Character Interview: David Peterson

Someone once asked me if I was going to do any more character interviews. Since it’s been a while, I decided to feature one of my side/friend characters, David Peterson! Fifteen-year-old David is the “geek” of the story and adores his guinea pig Maple. He’s INTP-T personality type. As always, I’ll ask David a few questions, and then you can ask your own questions in the comments below.

(Thank you to my wonderful writing friends who helped put this character interview together!)

What’s your absolute favorite thing to do?

David: Uh… Inventing and coding. I like working with my hands.

How did you find/get Maple?

David:  I actually found Maple rooting around in a very oddly placed scrub of grass in an alley. How she survived being in the city as a very vulnerable prey animal, I don’t know. She came along a few months after my dad died.

What’s the most complex coding project you’ve ever completed?

Most complex? Wiping out our records from all the systems. That literally took me four days to complete.

What is the most difficult part of doing computer work?

Electricity. Too much electricity within a concentrated area gets suspicious

Do you like to eat snacks while you work on your computer?

Good grief, no. It only takes a single crumb to blow up the mainframe. Food and drink are too dangerous to keep near.

What’s your favorite project you’ve ever worked on?

Hm. My van. *pats Electron’s hood* she’s got sentimental value.

What is the most difficult thing about living with your best friends?

*scratches head* Closed in spaces. I can usually escape to my lab, but sometimes we get on each other’s nerves… it just can’t be helped. And sometimes… they don’t understand. Why I like to geek out over inventions and stuff. In our world, AI takes care of most of the jobs that I enjoy. They’re used to that– they don’t understand why I like it. And I’m the only one whose parents didn’t die trying to work against the Emperor, except for Jason, but he’s never told us anything about his past.

We try to keep peace, but we’re a group of teenagers living under the same roof. It gets explosive.

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve ever done?

A board game heist *chuckles*

Favorite color and why?

Blue. I don’t get to see it much in its natural origins. Blue from nature was silently banned.

What’s something that you would never do in a million years?

Write my research notes by hand, if I had a choice. I’ve got dysgraphia. But I need handwritten copies for safety.

Why do you like vans?

*shrugs* its kinda personal. My dad was a mechanic, and the only private vehicles that aren’t controlled by AI are vans. We live in a world where many things are controlled by AI. I assume you do not. Vans are difficult to get, but they still have the same engines as original cars did years ago— it’s been much harder to get accurately working AI-driven vans… my Dad always said they were relics of history that no one cared about.

Why are you a nerd?

Ma’am, this is like asking “why do trees have trunks and branches” or “why is the sky blue and cloudy?” It is just something that is part of who I am, just like a trunk and branches are part of what makes the tree a tree and the color and appearance of clouds the sky.

Do you actually like learning?

In the words of Winston Churchill,
”I have always had a curious nature; I enjoy learning, but I dislike being taught.”

What kind of music do you like to listen to?

I’m an old soul. I like Smash Mouth, older rock music, not the heavy stuff, just… you know, the kind of thing you would drive to.

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If you would like to interview David, just ask a question below!