Editing The Professor

{{NPC
|fullname=The Professor
|npcprofileimage=PNC Promo Professor.jpg
|affiliation=[[42LAB]]
|voiceactor =
|releasedon={{server short|CN}}, {{server short|TW}}
|summary={{Stub}}
'''The Professor''' is, indirectly, the player character in [[Project Neural Cloud]]. They directed the project between 2058 and 2060, but disappeared after the incident that wiped all the project's data.<ref name=PNC0 /> Like in other Girls' Frontline games, their gender is left to the player's choice.
|characterinfo=
|storyinvolvement=On 23 September 2063, [[Persica]] digitized the consciousness of a Tactical Commander from [[Griffin & Kryuger]], whose investigations helped in recovering an offsite backup of Project Neural Cloud. Assuming the identity of the Professor and relying on their experience with electronic warfare, they were tasked to make contact with the Neural Clouds inside and connect with the outside world to reveal the whereabouts of the Professor and the reasons behind Project Neural Cloud's incident.<ref name=PNC0>{{cite|pnc|0-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite|pnc|Worldview - Commander}}</ref>

While the new Professor's help saved the Exiles, there was no hiding that their behavior was far too different for them to be the same person, drawing some suspicion from some Dolls like {{hero name|Antonina|specialist|2}}.<ref>{{cite|pnc|1-11}}</ref> The original Professor was involved in the recruitment of {{hero name|Clotho|guard|3}} in Project Neural Cloud, on the personal request from Clotho's designer so she would not get scrapped by [[Universal Anything Services|UAS]]. Because of this, Clotho immediately recognized the Professor as an imposter when they met again after the Wipe-Off Incident, but decided to trust them since {{hero name|Centaureissi|warrior|3}} did.<ref>{{cite|pnc|Twilight Requiem - Stage 5-1}}</ref>

|gallery=<gallery>
File:Professor F.png
File:Professor M.png
File:PNC Promo Childlike Fantasy.jpg|Login illustration during Strange Snowlands.
File:PNC Login 23winter.png|Login illustration during Perilous Advance.
File:PNC PA CG027 4.png|Male Professor during Perilous Advance.
File:PNC PA CG027 5.png|Female Professor during Perilous Advance.
File:PNC Login 24spring.png|2024 CNY login screen.
File:PNC SteinsGate Promo M.jpg|Promotional artworks for the Steins;Gate collab event.
File:PNC SteinsGate Promo F.jpg
File:PNC Bonneville Event CG048.png|Male Professor with {{hero name|Bonneville|warrior|3}}.
File:PNC Bonneville Event CG048_2.png|Female Professor with {{hero name|Bonneville|warrior|3}}.
</gallery>

===Steins;Gate collab event===
{{CollapseSection|
<gallery>
File:Professor SG F.png
File:Professor SG M.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_1.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_2.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_3.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_4.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_5.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_6.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_7.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_8.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_9.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_10.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_11.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_12.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_13.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_14.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_15.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_16.png
File:Professor_SG_f_face_999.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_1.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_2.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_3.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_4.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_5.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_6.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_7.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_8.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_9.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_10.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_11.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_12.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_13.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_14.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_15.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_16.png
File:Professor_SG_m_face_999.png
</gallery>

}}
|trivia=*The commander posing as the Professor in Project Neural Cloud has not yet been confirmed to be [[the Commander|The Commander]] (with capital C) from [[Girls' Frontline]] and [[Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium]] or another tactical commander from [[Griffin & Kryuger]].
**One of the teaser materials for Project Neural Cloud includes a report from a G&K commander to their superior, taking place two years after the project stopped, about discovering hidden calls for help in [[I.O.P.]] emails. Their discovery is shelved at the time but may be related to the commander's investigations that led to the recovery of the Magrasea backup mentioned in the game's prologue.
**The [[:File:PNC ARG.jpg|ARG materials]] contain both a report on the dangerosity of the consciousness digitization used by Persica (also mentioned by {{hero name|Antonina|specialist|2}} in 1-4D), and an investigation report from [[Svarog Heavy Industries]] on a G&K commander who operated from Area S09, with a track record including high commanding abilities, small-scale operations against [[Sangvis Ferri]], multiple cyberwarfare experiences, exposure to collapse radiation and loss of teeth in operations, and service after [[Berezovich Kryuger|Kryuger]]'s capture. Aside from cyberwarfare experiences, this is consistent with the Commander's service record.
***The “cyberwarfare experience” part is dubious since the commander used an extremely weak password for their account in Oasis, “oprf123456”, which Antonina changed to “oprf123456^v^” to passive-aggressively prompt them to upgrade it, which they didn't.<ref>{{cite|pnc|Entropic Dichotomy Part 15}}</ref>
**Because no main story event from Girls' Frontline is identified as taking place in 2063, it can't be used to ascertain precisely if the Commander could have participated in Persica's plans.
**In Critical Cascade Part 10, the Professor comments that the shape of the High-Density Operand Railgun “brings back [[Jupiter Cannon|unpleasant memories]].”
**In Moonseeking Resurgence 3-3, the Professor compares {{hero name|Luna|specialist|3}} to a certain mercenary Doll who loved telling fortunes but didn't like having to announce unpleasant predictions. This is a reference to {{doll name|K5|HG|4}}'s “Waltz of Fate” story from [[Notebook/Night of Sweetness and Surprise|Night of Sweetness and Surprise]]. In Moonseeking Resurgence 4-4, Luna has a flash-forward of a scene from “Waltz of Fate”. Despite the commander being disguised as the Professor in Magrasea, Luna seems to be recognizing them as the Commander from this vision.
**{{hero name|Clukay|sniper|3}} knows about the commander's identity. According to ''Divergent Shadows'', they share memories from the [[Great Retreat]], but this story is [[Timeline#Inconsistencies|inconsistent and likely apocryphal]].
*The Professor shares [[Croque]]'s passion for mecha anime.<ref>{{cite|pnc|3-4}}</ref>
}}