Character Relationship Map: NetForce

Characters

• Alex Michaels (played by Scott Bakula) — protagonist

  Deputy head and later acting Commander of the FBI's Netforce division. Leads the investigation and hunt for the antagonist after his mentor's assassination.

• Steve Day (played by Kris Kristofferson) — supporting

  Boss and mentor of Alex Michaels. His assassination serves as the inciting incident that propels the investigation.

• Will Stiles (played by Judge Reinhold) — minor

  Web pioneer and Januscorp owner suspected of orchestrating Steve Day's assassination. Plans to release a browser to hack and control the global internet.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Alex Michaels → Will Stiles (Professional Investigator) — Alex is the principal investigator pursuing Stiles.

  Alex Michaels leads Netforce's investigation into the evidence connecting Will Stiles to Steve Day's assassination.

• Alex Michaels → Steve Day (Professional Mentor) — Steve provides Alex with professional guidance before his death.

  Steve Day is identified as Alex Michaels's boss and mentor. His assassination becomes the incident that drives Alex's investigation.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Will Stiles → Steve Day (Conflict Suspected Assassin) — Stiles is suspected of orchestrating Steve's assassination.

  After Steve Day is assassinated, the evidence points to Will Stiles as the person connected to the killing.

Story Analysis

An FBI commander investigates his mentor's assassination while confronting a technology threat capable of controlling the Internet.

Plot Progression

1. A New Digital Force — The story establishes a 2005 world in which the FBI creates Netforce to investigate computer crime and police the Internet. Alex Michaels serves as deputy head under his boss and mentor, Steve Day.
2. The Assassination Trail — Steve Day is assassinated, transforming the institutional setup into a personal and investigative crisis. Evidence points toward Will Stiles, making the web pioneer the central suspect.
3. The Browser Threat — The investigation connects Stiles to Januscorp and a browser he plans to release. Its possible ability to hack any computer and control the Internet raises the stakes from murder to global security.
4. The Netforce Hunt — Alex is appointed acting Commander of Netforce after Steve's death. He leads the division in pursuing Stiles while confronting the danger posed by the planned browser.