Zachary Quantrell

Zachary Quantrell is the owner and founder of Animus Technologies, and the creator of the Dreamworld Device. As an NPC, he is portrayed by Joseph Rose.

Appearance
Though he's in good shape physically, Zachary Quantrell has largely been considered not much to look at. At 6'2", this is partly due to his somewhat sloppy style, which doesn't come across as "devil may care" as he thinks it does. He has black hair and brown eyes and tends to dress in suits, though he rarely tucks in his shirt, and he nearly always wears jeans instead of any dress pants.

Personality
Meticulous and driven, Quantrell has always faced the problem of thinking too fast for the people around him to catch up. He has developed a very slow, methodical speech pattern to make it easier for him to communicate with others. He comes across as very calm, but inside he's very excitable and doesn't let it show. He has made his absolute dedication to his company clear on multiple occasions, even going so far as to force his friend and mentor out of the company to avoid scandal.

Background
Zachary Quantrell (born David Ogden) was born to Lana Ogden, a prostitute in Silicon Valley. His father was a wealthy politician who actively attempted to cover up his illegitimate son's existence for fear of the scandal it would bring. This left Zachary's upbringing to Lana, who was a drug addict. Though she certainly did her best, she was not an ideal mother, and as soon as Zachary became an adult he legally changed his name to Zachary David Quantrell, hoping to get as far away from his past as possible. Fortunately for him, he was very intelligent, with some referring to him as a genius. Mechanical engineering, computers, programming, it all came easily to him, and he managed to get himself a scholarship to Stanford based on his academic performance. But what really fascinated Quantrell was the human mind, particularly the subconscious. While at Stanford, he began studying the brain and the subconscious in great detail, until, one day, the idea for the Dreamworld Device came to him suddenly. He promptly dropped out of college to establish his company, Animus Technologies.

Under the guidance of his mentor, George Cochran, and driven by Quantrell's passion, Animus Technologies flourished, producing a number of smaller products and software to make money, all while focusing on developing the Dreamworld. Even these small inventions, all created by Quantrell (though with some help from his researchers), were enough to make Animus Technologies a household name across the country, perhaps even across the world.

Zachary threw himself into his work, and dedicated his heart and soul to his company. Many noted at the time that the company was the family Zachary had always wanted, but never had. Though Zachary was understanding, calm, and friendly to his employees, becoming a sort of big brother to everyone who worked there, everyone soon learned that he would react viciously to anyone who threatened his company. This came to a head when he was forced to choose between his friendship with George Cochran, and the reputation of his company. Famously, he chose to eject Cochran from his position within Animus Technologies, rather than risk any scandal.

Since then, he has perfected the Dreamworld Device and put it on the open market. Less expensive than a computer, the Dreamworld quickly spread all over the world as children and adults, both rich and poor, scrambled to get their hands on a Dreamworld and more fully explore and share the worlds born from their subconscious minds. The Dreamworld has also been pivotal in allowing students to study while technically sleeping, promoting better health among college students in particular, and has also allowed for comatose patients to communicate with their loved ones, and for families separated by long distances to seemingly have quality time, face to face. It has been noted that many of the Dreamworld functions most promoted by Quantrell himself have involved communication between separated loved ones.

George Cochran
George Cochran was Quantrell's professor in college. Even though he dropped out, Zachary Quantrell kept in touch, showing great respect for his previous mentor. When it came time to choose a Chief Financial Officer for his new company, Quantrell immediately asked Cochran, who made Animus Technologies into a globally known name. This relationship continued until rumors surfaced that Cochran was embezzling from the company, and Quantrell encouraged his former mentor to resign. They haven't communicated since.

Leonard Armstrong
The head of the investigation into Cochran's possible embezzlement, Armstrong worked closely with Quantrell during this time. While they haven't maintained any form of relationship, Quantrell has recently endorsed Armstrong's Presidential campaign.

Karen Hara
As she posed for a time as a computer engineer for Animus Technologies, Quantrell has seen both Karen's devotion to duty and the quality of her work firsthand.