I wanted to ask you something. Which is... what's your name? This article title is conjecture. Although the article subject is canon, no official name for it has been given.
JF, the Joey video is a MESS. What is going on here? How did this get out? You know this is not the quality we ship. -M
ScreenShot1.jpg
From:
Jean-François Brunet
To:
Melanie Lemay
Date/Time:
Wed, 2013-11-13 10:12
Subject:
Re: What happened here?
Attachment: ScreenShot2.jpg
Mel, Mel, Mel...
It's a good thing we're friends or I might be offended. Let me refresh your memory. The attached screen is what my guys produced. It's clean. It's perfection.
Also, haha: you signed off on it. Remember? :) And I think the testers would have noticed a glitch like that. Lol. Someone needs a vacation...
Whatever this is, it happened after we went gold, so if you're looking for a scapegoat to hang, check with your buddies in publishing.
:(
- Your pal, JF
PS- Drinks later? Terasse weather is over but that doesn't mean we can't *try*. We're tough! Rawr! Arrrr! :o)
Hi Kristina,
How are you? How was Costa Rica? Amazing? You have to tell me about it!!!
So, there's just one I need help with. See the screenshot attached? What do you think is going on there with all the distortion? We've checked our files and they're all clean. (Actually, I blamed JF and I think he hates me now. :-( )
Please, please, please tell me we can still fix this.
- Mel
ScreenShot1.jpg
From:
Kristina Uhrich
To:
Melanie Lemay
Date/Time:
Thurs, 2013-11-14 07:30
Subject:
RE: Glitchy weirdness.
CC:
Jean-François Brunet
Attachment: CreepyFaceWTF.jpg
Hi Mely (and JF!)
Whaaaat am I even looking at?
I don't want to alarm you, but I looked at the whole vid and egads, WHAT IS THAT SCREEN AT THE END? Is that a FACE? It is, isn't it? It's a face. But what is it doing there?
Costa Rica was great. And relaxing. But I'm already too stressed out to remember that! Look at that face! I can't decide if it's beautiful or terrifying. We definitely didn't put it there.
Who can we get to exorcise this piece of insanity? Know any priests?
- Kris
From:
Jean-François Brunet
To:
Kristina Uhrich, Melanie Lemay
Date/Time:
Thurs, 2013-11-14 10:04
Subject:
RE: RE: Glitchy weirdness.
I vote terrifying. No, hot. No, definitely scary. I can't decide. Is this why I'm still single?
May I make a suggestion? Send it to Phil in security. She loves this kind of thing.
P.S: I could never hate you Mel. (Seriously, both of you: drinks soon?)
- Your pal, JF
I fear JF has oversold my sleuthing abilities. As far as I know, we don't have any phenomenon capable of causing this distortion pattern. (Or a face. You're sure this isn't a prank? Right JF???) It looks like electromagnetic radiation interference, like from a giant magnet... that can draw.
The video is already public, yes? Mind if I show it to some friends on the outside? They might have ideas.
- Phil
PS: I'll go for drinks with you, JF. Just bought new snowpants. Winter terasse ftw.
anonymish_82 [15:24]: Yeah, I've seen the face.
defact0r [15:24]: And?
anonymish_82 [15:24]: And what?
defact0r [15:24]: Is it ours?
anonymish_82 [15:25]: I highly doubt it. I mean, I hope not. Why would we do that? What do they take us for? Banksy?
defact0r [15:25]: ...
anonymish_82 [15:27]: Oh, right. Yes. The credits are going haywire, and our whole funding mechanism is about to go down the drain, but we're going to take time away from fixing it to edit a video with some face of- what is it anyway? Where have I seen this before?
defact0r [15:28]: Where have you seen this??? Desmond... the vault... ring any bells?
anonymish_82 [15:29]: Gods. Aliens. Ancient Beings. Whatever they are.
defact0r [15:29]: Yeah, it looks like the vengeful one.
anonymish_82 [15:29]: Greeaaaat. The conspiracy guys are going to have a field day with this one. Who put it there? What's anyone supposed to get out of this? Why bother?
defact0r [15:30]: Maybe it's just Art.
anonymish_82 [15:30]: Yes. That must be it. It's Art. Abstergo isn't so much sending us a message as they're sending us a "Message."
defact0r [15:30]: I'll put the word out it's not us.
anonymish_82 [15:31]: No wait. Don't. Let them think it's us. Nurture the mystery; it keeps things interesting.
defact0r [15:31]: OK. Done. Mystery maintained.
anonymish_82 [15:31]: Maybe just tell Phil. I don't want cops breaking down my door.
defact0r [15:32]: Done again. Mystery downgraded. Are you sure about this? Working with THEM?
anonymish_82 [15:32]: No, I'm not sure.
defact0r [15:32]: OK... so... what exactly is going on with the credits? Abstergo figured it out?
anonymish_82 [15:32]: No that's the problem. I don't think it's them.
defact0r [15:33]: Then it's a hack?
anonymish_82 [15:33]: Not that I can tell. It's like it's coming from inside the system. Like the virus is writing itself.
defact0r [15:34]: the call is coming from inside the house! Riiiiight.
anonymish_82 [15:34]: Look smartass, can you just get over here and help? No money, no "art projects." Need it fixed, pronto. Sarcasm? Not helping.
Unknown: I did. And you believe the threat is serious?
Laeticia England: Absolutely serious. I know it's a lot to swallow but–
Unknown: How can you be sure your source is credible?
Laeticia England: Naturally, I'm not at liberty to reveal.
Unknown: Of course not. That's not what I'm asking.
Laeticia England: They're absolutely reliable. I know it is unusual. Provocative. But they'd have no reason to lie. In fact, I believe they'd take credit if they could.
Unknown: If someone from that group– Erudito. The same one that defaced your campaigns, less than a year ago.
Laeticia England: Admittedly, if that was the case, and I'm not saying it is, it would be that Erudito, yes. But I blame myself for that debacle. It's why I fired–
Unknown: I am aware of your restructuring efforts. You're right to establish contact. If that's what you've done. To... forge a relationship. Keep them close.
Laeticia England: That might be wording it too strongly. But the threat is potentially serious. And if they did have information, we would be wise to listen, whether we decide to believe it or not.
Unknown: That is the question. "Electromagnetic interference" could mean anything. What leads you to believe it poses a security risk.
Laeticia England: Only that we can't find the source. The reality is, no one know who put this.. face... there, or why.
Unknown: There are ways to keep this under control. Have you considered... recruiting this source? I'm sure I don't need to remind you we have facilities to help them cooperate, at least until we understand the nature of this threat.
Laeticia England: I'll keep the possibility in mind. For now, I'd prefer not to grant them any exposure to our facilities. We can't risk any leaks.
Unknown: I trust your judgment. You have my authorization to proceed.
Laeticia England: Thank you, sir.
November 20, 2013
Bank Heist Baffles Cybercrime Experts
NEW YORK — A near-traceless bank heist that drained accounts of more than $10 million has left investors panicked and police puzzled.
"The trouble is, the money doesn't seem to have gone anywhere. It's just missing," said Captain Georg Perez of Lewis County. "It's not unusual for these hacker criminals to use proxies and untraceable accounts, but this is different. The money doesn't seem to have gone anywhere. It's simply erased."
The disappearance of more than $10 million has some worrying what the impact will be on inflation. But for local investors, the consequences hit closer to home.
"That was my retirement savings," said Rosie McFee, 64, speaking from her daughter's home in Turin. "I don't know what I'll do."
"I just don't see how this can happen. It goes to show the problem is technology," said Dean Briant, 51, of Osceola. "Technology was our first mistake. Scary stuff."
"Whatever this is, it's brilliant," SUNY Potsdam computer science professor Tamila Sharpe said. "We don't even have an entry point. It's like it came from inside the system. It's a fascinating case study – a Houdini heist."
Investigators are mum on the identities of possible suspects, leading this reporter to wonder, do they even have any?
"We've turned the case over to the FBI. It's out of our hands," said Captain Perez.
- Leni Horrowitz, Lewis County Inspector
November 29, 2013
Dozens Arrested in Houdini Heist Bust
Toronto — More than a dozen arrests were made today in connection to the "Houdini Heist," which last week robbed consumers in at least eight countries of over $10 million dollars.
The arrests came after a tense nine-day investigation by international security agencies, led by the FBI with collaborations from CSIS.
Participating authorities had been tight-lipped about the investigation, leaving penniless victims searching for answers.
But a breakthrough came today when international conglomerate Abstergo Industries, reported recent disruptions to systems and customer records, leading to the arrest of 15 suspects, including two Canadians.
"At times like these, business as usual is not enough," said senior executive Laeticia England. "We felt we had a moral imperative to share what we know."
Although the personal identities of suspects brought in for questioning have not yet been released, the majority of are known members of so-called anti-corporate "hacktivist" collective, Erudito, whose members band together in a loose, Al-Quaeda like structure.
A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment on whether the incident has ties to international terrorism, or when victims can expect their funds to return to their accounts, if ever.
-Collected Press
Animus database
Characters and Maps
Character files
I remember the day they told me I would be married. I laughed. I cried. That night I climbed out of my window and never looked back. There is probably still a reward posted for my capture in Spain. Can you believe? When I think of my family, I picture them looking for me still, and I look at my scars and my pistol and I laugh. I laugh so hard.
Are you sure I belong here? A simple coffee farmer among killers and sages? Mainly, coffee requires patience. Each plant takes four years to grow from seed to maturity. The flowers bloom on their own time too, and the fruit ripens unevenly. A farmer must watch, must wait, and observe, all the while shielding his crop from weather and pestilence. Then, only at the right moment, he picks but the ripest cherries. I approach all of my work this way.
I did not abandon my people! I protected them by meeting the encroachers before they could arrive on our soil. I also battled homesickness every day. I was not made for the sea. But I sensed the coming war and I fought to prevent it. I crossed many Assassins along the way, and I felled them all. I did not believe in their vision of the world. I did not see how it could ever protect us.
To be honest, I'm never entirely sure which I prefer: the study or the outdoors. Both offer opportunity to expand the mind. One offers safety to the body, the other to the soul. I suppose I have been lucky to enjoy both in equal measure.
Arrrr! That's what you want to hear right? Arrrr! Ahoy matey! Shiver me timbers! All that pirate drivel the tourists are always asking me to repeat. Bollocks. I shan't tell you the truth. You're not worth it. What would you do with it? I know what you'll write: "Arrr, said Blackbeard." "Said Blackbeard." Blackbeard never said no such thing. Go. Get that parrot out of my face.
I did not set out to avenge my father. I had my own mission, I was serving my own order. And I had long accepted his death. But when I saw the Assassin, when I heard her speak, it all came back. My childhood. How we were robbed of him. How her people took him. I had to act.
I do not speak of my time as a slave, because I do not accept "slave" as my identity. They tried to make me a slave, but I never adopted that reality. I was always waiting... no... not to be rescued. For my chance. That chance came and I did not hesitate. That became my identity: no hesitation, no surrender.
Look, I know what people assume. I know how I look. And it's true. I absolutely did leverage my size to the advantage of my employers. I was a protector. A body guard. Nothing more. I never sought violence. Never! I don't even like the word "pirate," mate. Buccaneer sounds more more distinguished. I don't care if it's old-fashioned. I don't care if no one does it that way anymore. It's who I am.
What do the history books say about me? That I was killed by that woman? That Assassin? Lies! It was I who slew her. I retrieved the artifact. I saw the future! I live on, and will never die. I brought the Assassins to their knees. So-called "History" is for men with no ambition, too weak to choose their own truth.
My nemesis? Yes, Rhona. I fought her for years. Always, I was one step ahead. That's how it always is with Assassins - they're persistent, like gnats or bedbugs, but no more significant. Did I win? What do you think?
Whatever they say about me, it's probably true. Why not just run with that and leave me alone. Haven't you heard? I'm a monster? Driven by greed and bloodlust. That's all anyone really wants these days anyway, isn't it?
Of course, I had many lovers, but we're not here to talk about that today, are we? Why do you always want know that? Why do you not ask me about the battles I led? About the armies I brought to beg for mercy at my feet? The leagues I sailed? The treasure? I lived a free life. A glorious life. The life of a pirate queen.
Renardo? I have forgiven him. In the end it was Lucia who meant the most anyway. Romance is one thing, but how can it compare to a great friendship? We were sisters in thievery once, Lucia and I. That was before we entered the order. Everything changed then. This, I regret.
I had a daughter. I had more than one daughter. My children never knew each other. They could not ever even know of each other. This was my one mistake -- not the children per se -- I did love them; I tried to be a good father when I was there. But I allowed myself to become distracted from the order, from my true purpose.
"Adrien Flood?" "Flood?" Is that supposed to be a joke? On account of the length of my pants? Who told you that was my name? It was Kumi, wasn't it? That guy, I swear-- I'm going to get him back for this... No! Don't write that down! Can we start over?... Well don't put anything. Just put Adrien- A-D-R-I-E-N. I'll tell you about the time I felled five men with just a single fart. Yes, fart. F-A-R-T... Well that's just your opinion... It's not because it's disgusting that it isn't true.
Alfie Gardner? Who's that? Where'd you hear that? I don't know him. I am the Comte Alphonse de Marigot, of Martinique, and you will address me a such. I'm French, first of all. I don't know where you're getting this English rubbish. That other part is true though, about the theatre -- the Comédie Française. I was there at its birth. It was a historic moment.
Destreza: Spanish swordsmanship. The true art, the ultimate marriage of geometry, reason, philosophy -. the highest education, our best hope against Assassins. I dedicated my life to bringing it to the world, and I regret nothing. Well, almost nothing. Felicia... no... I cannot even speak of her now.
I will not speak to you of voodoo. I already know that is how you want to imagine me: gathering herbs and muttering incantations and drawing skulls and pretending to adapt your Christian saints to the image of the spirits of the Fon and the Ewe. No. Let us not speak of this. Let us speak of war. Of triumph. Of how I cannot be vanquished.
