Deus Ex Diaries Part Sixty (Mankind Divided)

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. This time I continue Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

While it had made me late for work, I had grabbed a component from the Dvali and broken up a crooked commune, and was heading home to talk to David Sarif…

Calling him via the TV in my living room, Sarif was surprised to hear from me so soon after our last conversation. Jensen jumped right in with questions about the hidden augmentations, but Sarif proclaimed innocence. One of the augs had been theoretical when Jensen was operated on, for example, so it couldn’t have been him. However, Sarif had seen the designs, so knew who had designed it and offered to look into it.

I left the apartment and headed to the metro station, deciding to actually go to work now. Once in Čistá Čtvrť, I went to the shipping company which was a front for the TF29 office. Hidden in the back room was an elevator which took me down. Jensen called Vega to ask about the whisper chip that she had given me earlier, so she told me to plug it into a data port on the NSN motherboard, so it would give us access to see all of the top secret video conferences that Miller had.

Rather than report in, I took a look around. This allowed me to hack open the armoury safe and gun cabinet, giving me some grenades, and ammo. Unfortunately, my inventory was too full for me to snatch the sniper rifle also in there. I made my way into the holding cell office and hacked the security computer, deactivating the cameras and turret, and opening the cells. I could easily see this whole deal going sideways, so I wanted to be prepared by hacking as much as possible to make things easier on myself.

There was nothing interesting in the holding cells except for some random guy angry about being held there, so I went to the infirmary. Hacking a computer let me read an email from Miller to Dr. Jennifer Phillips about a psychologist joining the team, a Dr. Delara Auzenne. I then hacked my way into the storeroom and then the safe, grabbing a Triangle Code and some Neuropozyne from within.

From there I grabbed a few things from the Briefing Room, then checked out IT Support. Someone had just logged out of the computer so I hacked into it and read the four emails which were all from Peter Chang and regarding recent security changes. One of them was the code for the door next to me — 5545 — so I logged off and used the code. Inside was another computer and a ventilation shaft, but I didn’t go inside it. The computer had one email, containing passwords for Chang, Macready and Black’s accounts, so that would probably come in handy.

I left and went to Dr. Auzenne’s office, which she had clearly moved into quickly given the amount of personal effects on the shelves. I hacked into her computer which had four emails welcoming her to the team and getting her set up.

In the Forensics lab I found a computer and a safe, so I hacked them both. It was Daniel Fletcher’s office, and he was apparently also known as Smiley. He had submitted a manuscript to a publishing company who had turned him down, a Debbie Connoly was threatening to take some information to Miller, and he was supposed to meet someone for lunch to teach them English. The safe contained crafting materials and a hacking program.

Finally out of procrastination options on the ground floor, I went upstairs where I was stopped by Aria Argento who was glad to see me alive after the train station bombing. She told me that Miller was using the NSN on a call with Lyon as we spoke, then gave me a security card to get into the firing range, as Chang had changed basically all of the security in the facility.

Speaking of Chang, I went to see him next and he was freaking out. About the bombing and the fact that the import company being used as a front for the facility had been hacked. He suspected that the attack was aimed at TF29 instead, and had found the location of the hacker. Chang wanted me to go and check it out, so I agreed, and he gave me an address which was down the street. Before I left Chang’s side, Alex Vega contacted me to ask about the whisper chip, so I told her to give me a minute.

I went into Vincent Black’s office and hacked his computer, but it just had an email about the Dvali trafficking augmented people. In his safe was a silencer weapon mod, so I grabbed it and headed to my section: Counterterrorism. Inside was Arun Singh, who was only passing through. He was on his way to a black site where he was going to lead the Jinn prisoners in an escape, and re-embed himself with them as a way to find out more about the attack in Dubai. This was only possible thanks to my destroying the signal booster, keeping Singh’s cover intact.

Checking my own computer for emails, there was one from Macready chasing for my after action report, the TF29’s medical doctor was complaining that I hadn’t picked up my Neuropozyne, and Dr. Auzenne was introducing herself. There was also one from Miller addressing the rumours that we had been sent to Dubai instead of the better situated Station Muscat. Well, the email was about the loss of fellow agents, and how we shouldn’t question why we were sent instead, to be more accurate.

I nipped in to see Macready who told me that the bodies recovered from Dubai were being held in Oman, and had nothing to identify them with — fingerprints, dental, nothing. He was operating on the assumption that the attackers were Muslim jihadists, but Jensen corrected him that augmentation was against Muslim beliefs. He told me to back off, so I tried to get him to focus rather than challenge him on it — we were colleagues, not adversaries! He assured me he wasn’t being a dick towards me in particular, he was just a dick as a personality trait.

Leaving his office, I was finally out of things to procrastinate over, so I headed into the NSN Server room. Apparently I had picked up the keycard somewhere, and because I’d already deactivated the camera I went straight through the door. I unlocked the next door with the code 7734 and attached the whisper chip. Alex called and was shocked to find that the NSN was currently in use. We didn’t have a chance to talk, however, as Miller finished in the NSN and immediately called me to demand I go to his office right away.

Leaving the way I had come in, I went to see Miller. He was annoyed that the police had pushed us out of the train station investigation, apparently having detained Smiley. Miller wanted me to go and see what was going on. The police were saying that this wasn’t an ordinary terrorist, it was a “homegrown” terror attack, which likely meant the Augmented Rights Coalition. Miller didn’t care, and although I was supposed to see Dr. Auzenne before returning to the field, he wanted me there as soon as possible. Luckily, the doctor wasn’t in, so he sent me on my way.

I decided to hit the firing range before I left, learning about the weapons, ammo types, and modifications before having a chat with Argento. She explained that she was desperate to get in the field like I was, but the agency said that it was too expensive. Her physiology was the opposite of Jensen — she required more Neuropozyne than the average person whereas he required none.

Leaving Argento to her work, I left via the elevator. I had a hacker to find, and a train station to investigate…