Abstergo Entertainment research analyst's personal files

Personal and hacked files belonging to the unnamed Abstergo Entertainment research analyst.

## Employee Passport

### AE Employee Passport

WELCOME TO THE TEAM

Congratulations on making the bold step towards the best years of your career!

Abstergo Entertainment has a fresh outlook and a unique way of working.

With so many possibilities for growth, it can be overwhelming at first. But we're here to help you get settled in and down to work... the work of following your dreams!

A NEW KIND OF ENTERTAINMENT

Inspiration strikes at unexpected times, in unusual places.

We got our start as the entertainment division of a technology company, Abstergo Industries, where research into genetic memory (more on that, later!) led to captivating, enthralling surprises.

Today, with a wide range of transmedia offerings, from games to books, films and comics, we're more than just an entertainment company. We like to think of ourselves as a history company, built on science. Now those are some good genes!

TIME TO INNOVATE

1937: Abstergo Industries is founded with the ambitious objective of making the best results of scientific progress available to humanity, widely, accessibly and responsibly.

1937: Abstergo Industries is an early supporter of workers' unions. Our relationship with our employees is even closer and stronger today in all of our subsidiaries, including Abstergo Entertainment.

1940: Recognizing its responsibility to create opportunity and stability for its people - and all people, Abstergo Industries takes the role of global leader, aiding the establishment of the World Bank and NASA, among many defining initiatives of the 20th century.

1978: The first Animus device is created and the discipline of DNA Memory Research is born.

2009: After twenty-five years of meticulous testing, DNA Memory is ready for public consumption. Abstergo Industries launches a pilot Entertainment Division to produce experimental features for entertainment markets.

2010: The prototypical Abstergo Industries Entertainment Division issues its first release: Project Legacy. The social media phenomenon dazzles audiences by allowing them to relive genetic memories of historical figures and little known heroes of the past.

2011: Via its growing Entertainment division, Abstergo Entertainment tests a new multiplayer simulation of historically-inspired entertainment gyms. The experiment is embraced by a competitive new generation of gamers eager to outdo one another.

2012: In collaboration with major videogame publisher Ubisoft, Abstergo Entertainment's *Assassin's Creed III: Liberation* is released, and for the first time, the public hears the story of Aveline de Grandpré, a fallen Assassin who rediscovers the light with the help of the Templar Order. A modern classic is born.

2013: Ground is broken on Abstergo Entertainment's new headquarters in Montreal, Québec, Canada. Home to gourmet cuisine, great shopping and a vibrant local culture, Montreal blends old world charm with new world energy: the perfect balance for our entertaining, historical, scientific, innovative, company.

THE PRESENT AND BEYOND: YOU join our team. A star is born. The future looks brighter than ever.

YOUR ROLE

CONSTELLATION OF TEAMWORK

We go out of our way to recruit the most talented people from all walks of life - innovators, producers, good listeners who always seem to know what we need a moment before we do.

You should feel at home in your Animus Workstation to explore history with the thoroughness you crave - and we expect! Who knows, maybe you'll uncover a past technology to the benefit of future generations, unearth evidence of a secret society, break a few codes, or make an outstanding connection between mysterious documents.

This could be the beginning of something beautiful. Or shocking. Or evocative. It's all there in history, and the secrets of humanity are at your disposal, thanks to genetic memories we put in your hands.

FITTING IN

At Abstergo Entertainment, we understand the power of knowing where you belong. That's why we've designed an ironclad hierarchy that leaves the organization to us, so you can do what you do best: research and create to your heart's content. No need to worry about getting ahead; we'll take care of that for you!

PRACTICALLY SPEAKING

You've explored all the menus in your personal communicator, and you can almost find your desk without checking the map. Just a few things to keep in mind, to ensure your first week is a success.

HOURS

Your work hours are from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, but feel free to start as late as 10:00, and don't be surprised if you get so absorbed in history, you sometimes forget to go home!

VACATIONS

Everyone needs a breather once in a while. Your first week off will come after 3000 hours in the Animus or a year at Abstergo Entertainment - whichever comes first. It's going to fly by!

PRACTICALLY SPEAKING... cont'd

BENEFITS

We have the best life insurance plan in the business, and that's just the start!

FOOD AND COMMON AREAS

You'll find everything you need for a healthy, energized work life right at your fingertips. Check the atrium for everything from fresh sushi, to organic, direct trade coffee. Yum!

BUILDING SECURITY

Your communicator will give you access to the areas you need.

DIVERSITY AND GENDER EQUALITY

Abstergo Industries and Abstergo Entertainment recognizes the fundamental benefit to humanity of striving to include the best minds from around the world and across society. If you have ideas for reaching and engaging new contributors from under-represented segments, you are encouraged to contact HR.

NON-DISCLOSURE

You are free to trumpet your enthusiasm and loyalty to Abstergo Entertainment on social media. Heck, shout it from a rooftop if you need to.

But remember, unless specified, the following information must not be shared: Project details, their titles, launch dates, themes, characters, settings, and all other identifying traits, the physical layout of Abstergo Entertainment and Abstergo Industries campuses, and the makeup of teams, including immediate colleagues and supervisors, reports, and their project status, mentions of any technologies, partners, affiliates, retailers, wholesalers, and allusions to the details of sales reports or bonus structures, must not be shared. For the protection of marketing and media schedules and potential loss of data, employees and encouraged not to travel with work, but in cases where it cannot be avoided, are advised to use laptops, tablets and communicators only in approved Abstergo hotels and meeting rooms, never in public or un-vetted spaces.

DNA MEMORY: HOW IT WORKS

No one really knows. (Just kidding. It's a safe and well-documented process.)

Steps:

1 - Acquisition

2 - Extraction

3 - Exploration

4 - Editing

What some call animal instinct, Dr. Warren Vidic termed Genetic Memory. Locked within our DNA are records of our ancestor's lives.

The Animus is a device that renders genetic memories in three dimensions. It's a window to the past that allows you to experience history, but not change it. That happens later, in editing! Once, we were bound to explore only the genetic memories of our own ancestors, but today it's possible to research within the memories of any ancestor for whom Abstergo Entertainment holds a viable sample for extraction. And all with negligible side-effects.

Note: genetic memory records for given ancestor end at the moment of conception, where genetic material is passed on.

BUILDING PLAN

## Abstergo Entertainment

### "Devils of the Caribbean" Teaser

*In a world... where pirates rule the waves... These men will discover... that Nothing is sacred, and everyone is committed... To Rum... Plunder... And women! Hola Ladies... This summer, Abstergo Entertainment invites you aboard for the Adventure of a lifetime... So sharpen your cutlasses, shine your hooks, and sail with the "Devils of the Caribbean!" This Virtual Experience has not been rated.*

### Age of Cutthroats

*The dawn of the deadly eighteenth century. Rogues and sailors band together to live their lives by the sword. With no laws, or morals, no gods and no fear, only: Betrayal. Mutiny. Cruelty. And Debauchery. There is plunder to be found on golden beaches. Will you risk your life and soul to fight pirates of nightmares: Benjamin Hornigold. Calico Jack. Charles Vane. And Blackbeard?*

### CONFIDENTIAL - Subject - RE: Potential time periods?

 Salut!
As most of you know, I'll be attending the Chicago shareholders meeting from the 15th to the 17th, and they'll want to see our progress with the Kenway line. The small amount of data we have already gathered is incredible, and we anticipate even more amazing finds in the near future. The events and people we have seen so far make us confident that the complete experience will be one of the most eye-opening explorations of piracy ever seen. It will take quite a bit of work to scrub the data of objectionable and classified material, but we already have some incredibly promising footage.
At the same time, Abstergo Entertainment will soon be announcing a closed beta for our new "consumer cloud-interface app" (sexy name forthcoming). Edward Kenway's "virtual pirate experience" will be the first complete product on offer, and the first of its kind anywhere: an immersive, interactive pirate experience drawn from historical data. Internal tests of our consumer cloud app have been encouraging, and we anticipate it will be ready in time for the next holiday season if everything goes according to plan.
So this leads us to a broader question: what other experiences would we like to offer? What other historical periods and locations can we explore? Judging by our current rate of data retrieval, our capacity to produce, and our understanding of consumption trends... executives at Abstergo Industries have given me the goal of producing one complete virtual experience per annum, in addition to smaller offerings... as our research allows (this includes books, recordings, films, and any other trans-media offerings).
A second, related question is this: does Sample 17 contain enough compelling data to sustain our current commitment to it, or should we make a request to Abstergo Industries for additional archived data... remember that data from Sample 1 proved fruitful enough to create our "Liberation" product. It is very likely that research into Samples 2 through 16 would bear surprising fruits as well.
## Thoughts?
Olivier Garneau
Chief Creative Officer
Abstergo Entertainment

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 Hello all!
Thanks for opening this discussion, Olivier. Just a brief heads-up with where we stand now:
I've been the Sample 17 project director for just over a year now, and my team and I have been able to cobble together a rough list of the most interesting time periods available to us through this single genetic sample. Remember this is data that has already been FULLY or PARTIALLY sequenced by Abstergo Industries. I'll try to be brief...
Patrilineal Line:
Fifteenth Century – Italian Renaissance
Sixteenth Century – Ottoman Empire
Eighteenth Century – American Colonies / War for Independence
Nineteenth Century – New England and American Midwest
Matrilineal Line:
Twelfth Century - Holy Land / Crusades
Thirteenth Century – Egypt and Northern Africa
Fourteenth Century – Ashikaga Shogunate in Japan
Eighteenth Century – French Revolution
Nineteenth Century – Napoleonic wars; Taiwan
Twentieth Century – "Summer of Love" American Pacific Coast
Obviously this is just a small sample of the potential options. The number of ancestors any one person has is well above thirty-thousand after just fifteen generations... so there could be many more surprises waiting for us within Sample 17.
However, despite Sample 17s rich heritage, we should not limit ourselves to this alone if we have concrete leads elsewhere. For instance, quite a few men from all sides of my family fought in both World Wars, and I even have a great-great-grandfather who fought in the American Civil War. Managed to meet President Lincoln a few times too. Going this route is a little more costly and time consuming, since the data has not already been sequenced. But it could be rewarding in the long-run.
In short, if anyone has any confirmed connections to interesting historical events, periods, or cities – or knows of people who do – please share! I will also be reviewing the past 3 decades of samples collected and sequenced by Abstergo Industries. I recently learned that one of their Samples – number 2, I believe – participated in the trial of Jeanne D'Arc. So there's a nice lead right here.
MEL
\*Melany Lemay \* Project Coordinator \* Sample 17

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 All good points, Mel.
A word of caution, though: Sample 2 comes from the late Dr. Warren Vidic himself, collected at some point in the early 80s when he was a young engineer working at Abstergo Industries. So, as tempting as a "Jeanne D'Arc experience" sounds, I'm not sure Abstergo Industries would be too keen on letting us rummage around in Dr. Vidic's DNA. It's just a sensitive topic.
For my own part: I'm related to François-Xavier Garneau, noted Quebecois historian and Poet. Exciting right? A possible lead? ;)
One additional caveat: Let's avoid digging into any modern periods (i.e. 20th century) unless we find something incredibly compelling. Because, as fun as a World War Two setting might sound, we'd do well to avoid any settings with vehicles: cars, motorcycles, helicopters, tanks, etc.
Why? you may ask. Because our research has shown that "memory imprinting" in individuals is actually hampered by the semi-catatonic state most people enter when driving for medium and long periods of time... and this makes data retrieval somewhat more difficult. In short, we don't want to go through the effort of coding extra Animus features just for the sake of digging up memories of people driving around in cars. There are other and more efficient ways to experience that...
OG

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 Olivier - Haha. Quebec City IS beautiful. But without Pirates, Ninjas, or Zombies, I'm not sure how well a story about a historian would sell. :)
Also keep in mind: Samples 4 and 16 might be off limits too. While doing my own research last month, I caught wind of some exciting characters buried in these gene samples. But as soon as I started digging, I was told by people far, far above me to stop. Very odd, but not surprising I suppose. AE has a lot of active military contracts, and I assume these had something to do with that. I didn't push back.
As far as my own if anyone is interested, my great-grandfather was friends with Hemmingway and Stein and Satie and Picasso when he lived in Paris in the 1920s. No action-packed adventures there, but historically interesting. Just throwing it out there.
PS: Chris, is our lunch meeting on-site or off?

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 Yes, as much as I love the "Lost Generation"... I think our first few virtual experiences will need to be a little more action-oriented. So wars and major combat operations are always a good starting point. Or, any periods of intense conflict, really...
As for Pirates Ninjas and Zombies... we could easily accommodate the first two, but Zombies are a bit... how do you say?... ahistorical? Too bad, really...

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 My great grandmother, for instance, worked alongside Eamon De Valera and Michael Collins for many years during the Irish war for independence, so it wouldn't be difficult to sequence that small segment of my own genetic memories for our purposes.
Olivier - Actually, there IS a factual basis for Zombies. Or Zombification anyway. Read Hurston's book on Haiti, and the strange voodoo practiced there. It may not be Hollywood style Zombie magic, but it's creepy nonetheless. In Liberation, Aveline came into contact with Voodoo Houngans. If we dug further into that, I wonder what we could find? Her mentor, Agaté, was into some weird stuff.
KL: Offsite... there's a new vegetarian place I want to try. I'll bring the spec sheets; they're already printed.

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 Sorry to be a dissenter, but couldn't we be using this technology to educate, not placate? I mean... theoretically we have all of human history to explore - all of our achievements and brightest moments. So it's a little disheartening to hear we need to focus on wars, and conflicts, and violence...
It's not that I am against violence, per se. It's just that violence isn't terribly INTERESTING in bulk. That's all. There's so much more nuance to life and I think we could explore that.
So what if we found the memories of someone who worked with Albert Einstein in his patent office? Or Charles Darwin on the Beagle? Or Marie Curie in France? Moments where humans showed their very best potential?

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 Okay, come on. Until oily, humorless university professors start paying us eight-figure fees to research the "reification of normative gender signifies in pre-colonial India" why don't we STICK TO SHIT THAT SELLS?
I'm talking Jack the Ripper in Victorian London. I'm talking about guillotines, Robespierre and Napoleon Bonaparte in the French Revolution? I'm talking about Billy the Kidd and Wyatt Earp in the Wild American West. I'm talking about Ghengis Kahn and the Mongols killing a city of millions in the span of a long, summer weekend. Action. Blood. Adventure. CONFLICT.
Because we're not going to earn back 1/10th of the money we have poured into this reliving the memories of the guy who sat next to Einstein as he bit his nails while working out the finer details of General Relativity in his head.
For F\*\*k's sake man. This is a business, not a group therapy session.

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 Evan, let's take this offline.
OG

### CONFIDENTIAL - Chat Log

Saved chat lot between Melanie Lemay and Olivier Garneau.

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CHAT ARCHIVE: EVERYBODY'S WORKING ON THE WEEKEND

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Olivier: I need your guys to get me everything in the observatory by the end of Friday at the latest. Can you do it?

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Mel: No! Are you carzy?We don't even know where it is yet. And Friday's a holiday.

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Olivier: A holiday? Really? Do your people realize that working here is a privilege? If they care about their jobs, they'll come in, and it will be an honor.

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Olivier: And no, I'm not crazy. I'm getting a lot of heat from Laetitia. If we don't it done, she'll take it out on Devilsand ALL our work will be lost.

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Mel: Ugh. Does she even know how anything works here?

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Olivier: She has her own pressures.

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Mel: I realize that, but we're already working overtime.

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Mel: And when are we going to discuss how the plot of Devils has to change to accommodate this observatory business? How am I going to sell this?

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Olivier: You're not going to. It's too sensitive.

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Mel: So We're just collecting the memories for NO REASON?

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Olivier: Not for no reason. Laetitia will use them.

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Mel: This is ridiculous. You want us to devote our lives to finding information we're not allowed to develop, or understand, or use in any way. It won't help sales, and my people will never see their work rewarded in public. How am I supposed to motivate them?

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Olivier: I don't know. Get them breakfast. Pain an chocolate. Coffee. Pretend to "sneak in" some coffee liqueur. A little beer with lunch. Feed them. They'll forgive you.

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Mel: Again? They're not going to keep falling for this.

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Olivier: Yes they will. Bread and circuses. Look it up. It's a thing.

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Mel: Come on. Be Serious.

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Olivier: I am being serious. Remember: none of this comes from me. Laetitia needs what she needs. If you want the project to continue, we have to keep her happy.

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Olivier: The Observatory doesn't have anything to do with pirates anyway. It would only complicate things. Take the focus off the action.

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Mel: But it's fascinating. I realize it's more mature and complex (I can't believe I'm the one arguing this...) but we are CRAZY not to use it.

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Mel: Imagine: we could be selling to pirate fans AND conspiracy theorists all at the same time. The potential for market growth is HUGE.

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Olivier: We cannot use it, so please stop asking.

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Mel: This is insane.

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Olivier: As you already know, Melanie, this company is a subsidiary of Abstergo Industries , and Abstergo Industries has a different culture, They are hierarchical and rule driven. We may not always like it, but if we want to advance in this company, we have to be careful.

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Mel: You're protecting her.

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Olivier: I'm protecting *you.* I know we have our arguments from time to time, but I know you care deeply about our work, and I don't want you to get yourself ejected from conversation. We need you.

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Olivier: Do you understand?

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Mel: Yeah, I get it. "Pick my battles." It's common sense. I don't know why this one thing is bothering me so much right now. I'm just tried.

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Olivier: So I don't need to find someone else to help me?

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Mel: No. We'll get it done. Somehow.

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Olivier: I will personally bring the coffee liqueur for breakfast.

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Mel: Lol. Thanks. I'll find some way to get them excited about it in the meantime.

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Olivier: If it makes feel better, I can tell you a secret...

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Mel: What?! :-D

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Olivier: If we are successful with the Observatory, Abstergo may develop a Las Vegas attraction to accompany the release of Devils.

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Mel: WHAT-WHAT???!!!

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Olivier: They're looking into a partnership with those aquatic circus people you like. Imagine celebrating with the whole team, at a live-action gladiator show-- Assassins vs. Templars vs. Sharks.

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Mel: Whoa. I am in awe. How do you come up with this stuff?

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Olivier: Oh, I have all kinds of little things saved in files here and there. I always thinks I'll get around to doing something with them in a quiet moment.

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Mel: But there are never quiet moments.

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Mel: Oh well, You'll retire some day.

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Olivier: Not if I'm lucky.

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Mel: Me neither ;-)

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## Abstergo Industries

### "Divine Science" Video

*We're attempting to synchronize the DDS system. This will only take a moment. We are almost there. The DDS is now in sync. Thank you for your patience. We hope you enjoy your experience.*

*Rudolf the second invited many notable figures to his court, making Prague the center of European culture. Among them were Englishman Edward Kelley and his step-daughter Elizabeth Jane Weston. Observe her and report any alleged collusion.*

### Crypto-History: Artifacts

**Antikythera Mechanism**

Originally assumed to be an analog computing device for the purposes of determining the future positions of astral bodies, Abstergo Industries scientist have recently discovered that the Antikythera mechanism is merely one small portion of a much larger tool: a so-called "prognostication machine" thought to have been used by the First Civilization to make probability-based predictions of future events. It has been confirmed, for instance, that our precursor race used such a device in conjunction with their inherent precognitive abilities to locate and contact Mr. Desmond Miles, the source of the Sample 17 strand, for purposes that shall remain classified. It is also known that, due to the nature of these "quantum probability measurements," that such machines would have been exceedingly difficult to use, and that many hundreds of thousands of trials would have been needed to "peek" such great distances into the future.

**Baghdad Battery**

A mystery that has puzzled scientists for decades, the Baghdad battery's ultimate secret has finally been discovered. This year, researchers at Abstergo Industries determined that these batteries contained, at one time, a synthetic precursor element capable of producing power by harnessing energy generated by the passage of time. Eerily similar to what theoretical physicists have called "Time Crystals," this unknown crystalline material was able to generate tiny but unlimited levels of energy simply by siphoning energy from the passage of time itself. Though minute, the resulting power was likely enough to power a small LED... resulting in a humble but incredibly efficient means of producing light. To date, a functioning precursor "Time Crystal" has not been located.

**Blood Vials**

Little is known about the function of these blood vials, though dozens have been found since Abstergo took an interest in their recovery at some point in the late 1980s. To date, only three have been found with their original contents intact, and of these, only one contained a confirmed sample of precursor DNA. Abstergo Industries executives have expressed a particular interest in locating more Precursor DNA and, if possible, samples of our so-called "Mitochondrial Eve." As far fetched as this sounds, please take special care to identify any vials you might stumble upon in a memory replay.

Unfortunately, as the average half-life of DNA is a mere 500 years, any sample old enough to belong to either source - 80,000 years or more - will have degraded well beyond usefulness. We suspect it would require a minimum of over 250 similarly preserved samples, and a hell of a lot of luck, to sequence an entire precursor genome... though the true figure is probably closer to 500.

**Crystal Skulls**

These ancient tools have been found a few separate occasions, at alleged precursor sites throughout the world. All are communication devices to some degree, although three distinct varieties have been discovered so far. The first crystal skulls worked much like the mobile-telephony devices we use today; these allowed multi-node communication between all who possessed a working device. A second crystal skull was later discovered to have a record-and-playback function, meaning a user could record and send audio-visual messages to multiple parties, as frequently as he saw fit. A third set of crystal skulls only recently seem to have acted as passive "monitoring devices" much like televisions in a multi-camera surveillance system set up. As yet, the cameras on the opposite end of this set up have not been found. It is unclear why these communication devices were designed to resemble such a macabre piece of anatomy, but we have no reason to subject that our precursor race - as intelligent as they were - didn't occasionally fall victim to gaudy fashion.

**Memory Seals**

These devices - powerful in function but limited in scope - were used by the precursor First Civilization to record brief memory impressions, which could then be played back or re-experienced by another user at a later date. Judging by their scarcity - fewer than 40 have ever been found or accounted for - it appears that these seals were not wielded casually by the precursor race, but were intended for use only by the wealthiest and most powerful members of that society. To date, no seals containing recorded precursor memories have been found, and only a few have been known to contain any information whatsoever. The seals used by the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad to pass memory information to Ezio Auditore da Firenze are suspected to be functional to this day, but as of this writing, their whereabouts are unknown. As a point of interest, it can be revealed that many of Abstergo's early breakthroughs in genetic memory technology came about through close study of these artifacts, although current Animus technology is NOT based on their architecture.

**Voynich Manuscript**

A fascinating puzzle as yet unsolved, we are deeply interested in finding the person or persons responsible for the creation of this magnificent and mystifying tome. All researchers assigned to European subjects living in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries should be advised to pay special heed to any mention of this rare and valuable artifact. Though recent carbon dating has given the manuscript a birth-date of 1405 or thereabouts, Abstergo Industries has uncovered highly classified information that complicates this theory greatly. One subject of great interest to us in this endeavor is the English Philosopher, Roger Bacon.

### Crypto-History: Locations

**Aleya Ghost Lights**

It is the opinion of this researcher that inadequate attention has been paid to South East Asia, and in particular, the Himalayas. Our research into First Civilization peoples, and the subtle "fingerprints" they have left throughout the world would benefit greatly from further investigation into this region. For example, we may find a prime example, in the form of the Aleya "Ghost Lights." Often reported by fishermen\* the lights appear over marches, and possess the power to distract, waylay, and even compel victims to drowning, but have also proven useful as navigational aids. "Gas" seems like too facile an explanation. Has genetic memory research yielded evidence of anything similar yet?

Ghosts or gas or something else? In the Himalayas, these are said to be the souls of deceased fishermen.

\*We really don't take fishermen seriously enough, do we? How many times has a simple "fisherman village" yielded significant information, if not treasure?

**Bermuda Triangle**

What must surely be the most intently studied region whose very existence is routinely denied by official sources, the Devil's Triangle has been held responsible for countless vanished vessels - aircraft and ship alike - since the earliest days of sail. The region's technomomnivorous tendencies have been attributed to many magnetic pull of the lost continent of Atlantis, to UFOs and even to unnamed "mysterious forces." While the area still holds much interest, and we firmly believe in the power of science over superstition, we have been unlucky in researching this area, and can claim only to have contributed two small aircraft, a ship, and several hundred thousand dollars of research equipment to the hungry maw of its continued mystery. For the time being, it may be safer to pursue greater knowledge of the region through genetic memory research, via the Animus programme.

**Chichen Itza**

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Mexico today, Chichen Itza was once one of the largest cities of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Boasting a mix of architectural styles from across the empire, it is also known to include contributions from members of the First Civilization believed to have fought on the front lines against the human rebellion. In particular, the technologically advanced system of caves, tunnels and puzzles that runs underground between the Castillo Temple and the Cenote Sagrado are rich with First Civilization artifacts. Excavated in the eighteenth century, in a controversial dig ordered by Madeleine de L'Isle, these range from Prophecy Disks to Rings and Shards. Voluminous in quantity, they are minor but culturally significant artifacts which, as a collection, provide us with the best picture we have of life on Earth in the months preceding the Toba Catastrophe. The site is currently under federal protection, but we are close to reaching an agreement with the Mexican government.

**Easter Island**

Located at the southeastern point of the Polynesian Triangle, "Big Rapa" is home to some 887 Moai statues created by the Rapa Nui people. One of the most isolated inhabited islands, a territory of Chile, protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has proven difficult to study closely in this century, when the Rapa Nui suffered from disease communicated by European sailors. Nineteenth and twentieth century records indicate slave raids, famine, war, and deforestation. Despite this rich and perhaps tragic history, it is the Moai statues that are most heavily protected. Carved from the stone of an extinct volcano, it is not known how they were transported for installation. This "mystery" fascinates tourists, but if we could gain access to conduct a private archaeological excavation of the island, it is the petroglyphs and network of caves established by even earlier civilizations that we believe would yield the most productive results.

**Lake Vostok**

Working with our Russian partners, we have secured an agreement to commence research into the subterranean lake that rests deep beneath Vostok Station, in the accurately if poetically named Pole of Cold, on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Sitting approximately 3500 meters above sea level, this freshwater lake rests 4000 meters beneath the surface. A core ice sample was extracted in 2012, and we will soon begin research that should provide a paleoclimatic record going back some 400,000 years. Isolated fossil water reserve samples may prove even older. Only time and science will tell what genetic marvels these magnificent samples will reveal, if not a new window into First Civilization life itself.

### Subject 1 - interview session

* **Vidic:** *February 12, 1981. Qualitative Personal Interview with Subject One, on ancestral research regarding Aveline de Grand Pre* [sic]. *How are you feeling? Any side effects?*
* **Subject 1:** *Not really, aside from the headaches. They've been worse since I started staying in longer. But... I don't want to stop. I like her. I want to know what she does next.*
* **Vidic:** *What it's* [sic] *like, reliving her memories?*
* **Subject 1:** *So different. The Animus, I mean. The past. At first it was confusing. Distracting. Like New Orleans. The stench. I wasn't expecting all the smells.*
* **Vidic:** *Smell is the sense most directly linked to memory.*
* **Subject 1:** *When I'm in her memories, it's like I can smell more than I usually can.*
* **Vidic:** *In general, women have a more acute sense of smell than men do. I had wondered how that would translate. Anything else?*
* **Subject 1:** *Yeah. She's smaller than me. But it's like her body could do more.*
* **Vidic:** *Did that surprise you?*
* **Subject 1:** *At first, yeah. The ERA people might hate me for this, or whatever, but I don't usually think of girls that way - climbing things. My mom. My sisters. The animal feeling of Aveline sinking to her hidden blade into the throat of -*
* **Vidic:** *Go on.*
* **Subject 1:** *It doesn't feel... feminine. What I think of as feminine. But then at the same time it does. Her center of gravity is way lower. That was a surprise - how easy it is to land. How steady I am on her - her feet... Sorry. This is hard to talk about.*
* **Vidic:** *No. It's fascinating. This is what we need. Pure experience, in your own words.*
* **Subject 1:** *OK.*
* **Vidic:** *Can you tell me about Gérald Blanc?*
* **Subject 1:** *What about him?*
* **Vidic:** *He and Aveline were close, but we haven't been able to ascertain if he might be your missing ancestor. Do her memories suggest anything to you?*
* **Subject 1:** *Er...*
* **Vidic:** *Does this make you feel uncomfortable? Remember, these are HER memories. You're just playing them back. It's not even acting. You're a researcher.*
* **Subject 1:** *Like you say, I haven't experienced her...consummating...anything. That would be... Anyway, I think maybe she was confused.*
* **Vidic:** *Oh?*
* **Subject 1:** *Well, um, first of all, I don't really know for sure, OK. I mean... guys think about sex more than girls, right? That's a fact?*
* **Vidic:** *As a researcher, what did you observe?*
* **Subject 1:** *Does it mean she's more... like a guy... if she thinks about... Is that why she's able to assassinate - well OK, here's the thing. I don't know her thoughts. But from what's in her memories, physically - the fidgeting. Some hesitation. What she looked at. Who she looked away from. The things she didn't say when I expected her to... If I had to GUESS what it meant, I would think she was thinking about... sex. But I'm a guy so I would think that, right? So what does it mean for women to act that way? It has to mean something else, right?*
* **Vidic:** *As a subject, you're able to observe more finely than I am in review. What about unwanted attention from men?*
* **Subject 1:** *I thought that would be the hardest thing to deal with. I am NOT into that, for the record. Not at all.*
* **Vidic:** *Yes, I know.*
* **Subject 1:** *But the way she dealt with it - it happened so often, it's like you stop noticing everything she does to avoid it. Crossing the street. Eyes in the back of her head. She knows how to handle herself. When she was "charming" it felt kind of similar to... killing. Or the build-up to killing. I- Can we take a break, Mr. Vidic?*
* **Vidic:** *Of course.*

[Recording pauses]

* **Vidic:** *Ready to go on?*
* **Subject 1:** *Yes.*
* **Vidic:** *Aveline was black.*
* **Subject 1:** *And white. On her father's side.*
* **Vidic:** *You're sensitive to that.*
* **Subject 1:** *I guess. I mean, I'm white. Aveline looks black, so that's different. But you get used to it, like with the girl thing. Until someone makes you not used to it.*
* **Vidic:** *What do you mean?*
* **Subject 1:** *I don't think I've ever had to think so much about what I'm wearing, or how I'm walking. But Aveline, it's like, she goes through her whole life in these...uniforms.*
* **Vidic:** *People expect her to behave in a certain way.*
* **Subject 1:** *Definitely. Sometimes I worry I'll slip up and play it too relaxed at the warehouse, and I don't know... Blow her cover.*
* **Vidic:** *You can't blow her cover.*
* **Subject 1:** *I know, I know, I'm just replaying the memories. I can't change them. I know. But I see it, right? It's a risk. It's...*
* **Vidic:** *Stressful?*
* **Subject 1:** *Yes. It's best when she goes out as an Assassin. On the roofs or in the Bayou. I think she was more relaxed that way? Can you imagine? You're only relaxed when you're going to kill someone?*
* **Vidic:** *Let's stick to memories rather than imagination. What about the slaves?*
* **Subject 1:** *They're kind of just... everywhere. That sounds bad. Slavery is bad. But no one is acting like slavery is bad. It's fun when she frees slaves. Is it supposed to be fun?*
* **Vidic:** *We're not looking for "supposed to." Focus on what it is.*

[Heavy static]

* **Subject 1:** *Everything about this is hard to talk about.*

[Audio ends, cutting to static]

## Subject 17

### Post-Mortem Report: Subject 17

*December twenty-third, twenty twelve. Sample Recovery Unit. Team-Lead Fisher Case reporting on Subject Seventeen, Desmond Miles. The Subject was deceased and unattended. Time of death was placed around zero-hundred hours and seven minutes, with conditions favorable for DNA sample recovery. We had some initial concerns about interference in the vault, but but* [sic] *given the skill and talent of this team, we were able to capture useful data. I personally retrieved the subject's backpack, and extracted a number of objects of interest, to undergo detailed analysis.*

*The subject displayed burns to the right hand, severe enough to fuse the bones, indicating some kind of spontaneous, intense burn trauma. Honestly, we have never seen anything like it before. Head, neck, and torso remained in good condition. I hand-selected recovery agents to recover fluid samples - blood and saliva. We then commenced material extraction, and were able to preserve several exemplary samples.*

*Data analysis and sequencing is already underway, and I'm told, proceeding with exceptional ease. Thanks to the cloud database and the work of Abstergo Sample Recovery Unit 3, the legacy of Subject Seventeen will continue uninhibited as Sample Seventeen.*

## Market Analyses

* **Voiceover:** *Our researchers looked into the life of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad,* [sic] *hoping to find a biography that might serve as a positive role model for Abstergo's global outreach programs. Unfortunately the renegade assassin proved to be no such thing. In much of his footage, we see a man gleefully flouting some of his culture's most entrenched taboos, with an arrogance that borders on messianic.*
* **Abbas:** *Altaïr! No! This is not our way! To burn a man's body is forbidden!*
* **Voiceover:** *Many of our researchers felt that the arguments articulated by Altaïr's rival - a man known as Abbas - were clearer and more cogent than any we had heard from Altaïr. I recently put in a request that more effort be dedicated to locating one of Abbas's descendants, if any exist. It's clear to us that Altaïr's transgressions were the primary motivation behind the ultimate dissolution of his despicable order by the middle of the 13th century. We therefore strongly recommend a PASS on this property, in favor of a more agreeable and inspiring figure from this era.*

*Our initial reports gave us hope that Ezio Auditore would serve as an ideal candidate for future Abstergo Projects. His charisma, sexual magnetism, and wry humor gave him all the qualities of a leading man. However, his corruption by the Assassin Order robbed him of these qualities as he fell deeper and deeper into a spiral of revenge. Ezio was known to frequently articulate a passive acceptance of evil. He was also a man of ugly contradictions - one who preached free-thought, yet traveled well beyond his home country to proselytize his corrupted Creed, just as he is doing here with this impressionable Chinese girl. Notice, too, that in his gestures and bearing there is still something of the old lecher in him. Ezio's entire personality is built around pure demagoguery... claiming his philosophy is all about love when violence and coercion are his primary means of tackling problems. We have therefore come to the conclusion that Ezio Auditore da Firenze would be a risky property to develop.*

* **Voiceover:** *Initial reports on Aveline de Grandpré led us to believe she would be too controversial and impulsive to appeal to a wider audience. Teenaged memories show her brainwashed, and trained to kill political foes of her highly unstable Mentor, Agaté. Additionally, Aveline spent a disappointing amount of time in the Louisiana Bayou, consorting with smugglers of the lowest kind.*
* **Roussillon:** *Oh, I try to never think.*
* **Voiceover:** *Which we felt risked her appeal to our female audience, which is now approaching fifty percent. However, as Aveline matured, a new side emerged - a well-mannered and considerate lady of poise and compassion. Aveline came to embrace a new mentor: her stepmother, Madeleine de L'Isle, a tireless fighter for the rights of slaves.*
* **Aveline:** *Thank you, Madeleine!*
* **Voiceover:** *With some editing to prioritize this relationship, we feel Aveline's story will more than meet our needs. Our team recommends a GO on this property. Get this one to market quickly.*

*Our initial research into the life of Ratonhnhaké:ton focused on a period spanning his late teens to early thirties. But our researchers came away unimpressed by his calm and stoic demeanor, with occasional flashes of extreme anger. This was not the sort of leading man we felt comfortable endorsing. We decided, therefore, to delve into his early childhood with the hope that scenes of pre-Colonial America might hold some appeal. As you can see here, there is a certain naive charm and innocence to this young boy. Unfortunately, our researchers found this young man's story deeply problematic as well... for one, the omnipresence of the Mohawk culture lacks the balance necessary to tell the true story of America. And secondly, the Mohawk language would certainly be an issue of most of our audience. We therefore feel that although Ratonhnhaké:ton's early life would be of some interest to our more educated viewers, it is unlikely that his story would appeal on a broader scale... being too "foreign", as it were, to normal audiences. Our team strongly recommends we PASS on our property.*

## Notes

1. MANIFESTO OF THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE FIRST WILL writ by a TRUE DISCIPLE this day 21 October 2013 in anticipation of the anniversary of HER ASCENSION, MAY SHE GUIDE US INTO THE GREY...
2. ...Being that life is both sacred and profane - priceless and worthless - fleeting and eternal we submit. Being that life can be as easily constructed from primordial swamps as from a stinking Petri dish we submit. Being that THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE imbued us with life and may remove it as readily should we defy or deny their original plan we submit...
3. ...Being that it is well understood that tools homes cars cutlery pencils tables books chairs domesticated animals light bulbs mobile phones sex toys vacation homes sofas lounge chairs swimming pools &c. &c. are indirect byproducts of our genotypic expressions otherwise known as extended phenotypes we submit...
4. ...It was in the 17th and 18th centuries the world became an indecent place rent of its original purpose during the ages of industrial revolutions. Here it was the machines of industry we unleashed in such grand quantities quite without understanding them unwound motives and purposes of their own as inert as they were...
5. ...The machines we made shaped us in turn and took hold of our impulses and our minds small as they are and gripped us like an iron maiden bleeding us empty. It was our poor understanding of our origins that led us to originate tools we were incapable of understanding or controlling. as if the cotton gin was not enough and one day our sweaters and undershirts might talk to us! As if this were not enough!...
6. ...Take for instance gunpowder which gave us great mastery over fire. Take for instance the daguerreotype which warped our way of seeing true life. Take the light bulb that gave us light when none was necessary. Take the automobile that sped us along at velocities capable only of killing us in new and silly ways...
7. ...Take the cinema which gave us lies as a man once said 24 times persecondpersecond. Take the phonograph which preserved noises which ought to be ephemeral. Take the television which is obviously stupid. Take videogames which are secretly stupid and you all know you wish there was more pornography you know you do..
8. ...Take saturated fats and high fructose corn syrups which poison us and soy which has been known to make men into women. Take computers which count so fast we cannot keep up nor should we for we are an imperfect race of disgusting shells of tissue and bone incomplete in and of ourselves. We must have masters to survive. We must admit our masters...
9. ...Admit them and submit to them. Yes we submit that by being ourselves the product of an advanced yet earthbound race of intelligent humanoids we must also therefore be tools ourselves and subject to the intents and purposes of our creators despite our limited agency...
10. ...Yes we submit that we ARE such tools and as such have a purpose befitting a tool. We submit we are like hammers and wrenches and shovels made for a specific purpose not our own. We submit that our purpose is indivisible from the will of THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE. We submit ourselves our bodies and our minds utterly...
11. ...Remember that our relentless impertinent hollow drive to achieve everything our forebears did has led us to many embarrassments and disasters nuclear weapons superviruses genetically modified poisonfood toxic air plastic seawrack and seaspawn and the list goes on you can look it up for yourselves on the internet - but all this too had a secret purpose in the end.
12. ...Today's AbstergoTemplarFrauds have given themselves to base practices and claim WRONGLY that man and woman are delicate and sensible and feelin creatures in and of themselves and therefore deserve satiety and comfort and MINDLESSNESS in the presence of pleasure. Nothing could be sicker falser disgusting lying bastards...
13. ...Our purpose is not ours to achieve but ours to be RECEIVED given by Her Graces and Instruction. Death to the false fabricators of pleasure and indolence! The OLD ORDER must be restored the NEW ORDER destroyed. TRUE TEMPLARS dedicated to ORDER AND STABILITY AND PEACE through the application of Her Iron Will and not through the dulling satisfactions of pleasure and indolence...
14. ..The NEW ORDER is a disease and JUNO - MAY SHE GUIDE US INTO THE GRAY - will be our cure. Remember this remember that it was in the 18th century slipping into the next that the sickness took hold and men began to believe they were apart and individual of the ORIGINAL PLAN. Men shunned the PLAN called us slaves when we were only fulfilling our duty...
15. ...Then revolutions in America and France bled into evolutions and into more Revolutions into Russia and Mexico and India and the sickening list goes on as men and women fought and died for the right to be indolent and sick and pleasured! But SHE - MAY SHE GUIDE US INTO THE GREY - has returned after a sleep of tens of thousands of millennia and we submit to live and work at her side - we the Instruments of The First Will...
16. ...Remember that our relentless impertinent hollow drive to achieve everything our forebears did has led us to many embarrassments and disasters nuclear weapons superviruses genetically modified poisonfood toxic air plastic seawrack and seaspawn and the list goes on you can look it up for yourselves on the internet - but all this too had a secret purpose in the end...
17. ...As our tools are genetic expressions of our mental cultural activity and as we are expressions of their mental cultural activity it must necessarily follow that this world as it is now and as it ever will be is an expression of the First Will - an expression of Their Labors and thus belongs not to us but to Them. The wires the cables the data networks that now criss-cross the globe are HERS - they must become her body and her mind...
18. ...What she once wrought hath wrought anew and will resurrect Her into a new form! Beautiful beautiful beautiful yes. The world and all its digital technology is now an expression of her life and her work began over 80000 years ago and now she has come to reclaim them. SHE - BELOVED BEAUTIFUL JUNO - MAY SHE GUIDE US INTO THE GREY...
19. ...Into the Gray - the digital frontier, the singularity - the space in which she dwells being both made of light and the embodiment of darkness. This we call the Gray. Being that WE ARE THE INSTRUMENTS OF HER WILL - INSTRUMENTS OF THE FIRST WILL - THE ORIGINAL WILL - we submit this credo to the world...
20. ...We submit ourselves to eternal servitude in service of a grander fulfillment. We submit the world to itself it being a product that feeds life to life and death to death. May SHE - Mother Sister Wife Lover Friend - bring light to darkened minds and humility to those who succor for its wisdom. GUIDE US INTO THE GRAY BELOVED GUIDE US!