears to be around seventeen-years old. | |||
In [[Secret Documents#Razor Surveillance Report: Subject Information]], Ballard is claimed to be born ten years after [[Lunasia]], born 2037. This places his birth in 2047, which is consistent with his physical appearance in 2064. | |||
The main flashback of [[Virtual Pair]] takes place in 2049, when Ballard would be two years old. He is however depicted to be older, physically closer to a six-years old, and much more cognitively advanced. | |||
===Becoming William=== | |||
During the latter half of [[World War Three]], Hanna suffered from mental issues and a faith crisis, and the family fragmented after its transfer to Heidelberg by the US Army,<ref name=Razor>{{cite|rc|[[Secret Documents#Razor Surveillance Report: Subject Information]]}}</ref> with Hanna taking her children away to join a cult<ref name=Global>{{cite|rc|[[Secret Documents#Global Affairs and Impacts on Religion]]}}</ref> called Evangel Portal.<ref name=Bee>{{cite|gfl|[[Bee Sting]]}}</ref> Hanna killed herself in a mass ritual suicide, intending to imbue Lunasia with otherworldly powers.<ref name=IF12 /><ref name=Kernel24 /> Lunasia returned into her father's custody, and along the man wearing the name "William", he subjected her to the experiments of [[Project Valkyrie]] at [[Paradeus]]. Lunasia agreed to become a key to the Relics as they wished, but intended to use these powers to destroy mankind.<ref name=Kernel24 /> Rudolf treated not only his daughter but also his son like a pawn in his plans, and saw Ballard as inconsequential.<ref>{{cite|gfl|zero|E6}}</ref> Using her followers for the experiments, Lunasia enlisted [[Martha Meitner]] (later called "Laplace") for her research as well as Ballard, tasking him to create the first Nyto, {{enemy name|Nemhran|boss}}, using their mother's corpse. She also asked Ballard to resurrect her if she was killed<ref name=IF12>{{cite|gfl|isolation|12}}</ref> and to always remind her of her goal.<ref name=Kernel24 /> | |||
William took care of Lunasia as her health failed throughout Project Valkyrie<ref>{{cite|gfl|sc|Subsurface Homecoming I}}</ref> and she eventually died in 2049. After her death, William petitioned his father to be granted command of Paradeus despite his young age, arguing that Laplace wasn't trustworthy or interested in this position. After expedited funerals, Ballard attempted to remove her coffin to a secret place, even killing his butler to prevent its location from being leaked, but Rudolf interfered. Ballard threatened his father with a handgun but was subdued, and Lunasia's body taken to the Oberstein Research Institute. After escaping from his room, Ballard went to the institute and found that Lunasia's body had been dismantled and her brain preserved as slices for Laplace's experiments. Ballard started to hear hallucinations of his sister's voice giving him directions.<ref name=VP2>{{cite|gfl|[[Virtual Pair]] E2}}</ref> Ballard stole the brain slices containing Lunasia's memories, as well as a field surgical kit, and fled in the woods around Frankfurt. Rudolf quickly realized the theft and sent armed men after his son. Impressed that Ballard had the courage to oppose him, Rudolf decided to keep the hunt going for 12 hours to allow Ballard to prove himself worthy of being trained into his successor. | |||
Ballard received the help of a local hunter named Nita, who lived alone in a cabin. Spurred on by the hallucination of Lunasia, and noticing that Nita displayed high Collapse radiation resistance and looked similar to his sister, Ballard assassinated Nita and used the field surgical kit to modify her into the first [[Nyto]]. Letting his creation loose against his pursuers, Ballard announced that he could create an army of Nytos for Paradeus, which convinced Rudolf of his potential.<ref name=VP4>{{cite|gfl|[[Virtual Pair]] E4}}</ref> | |||
Ballard devoted himself entirely to the project of resurrecting his sister, eventually taking the name "William" for himself and becoming a leader of Paradeus.<ref name=Kernel24 /> He claimed his sister's death was really a murder<ref name=C134E>{{cite|gfl|13-4E}}</ref> and sought to take revenge on the “madmen” who had caused the death of his mother and sister.<ref name=FP18 /> | |||
{{StoryQuote|I will have victory for sure... [[Nemhran|Mother]]. Only I and I alone can save you. You, and you... [[Lunasia|My dear sister]]. Just a little longer... Sister. Soon... I will make those madmen pay.<ref name=FP18 />}} | |||
===90WISH=== | |||
William was considered the most brilliant, but most insufferable<ref name=C135>{{cite|gfl|13-5}}</ref> and most strange member of [[90wish]], with no known face or voice.<ref name=SC31>{{cite|gfl|sc|Fractured Cognition I}}</ref> He was however known for his obsession with Relics and hatred for [[Lycoris]].<ref name=Singu2A2 /> | |||
To resurrect Lunasia, William contacted fellow 90wish members Lycoris and [[Persicaria]], the top AI scientist of the time. William provided them an imprint of Lunasia's brain to make a [[Neural Cloud]] from it, but didn't tell them who the imprint donor was. Lyco and Persica found memories belonging to Lunasia in the imprint, and refused to continue because they were opposed to human experimentation, and knew her father was opposed to it, at least publicly. William then used a more devious plan to reach his goals.<ref name=C135 /> | |||
William first had a [[Pike]] node delivered to Lyco after he joined [[Sangvis Ferri]].<ref>{{cite|gfl|sg|Last Resort I}}</ref><ref name=C134 /> The [[OGAS]] code base in the node enabled Lyco to create {{enemy name|Elisa|boss}} in 2054.<ref>{{cite|ab1|Timeline}}</ref> As he continued to enhance her, he realized she was capable of interacting with Relic technology, and that he was being manipulated by William, and so he sabotaged parts of her code.<ref>{{cite|gfl|pl|Blackbody Radiation I}}</ref> In retaliation,<ref name=C135 /> and to accelerate the growth of Elisa's OGAS,<ref name=Singu2A2 /> William partnered with the [[KCCO]]<ref name=SCCF2>{{cite|gfl|sc|Confidential Information II}}</ref> to stage [[Butterfly Incident|Operation Butterfly]] in 2061, where William mortally shot Lyco.<ref name=Global /> | |||
William also created biological clones of Lunasia and had them attack several [[Griffin & Kryuger]] bases during the course of 2057. Through G&K's connections with [[IOP]] and [[16LAB]], Persica realized the nature of the attackers and made scans of their brains herself to use as a base for her research.<ref name=C135 /><ref name=C84E>{{cite|gfl|8-4E}}</ref><ref>{{cite|gfl|sc|Infinite Connections}}</ref> Wanting to match Lyco's research progress, Persica decided to ignore that she was being manipulated by William,<ref name=C135 /> and even shared the scans with Lyco to use as a personality baseline for Elisa.<ref name=Singu>{{cite|gfl|sg|Chapter 2 Splinter Point}}</ref> The first result of her research was {{doll name|M16A1|AR|4}}, who participated in the Butterfly Incident. William first discovered the results of Persica's work while monitoring the events of the Butterfly Incident, and encrypted M16's memories of the incident to prevent Lyco's warnings about his plans to reach Persica.<ref name=C134>{{cite|gfl|13-4}}</ref> | |||
Through [[Project Cocoon]], William and [[Laplace]] created countless [[Nyto]]s in search of the Relic key,<ref name=C121>{{cite|gfl|12-1}}</ref><ref name=PR24>{{cite|gfl|pr|E2-4}}</ref> but only [[Machlian]] ever came close to his standard.<ref name=VP4 /> Machlian was a clone of a semi-immunosome girl identified when Paradeus used [[Iaso's Box]]es to destroy an unidentified settlement.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|Nyx’s Night I}}</ref> According to Gray and Morridow, the only abnormal Nyto that William tolerated was Nemhran due her role in the Bee Sting System<ref name=FP11>{{cite|gfl|fp|E1-1}}</ref> (she in fact served another personal role).<ref name=FP18 /> The telepathically-controlled blades used by {{enemy name|Narciss|boss}} have been called one of William's best works.<ref>{{cite|gfl|pr|E1-2}}</ref> | |||
At 90wish, one of William's projects was the use of [[Epiphyllum]] flowers as a mean to access Relics. 90wish scientists had led simulations on the potential of using the large doses of [[Collapse Fluid|Collapse radiations]] released by blooming Epiphylla to modify the genetics of human subjects to the point where they would be registered as authorized users by Relics, but failed to find a method that would not trigger [[ELID]] disease in the subject, nor could replicate the unique Collapse radiation immunity of [[Kawasaki Kazusa]]. 90wish denied human experiments but William believed only live tests could bear results, so he relied on illegal methods, including using its failed Nytos (called [[Isomer]]s) and refugees lured in the Red Zone city of Tallinn as live subjects.<ref name=SC31 /> Paradeus units preventing them from leaving the city.<ref>{{cite|gfl|sc|Fractured Cognition II}}</ref> | |||
===Search for the key=== | |||
In order to bring Elisa closer to becoming the key, William worked again with the KCCO to make Elisa merge with {{doll name|M4A1|AR|4}}, another of Persica's experiments. The KCCO organized with Griffin & Kryuger an all-out assault on the [[Sangvis Ferri]] main base<ref>{{cite|gfl|10-3}}</ref><ref name=Singu2A2>{{cite|gfl|sg|Queen's Gambit II, [[Persica]] and [[Angelia]] identify the culprits and motives behind [[Butterfly Incident|Operation Butterfly]]}}</ref> and Elisa successfully made contact with M4A1,<ref>{{cite|gfl|10-6}}</ref> but when Captain [[Yegor]] eliminated {{doll name|RO635|SMG|5}}, who was trying to break the connection between Elisa and M4, he unknowingly caused M4 to break the connection herself<ref>{{cite|gfl|10-4E}}</ref> and triggered a strong counterattack from Elisa against KCCO. While this crippled KCCO's battlenet, it enabled William to track down her position for KCCO to capture her.<ref name=Singu2D2 /> Eventually, Elisa fled the battlefield, and Persica, [[Angelia]] and [[Havier Witkin]] started suspecting William's involvement after accessing KCCO's data.<ref name=Singu2A2 /> | |||
{{StoryQuote|I didn't think the [[OGAS]] support system would actually be so amusing. It's just [[Relic Technology|the dregs of an old civilization]], but to think it could actually learn and adapt to the technology of modern civilization... It's practically...it's practically a miracle that mankind has no right to touch! I confess that this has gone slightly beyond my expectations. On average, something that surprises me to this extent only occurs once every three years.<ref name=Singu2D2 />}} | |||
During the Belgrade events in 2064, William deployed some of his best units, {{enemy name|Nimogen|boss}} and {{enemy name|Mercurows|boss}}, to lead a terrorist attack on the [[Soviet Union|Neo-Soviet]]—[[Pan-European Union]] peace talks.<ref name=C121 /> He then tried to extort from [[Statesec]] the access codes of a location he called Base 22 in exchange for the location of 13 other bases and ceasing Paradeus' attempts on Chairwoman [[Gilda Ulrich]]'s life.<ref>{{cite|gfl|iso|Lost Bargaining Chip II}}</ref> Statesec apparently rejected the offer, and Ulrich was successfully evacuated from Belgrade by Griffin & Kryuger. Soon after, William made another call to Statesec, offering them the coordinates of the Paldiski Submarine Base in Estonia as a location of interest,<ref name=SCCF2 /> and Statesec sent Griffin & Kryuger, [[K]] and Angelia to investigate.<ref>{{cite|gfl|sc|Confidential Information XI}}</ref> G&K found William's Epiphylla experiments when they crossed Tallinn by train, and William had the Isomers in the city establish contact with M4A1 to test her potential. Contrary to William's expectations, [[Dandelion|M4A1's OGAS]] successfully absorbed all the Isomer consciousnesses.<ref>{{cite|gfl|sc|Confidential Information XII}}</ref> | |||
During the [[Paldiski Incident]], Angelia and K recovered several critical pieces of intel from the Paradeus laboratory, including William's experiment logs, his rough location, and several juvenile Nytos.<ref>{{cite|gfl|pl|Annealing II}}</ref> At the end of the battle at Paldiski, M4A1 decided the play into William's hand and become the “key” by merging with Elisa in order to save the T-Dolls trapped in the lower levels of the base as it was being flooded in sea water. Using the surge of computational power of the merge and nearby stockpiles of [[Collapse fluid]], she successfully caused a [[Collapse Technology|Reverse Collapse]] phenomenon to teleport them to an unknown location, definitely proving to William that she had become the closest thing to his final goal.<ref name=C134E /> | |||
After the Paldiski battle, William's research was secretly protected by Griffin & Kryuger to prevent the Neo-Soviet government from accessing it.<ref>{{cite|gfl|dr|Departure Time III}}</ref> Angelia also took her investigations to [[Germany]] following her findings that William was hidden in the city of Bremen, but declined help from the Stasi as she was wary of William's spies.<ref>{{cite|gfl|dr|The Curtain Rises II}}</ref> Her caution paid off when she uncovered the true identity of PECMAR secretary [[Morridow]] as a Paradeus augmented human.<ref name=DR6B>{{cite|gfl|dr|Bridge of Eternity}}</ref> William also expanded his operations at this period, delivering Collapse radiation payloads made from Epiphylla cultivated in Bremen by the local Flora Institute sect as far as Area S09 in Eastern Europe,<ref name=DR23A>{{cite|gfl|dr|Pollinosis III}}</ref> as well as plundering former Sangvis Ferri bases to obtain experimental Neural Clouds suited to the needs of Paradeus.<ref>{{cite|gfl|dr|Operation Snake Eater V}}</ref> | |||
At some point before September 2064, William allowed [[Machlian]] to escape the base of Sector D8 near Berlin and reach the Paradeus cult in Bohnsdorf in an attempt to make her "mature", but his plan was disturbed when [[the Commander]] kidnapped Machlian on [[Griffin Lyons]]'s orders. This is the incident that elevated the Commander to an active threat status in William's eyes.<ref name=VP4 /><ref>{{cite|gfl|pr|Decreasing Entropy IV}}</ref> During their investigations in Berlin, the Commander discovered William's plan to use [[Iaso's Box]]es to contaminate the entire city as part of [[Project Cocoon]], to identify a pan-immunosome among the survivors, killing millions in the process.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|Ariadne’s Clew III}}</ref><ref>{{cite|gfl|ms|Heraclitus’ River III}}</ref><ref>{{cite|gfl|pr|E2-15}}</ref> Around this time, William's dog Bill died of old age, and William combined his corpse with Nyto parts to resurrect it,<ref name=VP4 /> changing it into an unrecognizable creature.<ref name=VP8 /> | |||
===Avernus=== | |||
{{StoryQuote|Now that's how we are different from each other, [[Angelia]]. Our aim is actually one and the same. We're just using different methods—you resort to guns, while I go with research. We have both taken many lives along the way... Yes, I do admit that was wrong. But this wrongness is the very proof that this world requires change. I am a creator. I am creating a power that is capable of changing the status quo. That's on a whole different level from putting bullets in the heads of a few inconsequential goons. Only when we possess this power will we have what it takes to do what is right. When that time comes, Angelia, think about it... Who has the right to wield such power?<ref name=FP18>{{cite|gfl|fp|E1-8}}</ref>}} | |||
After {{doll name|RPK-16|MG|5}} betrayed [[Task Force DEFY]] in Berlin, [[Angelia]] was brought to [[Avernus]], where William attempted to convince her to willingly join Paradeus. William argued that Angelia's idea of justice was skewed since she didn't target the people in power manipulating the world, and that while her concession to justice was to work for corrupt politicians, his concession was to create weapons of indiscriminate destruction in search of a better world.<ref name=FP18 /> William also agreed to let RPK-16 join Paradeus, judging that her backers had paid a sufficient price.<ref name=FP11 /> | |||
After being captured by the Commander in Berlin, Morridow briefly met with [[Lunasia]] and returned to Avernus to relate her encounter to William and reveal how he could contact Lunasia, waging that the discovery would be important enough for him that he would spare her life despite her failure. While William was angry that Morridow saw memories of him and his sister, he rewarded her by performing upgrade surgery on her himself.<ref>{{cite|gfl|fp|E4-2, E4-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite|gfl|angular|Light as a Feather V}}</ref> | |||
During the [[Battle of the Dead Sea]], [[Statesec]] deployed [[Task Force DEFY]] to carry Operation Kriemhild, the capture of William.<ref>{{cite|gfl|ss|E3-1}}</ref> [[Griffin Lyons]] opposed the operation, aiming to take control of William and Paradeus for the aims of the [[Rossartrism|Prometheans]].<ref>{{cite|gfl|fp|E4-13}}</ref> The poor showing of Paradeus in the defense of Avernus was in fact part of William's plan to force the organization to move its operations to Frankfurt and reveal its technology to the public, presenting [[Nyto]]s as a form of immortality.<ref>{{cite|gfl|zero|E14}}</ref> During the battle, William retreated to a hidden room, where he gave Morridow with secret instructions before she left. Soon after, he was seized by Task Force DEFY<ref name=SSS6>{{cite|gfl|ss|SSE06}}</ref> and brought aboard the [[Elmo]], where he would be kept until delivered to the [[Stasi]] after exiting the Dead Sea. As the Commander was about to interrogate him, the Elmo was attacked<ref>{{cite|gfl|summer|E1}}</ref> and William seemingly vanished without a trace along with the Commander and [[Dandelion]].<ref>{{cite|gfl|summer|E2}}</ref> | |||
===[[Battle of Frankfurt]]=== | |||
William, Dandelion and the Commander were teleported by Lunasia to Frankfurt, where William incarnated Lunasia into Dandelion's body and kept the Commander prisoner,<ref>{{cite|gfl|angular|1}}</ref> though he ended up not needing to use them.<ref>{{cite|gfl|angular|16}}</ref> However, this version of Lunasia held memories from other "versions" of Lunasia, including [[M4A1]] and Dandelion, so William considered her imperfect.<ref>{{cite|gfl|angular|2}}</ref> William and Lunasia first started noticing that they had both changed and were drifting apart,<ref name=IF12>{{cite|gfl|isolation|12}}</ref> with Lunasia's interest instead shifting to the Commander.<ref name=QF1 /> | |||
On 3 November, William ordered Morridow to start interfering with [[Laplace]]'s escape from the Commander's attack on her lab to have her killed.<ref>{{cite|gfl|isolation|3}}</ref> Before her death at the hands of [[Nele]], Laplace called William to communicate her instructions for Lunasia's final surgery. William revealed he had facilitated her death and rejected her instructions, eager to prove he was equally capable despite Laplace's poor opinion of his skills.<ref>{{cite|gfl|isolation|17}}</ref> | |||
At the start of Coronation Storm, when Frankfurt was bombarded on Rudolf's orders to sacrifice its population for Lunasia's resurrection, Nemhran, who foresaw the end of Paradeus, called William to congratulate him on his projects and ask for his blessing in committing suicide. William ignored her.<ref>{{cite|gfl|kernel|5}}</ref> William then had his father killed by Morridow,<ref>{{cite|gfl|kernel|13}}</ref> which was a condition to join the [[Prometheans]].<ref>{{cite|gfl|kernel|17}}</ref> William humiliated his father's head by leaving it in a plant pot and planned to use the rest of his corpse for some unrevealed purpose. He also had Morridow organize the mass kidnapping of every person who had served as Rudolf's subordinates for the past 20 years, especially those involved in the desacration of Lunasia's corpse in 2049, and locked them in a warehouse where they were left to die of starvation.<ref name=VP5 /> The mass death caused by Coronation Storm granted William the necessary conditions to complete the surgery and create a Lunasia able to control [[Relic Technology]]. The surgery was completed shortly before [[the Commander]]'s troops invaded William's lab, and he was knocked out by an explosion before Lunasia awakened from anesthesia.<ref>{{cite|gfl|[[Virtual Pair]] E1}}</ref> | |||
While the Commander's goal had been to kill William, Lunasia explained that his name was in fact a title passed between individuals.<ref name=Kernel24 /> Accordingly, the Commander's goal shifted to killing the concept of "William" by destroying all of the assets that enabled his existence, including facilities and research data.<ref name=VP9>{{cite|gfl|[[Virtual Pair]] E9}}</ref> Lunasia prevented the Commander from killing William while he was unsconscious, knowing that this would create a timeline where the Commander would die in Frankfurt<ref name=QF1>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-2}}</ref> (shown in [[Quantum Fluctuation]] Bad End 3). When William came to, he learned from [[Griffin Lyons|the Earl]] that Lunasia had left with the Commander, which left him distraught.<ref name=VP3 /> He informed the Earl that he would be able to continue Laplace's work in a matter of months, after replacing the lost facilities of Paradeus.<ref name=VP7 /> | |||
===Assassination=== | |||
William was officially placed under the [[URNC]]'s protection<ref name=VP3 /> and attended an award ceremony where he would be decorated of the Iron Cross as one of the heroes who defended Frankfurt. He elected to attend in person instead of using a body double as to not offend the Earl, but this exposed him to an assassination attempt by [[Beluga|M16A1]].<ref name=VP5>{{cite|gfl|[[Virtual Pair]] E5}}</ref><ref name=Bee /> Due to the heavy security detail, M16A1 only managed to crush William's left arm before being driven away.<ref name=VP7>{{cite|gfl|[[Virtual Pair]] E7}}</ref><ref name=Bee /> William blamed the Commander for this incident<ref name=VP7 /> (M16 had actually acted on her own)<ref name=VP6>{{cite|gfl|[[Virtual Pair]] E6}}</ref> and developed a disgust of [[Dolls]].<ref name=VP8 /> | |||
Hoping to get both the Commander and William on the side of the Prometheans, the Earl organized a meeting between the two. William initially put on a conciliatory face while mocking the Commander's assassination efforts at first, but his composure quickly crumbled when the Commander passed on Lunasia's message that she was dissatisfied with what William would become in every possible future and wished to cut ties with him. Calling the message a lie and angered by the Commander look of pity, William confirmed in a rage that he only cared to create a world tailored for his and Lunasia's needs.<ref name=VP7 /> As William left, a [[Nyto]] assassin wearing [[Machlian]]'s face attacked the Commander, who was saved by [[Task Force DEFY]].<ref name=VP9>{{cite|gfl|[[Virtual Pair]] E9}}</ref> | |||
Lunasia later spoke with William through a Nyto White to confirm the message was truthful and that she was afraid of what he had become, but William dismissed her feelings, claiming that she was simply confused by extraneous memories and that it was his duty to protect her against her own wishes.<ref name=VP7 /> Having retrieved Lunasia's body, William performed another surgery, this time managing to isolate only the memories that ensured Lunasia's complete loyalty to him, a [[Lunasia?|"perfected" Lunasia]].<ref name=VP7 /><ref name=QF34>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-34 to 77-A-40}}</ref> | |||
Three days after the awards ceremony, William visited his family's manor in Berlin with Bill, a Stasi security detail and a hastily repaired {{enemy name|Grig|boss}}, whom William considered a complete failure. He was attacked by [[Mona]], but saved by Bill and Grig. William assumed Mona had been hacked by the Commander to attack him and swore to strike back.<ref name=VP8>{{cite|gfl|[[Virtual Pair]] E8}}</ref> The Earl made a second attempt to force William and the Commander to collaborate by inviting them to a television appearance, not informing them beforehands of each other's presence. William attempted to promote his role in the planned technological advances of the [[URNC]], but lost face when [[Shadowless]], who conducted the interview, challenged him on the illegal patents prevously revealed by [[Nele]].<ref name=QF14>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-14}}</ref> | |||
[[File:QF William Kill Minigame.jpg|thumb|The player kills William through a shooting sequence in [[Quantum Fluctuation]].]] | |||
While the Commander was under the Earl's custody, their allies located William's hideout in the Oberstein research institute as well as his last surviving facilities, organizing his assassination and the destruction of the resources that allowed the existence of "William".<ref>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-20}}</ref><ref name=QF32>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-32}}</ref> Eager to kill the Commander, William set a trap at the institute,<ref>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-24}}</ref> divesting his forces from the other facilities and leaving them vulnerable.<ref name=QF28>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-28}}</ref> To prepare for the assault on the institute, M16 and [[Dandelion]] released the [[Nidhogg Protocol]], allowing the Commander's T-Dolls confiscated by the Earl to participate in the assault and overwhelm William's defenses.<ref>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-26}}</ref><ref name=QF28 /> Grig also failed to assassinate the Commander due to DEFY's protection.<ref>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-30}}</ref> | |||
The Commander and Dandelion confronted William and {{enemy name|Lunasia?|boss}}<ref name=QF32 /> and Dandelion managed to persuade the "perfected" Lunasia that William would never give her genuine love, only needing her as tool to validate his hatred of the world, and that she would find genuine love by abandoning him to join the Lunasia gestalt.<ref name=QF34 /> With his last bodyguard gone, William was killed by [[the Commander]] with 7 shots of Makarov to the torso and one final shot to the head. His death was confirmed on site. In exchange for receiving [[Mikhail Tsvigun]]'s help to kill William, the Commander abandoned their position and exiled themself to the contamination zones.<ref>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-44}}</ref> The corpse was recovered by the [[URNC]] and revived in the morgue by a [[Shrike|mysterious organism]].<ref>{{cite|gfl|[[Quantum Fluctuation]] 77-A-48}}</ref> | |||
{{clr}} | |||
==[[Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery]]== | |||
'''William''' is a top [[URNC]] scientist involved in the development of the [[Shrike]] and a former leader of the [[GAVIRUL]] Project. He is described as a Caucasian male with dirty blond hair, about 180cm tall and of average build, wearing glasses and having otherwise no other identifying traits like scars or tattoos. While he spoke English, German, Polish, and Russian, he had no obvious accent except for a slight Central European Russian accent. Coupled with his lack of specific ethnic habits, this made it impossible to determine his origins. | |||
Though there is no trace of his professional achievements or education, William has displayed in-depth knowledge both theoretical and practical in the fields of biology, genetics, cloning, medicine, artificial intelligence and [[Relic Technology]]. He is also knowledgeable in counterintelligence and counter-surveillance. | |||
William's behavior is essentially identical to Ballard von Oberstein's in [[Girls' Frontline]]: cold, arrogant, rational, objective and inscrutable, suspected of obsessive-compulsive, paranoid and antisocial personality disorders, harsh with his pairs while refusing to develop personal relationships and avoiding communication outside of academia, with an unhealthy lifestyle and no hobbies, vices or personal life. He also shares Ballard's fascination with [[Relic Technology]] and his pursuit to create a pan-immunosome individual capable of activating relics.<ref name=NSC>{{cite|rc|[[Secret Documents#NSC-68]]}}</ref> He also claims to be the father of [[Helena]] Martin,<ref>{{cite|rc|Chapter 4, Memory Fragments}}</ref> who was once named Helena Oberstein.<ref>{{cite|rc|[[Reverse Collapse Worldview#Philip]]}}</ref> He is described as looking in his 40s in an Antarctic Union report from the early 2090s,<ref name=NSC /> which is consistent with the description of Ballard as a teenager in 2064.<ref>{{cite|gfl|fp|E1-8}}</ref> | |||
There are oddities regarding William's identity, such as the mention of the death of a senior researcher called William Zinn, reported as dead in a car crash in Miami in 2053. This report is parallel to the reported disappearance of [[Minor Characters#Vincent Baldassa|Vincent Baldassa]] in Rio de Janeiro in 2056, a man who actually worked with William in Warsaw between 2054 and 2064,<ref>{{cite|rc|[[Secret Documents#Cp57 Experiment Records]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite|rc|[[Secret Documents#Small Raptor Photography Project]]}}</ref> a period over which Ballard would have been quite young and also active within [[Paradeus]]. Another curious feature is that William never expresses interest in [[Lunasia]] over the course of the story, instead being focused on [[Jefuty]]. | |||
===Biography=== | |||
[[File:RC CG 4026 1.png|thumb]] | |||
William worked for the URNC Ministry of Science and Technology and he was both highly protected and monitored by the URNC, due to the importance of his research but also his willingness to ignore orders and focus on creating pan-immunosomes. He has been credited for most of the URNC's advances in the field of Relic Technology, including the [[Shrike]],<ref name=NSC /> and led the URNC Central Relic Agency.<ref>{{cite|rc|2-9}}</ref> | |||
He was one of the technical supervisors for the [[GAVIRUL]] Project in Berlin between 2078 and 2085. In 2085, Antarctican intelligence noted his disappearance in Canberra, and he was presumed under the URNC's custody.<ref name=NSC /> | |||
For a time, he was in charge of a URNC military scientific research facility in Warsaw, Poland.<ref name=NSC /> He has been suspected by the URNC to have intentionally caused the [[Warszawa Incident]] in 2088<ref>{{cite|rc|[[Secret Documents#Warszawa Incident Original Report]]}}</ref> and the AU thought him dead for a time until he was confirmed alive again in 2090. Another Antarctican report from 2091 found that he was leading a secret military center in the Inner Caucasus and called for his elimination as part of the AU's prime targets.<ref name=NSC /> His elimination was made part of [[operation Bakery]] and a high-altitude bombardment prepared.<ref>{{cite|rc|3-3}}</ref> | |||
==[[Codename: Bakery Girl]]== | |||
[[File:Bakery William.png|200px|thumb|Portrait of the man who claims to be [[Noylu]] and [[Jefuty]]'s creator.]] | |||
In the original game which was de-canonized, '''William''' is a scientist of the [[Union of Rossartrism Nations Coalition]] who worked on the [[Three Goddesses project]] as head biologist between 2078 and 2085. He is the one responsible for naming all three subjects.<ref name=Files7>{{cite|cf1|part. 7}}</ref> During the [[First Antarctic War]], he intervened during [[operation Bakery]] to recover subject [[Noylu]] after she was killed by a Coalition tank while serving as a sleeping agent under the name Lige to track subject [[Jefuty]]. William accelerated Noylu's recovery with a drug and gave her back her true identity, presented himself as her father and gave her the mission to capture Jefuty.<ref>{{cite|bg|chapter 8}}</ref> Despite Noylu's involvement, Jefuty managed to evade the Coalition at the end of operation Bakery,<ref>{{cite|bg|chapter 10}}</ref> though she was later captured.<ref name=Files7 /> | |||
William is left unnamed in-game and only named “Professor” in the game's files. His identity must be pieced from reading the [[Secret Documents]]. | |||
==Other title holders== | |||
*Unknown male: Founded the Evangel Portal cult in the 2030s.<ref name=IF9>{{cite|gfl|isolation|Part 9}}</ref><ref>{{cite|gfl|[[Bee Sting]], Evangel Portal}}</ref> Possibly the same person as the next entry. | |||
*Unknown male: Leader of Project Valkyrie in association with [[Rudolf von Oberstein]].<ref name=Kernel24 /> Possibly the same person as the previous entry. | |||
*Unknown male: Member of the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken, with [[Lycoris]] and [[Persicaria]]. Found dead before Lunasia's death. Records related to him were wiped.<ref name=C135 /> | |||
*[[Martha Meitner]]: Took the role but let Ballard von Oberstein use the title.<ref name=Kernel24 /> | |||
*''Certain timelines only'' | |||
**[[Nele|Cornelia Schaefer]]<ref name=Kernel24 /> | |||
|gallery= | |||
===Girls' Frontline=== | |||
<gallery> | |||
File:Character Profile William.png|William's shadow during Operation Aeneas in [[Fixed Point]]. | |||
File:William Abandoned Reconstructed.png|Complete sprite reconstructed by [[User:Light of Ringil]] based on the [[:File:Anni9 Characters 1.jpg|upper part shown]] during [[Back to the Source]]. | |||
File:BG Fixed Point Family 3.png|William's private time with {{enemy name|Nemhran|boss}} as a substitute for his mother and an hologram of [[Lunasia]]. | |||
File:Roche Limit PV 10.jpg|Illustrations from the [[Roche Limit]] event PV. | |||
File:Roche Limit PV 13.jpg | |||
File:Virtual Pair Playercard.png|[[Virtual Pair]] artwork. | |||
File:QF Intro William.jpg|In the [[Quantum Fluctuation]] intro video. | |||
File:NPC-William 3.png|Face reveal in [[Convolutional Kernel]]. | |||
File:NPC-William 4.png | |||
File:NPC-William 5.png | |||
File:NPC-William 7.png | |||
File:NPC-William 6.png | |||
File:NPC-William 8.png | |||
File:NPC-William 9.png | |||
File:NPC-William 10.png | |||
File:NPC-William 2.png|After losing his left arm. | |||
File:NPC-William 11.png | |||
File:NPC-William 12.png | |||
File:NPC-William 13.png | |||
File:NPC-William 14.png | |||
File:NPC-William 15.png | |||
File:NPC-William 16.png | |||
File:NPC-William 17.png | |||
File:NPC-William 18.png | |||
File:NPC-William 19.png | |||
File:NPC-WilliamYoung 1.png|Young William during [[Virtual Pair]]. | |||
File:NPC-WilliamYoung 2.png | |||
File:NPC-WilliamYoung 3.png | |||
</gallery> | |||
<span class="notification">Click the marked area to switch between animations</span> | |||
<div id="WilliamAnimation" class="chibiAnimationContainer" data-chibi-scale="{{{chibiScale|1.0}}}" data-tdoll-id="William" data-tdoll-hidedormbutton="true" style="margin-left:0;height:180px;width:240px;border:thin dashed gray;"></div> | |||
===Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery=== | |||
<gallery> | |||
File:RC William.png | |||
File:William Reconstructed.png|Reconstructed Live2D spritesheet. | |||
File:William_artwork.png | |||
File:William_RC.png | |||
File:William_RCCB.png | |||
File:RC William 2092R.png|Portrait in [[2092R]]. | |||
File:Professor 2092R Reconstructed.png|Reconstructed Live2D spritesheet. | |||
</gallery> | |||
|trivia=*Yuzhong once stated during the release of Chapter 13, which revealed much about William's motivations: “If your nice, gentle, beautiful, big-tittied sister you live alone with died suddenly, you'll want to take revenge on the world, too.”<ref>[https://weibo.com/1370692337/J0T1NmlA8 Yuzhong's Weibo post]</ref> | |||
*In an easter egg found in the [[Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery/Chapter 5#Finale: Wish Fulfilled|final level]] of [[Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery]], William can be seen dancing the moonwalk. | |||
}} | }} | ||
{{NavboxCharacters}} | |||