Robert Charlton

Robert Charlton is one of three primary protagonists in the novel Cataclysm: Definitive Edition. He is the guide for Doctor William Samson and later guardian to Katrina Davenport on their journey to the city of New Haven.

"I have... no regrets" - Robert Charlton to Katrina Davenport (Chapter 28: No Regrets, Page 281).

Pre-Book History:
Robert Charlton was born to northern parents at Camp Blackwood; a work camp owned by Old London. Camp Blackwood was used to bring Old London resources, such as coal and timber (hence the name Blackwood) in exchange for citizenship with the British Government operating in Old London.

Robert's father toiled away in the coal mines night and day while Robert's mother would cook and clean the camp. Robert's mother had an accident which rendered her blind, which caused Robert to learn braille alongside his mother so the two could still read literature together.

Within Camp Blackwood, Robert had plenty of access to literature and learned how to read and write in English, as well as some Latin and Old English / Shakespearean English, due to the Anglican Church volunteers and priests being ever present. It was a priest who helped both Robert and his mother learn braille.

Throughout the years, Robert's father accumulated parts of old rifles and eventually was able to reconstruct a Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifle. Having spoken to the guards about his project, Robert's father was allowed to have the rifle on campus. Over time, however, Robert's father would increase his hours in the coal mines to pay for his debt due to citizenship, which allowed one of the guards named Daniel Clifton to visit Robert's mother more often.

Once innocent, Daniel Clifton began to sexually assault and later rape Robert's mother on a daily basis, while at the same time teaching things to Robert that his father could not due to him being in the mines all day and night. Robert's mother dared not tell his father, fearing their citizenship would be revoked and they would be sent to fend for themselves in the northern parts of the Midlands, or past the Hell's Passage, back to the North-West where they came from.

In February of 2228, when Robert was fifteen-years-old, Camp Blackwood came under attack from the rebel and deranged Wolfe's Company. Camp Blackwood was utterly destroyed, Robert's mother and father were both murdered, and Daniel Clifton stuffed Robert into a crate so that Rob would not be found and survive the ordeal.

Daniel Clifton returned for Rob the following morning and drafted him into the British Army in March 2228. Daniel was risen to the rank of Sergeant and Robert was never granted the permission he desired to leave Daniel's Company. In 2231, when Rob was eighteen-years-old, Daniel's Company were upgraded into the Clifton Northern Expeditionary Force, tasked with regaining Wolfe's Fort and scouting the north.

Robert was dragged to the north, the birthplace of his parents, and the C.N.E.F. managed to reclaim Wolfe's Fort from a gang that occupied the fort. Throughout 2231 and the early part of 2232 Daniel began to delve into madness and would begin to raid the lands north of the fort, killing, raping and stealing from defenseless villages. This angered many of his followers and in March 2232 the angry soldiers, led by Robert, confronted Daniel about his ways. The argument escalated and a mutiny occurred, where Robert killed Daniel Clifton by stabbing him to death with a bayonet after a vicious fight.

By April, the D.T.U.D.F. (Democratic Trade Union Defence Force) had come into contact with the mutineers, and offered them a place in their defence force, in return for southern British Army training. The mutineers accepted and Robert became a D.T.U. guardsman from April 2232 until April 2234 when he was offered a lucrative job being a caravan guard after saving George McLevar's life from ambushing marauders during a D.T.U. patrol.

While he was in the D.T.U.D.F. Robert came across and fought against the likes of the Red Valley Tribes, Night Snakes, Roadside Trappers, Clan Claw, remnants of Thomas The Tall's forces, other marauders and gangs as well as the dreaded Skin-Crawlers, which Robert would grow to have a phobia of.

George McLevar gave Robert a job as a caravan guard in his company, McLevar Caravan Guards (McL.C.G.), with the promise of granting Robert citizenship into the Democratic Trade Union as the defence force had not yet done so. Robert worked for George McLevar for two years, meeting his on-and-off friend Leroy J. Salvador, until he was twenty-three-years-old and then obtained a D.T.U.C.C. (Democratic Trade Union Citizenship Card) and was a fully fledged citizen of the D.T.U. whereby he left the McLevar Caravan Guards to become a freelance prospector, guide and private guard for those who could pay for his services.

Having done this for two years and not gained much profit, Robert desired to settle down somewhere for a while. He found a small southern town named Ipton but was not welcome by the sheriff; Benny Quinn. Rob was allowed in the town, and embraced by the traders and business owners there, including the mayor, Alan Naismith.

The night he stayed however, Benny Quinn attempted to frame Robert for stealing, but Charlton disputed this and the two men agreed to have a duel by pistols to determine who was right. A prayer was said by the local priest, Jonah Gilligan, and then the two opened fire. Benny Quinn was shot in the head and died instantly.

After this the town split on their opinion of Robert, however, he desired to stay longer and would later take up a bet while hunting to capture an animal with an old bear trap belonging to Big John. Robert Charlton would win this bet at the beginning of the novel.

Physical Appearance:

 * Eye Colour - Blue
 * Hair Colour - Dark Brown
 * Hair Style - Shaggy, unkept.
 * Facial Hair - Thick stubble, mustache and beard.
 * Skin Colour - White.
 * Height - 6'0" (182.88cm)
 * Weight - 13.5st (190lbs)
 * Accent - Southern Mancunian with a hint of Cockney.
 * Age (in 2238) - 25-years-old.
 * Other Features - Robert has many scars across his body and arms, ranging from deep scars to keloid scars, that have come from bullet wounds, stab wounds, claw marks and scratch marks. Robert also has a small scar underneath his left-eye.

Attire & Arsenal:
Robert often wears a thick brown duster coat, made of cow-hide leather. He has leather gloves, pilot shades, black biker boots, cargo pants and a belt with many pockets on to hold ammunition. Rob also wears flak body armour. Later on in the novel Robert slowly loses this attire from being captured multiple times.

Robert's arsenal ranges from many small knives to a bowie knife. He also obtains a Browning Hi-Power 9mm sidearm, however gives it to Pvt. Nigel Vickers for a lift to Lempton. His most prominent weapon, however, is his Lee-Enfield 303. bolt-action No. IV Mk. I rifle that is by his side all the way until Robert's final chapter in Chapter 28: No Regrets.

Personality:
Robert is a naturally very negative person, due to his experiences in life. He is cold-hearted at times that call for survival or death and has no qualms following the Principles of Purgatory. Robert is quick to anger and is sarcastic mannered. He uses intimidation and ridicule to gain autonomy over larger people, however, he can be very empathetic and will defend the defenceless, especially women, the disabled and children.

Robert is an avid drinker and smoker too; these calm him down and allow him to take a step back to evaluate situations. He does not mind being called Rob and finds being called Mr. Charlton very empowering, however, he despises being called Robbie or Bobby due to the latter being a nickname given to him by Daniel Clifton and the former being a nickname given to him by southerners, whom Robert does not like, especially those who are citizens of the British Government.

Over the course of the novel, Robert's personality gradually becomes more and more positive and calm due to Doc Samson's persistent positive outlook in this bleak world. Robert also takes on more responsibilities when it comes to Katrina; eventually he becomes Kat's guardian after the doctor's emotional death, and takes on the role of a father figure to the young girl.

Biography:
Robert Charlton captures a deformed deer with an old bear trap, lent to him by his friend, Big John. Once Robert arrives in Ipton, he sells the deer to a local shop owner and friend, Lee Burton, who also knows of the bet between Big John and Rob.

Robert spends time in Ipton and it is made apparent that the townspeople are gearing up to migrate north into the lands of the D.T.U. for protection due to the maniacal forces of Arch-Tiberius' Horde preparing to march north from Wolfe's Fort, which was directly south of Ipton.

The Mayor of Ipton and Doctor Will Samson manage to persuade Robert to take up the job of guiding the doctor from Ipton all the way to the D.T.U. controlled city of New Haven.

While on their journey the duo find a stowaway in the form of a little girl, Katrina Davenport. The trio begin to travel northwards, where they come across many different gangs and factions, including the Roadside Trappers, Night Snakes, Clan Claw and the Skin-Crawlers. Meeting characters such as Vanessa Campbell, Patrick Benson, Pvt. Nigel Vickers and Leroy J. Salvador along the way.

The group are led to the tunnels of the Black Mountains to avoid the war zone, Buddington, after a deal made with Leroy and Patrick, however, during this the group do not trust Leroy and Patrick after they try to back out of the deal. The second attempt leads to a fight and Robert killing Patrick. Leroy is captured and guides the group the rest of the way out to the northern entrance of the tunnels underneath the Black Mountains. After an altercation and firefight with Clan Claw the group are saved by the D.T.U. A.A.V.R. (Armoured Assault Vehicle Rangers) and brought to Buddington.

Once making it out of Buddington having been jailed for not abiding by the Conscription Act and being freed by Leroy, and then escaped during a thunderstorm, Clan Claw bombardment and attempted assault. Doc Samson is wounded in a firefight with mutineer D.T.U. soldiers and later dies sneak attacking a Clan Claw patrol. While Leroy continues to follow the Principles of Purgatory, Robert turns his back on these laws he had followed almost his entire life and gives the doctor a proper funeral, allowing Katrina to say goodbye before Robert buried the doctor and used Samson's own shotgun as a tombstone.

Eventually the trio with Leroy are captured by Arch-Tiberius' scouts led by the Kennel-Master, and taken to the War Camp. It is here that Robert reunites with Nigel who helps him to escape, committing suicide to do so. Robert meets up with Leroy who had found and returns Robert's bolt-action rifle. Leroy continued to lead the revolt to escape and Robert frees Kat, by killing the Kennel-Master, regains their belongings, then successfully escapes the War Camp.

The duo make it to Hale where they meet the married couple of Stephen McArthur and Lorraine McArthur. Stephen is a travelling priest and offers to help Robert and Katrina. The duo explain what they had endured and where Arch-Tiberius was located, leading Stephen and Lorraine to offer the duo a lift to New Haven.

Robert and Katrina accept the offer and the new group travel to New Haven. Once in New Haven the group find how dire the situation is between the D.T.U. citizens and the illegal immigrants who are fleeing the advancing forces of Arch-Tiberius and his Horde.

A full-scale riot breaks out which causes the groups car to be destroyed, whereby Robert has to leave behind his Lee-Enfield in order to keep Katrina safe. Lorraine stays in an abandoned shop the group had laid low in to help nurse an injured and severely beaten Stephen. Robert continues onward to get Kat to safety.

Robert and Kat make it to the front entrance and main gate of Inner New Haven, which was currently under lock down. The D.T.U.D.F. then open fire on the crowd that surrounded the gate after rumours of Arch-Tiberius having begun his invasion, as well as the rumours that the Horde used suicide bombers to get through barriers and heavily fortified gates and walls. Robert is caught with a stray bullet from the firing squad but persists to Katrina that he is fine and that he had been shot plenty of times before, pointing out that the bullet had gone straight through him.

Robert uses the system of streets, roads and alleyways to get to a lesser known supply gate. By that point however, Robert is feeling the effects of the bullet wound. He becomes very tired, finds it hard to breathe and can hardly speak or shout from exhaustion. The guards and commanding officer atop the supply gate strongly attempt to make Robert turn away. Due to the heavy rain, darkness of night and poor quality of the floodlight, with the additional fact that Kat was hidden behind Rob for her own protection, the D.T.U. soldiers believed Robert was on his own.

Panic reigns supreme and two soldiers go against direct orders and rain down fire upon Robert. He is shot multiple times in the chest and begins to bleed to death. The commanding officer orders a ceasefire after realising Rob was protecting a child and orders guards and medics to retrieve both Robert and Katrina and bring them inside to Inner New Haven. Laying on the concrete road, Robert lightly cries as he says his final words to the young girl he had began to call his daughter. There Robert takes his final breaths and dies from his wounds.

In the following and final chapter Katrina awakens from a hospital, devastated at the fact Robert was indeed dead and thereafter visits Robert's grave where she places a golden flower upon his tombstone. She holds onto the tombstone as a substitute for Robert's hand. Kat is then adopted by Stephen and Lorraine, also adopting Robert's last name and becoming; Katrina Charlton-McArthur. At the end of the novel Katrina clutches a bottle of clean water close to her heart and thanks both Robert and Doc Samson for all they have done for her.

Trivia:

 * Robert Charlton was named after the famous Manchester United footballer and legend, Sir Bobby Charlton.
 * Robert hates being referred to as Robbie due to the fact that this was the nickname that Daniel Clifton had given to him.
 * Darryl M. Finch-Ellis desired to include another dream sequence which depicted Robert murdering his adoptive father; Daniel Clifton. The idea fell through when Darryl had no idea where to place the dream sequence, however, he does intend to put this dream sequence into the novel somewhere down the line, perhaps in a special edition.
 * Robert was originally based on Clint Eastwood when he starred in the Dollar / Man With No Name Trilogy.
 * Robert has been referred to as the British Eastwood by some readers.
 * Robert's father was right-handed, however, with Robert being left-handed, his father flipped the shell ejector around on his Lee-Enfield No. IV Mk. I bolt-action rifle.
 * Robert has a bullet wound near his shoulder from where he was shot by Daniel Clifton.
 * The book that is in braille that Robert has throughout the novel, which belonged to his mother, is Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare.
 * Robert's favourite song is; Rolling Stones - Paint It Black.
 * Robert is left-handed.
 * Robert can understand and speak Jamaican Patois.
 * Darryl M. Finch-Ellis visited the Imperial War Museum in Trafford, Greater Manchester in August, 2018. There he found the Lee-Enfield No. IV Mk. I, the exact same model used by Robert in the book. Coincidentally there is a letter from the Second World War addressed to a Mr. Charlton, which Darryl actually posted on his social media accounts, blown away with how amazing, yet scarily strange the coincidence was. The only glaring difference was that the shell-ejector had not been flipped around for left-handed use. The display is still currently available to view at the Imperial War Museum.