Robert Fraser

"If I were a true Assassin, I'd make use of the shadows, or hide in plain sight. But I'm just a mid-level employee at an entertainment corporation [...] My act of defiance must be different – and permanent."

―Fraser in his final letter, 2014.

Robert W. "Bob" Fraser (died 2014), also known as Subject 14 of the Animus Project, was an employee at Abstergo Entertainment, tasked with reliving the genetic memories of Arno Dorian, a French Assassin living during the French Revolution.

However, Fraser began to suffer from the Bleeding Effect during the project, eventually being encouraged by psychiatrist Victoria Bibeau to destroy all the information he had uncovered.

Biography

Animus Project subject

A subject of the Animus Project, prior to December 2010, Robert Fraser was forced to relive his genetic memory. On 7 September 2012, Alan Rikkin emailed Warren Vidic to notify him that recordings of Fraser's session had been reviewed.

First weeks

"Just keep in mind that you are Bob Fraser, and Arno is Arno Dorian. Don't confuse the two."

―St. Claire in his review of Fraser's first report, 2014.

Fraser became part of Abstergo Entertainment on 18 June 2014, with his job being the exploration of Arno Dorian's genetic memories so a blockbuster product could be made out of them. He also had to sign an non-disclosure agreement, witnessed and co-signed by Robin Smalridge.

On 19 June, he was sent a letter from the Project Coordinator his personal supervisor, Aidan St. Claire. After each Animus session, he was to write up reports detailing his thoughts, which would be evaluated St. Claire. Unlike many other research analysts, Fraser preferred to study the era and its figures exhaustively prior to his sessions, compiling information in personal "Historic Personage Sheets".

Fraser's enthusiasm for the project led him to become very immersed in his research; he would draw many of the individuals he met as Arno and introduced his colleagues to Pharaoh, which he mastered easily thanks to his experiences in the Animus. However, complaints from other research analysts, Evan Dean among them, who believed Fraser was cheating, led CCO Melanie Lemay to ban it and other games of chance on 25 June. St. Claire also contacted Fraser, notifying the man that he could be experiencing the Bleeding Effect.

On 3 July, St. Claire sent his review of Fraser's first report, titled "Childhood Through Imprisonment", and commended him on his thorough work, but also warned against forming too personal an attachment. As Fraser ventured further into Arno's memories, Abstergo supplied him with information on the Assassin Order, hoping to prevent him from empathizing with them.

Arno's initiation into the Brotherhood in particular seemed to affect Fraser, as St. Claire noted in his response to Fraser's second report, titled "Imprisonment Through Apprenticeship". An appointment with Abstergo Entertainment's chief psychiatrist, Victoria Bibeau was subsequently organized; while no physical evidence of the Bleeding Effect arose, Bibeau worried Fraser would be unable to keep a professional distance from his subject and recommended any outside activity related to Fraser's assignment be curtailed.

Descent into madness

"You've got to take me off this case. I can't possibly continue. Not unless I want to become Arno. There are times when I wonder if I am already Arno - if I always have been."

―Fraser to Bibeau, 2014.

Careful to take the necessary precautions, Fraser continued his research and began writing up his third report, detailing Arno's pursuit of de la Serre's murderer and eventual reunion with Élise. The first part was reviewed by St. Claire, who responded on 11 July, once more stressing that Fraser could speak to Bibeau whenever he became overwhelmed.

Taking St. Claire's advice, Fraser began a correspondence with Bibeau on 14 July, to whom he confessed that he had broken up with Anna, his girlfriend; Arno's memories had caused him to fall in love with Élise instead. Flashbacks of the Bastille plagued him on Bastille Day, with Fraser begging Bibeau to take him off the case. She believed they needed to continue their work regardless, but offered to supply him with medication that could help. Bibeau also recommended Fraser write whenever he felt the Bleeding Effect set in, in an effort to separate himself from Arno.

On 18 July, Fraser was at sent various rough sketches to critique by Melanie, who was looking into the creation of figurines of Arno and Élise.

As Fraser continued his report, he began to hallucinate vividly, at one point believing himself to be in Paris during the Belle Époque. Once this came to light, he was made to take a medical leave of absence. On 29 July, Fraser reapplied for the project, claiming the week spent in the recovery center with Bibeau had worked wonders for his mental health. The next day, St. Claire sent a letter welcoming him back hoping for great things to come.

Following his return, Fraser and Bibeau set out to destroy all documentation on Arno's life, deleting the files on Fraser's computer and burning the hard copies in St. Claire's office. They also leaked the unsequenced memories to the Assassins, but were caught thereafter and Fraser was terminated.

Before his untimely demise, the Assassin Bishop entered Fraser's apartment and left fingerprints, although it is unknown if he was present when this happened.

Legacy

Weeks after Fraser's termination, the remaining documents that Abstergo managed to salvage were subsequently examined by a Templar agent who would go on to replace St. Claire in his position as Project Coordinator.

By 2016, the trauma that Fraser suffered resulted in Abstergo employing stricter psychological monitoring for people that made use of the Animus. In October of that year, Alan Rikkin threatened Dr. Victoria Bibeau with the knowledge that she and Fraser leaked sensitive information to the Assassins, despite Bibeau being unaware of Abstergo's Templar past nor the ongoing war. A fact, Rikkin was able to let slide on the condition that something like that never happen again.

Behind the scenes

When asked by a member of the Assassin's Creed fan community, Christie Golden, the author of both Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook and Assassin's Creed: Heresy stated that Robert Fraser was Subject 14. This is seemingly at odds with Robert Fraser's employment timeline being hired in June 2014 and being described as a common analyst.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed (indirect mention only)
• Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Unity (indirect mention only)
• Assassin's Creed: Rogue (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Heresy (mentioned only)