Deus Ex Diaries Part Forty (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 finally discovered evidence of who was behind the attack on Sarif, and what had really happened to Megan Reed, I was on my way up to see Zhao Yun Ru for answers…

Leaving the Data Core, I went through an easily bypassed laser grid and exited a door. I hacked my way into a room labeled Archive A-2 and found an email saying that “windmill” (AKA Aerie van Bruggen) had escaped, and someone must have helped. It was a good thing I gave him my combat rifle. While hacking the computer in Archive A-3, however, I ran out of time and alerted the two security guards in the nearby office area. They were easily dealt with when I shot them both with my stun gun, but the computer only had a spam email on it…

Raiding some desks I found some credits, and hacking a computer only gave me some emails complaining about LIMB ordering lots of biochips from Tai Yong Medical. A nearby office had a security computer, so I logged in with the password I had picked up somewhere: pangutym. I deactivated the camera and the security robot, figuring that I could take on any guards and didn’t want to raise the alarm again. Raiding the desk drawers I found pocket secretaries and credits, as well as more emails about LIMB’s biochips, and how they were a new type that had not gone through in-house testing.

Exiting the open office into a hallway, I stayed crouched and spotted a guard through a window. I rolled past and went inside an open door, finding myself in a server room. A big crate blocked a vent, so I moved it and went inside, coming out in a security office. There was ammo and a computer with a door code email, so I left and snuck around to find a guard standing next to the deactivated security robot. Deciding not to reactivate the robot, I ran over and punched the guy — but it alerted a second man with a heavy rifle. Shooting him with my stun gun, I heard a third guard coming, so I also shot him.

I used the door code (3090) on one of the offices and found an email from Zhao to an employee telling them not to approach the shareholders of Sarif Industries, at least not yet. There was another email, this one from Athene Margoulis, Sarif’s executive assistant. It was warning Tai Yong Medical against making any more attempts to get Sarif to sell his company, really illustrating how good of an assistant she was.

Hacking the computer in the next office I discovered emails related to Belltower’s attempt to capture van Bruggen. It was interesting seeing the admin side of what I’d seen mere hours before.

Heading further down the hallways, I was almost spotted by a security camera. It probably wouldn’t have mattered, but I decided to sneak past while it wasn’t looking, jumping over a desk to get into a conference room. The camera guarded a computer and a security terminal, so I entered a small storage room and punched through the wall instead to reach the elevator.

As I went up, van Bruggen called me ,much to my surprise. He had hacked my bank account, and because I helped him out he gave me 2,000 credits! That was probably more than I could have sold the combat rifle for, so I was happy.

At the top, I entered a large foyer with an unmanned reception desk. Up some stairs was an office complete with a computer and a safe, so I upgraded my hacking skill to Capture 5 and hacked the safe. Inside was a pocket secretary and 850 credits, as well as a heat-targeting mod for the rocket launcher which I had kept with me all this time. The computer had an unsent email from Zhao to someone, wanting to “convene the council” for some reason, because she had surpassed expectations thus far. A second email just confirmed that Zhao ordered van Bruggen to hack Sarif and help the mercenaries.

At the top of the final stairs, I entered Zhao’s living space. The shower was running, but it turned out Zhao herself was napping in an armchair, and my entry woke her. She attempted to shoot me, but once disarmed began pleading ignorance, begging for her life, and for help. Judging by her emails I didn’t believe her, but unfortunately Jensen dropped his guard. She took advantage and shoved me out of the door and engaged her panic room, locking her living space down and calling in guards.

Attempting to make my way to the elevator stealthily, I snuck around and shot at someone with my stun gun. This only served to get everyone’s attention however, because I missed, and I had to fall back behind cover to take shots at them with my 10mm pistol. They threw a gas grenade, but I’d taken the breathing augmentation ages ago, so was unaffected. It took a few stressful minutes, but I managed to kill them all and began looting ammo, credits, and pocket secretaries.

With the coast clear, I got in the elevator and set course for the hangar bay. Malik needed me to get the bay doors open, but when I entered the hangar a tannoy said that the two robots needed to be disabled before I could. They were massive, and given my abysmal sneaking record thus far I was concerned. However, I managed to sneak all the way around to the stairs on the right, and went up to an office at the top, picking up some rockets for my launcher along the way. Unfortunately, that was the wrong office, and the computer only had an email with Zhao’s itinerary for the week — two meetings in Singapore, one in Hong Kong.

Crossing the gantry carefully, I used the password “qilin” to gain access to the security computer, deactivating the robots and cameras. With that, I went back to the other office and opened the hangar doors, then quickly grabbed some rockets that were stashed around the hangar. Finally joining Malik at the aircraft, she asked if I was ready to go back to Detroit, but I said no, we had to get to Montreal.

Since Zhao had accidentally given us the connection between her and Picus TV, and I’d heard the name “Eliza” mentioned multiple times at this point, it could only be news anchor Eliza Cassan. Malik set me down on the roof, and I got a call from Pritchard. Jensen was unnecessarily catty towards him, as he was glad to tell me Eliza’s location in the building: room 404. There was a fenced off area, so I used a Praxis point to upgrade my Hacking: Stealth, and hacked the gate. There were some credits and beverages, as well as a weapon mod that I neglected to pick up. I saw that the wall was punchable, so I did so and entered the news building.

Heading downstairs, I found myself in an office area, above the main news bullpen. To cut a long story short, I looted every office, every drawer, and checked every computer terminal, because this smelt like a trap as nobody was there. Some emails mentioned that the building was going into lockdown, others hinted that Picus wasn’t quite as “free press” as they presented themselves. Pritchard was uneasy, so I blocked the doors that I couldn’t access with vending machines and printers.

Once I was certain that I’d grabbed all of the loot that I could, I entered room 404. Eliza was there, and apparently knew that I was coming as she’d been “watching” me. She admitted to jamming the science team’s locators, but said that she only realised after the fact. She then apologised for alerting security to my presence, before I discovered that she was actually a hologram!

Pritchard told me that “multiple radio signals” were on their way, so I needed to scram. First, however, I used the computer to disable the cameras. I was a little annoyed that there were no robots or turrets, but I had no time to complain as I had to run. A nearby office had a ventilation shaft, so I got in it and climbed through to the balcony above the bullpen. Two Belltower mercs were chuckling about my situation, but I dodged around them without them noticing me. I shot a third in the back with my stun gun, but they noticed and opened fire before I ducked behind cover. While they converged on my position, I jumped off of the balcony and through the door (after moving the vending machine I put there).

I went straight into the washroom in front of me, and opened up a handily placed vent, entering the shaft quickly. A lone merc stood guard, facing away from me, so I shot him with my stun gun. I figured that I could take on the remaining forces stealthily, but I was spotted almost immediately. Running for it, I leapt down an open elevator shaft, my Icarus Landing System saving my life at the bottom, where I found another shaft. I could see that a turret guarded what I hoped was the alternative route; perhaps they expected me to use the elevator instead of the empty shaft.

The vent ended in a ladder, and while I climbed up I spoke to Pritchard. He had traced the hologram to a secret room, and told me where to go. I had to find a funicular, somewhere at the back of the newsroom. I was in a control room overlooking the newsroom, so I snuck out to shoot a merc with my stun gun. I knocked out a second man around the corner, but only after missing him with my stun gun, which alerted everyone. However, they didn’t know where I was, so headed for my last known position as I escaped down some stairs and into an office hallway.

One of the offices had a security computer, but it only controlled a single camera, and not the turret set up in the newsroom. Luckily, the mercs had lost track of me, so I took my time knocking out the two on the balcony again, then tackled the three on the main floor. I managed to avoid the turret, but the men spotted me — however since I could duck beneath the desks, I was basically safe to stun them when they came close. Also, I chucked a printer at one of them, which was hilarious to me.

After the coast was clear, I picked up the turret and faced it towards the rear wall, before searching through drawers and hacking computers. I found a bunch of credits, some ammo, and a silencer which I attached to my 10mm pistol. I was running out of stun darts, so I would probably need it soon. The emails on the computers were things like “let’s overthrow this president” and “go harder with anti-aug”, as well as general office events. I also found a handful of pocket secretaries which had passwords I no longer needed, and under the stairs there was even the security console which controlled the turret...

Finally deciding to go to the funicular, I punched through a wall and climbed down a ladder, rather than hack the Level 1 door security console, and as I crawled through a vent shaft Pritchard called me. He wanted me to know that the funicular wasn’t at the top near me, and as soon as I tried to use it then everyone would know where I was…