Deus Ex - nuwen.net

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
• Lead Programmer and Assistant Director: Chris Norden
• Programmers: Scott Martin, Albert Yarusso
• Lead Designer: Harvey Smith
• Designers: Marshall Andrews, Ricardo Bare, Monte Martinez, Steve Powers, Robert White
• Dialogue: Sheldon Pacotti
• Additional Dialogue: Austin Grossman
• In-Game Text and Intro/Endgame Cinematics: Chris Todd
• Lead Artist: Jay Lee
• Artists: Clay Hoffman, Russell Hughes, Rob Kovach, Nghia Lam, Terry Manderfeld, Hugh Suh
• Audio: Stan Neuvo, Will Nevins, Darren Walsh
• Music: Alexander Brandon, Dan Gardopee, Michiel Van Den Bos
• New York, Hong Kong and Paris Club Songs: Reeves Gabrels
• QA Leads: 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
• 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]
• Alexander Brandon: Jimmy, Tech Sergeant Kaplan
• Tom Hall: 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.

Commentary on the introduction.

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

1. The story so far
2. Identity - Who are you?
3. Reality - Where are you?
4. Interface - How do you interact?
5. 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.
• 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...