2019 - London

The streets of London. Aliyah Khan, is engaged in a street card game. A hustler, she is taking bets from the crowd and using sleight of hand and probability to earn her way. As an underground realm of gambling, eventually the police arrive and she is forced to run with the crowd and decides to hide in a large garbage bin until they eventually leave. She takes the Underground railway home, and back to her flat that she shares with her room-mate Bianca. Due to the smell she has inherited, she immediately takes a shower. Bianca reminds her about the crypto company that was previously set up between them along with a man called Jarrod, who ultimately ran away with all of their money. She states that her father still needs back the money he originally invested, which Aliyah promised to return, otherwise he might lose his home. Aliyah resignedly agrees that she will find the money one way or another.

Aliyah makes a trip to the nearby Chinatown area, and heads down an alleyway. At a steel door she is confronted by a bouncer, but after giving the password – “Prince George sent me” - she makes her way inside to a Karaoke bar and through to the back of a Chinese Restaurant. There, a game of underground Poker is being played. After winning several games, she is bested by an older gentleman player who not only knows her name, but also about her startup crypto company. He bluffs his way to victory over her and then leaves the table. Spooked by how much he knew about her, Aliyah folds from the game and leaves after him.

Gavin Banks from AC Initiates and ACRogue

Outside in the alley, she calls out to the older gentleman, demanding to know who he is. He reveals himself to be Gavin Banks. He promises he can resolve her financial issues if she helps him with a task. Without giving detail, he promises to reveal all the next day, and writes an address on a business card before driving off in an SUV.

The next morning, Aliyah receives a phone call from the London School of Economics about her former business scholarship informing her that her funding has suddenly been taken care of, and she is therefore free to resume studies there. Now believing in Gavin, she journeys to the Docklands and bangs on a warehouse door. It is answered by My'shell Lemair, who grants entry inside. Gavin enters shortly after, and gives Aliyah an overview about Abstergo, and what the organisation really stands for. He explains that he knows where the money that Jarrod Eubanks stole from her is hidden, and that he will return it to her if she helps with obtaining information about one of her ancestors from the 17th-century – Omar Khaled, an apprentice to Isaac Newton. Aliyah is then shown an Animus machine, and is told about how it can read her DNA and display her genetic memories in real time. Gavin explains that Newton was well known for his battle with money counterfeiters, as part of his appointment to the Royal Mint. They are ultimately searching for a specific coin with an inscription, the contents of which they believe to be a code word to help stop a virus program within the modern world. After some trepidation, Aliyah agrees to enter the Animus in exchange for the promised return of her crypto funds.



1696 – London

As the simulation begins, Aliyah states that she cannot see anything but black, but she hears the sound of the street around her. She hears Omar save two beggars from the path of a horse carriage rushing past, but remaining unable to see, she calls out to get back out of the Animus.



2019 – London

Exclaiming that something is wrong with the machine as she cannot see, Aliyah is informed that Omar was in fact blind. She does not understand how she is supposed to see the inscription on a coin if that is the case, but Gavin simply asks her to listen, and hopes the answers will present themselves.



1696 – London

Omar arrives at Isaac Newton's residence in Jermyn Street, London. The blind man is frustrated at the door, by an overtly racist butler who refuses entry to the Moor. Omar explains he has been sent by the King via the Royal Mint, and is then reluctantly given entrance to Newton's study. Isaac is busy with experiments, and initially refuses to even acknowledge his visitor, stating that he does not need an assistant. When Omar warns that a mixture is about to overflow, Isaac is astounded to realise that Omar is in fact blind. Omar explains he is familiar with alchemy and the pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone. Fascinated, Isaac insists he therefore stay to assist, and has a guest room prepared. A guard interrupts the proceedings, and states that they have found the operating factory of a counterfeiter named Oliver Augustus. Isaac and Omar get into a horse carriage, and make their way there. On the journey across, Isaac explains that he intends to save the British Empire by stopping all counterfeiters like Augustus.

At the factory itself, Newton's guards raid the entrance. The factory appears deserted, but Omar's Eagle Vision allows him to detect Augustus tip-toeing around near a stable. He is eventually tackled to the ground, and is interrogated by Newton. He reveals that he works for a man called William Chaloner. An explosion suddenly rings out, and fake coins rain down as everyone is knocked to the ground.



2019 – London

Aliyah's vitals seem to be elevated. My'Shell worries that she might be claustrophobic, which actually is the case and was caused by her being forcibly trapped in a washing machine by cousins when she was a young girl. Gavin reassures that she will be fine.



1696 – London

The stable fills with smoke, as Omar and Isaac escape to safety outside. They return to the Newton house, and discuss the situation in the kitchen with tea. William Lowndes from the Royal Mint arrives, as he was sent to check on the two of them after hearing of events. Lowndes reveals that he knew that William Chaloner was a counterfeiter, but in exchange for information on the counterfeiting network, paperwork relating to him was destroyed and he eventually went straight and legit. He also was due to attend a party that evening by Lord Crystal. Omar and Isaac insist that they must attend the party too, and try to locate Chaloner. Omar walks Lowndes outside, and privately Lowndes insists that Omar keep Newton safe, and that he should consider returning to training other Assassins once he is done with saving the Royal Mint.

Later that evening, Omar and Isaac attend the party. They meet Lord Benedict Crystal, and Sir Artemis Murray. Keen to discuss intellectual theory with him, Isaac is taken away from Omar, who instead decides to visit the servant quarters. On the way there he bumps into Rose Galloway, a childhood friend from when his father was a servant in the very same house where they stand. They talk of the situation in London, and are interrupted by a waiter who knocks Rose over and runs away. They quickly notice that Rose's necklace has been stolen, and she and Omar give chase to the waiter thief. Running down the streets, the waiter takes to the rooftops with Omar following, jumping from one roof to the next. They duck into a warehouse, with the waiter running downstairs leaving Omar at the top floor. Rose appears below and attacks the waiter with a crowbar, but is quickly overpowered.

Omar then performs a Leap of Faith from high above, and tackles the waiter as he falls, smashing the head of the thief against the stone floor. Rose discovers a note in the waiter's pocket, describing her necklace, and it is signed by “C”. As they take a carriage back to the party, Rose questions how Omar could evidently see his way around. He reveals that he can detect his surroundings with his other senses, terming it Eagle Vision. Rose is surprised and reveals that she too has a similar ability. As they go back to the Crystal estate, a commotion has ended the party. Lord Crystal is arrested as counterfeit money machines are discovered hidden amongst his house by Newton. Lowndes speaks to Omar privately, where Omar reveals that he believes Rose is a perfect candidate for Assassin training.



2019 – London

The simulation abruptly ends, and Aliyah is startled in the Animus chair. My'Shell informs her that the Templars have found them, and she rapidly starts to pack away gear. Gavin queries how she knows this, and My'Shell informs that someone appears to be monitoring the Animus. He informs her that there is nothing on outside surveillance, and desires Aliyah to continue. Aliyah queries what the historical coin inscription is needed for, and is told that it is believed to be a fail-safe code to deactivating a new software program that Abstergo intends to use to influence the Dark Web – giving them control over the likes of weapons and trafficking deals. Knowing the risks of continuing, she elects to get back into the Animus.




1696 – London

Rose Galloway enters a church, and finds a priest named Father Jones inside. She states that she is looking for Omar, and is directed to the crypts below. Once down there, she detects Omar standing behind her in her own Eagle Vision. They discuss the fate of the waiter that stole her necklace, and that of Lord Crystal. Omar suggests that she has potential and could become far more than she is, and do more good in the world if she trained to be an Assassin like him. At that moment, she pushes him aside as the church bell from above collapses onto the ceiling. Fortunately they are safe, and Omar suggests that with her senses attuned as they are, she could have saved others – had the church not already been empty. She therefore agrees to train with Omar. Her training begins immediately, and she is sworn to the three tenets of the Brotherhood.



2019 – London

My'shell Lemair

Aliyah is pulled from the simulation, as My'Shell informs that the Templars have been detected about a mile out. They frantically start packing items, but are forced to leave the Animus behind. Gavin reveals that there is a secret tunnel leading to the docks that was formerly used by smugglers, hidden under a bath tub within the building. The three of them slide into the tunnel as a large smash is heard from the building entrance. As they walk through the long tunnel, they hear more loud bangs behind them, and decide to sprint to the end, which leads to a shipping container unit. Looking at the monitor feed on My'Shell's mobile, they know that the Templars are searching for a hidden exit. A commando sneaks around outside the container, and the three of them hear him on the same comms as the other Templars. At that moment Aliyah struggles with her claustrophobia and drops the phone making a loud thud. The commando shoots the container lock, and as the door opens My'Shell stabs his throat with her Hidden Blade. They run out to the docks, and find Gavin's emergency boat.

Later on, Gavin’s group manages to hideout at the London Zoo. They discuss how to locate another Animus, but none are in London. Aliyah suggests they can visit the London office of ExploreDNA, an ancestry service run by Abstergo that scours people's DNA. Gavin sources a van, and drops Aliyah and My'Shell at the ExploreDNA office under disguise as cleaners. They manage to locate a DNA terminal, and Aliyah plugs in a VR Headset. A security guard comes along, but Aliyah screams fear into him and tackles him to the floor. He is then taped up. Returning to the VR visor connected to the ExploreDNA terminal, Aliyah delves into a simulation. She finds herself in a limbo form of loading screen, where she is confronted by the voice of an AI, calling itself Shaun Hastings. My'Shell promises she has now turned the AI assistant off, and the simulation begins.



1696 – London

Rose and Omar continue to spar. They are interrupted by Father Jones, who states he was requested by Newton's butler, Finnegan, to pass a message to Omar to attend at Newgate Jail immediately. Upon arriving there, Omar is lead through the prison to a cell by a jailer, only to discover Newton on the ground being strangled by Jack Oliver – the waiter thief himself. The jailer knocks the prisoner off, and escorts Newton to a physician. Omar interrogates Oliver, demanding to know who sent him for the necklace. Eventually he threatens him with his Hidden Blade. Oliver reveals that a man had kidnapped his daughter and demanded that he attempt the robbery of the necklace. Obtaining the address of this extorter, Omar leaves the jail. Outside he finds Newton and Lowndes. The latter again begs Omar to watch over Newton, before Omar takes Isaac home in a horse carriage. Once underway Omar reveals the address he obtained, and the driver is instructed to head there instead.

Upon arriving at the house, it appears abandoned – boarded up and dark. Isaac tries the door, but it is locked, and Omar kicks it open instead. They search the house but find nothing. Entering the cellar though, they stumble across a dead body. Upon his person are handwritten papers, detailing codes. Isaac recognises them as map coordinates, and that the first is a location in Surrey.

The location ends up being a water mill called “The Surrey Mill”. As they arrive there early in the morning, they see no-one around. As they sneak around, they are suddenly attacked by a worker with a staff. Isaac is knocked to the ground, as Omar and

The Tower of London

the worker battle. The floor collapses below them, and they fall into the river below the mill. After taking turns drowning each other, Omar overpowers the assailant before Isaac calls to Omar to spare the worker's life for answers.

Later, they discover the worker to be James Blanchard, another known counterfeiter. He is placed under arrest, and the fake money within the mill is gathered to be taken to the Tower of London. As Isaac is requested to return with the guards, he argues in protest before suddenly collapsing. He is returned to his London residence, and put to bed by a Doctor who advises he needs decent rest due to exhaustion. Privately, Finnegan admits to Omar that he had been warned that Newton suffered with bouts of melancholy – which he believes to be from his frequent dabbles in alchemy. Omar thanks him for the insight, and leaves for the church once more. At the church he meets Father Jones, who worries that Omar is troubled. Rose enters, as the Father leaves the church. Omar suggests that he should no longer train her, fearing he is still troubled by past failures. She refuses the suggestion, and their training continues.



2019 – London

My'Shell pulls the simulation, and demands Aliyah has a break to eat. She also tells her that Gavin has faked a gas leak to keep the street to themselves. Aliyah asks if the security guard has been fed, and is told that he has not. She feeds him, and has a short chat with him about where he is from – promising to release him after they have completed their mission.



1696 – London

Omar arrives at the estate of Lord Dash, to find Isaac attending the next location on his coordinates list. Again, a counterfeiting operation has been seized, this time that of Melissa Howard. Omar insists that Isaac should be in bed, but Isaac promises to do so once they have attended the final location on his map – in Bristol. They both clamber into a carriage and make their way there. On the journey, Omar questions Isaac about his reputed dark period in Cambridge, and his experiments in alchemy. Newton reveals that he ultimately only took the Warden of the Royal Mint position to occupy himself to keep the darkness at bay.

Nicolas Fatio de Duillier

When they arrive at Bristol, the coordinates lead to a house. Inside, they find it mostly empty, but on the upper floor they discover a naked man cowering from them. Omar offers him a blanket, and Isaac recognises him as Nicolas Fatio de Duillier – his former Swiss assistant at Cambridge. Isaac had once worked with him in order to try and find the Philosopher Stone, and though he cared alot for Nicolas they eventually had to part ways due to “disagreements”. They collectively return to Newton's London residence once more. Isaac shows his study and experiments to Nicolas, before Finnegan takes the ailed Swissman to a guest bedroom to rest and recuperate. Omar and Isaac discuss Chaloner, with the latter vowing to kill him for what he did to Nicolas. Omar suggests Isaac gets some rest, and then he heads for the church once more.

Amidst the crypts, Omar once more trains Rose. She reveals that her father wants to move the entire family to Paris but protests that she does not want to go. Suddenly they hear footsteps above them, with Omar suggesting they are most likely Templars. He sets fire to nearby kindling to start a blaze, and advises that there is a secret exit hallway that they can use. As they run, an explosion rings out ahead of them. The roof above them begins to crack, and it begins to cave in. Amidst the rubble, Rose manages to climb to an opening, as Omar injures his leg. Rose is then grabbed by two Templar warriors. They demand Omar's surrender, as he clambers out. The Templars are shocked to discover he is blind, and surprised that this was the supposed Assassin they were looking for. Rose catches the two guards by surprise, knocking them both to the ground unconscious. Omar has to prevent her from killing them, at which point they embrace and kiss.



2019 – London

Aliyah is returned to the limbo state of the Animus, and hears the voice of Shaun Hastings once more. The AI informs her that the ExploreDNA terminal is set-up only for family experiences and thus it does not allow display of sexual content. Because of that, they must wait for the romantic situation between Omar and Rose to complete before the simulation resumes. Aliyah asks the AI if he can locate Jarrod Eubanks, and he states that he will look into it. The session then abruptly ends as My'Shell realises what Aliyah is trying to do. She promises that they know do Jarrod's location - the Channel Islands, and that she has to trust the Brotherhood. Aliyah vows once more to find the coin, and re-enters the simulation.



1696 – London

Rose and Omar walk home, with her suggesting that he come and visit her father Nigel. At that moment the Royal guard arrive to arrest her father on the grounds of counterfeiting, at the order of the Warden of the Royal Mint. Shocked at the order, Omar rushes to find Isaac still busy with experiments at his residence, and discovers that it was not actually his command. Fearing someone is trying to usurp his power, the two rush to the Tower of London. Rose awaits outside, and the three demand the release of her father. Once released, Nigel Galloway confirms that it was William Lowndes who ordered his arrest. Lowndes then enters the room, and Isaac demands answers from him. Lowndes responds that Newton is no longer Warden, but that William Chaloner now is instead. Newton is accused of being a counterfeiting mastermind, and is promptly arrested.



2019– London

My'Shell ends the simulation prematurely. She advises Aliyah that they have looked into Jarrod's background some more. Not only are his funds tied up in Abstergo Financial, but his personal banker is its CEO Agneta Reider, one of Aliyah’s biggest idols before knowing the Assassins. Her staff also includes Aliyah's father – Fahad Khan - whom she was informed and assumed to be dead since she was 10 years old. Refusing to believe, Aliyah returns to the simulation.



1696 – London

Omar, Rose, Lowndes and Chaloner are at the entrance to the Newton house. They ring the door bell, and Finnegan appears. Omar demands answers, but Lowndes promises them once they get to the study. He demands Finnegan open a safe located in the room, within which it is revealed an entire stash of counterfeited coins. He further explains that it was Newton's scheme all along, using alchemy to create his own perfect false coin, and in turn disposing of his own operations around the country, and using Chaloner as the scapegoat to cover his own tracks. Omar is left in disbelief.

Later that day, a dispirited Omar visits the Galloway residence which appears to be under renovation. Rose is excited to confirm that her father has new found business in London, and will thus be staying. Omar is still angry at being fooled by Newton, and insists he is not able to train her any further. The conversation turns darker, until Rose asks him to leave and slams the door. Omar elects to attend the Newgate Jail and confront Newton.

William Lowndes

Upon arrival, he discovers that Nicolas is also there waiting to see Isaac. They discuss if they truly believe that Newton did what he was accused of. At that moment, yelling can be heard and the prisoners have started rioting. Three of them burst into the room, and immediately attack. Omar is forced to kill all three, and then suggests they go rescue Isaac together. Omar is forced to defend them several times, killing many prisoners in the process. Eventually more guards pour in and restore order to the jail. It is discovered that twelve of the men that were killed were directly tied to the counterfeiting ring, and Newton has also evidently escaped – leading most people to believe Newton himself was behind the twelve murders. The only remaining counterfeiter from the ring is Lord Crystal, who is still incarcerated at the Tower of London. Omar and Nicolas rush there to prevent the thirteenth murder.

Meeting the warden at the Tower of London, they are granted access to meet Lord Crystal. He explains to them that his former butler, Finnegan, had gone on to work for Newton and had recently visited him in the Tower – thus this is how he knows that Isaac is now out to eliminate him too. Omar suggests that they make way to the Crystal Estate, and see what evidence remains there now. Before he goes inside, he advises Nicolas to wait thirty minutes, and if he does not emerge, to go report directly to Lowndes. As Omar enters the empty building, he hears a scream. Making his way to the cellar, another scream rings out and he recognises that it is the voice of Finnegan. Standing with a hot poker is Isaac Newton, demanding answers on the location of the counterfeiting equipment. Omar tackles Isaac down, and the two begin to fight. Isaac protests his innocence, and explains that he has been set up – believing Finnegan to have been a double agent the whole time. Nicolas runs down into the cellar, demanding the two to stop fighting, but then runs away again when Isaac tries to declare his innocence. Shortly after a fire erupts, Omar, Isaac and Finnegan are forced to flee upstairs. They manage to escape through a window, and Finnegan is made to confess that it was Chaloner who paid him to set up Newton. At that moment a knife lands in his neck from above. As he falls dying, Omar recognises the stride of the assailant running across the rooftops – Rose Galloway.




2019 – London

Aliyah is pulled from the simulation as Gavin arrives. My'Shell believes that by searching on Agneta Reider, she may have given away their location. Gavin suggests that they do not make the same mistake twice, and get going. Aliyah is convinced she is close to the code now, and insists it is her decision to continue on. She puts the headset back on...



1696 – London

As Finnegan dies before Omar and Isaac, they decide the next course of action. It dawns on Omar that chasing Rose would be a mistake, as rushing from one location to the next ultimately got them into that mess. Rose would be expecting them to follow. He also realises that her father's mystery investor must in fact be Chaloner, and that the renovations at the Galloway household must be in order to fit the counterfeiting machinery. It made sense that Rose would kill to protect her family now. They call for a carriage and make their way to Rose's house.

Once they arrive and enter the Galloway residence, they eventually meet and demand Nigel himself guide them around. Finding nothing on the premises, Omar demands to see the slave quarters. At this suggestion, Nigel pulls a gun from a drawer, and Isaac leaps at him knocking him to the ground. Nigel breaks down and admits that Rose has been working for Chaloner in the hopes of restoring their family finances. He also reveals that Chaloner intends to destroy the remaining counterfeiting machinery that are kept in the Tower of London that evening, likely killing hundreds in the process. Omar and Isaac rush outside and make haste to the Tower.

Source: Timeout.com

Later on, at the Tower of London, Omar adopts a disguise and pretends to be making a medical supply run. Once inside the grounds, they are stopped by the warden and Lowndes. Isaac calls out that there are likely explosives throughout the Tower, and Omar backs up his claims. Disbelieving, Lowndes provides guards to search the Tower, but advises Omar that he shall hang with Newton if the claims are proven false. The guards search the premises but find nothing. Omar asks if there are catacombs, and Lowndes confesses that there are some below grounds. A boat in a harbour appears to be making signals with its horn, which presses Omar into action and down into the catacombs.

Deep in the wet catacomb tunnels he comes across a crate of explosives. Rose steps out of the shadows and confronts him. She explains that the wealth of the country is not fairly distributed, and that Chaloner has a plan to fix everything. Omar vows to defuse every explosive, but Rose promises that she will stop him. She throws a staff to the ground for him and raises her own. The two staffs clash as the Assassins do battle.

Meanwhile, Isaac makes his way to the boat in the harbour, and discovers Chaloner aboard it trying to raise anchor. Confronted that his explosives will be defused, Chaloner counters that he was simply trying to bring in a new financial system to free the people of England. He believes even the great Newton could appreciate this, and opens a large box to show a bound Nicolas inside. He suggests that if Isaac walks away, he can take Nicolas with him. He loads a gun, suggesting the alternative if he does not.

Rose and Omar continue their fight, as she lights fuses around them. Knowing that she will be killed too, she remarks that at least she would have saved herself from a boring life attending parties and wearing dresses. Omar sprints past her, and is mocked by Rose for running away. Until she then realises that he is running for the flood gate, which he rapidly starts turning the handle of. Rose starts to attack him, and out of options he extends his Hidden Blade and punctures the door. Water seeps in before the door gives way, and the water of the Thames river floods in rapidly. He dives under water, but loses sight of Rose. Eventually he finds her lifeless body, and drags her to safety. Banging her chest to breathe, he realises it is too late and breaks into tears over her.

Chaloner continues to tell Isaac that he should walk away from it all, and keep his bright mind dulled away from society. Suddenly he is knocked to the ground, as Nicolas stands behind him brandishing a sextant as a weapon. Isaac frees his restraints, and Nicolas thanks him. Chaloner declares that it is too late, and that the explosives were set to detonate at midnight. As the clocks strike midnight just seconds later, no explosion occurs. Isaac boasts that he should not have put his trust in the young student, but the older teacher instead.

Later on, after Chaloner is placed in a cell in the Tower of London - Lowndes, Omar and Isaac stand in the courtyard. Lowndes thanks them for all of their help, and urges Isaac once more to get some rest before retiring to bed himself. Isaac informs Omar that he has a new way of creating paper money, and wishes to show him. Omar states though that it is time for him to move on. Isaac mentions that he has known about the Brotherhood for many years, and that the world will always need men like him. As a token reminder of their time together, he retained two counterfeit coins. Handing one to Omar, he reads aloud the inscription: “Je Maintiendrai” (French for “I will maintain”).



2019 – London

Aliyah calls out to be released from the simulation as she finally has the inscription code. My'Shell opens a program on her laptop, and types in the code given to her by Aliyah. Suddenly all the lights and power in the ExploreDNA building cut out. An explosion rings loud, and everyone is knocked to the ground. Fahad Khan and several Templar soldiers storm the building, and pick up Gavin's prone body. He advises to leave the others as he assumes them just to be cleaning staff.

After they have left, Aliyah and My'Shell recover to their feet. My'Shell confirms that it was her father that lead the raid, though she cannot prove it as her laptop is evidently destroyed. Aliyah suggests that they could use the AI Shaun to assist them. They put the AI to researching Fahad Khan, and discover that he is working on Project Lighthouse with Agneta Reider, their mission to take over the DarkNet – though apparently only Abstergo Financial (and not the other high ranking Templars at Abstergo) knows of this Project. They request Shaun to locate Reider, and discover that she is attending a public function on that day. Aliyah suggests a different strategy – steal something from her, and get her to come to them.

They travel to a hotel holding a press conference. Agneta is in attendance eating a salad, before she journeys to the bathroom, with a large bodyguard standing watch outside. Aliyah believes she can con her way in, and tries to get past the bodyguard. He refuses entry, but Agneta overhears the conversation and comes back out. Aliyah feigns admiration for the CEO, and wants to shake her hand as she claims she is her biggest fan. Whilst doing so, Aliyah steals her watch. Agneta walks away to leave, then realises she has evidently left her watch in the bathroom. She joins Aliyah inside, whom demands that they strike a deal. She reveals she has the watch, and knows that Abstergo has Gavin. The bodyguard comes in to see what the commotion is, and is immediately knocked down from behind by My'Shell. She then reveals to Agneta that she knows all about Project Lighthouse, and that her superiors would not take kindly to this secret agenda if they found out. Finally, Agneta reveals that Gavin is being held at the offices of Newton Analytica in Cambridge (a data mining company that according to My’shell swayed the Brexit vote and which was on Reider’s payroll), and that Fahad Khan is indeed her right hand man. My'Shell then tasers Agneta, and makes her escape with Aliyah.

Cambridge - Source: FT.com

They obtain a car, and drive north to Cambridge. My'Shell is convinced that they wouldn't hold Gavin at their offices, so she reactivates AI Shaun. The AI advises that Newton Analytica have several buildings around Cambridge, but the most likely hostage location is that of the newly constructed Isaac Newton Cambridge Museum. They arrive there by nightfall, and My'Shell gives Aliyah a Hidden Blade just in case. They sneak inside, and find Fahad and several commandoes torturing Gavin. AI Shaun deactivates the surveillance system, and distracts the commandoes by activating nearby drilling equipment and detonating it. This gives My'Shell a chance to slit a few commando throats. Eventually she and Aliyah find their way into a private office and find Gavin who they free from his bonds. They grab a nearby laptop to start inputting the fail-safe code once more, but a bullet rings out destroying the laptop.

Fahad enters the room with a smoking gun. My'Shell lays injured, the bullet having grazed her shoulder. As he steps nearer to eliminate her, Aliyah stands in his way, asking if he recognises her. He does not, but she regales her mother's name which causes him to then pause. She then shouts to AI Shaun to kill the lights. Claustrophobia kicks in for Fahad, as it is now clear to Aliyah where she inherited it from. Thanks to her time with Omar though, her senses in the darkness are more finely attuned, and her Hidden Blade strikes cleanly into her father's chest. She requests the lights restored, and Fahad slumps to the ground dying. Vowing she is nothing like him, she watches him die.

Early morning arrives. Aliyah and My'Shell watch the Cambridge rowers practicing down the river Cam. Gavin arrives, and advises them that the fail-safe code worked. The Abstergo software has been completely disabled. He thanks them both, but Aliyah is still slightly haunted by the first kill she has ever made – especially being her own father as well. Gavin reassures her that she likely saved thousands of lives by her actions. She asks what happened to Omar, and Gavin reveals that he went on to get married and have a son, but died in 1703 during a raid in an attempt to free slaves destined for America. Gavin says Aliyah is a lot like him, and would be welcome to join the Brotherhood. She rejects, and says she wants to find her own path.

Later that morning, Aliyah arrives at her flat to find Bianca playing a video game. Bianca is happy to see her as she has been missing for three days. Aliyah drops a bag on the floor, and hands Bianca a cheque – returning the full amount that her father invested plus extra as “interest”. Bianca thanks her and asks if she had heard that Jarrod had been captured in the Channel Islands, and brought back to London for assault charges by a rogue group who publicly said that they would bring down other thieves like him and that “Prince George sent them”. Aliyah feels relieved at the news, and recognizing the password to the Chinese restaurant where she first met Gavin, decides to visit it.

She once more returns to the poker table, but is distracted whilst playing, lost in thought. The dealer asks for her blind, at which point Gavin Banks appears at the table once again along with My'Shell. Aliyah remarks that she heard about Jarrod. Gavin states that it must have been quite a group that brought him to justice. Apparently there were ties to other targets under Abstergo Financial, and the Assassins would likely need someone with street smarts to help bring them all to justice. The dealer asks again who is in. Gavin states that he is in. My'Shell looks to Aliyah, and asks again. Aliyah pauses for a moment, before declaring herself all in.



Analysis and Final Thoughts

The historical part to the story was certainly solid, and offered an insight to a time era that has not seen much coverage by the franchise to date. Thankfully the story concluded in a somewhat satisfying manner, with little that requires serious analysis. One of the most fascinating aspects to the historical story though, was that of Omar's blindness. This has always fascinated me, how it might apply to someone with Eagle Vision or rather “Eagle Sense” abilities. It does seem, much akin to the Marvel character Daredevil, Omar's other senses compensate and he is able to perceive the world in a similar fashion. It would certainly be interesting to see this in an actual game at some point.

The primary portion of the content to be analysed though is of course the Modern Day. For once, I was really pleased to see a sizeable amount of the present in the narrative, and it is always very much appreciated when it has appropriate relevance with the historical story. The impact of Omar's blindness on Aliyah was tangible for example, to the point that it improved her feelings of claustrophobia and pretty much cured her. Speaking of Aliyah, I did enjoy our new heroine, and she grew a great deal in the few days she spent wrapped up in the Assassin-Templar war. Her no-nonsense attitude and strong will reminded me a great deal of Charlotte de La Cruz, another character that was also created by the same author Anthony Del Col.

Shaun Hastings

One cannot fail to mention the welcome return of Shaun Hastings though. The last time we heard his dulcet tones was back in 2015's Syndicate, and even though it may have only been an AI creation and not Shaun himself, it was still wonderful to hear the usual witty banter that we all came to love about the character. May he rejoin the main games sometime soon.

Whilst the Modern Day plotline does wrap itself up pretty well, there are some lingering plot points that may leave some listeners confused. For example, how exactly did Gavin come into the knowledge that a coin from 1696 could help “turn off” a computer system in 2020? If the counterfeited coins were meant to be identical to the original ones, surely any coin from that period would have had the same inscription? It is pretty ludicrous when you try to look at it rationally, and makes little sense. Anyone who has been involved in software development also knows that you have backups and numerous builds to a program. Just because the Assassins were able to take down the “live” client in no way would this mean that they were able to completely eradicate it from Abstergo's servers – especially when the company is so obsessed with cloud technology. Abstergo could very well roll the program out again with a different fail-safe code, and the Assassins wouldn’t have any way to stop it. In general, all of this looks like a bit of a huge leap (of faith) in logic honestly.

The coin certainly played its part as the driving plot device, and certainly was an original idea but this story marked one of the rare times where we were not diving into the past in search of something Precursor related. I personally find this a little sad, but I do think this in part a consequence to the narrative direction of the Assassin’s Creed transmedia in recent years. When you have a global catastrophe level of plot such as the one that involved the resurrection of Juno, anything you follow it up with is going to feel far less in terms of stakes. And it really does here. The modern day Templars are effectively simply trying to monetize the DarkNet, and the Assassins are resigned to being little more than glorified money laundering investigators. It may sound extreme to generalise it like that – but fundamentally it is absolutely true here. Without any Isu goal to chase, the Assassin's Creed universe takes one step away from its Science Fiction roots, and I will sadly reject that wherever I see it. One could even argue that by their actions, in allowing the DarkNet to go unchecked, the Assassins have actually assisted in the likes of human slavery trafficking and many of the other sinister transactions that occur there. This runs contra to their precepts of freedom, and they really are starting to look like symbols of chaos, as Ubisoft seems to repeatedly be painting them of late.

Therein lies another issue with the transmedia, and this story in particular. It is so self contained, that it has no wider bearing on the Assassin's Creed universe at all. Enjoyable as it is, you could literally skip this story completely, and not miss out on what is happening to Layla's story or the other aspects of the game metaplot. To me, that is a bit sad. As much as I disliked Juno's death playing out in the Titan Comics, at least that transmedia release had an impact on the wider franchise. I do understand the rationale to self containment in this way. It allows a more free and open creative environment to the content creators, without having to cross check against other upcoming projects and games. I cannot help but feel that in doing so though, it lessens the attractiveness to fans who are eager for some meta plot progression amidst the lengthy time period between the main game releases.