If you're gonna kick alien arse, better do it in style.
This is an article about Gemma Pennington, a character created by Alphonse Uprising on 07/05/2018.
Gemma Pennington (ジェマ・ペニントン Jema Peninton?) was the main character of Teslarossa's Hotel Arcadia, part of the greater Cybermania universe. She is the frontwoman of Hotel Arcadia, a punk band that sparked a revolution against the Korghan Empire, as well as the daughter of late astronaut Connie Pennington.
In 1981, after the interstellar Korghan Empire took control of the world, teenage songwriter Gemma transformed from a humble outsider to the frontwoman of Hotel Arcadia, the unlikely punk band that sparked a resistance movement. Touring across Ozzy Island, she used the power of music to spread the sound of freedom and self-expression to the people, all while brawling against oppressive alien scum.
Due to the main events of Cybermania taking place nearly 120 years after her story, Gemma would be long deceased. However, she will still make an appearance in the game via flashbacks and other means yet to be revealed.
Biography[]
Gemma was the daughter of a successful astronaut mum, and her love for space made her a target in school. However, in 1973, when Gemma was merely 12, she witnessed one of the most brutal space engineering disasters in history. The Icarus 6, manned by a crew that included her mother, exploded just as it reached the stratosphere, killing everyone on board before Gemma's eyes.
Without anybody to lean on, she turned against society and committed to a solitary life on the road. Her worn-down boots and her black pearl piercings told a story of a difficult journey to the city of Whalesbottom, where she hoped to find recognition at a local pub's music night. There she met the bartender and host of the night, Mako McMackley. However, she grew up constantly antagonizing anybody who questioned her lifestyle, and this mindset led to a pub fight that sent her right to jail.
This was when she met her cellmate Tomoha, a hyperactive drummer that aspired to be in a band. Her extraverted restlessness contrasted Gemma's reserved personality, and as much as the latter tried to shut down Tomo's wishes, she was left without a choice. That night, a massive fleet of heavily armored soldiers raided the area, forcing the duo to work together to escape. They found refuge in an abandoned bunker, where they ran into Mako again.
It turned out that they were just invaded by a species that was never seen before, and the world's leaders just gave them the key to ruling the world. With their advanced weaponry and resources, they enforced strict laws that stripped every person down into a slave to their empire. It seemed life was going to be different from now on. A giant chain was attached to the Earth as a permanent reminder. Realizing death was imminent, the trio founded Hotel Arcadia inside of a bunker - after all, if their lives were soon to be cut short, at least they'd make the most of it.
Personality[]
Gemma was a fiery, unhinged individual, with a sharp wit and a fierce determination. She had a rebellious streak that made her unafraid to speak her mind and stand up for what she believed in. Just before Hotel Arcadia's first live performance, Gemma cut half of her hair in protest against the Korghan Empire, resulting in her iconic hairstyle that fans would mimic for years to come. This also made her prone to acting impulsively without fully considering the consequences of her actions. Despite her tough exterior, Gemma had a deeply caring heart and a soft spot for those in need.
She wasn't always like this, though. Despite her looks hardly ever reflecting it, she had a keen interest in astronomy. She'd read science fiction books focusing on space exploration, and she aspired to write a story herself. This made her the most tech-savvy member of Hotel Arcadia, allowing her to make careful analysis on technology and astrophysics.
According to an off-hand comment she makes in Wake Me Up When I'm Dead, Gemma was diagnosed with autism, making her the only character in the Cybermania universe with such a condition. Although her specific traits were unknown, her adverse reaction to Tomoha drumming on metal cell bars suggested that she was at least intolerant to repetitive sounds.
As a result of her mother's untimely death, Gemma embarked a life of solitude, spending years traveling around Ozzy Island as an outsider. She'd carry her guitar wherever she went, which helped pay for food and places to stay. This way of life undid everything Gemma learned about civility, and she'd break the rules if it benefitted her; she'd jaywalk, eat with her mouth full, burp in front of people, prank unsuspecting bystanders, and drink human blood (citation needed). So used to this lifestyle, she was content with dying alone, until she met Tomoha. Before this, Gemma saw life as a pointless misadventure and had no reason to be part of it; this contrasted with Tomoha's more hedonistic views where she'd live life to the fullest without leaving any stone unturned.
Gemma had also developed a fear of fireworks. The sight of rockets exploding in the sky reminded her of the Icarus 6 disaster. In the middle of a concert, Gemma had a panic attack after fans in the audience had set off fireworks, and could not continue the show. Because of this, she and Hotel Arcadia banned the use of any fireworks in their shows.
Unicorn[]
As stated earlier, Gemma is a talented musician. She writes, sings, and plays a mean guitar. She usually refers to it as an "axe," a slang term for a guitar.
Unicorn (1974-1981)[]
While on her journey to Whalesbottom, Gemma carried an acoustic, six-string guitar that she dubbed Unicorn. After witnessing Bouddi perform music on the streets, she was inspired to purchase the guitar circa 1974, and carried it with her up to the main events of Hotel Arcadia. As she traveled from town to town, she personalized it with stickers as souvenirs from the places she passed through. At Mako's music night, Unicorn was destroyed by an angry guest in the audience. Gemma, who had developed a deep attachment to the guitar, attacked the guest in a blind rage, leading to her fateful arrest just before the Invasion.
Unicorn 2 (1981)[]
After she formed Hotel Arcadia with Tomoha, they go to a ruined music shop to steal a new guitar. However, Gemma was only used to acoustic six-string guitars, and the only one she could find was a seven-string electric, forcing her to learn the new instrument. She nicknamed this purple guitar Unicorn 2, eventually giving it the same decorative treatment she did with the first iteration.
As far as special abilities go, however, this is nothing special, though due to the massive influence that Hotel Arcadia created, she and the rest of the band had to learn self-defense against both alien enemies and punk fanatics alike. In order to provide self-defense, Ash used their amateur engineering skills to modify Unicorn 2 into a literal battle axe, using reinforced materials that make it almost indestructible. It made for a deadly weapon; she just had to be careful not to cut herself while playing.
Appearances[]
- Flower in the Concrete (vocals, 2019)
- Wake Me Up When I'm Dead (2024)
- Cybermania (2025)
- Hotel Arcadia (2026)
Quotes[]
"Believe it or not, I don't get wet over a band that broke up like 10 years ago. How long are we gonna be doing this? This whole “band” thing? I’d rather count my last days alive with my brain being dissected or... my body turned into a battery, some classic ‘50s sci-fi shit like that. That sounds like something that'd actually turn me on." - Gemma, answering Tomoha after suddenly abandoning a rehearsal. Gemma was initially not interested in the idea of forming Hotel Arcadia and wanted a solo career. She gave up and reluctantly entertains Tomoha's wishes shortly after this quote.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Gemma is in many ways supposed to be "the antithesis" of Tesla Hunt - while they're both traumatized main protagonists of their own stories, Tes follows a moral compass as a would-be Neo-Knight, wanting to join the effort in sustaining peace in the world. However, Gemma lacked such morals and sought to pave her own destiny by any means necessary. Gemma's mother, Connie, even shared the exact same name as Tes'. mother
- Gemma was heavily inspired by the punk movement that peaked in Europe during the 1970s and 1980s. Everything from her lifestyle and her clothes to her improvised weapon symbolizes the punk movement as much as possible.
- Concerning specific people, Gemma was mostly inspired by Joan Jett during her years with The Blackhearts.