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... Log In: Watchdog
... Password: ************
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... Password Accepted.
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... Query: File #S27327.
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... File #S27327 Loaded.
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Subject's Name: Unknown
Subject's Alias: Manu-Nui
Sex: Hermaphroditic
Race: Elemental Automaton
Age: Unknown
Height: 7'0
Weight: 200 lbs
Hair: N/A
Eyes: Cyan
Special Characteristics: Capable of manipulating and changing his form.
Typical Garb: Manu-Nui is naked when not adopting a disguise.
Status: Unknown (believed to be deceased).
Combat Assessment:
Manu-Nui is primarily a ranged combatant; focusing on control. He manipulates either the terrain around him or his own form to launch powerful attacks. Examples of this include turning into a swarm of insects, using the steam and water from drainage pipes, creating roots to entangle his foes to the earth, and even eroding living flesh. His talents seems to be originated from ancient primal magic; closely resembling druid magic. He was adaptive if nothing else.
Skill Assessment:
Manu-Nui had an instinctive knowledge for subjects pertaining to arcana and nature. Dr. Vesper Klein hypothesized that the basis of Manu-Nui's knowledge came from a combination of sources. She believed that because of what he was, there was some innate understanding of the topics. Additionally, Manu-Nui claimed that he had studied information (files, videos, etc.) left behind in the Quiet Mountain Reactor. Furthermore, regarding the speculation of his origins (see: background), Manu-Nui might've retained some knowledge from a past life. Beyond that, Manu-Nui was not particularly skilled in much beyond his keen perception skills and his physiology's capability of shrugging off extended damage and hazards.
Background:
Manu-Nui's origins are entirely speculation as he himself did not know how he came to be. I am basing my speculations off of the following:
-Dr. Klein's first hand interactions with Manu-Nui along with her own thoughts regarding him.
-The memories of the Runners who interacted with Manu-Nui.
-Video footage of Manu-Nui.
While the Quiet Mountain Reactor was running at full operations, there are no hints or signs that suggest Manu-Nui exists. That is not to say that he does not exist at this time. The run-offs and sewers below the facility did not have adequate camera coverage to review for signs of Manu-Nui. It is believed that Manu-Nui spent the majority of his time down there in order to escape the hostilities of Genesis security at first, then later the escaped experiments.
Manu-Nui himself could have been an experiment at the facility, but I found no records suggesting that he was. If he was, he was entirely off of the books. Interviews with Genesis employees who were involved at the Quiet Mountain Reactor (Dr. Vesper Klein, Wisk, Kazz) have no information regarding any experiments involving Manu-Nui. Dr. Abel might've known, but he died before he could be questioned. I have thought of seeking out Leonhardt Nacht given his background in the matter, but it is unlikely that Nacht would remember (let alone care enough to talk with me).
Moving onto another theory proposed by Dr. Klein: Manu-Nui was formerly an employee at Quiet Mountain who mutated and changed into a mana elemental after the events of Dr. Abel's project SHADOWFELL. Klein proposed this in regards to Manu-Nui's occasional behavior of remembering something; as if recalling a past life. Furthermore, Manu-Nui seemed to possess a great deal of knowledge that he should not have been capable of knowing on his own. However, any attempt to track down who he might've been is impossible given the fallout of SHADOWFELL.
Finally, the third and most likely origin, is that Manu-Nui was a dormant spirit or elemental core that resided in the area of Quiet Mountain. With the run-off and radiation from the reactor, he developed and became what he ultimately was: an elemental creature composed of mana.
Manu-Nui seems primarily active after Dr. Abel activated project SHADOWFELL. By that time, the majority of the employees had been killed by either escaped experiments or monsters brought in from the Oni that was released. Kazz and Wisk were the only two survivors from the facility that I have managed to track down and neither of them encountered Manu-Nui. Their PTSD also made it difficult to get information about the facility in general.
You begin to see footage of Manu-Nui slinking around near the sewer entrances and on various floors in the reactor after SHADOWFELL. He explored quite a bit, and I can attest that he seemed to take an interest in videos and files that he found; explaining some of where his knowledge comes from. He appeared quick to absorb it all; learning how to talk based off of the videos. He also attempted to imitate other creatures he saw; possessing the ability to manipulate his mana into different forms. In his resting state, he appeared as a strange 'human' often with nerves and bones exposed.
Manu-Nui formed little to no bonds with other creatures in the reactor due to the dog-eat-dog environment. Eventually, Manu-Nui stopped exploring other floors due to the dangers and risks involved. He, however, appeared to keep practicing and growing his skills until the day my Runners encountered him...
Professional History:
Manu-Nui was not employed as a runner under the Middleman nor did I have the pleasure of ever meeting him first hand. Manu-Nui was first encountered by one of my Runner groups (Roan, Managirl, Del, Kembu) on their second mission at the Quiet Mountain Mana Reactor. Manu-Nui expressed an interest of leaving the facility with the Runners and agreed to help them find what they were looking for.
Upon returning to Babylon after the difficulties faced at Quiet Mountain, Manu-Nui was starstrucked by everything that he saw; though he felt how 'poisoned' the city and the earth became. He accompanied the Runners to drop off Dr. Klein which officially marked the completion of their second mission. However, immediately following the completion of the mission, the group attempted to track down and eliminate the subject known as Leonhardt Nacht. While at the Eight Ball Bar where Nacht had been cornered by Roan, Manu-Nui was wounded severely by Nacht's rail pistol and finished off by a grenade from the dwarven cartel hit squad after Nacht.
Manu-Nui was last seen as a pile of goo sprayed across the walls and floors of the Eight Ball Bar. The Runners could not acquire anything resembling a 'body' of Manu-Nui due to the franticness of their escape. Nacht, upon escaping his restraints, killed the remaining dwarves and pinned the attack on Felicia (a gnome associate of his). Felicia was put into custody by Genesis and Nacht had escaped prior to the arrival of corporation security.
It is believed that one of Nacht's contacts was able to cover up his involvement in the Eight Ball Bar. The battle at the bar was written off as gang related activity. Upon my arrival at the bar, I could not locate any residue from Manu-Nui. Hacking into Genesis files, the report mentions that some strange, unknown residue was collected and is being studied at an unnamed facility. However, my own examination at the bar leads me to believe that some of Manu-Nui's residue escaped like a bolt of lightning and into the surrounding environment.
It is my belief that Manu-Nui has joined the 'ghosts' in the city, though perhaps a part of him might reside in a Genesis facility somewhere... back right where he started.
Motivations:
Manu-Nui possessed a childlike sense of wonderment. He, above all else, was interested in the 'experience'. He wanted to experience things, learn things, and be out their in the world. It seemed he possessed an innate sense of good; preferring to help others rather than to hinder them. Indeed, he seemed to mourn the 'death' of the Quiet Mountain Reactor as if it was his own mother dying. This ties into his desire to protect the earth and spirits. I believe he would've pursued his interests in learning and helping others to their fullest extent had he survived and continued on with my group of runners. Scholarly, in a way...
My final thoughts regarding Manu-Nui is that his elimination was a tragedy to the scientific community and to the world at large. Manu-Nui possessed a good heart; alien as it may be. We may never see such a unique creature again. My hope is that a part of him still exists somewhere and that we'll see him again someday. However, I am not getting my hopes up, as I am a realist...
END REPORT
WD
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