Turtledove
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Henry Quick
Fictional Character
A Different Flesh
POD: C. 2.5-1.3 million years ago;
Relevant POD: c. 1492
Appearance(s): "Trapping Run", with posthumous references in "Freedom"
Type of Appearance: Direct POV
Nationality: Federated Commonwealths of America
Date of Birth: 18th century
Date of Death: 19th century
Cause of Death: Unrevealed
Occupation: Trapper
Children: Unnamed sim-human cross-breed, other (wholly human) children unknown
Relatives: Melody Porter (great-great-granddaughter)

Henry Quick was an American trapper. While on a run in 1814, his leg was shattered by a bear. A group of sims rescued him. One of those sims (whom Quick dubbed Martin) had traded with Quick, and saw potential value in keeping the trapper alive to make weapons for them. The rest of the group did so, and over the course of the winter, Quick healed, although there were many times he was on death's door. As his health improved, he made shoes for the sims, as well as hatchets and arrows. He was cared for by a female sim whom he dubbed Sal. After a time, Quick and Sal began to couple. Sal soon became pregnant, a fact that both excited and vexed Quick, as half-breeds were ostracized in human society.

Unfortunately, Quick's presence caused major changes in the social structure of the group. Another male sim, Caesar, wary of Quick, decided to challenge Martin for leadership. The two fought, and Martin killed Caesar. However, one of Caesar's supporters used one of Quick's knives to hamstring Martin. The rest of the clan realized that Quick's weapons had made the horrible situation worse, and so turned their back on him. Quick, healed enough to travel, sadly left the group and returned to civilization.

However, Quick's feelings about the sims had changed. His friend James Cartwright suggested that he give up trapping (especially since his leg couldn't manage it anymore) and make advocacy for sims his new mission in life. When Quick agreed with this, saying that "sims aren't animals, after all," another man agreed with this statement by saying that they were much more sporting prey than any dumb beast. The newcomer then displayed gruesome trophies of sims he had hunted for pleasure, and Quick very nearly killed him before Cartwright and three other men pulled him away.

Quick began the "sim justice movement" after his experiences. His family remained with that movement into the 20th century. Melody Porter, Quick's great-great-granddaughter, advocated for it in the 1980s.

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