Project Abraham (website)

Project Abraham was a viral website, soon found out to be a small part of a greater ARG (alternate reality game) that was released on July 3, 2008, giving hints and clues about Resistance 2. It centers around a top-secret military project codenamed Project Abraham, under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of War and was conducted between October and December 1950 by the Special Research Projects Administration as a means to find a cure to the Chimeran virus (known as the "European Influenza" by the research team). Volunteers were injected with experimental vaccines to the virus, followed by a dose of the Chimeran virus itself. The results were often gruesome and unsuccessful. The project occurs before the events of Resistance: Fall of Man.

Overview

Colonel Grant Thompson led the project and was present at all of the tests. Doctor Cassandra Aklin (played by Katee Sackhoff) was the psychiatric consultant for the volunteers of the project (the project website uses "Cassie" as the protagonist's name).

The volunteers for the project were as follows;

Capt. Frank Anthony Gennaro, who had a gambling problem. Serial Number: 3-8-9-2-1-6-Tango-Carbon
1st Lieutenant Glenn Albert Khaner. Serial Number: 4-7-5-2-4-7-Uniform-Delta
Lieutenant Kenneth Danby, who was the only subject that knew the actual purpose of the project. Serial Number: 0-1-4-7-4-8-Victor-India
Sergeant Channing Brown. Brown battled the Chimera in Europe, and is deeply troubled by what he experienced there. Serial Number: 7-6-4-1-2-Alpha-XRay
Sergeant Keith Todd Oster. Serial Number: 4-9-1-3-2-Foxtrot-Bravo
Private Joseph Evan Capelli. Capelli chose to join this project instead of going to prison in Alaska. Serial Number: 4-9-2-3-4-Romeo-Rota
Sergeant Nathan Hale. Serial Number: 8-4-9-3-2-4-India-Foxtrot

Each test was accompanied by armed guards.

Cassandra Aklin

Aklin viewed each test subject before injection. She had once had a personal relationship to Khaner, and showed guilt when he entered the test area. She also began to show feelings toward Nathan Hale in the weeks prior to his test, and so confided her guilt over Khaner to Hale. Hale, in turn, became a good friend to Aklin and began to reciprocate her feelings when he shipped out to Britain as Resistance: Fall of Man begins.

Events

July 1

GamePro magazine releases a featured story about Resistance 2 for PS3, containing a detailed pamphlet, titled "Popular Technologies", with a visible url for the website Getawarjob.com and a phone number to join the US Military: 866-931-9417.

July 3

The Popular Technologies pamphlet contained a cryptic puzzle which was quickly solved, leading to ProjectAbraham.com. It displays a video with Morse code heard at the trailing end. The video shows from the viewpoint of an unknown male lying on a gurney, a group of medical staff and soldiers are rushing him down a pale green hallway with propaganda posters on the wall. The patient is in dire condition and the quality of his "sight" and "hearing" are therefore unstable; at various times his vision rolls, has over-saturated colors, blurs, and seems to skip back and forth in time. Dr. Cassie Aklin is one of the staff member overseeing the patient, and understands that the patient needs help. One of the doctors tries to inject something into the patient in which Aklin attempts to stop him but is taken away by the soldiers.

At the end of the video a flatline tone turns into Morse code which reads: -... .-.. .- -.-. -.- --- ..- -
Which translates to: BLACKOUT

The Morse code at the end of the video leads to a new page - ProjectAbraham.com/Blackout, displays a tabletop, on which is a photograph of seven men in military uniform - the candidates of Project Abraham. The photo can be picked up and moved around.

July 8

On November 6, 1950, a letter from Col. Grant Thompson to Dr. Cassie Aklin has been placed on the Blackout tabletop. The letter reads in tasking Dr. Aklin in monitoring the psychological states of the test subjects and chosen in choosing one out of three subjects, who are biologically best suited to that week's trial.

The second video appears. It shows Dr. Aklin in a argument with a doctor over her previous actions with the comatose patient. The doctor mentions the "situation" in Europe and warns Dr. Aklin about the patient's condition subjected to the "influenza" and that his affliction could "kill us all." Dr. Aklin further recant her reluctance in having the candidates being put through the project. Thereafter a continuous slamming is on a door beside Cassie. The doctor tries to hold the door, telling Dr. Aklin to get help, but is knock back. The slamming continues as soldiers rush to the scene before the first door panel gets smashed in.

July 14

The site includes a countdown in the footer, to Tuesday July 22, 12:00pm Pacific.

July 15

The third video appears, showing Dr. Aklin sitting at the bedside of the patient, now known to be a "test subject", who is restrained Dr. Aklin comforts the patient by holding his hand before being confronted by Colonel Thompson, who informs her that the project doctors are looking for the next subject and are waiting for her recommendation. Dr. Aklin is furious and refuse to do so in having another soldier ended up as the patient, stating that she is told to decide "who lives and who dies". However, Thompson tells her that it is her duty. The scene flash-forward, showing only Dr. Aklin talking to herself: "I can't do this alone."

July 22

The countdown ends, providing a link to the voting interface - to view dossiers, the PA inbox, and the first vote. The seven soldiers are Frank Gennaro, Capelli, Khaner, Hale, Brown, Danby, and Oster.

A new letter is also available - each letter now viewable in the Project Abraham Inbox.

The first vote is between Gennaro, Danby, and Oster.

The fourth video is also added to the front page, showing a message from Dr. Aklin. Which she decides in putting the viewers in choosing the subjects to be next candidate to be injected.

The a telegram/email received via the Getawarjob.com which leads to AmericaFirstAmericaOnly.com.

July 25

The first vote ends, resulting in Channing Brown receiving the next injection. A number of additional content is available.

Sergeant Channing Brown receives a 59% vote from the public. A new video records his reaction on being informed by Cassie - Psych. Office Surveillance, 11/10/1950, and two documents (a post-vote psych report, and a partial fax from the SRPA) are inserted into his dossier.

An audio message from Cassie is available, documenting her personal reaction to the vote.

A new letter appears in the Project Abraham Inbox.

July 29

Channing Brown did not survive. Cassie inserts a number of items in the candidates' Dossiers - Psych reports on the reactions from Danby, Oster, Gennaro (also the fact that he's the new candidate for the second vote). She also reported lab results to PA's Inbox. The second vote is open, which the following candidates are Gennaro, Danby, and Oster. Cassie expresses grief in having to include Gennaro in the selection, written in a Psych Report in Gennaro's dossier.

The US War Department Office of Psychological Profile (OPP) sent Dr. AKlin a copy of the Freiberghen Open-Association Test (Personality Test) to help analyze the candidates. The Personality Test is also available to be taken online, by answering a series of questions, then optionally including contact information for further updates and/or additional testing.

July 31

Dr. Aklin begins calling contacts who registered at Projectabraham.com with their mobile number. The call is a (pre-recorded) message, voiced by Katee Sackhoff herself, encouraging people to help her by visiting Projectabraham.com.

August 1

Oster is voted as the next injection candidate. His dossier is updated with Cassie's psych report, as are Gennaro's and Danby's.

Sergeant Oster receives a 73% vote from the public. A new video records his reaction on being informed by Cassie. Oster is overheard talking with Hale about a past event, which is transcribed and filed in SRPA.

August 5

Oster's injection results are in and documented in a video, his dossier and the PA inbox. The test results are unresolved - Oster began attacking an orderly and was eventually shot to death by a soldier before the serum could be administered. New psych reports are made by Cassie, for Khaner (the new selection, whose induction video is also available), Capelli, Danby, Gennaro, and Hale. Khaner has been selected as the new injection candidate, and the third vote begins with him, Gennaro and Danby.

The U.S. War Department deems the personality test results "unexpected" and sends Cassie a Rorschach test to follow up with.

August 7

Cassie again calls contacts who registered at Projectabraham.com with mobile number, reminding people to vote the next day. Cassie's call is a pre-recorded message as before, encouraging people to help her by visiting Projectabraham.com.

August 8

Khaner is voted as the next injection candidate. His dossier is updated with Cassie's psych report, a video of his reaction; Gennaro and Danby also receive psych reports.

Khaner's dossier also includes an audio transcript where he reveals to Hale that he failed heavily on a 'placement exam' (which is circled in red) with the number 826478 written next to it. This leads to a new SRPA Terminal file - PE826478.

August 12

Khaner's injection results are in and documented in a video, his dossier and the PA inbox. Khaner did not survive the injection. The fourth vote begins with the remaining three candidates - Hale, Gennaro and Danby - up for injection. Their dossiers are updated with new pysch reports.

August 14

Cassie calls people who registered at Projectabraham.com with mobile number a third time, reminding people to vote the next day.

August 15

Hale is voted as the next injection candidate. His dossier is updated with Cassie's psych report, a video documenting his reaction and a letter. The letter has a stamp leading to a SRPAnet file featuring Hale's "Young Ranchers of South Dakota" membership oath.

Two new memos in the PA inbox are added, one memo leads to new SRPA files related to Project Abraham security and Nathan Hale.

August 19

Hale's injection results are in and documented in a video, his dossier and the PA inbox. Hale survived the injection, but is now in a coma. The fifth vote begins with the remaining two candidates - Gennaro and Danby - up for injection. Their dossiers are updated with new psych reports. Hale's personal effects list number leads to the fourth document control number hunt.

August 22

Gennaro is voted as the next injection candidate. His dossier is updated with Cassie's psych report, a video message to his family, two letters and a check. The check has a couple of words circled: SBST and account #67100928, which leads to an SRPA filed back balance report. It is revealed that Gennaro owed $10,000 in gambling debts and joined Project Abraham to pay them off.

August 26

Gennaro's injection results are in and documented in a video, his dossier and the PA inbox. Gennaro did not survive. As only Danby remains, he will be injected by default. Gennaro's personal effects list number leads to the fifth document control number hunt. Project Abraham's Chimera vaccine is revealed to be part of a much larger SRPA project to create human super soldiers known as Sentinels.

A letter on ProjectAbraham.com's homepage reveals that an event will occur on December 15 (August 29th in real life) in Seattle. The exact location that the document charters is the convention center where the Penny Arcade Expo will be taking place (August 29-31), hinting at a reveal during the SCEA conference.

August 29

Danby's injection is canceled by SRPA. A memo in the PA inbox notes that all Alaskan-based Project Abraham operations will be shut down and moved to Research Station Genesis.

Projectabraham.com, along with Getawarjob.com and Americafirstamericaonly.com, are "destroyed." PA.com is updated with a memo summarizing the events that occured and a video showing a conversation between Hale and Cassie.

The Resistance 2 event at the Penny Arcade Expo is held. The event was a demo of R2's multiplayer mode. An AFAO card found at the event leads to the discovery of multiple SRPA documents related to the evacuation of Project Abraham and the Chimeran invasion of the United States.

Test Results

Joseph Capelli - inoculated on November 2nd, 1950. After being injected, Capelli became violently aggressive and attack his own doctor with his new-found superhuman strength before fell into a coma and has awoken since then. He was moved to Base Station Genesis in Bryce Canyon, Utah for monitoring. Capelli appears in Resistance 2 as a supporting character and later Resistance 3 as a main protagonist.

Channing Brown - inoculated on November 14th, 1950. Brown had an extremely adverse reaction to the Chimeran virus. When injected, the virus and anti-virus created a chemical reaction that caused his internal organs to liquefy, causing him to vomit them all up. He died within seconds of being injected. The autopsy has not been performed. This might have been a more severe version of Frank Gennaro's scenario.

Keith Oster - fail to inoculate on November 20th, 1950. Oster never received his injection, as he became uncontrollably aggressive after he discovered that Cassandra Aklin didn't have feelings for him as he did for her. A soldier was forced to kill him using his sidearm after Oster threaten to kill the doctor who was to inject him.

Glenn Khaner - inoculated on November 30th, 1950. When Khaner was injected with the virus, his cell structure began mutating and his body started forming new tissue extremely rapidly in and around his lungs, brain cavity, and neck, and his eyes turned yellow. He died several minutes later due to suffocation. This reaction was most likely the Chimeran tissue regeneration which grew out of control.

Nathan Hale - inoculated on December 1st, 1950. After injection, Hale complained of seeing gruesome, bloody images whenever he blinked, but refused assistance, saying it was all in his head. He then fell into a coma, but it was noted that his pupils still reacted to light. Curiously, Hale's face would flush, but only when Aklin entered the room. Nathan Hale is a survivor of Project Abraham along with Joseph Capelli. As such, it has now been discovered that the serum injected into Hale has given him his semi-immunity to the Chimeran virus. Hale appears in Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2 as a main protagonist

Frank Gennaro - inoculated on December 8th, 1950. Gennaro was injected with the vaccine, and complained of pain afterward. This was a result of the Chimera's higher metabolism which affected him before he was injected with the virus. Gennaro was then injected with the actual virus. He advanced further into the Chimeran condition than any other test subject, as his skull began to grow extra eye sockets and fangs. His system shut down after his body reached a temperature of 106 degrees Fahrenheit and, as the pain was too much, he cut himself open with a broken flask, and pulled out his own organs. He died several minutes later. This is likely because the virus spread and fused with the internal organs so quickly, that when the antibody was injected, it attacked most internal organs, causing the burning sensation.

Kenneth Danby - exempted on December 15th, 1950. After learning of Danby's involvement in Project Abraham, Colonel D. Peterson demanded the release of Danby to his base in Bryce Canyon, Utah.

Afterward

It seems that a cure has not been found for the virus. However, the candidates who survived their immunization to the Chimeran virus led to the creation of an elite super-soldier task force code-named "Sentinels". Project Abraham was decommissioned on December 15th, 1950.

Trivia

Resistance 2 website

Projectabrahampic2 — Nathan Hale looking at the picture above (Notice how the man on the right of the picture is in the same position).

Projectabrahampic3 — Just left of Hale is the same picture in the basement of Benjamin Warner's house in *Resistance 2*, indicating that each of the Sentinels knew each other.

An unknown subject in the video section, titled "C. Alkin/N. Hale Surv." shows an unknown subject receiving a dosage of the virus without any sample cure. Upon closer inspection, the subject appears to be Kenneth Danby. Whether Danby was actually administered the virus or if the video was simply left on the website to show how he would have died had he had been voted to take the virus remains to be seen.

Some of the guards were armed with Colt M1911 pistols and M14 battle rifles, however, the M14 was invented to take place of the variety of weapons that were used by the Allies in World War II, which didn't happen in the Resistance Universe.

Ironically, Khaner's case said in his induction video, "They're not gonna let me die, are they?" However, when Khaner becomes suffocated with his own tissue, the head doctor said "It'll just prolong things." When another doctor suggested to do surgery to relieve him.

Resistance: Burning Skies

Project Abraham is mentioned by Ellie Martinez during the Ellis Island mission.
By August 21, 1951, It is believed that Project Abraham was taken over by Project Phoenix.

Links