Clay Kaczmarek

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Subject 16 is the person that Abstergo Industries kidnapped and forced in the Animus before Desmond Miles ("Subject 17") and another descendant of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze. He is related to Desmond, as their DNA matched in Assassin's Creed II, and it is also revealed that he had an ancestor at the Battle of Gettysburg, in the Roman forum and one connected with a Queen Isabella.

Assassin's Creed

Lucy reveals in one of her e-mails to Vidic that Subject 16 has Far Eastern origins, as one of his ancestors was "involved in an important event" there. A different e-mail indicates that his name is "Neumann". The same email also hints that an ex-employee, Leila Marino, of Abstergo Industries was romantically involved with Subject 16. This, however, could not have been possible during his captivity at Abstergo and must have happened before he was captured, or Leila must have worked with Subject 16 in the same way as Lucy works with Desmond. During his sessions, 16 was kept within the Animus for days at a time.

At the end of Assassin's Creed, due to the Bleeding Effect of the Animus, Desmond is able to use Eagle Vision to view many cryptic messages drawn in blood. Subject 16 states in the triangle-shaped message on the floor that he drained his own body to paint the figures on the floor and walls of the main room where the Animus is located. But if he had used his own blood to paint the wall mural in the sleeping room, he would have bled out - literally - before he finished his work.

The symbols painted on the walls and floors later appear in Assassin's Creed II as Glyphs.

Assassin's Creed II

Subject 16 makes his first vocal appearance in Assassin's Creed II, voicing-over 20 encrypted files that he hacked from Abstergo's main frame. The files contain what he claims to be "The Truth" about the origins of humanity. The man and woman in "The Truth" video are Adam and Eve, activating, or proclaiming, that they have "the apple" (which is, in fact, one of the Pieces of Eden).

These files, as well as commentary from Lucy, reveal a bit more about the extent of the madness which lead to Subject 16's death: a severe case of the Bleeding Effect from massive overusing of the Animus. More specifically, from the sheer amount of time he was forced to spend in the Animus, with Lucy saying that Abstergo forced him to stay within it for full days at a time. As such, the number of genetic memories he was forced to relive completely overwhelmed him and finally, killing himself, as is implied from the 20th encrypted file (and his final words heard in-game); "Lucy, I can't wait any longer. I am ready to go now... She sees me raise the knife."

In the beginning of the game, Lucy searches for the closest genetic match between Subject 16 and Desmond, and the memory of Ezio's birth appears.