Name: John Dee
Species: heavily augmented true human. Less obviously cyborg than most, though, as was the fashion in Cyberenaissance. Augmentations for smaller technological tinkering, science and art.
Meritocratic: yes.
Description: Born in 1527, he was an occult advisor, arcane technician, astrologer, scholar and alchemist of Queen Elizabeth I. He was given an outstanding yet relatively uninteresting education, then quickly obtained royal sponsorship, allowing him to fill his hours with the pursuit of becoming that most diversely learned of creatures: the Renaissance Cyborg. Nearly two hundred and forty years old, his lifespan artificially enhanced not by cryogenics but by somewhat dubious nanotechnology, he is extremely well-read, interested in most aspects of computing and robotics, as well as philosophy, mathematics and all things occult. He wanders the cosmos, always looking for new knowledge, discoveries and the technologies that invariably follow, tinkering with this and observing that. He knows many secrets, but scorns power as soon as he accquires it.
Travelling light, if his immense repository of squirreled away knowledge and expertise is discounted, he survives on his intellect, with the help of his mechanical beetle, Pax, and the money garned from the odd bit of industrial espionage or"strictly educational" darkly occult computing. His beetle, controlled from a chip in his brain, via undetectable quantum communication, has an electronic interface, minature basic tools like welders or picks, as well as basic cameras, mikes, etc. He is equipped with a greater range of cybernetic tool implants, including the odd saw, lockpick, advanced camera, monofilament wire, rope and scanner.
He prefers to avoid combat, seeing it as beneath one as old and learned as he, preferring to talk or tinker his way out of situations, occassionally explosively.
Afilliation with Pirates: was curious about their life, wondered how they could be useful. Wanted to study them, and felt they might take him somewhere interesting. Currently a passenger on one of their ships, helping out here and there.
I'm not sure how much I can do for the cyberenaissance, but as far as I can tell, it's just a technologically advanced renaissance focussing on robots and cyborgs and machinery.