Austin Melchor
| Full name | Austin Melchor |
|---|---|
| Pronouns | He/him |
| Species | Human |
| Affiliation | Network Agency — security guard |
| Role / occupation | Security guard at the Network Agency |
Overview
Austin Melchor is a security guard at the Network Agency, relatively new to his job. He became an unwitting victim of Zet's cover-up operations after spotting Pietro during the infiltration.
Incident at Network Agency
During Zet's infiltration of the Network Agency in Chapter 23, Melchor spotted Pietro and raised the alarm. The security recordings captured both Pietro and Melchor's reaction, identifying him through the agency's facial recognition system.
Zet's Discreditation Campaign
To protect the infiltration, Zet manipulated the security footage:
- Replaced Pietro with what appeared to be an ordinary insect
- Fabricated footage showing Melchor shooting at the insect (which he had not actually done)
- Left his "panicked reaction" visible in the recordings
The goal was to portray Melchor as unreasonable and discredit his observations to the point where what he saw would be "of no concern."
Zet's Ethical Concerns
Despite the manipulation, Zet expressed some remorse:
- "I hoped he wouldn't get fired."
- "Ultimately, though, in the realm of unfortunate outcomes, there were worse ones."
- "Still, if it came to that, I would make an effort to set things right, like I always had."
This internal conflict demonstrates Zet's continuing struggle between operational necessity and ethical concerns about collateral damage to innocent people.
Significance
Austin Melchor represents one of many peripheral casualties of the conflict between Zet and the government - an ordinary worker whose career and reputation may be damaged simply for doing his job competently. His fate remains unknown, though Zet's intention to "set things right" suggests potential future involvement.