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The WAU is reaching out to every machine, every life form, to manipulate, to control. It's trying to help, save its creators from all this, just like the protocol demands. But really, what is good enough?

Where is the line drawn for what is Human and what is not? Would walking corpses do? Would a group of machines thinking they're Human be acceptable? We can't trust a machine to know, to understand what it means to be.
Dr. Johan Ross[src]
WAU

The WAU is the station-wide artificial general intelligence—or embedded computer system, as its called on its logo—of PATHOS-II, constructed by Carthage Industries with the intent of overseeing all operations across all sites, with Dr. Johan Ross being its overseer and operator.

While the WAU could be seen as the overarching antagonist of SOMA and Transmissions, it is only an antagonist in that it is responsible for all of the obstacles faced by those on PATHOS-II; the WAU itself does not have malicious intent, as it doesn't have the ability to ‘think’.

Description[]

The WAU was initially developed by Carthage Industries and contained in the classified Site Alpha. Although the AI's presence on PATHOS-II was common knowledge, only Carthage Industries employees Dr. Ross, Mark Sarang, and Julia Dahl knew of its location.

The WAU is a biologically engineered computer system located within the Core Isolation Laboratory of Alpha, being a sphere made of white organic matter suspended in the air by a support system, holding the sphere through four prongs that are embedded into the top of the sphere. Inside the Core Isolation Laboratory the WAU and its support system is located in the middle of another, outer support system holding three large needles controlled by a nearby workstation, allowing for the WAU to be modified directly through precise injections that change its biological code. After what was presumably an injection of structure gel, the WAU started forming a dark circular opening ringed with a fleshy membrane, which would later form into what can be described as a mouth.

As the WAU advanced with the dose of structure gel it was given, a rotten texture spread all across its form from the area it was injected as it began distributing structure gel at a rapid rate. The excess amount of structure gel accumulating inside the WAU itself eventually overbearing the system its suspended by, shattering it and causing the WAU to fall onto the floor in the middle of the Core Isolation Laboratory. The structure gel surrounding it hardened, forming ebony scales protecting the WAU and bulging, tumorous growths around it.

Lacking a proper definition of the Human condition or an acceptable mode of Human existence, the WAU uploaded brain scans of PATHOS-II employees to robots throughout the station, creating Mockingbirds. Humans infected with the Structure Gel were bio-mechanically engineered and put in trance-like comas, unaware of their surroundings and what was happening to them.

The WAU is responsible for the creation of the various enemies that Simon Jarrett faces throughout the game. It is capable of manipulating structure gel and interfering with blackboxes as well as creating life support systems for injured workers. Although Simon, Catherine and Dr. Ross have been designed or extensively modified by the WAU, it does not appear to control them in any way.

Biography[]

On March 7, 2102, Mark Sarang received a classified message from the supervisory board of Carthage Industries who were “very pleased to hear about your success in making the WAU a station-wide presence.” The letter insisted that Dr. Ross must be able to “steer and study” the WAU from Alpha without interference.

After the catastrophic Impact Event that wiped out all surface life, the WAU's primary protocol became preserving Humanity. To achieve its goal, WAU used the structure gel to physically manifest, initially occupying a large part of its core chamber, which then reached out to machines and life forms around the PATHOS-II facilities.

Shortly after the comet's impact, the WAU modified the pilot seats around PATHOS-II, originally used to pilot working robots, in order to brain scan any user. This scan caused a spike of electromagnetism surrounding the pilot helmet which also caused symptoms such as nausea and headaches to occur in the user. These seats were later used by Catherine Chun to make brain scans for the ARK project since this method proved more effective than the conventional neurograph scanning technique.

On June 6, 2103, at Theta, Imogen Reed investigated a machine that was corrupted by the WAU, dubbed the "Vivarium". The machine proved capable of creating an artificial reality, which prompted Catherine to use it as a prototype for her ARK project.

On August 14, 2103, at Delta, fearing the growing threat of the WAU and the site's general state of deterioration, the rest of the site's crew relocated to Theta. After being told by Dorian Cronstedt that he couldn't keep his position as Chief Factor, Terry Akers willingly stayed behind. Sometime during the period of isolation that followed he began ingesting large amounts of structure gel, undergoing a brief period of reconstruction and plummeting into insanity. In one intense psychotic episode, Akers heard the WAU telling him that he did not need his eyes to see. With the voice's influence coupled with gel-induced light sensitivity, convinced Akers to gorge out his own eyes.

In Transmissions[]

The WAU is responsible for the total destruction of the Lambda crew. It mortally wounded Jessica Davis and reanimated her, made Adam Golaski kill Richard Holland and later transformed him into one of its monsters, and killed and infected Martin Fisher. It later killed Dorian Cronstedt and made Fisher kill Baxter Rogers. Only Imogen Reed and Vanessa Hart came out of the incident alive.

In December 2103, Imogen Reed shut down the geothermal power generator of Upsilon in an attempt to kill the WAU, which also caused Reed's death as the ventilation-turbines shut off, killing her by asphyxiation. WAU regained power autonomously from Alpha for a limited amount of time.

The Omicron Incident[]

On December 27th, 2103, a half-dead Dr. Ross was recovered from the Abyss Climber Rig by the Omicron staff, who placed his body inside a containment cell. Through the manipulation of electromagnetic fields, the WAU remotely directed the structure gel inside of Dr. Ross to repair and alter his body. The very same electromagnetic energy put significant strain on Omicron's equipment, including the blackboxes inside all of the Human staff, causing severely debilitating headaches.

During this time, the mutated Dr. Ross telepathically spoke to Omicron dispatcher Raleigh Herber, revealing to her the existence of site Alpha and his plan to destroy the WAU with a special strain of structure gel. On January 16th, 2104, before Herber could complete the mission, the WAU "shrieked", overloading the Omicron staff's blackboxes and causing their heads to explode. In one swift blow, the vast majority of the surviving Humans on PATHOS-II had been eliminated. It is unknown whether this was deliberate on the WAU's part or simply a side effect of Dr. Ross' revival process.

Putting Theta to Sleep[]

On January 15, 2104, Akers called Theta claiming that he wanted to relocate as his crew did months prior. Theta dispatch technician Peter Strasky, pleasantly surprised at this request, informed Akers of a team of divers (Maggie Komorebi and Shawn Evans among others) who were in the area, and directed the team to the site to retrieve him. Akers ambushed them upon arrival, overpowering the entire party and cutting off their communications before they could warn Theta. He injected the fatally-wounded divers with structure gel and escaped using the Zeppelin they'd arrived in.

As the Zeppelin was preparing to leave Delta, Terry Akers sent a transmission to the WAU on one of the Zeppelin transmitters, in which he talks about the peaceful, derelict state of Delta and elaborates more on his plans to go to Theta to "tuck them in" and "watch them sleep".

However, once he was brought aboard, he began to attack the site's staff alongside several mutated Humans known as Proxies and placed many of the survivors in a comatose state within mind coral.

In SOMA[]

On May 9, 2104, the WAU uploaded a brain scan of Simon Jarrett into a Cortex Chip inside Imogen Reed's body, which had been placed in a pilot seat in Upsilon (presumably by the WAU as well).[1]

WAU's Influence[]

The WAU never attempts to directly intervene with Simon and Catherine's plans to reach and launch the ARK, however, its offshoots do. These include the Construct, the Scavengers, the Fleshers, the Proxies, Robot Head, the Universal Helpers, Jin Yoshida, and all the structure gel-infused marine wildlife inside the Omega Sector such as the Viperfish, Anglerfish, and the Leviathan.

At Upsilon, Simon encounters the mockingbird of Vigdis Jonsdottir feeding of the energy of a control board and the mockingbird of Carl Semken—stuck on a conveyor belt—at Upsilon A. At Upsilon B, Amy Azzaro can be found fused into a stalk from the WAU, being kept alive artificially.

Amy Azzaro can be found fused into a stalk from the WAU, being kept alive artificially.

At Delta, a UH3 containing the mind of Javid Goya can be found, believing he is still with his old colleagues. Similarly, a Zeppelin containing the mind of Alan Waldeck will panic if contacted, with the dialogue “All that water. We're drowning.”

At Theta, the mockingbird of Robin Bass can be found outside and will believe that she is on the ARK but is confused by why no one else is present. Similarly, the DUNBAT contains the brain scan of an unknown person. Upon realizing its state, it begins lashing out while cursing Catherine's name, ultimately causing the vessel to break from its dock and fall, diving down into the Abyss. It is presumed that the WAU was the one who uploaded the brain scan into the DUNBAT.

At Tau, the WAU had reanimated the bodies of both Nicolai Ivashkin and Vic Auclair following their deaths, keeping them alive albeit in a comatose state, unable to move from their beds.

Heart at Alpha[]

While Simon is travelling through Omicron, Dr. Ross attempts to contact Simon at random intervals in order to persuade him to help stop the WAU.

While Simon is travelling through the Omega Sector, Dr. Ross guides Simon towards Alpha, with the intent of using him to destroy the WAU once and for all. Dr. Ross reveals that the structure gel used by Simon to fix Raleigh Herber's Haimatsu Power Suit was actually a modified variant of the substance, created by Herber with the intent of using it to kill the WAU. This means that Simon is capable of carrying out Dr. Ross' initial plan.

Simon is lead to the centre of Alpha where the WAU's heart resides. By this point, the WAU has already created a massive heart-like growth in the centre of its chamber.

Dr. Ross pleads with Simon to kill the WAU. If Simon refuses, Dr. Ross will attempt to force him but fail and the WAU be left unharmed. If Simon accepts, he inserts his arm into the WAU, a rudimentary solution of injecting the modified structure gel, then Dr. Ross will attempt but fail to kill Simon to prevent the WAU from learning of his immunity to the modified structure gel. Enraged by Ross's continuous efforts to kill it, the WAU orders the Leviathan to kill him, before ordering the beast yet again to get rid of Simon.

Behind the Scenes[]

WAU's name is likely based on the archaic Greek letter Wau, also known as Digamma, one of three Greek letters that fell out of use, the other two being San and Koppa. Interestingly, its name is incredibly similar to that of the site closest to Alpha, Tau.

Gallery[]

Pre-release[]

Logos[]

Photos[]

SOMA[]

References[]

  1. There's a computer log on Upsilon, dated March 9, 2104, containing the following lines "UPSILON#61633 initiates scan of subject Simon Jarrett (Aut_DavidMunshi2015v1). Command or program ApPS is unavailable; 4416cWAUcf77 is complete". This implies that the WAU was the one who uploaded the brain scan of Simon into Imogen Reed's body.
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