Noob's personal files: Difference between revisions

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A research analyst at Abstergo Entertainment obtained a number of personal and hacked files while assigned to relive Edward Kenway's genetic memories in 2013.^[1]

Messages[edit | edit source]

Main article: Noob's messages

Diary[edit | edit source]

Mission[edit | edit source]

Work diary - week 1

My first day at work, and I have been assigned to the most prestigious project in the company—the Sample 17 Project. My job is to research the life of the pirate Edward Kenway, and find promising footage for use in future Abstergo products.

Sample 17 executive producer, Melanie Lemay, is a passionate and energetic leader. And the company's CCO, Olivier Garneau, seems like a fun guy. I can't wait to settle in and get to work...

Work diary - week 2

Talked to Melanie Lemay about rewards and bonuses.

Visited Olivier Garneau in his office. He asked me to prioritize Edward's search for something called The Observatory.

Was contacted by "John from I.T." He asked me to access a colleague's computer and recover a video file for him.

I delivered this video file (a strange autopsy video) to a courier named Rebecca in the lobby.

I also noticed the barista here is a bit of a dandy...a bit annoying.

So far, so good. A really productive week!

Work diary - week 3

An unsettling week, to say the least! I logged out and received a message to meet Melanie near the elevator. Together we rode the elevator to Olivier's office, but he barred me from the meeting at the last minute.

While waiting, John contacted me again. He asked me to help him recalibrate some security cameras. This resulted in me spying on Olivier's phone meeting with Melanie by accident. They were on the phone with a woman named Laetitia—an Abstergo Entertainment executive by the sound of it.

Laetitia demanded that they intensify their search for the Observatory. Melanie tried to reassure her that this was happening. Olivier tried to contain his anger. But John, listening in, was ecstatic. The call concluded with a mention of a shareholders meeting in Chicago.

This is where things got weird. John erupted in a fit of rage and demanded that I break into Olivier's office to steal the shareholder's meeting schedule, threatening to expose me for hacking computers and camera systems if I did not. Having no other options, I sneaked into Olivier's office via the terrace, hacked his computer, and recovered the meeting schedule.

John ranted about Templars, claiming they "own Abstergo" and another group. He appears to be mentally ill.

Once again, I delivered the schedule to the woman, Rebecca, who appears to be more than a simple courier.

John seemed to calm down after this. He said I was free to return to work. I'm scared.

Work diary - week 4

When I logged out of my ANIMUS session, I discovered that I was no longer in my cubicle. Someone had transported me, while I was in the ANIMUS and vulnerable to a different location.

Melanie's face appeared on a nearby screen, and she told me I was in some sort of containment facility with some of my other colleagues. They were conducting an internal investigation and had moved us to here to keep an eye on. And for our own safety, supposedly. She seemed sympathetic, and advised me to keep up hope and try to get some work done.

Almost immediately after she logged off, John called. He was unperturbed by my predicament, but at least promised to help me clear my name. He unlocked the doors to my cell and sent me to sneak into the server room for the entire building. Melanie was in there for some reason, but John managed to get her out of the way.

The moment I hacked the server, an apparition appeared in front of me. She kept talking about it being too early, while at the same time, John kept losing his cool over the communicator. When she left, John left little doubt about what he had expected to happen here—he wanted this apparition to possess my body and was audibly enraged when that didn't happen.

In the end, I tried to seek refuge in my work. Perhaps Edward's memories and the secrets within could bring clarity to my present predicament.

Work diary - week 5

John tried to kill me. I awoke with him looming over me like an old snake. He looked oddly familiar at first, and when he spoke, I knew why right away: he was the spitting image of Bartholomew Roberts. He ranted for a time about his Beloved—the specter from the server room I assume—and about how he was a reborn figure of some sort. Before he could elaborate further however, Abstergo security guards were upon him. John resisted and they shot him dead.

Melanie apologized profusely for my detainment, and thanked me for my work. I think I believe her. She has always struck me as sincere...

Shaken by the whole experience, I wanted only to go home... but I was soon contacted by the courier and the barista from a few weeks earlier. My instincts about them proved correct. They seem to belong to this "Assassin" collective, and they encouraged me to continue hacking Abstergo's servers. With the security level I have now, it is doubtful I will ever be caught again. Not any time soon anyway. I'm not sure what to do next... Quit my job? Or press forward. There is still so much work to do...

Quests[edit | edit source]

These strange notes contain the ravings of a rather fanatical individual. And when arranged in the right sequence, they reveal a bizarre symbol of some kind. Religious perhaps? Something else?

Much thanks for all your hard work, friend. We know it wasn't easy. Hasn't been for us either. Losing Desmond was a terrible blow, and we've needed the past year just to get back on our feet. But we're standing, and ready to jump. Everything you acquired here, everything you sent us, will be useful in some way. Don't wonder about that. So for now, keep your head down and your eyes on the task ahead. We may come calling soon... Hope you'll be ready. All the best, —Bill.

Files[edit | edit source]

Employee Passport[edit | edit source]

WELCOME TO THE TEAM
Congratulations on making the bold step towards the best years of your career!

Abstergo Entertainment has a fresh outlook and a unique way of working.

With so many possibilities for growth, it can be overwhelming at first. But we're here to help you get settled in and down to work... the work of following your dreams!

A NEW KIND OF ENTERTAINMENT
Inspiration strikes at unexpected times, in unusual places.

We got our start as the entertainment division of a technology company, Abstergo Industries, where research into genetic memory (more on that, later!) led to captivating, enthralling surprises.

Today, with a wide range of transmedia offerings, from games to books, films and comics, we're more than just an entertainment company. We like to think of ourselves as a history company, built on science. Now those are some good genes!

TIME TO INNOVATE
1937: Abstergo Industries is founded with the ambitious objective of making the best results of scientific progress available to humanity, widely, accessibly and responsibly.

1940: Abstergo Industries is an early supporter of workers' unions. Our relationship with our employees is even closer and stronger today in all of our subsidiaries, including Abstergo Entertainment.

1944-1970: Recognizing its responsibility to create opportunity and stability for its people—and all people, Abstergo Industries takes the role of global leader, aiding the establishment of the World Bank and NASA, among many defining initiatives of the 20th century.

1978: The first Animus device is created and the discipline of DNA Memory Research is born.

2009: After twenty-five years of meticulous testing, DNA Memory is ready for public consumption. Abstergo Industries launches a pilot Entertainment Division to produce experimental features for entertainment markets.

2010: The prototypical Abstergo Industries Entertainment Division issues its first release: Project Legacy. The social media phenomenon dazzles audiences by allowing them to relieve genetic memories of historical figures and little known heroes of the past.

2011: Via its growing Entertainment division, Abstergo Entertainment tests a new multiplayer simulation of historically-inspired entertainment gyms. The experiment is embraced by a competitive new generation of gamers eager to outdo one another.

2012: In collaboration with major videogame publisher Ubisoft, Abstergo Entertainment's Assassin's Creed III: Liberation [sic] is released, and for the first time, the public hears the story of Aveline de Grandpré, a fallen Assassin who rediscovers the light with the help of the Templar Order. A modern classic is born.

2013: Ground is broken on Abstergo Entertainment's new headquarters in Montreal, Québec, Canada. Home to gourmet cuisine, great shopping and a vibrant local culture, Montreal blends old world charm with new world energy: the perfect balance for our entertaining, historical, scientific, innovative, company.

THE PRESENT AND BEYOND: YOU join our team. A star is born. The future looks brighter than ever.

YOUR ROLE
CONSTELLATION OF TEAMWORK
We go out of our way to recruit the most talented people from all walks of life—innovators, producers, good listeners who always seem to know what we need a moment before we do.

You should feel at home in your Animus Workstation to explore history with the thoroughness you crave—and we expect! Who knows, maybe you'll uncover a past technology to the benefit of future generations, unearth evidence of a secret society, break a few codes, or make an outstanding connection between mysterious documents.

This could be the beginning of something beautiful. Or shocking. Or evocative. It's all there in history, and the secrets of humanity are at your disposal, thanks to genetic memories we put in your hands.

FITTING IN
At Abstergo Entertainment, we understand the power of knowing where you belong. That's why we've designed an ironclad hierarchy that leaves the organization to us, so you can do what you do best: research and create to your heart's content. No need to worry about getting ahead; we'll take care of that for you!

PRACTICALLY SPEAKING
You've explored all the menus in your personal communicator, and you can almost find your desk without checking the map. Just a few things to keep in mind, to ensure your first week is a success.

HOURS
Your work hours are from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, but feel free to start as late as 10:00, and don't be surprised if you get so absorbed in history, you sometimes forget to go home!

VACATIONS
Everyone needs a breather once in a while. Your first week off will come after 3000 hours in the Animus or a year at Abstergo Entertainment—whichever comes first. It's going to fly by!

PRACTICALLY SPEAKING... cont'd

BENEFITS
We have the best life insurance plan in the business, and that's just the start!

FOOD AND COMMON AREAS
You'll find everything you need for a healthy, energized work life right at your fingertips. Check the atrium for everything from fresh sushi, to organic, direct trade coffee. Yum!

BUILDING SECURITY
Your communicator will give you access to the areas you need.

DIVERSITY AND GENDER EQUALITY
Abstergo Industries and Abstergo Entertainment recognizes the fundamental benefit to humanity of striving to include the best minds from around the world and across society. If you have ideas for reaching and engaging new contributors from under-represented segments, you are encouraged to contact HR.

NON-DISCLOSURE
You are free to trumpet your enthusiasm and loyalty to Abstergo Entertainment on social media. Heck, shout it from a rooftop if you need to.

But remember, unless specified, the following information must not be shared: Project details, their titles, launch dates, themes, characters, settings, and all other identifying traits, the physical layout of Abstergo Entertainment and Abstergo Industries campuses, and the makeup of teams, including immediate colleagues supervisors, reports, and their project status, mentions of any technologies, partners, affiliates, retailers, wholesalers, and allusions to the details of sales reports or bonus structures, must not be shared. For the protection of marketing and media schedules and potential loss of data, employees are encouraged not to travel with work, but in cases where it cannot be avoided, are advised to use laptops, tablets and communicators only in approved Abstergo hotels and meeting rooms, never in public or in un-vetted spaces.

DNA MEMORY: HOW IT WORKS

No one really knows. (Just kidding. It's a safe and well-documented process.)

Steps:
1- Acquisition
2- Extraction
3- Exploration
4- Editing

What some call animal instinct, Dr. Warren Vidic termed Genetic Memory. Locked within our DNA are records of our ancestor's lives.

The Animus is a device that renders genetic memories in three dimensions. It's a window to the past that allows you to experience history, but not change it. That happens later, in editing!

Once, we were bound to explore only the genetic memories of our own ancestors, but today it's possible to research within the memories of any ancestor for whom Abstergo Entertainment holds a viable sample for extraction. And all with negligible side-effects.

Note: genetic memory records for a given ancestor end at the moment of conception, when genetic material is passed on.

BUILDING PLAN

Abstergo Entertainment[edit | edit source]

"Devils of the Caribbean" Teaser

A teaser trailer for Abstergo Entertainment's forthcoming blockbuster film.

Voiceover: In a world... where pirates rule the waves... These men will discover... that Nothing is sacred, and everyone is committed... To Rum... Plunder... And women! Hola Ladies... This summer, Abstergo Entertainment invites you aboard for the Adventure of a lifetime... So sharpen your cutlasses, shine your hooks, and sail with the "Devils of the Caribbean!" This Virtual Experience has not been rated.

Age of Cutthroats

A useful primer on the brutal history of Caribbean pirates.

Voiceover: The dawn of the deadly eighteenth century. Rogues and sailors band together to live their lives by the sword. With no laws, or morals, no gods and no fear, only: Betrayal. Mutiny. Cruelty. And Debauchery. There is plunder to be found on golden beaches. Will you risk your life and soul to fight pirates of nightmares: Benjamin Hornigold. Calico Jack. Charles Vane. And Blackbeard?

From The Journals Of Edward James Kenway

Chapter 3...In which I meet my future wife, Miss Caroline Scott

Chapter Three

She was in the Auld Shillelagh, a tavern halfway between Hatherton and Bristol, which was a regular haunt of mine and sometimes, in the summer when Mother and Father toiled over the shearing at home, when I'd make more frequent trips into town, it was regular to the tune of several times a day.

I admit I hadn't taken much notice of her at first, which was unusual for me because I liked to pride myself on knowing the exact location of any pretty woman nearabouts, and besides, the Shillelagh wasn't the sort of place you expected to find a pretty woman. A woman, yes. A certain type of woman. But this girl I could see wasn't like that: she was young, about my age, and she wore a white linen coif and a smock. Looked to me like a domestic.

But it wasn't her clothes that drew my attention. It was the loudness of her voice, which you'd have to say was in complete contrast to the way she looked. She was sitting with three men, all of them older than her, who I recognized at once: Tom Cobleigh, his son Seth, and Julian somebody, whose surname escaped me, but who worked with them: three men with whom I had traded words if not blows before—the kind who looked down their noses at me because they thought I looked down my nose at them, who liked me no more than I liked them, which was not a lot. They were sat forward on their stools and watching this young girl with leering, wolfish eyes that betrayed a darker purpose even though they were all smiles, thumping on the table, encouraging her as she drank dry a flagon of ale.

No, she did not look like one of the women who usually frequented the tavern, but it seemed she was determined to act like one of them. The flagon was about as big as she was, and as she wiped her hand across her mouth and hammered it to the table, the men responded with cheers, shouting for another one and no doubt pleased to see her wobble slightly on her stool. Probably couldn't believe their luck. Pretty little thing like that.

I watched as they let the girl drink yet more ale with the same tumult accompanying her success, then as she did the same as before, and wiped her hand across her mouth, but with an even more pronounced wobble this time, a look passed between them. A look that seemed to say, 'The Job Is Done.'

Tom and Julian stood, and they began, in their words, to 'escort' her to the door, because, 'You've had too much to drink, my lovely, let's get you home, shall we?'

'To bed,' smirked Seth, thinking he was saying it under his breath even though the whole tavern heard him. 'Let's be getting you to bed.'

I passed a look to the barman, who dropped his eyes and used his apron to blow his nose. A customer sat down the bar from me turned away. Bastards. Might as well have looked to the cat for help, I thought; then with a sigh I banged down my tankard, stepped off my stool and followed the Cobleighs into the road outside.

I blinked as I stepped from the darkness of the tavern into bright sunlight. My cart was there, roasting in the sun; beside it another one that I took to belong to the Cobleighs. On the other side of the road was a yard with a house set far back, but no sign of a farmer. We were alone on the highway: just me, the two Cobleighs, Julian and the girl, of course.

'Well, Tom Cobleigh,' I said, 'the things you see on a fine afternoon. Things like you and your cronies getting drunk and getting a poor defenseless young woman even drunker.'

The girl sagged as Tom Cobleigh let go her arm and turned to address me, his finger already raised.

'Now just you stay out of this, Edward Kenway, you young good-for-nothing. You're as drunk as I am and yer morals just as loose. I don't need to be given a talking to by the likes of you.'

Seth and Julian had turned as well. The girl was glazed over, like her mind had gone to sleep even if her body was still awake.

'Well,' I smiled, 'loose morals I might have, Tom Cobleigh, but I don't need to pour ale down a girl's throat before taking her to bed, and I certainly don't need two others to help me at the task.'

Tom Cobleigh reddened. 'Why, you cheeky little bastard, you. I'm going to put her on my cart is what I'm going to do, and take her home.'

'I have no doubt that you intend to put her on your cart and take her home. It's what you plan to do between putting her on the cart and reaching home that concerns me.'

'That concerns you, does it? A broken nose and a couple of broken ribs will be concerning you unless you mind your own bloody business.'

Squinting, I glanced at the highway, where trees bordering the dirt track shone gold and green in the sun, and in the distance was a lone figure on a horse, shimmering and indistinct.

I took a step forward, and if there had been any warmth or humor in my manner, then it disappeared, almost of its own accord. There was a steeliness in my voice when I next spoke.

'Now you just leave that girl alone, Tom Cobleigh, or I won't be responsible for my actions.'

The three men looked at one another. In a way they'd done as I asked. They'd let go of the girl, and she seemed almost relieved to slide to her haunches, placing one hand on the ground and looking at us all with bleary eyes, evidently oblivious to all this being discussed on her behalf.

Meanwhile I looked at the Cobleighs and weighed up the odds. Had I ever fought three at once? Well, no. Because if you were fighting three at once, then you weren't so much fighting as getting beaten up. But come on, Edward Kenway, I told myself. Yes, on the one hand it was three men, but one of them was Tom Cobleigh, who was no spring chicken, about my father's age. Another one was Seth Cobleigh, who was Tom Cobleigh's son. If you can imagine the kind of person who would help his father get a young girl drunk, well, then you can imagine that sort of person Seth Cobleigh was, which was to say a maggoty, underhand type, more likely to run away from a fight with wet breeches than stand his ground. And what's more, they were drunk.

On the other hand I was drunk too. Plus they had Julian who, going on looks alone, could handle himself.

But I had another idea. That lone rider I could see in the distance. If I could just hold off the Cobleighs until he arrived, the odds were likely to shift back in my favor. After all, if he was of good character, the lone rider was bound to stop and help me out.

'Well, Tom,' I said, 'you got the advantage over me, that's obvious for anyone to see, but, you know, I just wouldn't be able to look my mother in the eye knowing I'd let you and your cronies abduct this pretty young thing.'

I glanced up the road to where that lone rider was getting closer. Come on then, I thought. Don't hang about.

'So,' I continued, 'even if you end up leaving me in a bloody heap by the side of this here road, and carry that young lassie off anyway, I'm going to have to do all that I can to make it as difficult for you as possible. And perhaps see to it that you go on your way with a black eye and maybe a pair of throbbing bollocks for your troubles.'

Tom Cobleigh spat, then peered at me through wizened, slitty eyes. 'That's it then, is it? Well are you just going to stand there talking about it all day, or are you going to attend to your task? Because time waits for no man...' He grinned an evil grin. 'I've got people to see, things to do.'

'Aye, that's right, and the longer you leave it, the more chance that poor Lassie has of sobering up, eh?'

'I don't mind telling you, I'm getting tired of all this talk, Kenway.' He turned to Julian. 'How about we teach this little bastard a lesson? Oh, and one more thing before we start, Master Kenway. You ain't fit to shine your mother's shoes, you understand?'

That hit me hard, I don't mind admitting. Having someone like Tom Cobleigh, who had all the morals of a frothing dog and about half the intelligence, able to reach into my soul as if my guilt were an open wound, then stick his thumb in that open wound and cause me even more pain, well, it certainly firmed up my resolve, if nothing else.

Julian pushed his chest forward and with a snarl advanced. Two steps away from me he raised his fists, dipped his right shoulder and swung. I don't know who Julian was used to fighting outside taverns, but somebody with less experience than me, that's for sure, because I'd already taken note of the fact that he was right-handed, and he couldn't have made his intentions more obvious if he'd tried.

The dirt rose in clouds around my feet as I dodged easily and brought my own right up sharply. He shouted in pain as I caught him under the jaw. If it had just been him, the battle would have been won, but Tom Cobleigh was already upon me. From the corner of my eye I saw him but was too late to react and next thing you know I was dazed by knuckles that slammed into my temple.

I staggered slightly as I swung to meet the attack, and my fists were swinging much more wildly than I'd have liked. I was hoping to land a lucky blow, needing to put at least one of the men down to even up the numbers. But none of my punches made contact as Tom retreated, plus Julian had recovered from my first strike with alarming speed and came at me again.

His right came up and connected with my chin, spinning me about so that I almost lost my balance. My hat span off, my hair was in my eyes and I was in disarray. And guess who came in with his boots kicking? That worm Seth Cobleigh, shouting encouragement to his father and Julian at the same time. The little bastard was lucky. His boot caught me in the midriff and, already off balance, I lost my footing. And fell.

The worst thing you can do in a fight is fall. Once you fall it's over. Through their legs I saw the lone rider up the highway, who had become my only chance at salvation, possibly my only hope of getting out of this alive. But what I saw made my heart sink. Not a man on a horse, a tradesman who would dismount and come rushing to my aid. No, the lone rider was a woman. She was riding astride the horse, not side-saddle, but despite that you could see she was a lady. She wore a bonnet and a light-colored summer dress, and the last thing I thought, before the Cobleigh boots obscured my view and the kicks came raining in, was that she was beautiful.

So what, though? Good looks weren't going to save me at that moment.

'Hey,' I heard. 'You three men. Stop what you're doing right now.'

They turned to look up at her and removed their hats, shuffling in line to hide the sight of me, who lay coughing on the ground.

'What is going on here?' she demanded to know. From the sound of her voice I could tell she was young and while not high-born, definitely well-bred—too well-bred, surely, to be riding unaccompanied?

'We were just teaching this young man here some manners,' rasped Tom Cobleigh, out of breath. Exhausting business, it was, kicking me half to death.

'Well it doesn't take three of you to do that, does it?' she replied. I could see her then, twice as beautiful as I'd first thought, as she glowered at the Cobleighs and Julian, who for their part looked thoroughly mollified.

She dismounted. 'More to the point, what are you doing with this young lady here?' She indicated the girl, who still sat dazed and drunk on the ground.

'Oh, ma'am, begging your pardon, ma'am, but this is a young friend of ours who has had too much to drink,' Seth said.

The lady darkened. 'She is most certainly not your young friend, she is a maidservant, and if I don't get her back home before my mother discovers she's absconded, then she will be an unemployed maidservant.'

She looked pointedly from one man to the next. 'I know you men, and I think I understand exactly what has been going on here. Now, you will leave this young man alone and be on your way before I am of a mind to take this further.'

With much bowing and scraping, Julian and the Cobleighs clambered aboard their cart and were soon gone. Meanwhile the woman knelt to speak to me. Her voice had changed. She was softly spoken now and I heard concern. 'My name is Caroline Scott, my family lives on Hawkins Lane in Bristol, let me take you back there and tend to your wounds.'

'I cannot, my lady,' I said, sitting up and trying to manage a grin. 'I have work to do.'

She stood, frowning. 'I see. Did I assess the situation correctly?'

I picked up my hat and began to brush the dirt from it. It was even more battered. 'You did, my lady.'

'Then I owe you my thanks and so will Rose when she sobers up. She's a willful girl, not always the easiest of staff, but nevertheless, I don't want to see her suffer for her impetuousness.'

She was an angel, I decided then, and as I helped them mount the horse, Caroline holding on to Rose, who lolled drunkenly over the neck of the horse, I had a sudden thought.

'Can I see you again, my lady? To thank you properly when I look a little more presentable, perhaps?'

She gave me a regretful look. 'I fear my father would not approve,' she said, and with that shook the reins and left.

That night I sat beneath the thatch of our cottage, gazing out over the pastures that rolled away from the farm as the sun went down. Usually my thoughts would be of escaping my future.

That night I thought of Caroline. Caroline Scott of Hawkins Lane.

CONFIDENTIAL - Subject - RE: Potential time periods?

An archived set of emailed messages between top Abstergo Entertainment executives.

From:	Olivier Garneau
To:	Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
Date/Time:	6 nov 2013 09:46
Subject:	Possible Locations...?
Salut! As most of you know, I'll be attending the Chicago shareholders meeting from the 15th to the 17th, and they'll want to see our progress with the Kenway line. The small amount of data we have already gathered is incredible, and we anticipate even more amazing finds in the near future. The events and people we have seen so far make us confident that the complete experience will be one of the most eye-opening explorations of piracy ever seen. It will take quite a bit of work to scrub the data of objectionable and classified material, but we already have some incredibly promising footage. At the same time, Abstergo Entertainment will soon be announcing a closed beta for our new "consumer cloud-interface app" (sexy name forthcoming). Edward Kenway's "virtual pirate experience" will be the first complete product on offer, and the first of its kind anywhere: an immersive, interactive pirate experience drawn from historical data. Internal tests of our consumer cloud app have been encouraging, and we anticipate it will be ready in time for the next holiday season if everything goes according to plan. So this leads us to a broader question: what other experiences would we like to offer? What other historical periods and locations can we explore? Judging by our current rate of data retrieval, our capacity to produce, and our understanding of consumption trends... executives at Abstergo Industries have given me the goal of producing one complete virtual experience per annum, in addition to smaller offerings... as our research allows (this includes books, recordings, films, and any other trans-media offerings). A second, related question is this: does Sample 17 contain enough compelling data to sustain our current commitment to it, or should we make a request to Abstergo Industries for additional archived data... remember that data from Sample 1 proved fruitful enough to create our "Liberation" product. It is very likely that research into Samples 2 through 16 would bear surprising fruits as well. Thoughts? -------------- Olivier Garneau Chief Creative Officer Abstergo Entertainment

From:	Melanie Lemay
To:	Olivier Garneau; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
Date/Time:	6 Nov 2013 10:01
Subject:	RE: Possible Locations...?
Hello all! Thanks for opening this discussion, Olivier. Just a brief heads-up with where we stand now: I've been the Sample 17 project director for just over a year now, and my team and I have been able to cobble together a rough list of the most interesting time periods available to us through this single genetic sample. Remember this is data that has already been FULLY or PARTIALLY sequenced by Abstergo Industries. I'll try to be brief... Patrilineal Line: Fifteenth Century – Italian Renaissance Sixteenth Century – Ottoman Empire Eighteenth Century – American Colonies / War for Independence Nineteenth Century – New England and American Midwest Matrilineal Line: Twelfth Century – Holy Land / Crusades Thirteenth Century – Egypt and Northern Africa Fourteenth Century – Ashikaga Shogunate in Japan Eighteenth Century – French Revolution Nineteenth Century – Napoleonic wars; Taiwan Twentieth Century – "Summer of Love" American Pacific Coast [Imageneed here] Obviously this is just a small sample of the potential options. The number of ancestors any one person has is well above thirty-thousand after just fifteen generations... so there could be many more surprises waiting for us within Sample 17. However, despite Sample 17s rich heritage, we should not limit ourselves to this alone if we have concrete leads elsewhere. For instance, quite a few men from all sides of my family fought in both World Wars, and I even have a great-great-grandfather who fought in the American Civil War. Managed to meet President Lincoln a few times too. Going this route is a little more costly and time consuming, since the data has not already been sequenced. But it could be rewarding in the long-run. In short, if anyone has any confirmed connections to interesting historical events, periods, or cities—or knows of people who do—please share! I will also be reviewing the past 3 decades of samples collected and sequenced by Abstergo Industries. I recently learned that one of their Samples—number 2, I believe—participated in the trial of Jeanne D'Arc. So there's a nice lead right here. MEL Melany Lemay Project Coordinator * Sample 17

From:	Olivier Garneau
To:	Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
Date/Time:	6 nov 2013 10:41
Subject:	RE: Possible Locations...?
All good points, Mel. A word of caution, though: Sample 2 comes from the late Dr. Warren Vidic himself, collected at some point in the early 80s when he was a young engineer working at Abstergo Industries. So, as tempting as a "Jeanne D'Arc experience" sounds, I'm not sure Abstergo Industries would be too keen on letting us rummage around in Dr. Vidic's DNA. It's just a sensitive topic. For my own part: I'm related to François-Xavier Garneau, noted Quebecois historian and Poet. Exciting right? A possible lead? ;) One additional caveat: Let's avoid digging into any modern periods (i.e. 20th century) unless we find something incredibly compelling. Because, as fun as a World War Two setting might sound, we'd do well to avoid any settings with vehicles: cars, motorcycles, helicopters, tanks, etc. Why? you may ask. Because our research has shown that "memory imprinting" in individuals is actually hampered by the semi-catatonic state most people enter when driving for medium and long periods of time... and this makes data retrieval somewhat more difficult. In short, we don't want to go through the effort of coding extra Animus features just for the sake of digging up memories of people driving around in cars. There are other and more efficient ways to experience that... OG

From:	Kloé Lesney
To:	Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
Date/Time:	6 nov 2013 11:24
Subject:	RE: Possible Locations...?
Olivier – Haha. Quebec City IS beautiful. But without Pirates, Ninjas, or Zombies, I'm not sure how well a story about a historian would sell. :) Also keep in mind: Samples 4 and 16 might be off limits too. While doing my own research last month, I caught wind of some exciting characters buried in these gene samples. But as soon as I started digging, I was told by people far, far above me to stop. Very odd, but not surprising I suppose. AE has a lot of active military contracts, and I assume these had something to do with that. I didn't push back. As far as my own if anyone is interested, my great-grandfather was friends with Hemmingway and Stein and Satie and Picasso when he lived in Paris in the 1920s. No action-packed adventures there, but historically interesting. Just throwing it out there. PS: Chris, is our lunch meeting on-site or off?

From:	Olivier Garneau
To:	Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
Date/Time:	6 nov 2013 11:38
Subject:	RE: Possible Locations...?
Yes, as much as I love the "Lost Generation"... I think our first few virtual experiences will need to be a little more action-oriented. So wars and major combat operations are always a good starting point. Or, any periods of intense conflict, really... As for Pirates Ninjas and Zombies... we could easily accommodate the first two, but Zombies are a bit... how do you say?... ahistorical? Too bad, really...

From:	Christopher Darby
To:	Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Evan Dean
Date/Time:	6 nov 2013 11:54
Subject:	RE: Possible Locations...?
My great grandmother, for instance, worked alongside Eamon De Valera and Michael Collins for many years during the Irish war for independence, so it wouldn't be difficult to sequence that small segment of my own genetic memories for our purposes. Olivier – Actually, there IS a factual basis for Zombies. Or Zombification anyway. Read Hurston's book on Haiti, and the strange voodoo practiced there. It may not be Hollywood style Zombie magic, but it's creepy nonetheless. In Liberation, Aveline came into contact with Voodoo Houngans. If we dug further into that, I wonder what we could find? Her mentor, Agaté, was into some weird stuff. KL: Offsite... there's a new vegetarian place I want to try. I'll bring the spec sheets; they're already printed.

From:	Kama Neron
To:	Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
Date/Time:	6 nov 2013 15:46
Subject:	RE: Possible Locations...?
Sorry to be a dissenter, but couldn't we be using this technology to educate, not placate? I mean... theoretically we have all of human history to explore—all of our achievements and brightest moments. So it's a little disheartening to hear we need to focus on wars, and conflicts, and violence... It's not that I am against violence, per se. It's just that violence isn't terribly INTERESTING in bulk. That's all. There's so much more nuance to life and I think we could explore that. So what if we found the memories of someone who worked with Albert Einstein in his patent office? Or Charles Darwin on the Beagle? Or Marie Curie in France? Moments where humans showed their very best potential?

From:	Evan Dean
To:	Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby
Date/Time:	7 nov 2013 21:33
Subject:	RE: Possible Locations...?
Okay, come on. Until oily, humorless university professors start paying us eight-figure fees to research the "reification of normative gender signifiers in pre-colonial India" why don't we STICK TO SHIT THAT SELLS? I'm talking Jack the Ripper in Victorian London. I'm talking about guillotines, Robespierre and Napoleon Bonaparte in the French Revolution? I'm talking about Billy the Kidd [sic] and Wyatt Earp in the Wild American West. I'm talking about Ghengis Kahn [sic] and the Mongols killing a city of millions in the span of a long, summer weekend. Action. Blood. Adventure. CONFLICT. Because we're not going to earn back 1/10th of the money we have poured into this reliving the memories of the guy who sat next to Einstein as he bit his nails while working out the finer details of General Relativity in his head. For F**k's sake man. This is a business, not a group therapy session.

From:	Olivier Garneau
To:	Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
Date/Time:	7 nov 2013 09:46
Subject:	RE: Possible Locations...?
Evan, let's take this offline. OG

Security Systems Presentation

An introductory presentation from a renowned North American security firm.

"Olivier—here's the initial presentation I received. It's a little bit light on facts, but these guys know what they're doing. We'll know more then they arrive Monday. Let me know if you feel like attending—JOHN"

Why Not? Why Wait? Why Blume?

As the world's foremost innovator of high-tech, high-performance communications and security technology, BLUME stands poised to reshape the way we think about Information Security Architecture (ISA).

Specializing in everything from mobile telephony, to home computers, to digital imaging processors, to netowrked scrurity systems, we take great pride in the fact that we helped to create most of the markets we now dominate.

And nowhere is our expertise more apparent than in our flagship product, "ctOS"—a ground-breaking proprietary security-sofware operating system.

So what is ctOS?

– CONFIDENTIAL: "Privacy is security."
– INTEGRAL: "How did we ever do business without it?"
– ACCESSIBLE: "The touch of a button!"
– AVAILABLE: "We're everywhere...all the time."
– STABLE: "It just WORKS."

Simply put, ctOS is the most stable and user-friendly software security-controller ever devised. Can ABSTERGO afford to pass up perfection?

The ctOS DREAM. The BLUME PROMISE.

A dozen cities...one hundred major corporations...one thousand small businesses. For almost a decade, ctOS has served its clients' need with a track record unparalleled in the modern-age.

HOW do we do it?

– Durable, ultra-lite HD cameras.
– Ultra-speed fiber-optic networking.
– Proprietary facial recognition software.
– Multiple fail-safe data-centers.
– Cloud-compatible intelligence sharing
– 24-hour customer support and service.

In short, we have everything ABSTERGO needs to protect its unique Intellectual Property...and more.

ctOS

"The FUTURE is in BLUME."

We look forward to working with you.

CONFIDENTIAL - Chat Log

Saved chat log between Melanie Lemay and Olivier Garneau.

CHAT ARCHIVE: EVERYBODY'S WORKING ON THE WEEKEND

Olivier: I need your guys to get me everything in the observatory by the end of Friday at the latest. Can you do it?

Mel: No! Are you crazy? We don't even know where it is yet. And Friday's a holiday.

Olivier: A holiday? Really? Do your people realize that working here is a privilege? If they care about their jobs, they'll come in, and it will be an honor.

Olivier: And no, I'm not crazy. I'm getting a lot of heat from Laetitia. If we don't it done, she'll take it out on Devils and ALL our work will be lost.

Mel: Ugh. Does she even know how anything works here?

Olivier: She has her own pressures.

Mel: I realize that, but we're already working overtime.

Mel: And when are we going to discuss how the plot of Devils has to change to accommodate this observatory business? How am I going to sell this?

Olivier: You're not going to. It's too sensitive.

Mel: So We're just collecting the memories for NO REASON?

Olivier: Not for no reason. Laetitia will use them.

Mel: This is ridiculous. You want us to devote our lives to finding information we're not allowed to develop, or understand, or use in any way. It won't help sales, and my people will never see their work rewarded in public. How am I supposed to motivate them?

Olivier: I don't know. Get them breakfast. Pain and chocolate. Coffee. Pretend to "sneak in" some coffee liqueur. A little beer with lunch. Feed them. They'll forgive you.

Mel: Again? They're not going to keep falling for this.

Olivier: Yes they will. Bread and circuses. Look it up. It's a thing.

Mel: Come on. Be Serious.

Olivier: I am being serious. Remember: none of this comes from me. Laetitia needs what she needs. If you want the project to continue, we have to keep her happy.

Olivier: The Observatory doesn't have anything to do with pirates anyway. It would only complicate things. Take the focus off the action.

Mel: But it's fascinating. I realize it's more mature and complex (I can't believe I'm the one arguing this...) but we are CRAZY not to use it.

Mel: Imagine: we could be selling to pirate fans AND conspiracy theorists all at the same time. The potential for market growth is HUGE.

Olivier: We cannot use it, so please stop asking.

Mel: This is insane.

Olivier: As you already know, Melanie, this company is a subsidiary of Abstergo Industries, and Abstergo Industries has a different culture, They are hierarchical and rule driven. We may not always like it, but if we want to advance in this company, we have to be careful.

Mel: You're protecting her.

Olivier: I'm protecting *you.* I know we have our arguments from time to time, but I know you care deeply about our work, and I don't want you to get yourself ejected from conversation. We need you.

Olivier: Do you understand?

Mel: Yeah, I get it. "Pick my battles." It's common sense. I don't know why this one thing is bothering me so much right now. I'm just tired.

Olivier: So I don't need to find someone else to help me?

Mel: No. We'll get it done. Somehow.

Olivier: I will personally bring the coffee liqueur for breakfast.

Mel: Lol. Thanks. I'll find some way to get them excited about it in the meantime.

Olivier: If it makes feel better, I can tell you a secret...

Mel: What?! :-D

Olivier: If we are successful with the Observatory, Abstergo may develop a Las Vegas attraction to accompany the release of Devils.

Mel: WHAT-WHAT???!!!

Olivier: They're looking into a partnership with those aquatic circus people you like. Imagine celebrating with the whole team, at a live-action gladiator show—Assassins vs. Templars vs. Sharks.

Mel: Whoa. I am in awe. How do you come up with this stuff?

Olivier: Oh, I have all kinds of little things saved in files here and there. I always thinks I'll get around to doing something with them in a quiet moment.

Mel: But there are never quiet moments.

Mel: Oh well, You'll retire some day.

Olivier: Not if I'm lucky.

Mel: Me neither ;-)

"Hidden Secrets" Ad Concept

First-pass storyboard concept for a new AE blood donor program. Approval pending.

How many ancestors do you have? How many of their secrets are locked away in your genes? And how many of their stories are you willing to share with the rest of us?

Welcome to the fascinating world of genetic memory retrieval.

We here at Abstergo Entertainment are now poised at the precipice of this exciting new frontier—technology and science that will change the way we view the past, and live the future.

In the coming year, we'll be opening studios all across the world dedicated to a single purpose: collecting and archiving the stories locked away in human DNA.

And we need your help. We're looking for courageous men and women to donate their genetic materials to our Historical Research teams and help us re-make history.

So join us, Abstergo Entertainment...where the Past is our Playground.

Abstergo Industries[edit | edit source]

Early Animus Prototypes

A rare glimpse at the earliest examples of genetic memory retrieval technology.

THE MEMORIUM S-2000 ABS LOG

ANIMUS MS-3000 ABS-M LOG

ABSTERGO INDUSTRIES ANIMUS 1.45S

POWERED BY Abstergo Industries

"Divine Science" Video

Unreleased video from Project Legacy.

Voiceover: We're attempting to synchronize the DDS system. This will only take a moment. We are almost there. The DDS is now in sync. Thank you for your patience. We hope you enjoy your experience.

Rudolf the second invited many notable figures to his court, making Prague the center of European culture. Among them were Englishman Edward Kelley and his step-daughter Elizabeth Jane Weston. Observe her and report any alleged collusion.

Crypto-History: Artifacts

Notable artifacts deserving closer investigation.

Antikythera Mechanism

Originally assumed to be an analog computing device built for the purposes of determining the future positions of astral bodies, Abstergo Industries scientists have recently discovered that the Antikythera mechanism is merely one small portion of a much larger tool: a so-called "prognostication machine" thought to have been used by the First Civilization to make probability-based predictions of future events. It has been confirmed, for instance, that our precursor race used such a device in conjunction with their inherent precognitive abilities to locate and contact Mr. Desmond Miles, the source of the Sample 17 strand, for purposes that shall remain classified. It is also known that, due to the nature of these "quantum probability measurements," that such machines would have been exceedingly difficult to use, and that many hundreds of thousands of trials would have been needed to "peek" such great distances into the future.

Baghdad Battery

A mystery that has puzzled scientists for decades, the Baghdad battery's ultimate secret has finally been discovered. This year, researchers at Abstergo Industries determined that these batteries contained, at one time, a synthetic precursor element capable of producing power by harnessing energy generated by the passage of time. Eerily similar to what theoretical physicists have called "Time Crystals", this unknown crystalline material was able to generate tiny but unlimited levels of energy simply by siphoning energy from the passage of time itself. Though minute, the resulting power was likely enough to power a small LED... resulting in a humble but incredibly efficient means of producing light. To date, a functioning precursor "Time Crystal" has not been located.

Blood Vials

Little is known about the function of these blood vials, though dozens have been found since Abstergo took an interest in their recovery at some point in the late 1980s. To date, only three have been found with their original contents intact, and of these, only one contained a confirmed sample of precursor DNA. Abstergo Industries executives have expressed a particular interest in locating more Precursor DNA and, if possible, samples of our so-called "Mitochondrial Eve." As far fetched as this sounds, please take special care to identify any vials you might stumble upon in a memory replay.

Unfortunately, as the average half-life of DNA is a mere 500 years, any sample old enough to belong to either source—80,000 years or more—will have degraded well beyond usefulness. We suspect it would require a minimum of over 250 similarly preserved samples, and a hell of a lot of luck, to sequence an entire precursor genome... though the true figure is probably closer to 500.

Crystal Skulls

These ancient tools have been found a few separate occasions, at alleged precursor sites throughout the world. All are communication devices to some degree, although three distinct varieties have been discovered so far. The first crystal skulls worked much like the mobile-telephony devices we use today; these allowed multi-node communication between all who possessed a working device. A second crystal skull was later discovered to have a record-and-playback function, meaning a user could record and send audio-visual messages to multiple parties, as frequently as he saw fit. A third set of crystal skulls discovered only recently seem to have acted as passive "monitoring devices," much like televisions in a multi-camera surveillance system set up. As yet, the cameras on the opposite end of this set up have not been found. It is unclear why these communication devices were designed to resemble such a macabre piece of anatomy, but we have no reason to suspect that our precursor race—as intelligent as they were—didn't occasionally fall victim to gaudy fashion.

Memory Seals

These devices—powerful in function but limited in scope—were used by the precursor First Civilization to record brief memory impressions, which could then be played back or re-experienced by another user at a later date. Judging by their scarcity—fewer than 40 have ever been found or accounted for—it appears that these seals were not wielded casually by the precursor race, but were intended for use only by the wealthiest and most powerful members of that society. To date, no seals containing recorded precursor memories have been found, and only a few have been known to contain any information whatsoever. The seals used by the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad to pass memory information to Ezio Auditore da Firenze are suspected to be functional to this day, but as of this writing, their whereabouts are unknown. As a point of interest, it can be revealed that many of Abstergo's early breakthroughs in genetic memory technology came about through close study of these artifacts, although current Animus technology is NOT based on their architecture.

Voynich Manuscript

A fascinating puzzle as yet unsolved, we are deeply interested in finding the person or persons responsible for the creation of this magnificent and mystifying tome. All researchers assigned to European subjects living in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries should be advised to pay special heed to any mention of this rare and valuable artifact. Though recent carbon dating has given the manuscript a birth-date of 1405 or thereabouts, Abstergo Industries has uncovered highly classified information that complicates this theory greatly. One subject of great interest to us in this endeavor is the English Philosopher, Roger Bacon.

Crypto-History: Locations

Notable locations deserving closer investigation.

Aleya Ghost Lights

It is the opinion of this researcher that inadequate attention has been paid to South East Asia, and in particular, the Himalayas. Our research into First Civilization peoples, and the subtle "fingerprints" they have left throughout throughout the world would benefit greatly from further investigation into this region. For example, we may find a prime example, in the form of the Aleya "Ghost Lights." Often reported by fishermen* the lights appear over marshes, and possess the power to distract, waylay, and even compel victims to drowning, but have also proven useful as navigational aids. "Gas" seems like too facile an explanation. Has genetic memory research yielded evidence of anything similar yet?

Ghosts or gas or something else? In the Himalayas, these are said to be the souls of deceased fishermen.

*We really don't take fishermen seriously enough, do we? How many times has a simple "fisherman village" yielded significant information, if not treasure?

Bermuda Triangle

What must surely be the most intently studied region whose very existence is routinely denied by official sources, the Devil's Triangle has been held responsible for countless vanished vessels—aircraft and ship alike- since the earliest days of sail. The region's technomnivorous tendencies have been attributed to many magnetic pull of the lost continent of Atlantis, to UFOs and even to unnamed "mysterious forces." While the area still holds much interest, and we firmly believe in the power of science over superstition, we have been unlucky in researching this area, and can claim only to have contributed two small aircraft, a ship, and several hundred thousand dollars of research equipment to the hungry maw of its continued mystery. For the time being, it may be safer to pursue greater knowledge of the region through genetic memory research, via the Animus programme. [sic]

Chichen Itza

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Mexico today, Chichen Itza was once one of the largest cities of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Boasting a mix of architectural styles from across the empire, it is also known to include contributions from members of the First Civilization believed to have fought on the front lines against the human rebellion. In particular, the technologically advanced system of caves, tunnels and puzzles that runs underground between the Castillo Temple and the Cenote Sagrado are rich with First Civilization artifacts. Excavated in the eighteenth century, in a controversial dig ordered by Madeleine de L'Isle, these range from Prophecy Disks to Rings and Shards. Voluminous in quantity, they are minor but culturally significant artifacts which, as a collection, provide us with the best picture we have of life on Earth in the months preceding the Toba Catastrophe. The site is currently under federal protection, but we are close to reaching an agreement with the Mexican government.

Easter Island

Located at the southeastern point of the Polynesian Triangle, "Big Rapa" is home to some 887 Moai statues created by the Rapa Nui people. One of the most isolated inhabited islands, a territory of Chile, protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has proven difficult to study closely in this century. Some records are available from the eighteenth century, when the Rapa Nui suffered from disease communicated by European sailors. Nineteenth and twentieth century records indicate slave raids, famine, war, and deforestation. Despite this rich and perhaps tragic history, it is the Moai statues that are most heavily protected. Carved from the stone of an extinct volcano, it is not known how they were transported for installation. This "mystery" fascinates tourists, but if we could gain access to conduct a private archaeological excavation of the island, it is the petroglyphs and network of caves established by even earlier civilizations that we believe would yield the most productive results.

Lake Vostok

Working with our Russian partners, we have secured an agreement to commence research into the subterranean lake that rests deep beneath Vostok Station, in the accurately if poetically named Pole of Cold, on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Sitting approximately 3500 meters above sea level, this freshwater lake rests 4,000 meters beneath the surface. A core ice sample was extracted in 2012, and we will soon begin research that should provide a paleoclimatic record going back some 400,000 years. Isolated fossil water reserve samples may prove even older. Only time and science will tell what genetic marvels these magnificent samples will reveal, if not a new window into First Civilization life itself.

"Divine Science" Presentation

Unreleased presentation from Project Legacy.

MD:S03.S03|M01 --ANGELS-

Mama says Count Rožmberk will take care of us now, so long as Papa and Uncle John work for him. Our home is big, but Třeboň is a small town. Mama seems happy.

Prague 1587 1608 CE Elizabeth Jane Weston

MD:S03.S03|M01.01--LOVE-

>>\\Uncle John—everyone else calls him Dr. Dee—says that not all five-year-olds can speak three languages or write as well as I do. "I foretell a bright future for you, Lady Beth."

\\I like reading, drawing, and writing poems, but mathematics are hard. John Francis, my brother, is better at calculations than I am. He is one year older.

\\Papa wants me to get the same opportunities as my brother. He says I am fortunate, that not all young ladies have private tutors. I study hard to please him.

\\"We are fasting this evening, Master Kelley!" Uncle John announces. Papa grins. I know what this means: they will be working all night, again.

\\After dinner, I run to the parlor and jump on Uncle John's lap. His beard, unlike Papa's, is all white, and rough! I ask him to tell a story.

\\Uncle John makes everyone laugh; even Papa, who is usually so serious. He says they have to work now. Mama tells me it is time for bed.

\\I pull the sheets over my head and listen to the low, humming voices coming from the study. I am afraid of the dark, but not tonight, not with Papa and Uncle John praying.

MD:S03.S03|M01.02--HONESTY-

>>\\Papa needs to leave now, to earn money. I know about money; we need it to eat and purchase things. I do not want him to go.

\\I give Papa a big hug, and Uncle John too. I wave at them until I can no longer see their carriage. How long will they be gone this time?

\\I ask Mama about Papa's work. She says he gives conferences with Uncle John, providing advice to people who need it.

\\John Francis says Papa communicates with angels. I laugh, but Mama does not. "He told me!" he says, crossing his skinny arms over his chest.

\\After a long pause, Mama sighs. "John Francis is right. Your father speaks with angels. He gains..." she scratches her head, "insight from them."

\\I ask Mama what an angel is. She says it is a being from beyond, a winged entity that lives with God, in Heaven. I do not know what she means.

\\John Francis says only Papa can call angels. Mama nods, saying he has a rare gift. "He uses a crystal ball!" John Francis declares.

MD:S03.S03|M01.03--HONESTY-

>>\\I seldom see Papa and Uncle John these days. They do not eat—they are fasting again—and spend most of their time in the study.

\\I wake up with a start and pull the blankets to my chin. It is still dark, but I hear voices downstairs. Taking a deep breath, I sneak out of bed.

\\I walk down the stairs, avoiding the creaking ones. I fear monsters will jump out of shadows—though Uncle John assured me he banished all monsters from our home.

\\I tiptoe to the door of the study and put my ear upon it. I recognize Papa's and Uncle John's voices, but there is also another, much deeper voice within.

\\A loud click! They have unlocked the door! I hide behind the cabinet. Papa and Uncle John come out of the study and walk away, smiling.

\\I count to one hundred, then tiptoe toward the study. No one inside! "Elizabeth?" Papa says, behind me. "What are you doing?"

\\Papa makes me promise not to go into his study. "There are things in there you should not see." There are a hundred questions I want to ask him, but I can only nod.

MD:S03.S03|M01.04--WISDOM

>>\\I have never seen Papa and Uncle John so happy. They whisper and laugh at things only they understand. Mama says it is because they have done good work.

\\I have finished my dinner and ask to be excused. Mama nods and I hurry upstairs. I notice that the door to Uncle John's room is ajar.

\\I hurry to the door. Holding my breath, I peek inside. The room is sumptuous! Uncle John always says Aunt Jane has good taste, and he is right!

\\I tiptoe inside and open Uncle John's armoire. It is filled with treasure! Shiny rocks, a black mirror, a wax seal with pictures on it, a gold amulet!

\\Ignoring everything else, I pick up what looks like a globe packed in cloth. Could it be the crystal ball John Francis mentioned? Quickly, I unwrap it!

\\The sphere is heavy and feels warm in my hands. It is made of the shiniest gold! On its surface, I see a reflection of my face—and Uncle John's!

>>Uncle John grabs the sphere and puts it inside his doublet. I shiver, but he smiles. "You should not be playing with things you cannot comprehend, Lady Beth."

MD:S03.S03|M02 --DEMONS-

We have been in Třeboň almost two years now. We are happy here; happier than we have ever been.

Prague 1587 1608 CE Elizabeth Jane Weston

MD:S03.S03|M02.01--PRIDE-

>>\\Papa continues to work while Uncle John is away. He keeps to himself and barely addresses us during breakfast, but at least he is eating now.

\\I am feeble today. Mama says I have a fever and tells me to stay in bed. I sleep all day and most of the night. I awake famished.

\\I dislike the night, but I am not as afraid of it as I used to be. I get out of bed, careful not to make a sound. I do not want to wake anybody up!

\\A pale light emanates from the study. The door is open! Papa never leaves the door of his study open! I creep toward the light, on the tip of my toes.

\\I sneak a peek inside. Papa leans over a table, reading a book. It has an odd, silvery tint. Papa suddenly mumbles an incomprehensible string of words and numbers.

\\Papa sprinkles red powder on something upon the table. "I did it!" His wide grin deforms his face. "I did it!" He picks up—a clump of gold!

\\Papa's guffaws make me shiver. His voice is deep and he speaks words I do not understand. I hurry upstairs and crawl back into bed.

MD:S03.S03|M02.02--GREED-

>>\\I notice Papa and Uncle John in the distance. I pick up my dolls and hide behind the tallest oak in the garden. I try not to laugh as they walk toward me.

\\Papa tells Uncle John that they should change the nature of their work, that they should study alchemy and stop wasting their time with angels.

\\They pass by the oak. "The book has boundless potential!" Papa says. "I need your help, to unlock its formulas!" I poke my head out. Uncle John frowns.

\\"We could work at the imperial court!" Papa continues. "Producing gold is only the first step!" Uncle John turns to face him. I hide again, hugging my dolls.

\\"You should not fiddle with this book, Kelley!" I almost fail to recognize Uncle John's voice. "You cannot imagine the evil it contains! It holds more than mere numbers!"

\\Papa protests, but Uncle John interrupts. "Your associate, Master Husey, the one who gave you the book... I dealt with him before, long ago. He cannot be trusted."

\\Papa says they could be rich beyond their wildest dreams. I take a quick glance. Uncle John shakes his head. "No, my friend. The book will destroy you."

MD:S03.S03|M02.03--LUST-

>>\\Mama is in her room, crying. She has barely uttered two words in days, and I suspect she has not even spoken to Papa. She has been avoiding his gaze.

\\I am reading when a loud clang makes me jump. Is John Francis acting up again? He can be such a baby sometimes!

\\Another clash, followed by a shriek; a woman's shriek! I put my book down and hurry to the door. Papa and Uncle John are screaming at each other!

\\I walk out of my bedroom. The shouting has stopped, but I hear sobbing now, coming from Uncle John's room. Is Aunt Jane hurt?

\\The door of Uncle John's room suddenly bursts open! Aunt Jane cries out after her husband, but someone interrupts her: Papa!

\\I feel the entire floor shudder as Uncle John slams the door shut. He glares at me, fire in his eyes. I am paralyzed! My eyes well up.

\\Uncle John takes my hand and pulls me away. "You should not be here!" He drags me downstairs. "You... You should not have seen this!"

MD:S03.S03|M02.04--WRATH-

>>\\Papa and Uncle John seldom speak now. When they do, they shout, which makes Mama cry. Aunt Jane stays in her room. I wish I could do the same.

\\I wake up jumping. Papa is screaming again! I close my eyes, wishing things would be as they used to, but I am old enough to know better.

\\A door slams. I look out the window and see Papa walking toward the stables, shouting, "Envious fool!" I watch him disappear in the darkness.

\\I run downstairs. Mama sits in the parlor, sobbing in silence. I crawl under the sofa. "It is time for me to leave." Uncle John's voice is filled with sorrow.

\\"You will be missed, both of you." Wishing Uncle John good fortune, Mama leaves. I stay hidden and watch Uncle John pace the room.

\\I quietly follow Uncle John to Papa's study. Producing a key, he looks over his shoulder and unlocks the door. "At life's end, you will understand, old friend."

\\Uncle John comes out of the study with Papa's strange silver book."I am doing this for your father. The secrets it holds are not meant for him."

MD:S03.S03|M03 --MONSTERS-

Mama says she feels at home in Prague, but I do not. Papa will not let me do anything. He tells me the streets are not safe.

Prague 1587 1608 CE Elizabeth Jane Weston

MD:S03.S03|M03.01--RUMORS-

>>\\I like it when Papa brings me to Prague Castle. It gives me a chance to escape from the house, and spend time with him. He is seldom home these days.

\\People from all over the world gather here, at the "center of European culture," as Papa puts it. I wonder why important people frown so much.

\\Papa speaks with an elderly gentleman. His flowing white beard reminds me of Uncle John's. I sigh and take Papa's hand. He does not seem to notice.

\\"We do not dare walk the streets," the old gentleman complains, "even during daytime!" Papa nods, saying that Prague has never been so unsafe.

\\"You know why, Master Kelley? The Emperor," he leans close to Papa's ear. "He is weak! He gives the people too much freedom!"

\\"I heard that a killer runs amok, targeting noblemen—and alchemists!" There is a tremor in the old man's voice. "They say he is a monster. A giant!"

\\"Some say he is not even human." Papa declares. I squeeze his hand, wishing Uncle John could be here to banish the monsters of Prague.

MD:S03.S03|M03.02--TOIL-

>>\\For my tenth birthday, Papa will show me his workshop! I will finally have a chance to see where he spends his days... and many of his nights!

\\Most people we encounter ignore me as I follow Papa through the corridors of Prague Castle, but some scowl or roll their eyes when they see me.

\\The windows in this part of the castle have been sealed off with bricks and mortar. Papa carefully locks every door we pass through.

\\Papa's workshop is a treasure trove! There is a myriad of items here, each more wondrous than the next: colored powers, ancient scrolls, amulets...

\\Papa works all day, reading formulas, mixing powers, boiling liquids... I watch from afar, afraid to disturb him. His work is so important!

\\Papa constantly mutters to himself. He blinks a lot and often glances over his shoulder. He makes me nervous, especially when he barks strange words.

\\"I cannot do it!" Howling, Papa throws a glass beaker to the floor. It explodes in a thousand tiny shards. I cover my face. "I need the book!"

MD:S03.S03|M03.03--ALCHEMISTS--

>>\\Night has fallen when a young visitor interrupts Papa's work. He enters the workshop and announces that the Emperor has summoned his alchemists.

\\Papa tells me to wait, and warns me not to touch a thing. Then, frowning, he takes my hand and drags me along. "You must remain quiet."

\\We enter a dark room where a score of old men gather around a long table. Papa motions me to stay behind, with the assistants and apprentices.

\\A large man in black clothes with white ruff and fur hat enters. Everyone bows. I take a step back, hiding behind a lanky youth.

\\The man (the Emperor?) sits at the end of the table, scrutinizing everyone in the room. When he raises an eyebrow, one of the alchemists jumps to his feet.

\\"My brother has seen the monster!" The man squeaks like a mouse. "It is wholly black! A demon!" The alchemists discuss at length.

\\Many alchemists agree: this killer, this monster, cannot be human. "What if it is a homunculus?" Papa suggests. A deathly silence falls upon the room.

MD:S03.S03|M03.04--GOLEM-

>>\\We leave Prague Castle before dawn. A score of guards escort us, and other alchemists. "For our safety." Why are there so many monsters in the world?

\\Dawn creeps over the Vltava. Finally! We arrive at the house of the last alchemist. We will soon be home! No, no, no! Papa will not stop talking to him!

\\I walk into the alley next to the man's house. Two steps into it and—"Ouch!" I bump into an invisible wall! White eyes appear in the darkness!

\\I see it! The silhouette of a giant! Marks cover the monster's pitch black forehead. No, letters: "EMET." I stare at the white eyes. "What are you?"

\\"I have been called many names." The monster's voice is strange, guttural. "Here, they call me Golem." Papa shouts! Guards run toward us!

\\"You have just saved your father's life, Little One," it rasps. Golem runs toward the river. I see it clearly now: a gigantic body, black and sinewy.

\\The monster jumps in the river. I follow, Papa and the guards behind me. I observe the water: perfectly still. Not a hint of Golem!

MD:S03.S03|M4 --GHOSTS-

We have never discussed Papa's imprisonment. Not one word about it in over three years. Now that John Francis is away, I alone must care for Mama.

Prague 1587 1608 CE Elizabeth Jane Weston

MD:S03.S03|M04.01--NIGHTMARES-

>>\\Papa will be released from prison today, but Mama worries. She says he has one last chance to satisfy the emperor's expectations.

\\Standing in front of the house, I hold Mama's hand. My heart beats quickly as I behold Papa's carriage. I forget to breathe when it stops, two paces before us.

\\Mama trembles when the carriage door opens. A pale, emaciated man with a long, grizzled beard steps out. "Papa!" He walks by us, as if we were ghosts.

\\Mama has prepared roasted lamb, Papa's favorite, to celebrate his return, but he does not eat. He simply stares at his plate, silent.

\\Mama makes idle conversation, pretending—without much success—that nothing is wrong. Papa suddenly stands up. His chair hits the floor with a loud thud.

\\Papa storms out of the dining room, pushing invisible spirits out of his way. He shouts in a strange tongue; the same language I once heard him speak, when I was little.

\\My heart is in a knot, but I hold back my tears. I take Mama's hand, but nothing I can do or say will ease her sorrow. What will we do now?

MD:S03.S03|M04.02--FAILURE-

>>\\The Emperor has restored Papa's status, but soldiers guard our house. They are not here to protect us, but to make sure Papa does not leave Prague.

\\A month has passed since Papa's return. He remains distant, but at least he does not completely ignore us—though he works ceaselessly.

\\I walk through the open doorway of Papa's study, the platter Mama has prepared for him in my hands, and stop. Papa sits on the floor, and begins to howl!

\\I drop the platter and its content spatters across the room. I run to Papa and kneel next to him. He grasps my hand and immediately falls silent.

\\Papa's nails dig into the flesh of my hand. I bite my lip to suppress a cry. He suddenly raises a tight fist in front of my face! I close my eyes.

\\"I cannot do it!" Papa's voice is bleak, desperate. "Not enough... Not even a handful left!" I look at him. Tears run down his ashen face.

\\Slowly, as if revealing a priceless treasure, he opens his fist. In the palm of his wrinkled hand is a tiny bit of red dust. "Curse you, Dee!"

MD:S03.S03|M04.03--CONFINEMENT-

>>\\Papa works without rest, even though he keeps saying he has already failed us. He has not slept in weeks and he barely eats. He is but a shell of the man I once knew.

\\Mama shakes me out of my dreams. "Elizabeth! Soldiers are coming!" I do not react immediately, for I am used to soldiers guarding our house.

\\I look outside. There is a column of young men in uniform in our yard. Their torches cast dancing shadows upon their faces. "Monsters of Prague."

\\I open the front door. An officer and six stern-faced men step inside. The officer clears his throat. "By order of—"

\\"No!" Mama darts forward, tears streaming down her cheeks. I hold her back. "You cannot take him away! You cannot! Not again!"

\\The soldiers' eyes widen. Papa walks toward us, his face twisted in a demonic grimace. He murmurs a prayer in the strange tongue only he seems to understand.

\\The officer tries to reason with Papa. Howling, Papa jumps on him, clawing at his face. A soldier strikes his head and he falls. Mama wails as they take him away.

MD:S03.S03|M04.04--TUMBLE-

>>\\I am sixteen years old, and some of the guards in Hněvín Castle have taken an interest in me. They insist on making conversation every time I visit Papa.

\\None of them interest me. Most are boorish cretins; others are more bedraggled than hogs in mud-filled sties. But I always smile and remain courteous.

\\I take a deep breath when, in the distance, I spot Hněvín's tower. I try not to think of the babbling louse I will have to confront before seeing Papa.

\\What is this? A cross at the top of the tower? I walk more briskly, then my heart stops. Papa! He stands on the edge of the tower, arms wide open.

\\I run toward the castle. I see Papa clearly now: a skeleton in tattered robes. He stares at me—no, not at me, but beyond! "You have come!"

\\"Free me, Divine Messenger, free me!" Papa raises his hands to the sky, as if praying. "Heavenly Guardian, guide my fall!" He jumps off the tower!

\\I support Papa's broken body. He bleeds profusely, but holds my gaze. His demons no longer haunt him. "Dee... was... wise..." He exhales his last breath.

MD:S03.S03|M05 --DIVINITIES-

News of Queen Elizabeth's death reaches Prague. The Virgin Queen, after which I have been named, has passed away, one month after my wedding.

Prague 1587 1608 CE Elizabeth Jane Weston

MD:S03.S03|M05.01--TRIBUTE-

>>\\A knock at the door disturbs my thoughts. I lift my head from the blank page on my desk and put my quill down. "Come in."

\\Johannes, my husband, steps into my study. A tussock of raven hair brushes his face as he lowers his head. How remarkably formal of him!

\\He apologizes for disturbing me while I work. I frown, feigning annoyance, but fail to suppress a thin smile. I seem incapable of writing today.

\\Johannes' face lights up. His thumb absently caresses the ivory handle of his cane. "A package has arrived. It is addressed to Lady Beth."

\\"Lady Beth?" Only Uncle John calls me thus! I have not heard from him in years. I run out of the room and hurry down the stairs, as I used to, when I was little.

\\Ignoring the letter accompanying the package, I quickly peel off the layers of cloth covering what I assume to be a framed painting.

\\The painting depicts the Virgin Queen, two ladies in waiting behind her, standing in front of three goddesses. "How thoughtful of Uncle John!"

MD:S03.S03|M05.02--THREE GODDESSES-

>>\\Johannes and I stare at the painting, mesmerized. "Magnificent!" My eyes then fixate on the verse engraved upon its frame.

\\Johannes contemplates every last detail, every tiny stroke, every subtle hue. Master Johannes Leo: Husband, Jurist, and Connoisseur.

\\"See what lies on the ground?" Johannes points a finger, first at a golden scepter, then at a quiver of arrows, and finally at fallen roses.

\\"Juno, Minerva, and Venus!" Johannes shakes his head, laughing quietly. He had not expected me to answer. He should know better.

\\"Or Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite." Johannes' nose is two inches from the painting. "The three goddesses whose beauty Paris judged!"

\\I remember the story well, having read it several times. "This painting is an allegory," my husband says. I suspect otherwise, but do not contradict him.

\\There is something familiar about the painting. Is this? Yes! The golden orb! Identical to the one I found in Uncle John's room when I was a child!

MD:S03.S03|M05.03--FAERIE QUEENE-

>>\\I sit in my study, alone, staring at the painting Uncle John has given me. My hands tremble as my fingers brush the edge of the dry wax sealing his scroll.

\\I carefully break the scroll's seal and unroll it. I immediately recognize Uncle John's penmanship.

\\"Lady Beth," it begins. I smile, for I am still fond of the private name Uncle John used to address me. "Fairest and most noble of poetesses..."

\\"Please accept this humble gift, from your not so humble friend and mentor." Uncle John is much more than that! He is family; a second father to me.

\\"I hope you will find it a fitting tribute for your betrothal." I laugh quietly. I had never expected to receive such a splendid gift.

\\"If you observe the composition, you will surely recognize the trinket you once unearthed in my chamber." The golden orb! I knew it!

\\"You may think this picture a riddle, an allegory, an artist's fancy. It is not. The object in the hand of the Faerie Queen is real. So is its power. And so are the goddesses."

<>

Subject 1 - interview session

A taped interview between Dr. Warren Vidic and "Subject 1" (name unknown) recorded at some point between late 1981 and early 1982.

Warren: February 12, 1981. Qualitative Personal Interview with Subject One, on ancestral research regarding Aveline de Grand Pre [sic]. How are you feeling? Any side effects?
Subject 1: Not really, aside from the headaches. They've been worse since I started staying in longer. But... I don't want to stop. I like her. I want to know what she does next.
Warren: What it's [sic] like, reliving her memories?
Subject 1: So different. The Animus, I mean. The past. At first it was confusing. Distracting. Like New Orleans. The stench. I wasn't expecting all the smells.
Warren: Smell is the sense most directly linked to memory.
Subject 1: When I'm in her memories, it's like I can smell more than I usually can.
Warren: In general, women have a more acute sense of smell than men do. I had wondered how that would translate. Anything else?
Subject 1: Yeah. She's smaller than me. But it's like her body could do more.
Warren: Did that surprise you?
Subject 1: At first, yeah. The ERA people might hate me for this, or whatever, but I don't usually think of girls that way– climbing things. My mom. My sisters. The animal feeling of Aveline sinking to her hidden blade into the throat of–
Warren: Go on.
Subject 1: It doesn't feel... feminine. What I think of as feminine. But then at the same time it does. Her center of gravity is way lower. That was a surprise– how easy it is to land. How steady I am on her—her feet... Sorry. This is hard to talk about.
Warren: No. It's fascinating. This is what we need. Pure experience, in your own words.
Subject 1: OK.
Warren: Can you tell me about Gérald Blanc?
Subject 1: What about him?
Warren: He and Aveline were close, but we haven't been able to ascertain if he might be your missing ancestor. Do her memories suggest anything to you?
Subject 1: Er...
Warren: Does this make you feel uncomfortable? Remember, these are HER memories. You're just playing them back. It's not even acting. You're a researcher.
Subject 1: Like you say, I haven't experienced her... consummating... anything. That would be... Anyway, I think maybe she was confused.
Warren: Oh?
Subject 1: Well, um, first of all, I don't really know for sure, OK. I mean... guys think about sex more than girls, right? That's a fact?
Warren: As a researcher, what did you observe?
Subject 1: Does it mean she's more... like a guy... if she thinks about... Is that why she's able to assassinate—well OK, here's the thing. I don't know her thoughts. But from what's in her memories, physically—the fidgeting. Some hesitation. What she looked at. Who she looked away from. The things she didn't say when I expected her to... If I had to GUESS what it meant, I would think she was thinking about... sex. But I'm a guy so I would think that, right? So what does it mean for women to act that way? It has to mean something else, right?
Warren: As a subject, you're able to observe more finely than I am in review. What about unwanted attention from men?
Subject 1: I thought that would be the hardest thing to deal with. I am NOT into that, for the record. Not at all.
Warren: Yes, I know.
Subject 1: But the way she dealt with it—it happened so often, it's like you stop noticing everything she does to avoid it. Crossing the street. Eyes in the back of her head. She knows how to handle herself. When she was "charming" it felt kind of similar to... killing. Or the build-up to killing. I—Can we take a break, Mr. Vidic?
Warren: Of course.

[Recording pauses]

Warren: Ready to go on?
Subject 1: Yes.
Warren: Aveline was black.
Subject 1: And white. On her father's side.
Warren: You're sensitive to that.
Subject 1: I guess. I mean, I'm white. Aveline looks black, so that's different. But you get used to it, like with the girl thing. Until someone makes you not used to it.
Warren: What do you mean?
Subject 1: I don't think I've ever had to think so much about what I'm wearing, or how I'm walking. But Aveline, it's like, she goes through her whole life in these... uniforms.
Warren: People expect her to behave in a certain way.
Subject 1: Definitely. Sometimes I worry I'll slip up and play it too relaxed at the warehouse, and I don't know... Blow her cover.
Warren: You can't blow her cover.
Subject 1: I know, I know, I'm just replaying the memories. I can't change them. I know. But I see it, right? It's a risk. It's...
Warren: Stressful?
Subject 1: Yes. It's best when she goes out as an Assassin. On the roofs or in the Bayou. I think she was more relaxed that way? Can you image? You're only relaxed when you're going to kill someone?
Warren: Let's stick to memories rather than imagination. What about the slaves?
Subject 1: They're kind of just... everywhere. That sounds bad. Slavery is bad. But no one is acting like slavery is bad. It's fun when she frees slaves. Is it supposed to be fun?
Warren: We're not looking for "supposed to." Focus on what it is.

[Heavy static]

Subject 1: Everything about this is hard to talk about.

[Audio ends, cutting to static]

Abstergo pack

Sensitive materials relating to agent Otso Berg, harvested from hacktivist web sites for analysis.

Agent Evaluation Report for JUHANI OTSO BERG, dated 12.11.08.

This would have to been leaked from within. This is a classified document, viewed on our own network. Someone should hang for this.

Strengths:
– Experienced; Agent's military (Special Forces) background is a definitive asset
– Obedient; follows orders without question
– Leadership qualities; agent lacks finesse but inspires loyalty in others
– Definite potential; could be IS material

Weakness:
– Agent has a young (3 yrs.) daughter; could be a liability

Other Notes:
– Agent is ready to take on greater challenges
– Recommend giving agent leadership responsibilities
– Recommend sending agent on Level 5 Mission
Submitted by Ctibor Hašek

A dashing photo of Otso Berg, labeled HELSINKI // FINLAND // 2012-11-25 // 13:06

Unclear who took this, or why.

This photo, labeled FLORENCE // ITALY // 2012-11-30 // 06:17 makes it clear we have a leak. Who survived to transmit this photo?

Photo labeled CAIRO // EGYPT // 2012-12-09 // 13:43

This one's labeled CAIRO // EGYPT // 2012-12-12 //03:21 – SIGMA TEAM STRIKES AGAIN. The poster claims "Abstergo agents kidnap William Miles" but Miles is not pictured. Could be anything.

This Updated Agent Evaluation of Osto Berg, dated 12.12.03 confirms that leak persisted, and perhaps still exists.

Updated Strengths:
– Demonstrated a great deal of courage, initiative, resourcefulness, and dedication

Updated Weaknesses:
–Distinguishing mark (facial scar – burn); reparative surgery should be considered

Other Notes:
– Following Assassin attack of 2012.11.28 (see attached Security Report), agent tracked down the enemy and located their Florence hideout.
– Agent led Sigma strike team against the Florence Assassins; responsible for the termination of 3 Assassins.
– Survived Assassin ambush
– Agent should not be held accountable for the loss his team

Subject 17[edit | edit source]

Post-Mortem Report: Subject 17

A sample-recovery team report detailing the collection of Subject 17's remains for use in the Sample 17 project.

Case Fisher: December twenty-third, twenty twelve. Sample Recovery Unit. Team-Lead Fisher, Case reporting on Subject Seventeen, Desmond Miles. The Subject was deceased and unattended. Time of death was placed around zero-hundred hours and seven minutes, with conditions favorable for DNA sample recovery. We had some initial concerns about interference in the vault, but but [sic] given the skill and talent of this team, we were able to capture useful data. I personally retrieved the subject's backpack, and extracted a number of objects of interest, to undergo detailed analysis.

The subject displayed burns to the right hand, severe enough to fuse the bones, indicating some kind of spontaneous, intense burn trauma. Honestly, we have never seen anything like it before. Head, neck, and torso remained in good condition. I hand-selected recovery agents to recover fluid samples—blood and saliva. We then commenced material extraction, and were able to preserve several exemplary samples.

Data analysis and sequencing is already underway, and I'm told, proceeding with exceptional ease. Thanks to the cloud database and the work of Abstergo Sample Recovery Unit 3, the legacy of Subject Seventeen will continue uninhibited as Sample Seventeen.

"Subject 17" - memo 1

Voice recording retrieved from Subject 17's mobile phone.

Desmond: Okay...uh...hope this is on...don't think I've ever use [sic] this phone more than a few times to record anything, uh...hey Dad...so, ah, we're all here in New York, at the Motel...it's Queens acutally...in Astoria, near the N Q. Rebecca's off getting batteries for something, and Shaun's in his room doing whatever Shaun does...and, ah, you're out getting some food. Me?...well I'm supposed to be getting ready to break into a some [sic] nice offices in the Financial District...feels just like prepping for one of your old training drills, actually...ten years go by, and then you show up, and it's like, ah...it's like I was never gone, and we're right back to the ball-busting, and the conspiracies, and the paranoia...only this time I believe you. I believe every word...you know, I don't even think you know the half of it. I don't think you know how much I have seen. How much I have learned in just a few weeks. Everything, really. I feel like, ah...like I've liked a thousand years. Or ten thousand maybe. It's impossible to explain, but when you see that much of the world through the eyes of so many...you can't hep but be sad...to see all these incredible, intelligent people fight the same battles and make the same mistakes over and over again. Because culture and knowledge and history...theses things, they aren't passed on through our genes...every kid on earth needs to relearn the basics. How to live, how...ho to survive, how to stand up for...for what's right...but so much is lost in the tranffer...so much is added, every generation. It's a shame...Over and over, everything must be learned again. I met Clay, Dad. Clay Kaczmarek. In the Animus. I knew him by his Abstergo handle, Subject 16...my, uh, predecessor...and he showed me things. He PASSED THEM to me...just before he died, or got deleted, or whatever. Everything he'd learned, everything he'd seen...uh, God, how do I talk about this...? So, uh, I guess you trained him, huh? After I left. He really looked up to you. And now that I've seen through his eyes, I think I understand why. I'm glad you had him around, even if I wasn't there...But the things he showed me...unbelievable things...And I nev—

[A landline phone rings]

Desmond: Shit. Back in a second...

"Subject 17" - memo 2

Voice recording retrieved from Subject 17's mobile phone.

Desmond: Okay, uh..it's been a few weeks since the last recording. Sorry about that. 'Course, I...guess it's just a few second for you. A leap down the playlist...hum. Anyway...uh, I was talking about Clay...uh, Kaczmarek, Subject 16. So, when I fell into a coma in Italy, and woke up in the Animus black room...it was, uh...so calming...it felt like I...like I had woken up into a dream, a haze...a dream where none of this mess had ever happened...felt like I should be getting ready for another day of pouring drinks at Bad Weather, and uh, another day of complaining about being between girlfriends, and wondering what the hell to do with myself...but uh, when I saw Clay...just sitting there it—it started to come back, you know, piece by piece...and...when he told be about Lucy, I...fuck, you know...it—it hurt. You know, realizing that I killed her, without thinking or feeling anything. Not at the time, anyway—well, then things just kept going on...with more memories of Ezio, and Altaïr, and the First Civilization and then...right before he vanished, Clay passed on his memories. To me...he showed me everything HE had seen, and lived through...and it was...it was brief but overwhelming. Not really sure how to explain...He saw glimpses of Adam and Eve, and their escape from slavery...he saw the beginning and the end of the war between the First Civilization and humans...he saw Minerva, and Juno, and Tinia trying to work out their...their calculations. At least, that's what they called them. They had these tools...these powerful machines...that could predict POSSIBLE FUTURES...not what was GOING to happen, but what, uh...Wha—what COULD happen...probabilities. And...well, they spend a lot of energy trying to figure out what was the most likely scenario for the future. Theirs and ours. And in the end, I guess the figured I was their most likely candidate...some guy named Desmond, living at the beginning of the twenty-first century of the Common Era...but which Desmond was the right one? Because, you see, probability is a weird thing...it can branch out in so many ways...which version of me did they need? Was it the Desmond who got married early and had a son...the one who stayed single in New York...or was it the Desmond who moved to San Francisco to be a waiter...maybe it was the Desmond who worked at in auto-body shop in Chicago...or, or... maybe it was the me who never ran away from his parents in the first place. The First Civ had countless variations to chose from but...in the end...the lucky one was me. I'm the Desmond their best calculations spit out...I'm the Desmond they left their messages for...and I guess I have to live with that honor. What an honor...I'm pretty tired...uh...there'll be more later. Ciao.

"Subject 17" - memo 3

Voice recording retrieved from Subject 17's mobile phone.

Desmond: Hey Dad. Ah...you know, it's, uh...it's funny. I—I have this memory of you...one I keep coming back to...and...I—I always think about it when I'm working, or just before going to bed. Because it, uh...sort of...calms me, I guess, um...I—I was fourteen, I think, and uh, and you were trying to teach me how to walk with a light step...remember that? How to be mindful of how much noise I made when I moved around...simple stuff. Stuff I understand now, but back then...I—uh...I gotta tell you, I thought you were just being an asshole. So...uh, you told me you were gonna go up to your room, and sit with your back to the door, and read a book...and you wanted me to wait at least fifteen minutes, and then sneak up there and tap you on the shoulder without you knowing. I—I even remember the book you were reading at the time, the one by Captain Johnson...and you warned me, that if you caught me, we'd have to start all over...then you went upstairs...and I waited...I waited and I waited and I waited...I waited four hours before deciding to go up. And even then, it took me twenty minutes to get to the foot of the stair. And another thirty to get up them. And then ten to get down the hall, and there I was at the door...and I peeked into your room...and I was—I was SO hoping that you'd be asleep. But no. No, you...you were still reading. And I just about shit myself. But ten minutes later, I was just five feet away from you. And that's when I remember setting my foot down...and you flinched...ever so slightly...you—you flinched. I thought maybe I'd imagined it. But I knew you'd heard me...you—you didn't say anything. You just checked your watch, you reached for your drink, you took a sip, and then you kept reading. But I knew I'd failed. But you didn't say anything. I—I—I understand why. Then I lunged and tapped you on the shoulder. And you turned around and "Oh! Fantastic!" you said, and you scooped me up and gave me a big hug. And I didn't say anything. But Dad...Dad, I was so pissed off. I wanted to scream at you...I—I had failed you, and you KNEW it. But you said nothing. I stayed mad. For weeks. I thought you were...you were patronizing me. I thought maybe you decided right there that I was never going to be the man you wanted me to be...But I realized just a few years ago that...you checking your watch...that was the clue, wasn't it? You let me win because...I'd been so patient...and I guess that impressed you. You know, maybe at that moment, you thought it might be better to be my Dad instead of my mentor. I...I don't really know, maybe for you, they're...they're one and the same...you know, either way, I'm happy to know that both my mentor and my Dad were looking out for me that day. I didn't understand that then...I think I do now.

"Subject 17" - memo 4

Voice recording retrieved from Subject 17's mobile phone.

Desmond: So, this will be a short one, dad...uh, something to remember me by if things go South, if I don't make it out of the Temple today. I've tried to be optimistic about all of this, but I, uh—I just can't. I think spending all this time in Connor's memories has made me anxious. I mean, his story is so painful, in so many ways. Still, he never lost hope, even when his faith in others eroded. I can only believe that what we are doing is the right thing, that I can stop this disaster...I know this...I mean, the technology is there, waiting for us to use it. I'm the final piece of the puzzle. Something in my genes, or my memories, some final piece of code to switch the whole thing on...that's why I'm here. That's why they've brought me here. Only, um...I—I don't know what I'll have to give up in return. My sanity? My life? It's impossible to say. I do know this: our battle with the Templars will not be over. Whatever is inside that temple is not an ending, it's just another chapter in this—this endless story. And it'll be your job...and mom's, and—and Shaun's and Rebecca's. to keep turning the pages. You know, I—I keep thinking about something Orson Welles once said...something like, if you, if you want a happy ending, it all depends on where you stop telling your story. So maybe...maybe that's the answer. Maybe that's how people keep marching forward. If something goes wrong in there, Dad...something happens to ME...when you tell my story years from now...please tell them the one about how I lost my way, and then I found it again, just in time to save the world. And—and—just...end it there. That will keep everyone smiling. Goodbye Dad. Say hello to mom. Tell her I love her, okay? Tell her I—I love you both. I love you both.

Desmond pack

Sensitive materials relating to the capture of Subject 17, harvested from hacktivist websites for analysis.

SUBJECT 17 – PHASE 1 REPORT

This surveillance video, possibly captured by Erudito or another group, is labelled NEW YORK // USA // 2012-09-01 // 04:02

The accompanying chat transcripts was labelled "KIDNAPPED – DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3". Can someone ask Chase to make sure his men use more professional language, going forward?

DATA TRANSCRIPT LEVEL 3
...........................................
Cell Tower Grid 40SP73ZN
...........................................
UTC 20120901T040224Z
...........................................
outgoing transmission
caller id = private
- interference
+ ...Yes, sir.
pause
+ We have him.
- reply scrambled
+ Yes. Shoving him in the van as we speak, sir.
+ Target will be delivered on schedule.
transmission ends

Surveillance video labelled BROOKLYN // USA // 2012-09-01 // 04:37

The poster claimed "Abstergo agents have captured an unknown Caucasian male
Victim is in his mid-twenties, approximately 6' tall, weighing 190 lbs.
Destination: Unknown."

This one is labelled "CIAMPINO // ITALY // 2012-09-01 // 18:44"

The poster identified this only as "UNMARKED HANGER" but then went on to say "Abstergo agents arriving at destination. Company owned jet brought to hangar after landing. Victim identified as Desmond Miles."

I don't think this has spread too far yet. Location has already been scrubbed, so I think we can dismiss this as the ravings of a fanatic.

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

A leaked medical file. We're looking into it. No menstrual disorders for Subject 17, though. That must have been a relief for The Public to read.

"Patient has no active complaints. No acute distress. No prior cardiac history. Blood pressure normal (112 over 78). Primary blood analysis – NO significant traces of chemicals that would lead to neurological disorder. No indication that patient would be prone to neurosis. Unlike previous subjects, patient is psychologically stable. You are CLEAR TO PROCEED."

Signed by Damian Saravakos, MD on 2012/09/03

MISSING PERSON POSTER

Friends of Subject 17 distributed these all over New York.

Recovered Media

Photos recovered from the mobile phone of Subject 17.

Subject Zero[edit | edit source]

"Subject Zero" - audio file 1

Audio files recorded from a collection of reel-to-reel tapes found in the residence of the late Dr. Warren Vidic.

Voiceover: Timestamp August 16, 2013. The following audio clips were selected from over one hundred and sixty hours of reel-to-reel tape, found in the residence of the late Doctor Warren Vidic, following his murder in December, 2012. According to labels on the tape's canisters, these recordings were made over a 14 month period between 1980 and 1981 without the consent of their primary subject, Mrs. Aileen Bock, a colleague of Dr. Vidic's and the originator of Abstergo's Surrogate Initiative. Mrs. Bock is now deceased. It should be stated unequivocally that Dr. Vidic made these recordings illegally and of his own volition, using wire-taps and hidden microphones. Abstergo Industries has no knowledge of his actions, and disavows and responsibility for them.

[Voiceover ends. Recording begins with static]

Satish: And we're live. Capacitors at full. Ease the signal in. A little more. You feel anything?
Aileen: Don't be timid. Double it.
Satish: No, we're taking it easy. Twenty percent.
Aileen: Thirty.
Satish: Aileen, go easy. We're 6 past yesterday.
Aileen: And boost the inputs.
Satish: Too risky.
Aileen: Not if we split the I/O signals.
Satish: Twenty-five percent. Ease up.
Aileen: Ah, Okay! There! I see something... I...
Satish: What is it?
Aileen: Mein Gott. (My God.) I hear talking.
Satish: You're okay?
Aileen: Ja, ich höre Stimmen! (Yes, I hear talking!)... It's... its German... Mein Name ist Miriam Kurtz (My name is Miriam Kurtz...) I see a light. It's cold. Ich sage nichts! (I'll say nothing!)... there's a man with me... Mehr werde ich nicht sagen! (I've told you all I will!)
Satish: Keep an eye on her vitals.
Aileen: Mein Name ist Miriam Kurtz und ich bin eine Navajo! (My name is Miriam Kurtz, and I am a Navajo!) Des Hitler's Zwang / der macht uns klein / noch liegen wir in Ketten. / Doch einmal werden wir wieder frei, / wir werden die Ketten schon brechen. (Hitler's dictates make us small / and we are bound in chains / But one day again we shall walk tall / no binds will us, restrain.)
Satish: Aileen?
Aileen: Denn unsere Fäuste, die sind hart / ja–und die Messer sitzen lose / für die Freiheit der Jugend / kämpfe Navajos! (For hard are our fists / Yes! And knives at our wrists / for youth to be free / Navajos lay siege!)

[Aileen laughs weakly]

Satish: Switch off!
Scientist: Powering down!
Aileen: Kämpft Navajos! (Navajos lay siege!!)
Satish: Get her out of there!

[A chamber opens. Aileen again laughs weakly]

Satish: Oxygen. Open the valve!
Aileen: No. No, Satish, I'm... I'm fine. Really.
Satish: Quit the heroics. Just breathe.
Aileen: Ah...
Satish: Better?
Aileen: Yes... Yes, thank you. Did we get something?
Satish: It'll take a while to parse. What did you see?
Aileen: It wasn't just seeing... it was feeling. Being. I was... I was scared.
Satish: You were shouting in German.
Aileen: I think I was IN Germany. I was in Germany, Satish.

[Heavy static]

Satish: Good morning. Well rested?
Aileen: Exhausted. Yesterday was... an incredible find.
Satish: Seems so. What did it feel like?
Aileen: It's foggy but I... I relived the memories of a young German woman. Early twenties, I think. A man was interrogating me. Looming over me and asking questions. He as shouting but I was shouting back. And then this... this poem just came out. Like a chant.
Satish: Fascinating. I'm eager for you to hear the tape.
Aileen: Is it ready?
Satish: Yeah. [sic] We transliterated the data into an audio file. Took all night to process the language.
Aileen: Spool it up.
Satish: Of course. Have a seat. Judging by the subject matter, and the setting, I'd say you landed somewhere in Germany in the 1940s. One or two generations back. During the War, I'd imagine.
Aileen: 1940s Germany? That would be Miriam Kurtz. My ex-husband's mother.
Satish: So... she's not related to you in any way?
Aileen: God, I hope not. I'd hate to find out my ex-husband is also my brother.
Satish: Well, if it was Miriam Kurtz, then we hit a home run. You tapped into someone else's bloodline entirely.
Aileen: Should we celebrate?
Satish: We'll listen first...
Voiceover: Surrogate Initiative, Test Session 23. July 29th, 1980. Host, Aileen Brock. DNA Sample, SB1970.
Satish: It's a little garbled at first. This is you settling into the memory.

[Tape plays]

Gestapo Officer: Your name, say it!
Miriam: My name is Miriam Kurtz.
Gestapo Officer: Louder!
Miriam: My name is Miriam Kurtz, and I am a Navajo!
Gestapo Officer: Where did you last see the Artifact? Who holds it now?
Miriam: I'll say nothing. I've told you all I will.
Gestapo Officer: I don't believe that it true. Who has the artifact?
Miriam: Hitler's dictates make us small, and we are bound in chains. But one day again we shall walk tall, no binds will us, restrain. For hard are our fists, Yes! And knives at our wrists, for youth to be free, Navajos lay siege!
Gestapo Officer: Lock her away!
Miriam: Navajos lay siege!

[Tape ends]

Satish: And that's where we pull you out.
Aileen: Wow. What would it take to get a visual render of all that?
Satish: Months, unfortunately. It took thirteen hours just to process the audio. Visual takes much longer.
Aileen: But Vidic is able to record audio and visual in real-time. How does he do it?
Satish: His subjects are exploring their own genetic memories. That requires much less processing power on—

[A phone buzzes]

Aileen: Hold on, sorry. Aileen here.
Woman: Hello. You have a 10 o'clock in Lillian's office. It's 10:13 now.
Aileen: Shit! I'm sorry. Tell her I'll be right there. And... tell her we have some good news.
Woman: No problem.
Satish: You in trouble?
Aileen: The monthly progress report. I try to be honest about our progress, but no matter how much I try to polish our facts, Warren Vidic swoops in, promising the moon for pennies, and gets ten-times the funding for his Animus Project.
Satish: Well, we are using his Animus technology... he's the foundation, we're the skyscraper.
Aileen: Which is why he should be a tech lead, not a Project Director. Good work, Satish.

[Heavy static]

Warren: It's incredible footage, really. Clear and vivid. And the Subject was synched for a full sixty-two minutes. Came out speaking French after his last session. Passably fluent. And with the full recall of everything he'd gone through–

[A door opens and closes]

Aileen: Sorry. Sorry, I'm late. I was reviewing some data.
Lillian: It's fine. Warren was just telling us bout his first Subject. Mister...?
Warren: No names. Call him Subject One. Confidentiality.
Lillian: And how about you, Aileen? What's your good news?
Aileen: Well... We did it. We synched with an unembedded memory. Outside the bloodline. That's a first.
Warren: Really?
Aileen: Satish was able to process the audio today. A short clip. You can hear it for yourself.
Lillian: Only audio? No real-time memory feeds like Vidic has?
Aileen: Well, that's the difficulty with Surrogate Genetic Memory data. Because I'm viewing memories NOT embedded in my own DNA, we can't rely on cognitive faculties to help me process the signal. All we can do is record the raw data and transliterate it later.
Lillian: Hold on... you're running this experiment on yourself?
Aileen: I am. It's going well.
Lillian: I don't like the sound of that.
Aileen: Look, the sample I'm using... the DNA comes from my own son. It's safer this way.
Warren: Ah, good thinking.
Aileen: Fifty percent of my son's DNA is also mine, which reduces the danger by a huge margin. Meaning I can now explore the memories of people who aren't directly related to me, on his father's side.
Warren: But for brief periods of time, I imagine...
Aileen: Right. Just a minute or two, so far. But we're getting there. Come by the lab and listen for yourself.
Warren: I will, when I have a moment. Unfortunately, work beckons. Ladies...

[A door opens and closes]

Aileen: That man is colder than a San Francisco summer.
Lillian: Stay focused, Aileen. You both have important work to do.
Aileen: Obviously. But my work requires HIS Animus technology. I feel a little caged in.
Lillian: That's collaboration, Aileen. It's how science works. I shouldn't have to remind you.
Aileen: I know. I'm just... tired. Stop by and see us today. We have a lot to share. If not today, then this week sometime. Thank you.

[A door opens and closes]
[Recording ends]

"Subject Zero" - audio file 2

Audio files recorded from a collection of reel-to-reel tapes found in the residence of the late Dr. Warren Vidic.

Voiceover: Surrogate Initiative, Test Session 27. October 21st, 1980. Host, Aileen Bock. DNA Sample, SB1970.

[Tape begins]

Gestapo Officer: Miriam. My dear girl, there is no good reason for you to be here. But your intransigence requires that I detain you until you give me information I can act upon. The location of the artifact perhaps. Or the whereabouts of your leader, Barthel Schink. Just a little something to give Minister Goebbels some... encouragement that we are on the right track.
Miriam: How about a nice hug? He looks so sad in all his photographs.
Gestapo Officer: Yes, he does doesn't he. Perhaps you could pay him a visit yourself. He likes beautiful women. Actresses. Musicians.
Miriam: Pirates?
Gestapo Officer: That's right, pirates. Pirates of the Edelweiss? Isn't that what you kids call yourselves? It's very amusing... and illegal, of course.
Miriam: Breaking Hitler's laws IS half the fun.
Gestapo Officer: Oh, I imagine so. I imagine you were having a wonderful time just before we captured you and your insurgent friends...

[Tape ends, cutting to static]

Satish: And that's the end of it.
Aileen: Dammit. Why can't we sustain the signal for more than a few minutes? I need to relax.
Satish: That's not the issue. This is dangerous work. These memories aren't in your bloodline. That's why it's not holding.
Aileen: There's got to be a solution.
Satish: Any idea what they mean by "The Artifact"? I've heard that a few times now.
Aileen: Not sure. I don't think Miriam knew much either. Not much comes into her mind when he asks about it.
Satish: But she's protecting the other members of her group. The Edelweiss Pirates or something?
Aileen: Yeah, Barthel Schink. Have we looked him up?
Satish: No. We can.
Aileen: We should. Put your intern on it.
Satish: Right. High priority.
Aileen: Yeah. This isn't getting any easier, Jesus.

[Heavy static]
[A phone rings]

Seamus: Hello?
Aileen: Hi Seamus. It's mom.
Seamus: Hey.
Aileen: How are you–
Seamus: DAD! IT'S MOM!

[Aileen sighs in exasperation]

Karl: Hello? Aileen?
Aileen: Hi, Karl. How's Seamus?
Karl: Great. We were out shopping for school clothes.
Aileen: Yeah. The Summer just sped by
Karl: They all do.
Aileen: I never seem to notice. No windows in the office.
Karl: Right. Trapped in the lab. So did you need to talk?
Aileen: Yes, sorry. I was curious about your mother, actually.
Karl: Oh... OK.
Aileen: How much did she talk about the war when you were growing up?
Karl: Not often. Bits and pieces. Why?
Aileen: I was doing some research last week... about the [sic] World War Two... and something came up about the Edelweiss Pirates? Or the Navajos. And your Mother's name popped up.
Karl: Really? That's an odd coincidence.
Aileen: Does any of that ring a bell?
Karl: Yeah. Mom ran with the group while the war was on. They were a group of kids who wanted to avoid the Hitler Youth programs. But in later years they escalated their activities to, uh... bigger ideas. Like vandalism and sabotage.
Aileen: But why Navajos... and pirates?
Karl: Just some of the names they used. Navajos. Edelweiss pirates. You know kids. They wore little pins, little flowers. I may still have hers.
Aileen: That's interesting.
Karl: And this is for work? Researching my mother?
Aileen: Not exactly. But... sorry, I can't talk about it.
Karl: Right. You never could.
Aileen: Hey. Don't. I didn't mean to be flippant.
Karl: No, don't mind me. All for the greater good.
Aileen: I like to think so.

[Heavy static]

Aileen: Ah!
Satish: Power down! You all right?
Aileen: Dammit! Five months of this bullshit! We're floundering.
Satish: Take it easy, Aileen. You're just stressed.
Aileen: I am not stressed, I am frustrated! I'd like to go again this afternoon.
Satish: No. There is no reason to rush this.
Aileen: We're hardly rushing! We're running into the same wall, over and over again! Why can't we push through? Why can't you keep me in the Animus longer than two minutes?
Satish: Because Surrogate Genetic Memory data is fragile. The EEG is exploding and your brain is doing too much work! The longer you stay in, the more damage it does. It's even possible that...
Aileen: Possible that...?
Satish: It's possible the memories we're digging into could eventually overwrite your own. Like information on a tape drive. There's just not enough space in your head to do both–

[A door opens]

Warren: Here I come to save the day! Good afternoon all.
Aileen: Did you invite him?
Satish: No.
Warren: But you DID! Remember?
Aileen: That was months ago, Warren. What do you need?
Warren: I wanted to stop by. Check on your progress.
Aileen: Well, apparently it's still too dangerous to keep me under for more than a few minutes.
Warren: Hm. I always suspected that would be your biggest hurdle. The genetic memory sequencing is the easy part, if time consuming. But the replay... that's something else.
Aileen: Yes.
Warren: Let's think this through. My Subjects are diving into their OWN genetic memories, so the information is already coded in their heads.
Aileen: Which means the Animus has less work to do. Less computing, less parsing...
Satish: Right. So to get your Surrogate data working—to let people experience foreign memories—it'll take a hell of a lot more processing power than anyone has. Even Abstergo Industries.
Aileen: Ideally, we'd like to build an external processor the mirrors as many brain functions as possible. Something to handle the calculations.
Satish: But the cost and upkeep of that would be...
Warren: Astronomical. Let me see what I can do. I have some sway with Lillian. We won't have to build Rome in day, but if we focus on the pretty buildings first, maybe we'll achieve something.
Aileen: Thank you, Warren.
Warren: 'Till next, folks!

[Recording ends, cutting to heavy static]

"Subject Zero" - audio file 3

Audio files recorded from a collection of reel-to-reel tapes found in the residence of the late Dr. Warren Vidic.

Voiceover: Surrogate Initiative, Test Session 32. January 11th, 1981. Host, Aileen Bock. DNA Sample, SB1970.

[Light static]
[Tape plays]

Barthel: Miriam... Miriam, it that you? Are you in here?
Miriam: Barthel?

[Static ends]

Barthel: Ah, thank God you're safe! We've been worried sick!
Miriam: Barthel, how did they find you? Jesus, what'll they do to you?
Barthel: Have they hurt you at all?
Miriam: I told them nothing. All they do—every is [sic] day—is ask about you and that artifact. But I didn't tell them anything. Nothing—
Barthel: I know you didn't, Miriam. But how are YOU? You aren't hurt?
Miriam: Not badly, no. I'm fine.
Barthel: We need to get a message to Oskar. Somehow. We need to tell him where—

[Tape ends, cutting to static]

Lillian: Very interesting footage, Aileen. This is Germany, you said? World War Two?
Aileen: Most of the memories I've been able to access come from a period when Miriam was imprisoned by Nazis in Cologne.
Lillian: Miriam... is she still alive?
Aileen: No, she was my husband's mo—my ex-husband's mother. She passed away about five years ago.
Lillian: Well, she was spirited. An impressive lady.
Aileen: Definitely.
Lillian: And the man, Barthel. He made reference to an Artifact. Any idea what that is?
Aileen: My team are looking into it. But it's not our first priority. We still need–
Lillian: It is now.
Aileen: I—Really?
Lillian: You must have other recordings of this woman. Are there any other mentions of this artifact I should know about?
Aileen: Half a dozen or so, yes. But what's this about?
Lillian: You have questions, I understand that. I don't have answers for you. Not right now. But I do have money. And if you get me those recordings—and bring me any other artifact recordings you find—then I will triple your operating budget for as long as I can.
Aileen: Triple my budget? My God, what is this?
Lillian: 9am Monday morning. My office. We have a lot to discuss.
Aileen: But Lillian, I don't—
Lillian: Have a good weekend, Mrs. Bock! Fantastic work!

[A door slams shut]
[Heavy static]
[A phone rings]

Karl: Hello. This is Karl.
Aileen: Hi. It's Aileen.
Karl: Hey! How are you?
Aileen: Good. Busy. Cold. The winter's been terrible.
Karl: Ah. Seamus won't like that. The weather's been mild out here.
Aileen: Well, he's only coming for a month. He'll live. And I'll be so busy, he won't have to worry about his mom [sic] bothering him.
Karl: Ah. Still working 12 hour days?
Aileen: I should move a bed into my lab.
Karl: Look, if you're too busy, Seamus can stay with me...
Aileen: No, no. I want to see him. We'll have fun.
Karl: You're not too busy to be a mom and a genius?
Aileen: Of course not.
Karl: His flight lands at... at 8:15pm, tomorrow night. You'll be there?
Aileen: Of course. 8:15.
Karl: PM. I'll let him know you'll be there.
Aileen: Thanks, Karl. I need to run, I'm sorry. Take care.
Karl: You too.

[Phone connection dies]
[Heavy static]

Warren: Ah, Aileen. Didn't see you come in.
Aileen: I'm not interrupting?
Warren: No, it's fine. The Subject is unconscious. He's traipsing through 18th century New Orleans right now. In the memories of a woman.
Aileen: That must feel odd. How long has he been under?
Warren: Eighty-three minutes.
Aileen: Wow.
Warren: It's average. What can I do for you?
Aileen: I just wanted to... to thank you for sending Lillian see me. [sic] She came away very impressed.
Warren: There, you see? All these bureaucrats need is a little glimpse of our secrets every so often. They like to feel like they're still in charge.
Aileen: Lillian is most definitely in charge. She just tripled my budget.
Warren: Tripled? Christ, Aileen. You must have discovered who killed Kennedy.
Aileen: Well, she heard something on one of my tapes that interested her. Something about an Artifact. Very vague. But it was enough.
Warren: An artifact. What sort of artifact–

[Alarms ring]

Warren: Jesus! Get him out of there! Get him out!
Aileen: Oh my God...
Scientist 1: It'll kill him! He's not decoupled!
Warren: He's having a fucking seizure! Power down! Now!
Scientist 2: Heart rate 170!
Warren: POWER DOWN NOW!

[Static]
[A phone rings]

Warren: Aileen, Warren here. I was all ready to apologize for the late call, but you seem to be away. Maybe with your son. Ah... Listen, since the unfortunate incident with Subject 1... there's been a lot of dire talk around the office about my Animus project... about shutting it down... about it being unsafe... typical top-brass bull-shit. And if they shut me down, then your Surrogate Initiative goes away too. I'm sure you're already well aware of that. Well, let me be the first to assure you: this will not happen. I will NOT let them take this from me. From us. I will not one death... of an undiagnosed epileptic, I should add... I will not let this destroy the decades of incredible research done by our predecessors, and the five years I have spent perfecting the Animus. There is still more work to be done. And countless rewards to be reaped. So... I wanted you to be the first to know... I have decided to volunteer myself as my second subject. I am convinced that the Animus is perfectly safe, provided I stay within the boundaries of my own ancestral bloodline. Next week I plan to prove this by staying a full FOUR hours in the Animus. I would be grateful to you [sic] if you and your team would monitor my progress. And after this necessary but ridiculous proof of concept, I give you my word that I will work closely to solve your outstanding problems. Your Surrogate Initiative is a bold idea, and I do believe it is the future of the Animus project. But while we have the Animus itself, I do not want to waste precious opportunities to prove its safety. I'll see you in the office on Monday. Goodbye.

[Phone connection dies]
[Recording ends, cutting to static]

"Subject Zero" - audio file 4

Audio files recorded from a collection of reel-to-reel tapes found in the residence of the late Dr. Warren Vidic.

Jeanne: I have now resumed the practice of dressing as a man, and have put off my woman's dress.
Geoffroy: Why did you take it? Who made you take it?
Jeanne: I took it of my own free will. With no constraint: I prefer a man's dress to a woman's.
Geoffroy: You made an oath, Jeanne! You swore to never again dress as a man!
Jeanne: I never meant to swear that I would not RESUME the practice.
Geoffroy: Why have you done so?
Jeanne: Because it is more lawful and suitable for me to return to the practice of wearing a man's dress—being always among men—than to have a woman's dress. I have resumed it because a promise made to me has not been kept...

[Audio gradually fades]

Aileen: How is he?
Satish: Hour three. Doing well.
Aileen: Are we still in eighteenth century Hungary?
Satish: No, his connection is so stable, he's jumped between a few ancestors today. We're in fifteenth-century France now. Turns out he's related to one of Joan of Arc's executioners.
Aileen: Surprise.
Satish: Aileen... Yesterday, Vidic asked me to help him work out some of the bugs in his Audio-Visual renderer, and I told him–
Aileen: No no no... come on, Satish. Not you.
Satish: It wouldn't be permanent. A few months at most.
Aileen: Months! That will kill every ounce of momentum we have!
Satish: It won't, I promise. Honestly, I think this could help us. If I can get a look at what his people are doing, we could–
Aileen: Come on. He's trying to pull you over to his side. You don't see that? He's luring you with quick victories and prestige.
Satish: That's not what this is about, honestly.
Aileen: I need to get back to work...
Satish: Aileen, I'm sorry.
Aileen: Do what you must. I'll survive.

[Heavy static]

Voiceover: Surrogate Initiative, Test Session 32, April 2nd, 1981. Host, Aileen Bock. DNA Sample, SB1970.

[Static plays over opening line]

Barthel: Miriam. Miriam, are you awake?
Miriam: Barthel?
Barthel: Miriam, they are coming for me.
Miriam: Who is? The guards?
Barthel: I see them from my window, amassing in the courtyard. My time is up.
Miriam: Barthel, don't say this! You don't know that.
Barthel: Forgive me for this, Miriam, but I must tell you something. The artifact. We have it, but only Oskar and I know its location.
Miriam: Don't tell me.
Barthel: They will release you. Your family has connections. You must take the artifact and bring it to the Assassins. In Paris.
Miriam: Please don't! I don't want to know. It's safer if I don't.
Barthel: Hush, now. If I die, knowledge of its location dies with me. You must bring it to the Assassins.
Miriam: Assassins? I don't understand!
Barthel: The spire of St. Petrus—
Miriam: No, I don't want to hear!
Gestapo Officer: Cell seven! Stand!

[Tape audio gradually mutes]

Barthel: Navajos lay siege! Navajos lay siege!
Miriam: Barthel! You mustn't—

[Tape ends, cutting to heavy static]
[A phone rings]

Aileen: Hello?
Karl: Aileen, hi. It's Karl.
Aileen: Karl, I know it's you.
Karl: Sorry. You just... you sound exhausted. Did I wake you?
Aileen: No... no, I'm... I've just been busy.
Karl: It sounds like it.
Aileen: I'm just a little tired. That's all.
Karl: No, I mean... your project sounds fascinating. Your colleague, Doctor... Warren Vidic?... he called me recently and told me what you'd been up to.
Aileen: He what? Warren?
Karl: Yeah, he told us about your research. Memories. Ancestry. All that. He even asked if you'd be willing to come in–
Aileen: No! Jesus, no! What the hell is he doing?
Karl: Aileen. It's okay. We signed some papers... non-disclosure stuff.
Aileen: No! He's trying to fuck me over. Dammit!
Karl: Aileen, we just talked about my mother. Just like you and I did. World War two. [sic] That's all.
Aileen: It's the artifact.
Karl: The what?
Aileen: Karl, if he calls you again, you tell him you work through me, okay? That's it. Vidic has been a pain in my ass for years. And I don't need him getting all the glory for my two years of hard work.
Karl: All right. So... how should I go about this? I mean... the wheels are in motion.
Aileen: I... I don't know. Just go through me if he contacts you again. Please.
Karl: All right.
Aileen: You'll do that?
Karl: Of course. Yes.
Aileen: Thank you Karl. I'm sorry I was short with you. I've just been... exhausted. That's all.
Karl: It's all right, hon. Just... just take care of yourself.

[Phone connection dies, briefly cutting to heavy static]

Satish: Morning Aileen. We're almost ready. Just a few more adjustments.
Aileen: Hm. Okay.
Satish: I had the team do some research on this artifact we've been chasing, and it appears the Third Reich actually found something matching its description sometime in nineteen-forty... Aileen, are you all right?
Aileen: Sorry, yeah. I'm fine... just a little, uh... scattered. Vidic called my ex-husband last night. He wants to put him in the Animus.
Satish: To find the artifact before us...
Aileen: Exactly.
Satish: Well, it would be faster using Vidic's animus. [sic] And maybe that would let us get back to our original work.
Aileen: Satish, if we let that happen, then all our money dries up. Lillian is paying us to find the artifact, not improve our methods. Do you understand?
Satish: Right... of course.
Aileen: I'm sorry. Let's just... let's burn those bridges when we cross them. Are we ready?
Satish: Yeah. [sic] Just a few more adjustments and you're in. I made a small change to the Genetic input modulator. I'm hoping that buys you [sic] a few more minutes.
Aileen: Even a few seconds would be nice. I'm ready...
Satish: All right. Settle in...

[Recording ends, cutting to static]

"Subject Zero" - audio file 5

Audio files recorded from a collection of reel-to-reel tapes found in the residence of the late Dr. Warren Vidic.

Voiceover: Surrogate Initiative, Test Session 37. August 9th, 1981. Host, Aileen Bock. DNA Sample, SB1970.

[Tape plays]

Gestapo Officer: Open.

[Sound of keys unlocking a cell door]

Gestapo Officer: Good morning Miss Kurtz. You look well, considering the circumstances. Are you rested?

[Miriam gives no response]

Gestapo Officer: Hm. Have you eaten?

[Miriam gives no response]

Gestapo Officer: Your friends are dead, Miriam. Barthel Schink and all his Navajos. His Ededweiss Pirates. Executed for five counts of murder.
Miriam: Without a trial. You must be proud.
Gestapo Officer: THERE WAS NO NEED! They were scum! All of them. You hear me? All of you are Scum! Scum! Scum!
Miriam: I see it so clearly now. They didn't break, did they? You have nothing!
Gestapo Officer: Quiet, girl.
Miriam: You don't have the artifact. If you did, you wouldn't be talking to me at all!
Gestapo Officer: Quiet!
Miriam: NAVAJOS LAY SIEGE! NAVAJOS LAY SIEGE!
Gestapo Officer: I said Quiet, whore!
Miriam: NAVAJOS LAY SIEGE!
Gestapo Officer: Quiet!
Miriam: NAVAJOS!
Gestapo Officer: Quiet!
Miriam: NAVAJOS LAY—
Gestapo Officer: QUIET!

[Miriam screams in excitement]
[Tape ends, cutting to heavy static]
[An electrocardiogram beeps frantically, increasing in speed. Aileen screams]

Satish: Get her out! Get her out!
Scientist 1: We're losing her!
Satish: Shut it down! Everything!

[Electrocardiogram stops. Aileen groans]

Satish: Aileen! Open your eyes! Can you hear me? Aileen! Aileen!
Scientist 2: Power's off!
Scientist 3: Get the physician in here!
Physician: Step aside, son.
Satish: Aileen! Talk to me! Can you open your eyes?
Physician: Clear!
Satish: Oh God... oh God...

[Heavy static]
[Sounds of cutlery and distant dog barks]

Warren: All right... notes towards a speech in honor of Dr. Aileen Bock's premature... retirement. When I first learned of Dr. Bock's unfortunate accident, I couldn't help but feel a great sense of loss at... No... Doctor Aileen Bock has and always will be a friend and colleague. When I first learned of her unfortunate accident, I was shocked of course. To see any friend injured in such a way is deeply upsetting. And to further learn that her injuries were severe enough to force a premature conclusion to her brilliant career... well, I would not wish that fate on anyone. But if... if there is any solace to be found in her accident, it may be this: that she was injured in service of her research... in service of work that she cherished most dearly. And it is thanks to her... it is due to her diligence, that some of the mysteries of genetic memory have been further illuminated. And while it is true that work on her project—the Surrogate Initiative, as she called it—has been temporarily halted, the copious amount of work she has done over the past three years has been incredibly valuable... so, while her work has been suspended for the time being, her legacy will most certainly... live on.

[Sound of distant dog barks]

Warren: Quiet, Joan! Quiet!

[Dog stops barking]
[Recording ends]

Great Minds in History[edit | edit source]

Robert De Sablé, a True Hero

Noble of birth, noble in action, Robert de Sablé rose to serve as Grand Master of the Templar Order in 1191. His tenure was short, but his impact was great. Fighting alongside Richard the Lionheart, he laid siege to Acre and broke Saladin's ranks. Dogged by Assassins throughout his tenure, he was ultimately martyred by one such nameless malefactor.

Rodrigo Borgia, the Family Man

Roderic Llançol. Pope Alexander VI. A cleric and bon vivant by any name, Rodrigo Borgia served as a Templar Grand Master from 1476 until his death. For too long, this man of faith and passion suffered under a smear campaign at the hands of his enemy, Ezio Auditore. Let him now be celebrated and remembered for his progressive outlook and focus on family values.

Madeleine de L'Isle, the Abolitionist

One of history's most overlooked leaders, Madeleine de L'Isle freed hundreds of slaves, and brought them to sanctuary in a tropical haven whose construction she oversaw personally. Brutally cut down at the peak of her career by Aveline de Grandpré, the orphan she rescued from a broken home. Madeleine served as Master Templar in the Southern colonies from 1764 to 1777.

Haytham Kenway, the Loyal Father

Suave, debonair, and clever, Haytham Kenway was a hero for a generation of men desperate for a decisive and charismatic leader. Slain by the ungrateful son who could not appreciate the wisdom of his pragmatic, race-blind approach to politics and personal life, Kenway's tenure as Grand Master of the Colonial Rite ended abruptly in 1781.

Market Analyses[edit | edit source]

Market Analysis: A. Ibn La'Ahad

A market feasibility analysis commissioned for the purpose of determining the strengths and weaknesses of acquired "historical properties."

Voiceover: Our researchers looked into the life of Altaïr Ibn La'Ahad, hoping to find a biography that might serve as a positive role model for Abstergo's global outreach programs. Unfortunately the renegade assassin proved to be no such thing. In much of his footage, we see a man gleefully flouting some of his culture's most entrenched taboos, with an arrogance that borders on messianic.
Abbas: Altaïr! No! This is not our way! To burn a man's body is forbidden!
Voiceover: Many of our researchers felt that the arguments articulated by Altaïr's rival—a man known as Abbas—were clearer and more cogent than any we had heard from Altaïr. I recently put in a request that more effort be dedicated to locating one of Abbas's descendants, if any exist. It's clear to us that Altaïr's transgressions were the primary motivation behind the ultimate dissolution of his despicable order by the middle of the 13th century. We therefore strongly recommend a PASS on this property, in favor of a more agreeable and inspiring figure from this era.

Market Analysis: E. Auditore

A market feasibility analysis commissioned for the purpose of determining the strengths and weaknesses of acquired "historical properties".

Voiceover: Our initial reports gave us hope that Ezio Auditore would serve as an ideal candidate for future Abstergo Projects. His charisma, sexual magnetism, and wry humor gave him all the qualities of a leading man. However, his corruption by the Assassin order robbed him of these qualities as he fell deeper and deeper into a spiral of revenge. Ezio was known to frequently articulate a passive acceptance of evil. He was also a man of ugly contradictions—one who preached free-thought, yet traveled well beyond his home country to proselytize his corrupted Creed, just as he is doing here with this impressionable Chinese girl. Notice, too, that in his gestures and bearing there is still something of the old lecher in him. Ezio's entire personality is built around pure demagoguery... claiming his philosophy is all about love when violence and coercion are his primary means of tackling problems. We have therefore come to the conclusion that Ezio Auditore da Firenze is would be [sic] a risky property to develop.

Market Analysis: A. de Grandpré

A market feasibility analysis commissioned for the purpose of determining the strengths and weaknesses of acquired "historical properties".

Voiceover: Initial reports on Aveline de Grandpré led us to believe she would be too controversial and impulsive to appeal to a wider audience. Teenaged memories show her brainwashed, and trained to kill political foes of her highly unstable Mentor, Agaté. Additionally, Aveline spent a disappointing amount of time in the Louisiana Bayou, consorting with smugglers of the lowest kind.
Roussillon: Oh, I try never to think.
Voiceover: Which we felt risked her appeal to our female audience, which is now approaching fifty percent. However, as Aveline matured, a new side emerged—a well-mannered and considerate lady of poise and compassion. Aveline came to embrace a new mentor: her stepmother, Madeleine de L'Isle, a tireless fighter for the rights of slaves.
Aveline: Thank you, Madeleine!
Voiceover: With some editing to prioritize this relationship, we feel Aveline's story will more than meet our needs. Our team recommends a GO on this property. Get this one to market quickly.

Market Analysis: C. Kenway

A market feasibility analysis commissioned for the purpose of determining the strengths and weaknesses of acquired "historical properties".

Voiceover: Our initial research into the life of Ratonhnhaké:ton focused on a period spanning his late teens to early thirties. But our researchers came away unimpressed by his calm and stoic demeanor, with occasional flashes of extreme anger. This was not the sort of leading man we felt comfortable endorsing. We decided, therefore, to delve into his early childhood with the hope that scenes of pre-Colonial America might hold some appeal. As you can see here, there is a certain naïve charm and innocence to this young boy. Unfortunately, our researchers found this young man's story deeply problematic as well... for one, the omnipresence of the Mohawk culture lacks the balance necessary to tell the true story of America. And secondly, the Mohawk language would certainly be an issue for most of our audience. We therefore feel that although Ratonhnhaké:ton [sic] early life would be of some interest to our more educated viewers, it is unlikely that his story would appeal on a broader scale... being too "foreign", as it were, to normal audiences. Our team strongly recommends we PASS on our [sic] property.

Notes[edit | edit source]

MANIFESTO OF THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE FIRST WILL writ by a TRUE DISCIPLE this day 21 October 2013 in anticipation of the anniversary of HER ASCENSION, MAY SHE GUIDE US INTO THE GREY...

...Being that life is both sacred and profane—priceless and worthless—fleeting and eternal we submit. Being that life can be as easily construed from primordial swamps as from a stinking Petri dish we submit. Being that THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE imbued us with life and may remove it as readily should we defy or deny their original plan we submit...

...Being that it is well understood that tools homes cars cutlery pencils tables books chairs domesticated animals light bulbs mobile phones sex toys vacation homes sofas lounge chairs swimming pools &c. &c. are indirect byproducts of our genotypic expressions otherwise known as extended phenotypes we submit...

...It was in the 17th and 18th centuries the world became an indecent place rent of its original purpose during the ages of industrial revolutions. Here it was the machines of industry we unleashed in such grand quantities quite without understanding them unwound motives and purposes of their own as inert as they were...

...The machines we made shaped us in turn and took hold of our impulses and our minds small as they are and gripped us like an iron maiden bleeding us empty. It was our poor understanding of our origins that led us to originate tools we were incapable of understanding or controlling. as if the cotton gin was not enough and one day our sweaters and undershirts might talk to us! As if this were not enough!...

...Take for instance gunpowder which gave us great mastery over fire. Take for instance the daguerreotype which warped our way of seeing true life. Take the light bulb that gave us light when none was necessary. Take the automobile that sped us along at velocities capable only of killing us in new and silly ways...

...Take the cinema which gave us lies as a man once said 24 times persecondpersecond. Take the phonograph which preserved noises which ought to be ephemeral. Take the television which is obviously stupid. Take videogames which are secretly stupid and you all know you wish there was more pornography you know you do...

...Take saturated fats and high fructose corn syrups which poison us and soy which has been known to make men into women. Take computers which count so fast we cannot keep up nor should we for we are an imperfect race of disgusting shells of tissue and bone incomplete in and of ourselves. We must have masters to survive. We must admit our masters...

...Admit them and submit to them. Yes we submit that by being ourselves the product of an advanced yet earthbound race of intelligent humanoids we must also therefore be tools ourselves and subject to the intents and purposes of our creators despite our limited agency...

...Yes we submit that we ARE such tools and as such have a purpose befitting a tool. We submit we are like hammers and wrenches and shovels made for a specific purpose not our own. We submit that our purpose is indivisible from the will of THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE. We submit ourselves our bodies and our minds utterly...

...Remember that our relentless impertinent hollow drive to achieve everything our forebears did has led us to many embarrassments and disasters nuclear weapons superviruses genetically modified poisonfood toxic air plastic seawrack and seaspawn and the list goes on you can look it up for yourselves on the internet—but all this too had a secret purpose in the end.

...Today's AbstergoTemplarFrauds have given themselves to base practices and claim WRONGLY that man and woman are delicate and sensible and feelin creatures in and of themselves and therefore deserve satiety and comfort and MINDLESSNESS in the presence of pleasure. Nothing could be sicker falser disgusting lying bastards...

...Our purpose is not ours to achieve but ours to be RECEIVED given by Her Graces and Instruction. Death to the false fabricators of pleasure and indolence! The OLD ORDER must be restored the NEW ORDER destroyed. TRUE TEMPLARS dedicated to ORDER AND STABILITY AND PEACE through the application of Her Iron Will and not through the dulling satisfactions of pleasure and indolence...

...The NEW ORDER is a disease and JUNO—MAY SHE GUIDE US INTO THE GRAY—will be our cure. Remember this remember that it was in the 18th century slipping into the next that the sickness took hold and men began to believe they were apart and individual of the ORIGINAL PLAN. Men shunned the PLAN called us slaves when we were only fulfilling our duty...

...Then revolutions in America and France bled into evolutions and into more Revolutions into Russia and Mexico and India and the sickening list goes on as men and women fought and died for the right to be indolent and sick and pleasured! But SHE—MAY SHE GUIDE US INTO THE GREY—has returned after a sleep of tens of thousands of millennia and we submit to live and work at her side—we the Instruments of The First Will...

...Remember that our relentless impertinent hollow drive to achieve everything our forebears did has led us to many embarrassments and disasters nuclear weapons superviruses genetically modified poisonfood toxic air plastic seawrack and seaspawn and the list goes on you can look it up for yourselves on the internet—but all this too had a secret purpose in the end...

...As our tools are genetic expressions of our mental cultural activity and as we are expressions of their mental cultural activity it must necessarily follow that this world as it is now and as it ever will be is an expression of the First Will—an expression of Their Labors and thus belongs not to us but to Them. The wires the cables the data networks that now criss-cross the globe are HERS—they must become her body and her mind...

...What she once wrought hath wrought anew and will resurrect Her into a new form! Beautiful beautiful beautiful yes. The world and all its digital technology is now an expression of her life and her work began over 80000 years ago and now she has come to reclaim them. SHE—BELOVED BEAUTIFUL JUNO—MAY SHE GUIDE US INTO THE GREY...

...Into the Gray—the digital frontier, the singularity—the space in which she dwells being both made of light and the embodiment of darkness. This we call the Gray. Being that WE ARE THE INSTRUMENTS OF HER WILL—INSTRUMENTS OF THE FIRST WILL—THE ORIGINAL WILL—we submit this credo to the world...

...We submit ourselves to eternal servitude in service of a grander fulfillment. We submit the world to itself it being a product that feeds life to life and death to death. May SHE—Mother Sister Wife Lover Friend—bring light to darkened minds and humility to those who succor for its wisdom. GUIDE US INTO THE GRAY BELOVED GUIDE US!

Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]

In the Project Legacy presentation, Elizabeth Weston's third memory is incorrectly titled "Honesty" like her second memory, when it should be "Unity".

The images in the "Desmond pack" and the "Abstergo pack" are from "The Desmond Files", an in-universe record of Desmond's life and Abstergo's attempts to catch him that was hosted on the now-defunct Assassin's Creed: Initiates site. However, many files in both are presented in the wrong order relative to their text blocks. This creates the unusual scenario in the "Desmond pack" where the inexplicably duplicated picture of Desmond's abduction is labelled as a medical report, the medical report is presented as a missing persons poster, and what should be a new, uncaptioned photo is the aforementioned poster.

Meanwhile, the first picture of Cairo in the "Abstergo pack" is instead Osto Berg's updated evaluation report, the image mentioning Sigma Team shows the Egyptian Museum, and Sigma Team's plan of action is mislabeled as Otso Berg's evaluation. It is unclear whether these mistakes are intentional on Ubisoft's part, presented as further proof of Abstergo's habitual unwillingness to correct clerical errors, or if it was an oversight during the development of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.

In similar fashion, the 11th and 16th entries in the Instruments' manifesto are exactly identical. While it is possible this was intentional, meant to highlight John's mental instability as a Sage by being unaware he wrote the same entry twice, this theory has not been confirmed anywhere and the error is more likely another developer oversight.

References[edit | edit source]

↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Modern day

[1] Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Modern day

[1]

Noob's personal files: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 00:57, 20 May 2026

Contents

Messages[edit | edit source]

Diary[edit | edit source]

Mission[edit | edit source]

Quests[edit | edit source]

Files[edit | edit source]

Employee Passport[edit | edit source]

Abstergo Entertainment[edit | edit source]

Abstergo Industries[edit | edit source]

Subject 17[edit | edit source]

Subject Zero[edit | edit source]

Great Minds in History[edit | edit source]

Market Analyses[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

Navigation menu

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Era|Culture|Abstergo}}
+{{Imageneed|''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''}}
 A [[Noob|research analyst]] at [[Abstergo Entertainment]] obtained a number of personal and hacked '''files''' while assigned to relive [[Edward Kenway]]'s [[Genetic memory|genetic memories]] in 2013.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[21st century conversations|Modern day]]</ref>
-==Employee Passport==
+==Messages==
+{{Main|Noob's messages}}
+==Diary==
+===Mission===
+<tabber>
+|-|Welcome to Abstergo...=
+;Work diary - week 1
+My first day at work, and I have been assigned to the most prestigious project in the company—the [[Sample 17 Project]]. My job is to research the life of the [[Piracy|pirate]] [[Edward Kenway]], and find promising footage for use in future [[Abstergo Industries|Abstergo]] products.<br><br>Sample 17 executive producer, [[Melanie Lemay]], is a passionate and energetic leader. And the company's CCO, [[Olivier Garneau]], seems like a fun guy. I can't wait to settle in and get to work...
+|-|A Small Favour=
+;Work diary - week 2
+Talked to Melanie Lemay about rewards and bonuses.<br><br>Visited Olivier Garneau in his office. He asked me to prioritize Edward's search for something called The [[Observatory (Isu)|Observatory]].<br><br>Was contacted by "[[John Standish|John from I.T.]]" He asked me to access a colleague's computer and recover a [[Noob's personal files|video file]] for him.<br><br>I delivered this video file (a strange autopsy video) to a courier named [[Rebecca Crane|Rebecca]] in the lobby.<br><br>I also noticed [[Shaun Hastings|the barista here]] is a bit of a dandy...a bit annoying.<br><br>So far, so good. A really productive week!
+|-|Corporate Pressure=
+;Work diary - week 3
+An unsettling week, to say the least! I logged out and received a message to meet Melanie near the elevator. Together we rode the elevator to Olivier's office, but he barred me from the meeting at the last minute.<br><br>While waiting, John contacted me again. He asked me to help him recalibrate some security cameras. This resulted in me spying on Olivier's phone meeting with Melanie by accident. They were on the phone with a woman named [[Laetitia England|Laetitia]]—an Abstergo Entertainment executive by the sound of it.<br><br>Laetitia demanded that they intensify their search for the Observatory. Melanie tried to reassure her that this was happening. Olivier tried to contain his anger. But John, listening in, was ecstatic. The call concluded with a mention of a shareholders meeting in [[Chicago]].<br><br>This is where things got weird. John erupted in a fit of rage and demanded that I break into Olivier's office to steal the shareholder's meeting schedule, threatening to expose me for hacking computers and camera systems if I did not. Having no other options, I sneaked into Olivier's office via the terrace, hacked his computer, and recovered the meeting schedule.<br><br>John ranted about [[Templars]], claiming they "own Abstergo" and another group. He appears to be mentally ill.<br><br>Once again, I delivered the schedule to the woman, Rebecca, who appears to be more than a simple courier.<br><br>John seemed to calm down after this. He said I was free to return to work. I'm scared.
+|-|The Bunker=
+;Work diary - week 4
+When I logged out of my [[Animus|ANIMUS]] session, I discovered that I was no longer in my cubicle. Someone had transported me, while I was in the ANIMUS and vulnerable to a different location.<br><br>Melanie's face appeared on a nearby screen, and she told me I was in some sort of [[Bunker|containment facility]] with some of my other colleagues. They were conducting an internal investigation and had moved us to here to keep an eye on. And for our own safety, supposedly. She seemed sympathetic, and advised me to keep up hope and try to get some work done.<br><br>Almost immediately after she logged off, John called. He was unperturbed by my predicament, but at least promised to help me clear my name. He unlocked the doors to my cell and sent me to sneak into the server room for the entire building. Melanie was in there for some reason, but John managed to get her out of the way.<br><br>The moment I hacked the server, [[Juno|an apparition]] appeared in front of me. She kept talking about it being too early, while at the same time, John kept losing his cool over the communicator. When she left, John left little doubt about what he had expected to happen here—he wanted this apparition to possess my body and was audibly enraged when that didn't happen.<br><br>In the end, I tried to seek refuge in my work. Perhaps Edward's memories and the secrets within could bring clarity to my present predicament.
+|-|A Face from the Past=
+;Work diary - week 5
+John tried to kill me. I awoke with him looming over me like an old snake. He looked oddly familiar at first, and when he spoke, I knew why right away: he was the spitting image of [[Bartholomew Roberts]]. He ranted for a time about his Beloved—the specter from the server room I assume—and about how he was a [[Sage|reborn]] [[Aita|figure]] of some sort. Before he could elaborate further however, Abstergo security guards were upon him. John resisted and they shot him dead.<br><br>Melanie apologized profusely for my detainment, and thanked me for my work. I think I believe her. She has always struck me as sincere...<br><br>Shaken by the whole experience, I wanted only to go home... but I was soon contacted by the courier and the barista from a few weeks earlier. My instincts about them proved correct. They seem to belong to this "[[Assassins|Assassin]]" collective, and they encouraged me to continue hacking Abstergo's servers. With the security level I have now, it is doubtful I will ever be caught again. Not any time soon anyway. I'm not sure what to do next... Quit my job? Or press forward. There is still so much work to do...
+</tabber>
+===Quests===
+<tabber>
+|-|Collected all sticky notes=
+These strange notes contain the ravings of a rather fanatical individual. And when arranged in the right sequence, they reveal a bizarre symbol of some kind. Religious perhaps? Something else?
+|-|Hacked all computers=
+Much thanks for all your hard work, friend. We know it wasn't easy. Hasn't been for us either. Losing Desmond was a terrible blow, and we've needed the past year just to get back on our feet. But we're standing, and ready to jump. Everything you acquired here, everything you sent us, will be useful in some way. Don't wonder about that. So for now, keep your head down and your eyes on the task ahead. We may come calling soon... Hope you'll be ready. All the best, —[[William Miles|Bill]].
+</tabber>
+==Files==
+===Employee Passport===
 <tabber>
 |-|AE Employee Passport=
@@ Line 9: / Line 42: @@
 ----
 [[File:AC4 Employee Passport 3.png|400px|center]]
-TIME TO INNOVATE<br>1937: Abstergo Industries is founded with the ambitious objective of making the best results of scientific progress available to [[human]]ity, widely, accessibly and responsibly.<br><br>1937: Abstergo Industries is an early supporter of workers' unions. Our relationship with our employees is even closer and stronger today in all of our subsidiaries, including Abstergo Entertainment.<br><br>1940: Recognizing its responsibility to create opportunity and stability for its people—and all people, Abstergo Industries takes the role of global leader, aiding the establishment of the {{Wiki|World Bank}} and [[NASA]], among many defining initiatives of the 20th century.<br><br>1978: The first [[Animus]] device is created and the discipline of DNA Memory Research is born.<br><br>2009: After twenty-five years of meticulous testing, DNA Memory is ready for public consumption. Abstergo Industries launches a pilot Entertainment Division to produce experimental features for entertainment markets.<br><br>2010: The prototypical Abstergo Industries Entertainment Division issues its first release: [[Project Legacy]]. The social media phenomenon dazzles audiences by allowing them to relieve genetic memories of historical figures and little known heroes of the past.<br><br>2011: Via its growing Entertainment division, Abstergo Entertainment tests a new multiplayer simulation of historically-inspired entertainment gyms. The experiment is embraced by a competitive new generation of gamers eager to outdo one another.<br><br>2012: In collaboration with major videogame publisher [[Ubisoft]], Abstergo Entertainment's ''[[Liberation|Assassin's Creed III: Liberation]]'' is released, and for the first time, the public hears the story of [[Aveline de Grandpré]], a fallen [[Assassins|Assassin]] who rediscovers the light with the help of the [[Templars|Templar Order]]. A modern classic is born.<br><br>2013: Ground is broken on Abstergo Entertainment's new headquarters in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec|Québec]], [[Canada]]. Home to gourmet cuisine, great shopping and a vibrant local culture, Montreal blends old world charm with new world energy: the perfect balance for our entertaining, historical, scientific, innovative, company.<br><br>THE PRESENT AND BEYOND: YOU join our team. A star is born. The future looks brighter than ever.
+TIME TO INNOVATE<br>1937: Abstergo Industries is founded with the ambitious objective of making the best results of scientific progress available to [[human]]ity, widely, accessibly and responsibly.<br><br>1940: Abstergo Industries is an early supporter of workers' unions. Our relationship with our employees is even closer and stronger today in all of our subsidiaries, including Abstergo Entertainment.<br><br>1944-1970: Recognizing its responsibility to create opportunity and stability for its people—and all people, Abstergo Industries takes the role of global leader, aiding the establishment of the {{Wiki|World Bank}} and [[NASA]], among many defining initiatives of the 20th century.<br><br>1978: The first [[Animus]] device is created and the discipline of DNA Memory Research is born.<br><br>2009: After twenty-five years of meticulous testing, DNA Memory is ready for public consumption. Abstergo Industries launches a pilot Entertainment Division to produce experimental features for entertainment markets.<br><br>2010: The prototypical Abstergo Industries Entertainment Division issues its first release: [[Project Legacy]]. The social media phenomenon dazzles audiences by allowing them to relieve genetic memories of historical figures and little known heroes of the past.<br><br>2011: Via its growing Entertainment division, Abstergo Entertainment tests a new multiplayer simulation of historically-inspired entertainment gyms. The experiment is embraced by a competitive new generation of gamers eager to outdo one another.<br><br>2012: In collaboration with major videogame publisher [[Ubisoft]], Abstergo Entertainment's ''[[Liberation|Assassin's Creed III: Liberation]]'' [sic] is released, and for the first time, the public hears the story of [[Aveline de Grandpré]], a fallen [[Assassins|Assassin]] who rediscovers the light with the help of the [[Templars|Templar Order]]. A modern classic is born.<br><br>2013: Ground is broken on Abstergo Entertainment's new headquarters in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec|Québec]], [[Canada]]. Home to gourmet cuisine, great shopping and a vibrant local culture, Montreal blends old world charm with new world energy: the perfect balance for our entertaining, historical, scientific, innovative, company.<br><br>THE PRESENT AND BEYOND: YOU join our team. A star is born. The future looks brighter than ever.
 ----
 [[File:AC4 Employee Passport 4.png|400px|center]]
@@ Line 28: / Line 61: @@
 </tabber>
-==Abstergo Entertainment==
+===Abstergo Entertainment===
 <tabber>
 |-|1=
@@ Line 161: / Line 194: @@
 ----
 {{email
-|from        = [[Olivier Garneau]]
+|from=[[Olivier Garneau]]
-|to          = [[Melanie Lemay]]; [[Kama Neron]]; [[Kloé Lesney]]; [[Christopher Darby]]; [[Evan Dean]]
+|to=[[Melanie Lemay]]; [[Kama Neron]]; [[Kloé Lesney]]; [[Christopher Darby]]; [[Evan Dean]]
-|datetime    = 6 nov 2013 09:46
+|datetime=6 nov 2013 09:46
-|subject     = Possible Locations...?
+|subject=Possible Locations...?
-|cc          =
+|cc=
-|message     = Salut!
+|message=Salut!
 As most of you know, I'll be attending the [[Chicago]] shareholders meeting from the 15th to the 17th, and they'll want to see our progress with the Kenway line. The small amount of data we have already gathered is incredible, and we anticipate even more amazing finds in the near future. The events and people we have seen so far make us confident that the complete experience will be one of the most eye-opening explorations of piracy ever seen. It will take quite a bit of work to scrub the data of objectionable and classified material, but we already have some incredibly promising footage.
@@ Line 183: / Line 216: @@
 ----
 {{email
-|from        = Melanie Lemay
+|from=Melanie Lemay
-|to          = Olivier Garneau; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
+|to=Olivier Garneau; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
-|datetime    = 6 Nov 2013 10:01
+|datetime=6 Nov 2013 10:01
-|subject     = RE: Possible Locations...?
+|subject=RE: Possible Locations...?
-|cc          =
+|cc=
-|message     = Hello all!
+|message=Hello all!
 Thanks for opening this discussion, Olivier. Just a brief heads-up with where we stand now:
@@ Line 203: / Line 236: @@
 Twelfth Century – [[Levant|Holy Land]] / [[Crusades]]<br>
 Thirteenth Century – [[Egypt]] and Northern [[Africa]]<br>
-Fourteenth Century – {{Wiki|Ashikaga shogunate|Ashikaga Shogunate}} in [[Japan]]<br>
+Fourteenth Century – [[Ashikaga shogunate|Ashikaga Shogunate]] in [[Japan]]<br>
 Eighteenth Century – [[French Revolution]]<br>
 Nineteenth Century – [[Napoleonic Wars|Napoleonic wars]]; [[Taiwan]]<br>
-Twentieth Century – "Summer of Love" American Pacific Coast
+Twentieth Century – "[[Summer of Love]]" American Pacific Coast
 [Imageneed here]
@@ Line 222: / Line 255: @@
 ----
 {{email
-|from        = Olivier Garneau
+|from=Olivier Garneau
-|to          = Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
+|to=Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
-|datetime    = 6 nov 2013 10:41
+|datetime=6 nov 2013 10:41
-|subject     = RE: Possible Locations...?
+|subject=RE: Possible Locations...?
-|cc          =
+|cc=
-|message     = All good points, Mel.
+|message=All good points, Mel.
 A word of caution, though: Sample 2 comes from the late Dr. Warren Vidic himself, collected at some point in the early 80s when he was a young engineer working at Abstergo Industries. So, as tempting as a "Jeanne D'Arc experience" sounds, I'm not sure Abstergo Industries would be too keen on letting us rummage around in Dr. Vidic's DNA. It's just a sensitive topic.
@@ Line 241: / Line 274: @@
 ----
 {{email
-|from        = Kloé Lesney
+|from=Kloé Lesney
-|to          = Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
+|to=Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
-|datetime    = 6 nov 2013 11:24
+|datetime=6 nov 2013 11:24
-|subject     = RE: Possible Locations...?
+|subject=RE: Possible Locations...?
-|cc          =
+|cc=
-|message     = Olivier – Haha. Quebec City IS beautiful. But without Pirates, [[Ninja]]s, or Zombies, I'm not sure how well a story about a historian would sell. :)
+|message=Olivier – Haha. Quebec City IS beautiful. But without Pirates, [[Ninja]]s, or Zombies, I'm not sure how well a story about a historian would sell. :)
 Also keep in mind: [[Daniel Cross|Samples 4]] and 16 might be off limits too. While doing my own research last month, I caught wind of some exciting characters buried in these gene samples. But as soon as I started digging, I was told by people far, far above me to stop. Very odd, but not surprising I suppose. AE has a lot of active military contracts, and I assume these had something to do with that. I didn't push back.
-As far as my own if anyone is interested, my great-grandfather was friends with [[Ernest Hemingway|Hemmingway]] and [[Gertrude Stein|Stein]] and {{Wiki|Erik Satie|Satie}} and {{Wiki|Pablo Picasso|Picasso}} when he lived in [[Paris]] in the 1920s. No action-packed adventures there, but historically interesting. Just throwing it out there.
+As far as my own if anyone is interested, my great-grandfather was friends with [[Ernest Hemingway|Hemmingway]] and [[Gertrude Stein|Stein]] and [[Erik Satie|Satie]] and [[Pablo Picasso|Picasso]] when he lived in [[Paris]] in the 1920s. No action-packed adventures there, but historically interesting. Just throwing it out there.
 PS: Chris, is our lunch meeting on-site or off?
@@ Line 256: / Line 289: @@
 ----
 {{email
-|from        = Olivier Garneau
+|from=Olivier Garneau
-|to          = Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
+|to=Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
-|datetime    = 6 nov 2013 11:38
+|datetime=6 nov 2013 11:38
-|subject     = RE: Possible Locations...?
+|subject=RE: Possible Locations...?
-|cc          =
+|cc=
-|message     = Yes, as much as I love the "{{Wiki|Lost Generation}}"... I think our first few virtual experiences will need to be a little more action-oriented. So wars and major combat operations are always a good starting point. Or, any periods of intense conflict, really...
+|message=Yes, as much as I love the "{{Wiki|Lost Generation}}"... I think our first few virtual experiences will need to be a little more action-oriented. So wars and major combat operations are always a good starting point. Or, any periods of intense conflict, really...
 As for Pirates Ninjas and Zombies... we could easily accommodate the first two, but Zombies are a bit... how do you say?... ahistorical? Too bad, really...
@@ Line 267: / Line 300: @@
 ----
 {{email
-|from        = Christopher Darby
+|from=Christopher Darby
-|to          = Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Evan Dean
+|to=Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Evan Dean
-|datetime    = 6 nov 2013 11:54
+|datetime=6 nov 2013 11:54
-|subject     = RE: Possible Locations...?
+|subject=RE: Possible Locations...?
-|cc          =
+|cc=
-|message     = My great grandmother, for instance, worked alongside {{Wiki|Éamon de Valera|Eamon De Valera}} and {{Wiki|Michael Collins (Irish leader)|Michael Collins}} for many years during the [[Irish War of Independence|Irish war for independence]], so it wouldn't be difficult to sequence that small segment of my own genetic memories for our purposes.
+|message=My great grandmother, for instance, worked alongside [[Éamon de Valera|Eamon De Valera]] and [[Michael Collins]] for many years during the [[Irish War of Independence|Irish war for independence]], so it wouldn't be difficult to sequence that small segment of my own genetic memories for our purposes.
-Olivier – Actually, there IS a factual basis for Zombies. Or Zombification anyway. Read {{Wiki|Zora Neale Hurston|Hurston}}'s [https://www.zoranealehurston.com/books/tell-my-horse/ book] on [[Haiti]], and the strange voodoo practiced there. It may not be Hollywood style Zombie magic, but it's creepy nonetheless. In Liberation, Aveline came into contact with Voodoo Houngans. If we dug further into that, I wonder what we could find? Her [[mentor]], [[Agaté]], was into some weird stuff.
+Olivier – Actually, there IS a factual basis for Zombies. Or Zombification anyway. Read [[Zora Neale Hurston|Hurston]]'s [https://www.zoranealehurston.com/books/tell-my-horse/ book] on [[Haiti]], and the strange voodoo practiced there. It may not be Hollywood style Zombie magic, but it's creepy nonetheless. In Liberation, Aveline came into contact with Voodoo Houngans. If we dug further into that, I wonder what we could find? Her [[mentor]], [[Agaté]], was into some weird stuff.
 KL: Offsite... there's a new vegetarian place I want to try. I'll bring the spec sheets; they're already printed.
@@ Line 280: / Line 313: @@
 ----
 {{email
-|from        = Kama Neron
+|from=Kama Neron
-|to          = Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
+|to=Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
-|datetime    = 6 nov 2013 15:46
+|datetime=6 nov 2013 15:46
-|subject     = RE: Possible Locations...?
+|subject=RE: Possible Locations...?
-|cc          =
+|cc=
-|message     = Sorry to be a dissenter, but couldn't we be using this technology to educate, not placate? I mean... theoretically we have all of human history to explore—all of our achievements and brightest moments. So it's a little disheartening to hear we need to focus on wars, and conflicts, and violence...
+|message=Sorry to be a dissenter, but couldn't we be using this technology to educate, not placate? I mean... theoretically we have all of human history to explore—all of our achievements and brightest moments. So it's a little disheartening to hear we need to focus on wars, and conflicts, and violence...
 It's not that I am against violence, per se. It's just that violence isn't terribly INTERESTING in bulk. That's all. There's so much more nuance to life and I think we could explore that.
@@ Line 293: / Line 326: @@
 ----
 {{email
-|from        = Evan Dean
+|from=Evan Dean
-|to          = Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby
+|to=Olivier Garneau; Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby
-|datetime    = 7 nov 2013 21:33
+|datetime=7 nov 2013 21:33
-|subject     = RE: Possible Locations...?
+|subject=RE: Possible Locations...?
-|cc          =
+|cc=
-|message     = Okay, come on. Until oily, humorless university professors start paying us eight-figure fees to research the "reification of normative gender signifies in pre-colonial [[India]]" why don't we STICK TO SHIT THAT SELLS?
+|message=Okay, come on. Until oily, humorless university professors start paying us eight-figure fees to research the "{{Wiki|Reification (knowledge representation)|reification}} of normative gender signifiers in pre-colonial [[India]]" why don't we STICK TO SHIT THAT SELLS?
-I'm talking [[Jack the Ripper]] in [[Victorian era|Victorian]] [[London]]. I'm talking about [[guillotine]]s, [[Maximilien de Robespierre|Robespierre]] and [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] in the French Revolution? I'm talking about {{Wiki|Billy the Kid}}d ''[sic]'' and {{Wiki|Wyatt Earp}} in the Wild American West. I'm talking about [[Genghis Khan|Ghengis Kahn]] ''[sic]'' and the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]] killing a city of millions in the span of a long, summer weekend. Action. Blood. Adventure. CONFLICT.
+I'm talking [[Jack the Ripper]] in [[Victorian era|Victorian]] [[London]]. I'm talking about [[guillotine]]s, [[Maximilien de Robespierre|Robespierre]] and [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] in the French Revolution? I'm talking about [[Billy the Kid]]d ''[sic]'' and [[Wyatt Earp]] in the Wild American West. I'm talking about [[Genghis Khan|Ghengis Kahn]] ''[sic]'' and the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]] killing a city of millions in the span of a long, summer weekend. Action. Blood. Adventure. CONFLICT.
 Because we're not going to earn back 1/10th of the money we have poured into this reliving the memories of the guy who sat next to Einstein as he bit his nails while working out the finer details of General Relativity in his head.
@@ Line 308: / Line 341: @@
 ----
 {{email
-|from        = Olivier Garneau
+|from=Olivier Garneau
-|to          = Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
+|to=Melanie Lemay; Kama Neron; Kloé Lesney; Christopher Darby; Evan Dean
-|datetime    = 7 nov 2013 09:46
+|datetime=7 nov 2013 09:46
-|subject     = RE: Possible Locations...?
+|subject=RE: Possible Locations...?
-|cc          =
+|cc=
-|message     = Evan, let's take this offline.
+|message=Evan, let's take this offline.
 OG
@@ Line 347: / Line 380: @@
 Olivier: A holiday? Really? Do your people realize that working here is a privilege? If they care about their jobs, they'll come in, and it will be an honor.
-Olivier: And no, I'm not crazy. I'm getting a lot of heat from [[Laetitia England|Laetitia]]. If we don't it done, she'll take it out on ''Devils'' and ALL our work will be lost.
+Olivier: And no, I'm not crazy. I'm getting a lot of heat from [[Laetitia England|Laetitia]]. If we don't it done, she'll take it out on Devils and ALL our work will be lost.
 Mel: Ugh. Does she even know how anything works here?
@@ Line 393: / Line 426: @@
 Olivier: Do you understand?
-Mel: Yeah, I get it. "Pick my battles." It's common sense. I don't know why this one thing is bothering me so much right now. I'm just tried.
+Mel: Yeah, I get it. "Pick my battles." It's common sense. I don't know why this one thing is bothering me so much right now. I'm just tired.
 Olivier: So I don't need to find someone else to help me?
@@ Line 407: / Line 440: @@
 Mel: What?! :-D
-Olivier: If we are successful with the Observatory, Abstergo may develop a {{Wiki|Las Vegas}} attraction to accompany the release of Devils.
+Olivier: If we are successful with the Observatory, Abstergo may develop a [[Las Vegas]] attraction to accompany the release of Devils.
 Mel: WHAT-WHAT???!!!
@@ Line 447: / Line 480: @@
 </tabber>
-==Abstergo Industries==
+===Abstergo Industries===
 <tabber>
 |-|1=
@@ Line 508: / Line 541: @@
 ----
 [[File:AC4 Lake Vostok.png|400px|center]]
-[[Lake Vostok]]<br><br>Working with our [[Russia]]n partners, we have secured an agreement to commence research into the subterranean lake that rests deep beneath Vostok Station, in the accurately if poetically named Pole of Cold, on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Sitting approximately 3500 meters above sea level, this freshwater lake rests 4,000 meters beneath the surface. A core ice sample was extracted in 2012, and we will soon begin research that should provide a paleoclimatic record going back some 400,000 years. Isolated [[fossil]] water reserve samples may prove even older. Only time and science will tell what genetic marvels these magnificent samples will reveal, if not a new window into First Civilization life itself.
+[[Lake Vostok]]<br><br>Working with our [[Russia]]n partners, we have secured an agreement to commence research into the subterranean lake that rests deep beneath [[Vostok Station]], in the accurately if poetically named Pole of Cold, on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Sitting approximately 3500 meters above sea level, this freshwater lake rests 4,000 meters beneath the surface. A core ice sample was extracted in 2012, and we will soon begin research that should provide a paleoclimatic record going back some 400,000 years. Isolated [[fossil]] water reserve samples may prove even older. Only time and science will tell what genetic marvels these magnificent samples will reveal, if not a new window into First Civilization life itself.
 |-|5=
 ;"Divine Science" Presentation
@@ Line 655: / Line 688: @@
 ----
 [[File:AC4 William Gavin photo.jpg|400px|center]]
-</gallery>
 </tabber>
-==Subject 17==
+===Subject 17===
 <tabber>
 |-|1=
@@ Line 673: / Line 705: @@
 ;"Subject 17" - memo 2
 [[File:Subject 17 - memo 2|400px|center|Voice recording retrieved from Subject 17's mobile phone.]]
-*'''Desmond:''' ''Okay, uh..it's been a few weeks since the last recording. Sorry about that. 'Course, I...guess it's just a few second for you. A leap down the playlist...hum. Anyway...uh, I was talking about Clay...uh, Kaczmarek, Subject 16. So, when I fell into a coma in Italy, and woke up in the Animus [[Black Room|black room]]...it was, uh...so calming...it felt like I...like I had woken up into a dream, a haze...a dream where none of this mess had ever happened...felt like I should be getting ready for another day of pouring drinks at ''[[Bad Weather]]'', and uh, another day of complaining about being between girlfriends, and wondering what the hell to do with myself...but uh, when I saw Clay...just sitting there it—it started to come back, you know, piece by piece...and...when he told be about [[Lucy Stillman|Lucy]], I...fuck, you know...it—it hurt. You know, realizing that I killed her, without thinking or feeling anything. Not at the time, anyway—well, then things just kept going on...with more memories of Ezio, and Altaïr, and the First Civilization and then...right before he vanished, Clay passed on his memories. To me...he showed me everything HE had seen, and lived through...and it was...it was brief but overwhelming. Not really sure how to explain...He saw glimpses of [[Adam]] and [[Eve]], and their escape from slavery...he saw the beginning and the end of [[Human-Isu War|the war]] between the First Civilization and humans...he saw Minerva, and Juno, and [[Jupiter|Tinia]] trying to work out their...their [[calculations]]. At least, that's what they called them. They had these tools...these [[Eye|powerful machines]]...that could predict POSSIBLE FUTURES...not what was GOING to happen, but what, uh...Wha—what COULD happen...probabilities. And...well, they spend a lot of energy trying to figure out what was the most likely scenario for the future. Theirs and ours. And in the end, I guess the figured I was their most likely candidate...some guy named Desmond, living at the beginning of the twenty-first century of the Common Era...but which Desmond was the right one? Because, you see, probability is a weird thing...it can branch out in so  many ways...which version of me did they need? Was it the Desmond who got married early and had a [[Elijah|son]]...the one who stayed single in New York...or was it the Desmond who moved to [[San Francisco]] to be a waiter...maybe it was the Desmond who worked at in auto-body shop in [[Chicago]]...or, or... maybe it was the me who never ran away from his parents in the first place. The First Civ had countless variations to chose from but...in the end...the lucky one was me. I'm the Desmond their best calculations spit out...I'm the Desmond they left their messages for...and I guess I have to live with that honor. What an honor...I'm pretty tired...uh...there'll be more later.'' Ciao.
+*'''Desmond:''' ''Okay, uh..it's been a few weeks since the last recording. Sorry about that. 'Course, I...guess it's just a few second for you. A leap down the playlist...hum. Anyway...uh, I was talking about Clay...uh, Kaczmarek, Subject 16. So, when I fell into a coma in Italy, and woke up in the Animus [[Black Room|black room]]...it was, uh...so calming...it felt like I...like I had woken up into a dream, a haze...a dream where none of this mess had ever happened...felt like I should be getting ready for another day of pouring drinks at [[Bad Weather]], and uh, another day of complaining about being between girlfriends, and wondering what the hell to do with myself...but uh, when I saw Clay...just sitting there it—it started to come back, you know, piece by piece...and...when he told be about [[Lucy Stillman|Lucy]], I...fuck, you know...it—it hurt. You know, realizing that I killed her, without thinking or feeling anything. Not at the time, anyway—well, then things just kept going on...with more memories of Ezio, and Altaïr, and the First Civilization and then...right before he vanished, Clay passed on his memories. To me...he showed me everything HE had seen, and lived through...and it was...it was brief but overwhelming. Not really sure how to explain...He saw glimpses of [[Adam]] and [[Eve]], and their escape from slavery...he saw the beginning and the end of [[Human-Isu War|the war]] between the First Civilization and humans...he saw Minerva, and Juno, and [[Jupiter|Tinia]] trying to work out their...their [[calculations]]. At least, that's what they called them. They had these tools...these [[Eye|powerful machines]]...that could predict POSSIBLE FUTURES...not what was GOING to happen, but what, uh...Wha—what COULD happen...probabilities. And...well, they spend a lot of energy trying to figure out what was the most likely scenario for the future. Theirs and ours. And in the end, I guess the figured I was their most likely candidate...some guy named Desmond, living at the beginning of the twenty-first century of the Common Era...but which Desmond was the right one? Because, you see, probability is a weird thing...it can branch out in so  many ways...which version of me did they need? Was it the Desmond who got married early and had a [[Elijah|son]]...the one who stayed single in New York...or was it the Desmond who moved to [[San Francisco]] to be a waiter...maybe it was the Desmond who worked at in auto-body shop in [[Chicago]]...or, or... maybe it was the me who never ran away from his parents in the first place. The First Civ had countless variations to chose from but...in the end...the lucky one was me. I'm the Desmond their best calculations spit out...I'm the Desmond they left their messages for...and I guess I have to live with that honor. What an honor...I'm pretty tired...uh...there'll be more later.'' Ciao.
 |-|4=
 ;"Subject 17" - memo 3
 [[File:Subject 17 - memo 3|400px|center|Voice recording retrieved from Subject 17's mobile phone.]]
-*'''Desmond:''' ''Hey Dad. Ah...you know, it's, uh...it's funny. I—I have this memory of you...one I keep coming back to...and...I—I always think about it when I'm working, or just before going to bed. Because it, uh...sort of...calms me, I guess, um...I—I was fourteen, I think, and uh, and you were trying to teach me how to walk with a light step...remember that? How to be mindful of how much noise I made when I moved around...simple stuff. Stuff I understand now, but back then...I—uh...I gotta tell you, I thought you were just being and asshole. So...uh, you tole me you were gonna go up to your room, and sit with your back to the door, and read a book...and you wanted me to wait at least fifteen minutes, and then sneak up there and tap you on the shoulder without you knowing. I—I even remember the book you were reading at the time, {{Wiki|A General History of the Pyrates|the one}} by [[Captain]] [[Charles Johnson|Johnson]]...and you warne me,that if you caught me, we'd have to start all over...then you went upstairs...and I waited...I waited and I waited and I waited...I waited four hours before deciding to go up. And even then, it took me twenty minutes to get to the foot of the stair. And another thirty to get up them. And then ten to get down the hall, and there I was at the door...and I peeked into your room...and I was—I was SO hoping that you'd be asleep. But no. No, you...you were still reading. And I just about shit myself. But ten minutes later, I was just five feet away from you. And that's when I remember setting my foot down...and you flinched...ever so slightly...you—you flinched. I thought maybe I'd imagined it. But I knew you'd heard me...you—you didn't say anything. You just checked your watch, you reached for your drink, you took a sip, and then you kept reading. But I knew I'd failed. But you didn't say anything. I—I—I understand why. Then I lunged and tapped you on the shoulder. And you turned around and "Oh! Fantastic!" you said, and you scooped me up and gave me a big hug. And I didn't say anything. But Dad...Dad, I was so pissed off. I wanted to scream at you...I—I had failed you, and you KNEW it. But you said nothing. I stayed mad. For weeks. I thought you were...you were patronizing me. I thought maybe you decided right there that I was never going to be the man you wanted me to be...But I realized just a few years ago that...you checking your watch...that was the clue, wasn't it? You let me win because...I'd been so patient...and I guess that impressed you. You know, maybe at that moment, you thought it might be better to be my Dad instead of my mentor. I...I don't really know, maybe for you, they're...they're one and the same...you know, either way, I'm happy to know that both my mentor and my Dad were looking out for me that day. I didn't understand that then...I think I do now.''
+*'''Desmond:''' ''Hey Dad. Ah...you know, it's, uh...it's funny. I—I have this memory of you...one I keep coming back to...and...I—I always think about it when I'm working, or just before going to bed. Because it, uh...sort of...calms me, I guess, um...I—I was fourteen, I think, and uh, and you were trying to teach me how to walk with a light step...remember that? How to be mindful of how much noise I made when I moved around...simple stuff. Stuff I understand now, but back then...I—uh...I gotta tell you, I thought you were just being an asshole. So...uh, you told me you were gonna go up to your room, and sit with your back to the door, and read a book...and you wanted me to wait at least fifteen minutes, and then sneak up there and tap you on the shoulder without you knowing. I—I even remember the book you were reading at the time, {{Wiki|A General History of the Pyrates|the one}} by [[Captain]] [[Charles Johnson|Johnson]]...and you warned me, that if you caught me, we'd have to start all over...then you went upstairs...and I waited...I waited and I waited and I waited...I waited four hours before deciding to go up. And even then, it took me twenty minutes to get to the foot of the stair. And another thirty to get up them. And then ten to get down the hall, and there I was at the door...and I peeked into your room...and I was—I was SO hoping that you'd be asleep. But no. No, you...you were still reading. And I just about shit myself. But ten minutes later, I was just five feet away from you. And that's when I remember setting my foot down...and you flinched...ever so slightly...you—you flinched. I thought maybe I'd imagined it. But I knew you'd heard me...you—you didn't say anything. You just checked your watch, you reached for your drink, you took a sip, and then you kept reading. But I knew I'd failed. But you didn't say anything. I—I—I understand why. Then I lunged and tapped you on the shoulder. And you turned around and "Oh! Fantastic!" you said, and you scooped me up and gave me a big hug. And I didn't say anything. But Dad...Dad, I was so pissed off. I wanted to scream at you...I—I had failed you, and you KNEW it. But you said nothing. I stayed mad. For weeks. I thought you were...you were patronizing me. I thought maybe you decided right there that I was never going to be the man you wanted me to be...But I realized just a few years ago that...you checking your watch...that was the clue, wasn't it? You let me win because...I'd been so patient...and I guess that impressed you. You know, maybe at that moment, you thought it might be better to be my Dad instead of my mentor. I...I don't really know, maybe for you, they're...they're one and the same...you know, either way, I'm happy to know that both my mentor and my Dad were looking out for me that day. I didn't understand that then...I think I do now.''
 |-|5=
 ;"Subject 17" - memo 4
@@ Line 711: / Line 743: @@
 ----
 [[File:ACi-TransferToRome.jpg|400px|center]]
-This one is labelled "{{Wiki|Ciampino|CIAMPINO}} // ITALY // 2012-09-01 // 18:44"<br><br>The poster identified this only as "UNMARKED HANGER" but then went on to say "Abstergo agents arriving at destination. Company owned jet brought to hangar after landing. Victim identified as Desmond Miles."<br><br>I don't think this has spread too far yet. Location has already been scrubbed, so I think we can dismiss this as the ravings of a fanatic.
+This one is labelled "[[Ciampino|CIAMPINO]] // ITALY // 2012-09-01 // 18:44"<br><br>The poster identified this only as "UNMARKED HANGER" but then went on to say "Abstergo agents arriving at destination. Company owned jet brought to hangar after landing. Victim identified as Desmond Miles."<br><br>I don't think this has spread too far yet. Location has already been scrubbed, so I think we can dismiss this as the ravings of a fanatic.
 ----
 [[File:ACi-TransferToRome.jpg|400px|center]]
@@ Line 743: / Line 775: @@
 </tabber>
-==Subject Zero==
+===Subject Zero===
 <tabber>
 |-|1=
@@ Line 953: / Line 985: @@
 *'''Miriam:''' ''Barthel, how did they find you? [[Jesus of Nazareth|Jesus]], what'll they do to you?''
 *'''Barthel:''' ''Have they hurt you at all?''
-*'''Miriam:''' ''I told them nothing. All they do—every is'' [sic] ''day—is ask about you and that artifact. But I didn't tell them anything. Nothing—''
+*'''Miriam:''' ''I told them nothing. All they do—every is ''[sic]'' day—is ask about you and that artifact. But I didn't tell them anything. Nothing—''
 *'''Barthel:''' ''I know you didn't, Miriam. But how are YOU? You aren't hurt?''
 *'''Miriam:''' ''Not badly, no. I'm fine.''
@@ Line 1,149: / Line 1,181: @@
 </tabber>
-==Great Minds in History==
+===Great Minds in History===
 <tabber>
-|-|1=
+|-|Commission 1=
 ;Robert De Sablé, a True Hero
 [[File:AC4 Robert de Sablé painting.png|400px|center]]
 Noble of birth, noble in action, [[Robert de Sablé]] rose to serve as [[Grand Master of the Templar Order]] in 1191. His tenure was short, but his impact was great. Fighting alongside [[Richard I of England|Richard the Lionheart]], he laid [[Siege of Acre|siege]] to [[Acre]] and broke [[Saladin]]'s ranks. Dogged by Assassins throughout his tenure, he was ultimately [[Battle of Arsuf|martyred]] by one such nameless malefactor.
-|-|2=
+|-|Commission 2=
 ;Rodrigo Borgia, the Family Man
 [[File:AC4 Rodrigo Borgia painting.png|400px|center]]
 Roderic Llançol. [[Papacy|Pope]] Alexander VI. A cleric and ''bon vivant'' by any name, [[Rodrigo Borgia]] served as a Templar Grand Master from 1476 until his death. For too long, this man of faith and passion suffered under a smear campaign at the hands of his enemy, Ezio Auditore. Let him now be celebrated and remembered for his progressive outlook and focus on family values.
-|-|3=
+|-|Commission 3=
 ;Madeleine de L'Isle, the Abolitionist
 [[File:AC4 Madeleine de L'Isle painting.png||400px|center]]
 One of history's most overlooked leaders, [[Madeleine de L'Isle]] freed hundreds of slaves, and brought them to sanctuary in a tropical haven whose construction she oversaw personally. Brutally [[Erudito (memory)|cut down]] at the peak of her career by Aveline de Grandpré, the orphan she rescued from a broken home. Madeleine served as [[Master Templar]] in [[Louisiana|the Southern colonies]] from 1764 to 1777.
-|-|4=
+|-|Commission 4=
 ;Haytham Kenway, the Loyal Father
 [[File:AC4 Haytham portrait.png|400px|center]]
@@ Line 1,169: / Line 1,201: @@
 </tabber>
-==Market Analyses==
+===Market Analyses===
 <tabber>
 |-|1=
@@ Line 1,195: / Line 1,227: @@
 </tabber>
-==Notes==
+===Notes===
 <tabber>
 |-|1=
@@ Line 1,210: / Line 1,242: @@
 ...Take for instance [[gunpowder]] which gave us great mastery over fire. Take for instance the {{Wiki|daguerreotype}} which warped our way of seeing true life. Take the light bulb that gave us light when none was necessary. Take the automobile that sped us along at velocities capable only of killing us in new and silly ways...
 |-|7=
-...Take the cinema which gave us lies as a man once said 24 times persecondpersecond. Take the {{Wiki|phonograph}} which preserved noises which ought to be ephemeral. Take the television which is obviously stupid. Take videogames which are secretly stupid and you all know you wish there was more pornography you know you do...
+...Take the cinema which gave us lies as {{wiki|Jean-Luc Godard|a man}} once said {{wiki|24p|24 times persecondpersecond}}. Take the {{Wiki|phonograph}} which preserved noises which ought to be ephemeral. Take the television which is obviously stupid. Take videogames which are secretly stupid and you all know you wish there was more pornography you know you do...
 |-|8=
 ...Take saturated fats and high fructose corn syrups which poison us and soy which has been known to make men into women. Take computers which count so fast we cannot keep up nor should we for we are an imperfect race of disgusting shells of tissue and bone incomplete in and of ourselves. We must have masters to survive. We must admit our masters...
@@ Line 1,217: / Line 1,249: @@
 |-|10=
 ...Yes we submit that we ARE such tools and as such have a purpose befitting a tool. We submit we are like hammers and wrenches and shovels made for a specific purpose not our own. We submit that our purpose is indivisible from the will of THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE. We submit ourselves our bodies and our minds utterly...
+</tabber>
+<tabber>
 |-|11=
 ...Remember that our relentless impertinent hollow drive to achieve everything our forebears did has led us to many embarrassments and disasters nuclear weapons superviruses genetically modified poisonfood toxic air plastic seawrack and seaspawn and the list goes on you can look it up for yourselves on the internet—but all this too had a secret purpose in the end.
@@ Line 1,237: / Line 1,271: @@
 |-|20=
 ...We submit ourselves to eternal servitude in service of a grander fulfillment. We submit the world to itself it being a product that feeds life to life and death to death. May SHE—Mother Sister Wife Lover Friend—bring light to darkened minds and humility to those who succor for its wisdom. GUIDE US INTO THE GRAY BELOVED GUIDE US!
+</tabber>
+<tabber>
+|-|MANIFESTO OF THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE FIRST WILL=
+[[File:IFW emblem.png]]
 </tabber>
@@ Line 1,246: / Line 1,284: @@
 Meanwhile, the first picture of Cairo in the "Abstergo pack" is instead Osto Berg's updated evaluation report, the image mentioning Sigma Team shows the Egyptian Museum, and Sigma Team's plan of action is mislabeled as Otso Berg's evaluation. It is unclear whether these mistakes are intentional on [[Ubisoft]]'s part, presented as further proof of Abstergo's habitual unwillingness to correct clerical errors, or if it was an oversight during the development of ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''.
-In similar fashion, the eleventh and sixteenth entries in the Instruments' manifesto are exactly identical. While it is possible this was intentional, meant to highlight John's mental instability as a Sage by being unaware he wrote the same entry twice, this theory has not been confirmed anywhere and the error is more likely another developer oversight.
+In similar fashion, the 11th and 16th entries in the Instruments' manifesto are exactly identical. While it is possible this was intentional, meant to highlight John's mental instability as a Sage by being unaware he wrote the same entry twice, this theory has not been confirmed anywhere and the error is more likely another developer oversight.
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
-<!--Interwiki links-->
+<!--Interwiki links
-[[pt-br:Arquivos pessoais do Novato]]
+[pt-br:Arquivos pessoais do Novato]
-[[fr:Fichiers d'Abstergo Entertainment (Black Flag)]]
+[fr:Fichiers d'Abstergo Entertainment (Black Flag)]
-[[zh:阿布斯泰戈娱乐研究分析员的个人档案]]
+[zh:阿布斯泰戈娱乐研究分析员的个人档案]-->
 [[Category:Documents]]
 [[Category:Noob's collections]]

Noob's personal files: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 00:57, 20 May 2026

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