Deus Ex - nuwen.net

Creating a really believable world is just insanely hard

About this page

This Deus Ex Story page is, in spirit, descended from the Marathon's Story page. Unlike it, however, this is intended to be readable straight-through in a linear manner. A different style for a different game.

At the end of the page is a summary of all acronyms used, in case the first usage of the acronym goes unnoticed.

The greatest game ever made...

Deus Ex is an immersive role-playing first-person adventure shooter simulation, or a reasonable approximation thereof. It was released in June 2000 by Ion Storm Austin (ISA), and its unusual name was taken from the Latin phrase "deus ex machina" ("a god from a machine").

No one really expected Deus Ex. It was an unprecedented game; before it, first-person shooters were nearly uniformly devoid of plot; even the well-respected Half-Life was just "the finest implementation of a game on rails anybody has ever done" (according to Warren Spector, of course). At the time of Deus Ex's release, Ion Storm [Dallas] was rather disliked by the gaming community, because of a controversy involving Ion Storm's founder John Romero and his four-years-under-development game Daikatana. Ion Storm Austin was a wholly separate division created when Romero offered Spector and his team funding with no interference, and it was delivered as promised. Hence, no one saw Deus Ex coming, and most distrusted the company it came from. While it did not have a spectacular launch, gradually people noticed what Deus Ex was all about, and it began accumulating awards and gathering attention. It is the author's opinion that Deus Ex has the most detailed and immersive story yet seen in a game, and this page is dedicated to examining that story in detail. Additionally, with the upcoming release of Deus Ex II, there will be people who will play the new game without having played the first (unthinkable, I know), and this page will help clear up the mysteries of Deus Ex's universe.

Deus Ex is officially abbreviated as DX, not DE (e.g. the logo is a stylized 'DX' (and the Deus Ex: The Conspiracy logo even more so) and the extensions of map files are .dx), and I'll refer to it as that here.

...by the hands of man.

Deus Ex was created under the leadership of Warren Spector and Harvey "witchboy" Smith. The credits as listed in the source text files are:

Producer and Project Director: Warren Spector

Warren Spector Lead Programmer and Assistant Director: Chris Norden

Chris Norden Programmers: Scott Martin, Albert Yarusso

Scott Martin, Albert Yarusso Lead Designer: Harvey Smith

Harvey Smith Designers: Marshall Andrews, Ricardo Bare, Monte Martinez, Steve Powers, Robert White

Marshall Andrews, Ricardo Bare, Monte Martinez, Steve Powers, Robert White Dialogue: Sheldon Pacotti

Sheldon Pacotti Additional Dialogue: Austin Grossman

Austin Grossman In-Game Text and Intro/Endgame Cinematics: Chris Todd

Chris Todd Lead Artist: Jay Lee

Jay Lee Artists: Clay Hoffman, Russell Hughes, Rob Kovach, Nghia Lam, Terry Manderfeld, Hugh Suh

Clay Hoffman, Russell Hughes, Rob Kovach, Nghia Lam, Terry Manderfeld, Hugh Suh Audio: Stan Neuvo, Will Nevins, Darren Walsh

Stan Neuvo, Will Nevins, Darren Walsh Music: Alexander Brandon, Dan Gardopee, Michiel Van Den Bos

Alexander Brandon, Dan Gardopee, Michiel Van Den Bos New York, Hong Kong and Paris Club Songs: Reeves Gabrels

Reeves Gabrels QA Leads: James Flores (Ion Storm Austin), Jay Franke (Ion Storm Dallas), Mike Orenich (Eidos Interactive US), Tom Murton (Eidos Interactive Europe)

James Flores (Ion Storm Austin), Jay Franke (Ion Storm Dallas), Mike Orenich (Eidos Interactive US), Tom Murton (Eidos Interactive Europe) Unreal Technology Development: Tim Sweeney and the rest of the Unreal team

Tim Sweeney and the rest of the Unreal team Additional Programming and Design Input: Doug Church

Deus Ex has an extensive voice cast, so I will not list all of the voices here. Of note are:

Jay Franke: J.C. Denton, Paul Denton, Daedalus [Daedalus is the only voice which is not attributed in the credits]

J.C. Denton, Paul Denton, Daedalus [Daedalus is the only voice which is not attributed in the credits] Alexander Brandon: Jimmy, Tech Sergeant Kaplan

Jimmy, Tech Sergeant Kaplan Tom Hall: AI Prototype, Howard Strong, Walton Simons

AI Prototype, Howard Strong, Walton Simons Cliff Stephens: Bob Page, Ford Schick

Story background.

According to Ion Storm Austin:

The future is here, and the world is a dangerous and chaotic place. Terrorists operate openly, killing thousands; drugs, disease, and pollution kill even more. The world's economies are close to collapse and the gap between the insanely wealthy and the desperately poor has grown to the size of the Grand Canyon. Worst of all, an ages old conspiracy bent on world domination has decided that the time is right to emerge from the shadows and take control. No one believes they exist. No one but you. In this thrilling roleplaying adventure, you play the part of a powerful, nano-technologically augmented anti-terrorist agent. It's up to you to stop the conspirators from achieving their goals. But this is a world of lies and betrayal, a world where nothing is as it seems and entire nations can seemingly be turned against you at the push of a button. To succeed, you must travel the globe in a quest for knowledge, develop your character's strengths as you see fit, build a network of allies to assist you, determine when stealth and strategy are more important than action. And each time you think you've got the mystery solved, the game figured out, there's another, deeper mystery to be unraveled. You will never know who to trust, who your friends are, who's in on the conspiracy and who's innocent.

Maybe no one is.

What year does Deus Ex take place in?

Fitting DX to a precise chronology is difficult. It is certain that Deus Ex takes place on or after November 20, 2055, but it may well be into 2056 or later.

The introduction.

The original intro script, on Chris Todd's website, reveals that something important was snipped for an unknown reason. However, everything else was done very closely to the script. My comments are in [italicized brackets].

DEUS EX INTRO

written by

Chris Todd FADE IN:

INT. VERSALIFE - NIGHT - CLOSE ON - EARTH

rotating beneath the sculpture of a giant, grasping hand. TILT DOWN to REVEAL BOB PAGE and WALTON SIMONS in quiet discussion, the globe and hand reflected in the marble at their feet. As they talk, MAGGIE CHOW walks past. [At this point, the player doesn't know who Maggie Chow is. Only on a second playthrough does this make sense - and it is an easily missed bonus.] PAGE

Your appointment to FEMA should be finalized within the week. I've already discussed the matter with the Senator. [FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency.] SIMONS

I take it he was agreeable? TWO SHOT - PAGE AND SIMONS

The globe hangs overhead; their faces are shrouded in shadows. PAGE

He didn't really have a choice. SIMONS

Has he been infected? PAGE

Oh, yes, most certainly. When I mentioned that we could put him on the priority list for the Ambrosia vaccine, he was so willing it was almost pathetic. SIMONS

This plague - the rioting is intensifying to the point where we may not be able to contain it. As Page speaks, PUSH IN on his eye - right up to the point before it CLIPS. PAGE

Why contain it? Let it spill over into the schools and churches, let the bodies pile up in the streets. In the end, they'll beg us to save them. CUT TO:

INT. FREE CLINIC - NIGHT

The camera TRAVELS low to the floor like an animal prowling along the dingy linoleum. It PUSHES through the door and along the overcrowded clinic hallways, filled with the listless walking corpses of those afflicted with the Gray Death. Here and there a doctor can be seen in avid conversation with one of the poor souls, but it's quite apparent that they're overwhelmed - it's simply a matter of numbers. NOTE: Can the mouths of the doctor and patient be animated so that it appears they are in conversation even if we can't hear them? Is it possible to feed them a "dummy" voice file? SIMONS (V.O.)

I've received reports of armed attacks on shipments. There's not enough vaccine to go around, and the underclasses are starting to get desperate. PAGE (V.O.)

Of course they're desperate. They can smell their death, and the sound they'll make rattling their cage will serve as a warning to the rest. The camera circles the hallways of the clinic and PUSHES back through the door and CONTINUES straight through the wall and into a - EXT. PARIS ALLEY - NIGHT

A motley group of resistance fighters is being methodically slaughtered by a squad of MJ12 troops and bots. [At this point, the player has no clue what MJ12 is.] SIMONS (V.O.)

Mmm. I hope you're not underestimating the problem. The others may not go as quietly as you think - intelligence indicates they're behind the problems in Paris. PAGE (V.O.)

A bunch of pretentious old men playing at running the world. TILT DOWN to the fallen bodies of the resistance fighters, then TILT UP to the moon hanging lonely in a cloudy sky. PAGE (V.O.) (continuing)

But the world left them behind long ago. We are the future. MATCH CUT TO: EXT. STATUE OF LIBERTY - NIGHT - ANGLE ON - MOON

If possible, match the position of the moon from the previous scene. CRANE DOWN to the broken husk of the Statue of Liberty and then PAN the crowd standing on the plaza below before coming to rest on Manderley as he paces back and forth in front of his podium. NOTE: As before, can we make Manderley's mouth animate? [In Chris Todd's script, this is consistently spelled 'Manderly'. A minor change.] SIMONS (V.O.)

We have other problems. PAGE (V.O.)

UNATCO? As Simons speaks, PUSH IN on Manderley. SIMONS (V.O.)

Formed by executive order after the terrorist strike on the Statue. I have someone in place, though. I'm more concerned about Savage - he's relocated to Vandenberg. CUT TO:

INT. UNATCO MEDLAB - NIGHT - CLOSE ON - GREASEL [This is uniformly spelled 'greasel' in-game and 'greazle' in the script.]

pacing in its cage. PULL BACK to show a scientist nearby who paused to inspect the greasel and now continues on her patrol. Keep PULLING BACK to show the whole of the mysterious medlab. PAGE (V.O.)

Our biochem corpus is far in advance of theirs, as is our electronic sentience. And their... ethical inflexibility has allowed us to make progress in areas they refuse to consider. SIMONS (V.O.)

The augmentation project? CUT TO:

INT. VERSALIFE - NIGHT - EXTREME CLOSEUP - PAGE'S EYE PULL BACK from Page's eye until he and Simons appear in a TWO SHOT once again, a reverse of the earlier scene transition. PAGE

Among other things - but I must admit that I've been somewhat disappointed in the performance of the primary unit. SIMONS

The secondary unit should be online soon. It's currently undergoing preparation and will be operational within six months. My people will continue to report on its progress. If necessary, the primary will be terminated. CUT TO:

INT. AREA 51 LAB - NIGHT - GLASS TUBE

seen from behind. Inside can be glimpsed the dim outline of a naked human body, floating suspended and silent. PAGE (V.O.)

We've had to endure much, you and I, but soon there will be order again, a new age. Aquinas spoke of the mythical City on the Hill. Soon that city will be a reality, and we will be crowned its kings. SMASH CUT TO:

BLACKNESS PAGE (V.O.) (nearly whispering)

Or better than kings. Gods. [It is hard to tell in-game who says this. Obviously, it was Page.] TEXT: SIX MONTHS LATER... [The script appears like this verbatim in the game except for this line, which does not appear in any version of the game.] FADE OUT.

Thomas Aquinas was a thirteenth century theologian. The phrase 'city on a hill' refers to a model society and is a reference to the Bible, Matthew 5:14. From the New International Version:

Now when [Jesus] saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.... You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds."

It was used by the colonial era writer John Winthrop in 1630 to describe America's destiny to be a shining example to the rest of the world. President Reagan's farewell speech refers to it as well:

I've thought a bit of the 'shining city upon a hill'. The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom man. He journeyed here on what today we'd call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free. I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still.

Introductory document.

Chad Warren (Ion Storm Austin MIS lead) created a document which was used to bring Quality Assurance testers up to speed. Here it is, with a few comments.

Deus Ex

An Immersive Simulation Spy Thriller Salient Features of Deus Ex The story so far Identity - Who are you? Reality - Where are you? Interface - How do you interact? Character - Who do you want to be? The Story So Far When asked for a catch-phrase to sum up Deus Ex, Warren Spector, the game's creator, will quickly answer, "An Immersive Sim! (tee-emm)." A few minutes later he will describe it as, "a character-driven spy-thriller." Other team members will spout industry jargon like, "RPG," "Action-game," and "FPS with a twist." All descriptions, and many more, are applicable, if not complete. A blurb of the game's story line will generally read something like this - "A plague has descended on the Earth and terrorists have interrupted the flow of the only antidote. You are a technologically enhanced anti-terrorist super-soldier assigned to track down and stop the perpetrators. But the closer you get to an answer, the more you realize that all is not as it seems. What is the true nature of the plague? Who is the real enemy? How far will you have to go to find someone you can trust?" So what is the game really about? It's about changing the world: The world in the game and the world of gaming itself. That sounds immodest but please read on carefully. We will explain. We begin with a world in turmoil, sometime in the near future. The lunatic fringe of our own world that believes in New World Order conspiracies and engineered population control turns out to have been right (though no one believes it but you). The Gray Death plague kills millions. Violence and terrorism are so rampant that major U.S. Metropolitan cities are walled up and under martial law. UN troops are operating on American soil and firing on American citizens, when necessary. It's bleak, it's treacherous, and you are the only person in the world with the knowledge and the power to set things right. All you have to do is figure out what "right" means... Identity - Who Are You? The first thing a Player is asked to do is begin building his character. The player gives the Player Character (PC) a name. Everybody that the PC will talk to will refer to him as his code-name, "JC Denton." A few characters, though, know the PC's "given" name. An email, a memo, a message, will bear the JC's given name, and in doing so reveal the sender as someone with both power and access. [This was hotly debated during the game's creation. It represents a compromise between allowing the character to select a name, RPG-style, and giving the character a firm identity as is needed to create a strong story. In text files, the chosen given name is represented as <PLAYERNAME> which is dynamically filled in by the game.] The next choice the player is offered is JC's outward appearance. Currently all options are for male characters. Available speech technology and the "he/she, his/her, brother/sister" editing issues still place gender options beyond our grasp. The industry, as a whole, though, is getting closer all the time. [And, as it turned out, it would have taken too much space on the CD. Female characters are planned for Deus Ex II.] The player is then given an opportunity to begin developing skills for JC. A player only has enough points at the beginning of the game to become trained in one skill so he must begin to make clear and sometimes tough choices almost immediately. What kind of player is he going to be: Handy with a pistol, a hand grenade, and a billy club; very good as a lock-picker and swimmer; or absolutely deadly with a sniper rifle and not very good at anything else? Or the player can choose nothing at the beginning and make the decision later when he has a feel for the way he wants to play. A player is encouraged to invest in building the character of his digital avatar and then to play to those strengths. The list of available skills is limited, clearly defined, and reasonably graduated. There are clear distinctions between say, handgun skills and long-arm skills but not between an automatic handgun and a double-action revolver or between a scoped target pistol and a silenced stealth weapon. A PC begins the game hardly trained in any skill and can upgrade by three additional levels (trained, advanced, master), each with substantial improvements over the previous level. No PC will fail to complete a mission because he had a "level 69 4-stroke engine mechanic skill" instead of a "level 71 2-stroke engine mechanic" By the end of the first mission, the player is given the opportunity to make the first choice in what kind of physical strengths he wants for his Player Character. JC Denton is one of two nano-technologically augmented persons in the world. [Note: This is what the player knows at the beginning of the game. Later, it is revealed that both Walton Simons and Bob Page are nanoaugmented.] The bodies of "nano-aug" agents are inhabited by colonies of millions of sub-microscopic organic machines that can be programmed to enhance the body's performance in a given area. JC has full functionality of his first three augs from the first moment of play. The first is a built-in flashlight that doesn't use much energy and that other characters can see. [While this document is very accurate with respect to the final game, this part is not. Other characters are essentially oblivious to JC's flashlight - which is emitted directly from his eyes...] The second is a device that can identify people and things that bear JC hostility. The third is the InfoLink. The InfoLink is a transceiver and data storage unit built into JC's head that is responsible for communication from JC's handler at UNATCO and for the heads-up display that allows JC to monitor his resources in real-time. As JC completes missions and explores his environment, he is regularly rewarded with additional skill points and with opportunities to add and upgrade his physical augmentations. JC will find that strength, speed, stealth, perception, resilience, responsiveness, and adaptability are all qualities he can enhance with the application of augmentation. To contribute to the idea of character differentiation, there are limits set to the amount and the form of skill and augmentation upgrades. At no point in the game do sufficient skill points exist to become advanced in, much less master, all of the available skills. Also, once a skill is selected and play has started, the alteration is permanent. If all of a player's points are spent on demolitions and he suddenly finds himself out of explosives, the demolition skill cannot be traded off. Augmentations are limited in their number and in their compatibility with each other. A player may choose to enhance either the combat responsiveness of his arms or he may choose to enhance their overall brute force, but not both. And any subsequent upgrades to his arms will only enhance the augmentation that's installed. A Player must make committed choices about the kind of character he wants to play and make efficient use of the enhancements he has chosen. There are no right or wrong skills. There are no obstacles limited to a single solution (or even as few as two). A player who narrowly specializes his skills should be equally as challenged as someone who spreads his skills broadly. Any player who is willing to commit to a character and to explore should have a rewarding game experience. Reality - Where Are You? JC Denton starts the game as the newest recruit of the UNATCO Headquarters on Liberty Island, NY. After a brief orientation mission, he steps right into a firefight between UNATCO and the NSF, a terrorist organization. His brother, Paul (the only other successful nano-aug in existence) is his first contact. JC will have to face the paternalistic interference of his brother, the weapons of self-righteous terrorists, the resentment of mechanically enhanced agents (whose appearance cuts them off from normal society), questionable directives, and a deepening sense that all is not as it seems; and that's just to get checked into his new office. The NPC inhabitants of Deus Ex have their own motivations and goals. Individual patrols, specific objectives, personal fears and desires. An opponent who feels outmatched by JC's armament may try to get in close and overpower him, or may flee to sound an alarm. When two armies clash, each warrior picks his own objectives and carries them out to the best of his ability. The same firefight on the same battlefield will never happen the same way twice, no matter how many times you play. NPCs working in their own best interest carry out reasonable actions that weren't designed and weren't expected. Everything in JC's physical universe can be of use to him. There are books he can pick up and read (not just bookshelf textured walls); chairs that get sat in; crates that can be stacked, opened, or thrown as impromptu weapons. JC can hit up an ATM for cash to bribe an informant, feed a soda machine for a little sugar-rush, stack up garbage bags in an alley for an improvised hiding place, or heave a beer bottle off into the distance to distract a guard (or shotgun it for a quick buzz). Weapons are ubiquitous in a spy thriller and JC has plenty to choose from. As with everything else, though, there are choices to be made. Suppose JC finds a flame-thrower, a LAW rocket, and a stack of medical supplies. If he's been collecting resources for any length of time, he's only going to have room for one or two of these items. And laying hands on a big piece of munitions isn't necessarily going to make every situation easier. Hong Kong, for instance, is wired for sound and a pistol shot will summon cops instantly. Conversely, JC may have to face down a 16-ton armored sentry robot, and poking at it with a Bowie knife for 3 or 4 hours is not likely to be a highly successful strategy. [A bot can indeed be destroyed this way, by the highly patient.] Other treasures are available to JC that are equally as important as weapons. Some of them, like the lock-picks, tech-tools, med-kits and bioelectric power-cells, are the consumable "ammo" for the skills and augmentations associated with them. Other valuables include mechanical modifications for weapons, binoculars, food, and, of course, money. Upgrading certain skills, like lock picking, will improve JC's economy of lock-pick resources. Upgrading a weapon with a scope or an extended clip, may free up skill-point resources for other uses. The reader should notice that an "economy" of resources is referred to. A player who has invested heavily in medical skills can still pick his way through a door if a path he chooses requires it. It will take him longer, and will require more of the consumable lock-picks. Another player who has invested in lock picking can still heal himself with a medical kit, but the percentage yield of that kit is going to be lower. A player can accomplish any goal if he is willing to commit the time and resources necessary. He will operate most efficiently within the skill sets that he has invested in, but he's not strictly limited to those skills. Interface - How Do You Interact? The real, live human who is creating the character of JC and controlling his actions has a number of useful tools available to him. It is hoped that they will enrich the immersive experience of the game by preventing repetitive breaks to take notes or reference the user manual. Within the fiction of the story, JC has been implanted with a device for collecting and storing information. Its primary use to JC's superiors is the ability it provides them to contact him at any time, anywhere. The InfoLink is infinitely more useful to JC himself. The first thing the InfoLink provides is a real-time heads-up display. At the outset, the player can use the HUD to view JC's health statistics, a compass, and the most ready items in the inventory in the form of hotkey icons. The health meter displays location specific damage. The HUD is also capable of alerting JC if he is taking damage from gas, radiation, fire, or ballistics. In the event that JC is getting shot, the HUD can display directional data for quicker evasion. The HUD is also configurable. The player can view as much or as little of it as he chooses. In the words of the game's creator, "Diablo got Inventory right. There's no sense messing with something that works..." Players will find the inventory familiar and intuitive. They will also discover a host of options: A record of every conversation

All unfinished objectives, prioritized

Details on location-specific damage (along with the ability to heal areas selectively)

A full-featured text editor for note taking

A Skills management menu

Maps. No "automaps." If JC got a hand sketched map on a bar napkin, he can view the napkin. There are three things to know about conversation in Deus Ex: 1) If the player is offered a choice, it's significant. There are no throwaway name-job-buy-sell conversations. If an NPC doesn't have anything important to contribute, he won't waste the player's time. 2) The conversational interface is the only time the player is taken out of 1st person. A cinematic approach was chosen specifically for its conventionality. 3) The lip-synching is real-time. Proprietary technology allows the audio track, not the text, to synchronize the characters with their lines. Character - Who Do You Want To Be? So far we have: A topical storyline centered around an ancient one-world-government conspiracy

Broad but not ponderous options for character specialization

Obstacles with multiple solutions

NPCs with motivations and goals that aren't always obvious What ties it all together? Why the balance of flexibility and limitation? Because the final objective of this game isn't completing the big gun to defeat the final boss or mastering all available skills for some kind of virtual "enlightenment." The most important feature of this game is in the decisions the player makes and how he uses his environment to accomplish the tasks set before him. JC must be an active and responsible participant in his world. If he feels that it's necessary to stand and fight, he has to understand that there are repercussions to be dealt with. If he shoots somebody in the street, the police will likely take a serious interest. If he snipes somebody at random, there's no guarantee that he hasn't killed somebody vitally important to his success. Or he can choose not to kill. He has the ability to question, intimidate, avoid, flee, disable, stun, wound, etc., as well as kill in response to the presence of another person. So how do you want to play? Are you a shooter? Do you want to jump in feet first; guns blazing? You can play that way, and you can succeed as long as you are prepared to utilize the advantages and deal with the penalties of that kind of strategy. Do you want to sneak? Do you shun the very idea of killing for karmic reasons? Do you thrill to hide in the shadows and invisibly glide through an enemy's defenses? You can play that way, too; you will succeed as well as any other strategy if you are willing to invest in your environment and adapt to it. Will this game change the world? Not all at once. Deus Ex is, though, the next logical step in a trend established by games like Underworld, Underworld 2, System Shock, Thief, and System Shock 2. The unspoken focus of this movement: to satisfy the goal of storytelling since it began: to totally immerse an individual in an intimately personal quest; not to hear or see a hero's deeds, but to be the hero oneself.

Text files.

Deus Ex's story is communicated in two ways: through conversations that the main character, J.C. Denton, has with other characters, and through text in the universe which Denton reads (which can appear on a datacube, in a book, in a computer's stored E-mail, et cetera). The written information is stored in the game files as DeusExText.u (367KB) - obviously a gigantic file. I have reproduced it here to present the story all at once, rather than piece by piece during 24 hours of gameplay. This is technically against Ion Storm's copyright, but this page's purpose is to increase demand and create publicity for Deus Ex (and more importantly, Deus Ex 2) rather than provide a reason not to buy Deus Ex. For the love of all that is good, please buy Deus Ex. It's an old game, so it's cheap (and there's now the Game of the Year version, which has an included soundtrack - Deus Ex's music is incredible). Reading the story is a vastly different (and more limited) experience than playing the game.

Text in DeusExText.u is formatted using an HTML-like simplified scheme. However, many tags seem to do nothing. The <JC> and <DC> tags have no effect and an unknown purpose. The <P> tag begins a new line; I have removed it from the text that follows below. The <B> and <I> tags are used very carefully throughout the text, but - oddly enough - have no effect on how the text is displayed in the game. I have left those tags in the text below (correcting minor instances where they were not closed properly). The <PLAYERNAME> and <PLAYERFIRSTNAME> represent the player's chosen name and not the codename J.C. Denton (the default is that they are both identical). <COMMENT> tags are usually used to note where a given piece of text is displayed in-game.

All of the dialogue in Deus Ex is stored in DeusExConText.u, which is over a megabyte long. I have started work on processing, formatting, and annotating it, but I need a large chunk of free time before I can finish it.

Annotated DeusExText.u

My annotations are in normal text, while the game text is in fixed-width font . Each line of annotation refers to the game text immediately above it.

UNATCO HANDBOOK UNATCO and the Press Because UNATCO will often deal with situations that cannot easily be contained, agents may unfortunately need to interact with the press. If you are not trained for such interaction, do not - repeat, DO NOT - speak with journalists, regardless of nationality. They are skilled in misdirection and propaganda. Refuse comment. Remember: Security procedures are our first line of defence. SECRETS are LIVES. Always refer reporters at crime scenes to UNATCO information officers and fact management teams.

This has importance in the game world - eventually, JC Denton discovers that Joe Greene, reporter for the Midnight Sun, is an informant for the enemy. Considering who Joe Greene gives information to, this part of the UNATCO Handbook is especially ironic.

We'll make this one easy for you. To open the door, use the code: 0012 Got it? Jaime

Hey J.C., want to cross the water? Lower the bridge. The code is: 0089 It's either that or get all wet. Jaime

Almost done, but one quick note: I'm not exactly the expert on this sort of thing - for that you'll have to check in with Sam Carter when you get to Liberty Island - but remember that there's any number of other ways to open a door, including using explosives or finding a security computer. Jaime

These three quick notes are seen in the training level, and help to introduce basic gameplay mechanics to the player.

UNATCO STEALTH GUIDELINES Overview Stealth is a vital component of all UNATCO operations; when implemented correctly, stealth missions result in the lowest possible ratio of agent and civilian casualties to hostile losses. Situational awareness is key, and agents should not only be familiar with the tactical opportunities offered by their immediate environment, but how those opportunities can be exploited to their advantage with the appropriate equipment. Tech goggles allow agents to operate in low-light environments such as offices or labs where illumination might otherwise attract attention. With binoculars, an agent can survey an opponent's disposition and determine the best way to evade or eliminate their defenses. A rifle or crossbow equipped with scope and silencing modifications can be used to interdict targets from a considerable distance, significantly compromising hostile resistance. Other features of the environment can also be used by an agent to enhance their ability to operate covertly or to create useful distractions: disabling security cameras, subverting autoguns, and reprogramming bots are all viable tactics employed by experienced agents in the field.

In the game, tech (night vision) goggles are next to useless. Binoculars are useful, but as you can not hold binoculars and a weapon simultaneously, their utility is limited. By the end of the game, when you can hold a sniper rifle without shaking, the binoculars are especially redundant. Security cameras can be disabled by hacking a control panel or blowing up the camera (high explosives or a master-level sniper shot are required - hitting a camera with a knife or shooting it with a pistol will never destroy it). Autoturrets can be reprogrammed if you have a suitably advanced skill in hacking. Bots can be reprogrammed through control panels. Unfortunately, there is no general mechanism in the game to reprogram bots permanently.

UNATCO HANDBOOK Welcome to UNATCO! CLASSIFICATION: The U.N. has nine levels of security above Top Secret. This manual and all material that is not otherwise marked is classified as Angel/0A. If you are not Angel/0A or above, report immediately to your supervisor or face disciplinary action. Other classifications will be explained upon reaching higher clearance. In its efforts to combat terrorism, the U.N. has created UNATCO for the swift deployment of a COORDINATED FORCE to counteract any insurgent operations. You are justifiably proud to be part of this organization: your physical capabilities place you within the upper one percent of national ground combat units, while your mental capabilities have been honed to sharpness by the UNATCO Academy. But as part of a larger organization, you also understand the necessity to HEED ORDERS from your superiors without hesitation; your superiors are typically briefed on matters for which you may not be cleared, and hesitation on the part of an agent can result in the serious IMPAIRMENT of mission objectives and attendant CASUALTIES. UNATCO has faith in you, and this faith will be REWARDED in due time as your operational capacities are increased. Brave the darkness, for you carry the torch of freedom.

The known security levels are:

Angel/0A

Archangel/1B

Principal/2C

Domination/5F

Throne/6G

Seraphic/8X

The 3D, 4E, and 7H levels are not mentioned in the game. The names have a common significance. [FIXME: This is explicitly mentioned elsewhere in the game.]

UNATCO HANDBOOK UNATCO and the Public In carrying out their duties, UNATCO agents often come in contact with the public. You are a PEACEKEEPER, and your first objective is to safeguard human life. Though terrorists may see an advantage in harming civilians, UNATCO agents do not. Issue a warning before firing at a suspect and always instruct bystanders to "get down on the ground." Refrain from firing into large crowds. Every civilian hurt is collateral damage. However, keep in mind that no civilian with a clearance below Angel/0A should be trusted and may be a potential spy. ANYONE can be a spy, and secrecy is our ally. REMEMBER: WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

In the early levels of the game, you have a choice as to whether to be a well-behaved UNATCO peacekeeper, or a nanoaugmented badass. NPCs react differently to you depending on how much lethal force you use.

UNATCO HANDBOOK UNATCO and the Police In carrying out their duties, UNATCO agents often work with other law-enforcement agencies. We remain a small, elite organization. Until our ranks expand, we must rely on the cooperation of local police, governments, intelligence agencies, and corporate security divisions. Always be courteous when requesting information or filing an extradition request. As our jurisdiction widens, we will inevitably experience conflicts with some local officials. Do not resort to unnecessary intimidation in these situations, and report any problems to the appropriate UNATCO liaison. Above all, an international law enforcement body requires the RESPECT and SUPPORT of all participating nations.

I like the part, "Until our ranks expand, we must rely on the cooperation of local... governments". What happens after their ranks expand?

UNATCO TRAINING MANUAL Section 3C: Multitools A "multitool" is not really a tool at all - not in the usual sense of the word - but a disposable electronic device that utilizes electromagnetic resonance detection and frequency modulation to dynamically alter the flow of current through almost any non-hardened circuitry. Skilled agents can use the multitool to manipulate code locks, cameras, autogun turrets, alarms, or other security elements. Note that multitools CANNOT be used for computer information extraction (see Section 5A: Hacking).

Multitools are a consumable resource in the game - the player can carry several multitools at a time. Any given electronic device (say, a numeric lock) has a certain multitool "hardness" (sometimes, but rarely, infinite - usually used to control the player's progress into game-critical sections) - anywhere from 10% to 100%. Using one multitool destroys a certain percentage of this hardness - say, 20%. Multiple multitools may need to be used to defeat a given device. The more skilled you are with multitools, the more effective a single use of a multitool is - thus, as your multitool skill increases, you consume less and less of the resource. Yet anyone with enough multitools can defeat any device (with finite hardness) eventually. It's all part of the Deus Ex philosophy.

UNATCO HANDBOOK UNATCO and the Future As science progresses at an ever increasing rate, more and more advanced technology is finding its way into the hands of the common criminal, resulting in a deadly threat to LIFE and PROPERTY throughout the world. While it is impractical to restrict the free-flow of information already present in the public sector, UNATCO is committed to insuring that this threat does not go unaddressed. Even now, UNATCO research and development employs some of the most talented scientific minds in the world to develop proprietary technologies in absolute security for field use by our agents - including such innovations as the XXXXXXX XXXXX and XXXXXX, or the lifesaving XXXXX. Under NO circumstances should agents discuss ANY piece of equipment or technique currently employed by UNATCO. Agents operating contrary to this directive will face immediate disciplinary action. Within our laboratories lies not just the future of law enforcement, but a SAFE, SECURE future for all mankind. [Document filtered per UNATCO Terror Monitoring Act 919-05 Sec. IV]

This tells us several things: UNATCO views the progress of technology as a bad thing, as long as its enemies control that progress of technology. Furthermore, UNATCO would love to restrict the "free-flow of information", yet cannot at the moment. And third, UNATCO is heavily into secrecy (big surprise).

UNATCO HANDBOOK UNATCO and the World For far too long terrorists have exploited international tensions and regional legislative variations to elude authorities. A significant step was made towards eliminating these legal loopholes when U.S. President Philip Riley Mead lobbied the Congress to make the U.S. a UNATCO member nation: "Enough is enough!" he declared in his landmark State of the Union address, and the citizens of the United States responded with enthusiastic endorsement of his position. Not only did the United States become a charter member of UNATCO, but UNATCO headquarters are now located on Liberty Island in the shadow of that shattered monument to FREEDOM. UNATCO deals not only with terrorist threats, but also any transgressions of the international legal code, including drug trafficking, software piracy, and money laundering. With the full support of the United States, UNATCO was for the first time able to truly declare itself the "WORLD'S POLICEMAN."

This explains the rise of UNATCO - note that one step in making the United States submit to UNATCO's will was the destruction of the Statue of Liberty, seen at the beginning of the game (in all its low-framerate glory). The bit about the "world's policeman" is directly taken from conspiracy theories about the United Nations.

UNATCO HANDBOOK: Appendix A Origins of UNATCO In recent years the swelling tide of international terrorism coupled with enmity between states, wildly varying laws, and an anachronistic devotion to arbitrary borders has resulted in the decreasing effectiveness of local law enforcement. To resolve the problem, a neutral agency was required to enforce international law in an impartial manner around the world. UNATCO was formed with just such a mission in mind, an organization that could transcend national boundaries and provide security for all nations that subscribe to its charter. Founded with the principles of the United Nations as its cornerstone, UNATCO is FAIR, JUST, and protects the individual liberties of all the citizens of the world. The criminal thrives on anonymity, but soon there will be no place for them to hide. Victory over terrorism is the prize for our VIGILANCE.

The bit about "anachronistic devotion to arbitrary borders" is nice.

UNATCO HANDBOOK: Dedication Nihil aliud scit necessitas quam vincere. - Syrus

The UNATCO motto means "Necessity knows no law except to conquer". Fitting.



(Chris Todd uses a different translation, "Necessity knows nothing else but victory". I think that version doesn't make very much sense.)

UNATCO MedDirectorate Nano-Augmentation Guidelines ... nano-augmentations, once "installed", irrevocably alter the physiological system they affect and in many cases cause all subsequent augmentations to be rejected; however, the exact number of augmentations each system can support varies. The various interdependencies between these systems can be seen in the following table the details possible nano-augmentation combinations. Arms: Combat Strength or Microfibral Muscle Legs: Speed Enhancement or Run Silent Subdermal (1): EMP Shield or Ballistic Protection Subdermal (2): Cloak or Radar Transparency Torso (1): Aqualung or Environmental Resistance Torso (2): Regeneration or Energy Resistance Torso (3): Synthetic Heart or Power Recirculator Cranium: Aggressive Defense System or Spy Drone Optics: Targeting or Vision Enhancement Specific nano-augmentations should be selected based on the mission profile of the particular agent...

This is a fairly basic explanation of gameplay mechanics, notable because it appears long before most of the augmentations are actually found in the game.

PROJECT DIBBUK Overview Domination/5F Clearance ONLY ... the noted failure of previous attempts to create a low profile rotary aircraft involved the acquisition and retrofitting of available military hardware that had neither the range, ceiling, nor electromagnetic transparency to avoid numerous eyewitness accounts or unauthorized military interactions. In addition to exacerbating public misconceptions about governmental operations, such encounters also jeopardized several key missions. PROJECT DIBBUK was initiated to address this issue through the creation of a "stealth" aircraft that could be used as a platform for a number of mission objectives...

PROJECT DIBBUK produced the Deus Ex helicopter, which is often seen in the game. It's a classic evil black helicopter.

Terrorism - Crime or Conscience? The question must be asked: is the global rise of terrorism a haphazard response to a decimated economy or is there a pattern? Does UNATCO face coordinated ideological opposition? Some groups - Silhouette in France, for instance - have declared a "Meme War", or "war of meanings" in their terminology. They spread email and pamphlets that lampoon the U.N.'s proposal for a one-world democracy, a tedious exercise in rudimentary propaganda. With sophistries and doublespeak, they portray "freedom" as "obedience", "democracy" as "tyranny", and UNATCO as the perpetrator of terrorism - an idea as shocking as it is reprehensible. Other organizations, such as the self-proclaimed revolutionary National Seccessionist Forces (NSF) in the U.S., claim allegiance to the Meme War, but are in fact no better than common criminals. They desire territory and wealth at the expense of society at large. Their "civil war" is merely a smokescreen for criminal activity. Any population can be quickly turned against such "revolutionaries" simply by educating them about the U.N.'s policies and goals. - Joseph Manderley, Director, UNATCO

"Meme" is a word invented by Richard Dawkins, prominent evolutionary biologist. Basically, a meme is an idea which replicates and competes with other memes.

Terrorism - Threat Profiling Symbolic attacks - the Statue of Liberty bombing, the desecration of the Soviet War Memorial in Berlin, the department-store shooting-sprees on Orchard Road in Singapore - are the recourse of the weak. They serve only to call attention to a group or cause that is of no more than marginal interest to the public. But what distinguishes true terrorist activity is its gradual escalation towards genuine acts of war. Fringe groups now have access to technology that allows direct assaults on governments, including the classic trio of nuclear, biological, or chemical weaponry (NBC). But aside from direct assaults on a nation and its people, indirect attacks can cause considerable collateral damage - rogue software can disrupt financial markets, communications, and military operations, while encryption programs allow terrorists to coordinate smuggling operations in secret right over the Net! Drugs, guns, illegal immigrants, and even heavy equipment such as armored vehicles and cruise missiles are routinely traded across borders, aided and abetted by such software. UNATCO - the first organization with the technology, manpower, and authority to cope with such threats - is an idea that is long overdue. - Joseph Manderley, Director, UNATCO

This mentions a couple of things which aren't seen anywhere else in the game, and which UNATCO also probably perpetrated.

Terrorism - War Without Fronts How do we fight an underground threat, one with no defined territory, base, or - often - known leader? We look to military history. The casebook example of how to manage civil unrest is the Hamlet Evaluation System (HES) developed by the United States military during its occupation of South Vietnam in the 20th Century. Since population centers in that country contained both Communist rebels and loyal citizens, the towns were ranked on a scale from 1 to 5, five being the safest. The monthly reports of local commanders, useful in Vietnam for maintaining contour maps of ideology concentration, have provided many components of the UNATCO Sector Field Report. The modern UDU (UNATCO Deployed Unit) has been modeled on the CAP (Combined Action Platoon) deployed in Vietnam, a 15-man rifle squad responsible for a single hamlet. CAP-protected villages typically earned a 2.95 HET score, compared to a 1.6 average in the same region. CAP units performed in many mission roles, but they primarily worked with indigenous police to strengthen ideological ties. Like CAP units, UNATCO teams are primarily concerned with building safe communities. - Joseph Manderley, Director, UNATCO

Stopping Terror - A New Perspective on Freedom When one maniac can wipe out a city of twenty million with a microbe developed in his basement, a new approach to law enforcement becomes necessary. Every citizen of the world must be placed under surveillance. That means sky-cams at every intersection, computer-mediated analysis of every phone call, e-mail, and snail-mail, and a purely electronic economy in which every transaction is recorded and data-mined for suspicious activity. We are close to achieving this goal. Some would say that human liberty has been compromised, but the reality is just the opposite. As surveillance expands, people become free from danger, free to walk alone at night, free to work in a safe place, and free to buy any legal product or service without the threat of fraud. One day every man and woman will quietly earn credits, purchase items for quiet homes on quiet streets, have cook-outs with neighbors and strangers alike, and sleep with doors and windows wide open. If that isn't the tranquil dream of every free civilization throughout history, what is? - Anna Navarre, Agent, UNATCO

This is one of the first indications that a worldwide datamining program is in place - Echelon. Furthermore, this is one reason why the unit of currency in Deus Ex is the credit, and not the dollar - it's not just a throwaway word designed to sound futuristic.

Know Your Enemy - NSF The National Secessionist Forces (NSF) remain a very real and increasingly widespread terrorist threat. Ten years ago, in response to the Sporting Weapons Act of 2042, splinter groups from nearly every state militia refused to surrender their rifles, grenades, land mines, and other "collectibles" prohibited by the Act. Unified under the charismatic leadership of Leon Woods, these isolated fanatics eventually formed the NSF with Woods assuming the rank of General. Their intended goal: the "liberation" of Washington, Montana, Oregon, and Northern California. While Woods died during his infamous "last stand" in 2045, his war machine continues what can only be termed an occupation of the United States, aided by an encrypted network designed by dissident computer scientists from San Francisco and Seattle. Currently, the UNATCO Cryptography Division has had minimal success in cracking their communications, requiring more direct intelligence gathering techniques to be utilized. The U.N. has declared war on the NSF.

And thus begins the headache of properly determining when Deus Ex takes place. This was developed early, when DX was still set in 2052, but other in-game references contradict this and push the year forward to 2056 or later. This can be explained away by assuming that the author was rounding off to the nearest decade, but that would only be a rationalization of a true inconsistency in the game.



The bit about "dissident computer scientists" is revealing. Remember V?

Know Your Enemy - Silhouette Famous for inserting 20th-century style commercials into the Net broadcast of the World Cup in 2050, Silhouette favors "feats of spectacle" over violence. "Printed circuits, part of this nutritious breakfast", the announcer told children in one of the World Cup commercials. "You ain't mech 'til you eat mech. [A mech boy chews a memory chip.] Boys who eat organics get stomped by their posthuman classmates. [Mech boys in UNATCO helmets and metal boots take turns kicking another boy.]" Despite their numerous pranks, these intellectuals, artists, and labor organizers pose a serious threat. They are well-armed and have been linked to the murders of numerous European politicians and journalists. They will not hesitate to use lethal force.

Know Your Enemy - The Triads UNATCO surveillance of Hong Kong is currently a high priority given the renewed threat of Chinese organized crime in the form of the Triads. Despite being a model of prosperity and technological leadership for decades, Hong Kong persists as a haven for organized crime. The Triads, namely the Luminous Path and Red Arrow, vie for control of the ten-trillion credit shipping business, much of which supplies greater Asia with pirated technology, illegal drugs, and weapons. Most disturbing of all, the Triads preach an ethic of technopiracy that has found enthusiastic support among small shopkeepers and businessmen who often aid the gangsters and buy their bootlegged software. Gullible and greedy, this army of middlemen remain insensitive to how their violations of intellectual property and copyright laws damage the global information economy.

The mentions of intellectual property and copyright laws are eerily prescient, considering the modern attempts the MPAA and RIAA are making to enforce IP laws.

Know Your Enemy - Other Threats UNATCO operatives have identified over 1250 terrorist organizations active in the world today, some too small to currently present a serious threat, but all eager to see one or more governments topple. Groups such as the Templars (Europe) and "X-51" (Western U.S.) will be dealt with in subsequent volumes of "Know Your Enemy".

Initially, it was planned that the player would have a greater involvement with X-51, but their role in the final game was cut considerably.

<COMMENT>UNATCO HQ</COMMENT> Mr. Manderley: Just FYI, your new password is knight_killer (I know you led that mission in Paris against that old terrorist organization or whatever it was). Your login is still jmanderley. Janice ;)

Shannon - Ammunition is disappearing again, so we're changing the door code for the comm van near the helipad. New code: 0451. Alex

Later, you find out that Shannon is the one who has been stealing supplies in the first place. 0451 is an allusion to System Shock's allusion to Fahrenheit 451.

Brother, I've set up the turrets and cameras in the statue ruins... a hasty defense, but since we won't be here long, it should work. The security computer login is: NSF001. The password is: smashthestate.

<COMMENT>Datacube in Alex's office</COMMENT> Change ghermann password to "zeitgeist". Next week I guess it'll be "schadenfreude". Strange guy...

"Zeitgeist" is a German word meaning the general intellectual and cultural climate of an era. "Schadenfreude" is a German word meaning a malicious satisfaction in the misfortunes of others.

<COMMENT>Datacube in SATCOM Van</COMMENT> attention nightshift: van camera system login (same as old login): SATCOM new password: UNATCO_001 PS) we *will* beat you at darts on saturday, suckas.

Apparently, in the mid 21st century, password security is at an all-time low.

<COMMENT>Datacube for Statue ATM account</COMMENT> So many people use that ATM each day that it's busted 90% of the time. But if it's working, you might need some cash today for the pub crawl we've got planned in the city. Don't let the tourists get you down. See you there tonight, sweetie. Accnt#: 230023 PIN#: 4558 Johnathan - your husband to be. PS) I was serious last night-I really want to get married in the Statue. We met there on duty and all our friends work there.

Type ILLUMINATI into a phone. You get 4558646284. This is intentional.

<COMMENT>Janice Reed inbox</COMMENT> From: Anon//UNATCO.44567.22356 To: Free Enterprise Mailing List Cc: Subject: re: NOBODY CARES! (was: Nationalizing industry) Michelle (mdarwin//orbit.8665.9112.4) wrote: >I just read that government regulators have nationalized >the third airline this year, and the story was buried on >the SIXTH PAGE of the Times! > >No one seems to care that Uncle Sam is gradually taking control >of every means of public transportation. The FAA claims that the >airline's management botched the safety records... Lies! Lies! >Have any of these records been made public? Do they even exist? > >Rule by executive order is now the norm. Goodbye, due process. What you have to remember is that "we the people" are members of a republic, and you must learn to trust those that you choose to represent you. The government is not a heartless machine running our lives; it is comprised of people, just like you, who deserve our trust and respect.

In the future, there are still mailing lists, and people still use USENET quotes. It certainly sounds like Janice Reed wrote this E-mail herself (and then received a copy of it through the mailing list) - note that it is sent by "Anon" at UNATCO. The numbers following are not unique and appear in many other places in the game.

<COMMENT>Manderley inbox, password protected</COMMENT> From: WS//UpNet.78543.98231 To: JManderley//UNATCO.00013.76490 Subject: Our Little Experiment Should be arriving soon. Clear it for Domination/5F ops as soon as possible, but proceed with caution. We have serious concerns about the primary unit and would like to avoid any potential contamination.

The primary unit, also referenced in the intro, is Paul Denton. "Our Little Experiment" is, of course, JC Denton. WS is Walton Simons. (These are also the initials of Warren Spector.)

<COMMENT>Manderley, Navarre inbox</COMMENT> From: GHermann//UNATCO.15431.76513 To: JManderley//UNATCO.00013.76490 Cc: ANavarre//UNATCO.9954.1131 Subject: Skul-gun Might I sugest agin, a skul-gun for my head. Yesterday in Batery Park, some scum we all know pushes smack for NSF gets jumpy and draws. I take 2 .22's, 1 in flesh, 1 in augs, befor I can get out that dam asalt gun. If I could kil just by thought, it would be beter. Is it my job to be a human target-practis backstop? Gunther Hermann

<COMMENT>Hermann, Navarre inbox</COMMENT> From: JManderley//UNATCO.00013.76490 To: GHermann//UNATCO.15431.76513 Cc: ANavarre//UNATCO.9954.1131 Subject: re: skul-gun I have personally forwarded your request to Appropriations. Upgrading our combat-readiness is an ongoing priority. Speaking of which, you certainly made the best of a difficult situation yesterday. We applaud your courage. Thank you for living to work another day, Gunther. We need more agents like you. JM GHermann (GHermann//UNATCO.15431.76513) wrote: >Might I sugest agin, a skul-gun for my head. >Yesterday in Batery Park, some scum we all know >pushes smack for NSF gets jumpy and draws. I take >2 .22's, 1 in flesh, 1 in augs, befor I can get out >that dam asalt gun. > >If I could kil just by thought, it would be beter. >Is it my job to be a human target-practis backstop? > >Gunther Hermann

Well, at least Gunther can spell his name correctly. Contrary to my first impression while playing the game, Gunther is not joking. Skull-guns and nanotechnology go hand in hand - see The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson. (Also, while Janice Reed uses USENET quotes, Manderley is a bit less cultured.)

<COMMENT>Alex Jacobson inbox</COMMENT> From: cRakS//AUSNET.78963.07378 To: AJacobson//UNATCO.00013.76490 Subject: Whupass Hey man, get your occipital jack fixed yet? You've got to check out the Strike4 demo (//GNET/Ego/Strike4): whole-motor control, total visual occlusion... MAN, fireballs burn your face, walls hurt when you hit them, tactile-textures everywhere, volumetric humidity... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Don't give me that national security crap. Jack in so I can WHUP YOUR ASS. cRakS

<COMMENT>KLloyd inbox</COMMENT> From: JReed//UNATCO.56740.33309 To: KLloyd//UNATCO.2334.8873 Subject: Visitors Mr. Manderley tells me we're expecting a new agent. His assigned I.D. is "J.C. Denton". Please enter him in the log when he arrives and alert me immediately. Thank you. Janice Reed

<COMMENT>Anna Navarre inbox</COMMENT> From: GHermann//UNATCO.15431.76513 To: ANavarre//UNATCO.9954.1131 Subject: dinosores See, what do I tell you? Manderley wil be hapy to have the garbage truk take me back to Deutschland. Now especally with the new nano-aug alredy ariving. We are the old computers the Americans call "dinosores." See if I ever get a skul-gun at all. Gunther

<COMMENT>Jaime Reyes inbox</COMMENT> From: GHermann//UNATCO.15431.76513 To: JReyes//UNATCO.00973.20892 Subject: bad nee Doctor Reyes, well-come. UNATCO is having a need of a good sergeon. Which let me add, I have a big pain in my nee. Sticking actuator? I cant fix it no mater how much lubrikant. Please inform when an apointment can be made available. Gunther Hermann

<COMMENT>Gunther Hermann, Anna Navarre, JCD inbox</COMMENT> From: JReyes//UNATCO.00973.20892 To: GHermann; ANavarre; JCDenton Subject: Nano-Augmentation and You I was asked by the regional medical coordinator to forward this information to all of you. I do so without further comment... Dr. Reyes -------- By now, you've heard about the upcoming transition to nano-augmentation. It's coming, but not as soon as you think. UNATCO has only one nano-augmented agent, with a second just now graduating from the Academy. It will be years before the program leaves the laboratory. Your mechanical augmentations are NOT obsolete. Some agents express concern that they will be "walking junk" in ten years. One agent expressed their fears in an anonymous e-mail saying "Well be sld at flee markets,. old gray golems for scareing the children. So what about my legss? What about my LIFE?"[sic] Keep some perspective. Prosthetics remain the only proven technology for enhancing human abilities. Those who make the sacrifice are appreciated, commended, and saluted as heroes.

I probably don't have to mention that Deus Ex is extremely funny. It should be noted that augmentation is much further along than the regional medical coordinator would have everyone believe - the MIBs are widespread and are all augmented (not nanotechnologically).

<COMMENT>JCD inbox</COMMENT> From: JReyes//UNATCO.00973.20892 To: JCDenton//UNATCO.82098.9868 Subject: greetings and nanotech briefings Hey <PLAYERFIRSTNAME>, Guess I'll have to get used to calling you "J.C." around the office. Not sure where they came up with that, but at least they gave you the same last codename as your brother. Anyways, whatever they're calling you, it's good to see a familiar name on the roster. My first job here has been to read up on your augmentations. I'm beginning to see why you found classes so easy. EVERY NEURON IN YOUR HEAD has been augmented. For example: the voice in your head (from an operator, someone here at HQ able to handle the scanning equipment in your skull and broadcast advice over your "infolink") leaps fully formed right into your temporal lobe, bypassing the eardrum and its sensory neurons. And its perfectly inaudible to everyone around you, of course. Not to mention that the nanites clinging to your axons can both receive and transmit symbolic information, so if you ever need help, don't sweat it; someone at HQ probably already knows. Come by if you want to hear more...this is great stuff... Jaime

<COMMENT>Alex Jacobson inbox</COMMENT> From: JManderley//UNATCO.00013.76490 To: AJacobson//UNATCO.00013.76490 Subject: re: Security Breach Thank you for keeping me informed of the recent hacker activity and your speedy response to same. I'm glad our security efforts were up to snuff. (AJacobson//UNATCO.00013.76490) wrote: >I managed to stop the guys (actually, it was some French chick >the CIA's been watching, perhaps a Silhouette spy(?)) trying to >break into the net, but I took the liberty of changing some >passwords, just in case. Here are the new ones: > >anavarre - scryspc >ghermann - zeitgeist >jmanderley - knight_killer >jreed - redshoes >jreyes - amigo >scarter - antique >me - calvo > >You should probably delete this as soon as you're done reading, okay?

The "calvo" password is unique in that it is one of the few passwords in the game that can be guessed, rather than read out of a datacube (it appears on a poster in Alex's office). The "French chick" is almost certainly Nicolette DuClare.

<COMMENT>Alex Jacobson inbox</COMMENT> From: AJacobson//UNATCO.00013.76490 To: AJacobson//UNATCO.00013.76490 Subject: locker code: 2001

<COMMENT>JCD inbox</COMMENT> From: MedDirectorate//UNATCO.15888.00342 To: JCDenton//UNATCO.82098.9868 Subject: Nano-Augmentation Stressors Nano-augmented agents will often encounter stress created by resentment among fellow agents, particularly those who have been mechanically augmented. In an effort to secure freedom and liberty for those under their protection, many UNATCO agents have chosen to sacrifice social acceptance for mission performance by surgically replacing limbs and organs with mechanically or electronically enhanced equivalents. But your nano-augmentations point the way to the future: thousands of microscopic, living, organic machines that exist in symbiosis with your body. Because such augmentations create only minimal disfigurement, they are likely to be a source of friction between you and other mechanically augmented agents - but it is important to understand that UNATCO is an organization where individuals must act in concert. Each is important to the whole, and mutual understanding is essential to teams comprised of diverse human and augmented agents. If you have any further questions or wish to discuss these issues, please feel free to send email to CarverEschells\\UNATCO.4352.768 to make an appointment. And welcome to UNATCO, agent.

The bit about "living, organic machines" is unusual - it's not how nanotechnology is usually pictured. This is explained more below.

<COMMENT>Jaime Reyes inbox</COMMENT> From: MedDirectorate//UNATCO.15888.00342 To: JReyes//UNATCO.00973.20892 Subject: Nano-Augmentation Principal/2C Briefing As a medical specialist, you will be required to repair and modify the systems of our nano-augmented agents. This briefing is intended merely as an introduction to the technology. The cells of every major tissue in the body of a nano-augmented agent are host to nanite-capsid "hybrids". These hybrids replicate in two stages: the viral stage, in which the host cell produces capsid proteins and packages them into hollowed viral particles, and the nanotech stage, in which the receiver-transmitter and CPU are duplicated and inserted into the protective viral coating. New RNA sequences are transmitted by microwave and translated in to plasmid vectors, resulting in a wholly natural and organic process. Additional augmentations can be added through the use of microscopic ROM modules - shaped a little like flying saucers - that diffuse through the blood and attach to the long spine of nanite CPUs. These additional augmentations are software "upgrades" in the most literal sense of the word. We hope this report gets you started; you will find a full technical design document attached. Please read and thoroughly understand this information so that you will be better qualified to administer care to this most exciting new breed of augmented-human agent.

DX nanotechnology shares similarities with Earth: Final Conflict's "cyber-viral implants", but DX is far more grounded in plausible scientific terminology.

<COMMENT>Gunther Hermann, Anna Navarre inbox</COMMENT> From: JManderley//UNATCO.00013.76490 To: GHermann; ANavarre Subject: Our New Recruit <PLAYERNAME> will be joining us today after his stint at the Academy, and I'm assigning the both of you the task of keeping a watchful eye on him while monitoring his progress. His assigned cover name for the duration of his service will be "J.C. Denton" - we thought it would be best to keep the cover names within the family since Paul has already received the Denton codename. I have great faith in you both, and trust you will do your utmost to insure that he becomes a successful and productive member of this organization. Until further notice, I'd like to receive weekly reports with your observations. JM

Mead Bucks Congress APR - Washington D.C. Defying Congress for the third time this year, President Mead unilaterally paid the United States' late dues to the United Nations. "Like good tenants, we must pay our rent on time", he told reporters. Leaders of both parties criticized the move. "Where does he get the cash?" asked Senator Ridon (D-Illinois). "Clearly from some budget item yet to be approved by this Congress." The Republicans were no kinder. "This council member has been betrayed, and so has America," said Senator Osno Liverpoole (R-California). "The Congress came together to approve a UNATCO presence on U.S. soil, but we did not write a blank check. No, sir. A superpower does not pay rent."

Bootcamp for Betty APR - Portland Madison High School junior Betty Souza will spend the semester at the Canyon City Bootcamp, say school officials. The crime? "We have verified that she told another student that she knows how to make a bomb," said Principal Martin Gordly. What makes this case notable is that the parents have filed a lawsuit against the school district. "Our daughter wears black," said father Brandon Souza in a prepared statement. "She has an occipital jack and we let her use it to play games. We allowed her to get a tattoo when she turned 16, but none of this makes her a criminal." The parents claim that Betty was discussing a novel by Tom Robbins taught at Madison High when the mention of explosives occurred. Betty Souza will not be alone in Canyon City. Last year 15,234 young people served sentences in the state's FBI-run "good behavior" camps, a legacy of the Northwest War.

A Lesson for Our President Family News Network - Dave Wary Editorial When the other kids on my block elected me King of the World, a political office open (thankfully) only to eight-year-olds, I moved quickly to consolidate my power. I declared that all subsequent elections were forbidden, that the office of King was reserved to me and my descendants for all eternity. I don't remember what morsels of political philosophy were hurled at me. "That ain't fair!" perhaps, or "You can't do that!" My rebuttal? "Yes I can. I'm King." All subsequent debate involved rocks. Even Gretchen, green-eyed lovely Gretchen, held me pinned to the ground as the others asserted their own right to the throne with whatever stones happened to be within easy reach. With a 35 percent approval rating after the U.N. funding fiasco, President Mead should reflect that these children - and millions of other free thinkers - have reached voting age. Who wants to cast the first stone?

!=!==!=== MIDNIGHT SUN ===!==!=! Mead from Mars! CAPE CANAVERAL - NASA scientists confirmed that the eroded remains of the Alba Patera crater on Mars precisely match the face of President Mead. "It's him!" declared Senior Planetary Specialist Kevlar Umla. "There's his nose, that ridge, see? See the crater rim marking his hairline? The way he combs his hair appearing in this region of parallel valleys?" The White House had no comment. However, Martin Wisdom, president of EA (Enemies of Aliens), told Midnight Sun: "This is the evidence we have been looking for, a warning that Mr. Mead is not human. He is probably a Martian General, a war hero, come here to conquer the Earth with the assistance of the United Nations." - Ryan Allan, Staff Writer

French Connection Found in Rubble APR - New York Recently released evidence from last year's bombing of the Statue of Liberty supports growing rumors that link the incident with the French terrorist group "Silhouette". Already members of Congress are calling for immediate cessation of diplomatic relations between the United States and France unless the responsible parties are brought to justice. "Rash accusations will not reverse the damage that has already been done", said UNATCO Director Joseph Manderley. "Both France and the U.S. subscribe to the UNATCO charter and we are committed to the full and ongoing investigation of this horrible crime." An anonymous e-mail received from an individual purporting to be the Silhouette "Minister of True Lies" denies all responsibility. "For that, you must go to the center of the maze," the e-mail said in part.

!=!==!=== MIDNIGHT SUN ===!==!=! U.S. Prez Sells Out NEW YORK - President Philip Riley Mead's executive order repaying the United States debt to the United Nations is viewed by many as a positive step towards global peace - but others sense darker motives at work. Some sources have privately commented that the order is nothing more than a tacit endorsement of a new world government and its private military, the United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition (UNATCO). Few can forget Mead's impassioned declaration that the shattered Statue of Liberty would not be repaired but instead stand as a reminder that "terrorism must be eradicated if we are to be free." It was shortly thereafter that Liberty Island was selected as the location of UNATCO headquarters, their dubious charter highlighted by the mysterious and still largely unexplained circumstances behind the Statue bombing. No doubt President Mead's words will be remembered, even as he sells out his country to the foreign powers that have sought to destroy it for nearly three centuries. - Joe Greene, Senior Staff Writer

Mass Grave in Brooklyn APR - New York Responding to an outbreak of Gray Death that quickly overwhelmed all city services, National Guard forces were placed under the command of local law enforcement today and mobilized to help with disposal of the recently deceased in Brooklyn. However, the National Guard soon proved inadequate in containing the chaos and in many cases the dead were simply left lying in streets while the dying - mostly homeless - wandered the city until collapsing. Traffic jams and looting remain widespread, and as fear of the disease continues to escalate, frequent riots have made any attempt at an organized clean-up impossible. With the threat of secondary diseases looming, city officials have consulted with the CDC in Atlanta and ordered a mass grave to be dug in Gateway National Park.

!=!==!=== MIDNIGHT SUN ===!==!=! Gray Death: Look to the Sky NEW YORK - No student of recent history can fail to miss the irony that the greatest enemy mankind has faced in the 21st century was not any despot or dictator, but the lowly microbe. Millions upon millions have been killed by the pandemics of AIDS, resistant tuberculosis, and the Century Flu, and now we face our greatest threat yet: the "Gray Death," a plague of devastating efficiency that has surfaced in the last year. But was this plague an accident of nature, or a design of science? Dr. Kenji Ishii of the New World Biomedical Health Center in New York thinks not. "My analysis of this plague indicates that it is decidedly unnatural in origin, and in point of fact, may be extraterrestrial." He went on to speculate about those afflicted. "Obviously, a disproportionate number of the indigent seem to be infected, a situation that makes perfect sense if you consider it prelude to an invasion. No more effective way to disrupt the social, political, and military fabric of Earth has yet been devised." If this is so, then what are our leaders not telling us? And how can we be prepared? Only they know they answers. - Joe Greene, Senior Staff Writer

The bit about the "Century Flu" presumably refers to an early 21st century flu pandemic, much in the tradition of the 1918 pandemic. Also note how skillfully Joe Greene's article analyzes the Gray Death, then proceeds to connect it to extraterrestrials - thus associating the two, and making anyone who tries to explain the real purpose of the Gray Death look like a wacko.

<COMMENT>Jaime's office</COMMENT> JANINE'S BOTS SPECS AND OVERVIEW MATSU-GRAVAS GV-4 "NIGHTINGALE" MEDICAL BOT The Matsu-Gravas GV-4 is the newest addition to the M-G line, their first foray into the medical bot category largely monopolized by Page Industries and Chiang subsidiary HealTech. Unlike the competing Page or HealTech units, the M-G GV-4 benefits from a completely proprietary operating system - developed at M-G's research campus in Prague - that promises to revolutionize automated healing by combining a comprehensive medical and pharmaceutical database with M-G's already proven autonomous heuristic routines. While actual field data is sketchy at this point in time, anecdotal evidence suggests that the GV-4 can heal wounds far beyond the capabilities of any other competing model, though it does require a substantial recharging period...

Apparently, in the future, free software and the GPL have not made significant inroads. (Of course, the phrasing of this note would indicate that Bob Page's medical bots do use an open source operating system. Heh.)

Vishnu's Fall A Brief History of the Indian Crisis ... after the bombing, Indian officials issued a series of stern warnings to Pakistan that were rebuffed with denials of responsibility and dire threats that any attempt to use the bombings as a pretext for military action would be met with force in kind. From the viewpoint of the present-day historiographer this was a crucial event, a game of brinksmanship that had been played between Pakistan and India many, many times before and so, while tragic, it is also easily understood how clear signs of the impending catastrophe might have been ignored. "Like two kids shoving each other on the playground", said historian Alistair Brooks. "You never expect them to come to blows." That was before Pakistan began the trials of the "Calcutta 16" and both nations descended into a maelstrom of political upheaval that would eventually culminate in the exchange of nuclear warheads...

HOTEL REGISTER Gully Foyle, New York Gabriel Syme, London, England Paul Denton, New York Oberst Enzian, Sudwest, Africa Smilla Jasperson, Copenhagen, Denmark Hippolyta Hall, Los Angeles

Gully Foyle is a character in Alfred Bester's 1956 SF novel, The Stars My Destination .

. Gabriel Syme is a character in G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday , seen in Deus Ex.

, seen in Deus Ex. Paul Denton is, of course, a game character.

Oberst Enzian is from Thomas Pynchon's novel, Gravity's Rainbow .

. Smilla Jasperson is from Peter Hoeg's novel, Smilla's Sense of Snow .

. Hippolyta "Lyta" Trevor Hall is the alter ego of the comic book character Fury, who first appeared in Wonder Woman Vol. 1 #300.

CIA Factbook 2050: Hong Kong Economic Overview: In the decades since Hong Kong has been returned to Chinese control it has seen its economy thrive under the newly resurgent authority of the Chinese central government. Led by a thriving technological market in human augmentation technology, the real GDP has peaked every year since 2041 with all forecasting models predicting that this trend will continue well into the next decade if not beyond. However, the statistics do not present an entirely accurate depiction of the state of the Hong Kong economy as they fail to depict the flourishing gray and black market that operates with at least the tacit approval of the Beijing regime. While political oppression continues to present a major and ongoing problem to those living under Chinese rule, entrepreneurism is alive and well in the form of organized crime - as has always been the case, anything and everything can be had for a price in Hong Kong. Many of these criminal organizations can trace their lineage directly to the Triads that have existed for thousands of years throughout China and Southeast Asia...

While this is an invented bit of text, it is based in reality - the CIA does write World Factbooks. You can find some recent ones for free at Project Gutenberg. Here's the 1998 CIA World Factbook.

BASIC FIREARM SAFETY RULES 1. Never point a firearm at anyone or anything you do not intend to shoot. 2. Before handling any firearm, understand its operation. 3. Always have your firearm pointed in a safe direction. 4. Keep your firearm unloaded when not in use. 5. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded. 6. Never pass your firearm to another person until the cylinder or action is open and you visually check that it is unloaded. 7. Place your finger inside the trigger guard only when you are ready to fire.

This may be one of the few text snippets in the game which is dead serious and good advice to take.

The Reluctant Dictators by Travis Crockett Introduction Organized at the end of the American Revolution on May 13, 1783, by General George Washington, the Order of the Cincinnati was ostensibly formed as a fraternity to recognize the accomplishments of those officers who had served with distinguishment during the Revolution. However, the true purpose of the Order was the cultivation of a military force ready, willing, and able to accomplish a coup de'etat if the fledgling American democracy began to stumble. Skeptical at the viability of the untried democratic system, Washington took counsel in the story of the Roman general Cincinnatus who was called from retirement to serve as Dictator for sixteen days in the defense of Rome, after which he returned home to his farm. In the wake of the Revolution, the United States was vulnerable to any number of outside forces, and Washington felt that a strong, central authority had to be present that could assume control of the government if necessary - and "temporarily" suspend the Constitution if required. Washington resigned as President after only two terms in office, but remained President of the Order of the Cincinnati till his death. The Order still exists to this day, a shadow organization of the wealthy and powerful that has been linked to any number of other organizations ranging from the Illuminati to the Trilateral Commission...

The Trilateral Commission is apparently real. It has a website at www.trilateral.org. It is also a favorite of conspiracy theorists (which is why it appears in Deus Ex).

The Modern Terrorist's Handbook Section 7C. Computer Virus Cultivation One tool (or weapon) not to be negklected in the arsenal of the modern terrorrist is the use of computer viruses to cause disruption to major city services and infrastructre, or other targets of opportunity. Current heuristical viral stalkers ar einfective against modern polymorphic "hothouse" engines availble from many sites on the UnderNet, and can be easily linked to IP-tunnellers for a cheap, effective denile of service attack - or, with some programming skilz and icebreakers, a mutagenic crash 'n grab bird can be grown for the tretieval of speici info from the unfortunate victims.. The following pages will discuss some of the more typical viruses, such as the Bandersnatchv128, Ulysses Dilemma, and I09...

All the misspellings are in the original (and give it that thoroughly authentic touch). 'Bandersnatch' is a word from Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" - it also has the distinction of being the name of a real computer virus. Ulysses' Dilemma was to navigate between the whirlpool Charybdis and the monster Scylla.

Nanotechnology for Stupid People(tm) Feel like a moron because folks sling around words like "Universal Constructor", "gray goo", "mecanocarbons", and "Bucky tubes"? Well, no longer! "Nanotechnology for Stupid People(tm)" will guide you through the small, small world of tiny machines. Why is this important? Why should you care? Imagine a million microscopic robots no bigger than a red blood cell constantly scouring your arteries for plaque and cholesterol... imagine a supercomputer the size of your thumbnail that can record everything you see and hear... imagine buildings that assemble themselves overnight - well imagine no longer! The future is here (or will be soon), and it's made of little atoms - that's right, atoms, the building blocks of all matter in the universe. Nanotechnology simply pushes the little building blocks around to make new, interesting, exciting things. Even now, scientists worldwide are making huge strides in perfecting the Universal Constructor that will make a nanotechnological future possible, but already the benefits are being reaped from their research. You'll learn the history, the inside scoop, the buzz words, and what the future holds - all inside "Nanotechnology for Stupid People(tm)"! Stupid People - When You Don't Have Two Neurons to Rub Together(tm). Check out our other books including the bestselling "Pandemics for Stupid People" and "Cooking Dog for Stupid People".

Heh. In DX, this book is hidden in a desk in a sewer, and presents a treat for the diligent explorer.

Chlorine and Water Treatment: Report for the New York City Council, 2053 ... on the other hand, opponents claim chlorine compounds can cause cancer, infertility, or birth defects. However, recent research indicates that the increased risk of cancer from chlorinated water is minimal or nonexistent. For example, a 2034 toxicological study found no carcinogenic effects at chlorine concentrations a thousand times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency revised Kyoto standards. And the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded population studies on cancer rates were too flawed to draw any conclusions. Water chlorination is just one target for some activists; they advocate eliminating some or all of the 15,000 chlorine compounds now in use. This would include most plastics, almost 85 percent of pharmaceuticals, and 96 percent of crop-protection chemicals. Yet most of the chlorine in the world occurs naturally. The annual global emission of some 1,500 naturally occurring chlorinated organic chemicals totals five million tons, compared to human emissions of chlorine compounds of only 26,000 tons...

Water Advisory Residents of Manhattan and Brooklyn should be aware that last week's chlorine spill in the Hudson River now appears to have washed ashore and is interfering with the operation of at least one water processing plant. While the impact upon the city's utilities is currently unclear, water rationing rules may need to be instituted within the next week. Under NO circumstances should any resident drink, bathe, or swim in contaminated water. If you or someone you know comes in contact with contaminated water then go to the nearest available hospital or clinic.

These refer to the Gray Death delivery mechanism, though it is not apparent at the time the player sees these notices.

Brooklyn Naval Yards Completes Sub Pen In a ceremony held earlier today, the venerable Brooklyn Naval Yards christened a new, state-of-the-art sub pen. New York Senator Clark Ashton was in attendance, as was industrialist Bob Page whose subsidiaries handled many of the contracts for the construction of the new building. "This is certainly a great day for New York," said Page in a brief speech to commemorate the occasion. "New York is, in many ways, the symbolic center of America, an example to not only the rest of the country but the world. As long as New York remains mindful of its past but dedicated towards realizing its future, this will never change. This building is only a small - but significant - step in the continual renewal of the city, and Page Industries is glad to be a part of that."

Battery Park Closed Until Further Notice Due to unidentified terrorist action, Battery Park will be closed to all unauthorized personnel until further notice. Local police working in conjunction with UNATCO agents are currently in the process of dealing with the threat, and according to UNATCO head Joseph Manderley, "The situation is strictly minor, but any time the potential exists for civilian casualties we must proceed with caution."

Be Safe: Be Suspicious Terrorism has become an unfortunate fact of life not only in New York but the country at large, a direct assault on our communities and our way of life that leaves citizens struggling to find answers to difficult questions, not the least of which is "What can I do to prevent such atrocities? How can I help?" Quite simply, terrorism is successful because terrorists are able to pass unnoticed and unremarked upon - but they fail to count on the best intelligence network ever devised: the American people. How can you tell who might be a terrorist? Look for the following characteristics: * A stranger or foreigner. * Argumentative, especially about politics or philosophy. * Probing questions about your work, particularly high-tech. * Spends a greater than average amount of time on the Net. * Interests in chemistry, electronics, or computers. * Large numbers of mail-order deliveries. * Taking photographs of major landmarks. And those are just a few. If you're suspicious, then turn them in to your local law enforcement for a thorough background check. Better safe than sorry. You and your neighbors will sleep more securely knowing that you're watching each other's back.

The "Be Safe: Be Suspicious" notice is eerie in modern light. It is also reminiscent of the Stalinist era (also seen in George Orwell's 1984) when people were encouraged to "inform" on one another.

<COMMENT>Alley near warehouse tunnels</COMMENT> Commander Frase: UNATCO has regrouped more quickly than expected and is beginning a coordinated assault on our position along with local police. They will certainly overrun our defenses eventually, but they must be delayed until the next phase of the mission can be completed. Your men will be responsible for guarding the tunnels leading to the generation station. Dig in and arm all available automatic defenses. I don't need to tell you what's at stake. Good luck. JL

JL is Juan Lebedev, leader of the NSF.

<COMMENT>MJ12 lab</COMMENT> From: Data Administration To: J. Steward, MJ12 Chemical Insertion As requested, access codes have been changed. Your new access code is: Login: jsteward Password: JS1357 Be sure to change the password after you log on!

<COMMENT>MJ12 lab</COMMENT> From: Data Administration To: Maintenance Please change the entry codes on the east hatch to 2167. NOTE: This datacube should be erased immediately upon completion.

<COMMENT>Paul's apartment</COMMENT> Hey <PLAYERFIRSTNAME>, didn't have a chance to get you your own Net account so feel free to use mine in the meantime. Login is "pdenton" and password is "chameleon". Make yourself at home and I'll see you soon. -P

<COMMENT>Body in sewer near warehouse</COMMENT> From: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX To: Lt. Maxwell Hammer OBJECTIVE: Covert surveillance of warehouse. DETAILS: This mission is authorized at a level of Throne/6G. You will not interface with local authorities, UNATCO, or other government agencies. You are to act with prejudice against any threat to mission objectives. NOTES: The entry code is 2167.

<COMMENT>Paul's apartment on kitchen table</COMMENT> Quick note, if you need any help with... work, check the painting on the wall and count back from 4. Gotta run. -P

<COMMENT>Hotel lobby</COMMENT> From: NY First Federal National Bank To: John Palmer Thanks for choosing NYFF! We're excited about your business and the trust you've shown by placing your valuable assets in our care. NYFF has one of the most secure banking infostructures in the United States, an impregnable vault that protects you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A complete list of our security protocols and procedures is always available for your perusal at NYFF//NYNET.345.23.88, and we welcome any questions or comments you might have. At NYFF, we're not just protecting you for today, but also against tomorrow. Your new account number is 543654 and the PIN number is 5544. For your protection, we recommend that you do not share this information with anyone and wipe this datacube after committing it to memory. And... welcome to NYFF.

<COMMENT>Alley near warehouse</COMMENT> Commander Weld: Code for the warehouse basement ramp is 2577. Setting up the security grid is absolute first priority - the assault on Liberty Island will be commencing shortly and we can expect an armed response within short order. Until the mission objective can be offloaded, the generator must be protected. It's our last line of defense. JL

<COMMENT>Roof near warehouse</COMMENT> All Proud Members of the NSF: Our time is fast approaching; what we have always feared is upon us, have no doubt - we are fighting against our own imminent slavery. But you are Brave, you are Strong, and we will Triumph. A temporary office has been arranged in the warehouse basement for the coordination of equipment, armament, and other supplies. We request that each member report to the office to be fitted with a telemetry rig prior to proceeding to your assigned post. The office code is 9923. JL

<COMMENT>NYC Sump</COMMENT> From: Security To: J. Steward, MJ12 Chemical Insertion Our security grid is now online and active. We will perform a thorough system test every 12 hours to insure integrity in expectation of the shipment from Hong Kong. If you would like to monitor our status, you can access the grid with the logon "MJ12" and password "coupdetat".

From: NY First Federal National Bank To: John Palmer We regret the breach of security in your New York First Federal account; we here at NYFF obviously take such matters seriously and will hold you in no way responsible for the damages incurred. All of your assets prior to the unauthorized transactions have been transferred to account number 947761 with the PIN number 2867. We suggest you change this PIN number as soon as you have had a chance to verify your new account. Again, our most sincere apologies. Rest assured that NYFF will insure that such intrusions do not happen again. Sincerely, Bob Latham Vice President, Computer Security New York First Federal National Bank

<COMMENT>Sewers under warehouse</COMMENT> Commander Frase: I've completed the initialization of the warehouse perimeter security grids with the login and password you requested; these codes will work for both grids. I'll set up internal warehouse security measures next - I don't really trust JoJo to do the job right. Login: NSF Password: righteous -Decker

Decker Parkes is an NSF member who appears often (along with his associates) in the DX gameworld, though he is never actually seen. His story is told through datacubes and E-mails, and is there for anyone who notices that his name occurs repeatedly.

<COMMENT>In kiosk of Castle Clinton</COMMENT> Commander Grimaldi: I've completed installation of the security measures: code for the primary lock is 666. I'm heading out to help Commander Frase's team prepare for the counterstrike. In the meanwhile, my best advice is keep your head down. It's going to get real messy, real fast. -Decker

<COMMENT>In safe under Castle Clinton</COMMENT> Commander Grimaldi - we liberated two canisters of this stuff along with the Ambrosia during the Liberty Island raid, but none of our people are quite sure what it is or what to do with it - possibly a biological or chemical agent, but without the proper people and equipment there's no way to tell. Lebedev suggested we keep one of the canisters and a barrel of Ambrosia here as a contingency; the rest was shipped out to the airfield an hour ago. Killian

<COMMENT>Paul Denton apartment inbox</COMMENT> From: SweetCharity//GenericMail.34673.78541 To: Paul Denton//NYCNET.33.34.4346 Subject: Miss You I left a message on your machine but wanted to follow up. With both of us traveling it's hard to get together, isn't it? I miss you so much. I'll make it up to you when I get back. Oh, wait, your brother's staying with you, isn't he? Well, just wait until you're alone. We'll work things out. Promise. Kisses.

<COMMENT>Paul Denton apartment inbox</COMMENT> From: KVORK, Inc.//NYCNET.89.09.64.53 To: Multiple Recipients Subject: SPAM: Tired of life? Hello Friend, Has life become too impersonal, too tedius, too painful for you? Then now is the time to exert control, to make that decision which is ultimately the only real choice we ever have: the decision to die. Some may describe this as an act of selfishness, but with the dwindling reserves of natural resources throughout the world you're actually contributing to the well-being of all those around you. A recent bill passed by the United States Congress even authorizes a one-time payment of c10,000 to your chosen benefactor upon passing away. So do yourself, your family, and your friends a favor and visit any one of the KVORK, Inc. clinics in a neighborhood near you. We'll help you make a difference - quickly and quietly. Sincerely, Derek Schmitt Director of Development, KVORK, inc.

In the future, spam E-mail is marked as such (possibly by ISPs, instead of the sender). This is of course a reference to Dr. Jack Kevorkian, advocate of doctor-assisted euthanasia.

<COMMENT>J.C. Denton apartment inbox</COMMENT> From: JReyes//UNATCO.00973.20892 To: Paul Denton//NYCNET.33.34.4346 Subject: Settled in yet? Hey <PLAYERFIRSTNAME>, Thought I'd help you unload your boxes, but I'm tied down trying to get one of the medical analyzers working. Damn thing nearly lasered off one of my fingers! Catch you later for a beer maybe? Jaime

<COMMENT>Paul Denton apartment inbox</COMMENT> Your message: To: juan//NYCNET.7786.786658 Subject: Your Results Sent: Wed 14:18:59 -0600 Did not reach the following recipient(s): juan//HK2net.7786.786658 on Wed, 14:26:35 -0600 Unable to deliver message due to a communications failure MPSEXCH:IMS: New York Net: BORONTYPE:ADA 0 (000C05A6) Unknown Recipient Message as follows: >I'm definitely worried about the test results; there are >some implications there that I'm afraid to pursue too >much further. I'll talk to Tracer. Proceed with caution. > >-P

Paul has been sending E-mail to Juan Lebedev.

<COMMENT>Paul Denton apartment inbox</COMMENT> From: ClassicMovies.pcx3345:ABS To: Paul Denton//NYCNET.33.34.4346 Subject: Account Verification Mr. Denton: We've recieved your order for "Blue Harvest" and "See You Next Wednesday." At your earliest possible convenience, please remit c110 at which point they will be shipped immediately. Thanks for your business, Marcy Plaigrond Vibrant Videos, Inc.

When Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi was being filmed, the production crew was given shirts and hats with "Blue Harvest" printed on them; if asked what they were doing, they were told to say that they were filming "Blue Harvest: Horror Beyond Imagination".



"See you next Wednesday" is a phrase from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Movie director John Landis includes references to a movie named "See You Next Wednesday" in every feature film he makes.



Marcy Playground is a band.

<COMMENT>MJ12 lab</COMMENT> From: WS//UpNet.78543.98231 To: JSteward//UpNet.332.88732 Subject: The Chemist Your concern about his behavior is unwarranted. However, once the initial trial is completed, you may eliminate him at your own discretion.

<COMMENT>MJ12 lab</COMMENT> From: Operations Central//UpNet.64534.453423 To: Everyone Subject: Company Picnic The company picnic has been moved from July 21 to July 28. Please note this on your calendars. Employees on duty or otherwise unavailable will receive a bonus as compensation instead. See you there, Harleen Quinzell Human Resources Director - Operations Central Harleen//Upnet.64534.453423 "A frown is just a smile turned upside down..."

This is a clever Batm