Abstergo Foundation Rehabilitation Center

"You can help us find the cure to violence."

―Sofia Rikkin to Callum Lynch, 2016.^[src]

The Abstergo Foundation Rehabilitation Center, commonly referred to as the Abstergo Foundation or simply Abstergo Madrid, was a subsidiary of Abstergo Industries, founded in the 1980s in Madrid, Spain, by Alan Rikkin. Like its parent company, it operated as a front for the Templar Order. In the final years of the facility, Rikkin transferred control to his daughter, Sofia Rikkin, before ultimately deciding to shut it down when it was deemed no longer useful.^[1]

The facility was part of the Animus Project and a subsidiary of the Lineage Discovery and Acquisition division of Abstergo Industries. Its primary objective was to utilize the Animus to explore genetic memories in order to develop methods of controlling human free will. This research was conducted in pursuit of the Templars' vision of a "New World Order" and involved the search for Pieces of Eden, as well as an initiative to find what was described as a "cure for violence."^[1]^[2]

History[edit | edit source]

Early years[edit | edit source]

The Abstergo Rehabilitation Foundation was established by Alan Rikkin in the 1980s as part of Abstergo Industries' efforts to suppress free will through the search for Aguilar's Apple of Eden. The facility was built around and upon a 12th-century chapel,^[3] and was later overseen by Dr. Sofia Rikkin, who believed her research was on the verge of a scientific breakthrough. The Foundation housed several convicts, who were forced to use the Animus to explore their genetic memories. Many of these subjects were descended from Assassins or had ties to the Brotherhood.^[4]

Through the Foundation's work, Abstergo made progress in its pursuit of Aguilar's Apple of Eden, a long-sought artifact believed to be central to the Templar cause for world domination. Their research led them to trace Aguilar de Nerha's bloodline to the Assassin Mary Lynch, who was believed to be the last known descendant of his lineage. In 1986, Alan Rikkin personally led a strike team to capture Mary in Baja California, Mexico, intending to force her into an Animus at the facility to uncover the Apple's location. However, by the time of their arrival, Mary had already taken her life to prevent the Templars from acquiring the information. Her son, Callum Lynch, also evaded capture, though Abstergo managed to detain her husband, Joseph Lynch, who surrendered and was subsequently placed in the Animus.^[4]

Later operations[edit | edit source]

Around 2011, Abstergo located a criminal named Moussa in Atlanta, who was a descendant of the Haitian Assassin Baptiste. He was taken to the Madrid facility, where he was forced to relive his ancestor's memories for research purposes. Initially compliant, Moussa's cooperation caused suspicion among other inmates. Over time, however, he came to distrust Abstergo's motives and aligned himself with fellow Assassin descendants Nathan, Lin, and Emir. Eventually, he gained their trust and became an informal leader among the captives.^[1]

Under Alan Rikkin's supervision, the facility also conducted research to improve the Animus technology. However, unlike his daughter, Rikkin was not an expert on the machine, and by 2014, Sofia was placed in charge of the Rehabilitation Center. She focused on studying the roots of violence and attempting to develop a cure through the use of the Animus, a project that Rikkin allowed her to pursue.^[4]

In February 2014, Sofia contacted Layla Hassan for advice on improving the Animus 4.3 schematics. Layla suggested incorporating an inverted six-axis motion rig that would allow subjects to move freely while reliving their ancestors' memories. Over the next two years, Layla repeatedly asked Sofia to join her research team in Madrid. On 31 August 2016, she finally sent Layla a message instructing her to cease contact, stating that despite Layla's expertise, her disregard for protocol made her unsuitable for the Animus Project.^[5]

Capture of Callum Lynch[edit | edit source]

On 22 October 2016, Sofia personally oversaw the abduction of Callum Lynch from the Texas State Prison and had him brought safely to the Madrid facility. Upon waking up, Callum was placed in the Animus and made to relive the memories of his ancestor Aguilar de Nerha. After multiple sessions, he began experiencing the Bleeding Effect, granting him the skills of his ancestor. His repeated desynchronizations frustrated Alan Rikkin, leading him to propose a deal: if Callum cooperated and stopped resisting the Animus, he would be given the opportunity to kill his father, who was still imprisoned at the facility.^[4]

Callum initially agreed but ultimately refused after learning the truth about his mother's death, believing it had been her own choice and thus not his father's fault. As Callum made progress within the Animus simulation, Moussa and Lin were released from their holding cells after a previous attempt on Callum's life. Knowing that the Templars were getting closer to locating the Apple of Eden, they decided to initiate a prison revolt, just as Callum discovered the Apple's whereabouts.^[4]

Destruction of the Madrid facility[edit | edit source]

Once Abstergo obtained the necessary information, Alan Rikkin deemed the facility obsolete and ordered the execution of all Animus test subjects, despite Sofia's objections. Nathan, Lin, and Emir, under the leadership of Moussa, revolted and overpowered the guards with Callum's help, forcing the facility's staff to flee. In the end, however, most of the inmates were killed during the chaos, with only Callum, Lin, and Moussa managing to escape with their lives. By 14 December 2016, the trio had tracked Alan Rikkin to the Templar Hall in London, where they assassinated him and recovered Aguilar's Apple of Eden.^[4]

Following the facility's destruction, Animus technicians Alice and Thomas Adler defected from the Templar Order and abducted Maxime Gorm, who was also stationed at the facility. By November 2017, they were hiding at a safehouse in Madrid, where they used their Animus expertise to explore Gorm's genetic memories in search of a specific Apple of Eden that could cure their daughter Elisa's amnesia.^[6]

Another Abstergo doctor working at the facility, Kaori Kagami, was caught in the prisoners' revolt and was nearly killed by Callum Lynch, but managed to survive by hiding under a desk.^[7] Following the riot, during which she lost her assigned test subject—Lin—Kagami fell into depression and anxiety and developed an alcohol addiction, affecting her work. Eventually, the doctor was demoted by Ellen Kaye and re-assigned to the Abstergo facility in Yokohama, Japan.^[8]