Deus Ex Diaries Part Thirteen

This is my ongoing exploration of the Deus Ex Universe, in preparation for when Mankind Divided arrives later this year. Whether you’re a newcomer or an old-goer, I hope to make this something you can read along with and enjoy. We continue on with Deus Ex.

I had sunk the super freighter carrying the Grey Death virus to New York, and returned to Illuminati member Stanton Dowd. He had informed me that another member of the Illuminati, Morgan Everett, was the creator of the virus base, and thusly the best person to help cure the plague. To contact him, I had to go to the Catacombs beneath Paris, which the terrorist group Silhouette was using as a base, and speak to Nicolette Duclare…

Arriving in Paris, currently under open martial law by Majestic 12 troops, I had to jump down through a hole in the roof of the building and aim to kill myself as little as possible, as the lift required a code. I met someone who complained that greasels had killed her friends, and gave me the code for the door on the bottom floor.

Before going through that door, I found a window looking into the next room which was full of toxic substances. There was a hazmat suit next to the window, letting me know that I could pass through with significantly less death than I should be. I went in and put it on, passing through in moments to some tunnels, which turned out to be full of greasels. For the moment.

Bloody things...

Whilst I was down there, I was contacted by someone called Icarus, who claimed to have full access to my systems… I had seen an email in Hong Kong, sent by Daedalus, which said repeatedly “Icarus has found you”, so this obviously wasn’t a good sign...

Not too creepy...

Once on the streets, I ducked into the nearby metro station, but was put off due to it having several MJ12 troops inside, which might alert the rocket-launching commandos street-side. I could have gotten cut-price explosives from a bloke selling weapons near the entrance, but I had a resistance to find.

I cut down one of the commandos and took his key, then went to find more of them to sneak up on. In doing so, I found the back way in, and smashed it open with my laser sword. I went down the stairs into the catacombs.

Foreboding, isn't it?

I snuck around, having been told by Tracer that there were MJ12 troops down there. As quietly and sneakily as possible (yes, it’s becoming a problem, I know…), I managed to take them out without being shot once. I found my way into the section Sillouhette was hiding in, and spoke to their leader Chad.

He explained that he wouldn’t trust me until I helped save two of his group that had been captured, unlike the others that had “ran away without firing a single shot”. Because nothing shows trustworthiness like risking your life, committing murder and making sure cowardly criminals aren’t murdered. What was this, Medal of Honor?

Off I ran with my laser sword at the ready, quickly getting lost in the labyrinthine catacombs. I eventually found some MJ12 troops and slaughtered them, afterwards I came across a laser grid. I used multi-tools to crack the nearby electronics box, which disabled the lasers, and I went inside. However, I should have been more stealthy as I slipped past the auto-turret…

And people say the news depresses them...

In the main area, called Bunker III, I came up against a commando, auto-turrets and a Woman in Black. Bullets flew, rockets launched -- and as I killed a trooper and snuck away to hide, the commando and WiB wiped everyone out in a large explosion.

I hacked the security console and then unlocked the two hostages, following them back to the Silhouette base. Chad thanked me and told me to use the blast door “at the back” to access the sewers, and the club where Nicolette DuClare was.

Twenty minutes later, after consulting a FAQ, I managed to locate the blast door. Once I climbed the ladder and got to street level, I immediately regretted it. Two huge mechs and a bunch of troops. I managed to sneak into a nearby shack which housed a computer. HAcking it, I deactivated the mechs and snuck away from the group of MJ12. Tracer had told me that the police would ignore me, and as I encountered some I found it to be the truth.

I went into a café and met up with Jaime Reyes, the doctor from UNATCO whom had been spying for me. He had managed to escape with news that Gunther Hermann had been sent to Paris to kill me, but he also told me the kill phrase I could use against him. I had a good feeling, that this would be an easy boss fight. I left the café and went to the club: La Porte de l'Enfer.

"No laser-sword murdering your way inside!"

I had been told that the cover charge was bumped up, due to the Nazi occupation MJ12 presence. I could have snuck into the guy’s booth, but as usual I wanted to avoid confrontation and paid.

I spoke to people, trying to track down Nicolette. Everyone was less than helpful… Until I found a woman sat alone upstairs. Due to Chad being able to vouch for me, she agreed to tell ‘Nicolette’ -- whom already knew because she obviously was Nicolette.

Magneto also believes that...

Sure enough, outside the club I met up with Nicolette/the girl who knew Nicolette beside Jock’s helicopter. She said that we had to go to her chateau where she could tell me more of Morgan Everett and the Illuminati. Just as we boarded and the cutscene began, showing the helicopter rising up above Paris, I spotted Gunther run over and stand right where I was stood moments ago. A much easier confrontation than I imagined...