Modern times

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Modern times referred to the period between, and including, the start of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century CE. This era saw the overall decline of the Assassin Order and the ascendance of the Templar Order, including Desmond Miles' capture for use in the Animus project.

Events

Conspiracies and thefts

The Templars were able to recover several Pieces of Eden during the Modern Times, typically by murdering the previous owner. Amongst their victims were Harry Houdini, Mahatma Gandhi and John F Kennedy. Nikola Tesla also lost his Apple of Eden to the Templars, an incident which motivated him to help the Assassins in destroying the Imperial Sceptre, one of the Staves of Eden.

Additionally, the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon  was in fact a Templar expedition, in order to recover an Apple of Eden that was on the Moon's surface.

The Destruction of the Imperial Sceptre

Destruction of the Imperial Sceptre

At some point before June 1908, Grigori Rasputin stole the Imperial Sceptre from Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Without the Staff of Eden, Nicholas could not control his people, ultimately leading to the Russian Revolution. It was unclear if Rasputin himself was a Templar, but by June 1908, the Staff had been taken to a Templar research station in Tunguska. Before the Templars could take advantage of the artifact, however, the Assassins led by Nikolai Orelov and their ally, Nikola Tesla destroyed the facility. Only Nikolai survived the explosion, in which he had a vision from the First Civilization.

Nikolai eventually discovered the location of a shard of the staff and recovered it  from the necklace of Rasputin in the latter's grave. Abandoning the Assassins, he immigrated to the United States with his family. During the Palmer Raids, his wife and daughter were deported back to Russia, but Nikolai evaded arrest with his infant son Innokenti. He subsequently raised him in a secluded cabin. When the Assassin Sergei found them, he threatened Innokenti to make Nikolai hand over the shard. Nikolai killed him and trained his son to fight the next Assassins. Eventually a group of those who worked for the FBI tried to explain to Nikolai they had looked after his family in Russian and only wanted information about his vision. Nikolai did not believe them, and ultimately only Innokenti survived the struggle.

World War II

Main article: World War II

The Templars orchestrated Adolf Hitler's rise to power by granting him an Apple of Eden. Although the aim of Templar hegemony was accomplished, Hitler himself was killed by the Assassins in 1945, after he killed his double and left his bunker in Berlin.

Philadelphia Project

Main article: Philadelphia Project

Templars had an unclear involvement in the Philadelphia Project, as they gained the data from Animus Subject Twelve confirming that an American Naval ship was briefly thrust into a future timeline. Fearful of temporal paradoxes, the Templar company, Abstergo Industries , contained the artifact responsible.

The Great Purge

Main article: Great Purge

Daniel Cross killing the Mentor

In November 2000, the Templars successfully able to plant a sleeper agent amongst the Assassins, who plunged them into disarray by assassinating the "Mentor" of the Order. By September 2012, the Templars had managed to locate and destroy virtually every Assassin encampment around the world during the operation known as the Great Purge . 

Retrieval of the Prophet's Codex

Daniel reading the Prophet's Codex

Sometime in 2002, Daniel Cross was officially inducted into the Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order and he was given an assignment by Dr. Warren Vidic through the e-mail. After that, Daniel soon traveled to Moscow, Russia to find the "Prophet's Codex" in the library of Ivan the Terrible hidden beneath the Bolshoi Theatre.

Attending a play there, Daniel quietly made his way through it to find the hidden door to a tunnel, which led to the library. Upon entering it, he was spooked by an Assassin sentry who intended to greet him, causing Daniel to retract his Hidden Blade. However, Daniel pretended to be the Assassin's replacement as a sentry, and the man eagerly told Daniel about the location of the Codex when Daniel inquired.

When the sentry left Daniel alone, Daniel opened the Prophet's Codex, written by Ezio Auditore da Firenze. He read out Minerva's speech to Vidic via his earpiece, noticing the name "Desmond". Afterwards, Daniel took the box containing the Codex and killed the sentry, before calling a clean-up team and leaving the library.

The Second Plague

In September or October 2006, a virus named L-11 broke out in Africa . After three months, 96% of the continent's population had died, and even after six years, Africa remained essentially empty.

North America

In March 2012, violence erupted between Mexican border guards and illegal immigrants from the United States. Despite hundreds of American refugees being killed and thousands more wounded, record numbers of Americans still continued to cross the border.

On 3 September 2012, the Global Weather Association simply abandoned the phrase "North Atlantic Hurricane Season", since occurrences of the natural phenomenon in the North Atlantic had become so powerful and frequent that coastal cities in the East Coast lived in constant fear of the storms.

Three days later, the last American film studio permanently closed down, as rampant film piracy and competition from the video game industry had rendered the American cinema industry unviable.

Meanwhile, the USA and European Union continued to build jointly-owned oil platforms in the Weddell Sea, despite protests that the platforms violated the Antarctic Treaty System.

Clay Kaczmarek

In 2010, William Miles gave Clay the task of infiltrating the Templar front organization, Abstergo Industries. His job was to access the personal computer of Alan Rikkin , the company's CEO, and uncover the details surrounding the secretive "Animus project".

After the success of his efforts of returning to the Assassins with a copy of an e-mail that revealed the amount of research funding, its lead, Dr. Warren Vidic, and the location of the new facility in Italy, the Assassins decided to plant Clay deeper into Abstergo as a test subject of the program. He was informed that there was a mole who was already deep inside Abstergo: Lucy Stillman. Assured that when the time comes, she would aid him in his escape, so Clay agreed to the plan.

On 1 February 2011, Clay was captured by the Lineage Discovery and Acquisition team and inducted into the Animus subject as Subject 16. Then, he was forced to relive the memories of his ancestors, particularly Ezio Auditore da Firenze, for long periods of time. Even though Vidic kept the true purpose of their genetic explorations as a secret, Clay realized that their efforts were focused on locating a mythical "Apple of Eden". When Clay was inquired of this, Vidic threateningly responded that he could not reasonably expect to be released if he knew what they truly sought. Later, William was able to contact Clay and told him to focus on his task; that when the time comes, Lucy would rescue him, as they were a team.

Eventually, Clay discovered the true purpose of the Animus project and decided that it was time for him to escape, yet, by this point, his over-exposure to the Animus resulted in suffering from the Bleeding Effect. After conversing with the figure calling herself Juno, he found out Lucy's true allegiance.

After this, he was convinced by Juno to deliver a message to his eventual successor, Desmond Miles, and for weeks, he also planned his suicide by biding his time and preparing his message. He also managed to create an artificially intelligent construct of himself inside the Animus by hacking the machine throughout the night and sending one final e-mail to his father. Seeing that everything is okay, he committed suicide by slitting his wrists with a ballpoint pen and draining his blood out of his body in order to paint several cryptic messages in the rooms where he was being kept, hoping to ensure his successor recovered the message that he had tried to pass on.

Desmond Miles

Warren Vidic and Lucy Stillman overseeing Desmond Miles

On 6 September 2012, the media announced that Abstergo Industries was being investigated for manipulating a small town's water supply, in order to test a synthetic drug referred to as "New Fluoride". This pressured Abstergo to launch their Eye-Abstergo satellite, which was secretly a mind control device powered by a Piece of Eden, on December 21, sooner than planned. The Piece of Eden intended to power the satellite was destroyed in the DIA satellite accident, and Abstergo did not have another spare.

To that end, Abstergo kidnapped Desmond Miles and took him to their facility in Rome, after their previous Animus Subject, Clay Kaczmarek, had committed suicide. Here, Desmond relived the memories of his ancestor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, so that Abstergo could obtain a map showing all the locations of the Pieces of Eden on Earth.

Shortly after, Desmond escaped Abstergo with the help of fellow Assassin Lucy Stillman, who was working undercover in Abstergo. The escape was actually a part of Project Siren , a plan devised by Dr. Warren Vidic and Lucy herself, to make Desmond feel comfortable with his Assassin colleagues and so that Vidic can collect the tapes of Desmond's Animus sessions. With the Assassins losing the war against the Templars, the decision was made to train Desmond as a true Assassin in the fastest possible way, through the use of the Animus 2.0, which was made from copied Abstergo blueprints. As such, the Assassins intended to take advantage of the Bleeding Effect, by having Desmond relive the memories of an ancestor to take on his skills, this ancestor being a nobleman in the Italian Renaissance by the name of Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

While reliving these memories, Desmond encountered an entity known only as Minerva, who warned of a natural disaster that would soon recur. In order to avert planet-wide decimation, the Pieces of Eden needed to be brought to a series of temples built by the First Civilization.

Vidic and the Abstergo guards raiding the hideout

Soon after, Desmond and his companions were located by the Templars led by Vidic himself, though they were able to repel and escape once more. After this, they fled to the Assassin safehouse of Monteriggioni, where Desmond continued to relive Ezio's life in order to locate the Apple of Eden that had come into his possession.

The search led Desmond to the Colosseum Vault in Rome, which contained a secret passage leading to Santa Maria Aracoeli. Here, the Assassins located the Apple of Eden within a hidden vault, and Desmond attempted to retrieve it through performing a short freerunning course. When Desmond touched the Apple, his body was somehow possessed by Juno, one of the members of the First Civilization, and was controlled into stabbing Lucy Stillman in the stomach, as Juno knew the true allegiance of Lucy remarking that 'the cross darkens the horizon'. Following this, Desmond went into shock, before slipping into unconsciousness.

While Desmond had blacked out, William Miles's team arrived and had him placed him into the Animus. During this time, Desmond relived the memories of Ezio during the search for Leonardo da Vinci, where he subsequently discovered the Pythagorean Vault, receiving the coordinates that would direct the Assassin Order to the Grand Temple. However, as a result of this strain on his weakened psychological state, Desmond slipped into a coma.

Desmond awakening from the coma

As Desmond's coma bound him to the Animus, he was left to try and piece his subconscious mind together. Outside the virtual machine, after burying the deceased Lucy outside Rome, the Assassins flew to the United States while posing as a medical team. When Desmond had fully synchronized with Ezio's remaining genetic memories with the help of the virtual construct of Subject 16, he entered into a Synch Nexus and awoke outside the Grand Temple, claiming that he knew what they had to do.

After entering the temple and restoring a power source, Juno's voice commanded him to find "the key", and he began reliving the memories of Haytham Kenway, a British Templar during the French and Indian War who possessed an amulet that he tried to use to gain access to the Temple. While taking a break, Shaun informed Desmond they needed more batteries to power the Temple and resolved to find them. Meanwhile, Desmond continued viewing his genetic memory, this time reliving the memories of Ratonhnhaké:ton, Haytham's son with Kaniehtí:io, a Kanien'kehá:ka woman who aided him in his search for the Temple. Ratonhnhaké:ton became Connor, a Colonial Assassin during the American Revolutionary War.

Desmond parachuting onto a New York skyscraper

By 16 November, Shaun had located another power source in an Abstergo office in Manhattan. The team travelled there, and Desmond climbed the Freedom Tower to parachute into the office. He was confronted by Daniel Cross, but Desmond simply knocked him unconscious with the First Civilization battery and escaped.

On 2 December, Desmond came to a stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil to recover another power source, which was being worn as a necklace by a wealthy woman. Abstergo guards were present searching for him, so Desmond blended with the crowd and steathily made it to her viewing balcony. However, Cross had already killed the woman and taken the artifact, but Desmond chased him, beat him and escaped with the power source.

Upon their return to the Grand Temple, Shaun immediately located another power source in Egypt, but William ordered Desmond to stay behind as he still hadn't learned the location of the key from Connor's memories. Desmond was concerned for his father's safety, and his fears became true when Abstergo captured William after he recovered the artifact. Vidic sent a message offering to trade William for the Apple: Desmond returned to the Abstergo facility in Rome, but refused to bargain, killing Cross and any Abstergo guards who stood in his way. He then used the Apple to make the guards kill Vidic, and left with William and the power source. Without the Apple of Eden in their possession, Abstergo put off the satellite launch.

Desmond sacrificing himself

Desmond then completed Connor's memories when he saw he had buried the key in the Davenport Homestead, near Connor Davenport's grave . After digging it up, they returned to open the door inside the Grand Temple. Behind it lay an orb which Juno commanded him to touch: however, Minerva appeared and revealed they had been misled. Juno had sought to conquer the world and her consciousness was imprisoned: if Desmond activated the Eye, it would shield Earth from the solar flare, but at the cost of freeing Juno, as well as his own life.

With only hours before the Second Disaster struck, Desmond chose to touch the orb, acknowledging the Assassins would find a way to stop Juno. Desmond saved the world and died. During the afternoon, Abstergo found the Temple and recovered Desmond's body, leaving his bag and Hidden Blade behind.

Abstergo Entertainment

By the end of 2012, Abstergo began to sell the Animus as a game console to the public, under their entertainment branch, alongside various other items such as the Angelus implant, Bodyband and Herne+.

Post - Second Disaster events

By 14 May 2013, Shaun Hastings, Rebecca Crane, and William Miles broke their six-month "silence" after Desmond had sacrificed his life to save the world from the Second Disaster. By 20 May, Shaun, Rebecca, and William arrived in a coastal region of Peru awaiting interception by Gavin. Gavin welcomed the trio aboard Altair II, only to be informed that William was stepping down from his position and naming Gavin as his replacement. William also gave Gavin his "book" that contained everything William knew about the Order, tasking Gavin with rebuilding the Brotherhood.

By 25 May, Altair II docked in Acapulco, Mexico and devised the new Hephaestus Email Network 2.0 with the help of Rebecca. Two days later, Gavin discovered a clue in William's 'book' containing a poem and a set of numbers written in different directions.

The clue containing the poem and the numbers

On 29 May, Gavin gave orders to Shaun and Rebecca to return to the United States because he needed some "eyes and ears on America". On 10 June, Rebecca sent a message to Gavin remarking that Texas "is awesome" and she bid good luck to Gavin. In the same date, an unknown person reacted to a magazine article that Tunguska explosion was caused by the Assassins, not a meteorite as per the official story. He also remarked that Nikolai Orelov knew about the event.

By 27 August, Rebecca sent a text message to Gavin about her and Shaun's plan to retrieve Desmond's body and Abstergo's plans for Desmond's genetic info.

By 3 September, Abstergo Entertainment's Montreal branch was hiring five persons in the areas of Product Development, Technical Support, Customer Contact, Office Support, and Management.

After Abstergo released the postings, Rebecca sent a text message to Gavin, claiming she wanted to investigate. By 6 September, Shaun and Rebecca traveled to the Farm and found it destroyed. By 11 September, the Assassin team composing of Gavin, Susan , and Eric Cooper discussed the happenings in Osaka, Japan as Gavin's informant there has gone "silent", after which Gavin announced he would be heading to the Philippines to do some "shopping".

On 1 October, Emmanuel Barraza inspected the guns Gavin bought from the Philippine gun makers in preparation for a possible fight in Osaka. By 11 October, the day Abstergo Entertainment celebrated one year in Montreal, Rebecca sent Gavin a text message asking about Olivier Garneau and what he knew about Abstergo and the Assassins.

By 24 October, Rebecca and Shaun arrived in Montreal to investigate Abstergo's activity in the city. Four days later, the two heard rumors of a vial in the Abstergo Entertainment building in Montreal. Rebecca informed Gavin that she and Shaun had infiltrated Abstergo Entertainment; on the same day, two of the company's employees,Jennifer Tam and Philippe Chartrand, exchanged emails about a new employee and their involvement in the Sample 17 Project.

On 2 November, an unknown Initiate recovered a blood vial from Abstergo. Jennifer and Philippe continued to exchange emails about the memories of Bernard and Edward Kenway, and Jennifer mentioned that she had a crush on Shaun Hastings. Over several days, they continued to discuss Shaun and the Noob; however, their conversations eventually turned to a string of hacking jobs targeted at Abstergo Entertainment's servers.

By 2 December, Rebecca informed Gavin that their informant John had been killed, and they would be leaving Montreal. However, she and Shaun then contacted the Noob, saying that they would be happy for the help if the employee chose to keep hacking Abstergo Entertainment's servers.