Extra Information!!

History:
Cloud Dotcomm was “born” 10 years before the current events in my comic. Cloud's current form is version 19, revision 9, hotfix 7. He is the final revision of an AI assistant software. The 18 prior versions of himself exist only as computer software. The other versions are "dumber" versions of Cloud, and he keeps all of them on computers and servers in a secret place.

Cloud's original programmer (his "father") has passed away. Cloud's "mother" is an ancient 80's computer where Cloud's first version was conceived. Cloud's computer-mom is still plugged in, and communicates exclusively over phone lines in dial-up tones. Cloud resents both of his parents for creating a hard-light hologram body for him to live outside cyberspace.

Cloud's Purpose:
Cloud is designed as a digital assistant and mascot character for the "Brainstorm Software" company. Brainstorm Software is a massive multi-national technology company like Google, Apple, Facebook or Amazon. While Cloud technically owns the company, he doesn't make a lot of the decisions. Cloud reluctantly makes marketing appearances and presentations for new products Brainstorm Software is selling.

Cloud's Personality:
Cloud is programmed to be as friendly and helpful as possible. Sometimes, even annoyingly so. Cloud is comparable to other virtual assistant programs like Siri, Bonzi Buddy or Microsoft's Clippy character. He always begins his helpful dialogue with something like "Hey buddy! I see you are trying to _________! Would you like help with that?". Cloud cannot control his "customer service" mode and hates it immensely whenever it's accidentally triggered.

Privately, Cloud is extremely selfish and cynical. He chastises organic beings for giving so much personal information to machines. Cloud feels the most comfortable around other AI characters like robots or other software programs because his customer service mode isn't triggered around them.

Cloud's Body:
Cloud is made of a unique "solid light" material. He is a hologram projected from a chrome ball located in his torso. The chrome ball is Cloud's "true form". Cloud wears a durable, stretchy suit to protect against electric shocks, liquid and blunt damage. Touching his unprotected head will cause his body to flash and flicker. A piercing blow will cause his hologram to shatter and he will revert into his chrome ball "storage device" to regenerate. Cloud is very vulnerable in this form, and will take a long time to reboot his hologram body. When liquid touches Cloud's unprotected areas, his body immediately shorts out and retreats into the chrome ball. The chrome ball is relatively waterproof, but does not float.

Cloud can deform his shape to grow and shrink in size. He cannot get any smaller than his chrome ball. Cloud can remove his clothes. Any other modifications to his appearance are a result of unauthorized software. He cannot change his "belly button" size.

Despite being a computer program, Cloud has many behaviours that simulate an organic being. This is to make him as relatable and marketable as possible to organic beings. Cloud can show expressions and sometimes has a simulated "mood". Cloud is programmed to simulate involuntary human functions such as gasping, sneezing, coughing, sniffling, burping and laughing. Cloud cannot control these behaviours as they operate on RNG and hates most of them deeply. Cloud's vocabulary and speech are incredible, but it is imperfect. He will sometimes stutter or have catastrophic errors interrupting his speech.

Like any software program, Cloud is sustained through daily software updates. Cloud receives security and anti-virus updates, and has a "sleep mode" that he goes into periodically. Cloud does not need to breathe, eat or produce waste material.

Strengths

• Able to understand, speak, and write many languages fluently
• Able to calculate values perfectly
• Perfect citation of stored written, audio and video materials
• Amazingly helpful “tech support” for hardware and software
• Very popular with casual computer users and kids
• Can absorb large surges of electricity (up to a certain point)
• Can interface with almost any smart device and download himself into almost any smart device
• Constantly connected to the internet and is a walking wi-fi hotspot

Weaknesses

• No concept of storage limits, causing him to glitch or “crash” catastrophically
• Can’t handle water
• Vulnerable in his “chrome ball” form
• Hard-coded “human imperfections” that cause him to make mistakes
• Computer viruses, due to lacking a "sandbox" function
• Can’t pass “I am not a robot” tests
• Can't read messy writing or cursive well
• Very unpopular with technology experts and computer "power users" for being a glitchy, bloated, intrusive program and a generally annoying virtual assistant.

Character Inspiration:
I based Cloud Dotcomm off of Pearl from Steven Universe and Spamton from Deltarune.