Aileen Bock

Aileen Bock (died 1981) was the Project Director of Abstergo Industries' Surrogate Initiative, a project aimed at exploring the genetic memories of historical individuals not directly related to the subject by using donated DNA samples. Bock successfully accomplished this by using a sample of her son Seamus' DNA to relive the memories of her ex-husband's mother, Miriam Kurtz, a prisoner of Nazi Germany in World War II. Through these experiments, Aileen unfornately suffered a brain hemorrhage and could not be revived.
==Biography==
===Early life===
In her young adult years, Aileen married Karl Bock and later gave birth to a son, Seamus, in 1970. Aileen's workaholic attitude however, drove a wedge between her and her husband so they divorced, though Aileen still kept his surname.
===Subject Zero===
In 1980, during Aileen's first Surrogate Initiative live experiment, she urged Satish to increase the signal intensity, leading to her reliving the memories of Miriam Kurtz, her son's grandmother via her ex-husband, Karl. Speaking in German, Aileen described vivid scenes, and when the audio was later processed, it revealed Miriam's resistance against a officer. Aileen, determined to explore unembedded memories, faced skepticism about her methods during a meeting, where Dr. Warren Vidic highlighted his success with real-time feeds. Despite challenges, Aileen persisted in her quest for breakthroughs, using her son's DNA to safely delve into non-bloodline memories.
On 21 October, as part of Test Session 27, Aileen continued reliving Miriam's memories during World War II. Analysing her recorded sessions, the audio snippets revealed Miriam's continued resistance against the Gestapo officer and her affiliation with the Edelweiss Pirates. Despite the challenges of sustaining the signal for more than a few minutes, Aileen remained determined. Seeking information about the artifact and Barthel Schink, she called up Karl, who shared insights about his mother and her time with the Edelweiss Pirates. Frustration mounted during the experiment, with Aileen expressing her eagerness to continue despite the risks. The discussion about the limitations of Surrogate Genetic Memory data led to Vidic proposing potential solutions, acknowledging the need for advanced processing power. Warren pledged to explore options, offering hope for progress in the project.Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – "Subject Zero" - audio file 2
On 11 January 1981, Aileen shared with Lillian, Miriam's conversation with Barthel, after being found imprisoned by the Nazis. Concerned for each other's safety, they discussed the relentless Nazi interrogation about an artifact. Lillian, intrigued by the artifact, urged Aileen to prioritize obtaining related recordings, offering a tripled budget. Aileen's continued phone conversation with Karl shed light on Miriam's involvement with the Edelweiss Pirates during the war. As Aileen grappled with the challenges of sustaining the Surrogate memory signal, Warren Vidic proposed a potential solution involving advanced processing power. Amidst these developments, Warren faced scrutiny after a seizure incident in the Animus project, vowing to prove its safety by volunteering as a subject and extending support to Aileen's initiative.Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – "Subject Zero" - audio file 3
On 2 April, after witnessing Vidic's own three hour session in his Animus, Aileen learned that Vidic wanted Satish to assist with his project, potentially diverting resources from the Surrogate Initiative, thud creating a rift between them as they argued. She then went to monitor her recent footage involving Miriam and Barthel discussing the artifact, the one Lillian was urging Aileen to find out more about, Barthel had it, and he made Miriam promise to take the artifact to the Assassins before he was hung by the Gestapo. In a phone call with Karl, Vidic's interference was revealed and Aileen was determined to maintain control. Amidst concerns about Vidic's attempts to take credit for their work, tensions between Aileen and Satish grew as Aileen's need for independence from Vidic's Project increased. She vowed to perform more test sessions and find the artifact before Vidic.Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – "Subject Zero" - audio file 4
In the chilling interrogation of Miriam Kurtz by the Gestapo, Aileen experienced the intense and distressing confrontation through a recorded memory. Miriam, resilient and defiant, refused to yield to the Gestapo Officer's attempts at intimidation. Despite the officer's claims of Barthel Schink and his associates being executed, Miriam boldly asserted that the captors lacked the artifact they sought. The session took a terrifying turn as Miriam's screams and the electrocardiogram's frantic beeping escalated, eventually leading to Aileen's distress and the abrupt termination of the simulation.Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – "Subject Zero" - audio file 5
The aftermath unfolded with Aileen's physical and emotional distress evident, prompting urgent medical intervention. Satish and the scientists struggled to revive her. Following the incident, Warren Vidic, in a speech, acknowledged the unfortunate end of Aileen Bock's career due to the incident, emphasizing her contributions to genetic memory research. Despite the suspension of the Surrogate Initiative, Vidic highlighted the lasting impact of Aileen's work, painting her legacy as enduring despite the abrupt conclusion of her career.
===Legacy===
After Vidic's death in late 2012, illegal audio files were discovered in his residence, having been made with wire taps and hidden microphones. These recordings were made over a fourteen month period from 1980 and 1981, without the consent of their primary subject – Aileen Bock – and detailed Aileen's efforts into the Surrogate Initiative, with her facing strong opposition from Vidic's Animus Project, whose research had greater success.Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – "Subject Zero" - audio file 1
On 29 September 2017, Abstergo employee Deanna Geary warned her friend Layla Hassan about using an Animus with DNA that was not her own, citing the final fate of Aileen as a warning example, though this fell on deaf ears.
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag 
*Assassin's Creed: Origins 
==References==
Category:1981 deaths
Category:Individuals
Category:Americans
Category:Scientists
Category:Abstergo Industries employees