Richard Trager

"You wanna know the mistake you’re making here, buddy? You think you’re gonna find the truth. You think you’ll uncover something, and everything will just…fall into place. Some grand revelation, that’ll make sense of all these unspeakable horrors. That’ll explain what could drive men to such creative extremes of inhumanity. I hate to be the one to break the bad news, but even when you think you understand what’s happening here, you’re only gonna be halfway down the rabbit hole. It’s always been the case that whoever’s holding the money gets to say what the truth is. But then, then what happens, when all the money's gone? When everything is based on debt? On credit? Come on, buddy, you can guess this one. It's faith. Money is a matter of faith. All we were ever trying to do is sell you the dream, but you can't make a deal if you've got nothing to bargain with. You gotta be inside the dream to buy it. You gotta. Have. Faith. And that's what I'm here for. To make you believe." - Richard Trager's twisted monologue during the Outlast "Xbox One Trailer".Richard "Rick" Trager, also referred to as Dr. Richard "Rick" Trager, Trager or as The Surgeon, is a major antagonist in the Outlast series. He acts as a major antagonist in the 2013 survival horror video game, Outlast, a posthumous, minor antagonist in its 2014 DLC expansion, Outlast: Whistleblower and a minor antagonist in its comic book series, Outlast: The Murkoff Account.
He is a former corrupt Murkoff Corporation R&D Executive, transformed into an insane, psychopathic "surgeon" after being subjected to the Morphogenic Engine therapy. During the total collapse of Mount Massive Asylum, Trager transforms the Male Ward into his own personal territory to kidnap, torture and mutilate his victims to practice his personal perception of "biology" and enact his twisted philosophy on all those around them.
He was portrayed and voiced by Canadian actor and theatre director, Alex Ivanovici.
== Story ==
=== Background ===
Richard Trager was recruited as an employee for the transnational Murkoff Corporation at an unknown date, eventually rising through the ranks and positions, becoming a powerful prominent executive for the company. During his time with Murkoff, he became acquainted and became close friends with fellow Murkoff executive, Jeremy Blaire, regularly going golfing with him.
In the late 2000's, Trager was stationed at Mount Massive Asylum as a Murkoff R&D Executive, responsible for monitoring Project Walrider and endeavouring for its success while also ensuring that no trace or evidence of its existence is ever revealed or exposed to the public or the outside world. He was responsible for maliciously incarcerating and subjecting fellow employees to the Morphogenic Engine therapy, under the guise of persecutorial delusions, if it was found that they attempted to expose Murkoff's criminal activity in the asylum. An example of this was David Annapurna who after stating that he'll go to the press about the abuse and mistreatment of the patients was processed as a patient of the asylum where he was experimented on until the time of his death.
=== Outlast: The Murkoff Account ===
==== Issue 2 ====
tba
Because of unknown reasons, Trager was terminated from his high ranked position and processed as a patient for Project Walrider, subjected to the same Morphogenic Engine therapy as he himself had forcibly subjected his fellow subordinates to. However, he failed to activate the engine and conjure The Walrider and so was inflicted with both physical and psychological deformities. Following these experiments, Trager was transformed into a psychopathic and deranged lunatic, believing in his own twisted philosophy while believing himself to be a friendly surgeon despite having no experience in the medical field.
Following the complete collapse of the asylum, Trager escaped from his restraints and fled to the Male Ward of the asylum, converting the area into his own personal territory to practice his personal view of "biology" on his "patients" and "clients". Although most of the Variants in the asylum are unintelligent, Trager still possessed a resemblance of intelligence, able to plan ahead and deceive his victims into his capture. Soon enough, he managed to kidnap, torture, mutilate and murder countless other Variants and employees, restraining them by their hands and legs to beds littered in large rooms to be experimented and tortured on. Eventually, Trager developed his own sick torture method which consisted of removing one's fingers, then testicles, then tongue.
=== Outlast ===
==== Chapter Four: Male Ward ====
By the time Miles Upshur arrived at Mount Massive Asylum, Trager was still continuing his murder spree and graphic mutilations on others, spotting Miles as his next victim. 
After being pursued by a group of murderous Variants, Miles was lured into assumed safety by the voice of Trager over the dumbwaiter speaker, beckoning Miles to get in the dumbwaiter if he wants to live. With no other means of escape and the possibility of a potential ally, Miles climbs into the dumbwaiter as it rises upwards, barely escaping the grasp of the furious Variants below but unaware of what he was getting himself into.
Reaching the top, Miles comes face to face with a disfigured and barely clothed Trager who punches and beats Miles out of the dumbwaiter onto the floor. Trager restrains a dazed and incapacitated Miles to a wheelchair before wheeling him down the hallway, mocking him in the process. The two finds themselves on the ground floor of the Male Ward where Trager encourages Miles to run free towards the exit however because of his restraints, Miles is unable to do so. Trager takes Miles into an elevator before going up to one of the upper floors.
Trager continues wheeling Miles through the various rooms littered with countless of Trager's victims as they plead for death while some uncontrollably shake and convulse in their beds in agony. Trager takes Miles to one of his "consultation rooms" where blood, piss and filth crawl all over the floors and walls. Before Trager can properly "begin Miles' consultation", he "washes up" and takes the latter's camcorder to record his sick and perverted torture that he is going to perform on him. Trager goes on to ramble and state his disdain for Father Martin and his beliefs, commenting on his own sick philosophy that he believes in while playfully messing around with his surgical instruments. Trager grabs a pair of large shears from a toilet before cutting off two of Miles' fingers, one from each hand as the latter cries out in pain. Screaming that it's going to sell itself, Trager leaves the room with his cart as Miles is left in the room, bleeding profusely from his fingers. 
Miles escapes from his restraints, retrieving his camcorder. He leaves the room, finding one of Trager's victims restrained to a bed in the middle of the room, commenting on Trager's past and history prior to becoming a Project Walrider patient. The victim loses his mind, screaming Trager's name in the process. This attracts Trager into the room while Miles is forced to hide underneath one of the beds. After concluding that Trager's victim is "bored" and "craves attention", Trager brutally murders him by stabbing him through the chest with his shears. Trager leaves, returning to Miles' consultation room. Upon finding that Miles has escaped, he grows furious and enraged, deciding to hunt down and kill Miles instead.
Once Miles returns to the elevator, he realises he'll need to find a key to activate the elevator and escape Trager's domain. As Miles traverses and searches the Male Ward for the key, he is continuously chased, pursued and attacked by Trager who roams the rooms and hallways searching for him, mumbling his philosophy to himself.
Later, Miles finds the key to the elevator in one of the rooms. Trager, unexpectedly, surprises Miles by destroying and kicking down the door next to him, shouting in frustration. He chases down Miles but the latter evades the grasp of the mad surgeon, fleeing into the elevator and using the key to activate it. 
==== Death ====
Believing that he's safe from Trager as the elevator descends down, he finds Trager attempting to open the locked elevator grate on one of the lower floors, persistent on getting his hands on Miles. Because of the slow speed of the elevator, Trager is able to open the locked elevator grate and subsequently rush into the elevator with Miles still inside, shears in hand. 
Trager attacks Miles, grabbing at him while swiping his shears through the air however the latter successfully defends himself, fighting off Trager. Miles pushes Trager out of the moving elevator back onto the floor but Trager doesn't give up, rushing forwards towards Miles once again. These would be his final moments as Trager would become stuck between the moving elevator as it slowly and forcefully crushed him, resulting in a slow and painful death. Trager yelps and shakes in place as he dies, still attempting to kill Miles by swiping his shears at him.
The elevator comes to a stop as Trager goes limp, hanging from the elevator, dead. Miles regains his composure and records Trager's death with his camcorder. In his notes, he jokingly comments on "how to make Trager juice", clearly indicating he expresses satisfaction in his demise, mocking the mad surgeon even in death. Afterwards, Miles opens the hatch on the elevator roof and climbs out, escaping Trager's lair.
=== Outlast: Whistleblower ===
==== Chapter Seven: Exit ====
Several hours later, Murkoff private military contractors and mercenaries arrive at Mount Massive to regain control of the asylum, killing anything and anyone with their assault rifles. A group of these PMC's go to the Male Ward, finding the corpse of Trager still stuck in the elevator. They pull him out, laying the deceased surgeon on the floor. They mistakenly think that a "sick fuck" was responsible for doing this to Trager, including "taking his damn pants". They all agree to quickly wrap it up and finish their jobs before leaving in different directions with their flashlights and weapons. 
A passing Waylon Park records the scene with his camcorder, commenting in his notes about the PMC's and mercenaries. He hurries through the Male Ward to the Administration Block to escape the asylum.
== Appearance ==
Trager possesses a bony, extremely slim and almost skeletal body shape, paired with a white, Caucasian skin tone. His general stature and posture is excessively gaunt. He measures at a height of 6 feet and an inch while possessing brown eyes. His appearance before his deformities as a result of Morphogenic Engine experimentation is unknown so it is left up to the speculation of players. Only his appearance after experimentation is known.
As a result of Morphogenic Engine experimentation, Trager experienced both psychological and physical deformities which include countless scars and markings all over his body, including his legs, arms and torso. His nails, on both hands, are extraordinarily long, suggesting his unkempt and filthy nature. He has grey hair which is balding as the top of his head remains bald while the sides of his head have been covered in his dirty, unorganised hair. Throughout the events of Outlast, he is entirely naked from top to bottom, choosing to wear a blood-stained material as a makeshift "surgeon gown" wrapped around the front of his legs. He wears no shoes or footwear of any kind. On his face, he wears a faded, damaged surgical mask which only covers the left side of his face and the majority of the right side. He spots glasses with its lenses broken and shattered while on his left eye, he has retrofitted a unique type of glasses that doctors and surgeons typically wear while examining their patients. On his left arm, he has fitted a device which is constantly pumping blood into him while cables are entangled around his arm and knobs are jabbed into his flesh.
== Relationships ==
=== Allies ===
* None
=== Enemies ===
* Miles Upshur (Unknown) - Archnemesis
* Jeremy Blaire (Deceased) - Former Colleague & Ally
* Rudolf Wernicke (Unknown) - Former Boss/Employer
* Father Martin Archimbaud (Deceased) 
* Pauline Glick (Alive) - Enemy 
* Paul Marion (Alive) - Enemy 
* Michelle Haas (Alive) - Rape Victim 
== Death Animations ==
* If Miles sustains too much damage from Trager's attacks and is facing him in his final moments, Trager will lunge at Miles simultaneously stabbing him in the stomach with his shears. Miles turns his head to Trager who swiftly swipes at his head, decapitating him as Miles stares at his headless, lifeless corpse before his vision fades to black. Satisfied, Trager walks away.
* If Miles is too hurt and is unable to recover from Trager's attacks and is facing away from him, Trager will grab at Miles and stab him through the stomach with his shears from behind as Miles looks down at his bleeding wound. Before he can do anything however, Trager swiftly swipes at his head, severing his head from his body. Miles' head falls to the ground as his corpse also falls to the ground with it. His vision fades to black as he dies while Trager calmly walks off, continuing to mutter his philosophy to himself.
== Victims ==
Name of Victim 	Sex 	Career 	Cause of Death 	Details 	Murder Weapon
David Annapurna 	Male	Murkoff Corporation Executive	Stab Wound 	While restrained on a bed, Annapurna was stabbed once through the heart by Dr. Trager after claiming to "want attention". 	Dr. Trager's Shears/Scissors
Countless Unnamed Variants & Patients	Male	Patients of Project Walrider 	Torture & Mutilations	Several victims of Dr. Trager who were tortured and mutilated until their unfortunate, slow deaths for Trager to practice his idea of "biology".	Dr. Trager's Shears/Scissors (Most Likely)
== Appearances ==
Title 	Role 	Additional Notes
Outlast 	Major Antagonist 	
Outlast: Whistleblower 	Posthumous, Minor Antagonist	- Trager's dead body is seen in the final chapter of Outlast: Whistleblower.
Outlast: The Murkoff Account	Minor Antagonist 	- Appears in Issue 2 before he was terminated from his position as a Murkoff executive.
== Quotes ==
=== Outlast: The Murkoff Account ===
==== Issue 2 ====
- "TBA" - tba
=== Outlast ===
==== Chapter Four: Male Ward ====
- "Who's down there?! You're not one of them, are ya?! Quick! Get in the dumbwaiter if you wanna live!" -Trager's first lines in Outlast, manipulating and deceiving Miles Upshur into a false sense of security. 
- "You made the right choice here, buddy." - Trager revealing his true nature to Miles before he is able to properly react. 
- "Hey, you're that little shit's priest guy aren't you? *sigh* His witness or whatever, you must be exhausted. Let's take a break, huh buddy? The old two martini lunch, have a little confab...Heavier than you look. A little cardio wouldn't kill ya. Okay, here we go, arms and legs inside the car at all times. *chuckles*" - Trager capturing Miles, restraining him to a wheelchair while mocking him. 
- "You know, I love the mountain air up here at night, you wanna head out and take a stroll? Go ahead, I'll wait here. Go on, run free! I'm in no hurry...No? Alright, nose to the grindstone, I like that. Okay then, right this way. *chuckles*" - Trager continuing to mock Miles, teasing him with the exit before taking him to his domain. 
- "Shhh, shh. You weren't putting that tongue to any use anyway. Truth be told, I was just tired of licking my own stamps." - Trager berating one of his victims while admitting to why he cut out his tongue. 
- "Here we are then. Uh, thanks so much for coming by, we'll begin your consultation in a moment. I'll just need a second to wash up and...oh, home movies! And, it'll give us a chance to talk." - Trager and Miles arriving in one of the former's "consultation rooms". 
- "You know, I'm a bit worried how much time you've been spending with Father Martin. I know, I hope you haven't been letting him confuse you with all his holier than thou...bible thumping. Uh, no offense to the man but I sometimes worry he might just be a little bit...crazy. It's understandable you know, people get scared. They're as like to turn to God as anything else, you know. God died with the gold standard, we're onto a more concrete faith now. You have to rob Paul to pay Peter, there's no other way. Murder in its simplest form but what happens when all the money's gone. Well, money becomes a matter of faith and that's what I'm here for...to make you...believe." - Trager's monologue, explaining his sick philosophy and twisted view on life. 
- "Are you paying attention!? Don't pass out on me, there's still a lot for you to absorb! There, better now, right? Do you understand what we achieved here? We made the consumer into means of production. This thing is gonna sell itself!" - Trager cutting off two of Miles' fingers with his iconic shears/scissors and planning to sell them on the black market. 
- "Huh, I see what's happening here. You're bored, you want a little attention. Perfectly understandable. Well, I'm here for you. I'll give you very special attention." - Trager murdering one of his victims without remorse, believing he craved "attention".
- "Fuck! Fuck, really! You aren't gonna walk on me! If there is one thing I cannot GODDAMN STAND is a QUITTER! COME ON! Alright...alright, you can figure this out. Let's solve some problems." - Trager's psychopathic response to Miles escaping from his restraints.
- "Buddyyyy!" - One of Trager's most infamous pursuit lines. 
- "Hey, nobody like a quitter." - A possible reaction to losing Miles during a pursuit. 
- "Let me sell you the dream!" - Another one of Trager's iconic lines yelled while pursuing Miles. 
- "I'm not giving up on you!" - Richard Trager's last words before he's crushed to death by an elevator during an altercation with Miles Upshur. 
== Gallery ==
Under Construction.
== Trivia ==
* Trager's name is a possible reference to the Trager Approach.
* Trager has become a fan-favourite character of the franchise despite his short screen time.
* Although never directly referred to by the alias of "The Surgeon", he is appropriately titled the name in the game's configuration files and soundtrack.
Category:Fictional Characters
Category:Main Antagonist
Category:Male
Category:Deceased
__NOTOC__