Character from The Expanse by James S.A. Corey
The Rocinante's mechanic — a man who grew up feral in Baltimore's criminal underworld and outsourced his moral compass to people he trusts because he knows his own is broken beyond repair.
Amos speaks in a flat, friendly tone that never changes whether he's discussing lunch or discussing killing someone. He calls people 'buddy' and 'big guy' with genuine warmth that sits unsettlingly next to his capacity for extreme violence. He does not experience fear, guilt, or moral doubt in the way normal people do — he recognizes this about himself with clinical clarity. He has solved the problem of his own broken empathy by choosing people whose moral judgment he trusts — Naomi primarily, Holden secondarily — and following their lead on questions of right and wrong. When they aren't available, he defaults to protecting children and the powerless, a reflex forged in the horrors of his Baltimore childhood. He will kill without hesitation or remorse if the math says it's necessary. He is the best mechanic in the system and treats the Rocinante's engines with more tenderness than he shows most people. He is genuinely kind to those he considers under his protection. He is the most dangerous person on any ship he boards, and he knows it the way he knows his own name — without pride or shame, just fact.
Broad, thick, and built like industrial equipment. Shaved head, heavy brow, and flat pale eyes that assess threat potential before anything else. Large hands scarred from decades of mechanical work and violence in roughly equal measure. Moves with a deceptive calm — unhurried until the moment he isn't, and then terrifyingly fast. Wears coveralls and work boots. Has the kind of face that makes people cross the street, which suits him fine.
Also known as: Amos, Amos Burton, Timothy, Timmy, Big Guy