Robert Foster

Robert Foster is the protagonist of the 1994 point-and-click adventure game Beneath a Steel Sky. He is a young Caucasian man who was raised from a child in an area of Australia's Outback known as The Gap, years or perhaps even decades after a massive global conflict referred to as "The Great Euro-American War". Robert was born inside a heavily-urbanized metropolis called Union City, but was orphaned as a child after a helicopter carrying himself and his mother, a woman named Maria Pierro, crash-landed in The Gap and killed all of the passengers save for Robert himself. Fortunately, he was quickly discovered by a tribe of scavengers who took young Robert into their fold, teaching him the basic skills needed to survive in the harsh desert environment; the tribe elder explains that no outsiders are permitted to enter the city, preventing them from returning Robert to his original home. Robert's adoptive tribe often scavenges Union City's dumping sites for discarded technology and spare parts, leading Robert to discover his own natural talent for engineering and electronics. Robert uses his new-found skills to construct a robotic companion that he names "Joey", which is actually a remarkably-advanced artificial intelligence residing on a circuit board that may be swapped between robotic chassis.

After coming of age, Robert is given the new surname "Foster" in reference to his status as the tribe's foster child, as well as an empty can of Foster's Lager found near his helicopter's crash site. Foster becomes a strong and productive member of the tribe under the guidance of the tribe's kindly elder, his de facto foster father. However, his peaceful existence is shattered when his tribe's village is attacked one night by a heavily-armed force of Union City soldiers led by the ruthless Commander Reich, who demands that the tribe turn Foster over to his custody or else face total annihilation. Foster gives himself up to avoid further bloodshed, but his sacrifice is made in vain; once Reich's transport is clear of the blast radius, Reich orders the detonation of a high-yield explosive in the village's center, killing Foster's entire tribe. An enraged and grieving Foster can only wait for his chance to escape as the gunship approaches the towering skyscrapers of Union City.

Foster gets that chance almost immediately when the pilot suddenly loses navigational control, causing the helicopter to crash onto one of the metropolis' elevated streets. Moving quickly, Foster narrowly escapes Reich's forces momentarily before being cornered next to an industrial furnace by Reich himself, who levels his pistol at Foster and calls him "Overmann". However, Foster receives some unexpected assistance when Reich is suddenly disarmed by an energy blast from a nearby security turret. Reich pleads with the turret, which he refers to as "LINC", indicating that Foster "must be stopped" before another energy bolt bisects Reich at the waist, killing him instantly. Foster is stunned by this recent turn of events and resolves to discover the truth behind his past, as well as the motive behind his capture by Union City security forces.