Deus Ex Diaries Part Forty-Five (Human Revolution)

This is my ongoing exploration of the Deus Ex Universe, in release order. Whether you’re a newcomer or an old-goer, I hope to make this something you can read along with and enjoy. I continue Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Having returned to Hengsha, been shot out of the air, and had to do some odd jobs while avoiding Belltower; I was finally on the tracks of one of our missing scientists…

I was on the rooftops above where Vasili Sevchenko’s locator implant said he was, but just before I dropped down I spotted a ventilation shaft. Intrigued, I went over and climbed inside to enter the parking structure.

Appearing in some maintenance area with a bunch of ladders below me, I simply jumped down and allowed my Icarus mod to let me land gracefully at the bottom. I did have to climb a ladder to reach a door that I could actually use, however.

Just around a blockade, I knocked out two men once they had finished talking to one another and split up. After checking that the coast was clear, I hacked the two computers, finding nothing of note on either, though it became clear that this whole operation was an augmentation chop shop. I did find several automatic unlocking devices, and I should probably mention now that I’d find plenty more over the next hour.

There was a punchable wall nearby, so I knocked it down and climbed down a ladder in the area inside. Another punchable wall greeted me, so I did what I always do — and regretted it almost immediately. There were a bunch of men gathered nearby, and they clearly heard or saw the wall cave in. I hoped that I could do my usual trick of stunning them in turn as they came to have a look, but I only managed to stun a single man. I had to act quickly as my second shot missed, and knocked out two more, staying in cover as another guy shot at my position. Much to my annoyance, he was invisible, but as he became visible once more I ducked out and shot him with my 10mm pistol.

Inexplicably, the alert status went from hostile to alarmed, so I finally left my hole and snuck through a nearby gap in a wall. I hoped to take down at least one of the three remaining men, but was spotted almost immediately. I stunned the closest man and knocked out the second, quickly taking a hypostim as I was being shot quite a bit. The third had turned invisible, so he shot me a bit more before I could knock him out too.

Taking a few breaths and reloading my weapons, I took a look around, looting some ammo and hacking a computer. There was an email mentioning the cloaking devices I’d seen evidence of, as well as one from Tong Si Hung to his son Tracer Tong. Yes, the same person who JC Denton and Alex D. would later meet in years to come. The two were disagreeing about what to do with the latest shipment of augmentations — Tracer was even suggesting that he would leave Hengsha and go to Hong Kong, giving up on the family business. The business of reselling stolen augmentations, not The Hive nightclub.

There was also a safe that had an ammo capacity upgrade, so I popped it onto my revolver. It was now capable of holding seven rounds, and I had over 100. My 10mm and stun gun, however, were very low on ammo, and I hadn’t picked up any rockets in ages…

I decided to knock out the final two men in the area, which I managed without incident, then punched through multiple walls to find all of the loot possible. I also found an operating room and the password to the computer which I had already hacked.

Finally, I entered the room where Sevchenko’s implant said he was. I found several men watching the arm which the implant was in being attached to Tong Si Hung. He seemed more amused than annoyed that the tracker had led me to him, and explained that Belltower had delivered Sevchenko’s corpse there a few weeks ago. Tong went on to tell me that he knew the likely place Belltower was dragging people off to, and that he’d help me if I helped him out. His son Tracer was being held by Belltower, and he wanted me to get the lad back.

Before leaving the office, I spotted a laser rifle behind Tong. Unfortunately, its size meant that I had to clear some of my inventory. I decided to get rid of the rocket launcher, since I hadn’t been able to use it in ages.

Heading back to street level, I explored a little before meeting with the weapons dealer to sell some excess ammo for weapons I didn’t use. I then went back to Kuaigan district, and back to the sewer where I had spoken to Zalazny. I went through a door just past that area which led me to an old noodle factory, and Tong’s man who explained the situation. Find Tracer, give him a device, and get out of there. He had been moved to the factory as it was more secure than Belltower’s headquarters, apparently.

I punched through a nearby wall and grabbed some ammo, then followed the sewer tunnel through a poisonous gas cloud. I had long ago grabbed the augmentation that allowed me to breathe, after all, so I was perfectly safe. I hacked a door and snuck inside, finding a man loading a shotgun, who I knocked out. A ventilation shaft above some lockers led me into an office with one more man, but multiple were patrolling just outside. Luckily, given the fact that we were slightly higher up, nobody saw me knock him out.

The computer, which the man had been sitting at, had two emails. One complained about Tracer being a pain, the other mentioned how Tong would probably be sporting a new arm the next time Belltower saw him. As if they knew that he would take that from Sevchenko’s corpse…

Sneaking out of the office, I shot all of the men in the head with my silenced 10mm pistol. It was shockingly easy, I’m not going to lie. Heading up to the gantry, I entered a ventilation shaft which led out into a makeshift security office with one man sitting at a security computer. I dropped down and knocked him out, then deactivated the cameras and opened the cell doors using the computer before heading in to see Tracer.

Tracer guessed that I had been sent by his father to rescue him — not exactly a complicated leap — and took the device from me when offered. He didn’t tell me what it was, but I had assumed it was a cloaking device even before he activated it. However, I was surprised to learn that he had voluntarily been taken captive. His thinking was that it allowed him some leverage on his prospective move to Hong Kong, if Tong thought that Tracer was going to come to harm.

Once Tracer had disappeared, I simply deactivated a laser grid and left the building, as I had knocked out or killed almost everyone inside. There was a room that I didn’t enter, as my motion sensor suggested that there were multiple hostiles inside.

Making my way back to Youzhao district via the train near the LIMB clinic, I returned to Tong. Tracer had apparently already been here, and told his father to give me a weapon, as well as the information I’d requested. Figuring I could sell it if nothing else, I gladly took it. Tong went on to explain that Belltower kept two ships in port, and was due to send one — the Hei Zhen Zhu — out that night on its usual routine. He had no idea where it went, but assumed that I’d find my missing scientists there. To help me get aboard, one of Tong’s men was going to leave a “package” for me in an equipment shed. Once I had it, Tong would give me further information.

Upon leaving Tong, two of his men very obviously experienced one of the glitches that had been affecting me earlier. Clearly, it was still an ongoing issue. I had no time to waste, though, as I exited the parking garage into the sewers through a nearby door. Following the tunnels, I climbed a ladder and exited onto the seaport. I had a ship to catch…