The Many vs Unity: System Shock 2 vs Fallout 1

[Mortis]

DISCLAIMER! CONTAINS PLOT SPOILERS

Let me introduce this interesting coincidence in the storylines of two classic computer games. Recently, I came to realize that there is a deeper philosophical parallel in the backstories of both System Shock 2 and Fallout 1.

As this only struck me a few days ago, I have not attempted to pursue further research into the issue, but judging from release dates, it's possible that Fallout 1 (released late 1997) could have been an inspiration on System Shock 2's writing (released August 11, 1999). Apparently, System Shock 2 was in development for 18 months, which makes it at least partially viable.

Still, what is more interesting than who-did-what is the actual parallel, described in the following paragraphs (I believe Ripatius and perhaps Vraptor7 can correct any errors I might make in my description of System Shock 2):

In System Shock 2, Shodan has experimented with genetics and biologically manipulated Citadel's population into a new race that would eventually evolve and become a greater telepathical collective called The Many; I recall an audio log of one of the staff members of Von Braun (?) that states:

What's clear is that SHODAN shouldn't be allowed to play God. She's far too good at it.

Simply put, The Many attempts to create a psychic union in which all of its members act as cells of a greater, larger, better organism.

In Fallout 1's storyline, a robotic arm pushes Richard Grey into a FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus) vat and mutates him tremendously: In the process, he receives psychic skills, further intelligence and the ability to assimilate bodies and minds into his own.

After having assimilated several animals and other humans into himself, he finally links himself with the main computer of a vault and becomes "The Master", a hideous slime eventually hailed as a new god and a creator.

He begins his experiment with the FEV in order to bring world peace, a greater harmony and unity what he actually calls the "Unity" in one of his electronic logs:

Oh glorious creator!! I have succeeded in spreading the complete joy of unification to another soul!

While it may be completely coincidental that both games have a rather ambivalent moral backdrop in which both main enemies attempt to bring creater good for everyone (albeit with dubious methods), the similarities are still extremely interesting.

What is even more interesting is that these two games clearly have some of the best writing, voice acting and storytelling experienced in games. Is it the moral ambivalence that makes the games so good?

Any comments from anyone who knows something about this matter? Am I just seeing things?

[Ripatius]

In System Shock 2, Shodan has experimented with genetics and biologically manipulated Citadel's population into a new race that would eventually evolve and become a greater telepathical collective called The Many.

Actually this is the part that happened in System Shock (released 1994). Shodan goes rampant, with the help of the Hacker himself, who later becomes the hero of the game. She generates a virus, which mutates the infected person radically, resulting in a new species. Shodan uses the Citadel space station as a testground, and later plans to send the virus to earth accompanied with the already mutated subjects to wipe out the human race which she consideres as a complitely worthless form of life. In the end of the first game, the Hacker destroys Shodan's primary dataloop, destroying the station. Shodan herself escapes in a shuttle with some of her species. Later on the shuttle crashes to the surface of Tau Ceti V. To survive the crash, Shodan puts herself into a hibernating state. Her species are now on their own, suffering in a new and dangerous enviroment. And soon they evolve into a new species, called The Many. They feel furious for "their Machine Mother, made of steel" and are now spreading the word of flesh and unity. 42 years later the starship Von Braun's maiden voyage to Tau Ceti V gives The Many a chance to spread their word, and their first target is Earth, after the infection of Von Braun itself ofcourse.

As Mortis already said, The Many works as a single body, where the creatures work as limbs, more than as cells of the body. The body itself is a giant life-form that protects The Many's brain. The Limbs have many kinds of forms, from infected humans to levitating psionic chunks of biomass. The Many uses the infected human bodies as resources, which are then used wisely. Ofcourse, it takes a lot more of biomass to produce a huge and strong Rumbler than a minor spider.


GLORY TO THE MANY

[Mortis]

Thanks for the corrections!

I do have to touch upon a theme you mentioned earlier: What role does mutation effectively play in the System Shock games?