Black Sun (chapter)

"Black Sun" is the twenty-fourth (chronologically the twenty-fifth) chapter of Beyond: Two Souls.
==Synopsis==
When the unthinkable occurs, Jodie must risk everything to save the people she loves.
==Plot==
This chapter takes place on November 14, 2014. As the chapter begins, it shows General McGrath speaking about both the Entities and the Infraworld. As he continues, he says that they have found a way to connect these entities to soldiers at will. Jodie, clearly indifferent about their approach, leaves the room. Outside, Ryan is sitting alone, and Jodie muses about the entire situation with him. They contemplate their choices and their life, and eventually Ryan requests that they build a new life together. Jodie says she needs more time to think. Regardless of her choice, he reminds her that he'll be there for her. Their discussion is interrupted by Cole as he calls Jodie to follow him upstairs.
As they make their way, Cole confronts her about how hard making decisions is, with Jodie agreeing. He comforts her by asking her to just follow her heart, and if she does, she'll make the right decision. When they arrive, Cole reminds Jodie to be careful when speaking with Nathan. Jodie nods, knocks on the door in front of her, and promptly enters the room. Jodie and Nathan reunite, with Nathan clearly happy that she's safe. The two share a hug, with Jodie afterwards saying that it's now the CIA's turn to keep their end of the bargain. Nathan offers Jodie an envelope, containing a passport and a $500,000 check.
As Jodie turns to leave, Nathan stops her. He reminisces aloud about the events after his wife and daughter died, and admits that he began to feel suicidal, even going into a depressive state knowing he'd never be able to hold them again. Nathan then states that after Jodie came, he realized "it was with me all along." With a remote control, Nathan reveals a secret room, and he admits he had been studying the Infraworld for the military in hopes of seeing his family again. He muses that after several years, he has finally protected a portal to the other world. Distorted, translucent figures appear, as he mutters his wife's and daughter's names. He admits that he comes to see them daily, and that one day they'll reunite, as he's working on modifying it so that one can communicate with the Infraworld.
Clearly distressed, Jodie asks what she has to do with this. Nathan requests her help to speak with his deceased family. If Jodie accepts, she takes his hands, and with the help of Aiden, is possessed by Helen. Nathan is overjoyed, but as she speaks, she begs that he let them go, even going to admit he's causing them pain. She pleas that he let them die and rest in peace. Nathan, unable to cope, believes that Jodie is faking the entire thing. Jodie says that he's keeping them there, and they shouldn't be kept between two worlds at a time. Nathan, still in denial, says it's not true, that he knows they want to be with him again. Jodie persists, saying that if he really cares, he shouldn't try to keep them from passing on. Regardless, Nathan continues to argue against Jodie's consoling. Jodie offers a simple goodbye, saying that she hopes he finds peace.
Jodie leaves, and as she attempts to enter the elevator, she is cornered by DPA officers from each direction, and is ultimately knocked out. When she awakes, she is face to face with McGrath. He greets her, saying that she put them in a difficult situation. They can't let her go, yet they can't kill her either. He concludes there is only one appropriate solution: they'll inject her with a neuro-acid that will put her in a permanent coma, the same thing they did with her mother. McGrath lets out an unenthusiastic "Goodbye, Jodie", saying that they'll always be grateful for her help. Jodie passes out again, and when she wakes up, she's on a rolling bed, ultimately seeing Nathan. He admits that she made him open his eyes, and Jodie pleas for help. Yet, Nathan persists in talking about accessing the Infraworld. He says that he'll deactivate the containment field, and the Infraworld will cross into their dimension, having life and death united in a single world. But Jodie argues that it's not just souls on the other side, it's death itself. Nathan asks that she just trust him, insisting that everything will turn out fine.
Aiden attempts to break Jodie free, but he isn't strong enough. Instead, he attempts to go get help the help of Ryan and Cole. His disturbance makes them realize that Jodie is in trouble. Aiden leads them out of the office and down the elevator towards Jodie. They come across a guard along the way, and Cole, not having the right credentials, cannot get past. With the help of Aiden, the database is modified, and Cole is given level 4 access. Their trek begins once again, running into no more complications as they arrive at the room Jodie's being held in. After she's set free, a disoriented Jodie tells them both what Nathan told her, that he's going to disable the containment field. As they speak, the field is disabled, and the three run as quickly as they can to a safe zone. Entities are flying across the building as an evacuation process begins.
People seem to be hopeless as the group is working their way towards reactivating the field. McGrath, being as hypocritical as ever, requests Jodie's help, as they all realize Nathan has gone mad. She replies harshly, and pushes past him to finish what she needs to do. McGrath asks that Ryan help him escape, stating that it's an order. Ryan, for the first time, denies an order, punching McGrath to the ground, asking him to consider that his resignation. McGrath is feeling hopeless, and states that they're all going to die.
Jodie and the gang then try to find any way they can to reactivate the field. As a last resort, Cole retrieves a portable containment field, stating that it should last him long enough to destroy the condenser and close the rift. He says that it's iffy at working, but it's their last hope. Ryan is hesitant, and instead insists that they escape while they can. Jodie takes a containment belt, and reluctantly, so does Ryan, stating that he always figured he'd die a hero. As they enter the elevator, Cole explains the risks, and Ryan asks how much time they have. Cole explains that the self-destruct should happen instantly, and that they won't be coming back.
The group sprint quickly towards the entrance to the Black Sun, avoiding entities in the process. They witness the true power of the souls as military personnel are brutally murdered one by one. Jodie is nearly spotted, but as she curls up and makes herself small, she is passed without being seen. Regardless of whether Jodie attracts the attention of the entities or not, Cole will be attacked. If Jodie and Ryan return to help Cole, Aiden will heal him, but he will be unable to come with them to the Black Sun due to his injuries. If Jodie and Ryan help Cole but don't make it back to the chamber in time, Ryan will drag Jodie to the chamber and close the door. Jodie falls to her knees, crying that she could have saved him. Jodie and Ryan will continue towards the Black Sun alone.
They fight through the ether blasting from the Black Sun, all the while hearing the laments of lost souls trapped in the Infraworld. Jodie becomes separated from Ryan and happens upon a distraught Nathan, who is yelling about not being able to find his wife and daughter. Depending on Jodie's choices, Nathan will either kill himself or shoot Jodie. If he shoots Jodie, Aiden can kill Nathan or Ryan will rush to grab the gun and both he and Nathan will die. Either way, Nathan will be reunited with his family and tells Jodie to destroy the condenser.
If Ryan is alive, he and Jodie fight the attacking entities flowing out of the sun. Surrounded, Jodie's containment belt malfunctions. Ryan, sacrificing his own safety, gives his belt to Jodie, who reluctantly puts it on.
Jodie proceeds towards the Black Sun. She gets attacked by dangerous entities and, at the same time, remembers troubling moments from her past - meeting Norah in a permanent coma, getting Salim's father killed, (possibly) Earl trying to sexually assault her, the teens bullying her at the party, and her "dad" wanting to hit her - while changing into past versions of herself. When she makes it to the lever, she sees Norah crying for Jodie, then for her little boy. A doctor asks what's going on, and another doctor tells him that the twin (Aiden) was strangled by his own umbilical cord, leading to his death.
Jodie is then in an empty field, where she sees Aiden. She says how their souls were bound together, and that she loved and hated him for all the years, but he was still a part of her. The sky becomes dark, the wind becomes strong, and Jodie reaches out for Aiden. Unfortunately, he disintegrates, likely this meaning that he isn't connected to her anymore. Jodie starts to cry, then finds herself between two portals. She can decide to die, be with Aiden, and those she loved forever, including Norah and Shimasani. She can also decide to stay alive, leaving Aiden and the rest alone. If Jodie decides to stay alive, she wakes back up and runs toward Ryan if Nathan didn't kill him.
After the Black Sun explodes, both Jodie and Ryan (if he's still alive) wake up. Ryan is happy and says with joy that they made it. Jodie calls for Aiden, but gets no response. She calls again, but no results. She starts to collapse on the ground, crying. Ryan hugs Jodie in an attempt to make her stop crying. The rest follows in the next chapter, "Epilogue".
==Transcript==
==Paths==
If Jodie dies before reaching the Black Sun, Path #7 will be locked.
* Path #1
** Accepted Ryan's declaration
** Refused or postponed Ryan's declaration
* Path #2
** Took the CIA money
** Refused the CIA money
* Path #3
** Healed Cole
** Didn't heal Cole
* Path #4
** Convinced Dawkins - Took his own life
** Angered Dawkins - Attacked Jodie
* Path #5
** Ryan survived
** Ryan got killed
* Path #6
** Shut down the Black Sun
** Died before reaching the Black Sun
* Path #7
** Chose life
** Chose death
==Trophies==
* Together Till the End - Finish the game in Duo Mode. This trophy requires you to play through the entire game with Duo Mode enabled.
* Saved All - Saved every character that could be saved. This trophy will require you to play across multiple chapters, beginning with "Homeless" and ending with "Black Sun".
** In "Homeless," save Walter and Jimmy from the fire.
** In "Navajo," heal Paul in his room with Aiden before talking to Shimasani.
** In "Norah," leave Norah's room without stopping her heart.
** In "Black Sun," go back for Cole when he is attacked by an entity and heal him. Convince Nathan to see the truth by selecting "Reason" or "Move" both times when prompted; this ensures Ryan's survival.
** When given the choice between "Life" or "Beyond," choose the "Life" option.
* The End - Uncover one possible reality. This trophy is achieved when you complete the game and cannot be missed.
* A Better World - Let every possible character die and chose to go with them to the Infraworld. This trophy will require you to play across multiple chapters, beginning with "Homeless" and ending with "Black Sun".
** In "Homeless," let Jimmy and Walter die.
** In "Navajo", don't heal Paul before speaking to Shimasani.
** In "Norah", stop Norah's heart using Aiden before leaving her room.
** In "Black Sun", do not go back for Cole when he is attacked by an entity. Alternatively, go back for him and fail the prompts. When talking to Nathan, choose "Blame" and "Cold" when prompted; this angers Nathan and causes him to attack Jodie. Do not choke him using Aiden when given the opportunity. Ryan will intervene instead and be killed.
** When given the choice between "Life" or "Beyond," choose the "Beyond" option. The trophy will not unlock if Jodie is killed before this (by failing the prompts when she is attacked by the large entities).
* Chose Afterlife - Enter the Infraworld.
* Chose Life - Stay in reality.
* Convince Dawkins - Help Dawkins see the truth.
* Black Sun Down - Deactivate the Black Sun.
==Collectibles==
* Bonus: The Dark Sorcerer Trailer
* Bonus: Design Pack #14
These two bonuses are rewarded when you complete the game, and can't be missed.
==Trivia==
* The check and passport Jodie receives are issued to "Elizabeth North." She previously used this identity while undercover during "The Embassy." Strangely, her passport spells her first name as "Elisabeth," whereas the check and the game's subtitles spell it as "Elizabeth".
* The check is from "de Fondaumiere Group," a nod to Guillaume de Fondaumière.
* The picture used for Jodie's passport is a real picture of Elliot Page.
* Jodie's passport contains several inconsistencies that would not be present on a real passport. These details can be seen when Jodie opens the passport in Nathan's office.
** The dates are in European format (day/month/year) rather than the American format (month/day/year). This can be explained by the fact that Quantic Dream is a French studio.
** The date of issue is listed as January 25, 2014, while the date of expiration is listed as November 6, 2045. In the United States, passports for persons age 16 or older are valid for 10 years from the date of issue. A more accurate date of expiration would be in 2024.
** In real life, Jodie's picture would not be acceptable as a valid passport photo. For a photo to be considered valid, the subject must directly face the camera with a neutral expression.
** The passport's gender marker is left blank.
* The events of this chapter make the status of every surviving character in the game determinant: if Jodie fails to shut down the Black Sun condenser, every living thing on Earth will die.
==Videos==
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Black Sun