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Derek Coombs First Appearance: Forge:
Things Change, Chapter 3 (June, 2005) A genius who took to computers almost since birth, Derek Coombs was done with M.I.T. by the time he was fifteen years old. He showed strong promise as a software designer, making several companies very wealthy in his time with them, but he grew bored easily without challenges in front of him, and office work did not suit his personality. The challenge of hacking drew him back again and again (taking him back to his still-famous hacks of his college days), and the need to prove himself against other computer geniuses. Questionable practices and legalities plagued the software company he founded, one that had shown much promise, and his company went under, with him avoiding jail time but facing staggering fees and the end of his reputation. While rebuilding his life and finances, circumstances (and a woman) drew him into service with an international crime cartel that was in need of his exceptional talents, and he became both the computer expert and money man for them. The good life was there again for a while, but soon their types of crimes escalated to a point that he could no longer stomach. After he discovered their involvement in the murder of a politician's family, Derek used his skills and his insider knowledge to bring the entire cartel down from the inside out, bankrupting all of them and landing them all long prison stretches. And all with Derek walking away without a scratch. Now older and wiser and ready for a new life, he found it in a job offer from Harry Sullivan and started over, becoming the chief administrator, computer specialist and master hacker for Nightwatch Solutions. |
