Melanie:Fantastic work! Very promising. All right... easy now. There you go. Welcome back. Well, your numbers look good... Now, let's make sure we didn't break your brain, all right? I need you to move your head and look at these lights. Just here. Look up. That's it. Down. So far so good. Let's get you up. So, welcome to the Sample 17 Project. Before you get started, you're gonna need this... There you go. Testing, testing... 1,2,3... hello, (Hello). (Is it good?) It works? All right. Let's take a walk. Your file says you've done Memory Research before, but not to this extent, which is surprising. You're very good. The data-steams are very stable. Impressive, right? This building is barely six months old, but Abstergo Entertainment has been a studio for a few years. Since 2010. Maybe you saw Liberation? That was our first title powered by Animus tech. That was just the tip of the iceberg. Soon we'll be unveiling commercial Animus servers for the whole world to enjoy. They'll offer passive experiences, of course. Edited versions of real history. But only the exciting parts. And we think we found the perfect subject for our first full-length virtual feature: Caribbeanpirates! So that's your gig. It'll just take a minute, okay?
Melanie:This if for you. The primary tool of our trade. Your communicator. Power it up and give it a look. It's pretty slick. You might have noticed that security seems a little light around here. That's because your communicator is your key to getting around. See that flashing wireless signal? It means you're hooked up to the elevator. I'll let you do the honors. We're headed up to the Sample 17 studio. Second floor. You ready? Let's go! Ah, there's the boss... Olivier Garneau, our CCO. I'll introduce you. (Hello!)
Olivier:(Hello, Melanie.) (How are you?)
Melanie:Well, thanks. Have you met our new hire? Just started today.
Olivier:Ah... Arrrgh... Yarrr matey! Very exciting. Welcome aboard. Melanie, can we talk in your office for a minute?
Melanie:Just let me get this one settled and I'll see you in... five minutes?
Olivier:(That's good.) Nice to meet you!
Melanie:So, this is the Sample 17 floor. We're driving into the memories of one very generous donor, Desmond Miles. We're pulling at the best stuff from his DNA... and hopefully, one day we can forge some fantastic experiences from what we find in there. This pair of legs is John, one of the wizards in IT. He's just fixing something for you.
John:Not fixing. Calibrating.
Melanie:Calibrating, right. So here we are, your very own Animus workstation. This is all yours, so sit back, relax, and find us some good footage. If you need any hints or tips, the Animus is loaded with tutorial programs, so you'll have no problems. And I'll check in on you later. Happy pirating!
A Small Favour
Melanie:Hey! I just saw you were logging out. I thought I'd stop by to give you something. A little welcome gift. We give awards for top-notch employees doing quality work. And they're nice to have, since there's no official bonus scheme here. I already have about eleven or so- Oh... (Hello?)... Of course... I'll pass it on. Well... looks like Olivier wants to meet with you. It's exciting! Follow me. It's on the top floor, so it's not hard to find. But the rest of this building can be confusing to first-timers, so we had the tools team whip up a great Map application... Check your communicator. I added a waypoint to Olivier's office. It should be easy to find. Olivier's a nice guy. He won't bite.
John:Hello? Hi? Testing, testing. Is this thing working? This is John from IT. We met earlier. I was calibrating your Animus. I'm sort of the, uh... Scotty of this Abstergo enterprise ... in charge of all the techie stuff. Do you have a minute or... ah, dammit. The tracker says you're on your way to Olivier's office. All right, I'll ping you when you're done. I have a favor to ask.
Secretary:(Hello!) Go right in. He's waiting for you.
Olivier:Well- Well, unless you are specifically ordering me to abandon it, I won't jeopardize our flagship project. Edward Kenway is the- But this is... but this is how Hollywood got its start, right? With pirate movies! Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn. And now we have access to the real deal! (Yes...) Exactly. We'll talk about all that together at the shareholders event. Right. Looking forward to seeing you. Take care, Laetitia. (Hello.) Hi, thanks for coming in. I know you're busy. So I reviewed some of your data. Pretty raw stuff! Obviously we need to scrub off some of the dirt to make it family friendly. Maybe give Edward a voice like James Bond or something. more of a ladies man. A beautiful city, no? So... the main reason I asked you here concerns something called The Observatory. It's been mentioned a few times in the footage you found. I'd like to encourage you to focus on locating this specific set of memories as soon as possible. If it were up to me, (we don't care)... I wouldn't bother. But some bigwigs at Abstergo Industries have been hounding me for days. So follow whatever leads you find, and hopefully we can a- Incoming call. I have to take this. We'll keep in touch. (Good day.) (Allen, hello. Yeah. Everything is fine. Of course I do.)
John:Hi. John from IT again. You got a second? Good. I'm adding a waypoint to your map. So, a colleague of yours left for vacation this morning and forgot to send a video file she promised me. Since I hate just about everyone else on your floor, I was hoping you could help me. Could you transfer the file from her computer and deliver it to the courier when she comes? It'll be easy. You just wander over to their Animus, log in, and transfer the file. Easy. And please be snappy. Before I find a reason to hate you too. A locked door. Not a problem. That's the advantage of me having Level 1 security clearance. Now you do too! Don't abuse it. Log on and I'll walk you through this. Now, you need to bypass the core to find the data inside. Once you reach it, your communicator will download it automatically. You need to find your way around the core to reach the data inside. You cracked it! Good. The file should be downloading. I set up a database for any data you find. Just look for the "My Files" section in your communicator and you'll be redirected right away. Everything you download will be found in there. Protected by a firewall, of course. You're better at this than I'd hoped. Now zip on down to the lobby. Come on! See... that file you acquired... I wouldn't recommend watching it. I mean, you could... but it's unpleasant. So once you hand it off, just pretend this never happened. Okay? Otherwise, you'll just go to bed feeling sad. Anyway, the courier should be waiting downstairs. She's been here a while. I suppose it goes without saying... just because you know how to hack all you colleagues' computers, it doesn't mean you should. I mean... not every day, right? No seriously though, that's illegal. So don't be a dick. Unless that's just your nature.
Shaun:I'm not sure I can keep this up, you know. This job is well below my skill level.
Rebecca:Yeah well your coffee is shit. You could use some practice.
Shaun:Wh- What? No no no, I followed that recipe to the letter.
Rebecca:It's an art, Shaun. Not a science.
Shaun:Oh, look who's here. So you didn't forget after all. You're just incredibly rude, and made poor Rebecca here wait for nearly thirty minutes.
Rebecca:You limey. Be nice. Sorry about him. He's high on his own supply. So how should we do this? Data transfer? Great! That should do it! We'll email you the receipt. Til next time. Take care Shaun.
Shaun:Bye, bye... Yes, bye. Oh, and don't expect any more free coffee! Arrogant. She's great isn't she?
John:Hey, I just got word the courier has come and gone. Wonderful. You're a miracle. No, no, no that's an exaggeration. You're not a miracle. You're an employee. Doing a job. But thanks for helping out. Anyway, thanks. Have fun pirating.
Secretary:(Support to the second floor, Sample 17 Project) Support to the second floor, Sample 17 Project.
Corporate Pressure
Melanie:Hey you. Do you have a minute? I'm on my way upstairs. Olivier wanted to talk with us about putting together a trailer using some of the footage you've been recording this past month. Take your time. I'll meet you by the elevator. Over here! Are you ready? He's waiting for us. I just watched some of your footage from this week. It's amazing. Blackbeard was mental! And we all got so excited that we started talking about this idea for a trailer about him... maybe start with him drinking, talking to some pirates, telling a story... Then, we cut to him leaping across the deck of his boat and- Sorry, his ship. Not boat. But jumping around the deck of his ship, swinging from ropes, and fighting like a Devil. I mean, obviously we'll have to manipulate some of the existing footage to get it looking good but- It could be great. I'm getting a shiver in me timbers just thinking about it. Sorry. (Hello. How's it going?) I hope we're not late.
Receptionist:No. You can go right-
Olivier:Hi, Melanie. I saw you just walked in. I need a few minutes with you alone. Laetitia's on the phone and we're discussing the Kenway project.
Melanie:Oh. Yes, of course. Sorry about this. I'll call you when we're ready.
Receptionist:Shouldn't be long.
John:Hello, Hellooooooo. Do you have a second? Of course you do. Head to the waypoint on your map. I have another job for you. I'd like to link all the cameras in the building to a central monitoring system, but most aren't calibrated correctly. Another locked door. Not a problem. Voila! You now have level 2 security clearance. Not bad for your first few weeks. Find the camera control station first. I'll update your communicator. Ah. This is an interesting security measure. It looks like you need to find the right combination of numbers to adjust the wave. Easy enough, right? Pick a number selector, then change its value. once you find the right combination of numbers, you should get access. It works!
Laetitia:-and if we want information on Assassins or Templars or the Observatory, or whatever the fuck else interests us, Olivier, you will deliver it. Full stop.
John:Aha...
Olivier:I understand that, Laetitia. I'm sorry if that came out wrong. We're not trying to be a bottleneck here. But we just don't have the resources right now to do two times the research.
Laetitia:Finding that balance is your priority. Your entertainment products are simply a means to pay the bills for larger and more important work. That's the way the world works, hm? Dirty money buys clean hospitals. You get it?
Melanie:We're on board, Laetitia, rest assured. We have our best employee working on this. But it will take time.
John:That means you!
Laetitia:Good. And thank you. The both of you. I look forward to seeing what you deliver. Until then, I'll see you at the shareholders meeting, Olivier.
Olivier:Looking forward to it. Bye bye. Tabarnak! It's a little too early for that kind of abuse. Come on.
Melanie:So... what's next?
Olivier:We do as the lady says. Focus on the Observatory.
John:Assassins. Templars... crazy talk. I'm curious about this shareholders meeting though. How about you break into Olivier's office and see if you can find his schedule? Oh, what? You don't like that idea? Well how about I blow the fucking whistle on you, hacker! I OWN YOU! What I mean is... I don't want to ruin your life. So do as I say. Now, step over to the window. You can't waltz into Olivier's office through the front door, so I've opened another route. Up we go! Did you know that Abstergo was run by Templars? Oh yes. Sounds like crackpot stuff, I know. But then again, the moon landing was faked, right? So anything's possible. All right... either you walk through that door, or throw yourself off the terrace. Those are your options. Oh, well done, kiddo! Find his computer. Make it snappy. We're looking for the Shareholder's meeting schedule. It's worth a lot of money to us. You sneaky bastard. A pirate through and through, aren't ya? Now get down to the lobby. There's a courier waiting. That's right... I've been planning this for a few hours. Now, wait. The receptionist. Hold on. I'll try something. As gullible as ever. Now hurry down to the lobby. Before I remotely detonate your earpiece. Don't even think about ratting me out. My tracks are covered. Yours ain't.
Shaun:Did you uh, like the Allongé? I practiced.
Rebecca:I think you pulled it a little too long.
Shaun:Oh come on! It's not encrypted code, for God's sake. It's just a bloody coffee! Ah, hurray. It's our old friend.
Rebecca:Hey there. I just got a call about picking up another transfer.
Shaun:Aw. You said you were here to see me.
Rebecca:Yes, that IS one of the perks. Let's see it. Hm. A conference in Chicago. Very nice. Thanks for this. We'll be in touch.
Shaun:Ciao, Rebecca. Text me!
Rebecca:Stuff it, Hastings.
John:Well done, friend. Very well done. Apologies for my temper tantrum there. You are with the good guys, I promise. We'll keep you safe. Trust me. Go on back to work. We'll be in touch.
The Bunker
Melanie:Hello? How are you? If you're anxious, that'll pass. It's the Midazolam. I'm sorry about this, but... we've had so many security breaches, we were forced to take drastic action. And Olivier is missing. He left for Chicago two days ago but... no one's seen him since. I know this seems excessive, but with our high-level security clearance, we have an obligation to our shareholders. Rest assured, we will compensate you when the hacker is found. So get some rest, okay? And if you're up to it... maybe capture some more footage. You're doing amazing work. I can't wait to show the work we've done with your stuff. Take care.
John:So! They tossed you in the bunker. Nice! Those Templars upstairs aren't taking any chances. I think we need to erase all the dirt they might have on you. Did you hear that? I think I just gave you Level 3 security clearance! Now, head to the security room and use the cameras to watch the door to the server farm. Unfortunately Melanie is in there now, so when I escort her out, that's when you make your move. I'd wipe these servers myself, but as the head of IT, I'd be a suspect. It has to be someone they've already locked up. Oh these Templars. They run our lives, you know? They decide elections, they control various capital markets, and they inject us with little microchips to track our movements and read our thoughts. It's all very scary. All right, listen. I'm entering the server room now. When you see us leave, get in there. ...there's no need for you to be down here by yourself, Miss Lemay. My team will handle the investigation.
Melanie:But you need extra eyes on this thing, John. We don't even know when the hackers broke in. It could takes weeks to go through this data.
John:One at most.
Melanie:Still too long. I can't keep my team locked up for a week.
John:Legally you CAN. It's what they signed up for. Even if they didn't read their contracts.
Melanie:Yes, of course. I just hate the idea. So what's the next step?
John:My team is processing the data now. We'll start sifting through it tonight. Scout's honor. Coffee's on me, okay? All right, I ditched her at the coffee stand. Find the server containing the network logs. Since I have a record of each and every one of your hacks, we'll just search for the timestamps on those, and turn that data into something harmless. Easy as that. Here we are! Beautiful. I'll update your communicator one more time. A little program I cooked up, just for this purpose. There we go. I think that worked. Try it out.
Juno:I can feel you, cipher. Feel, but hardly touch. Signal is still too weak, and I am spread thin. Unfocused. Like static and fog, lingering in networks and nodes, the nervous system of the world.
John:Can you hear her?
Juno:Perhaps the Temple was opened too soon. But this was not by choice. The cataclysm pushed all doubt aside. Ah... we bless poor Desmond, who gave his life so that you, the Children of our Labors would live on. To fulfill your purpose in ours. In mine. But now is not the time. My strength is not sufficient to inhabit an organic vessel. There is more work to do, more samples to acquire, more artifacts to find, before my will may obtain.
John:What's happening! TELL ME!
Juno:Make me whole again, my children. My instruments. Bring me forth to fulfill your purpose.
John:TELL ME! No no no. Something's wrong. God dammit! She should be here! Now! Living in that god damned head of yours! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! Why did she spare you! Why are you still HERE!
A Face from the Past
John:Wakey, wakey! I don't believe we've been formally introduced... not in this era, anyway. I wish I could explain all this strangeness, but there isn't much time. The short of it is, you saw my beloved Juno. And for a brief moment I thought she might occupy this tender body of yours. But something went wrong. And now she's back out there. Adrift. Oh... she was magnificent once. One of a race of beautiful, wonderful creatures. They created your kind. Did you know that? Your people were tools to them. That's all you have ever been. That's all you should ever be! One day soon, I hope. For the world is nearly ready for her return! Wired. Prepared for a second coming! Uh... Oh oh... Here they come! Those Templars. Or maybe Assassins this time. Idiots, all of them. I envy you! It was her wish that I be here to greet her. It was her experiment that made it possible for my rebirth as one of... these things. Ah!
John:Guide me into Grey, Beloved! I am your instrument!
Abstergo guard 1:Put the gun down!
Abstergo guard 2:Drop it!
Abstergo guard 1:Drop your weapon!
Abstergo guard 2:Clear! Clear! Check his vitals!
Abstergo guard 1:He's bleeding fast.
Abstergo guard 2:Check the victim!
Melanie:Are you okay? Can you hear me? Hello? Talk to me! You're all right? There you are. Thank God. I hope you feel well. You look good. Can you stand? Good. Try walking around. A doctor came by. Said there wasn't anything to worry about. That the liquid in that syringe was far, far below a lethal dose. I feel terrible about all this. About everything. All our evidence pointed to you... but it was John all along. God, the things we found on his computer. Whatever you need, we'll provide. You've done an amazing job. Speaking of which! Our trailer is finished. Would you like to see it? I owe you that much. There we go. I uploaded it to your database. You can watch it here, or at your Animus. I think you'll love it. It really captures the... the essence of the era. So- Take care. And again... thank you.
Shaun:Ahhh. And well... what now?
Rebecca:Talk you idiot. Look at the light.
Shaun:Isn't that the battery? I think that's the battery. Hello? Hello? Ah! Sorry about this. My name is Shaun. And back there is, Rebecca, my... partner in crime.
Rebecca:Hello!
Shaun:Bloody good work earlier. Honestly, I mean it. Delivering us all that data. It's really just too bad our man on the inside was such a... uh, how how how to put it, fanatic, fanatic is the best word, I suppose.
Rebecca:We take who we can get!
Shaun:Exactly. Exactly. Well put. We saw in John an opportunity to burrow deeper into Abstergo's cloud servers, and I am not ashamed to say, we took it... uh, not realizing of course that he was enlisting you to help him. And to blame, should anything go wrong. I suppose it all worked really nicely in the end. Most of it, anyway.
Rebecca:What Shaun really wants to say is... if you're up for more hacking, we are too. John gave you level 3 security clearance before he died. You should use it. The Assassins don't have the resources to pay you like the Templars do. But we'll make it worth your while.
Shaun:Ah, look, we should really cut it short, Bex. Twenty seconds.
Rebecca:Ah, right... Good luck!
Shaun:Cheers Mate. And top notch work, really top, give yourself a pat on teh back. And... happy hacking.
Initiates Database/Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
The Eagle's Birth: Masyaf, Syria, 1165-01-11
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad was born into the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins to a Muslim father, Umar, and a Christian mother, Maud. His mother died from complications during childbirth, leaving Altaïr to be raised by his father alone.
Saracen Siege of Masyaf: Masyaf, Syria, 1176-08
After two attempts on his life, Saracen leader Salah Al'Din raised a force of ten thousand soldiers and marched on the Assassin fortress at Masyaf, determined to end their threat to his life once and for all. His uncle Shahib failed to convince him to join forces with the Assassins, but Al'Din was not swayed from his ardent desire for revenge.
While the Saracens constructed siege engines, the Assassins weighed their options. While some recommended killing Salah Al'Din, Assassin Mentor Al Mualim preferred a more subtle approach. He sent Umar Ibn-La'Ahad to infiltrate the Saracen camp with the mission to lay a feather upon the sleeping body of the Saracen leader. He hoped this would send a crystal-clear message that Al'Din was vulnerable at any time. While Umar successfully delivered the feather, he was discovered and was forced to kill a nobleman.
After a few days of fighting with casualties rising on both sides, Shahib approached the fortress to negotiate with Al Mualim.
Shahib presented his terms to the Assassins: Give up Umar to find peace. If not, face a prolonged siege leading to inevitable destruction. Al Mualim refused so Shahib revealed they had captured an Assassin spy, Ahmad Sofian. The spy would be the first to die in the renewed conflict.
Umar convinced Al Mualim to let him take Ahmad's place and accept responsibility for his failure. The Mentor reluctantly agreed and Umar walked calmly towards his executioners as his son Altaïr cried out for him. Umar's dying wish was that Al Mualim take Altaïr as his disciple so he could be trained as an Assassin.
The Ghost of Ahmad Sofian: Masyaf, Syria, 1176-08
For two days, Altaïr was tortured by the fevered cries of Ahmad Sofian, the man he held responsible for his father's death. Wracked with a fever from his treatment at the hands of the Saracens, Ahmad could only cry out the name of Altaïr's father, Umar, as he was attended to by his son Abbas.
One night, Altaïr woke in the middle of the night to find a gaunt, pale Ahmad standing over him. The man simply said, “I'm sorry,” before drawing a dagger across his own throat. Terrified, Altaïr ran to Al Mualim, who swore him to secrecy. The mentor decided to tell the Brotherhood that Ahmad had fled, so that Abbas would not be tainted with the shame of his father's suicide. Altaïr wondered why Abbas could not know the truth, but promised Al Mualim to keep the secret.
The next day, Altaïr and Abbas were placed in quarters together and began their training as Assassins. Abbas was confident that he would be reunited with his father soon, but Altaïr was reunited with Ahmad for many nights to come, as he suffered from nightmares about Ahmad and the red smile at his throat.
Brothers No More: Masyaf, Syria, 1177
Altaïr and Abbas trained together in the ways of the Assassins and grew very close. However, Altaïr began to notice his friend had become withdrawn, lost in despair about whether or not his long-lost father would return. Altaïr believed that if Abbas knew the truth about his father's death, then it would bring him short-term pain but a lasting sense of peace. One night, Altaïr finally revealed that Ahmad had committed suicide in his room, but Abbas said nothing.
The next day, Abbas demanded that he and Altaïr be allowed to train with real swords instead of the wooden training ones. In a fury of tears, Abbas viciously attacked Altaïr, knocked him down, held a knife to his throat, and demanded that he take back the lies he had told the night before. Left with no other choice, Altaïr conceded and told Abbas that he had lied. Both boys were thrown into Masyaf's cells for a month, but when they emerged, Abbas was punished again, as his training was extended for another year.
Abbas grew to hate Altaïr, and in turn, Altaïr began to pity Abbas, and the two were never friends again.
