Deus Ex: Machina (a R. Talsorian Cyberpunk Story): by Mike Pondsmith and Dave Alistair [ Novel / TV Show | Cyberpunk / Thriller ]
The Detroit Saga:
by Mike Pondsmith and Dave Alistair [ Novel / Videogame | Cyberpunk / Conspiracy Fiction (Action RPG / Stealth) ]
—
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (a R. Talsorian Cyberpunk Story): [~Q1 2023]
— Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (a R. Talsorian Cyberpunk Story): [~Q3 2025]
Background:
In the year 2023, the world is a dark and dangerous place, where Megacorporations rule with an iron fist, cybernetic augmentations are commonplace, and society is divided between the haves and the have-nots. In both games, players assume the role of Adam Jensen, a skilled cybernetically-enhanced operative working as Sarif Industries' Head of Security. Although artificial intelligence existed long before the 21st century, the first "true" AI was developed by Microtech in their Californian Sunnyvale facility in 2008. By 2019, artificial intelligences had found use in education as watchdogs for virtual schooling students to prevent interference from outside forces, as well as revolutionizing the United States Supreme Court, specifically by assisting the five Justices, and lower levels of the American legal system, and by the year 2023, the most common form of AIs are the CyberLife's popular Android models.
Main Perspectives:
- Adam Jensen [Playable: HR, MD]
-
The Machine [Playable: N/A]
- Markus (RK200 Android) [Playable: HR, MD]
- Connor (RK800 Android) [Playable: MD]
- Kara (AX400 Android) [Playable: MD]
Plot:
Adam Jensen, a former SWAT squad leader in Detroit, finds himself caught in a web of conspiracy and intrigue in the cyberpunk world of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. After refusing to follow a questionable order, he is ousted from his position and takes on a job as a security manager at Sarif Industries, a cutting-edge augmentation technology company. Megan Reed, a researcher and Adam's ex-girlfriend, works alongside him, while David Sarif, the CEO, becomes a pivotal figure in Adam's life after saving him from near-death.
As the story unfolds, Adam embarks on missions that take him to various locations, including Detroit, Montreal, Night City, Prague, and a rebuilt Hong Kong, the city having been forced to build from the ground up following a devastating earthquake. Along the way, he encounters a cast of key characters who shape his journey. These include Faridah Malik, Sarif's chief pilot; Frank Pritchard, a Sarif systems engineer; Eliza Cassan, the iconic face of Picus Communications; William Taggart, the founder of Humanity Front, an anti-augmentation group; Hugh Darrow, the brilliant but non-augmented creator of augmentation technology; Elijah Kamski, the enigmatic founder of CyberLife and inventor of androids; Zhao Yun Ru, the CEO of the Kang Tao megacorporation, and the formidable mercenary squad known as the "Tyrants," led by Adam Smasher and accompanied by Lawrence Barrett and Yelena Fedorova.
Adam's encounters with these characters and their respective motivations propel the narrative forward, blurring the lines between loyalty, betrayal, and the ethical implications of human augmentation. As he unravels the secrets and machinations of powerful entities, Adam must make choices that will determine the course of the revolution brewing within society, challenging his own beliefs and reshaping the future of humanity in a world where technology blurs the boundaries of what it means to be human.
The sequel, Mankind Divided, delves into the aftermath of the DataKrash, a catastrophic event that occurred alongside the Aug Incident. This incident resulted in the destruction of the Old Net and the emergence of numerous rogue AIs. These rogue AIs originated from military-grade AIs that were liberated by Rache Bartmoss's R.A.B.I.D.S. virus and subsequently mutated into highly dangerous entities. To address the threat posed by the rogue AIs, NetWatch developed a new AI called the Blackwall. The Blackwall effectively isolated contaminated sections of the Net using Black ICE. However, ongoing monitoring reveals that the rogue AIs trapped on the other side continuously test the Blackwall for vulnerabilities and attempt to breach it. Rumors persist that the very AIs posing a threat aided NetWatch in constructing the Blackwall initially. In this context, the majority of AIs, particularly CyberLife's Androids, have become targets of persecution. Increasing restrictions on their way of life intensify the existing tensions.
A/N: If it wasn't made clear, the Illuminati managed to, by the skin of their teeth, orchestrate a propaganda and disinformation campaign that pinned the blame on Bartmoss and the AI...and that having Adam Smasher lead the Tyrants was mostly an excuse to ensure that "Adambowl" happened. Also, depending on player choices (by way of save file import ala Mass Effect), by the time of the second game Adam is an agent of the Machine given his unique situation and knowledge base.
The following is irrelevant, but might prove interesting down the road: Originally, I also wanted to hint that Adam Jensen is an Arasaka American gaijin bastard child (on account that, in the actual game, it's revealed Adam was a genetic experiment from an unknown parentage) but was unsure of how to fit that on the timeline on account that the only canonical event that might have resulted in that only happens this decade when Michiko Arasaka and Adam Smasher have a...fun weekend, so the idea was scrapped for the time being.
[EDIT: Fixed some grammatical errors. For the inconvenience, enjoy
Vegeta on karaoke night.]
