Short Fiction · Character

Tommy Cole

A wandering handyman with a cart full of tools and a rumbling stomach, yanked out of his own century by a time-travel accident.

major

Also known as Thomas Cole, Cole

First appearance: second variety

As a major figure in Short Fiction, Tommy Cole is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The titular 'Variable Man,' a 20th-century repairman who is an unpredictable anomaly in a deterministic future.

In the storyThe Variable ManOpen this moment free

See Tommy Cole in The Variable Man Book page

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Cole survives by trading odd jobs — repairs, carpentry, sharpening — for meals and pocket money, drifting through a world where two silent dots crossing the sky make him uneasy. He has no stake in the future's wars or its machinery, only a craftsman's competence and a hunger that keeps him moving. His accidental arrival in a strange era turns a nobody into the one loose piece a powerful Commissioner cannot afford.

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The fuller portrait of Tommy Cole sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Tommy Cole in second variety

Character Web

16 connections

A slice of how Tommy Cole sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Friendship
Professional
Other

Character groups

Small town and alien conflict
Protagonist
Aliens and psychological experiments
Small town and sentient spaceship

+11 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Closing

This scene is the dramatic climax because it crystallizes the emotional chasm between Doris and Larry: Doris’s…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Peter Sherikov
friendship · positive
Peter Sherikov and Tommy Cole are close allies, with Tommy often acting as a loyal… How this plays out →
Security Commissioner Reinhart
professional · negative
Steven
friendship · positive
Peter Sherikov
friendship · positive
Peter Sherikov and Tommy Cole are close allies, with Tommy often acting as a loyal… How this plays out →
Security Commissioner Reinhart
professional · negative
Steven
friendship · positive
Peter Sherikov
friendship · positive
Peter Sherikov and Tommy Cole are close allies, with Tommy often acting as a loyal… How this plays out →
Security Commissioner Reinhart
professional · negative

Peter Sherikov
Peter Sherikov and Tommy Cole are close allies, with Tommy often acting as a loyal companion and confidant to Sherikov.
Security Commissioner Reinhart
Security Commissioner Reinhart interacts with Tommy Cole in an official capacity, likely as interrogator or overseer.
Steven
Steven and Tommy Cole are friends, sharing a supportive and loyal relationship.
Peter Sherikov
Peter Sherikov and Tommy Cole are close allies, with Tommy often acting as a loyal companion and confidant to Sherikov.
Security Commissioner Reinhart
Security Commissioner Reinhart interacts with Tommy Cole in an official capacity, likely as interrogator or overseer.
Steven
Steven and Tommy Cole are friends, sharing a supportive and loyal relationship.
Peter Sherikov
Peter Sherikov and Tommy Cole are close allies, with Tommy often acting as a loyal companion and confidant to Sherikov.
Security Commissioner Reinhart
Security Commissioner Reinhart interacts with Tommy Cole in an official capacity, likely as interrogator or overseer.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Tommy Cole in second variety

In the story

Tommy Cole appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Variable Man
The titular 'Variable Man,' a 20th-century repairman who is an unpredictable anomaly in a deterministic future.
II
A fixer from the past, transported to the future; tired, hungry, and trying to survive.
III
Cole is the variable man from the 20th century, captured by Sherikov and brought to the labs.
IV
The variable man; revealed to be alive and working on the bomb turret; captured and slated for euthanasia.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Tommy Cole unlock in the free preview.

See Tommy Cole in second variety

See Tommy Cole in The Variable Man