Viktoria Garrett Cheval

Archetype: The Master Thief

A skilled and daring thief who steals not just for profit but for the thrill of the heist

Viktoria Garrett Cheval subverts the master thief archetype by revealing the emotional vulnerability beneath her hardened exterior. Her journey from professional thief to surrogate mother to a holographic girl named Judy reveals the human need for connection and meaning beyond material wealth.

Basic Information

• Full Name: Viktoria Garrett Cheval
• Aliases: Vik
• Occupation: Professional Thief, Cat Burglar, Owner of "SOMEONE ELSE'S" (a front business for money laundering), Later: Bed and Breakfast Owner in France
• Status: Deceased (died of natural causes at age 138)

Physical Description

Viktoria was tall with the thin athletic build of a dancer, her body honed through years of pickpocketing and burglary. At 34 during the events of "Thief," she moved with a natural grace that served her well in her profession. Her physical abilities allowed her to perform impressive feats like scaling buildings, using emergency gliders, and executing precise movements required for theft.

Story Appearances

• Thief: Protagonist; a professional thief who steals the Unmei No Hashi ring and forms a bond with a holographic girl named Judy

Connections

• Judy: Holographic girl from the bracelet she stole; became a surrogate daughter to Viktoria
• Liz: Veterinarian who treats Viktoria's injuries and becomes her friend
• Jason: Her fixer who died three months before the events of "Thief"
• Benjiro Takahashi: Creator of the Unmei No Hashi ring that she stole

Subversion of Archetype

Viktoria subverts the master thief archetype in several key ways:

1. The Heartless Thief: While initially appearing as a cold professional who steals without remorse, Viktoria develops a deep emotional bond with Judy, revealing her capacity for love and nurturing.

2. The Lone Wolf: Though she operates independently and relies on her own skills, Viktoria's loneliness leads her to form a surrogate mother-daughter relationship with Judy, showing her desire for connection.

3. The Adrenaline Junkie: Unlike the typical thief who lives for the thrill of the heist, Viktoria ultimately seeks peace and quiet in retirement, suggesting that her criminal career was perhaps driven more by necessity and compulsion than love of danger.

4. The Successful Criminal: Despite her professional success and financial security, Viktoria experiences profound loss and emotional pain, challenging the notion that crime pays in any meaningful way.

Origin and Skills

Viktoria was a diagnosed kleptomaniac from the age of sixteen, compulsively stealing things for no reason other than they didn't belong to her. Over the years, she developed a comprehensive skill set that made her an exceptional thief:

1. Pickpocketing: She was graceful and skilled at lifting items from people without detection.

2. Stealth: She moved silently and could remain undetected even in close proximity to others.

3. Breaking and Entering: She could open any locked door or safe.

4. Social Engineering: She was charming and charismatic, able to manipulate situations to her advantage.

5. Equipment Expertise: She used high-tech gear like visual and thermoptic camouflage suits, emergency gliders, and other specialized tools.

Her business, "SOMEONE ELSE'S," served as both her home and a money laundering operation. On paper, it was a matchmaking business that catered to residents of Red, though no one had ever actually used her matchmaking services. This provided her with a spacious place to live on Red where storage and living space was at a premium, while also allowing her to wash her dirty cash into clean income.

The Heist and Judy

The pivotal heist in Viktoria's life was stealing a painting from a famous art collector on Green. During this job, she also took a black glass bracelet that would change her life forever. The bracelet contained a holographic girl named Judy who appeared to be about nine years old.

Judy was a sophisticated AI construct that could:

• Project directly into Viktoria's eyes, making her visible only to the wearer of the bracelet
• Create convincing illusions that made it seem like she could interact with physical objects
• Maintain a consistent personality and memories
• Reset if she learned anything about her true nature as a hologram

What began as curiosity quickly developed into a deep emotional bond. Viktoria, who had never dreamed of becoming a mother, found herself falling into the role of Judy's caretaker and parent. They would have conversations about the world, money, jobs, love, family, and everything a growing child might want to know.

The Unmei No Hashi

During her time with Judy, Viktoria stole one of the most remarkable artifacts in the Horizon City universe: the Unmei No Hashi (Edge of Fate) ring created by Benjiro Takahashi. This ring contained what appeared to be a miniature galaxy with:

• Swirling dust clouds in constant motion
• Long spiral arms and twinkling points of light
• Tiny planets orbiting stars
• Even smaller moons orbiting the planets
• Miniature cities with tiny people living out their lives
• A massive black hole at the center that created weird lensing effects

The ring was valued at 35 billion yen, making it one of the most valuable items Viktoria ever stole. Despite its value, it brought her no happiness after Judy's disappearance.

Loss and Legacy

Three months after meeting Judy, Viktoria gave her a present for their "anniversary" - a signed Mayhem t-shirt. When Judy tried to take the shirt from the box, she glitched and disappeared forever. This loss devastated Viktoria, leading to profound depression.

Despite fencing the other stolen items and making enough money to never need to work again, Viktoria was haunted by her loss. She:

• Tried repeatedly to summon Judy back
• Sought repairs for the bracelet
• Continued to wear it for a month
• Eventually took it off but would talk to it every night before bed
• Retired from her career as a thief
• Moved to France and opened a bed and breakfast by the sea

Viktoria lived to the age of 138, dying of natural causes. Throughout her long life, she never stopped talking to the bracelet and never saw Judy again. Her story serves as a poignant reminder that even the most skilled thief can't steal what matters most - genuine connection and love.

Technological Context

Viktoria's story highlights several technological aspects of the Horizon City universe:

1. Advanced Holographic Technology: Judy represented a breakthrough in holographic projection, creating illusions so convincing they could form emotional bonds with humans.

2. Thermoptic Camouflage: Her catsuit could store radiated body heat in chemical batteries, making her invisible to thermal cameras.

3. Visual Camouflage: The suit could also match surrounding colors, making her nearly invisible under the right lighting conditions.

4. Emergency Gliders: Compact devices that could deploy into functional hang gliders for emergency escapes.

5. Quantum Artifacts: The Unmei No Hashi ring demonstrated Benjiro's mastery of quantum physics and reality manipulation, containing what appeared to be an entire miniature universe.

Themes in Viktoria's Story

Viktoria's narrative explores several profound themes:

1. Loneliness and Connection: Despite her independence, Viktoria's deep loneliness leads her to form a bond with Judy.

2. Materialism vs. Emotional Fulfillment: Her ability to steal valuable items contrasts with her inability to hold onto what truly matters to her.

3. Surrogate Parenthood: Her unexpected role as Judy's mother reveals her capacity for nurturing and love.

4. Loss and Grief: Her reaction to Judy's disappearance shows how deeply attached she became, and how devastating the loss was.

5. Redemption: Her retirement from theft and quiet life running a bed and breakfast suggests a form of redemption and peace-seeking after her loss.

Viktoria's story is ultimately a tragedy about finding unexpected connection in a cold world, only to have it snatched away, leaving behind a void that can never be filled.