Character profile: Terry Gilliman

Terrence Gilliman, more commonly known as Terry, is one of Carter's oldest friends.

Physical description: Terry is a very large man!  Often described as a "bearded giant," he is slightly over six feet in height, with a slight paunch, and proudly sports a full and bushy beard, dark brown and slightly wavy.  His hair is thick on his head, cut but shaggy.  He often sports a fedora, and occasionally secretly imagines himself as the digital version of Indiana Jones, although he'd never share that with anyone else.

Terry is best known for his incredible skill with computers.  He is able to hack into just about any system on Earth, and shows a strong affinity for electronics in general, able to craft his own circuits and machines when necessary.  He began life as an analyst for the government, but ended up growing disillusioned with the work he was doing and leaving for the private sector.  He maintains ties with Carter, however, whom he met on a mission back when Carter was a field agent.  They grew close over the years; Terry often refers to Carter by his first name, "Benny," which Carter reluctantly tolerates.  He greets him enthusiastically, often nearly crushing Carter in a bear hug.

One unfortunate result of Terry's leaving the government was the manifestation of his paranoia.  Although it is usually kept in check, he constantly fears that the government is keeping tabs on him, due to his previous work, and often insists on using code phrases or other methods to ensure that he isn't being tracked.  Carter, although accepting of many of Terry's faults, is constantly frustrated by this concern and tends to brush off his worries.

Although cautious and withdrawn, Terry sees no problem in showing off slightly with his skills when it comes to his best friend.  Much to his exasperation, Carter often finds himself being "spontaneously" upgraded at hotels and rental car agencies, due to hacks by Terry.  Despite Carter's protests that he is merely doing his job and has no need for the luxury, Terry insists that it's the right thing to do as a friend, and Carter has learned to merely accept it and move on.  This is merely another reflection of Terry's slightly crackpot sense of humor, which also leads him to try to dispel tense situations with things like "I hope I don't get shot for this!".

Terry enjoys his sleep, and treats his home quarters like a hibernating bear.  Carter has never visited Terry's own house, but has heard stories of a massive computer the size of a room, and imagines that Terry lives in a dark abode like a cave, surrounded by blinking electronic lights and fridges of beef jerky and energy drinks.

Given his propensity for electronics, computers, and hacking, it isn't surprising that Terry has spent far too much time on the internet.  While he stays away from memes, he has read many of the articles on Wikipedia, and has a near-encyclopedic memory for physics ideas, machinery, electronics, municipal systems, and most facets of engineering.  He shares this knowledge readily, but occasionally forgets that others don't have the same background, and is forced to explain acronyms and dense technical concepts.

When it comes down to friendships, Terry is loyal to Carter over just about anyone else.  While he has saved the lives of many agents, Carter is the one who, in the past, stepped in personally to help keep Terry safe.  This has earned him a spot as one of the few trustworthy people in Terry's life.  Terry is almost always willing to take Carter's word for something, even if it debunks one of his paranoid theories.  He is fiercely protective of his friend, willing to flout government rules if necessary, and tends to distrust anyone else who gets too close to "Benny".