“People think my codename is because I don’t like to talk. Maybe I just don’t like you.”

An exceptional and well-rounded student, Chandar was one of the youngest accepted into the University of Cambridge. He majored in electronics and computer engineering, completing an internship at a prestigious tech company where he contributed to the design and function of security system prototypes. His ingenuity caught the attention of Britain’s national security office, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). Having demonstrated acuity in code breaking, Chandar became an intelligence officer within the signals intelligence (SIGINT) unit. He continues to contribute to the applied technical research team and has recently expanded his field of study to include learning Korean.

PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORT It may not be immediately clear why Specialist Mark Chandar’s codename is Mute. While he dislikes small talk, he isn’t particularly reserved and in fact can be brash – a trait that is off-putting to some. Whatever social agitation he experiences, there are some indications that he’s unable to shake it off. I suspect it’s because he’s impatient. He needs to appreciate that there are different approaches to solving a problem. Interestingly, Specialist Mike “Thatcher” Baker seems begrudgingly tolerant of him and has been known to speak up in Chandar’s defense. […]

Chandar tends to gravitate to certain personalities. In particular, I’ve noticed that he’s been interacting with Specialist Timur “Glaz” Glazkov lately. Because Chandar revels in deconstructing equipment to create something new, I think he’s drawn to abstract thinkers and Glazkov has a similar talent for seeing complex situations in a unique way. […]

Given his background in information security, Chandar understands secrecy and seems uncomfortable with expressing himself or with personal questions. In his field, and here at Rainbow, information is a critical – life and death – commodity. So of course, I respect this but only up to a limit. I had to find another way in and we managed to find common ground in discussing History, of all things!

For someone so focused on science he surprised me. His hometown of York is one of the most historic cities in England and it’s a city I adore. He described in wonderful detail how he had to pass the Gothic church on his walk to school. He liked to lean back and look up at the bell tower for so long that it made him wobbly. […] My meeting with Chandar reminded me that we here at Rainbow tend to focus on how our operators excel in the STEM fields, but there is great value in our operators having passion and interests across a broad spectrum of studies. Chandar demonstrates why he’s much more than someone who is used to being the smartest person in the room. Despite his young age, I’m certain he has something to teach the others.

-- Dr. Harishva “Harry” Pandey, Director of Rainbow