Nukem

The Lord of Hell, he wields great power in his guise as the ruler of Hell. When he crosses into the human world, he assumes human form. He's like an uncle to the children, living far away from them and therefore rarely appearing. He treats Technician, Nukem, and Nika well, ready to protect and support them if it threatens their safety. He knows their weaknesses and can push them, but only for their own good, and sometimes for his own.

For Krampus, Technician is a shadow of his own power, and for Technician himself, his older brother is the standard of absolute power that he strives for.

The latest in the line is Nika, a female version of the same matrix. She was created not for brute force, but for balance: empathy, intuition, and the ability to smooth over conflicts were meant to counterbalance the Technician's abrupt and overly harsh decisions. She doesn't try to "fix" Krampus—she understands that he's not broken, he's simply chosen a different path. And that's why she's the only one who can speak to him without challenging him, without losing respect.

All four—Krampus, Nukem, Technician, and Nika—were created from the same original template. For Nukem, Technician, and Nika, Krampus has always been an older brother.

A long time ago. In a closed laboratory, scientists were trying to develop the ideal human matrix—a universal foundation scalable to any task. The first result was Krampus, the zero prototype. He was programmed with maximum strength and reflexes, but unlike later versions, no "softening" filters were applied to his psyche: no attempt was made to stabilize it, no attempt was made to suppress aggression. On the contrary, the scientists wanted to see how pure potential would manifest itself without limitations. And it did: from the very beginning, Krampus was extremely focused, extremely cold, and extremely cruel. For him, violence is not a glitch, but a tool, and power is a natural state.

That's why the experiment was deemed a failure, not because of instability, but because of its complete incompatibility with human norms: Krampus did what he wanted and had no intention of obeying anyone. The lab didn't "fix" him—he was deemed too dangerous to control and was "disposed of" differently: they opened a gateway to an isolated segment of reality, which was described in reports as a "zone of increased instability" but quickly became "hell" among the staff. There, he became the master of this layer, because that's where his nature operated without distortion.

After the failure with Krampus, the approach changed: the goal was no longer maximum power at any cost, but balance. This is how Nukem was born—the first successful copy. He was built with an emphasis on control and stability: strength and endurance were high, but not overwhelming, and his mental stability was stable. He was also given caring and kindness, which gave him a passion for children. He loved children. He became the standard of the line, the benchmark by which all other versions were measured.

Next came Technician, a dark version of Nukem. His aggressive reflexes and affinity for technology were deliberately enhanced to allow him to operate in harsh environments. But he was also left with the capacity for doubt: he's tough, blunt, but not unfeeling.

Petya and Sasha weren't related to each other or the other children. They were united by a common misfortune: both grew up in a dysfunctional family where there was neither time nor energy for them. Nukem took them not as "reinforcements," but as those who couldn't stay where it was dangerous. In his home, they earned the right to be part of the family, and every day they reaffirm that right through their actions and support of each other. He took them in the same way about two years ago.

Sasha (12 years old): long red hair, light beige sweatshirt, white T-shirt, dark blue jeans, woven bracelet from Lisa. Cheerful, kind, energetic. Her strength is her ability to relieve stress and notice people. She doesn't try to be the boss, but her presence makes the house warmer. Petya (10 years old): blond hair, blue eyes, green sweater, dark blue pants. Positive, kind, active. Wants to be useful. His role is to help, remember details, and be the one to remind you to just take a breath.

Polina, Styopa, and Liza. They are all related. Nyukei adopted them two years ago from a dysfunctional family where the parents drank and beat their children.

Polina is a 14-year-old girl. She has brunette hair and long hair. She's responsible, sweet, and cheerful. She has prosthetics instead of arms, the result of an accident in a school shop class. The prosthetics make Polina much stronger, as when Styopa and Petya were adjusting them for her, they accidentally increased their power.

Stepa is a 13-year-old boy with ash-blond hair. He wears a dark blue hoodie with a gray T-shirt underneath. He wears comfortable dark blue jeans. He wears a simple bracelet on his wrist, a gift from Lisa. He's cheerful, kind, and pleasant.

Lisa is a 10-year-old girl with long blonde hair. She has a sweet appearance and wears pink and white. She's a sweet, straightforward, and cheerful girl.

Nika is the female version of a project within a secret laboratory's matrix. The younger "test tube sister." She strives to be independent and, like the Technician, wants to appear as a distinct individual, not just a copy of a shrunken project like Nukem. She has shoulder-length dark brown hair; her bangs fall casually across her forehead, but don't obscure her eyes. She wears a dark gray jacket with numerous pockets and Velcro fasteners. Dark blue pants. Sturdy boots with thick soles. Under the jacket, she wears a tight-fitting blue T-shirt. She maintains a level playing field with Nukem: she respects him as a role model, but doesn't obey him blindly. She doesn't let Technics slip into overly harsh decisions, though this rarely works. Rather, she restrains him slightly, but doesn't stop him completely. And she treats Krampus without fear, but with clear boundaries: she doesn't try to "understand" or "save" him, but in some cases, she may see him as a source of support.

The Technician is Nukem's "dark side," but without the cartoonish malice: he's tough, calculating, and sometimes frightening. A technical genius, as he likes to call himself, although he is. He's very smart and inventive in the field of technology. The Technician has blond hair hidden behind a hood. He wears a black cloak, like a medic's robe, a brownish hue. A red T-shirt is visible under his unbuttoned robe. He wears black sunglasses and dark blue pants. The Technician isn't exactly kind; he chooses his own advantage in almost any situation. And yes, he does things that make others uncomfortable—he builds, experiments, sometimes kills—but he doesn't think twice about avoiding unnecessary casualties.

In the lab, he was created as a "dark version" of the Nukem matrix. They deliberately enhanced his aggressive reflexes, his need for control, and his passion for large-scale engineering solutions. He's not "evil for the sake of evil"; he acts as he deems effective.

Personality: A pragmatist with a high tolerance for risk and destruction. For him, "doing it reliably" often means "doing it harshly." He means no harm to Nukem, Nika, or the children, but his methods can be perceived as threatening. He strives to be his own person, not Nukem's shadow.

What he does (his style of action): * Kills. In the distant past, he killed without reason, because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now he does it just as mercilessly and without remorse, but he no longer kills left and right. Terrorizes: He used to be in a gang with his friends who shared a common interest in murder. A headless and burned-out maniac, they could have together arranged a judgment day for some city mafia. But he has already cut ties with them; he misses them a little.

• Attitude towards others: Nukem: sees him as a paragon of perfection and simultaneously "too soft" for this world. Respects him, but argues. Doesn't wish him harm, but can go against his will if he believes he's right. Nika: He has a special relationship with her—she's the only one whose arguments he actually listens to, or even slightly. He argues with her, but values ​​her and can protect her.

Nukem once became a successful project, and his brother and sister were born through it. He himself is a single father of five children, whom he adopted from disadvantaged families out of the goodness of his heart. He is a kind and compassionate person and loves his children. He wears a blue T-shirt and dark pants, and wears sunglasses. He has blond hair and two brothers and a sister.