Meet:
RICKY
Ricky Louis
“The Rickluse”
Inventor
Quiet technology activist
About RICKY
The secret mind behind…
OFF-BOOKS INVENTOR
Ricky solves tough technical problems in circuit board and electronics design, building prototypes for inventions that ambitious engineers use and claim credit for creating. Where his inventions might be used for weapons or to advance the rise of fascism, Ricky has routinely inserted secret fail-safes. Recently, he invoked a fail-safe for the first time, creating a scandal for the executives and engineers that had claimed responsibility for his work. Since then, Ricky has found it difficult to find the kinds of lucrative projects he uses to fund his life. Luckily, he has been a diligent saver, and is not yet experiencing any financial hardship as a result of his ethical choice.
As the ‘Rickluse”, Ricky hosts a popular underground podcast supporting technological innovation and active use of technology to disrupt unfair or corrupt systems. He keeps himself as off-the-radar as possible, but he suspects he is watched by a number of organizations, and he never feels safe.
ricky / VICTORIA
Born June 21, 1997
FAB TRANS MAN
- Ricky grew up on a conservative household as Victoria
- Victoria felt she should be male and resented the impositions of her female body. She felt ashamed of her status as a girl.
- Always very literal and methodical, Victoria won every science fair but never made a friend, always feeling outside at home, school, and in the world
- When she was fifteen, Victoria was seduced by a 28-year-old engineer who used her to gain a prestigious position and grant, opening her eyes to the value of her mind and decimating her trust in anyone
- For the next three years Victoria sought work and saved money, but never pursued romance again. She never expressed her body dysmorphia
- On her eighteenth birthday, Victoria left home without a word to anyone, moving to the city and beginning the transition to Ricky, including top surgery
- Victoria’s family never knew what happened to her; to them, she vanished
- Ricky has an abhorrence for clothing and generally lives in the nude in his own apartment.
- Ricky has a complicated relationship with pain and uses tattooing and piercing as a meditative release into pain. He often pokes himself with sharp tools or gives himself small burns when he feels vulnerable or exposed.
Ricky’s life is shrouded in mystery, much like his enigmatic inventions.
Born as Victoria, he made the decision to transition and live as a male during his late teens, leaving his hometown without a word of explanation. To his family, “Vicky” simply vanished without a trace. His past is a well-guarded secret that he has chosen to keep hidden from the world.
In his secluded existence, Ricky generates a comfortable income by selling prototypes to engineers at large companies, only for those engineers to claim them as their own. This work reflects his unconventional genius and his preference for solitude.
While he has no friends in the traditional sense, he has forged a deep bond with his cat, which serves as a source of companionship and solace.
Ricky’s neurodivergence appears to place him well along the autism spectrum, contributing to his brilliance in invention but also his struggle with interpersonal relationships. His reclusive nature is a natural extension of his neurodivergent tendencies, leading him to find comfort in isolation and routines. Still, he is a curious person and pushes himself to take advantage of opportunities that arise to stretch his boundaries. He believes in life.
Ricky is a popular contributor across many “maker” forums and on his podcast, where he posts unedited videos mostly of his hands doing things, with commentary. He has helped thousands of people with their prototype designs for free. He’s known and appreciated behind the moniker “Rickluse”
To maintain his mental equilibrium and stay centered in reality, Ricky relies on daily cannabis consumption. This routine serves as a coping mechanism and a means to order his mind in a world that often seems chaotic and overwhelming. Cannabis provides a sense of calm, allowing him to channel his creativity and genius into his inventions.
Ricky’s perception of his chronic pain as a natural punishment for not being a “normal” person reflects his complex relationship with self-acceptance. He has many tattoos and piercings, which are part of his relationship with pain and control.
Since his top surgery recovery, Ricky has been practicing ever-deepening moving meditations that unconsciously tap into the liminality and gained the interest of Sages House. Under Mama Roses’ protection, Ricky has achieved significant skill allowing entwinement with other-worldly entities and sharing his consciousness-processing into the liminality. His singular focus allows him to establish strong, stable connections. However, his disconnection from humanity and the world makes his experiences boring, which has put his status in jeopardy.
Ricky’s journey may force him to confront the past he left behind, the secrets he’s held, and the potential for acceptance and healing. What will be the ongoing consequences of the recent scandle that has ripped a hole in his shroud of anonymity and upset many powerful people? Ricky has built his life with controlled minimalism, but he is about to lose control. How will he respond? The answer determines his fate.