Miles Upshur
Content
Miles Upshur, a freelance investigative journalist, receives an anonymous tip from
a source identified only as a whistleblower. The lead tells of inhumane experiments
committed at Mount Massive Asylum, a remote psychiatric hospital situated deep
in the mountains of Lake County, Colorado and owned by the Murkoff
Corporation, known for its corrupt dealings. Entering the asylum, Upshur is
horrified to discover the mutilated corpses of the staff, including a
dying SWAT officer who warns him to get out while he still can. As he investigates
further, Upshur finds the asylum's patients, known as "Variants", freely roaming
the grounds and hostile towards him, particularly a hulking sadist named Chris
Walker. Approached by Martin Archimbaud, a cult leader who considers himself a
priest, Upshur is told he was sent by "God" to be his witness to the night's events.
It soon becomes clear that Archimbaud has no intention of letting Miles escape,
and that he worships a seemingly supernatural entity known only as The Walrider,
which he claims caused the breakout.
Trapped inside, Upshur is forced to work his way through Mount Massive and
evade several Variants, including a pursuing Walker, and a pair
of cannibalistic twins. Chased through the male wards, Upshur is rescued by a
descending dumbwaiter, only to be captured by a delusional Murkoff executive
named Richard "Rick" Trager. Trager, a "doctor" who experiments on patients,
straps Upshur to a wheelchair and amputates two of his fingers. Left briefly alone,
Miles manages to escape into an elevator. Grabbed by Trager while the elevator is
still moving, a struggle ensues which results in Trager being crushed between
floors. Upshur then encounters Archimbaud again along with The Walrider, which
Upshur can only see through IR mode. Reaching an auditorium with a playing reel,
Upshur learns The Walrider was created by Dr. Rudolf Gustav Wernicke, a German
scientist taken in by Operation Paperclip. Wernicke was developing a
"Morphogenic Engine" for Nazi Germany, which employs severe psychological
trauma and dream therapy to generate a malevolent nanite-driven being.
Finding Martin in the asylum's chapel, Upshur witnesses his self-immolation on a
crucifix. Told he can escape by an elevator, Upshur uses it, only to be tricked and
descends into an underground facility beneath the institution. Followed and
attacked by Walker, Upshur watches as The Walrider gruesomely murders him.
Locating an aged Dr. Wernicke, Upshur learns The Walrider is a result of
nanotechnology experiments, and that it is being "hosted" by catatonic patient
Billy Hope. Instructed to shut off Hope's life support system, Upshur does so, but
is immediately seized by the weakened and hostless Walrider. Nearing death, he
staggers towards the exit, where a security team led by Wernicke fires upon him,
intent on hiding everything that has occurred. As Upshur collapses, Wernicke
realizes that Miles is the Walrider's new host, and panicked screams and gunshots
are heard.
a source identified only as a whistleblower. The lead tells of inhumane experiments
committed at Mount Massive Asylum, a remote psychiatric hospital situated deep
in the mountains of Lake County, Colorado and owned by the Murkoff
Corporation, known for its corrupt dealings. Entering the asylum, Upshur is
horrified to discover the mutilated corpses of the staff, including a
dying SWAT officer who warns him to get out while he still can. As he investigates
further, Upshur finds the asylum's patients, known as "Variants", freely roaming
the grounds and hostile towards him, particularly a hulking sadist named Chris
Walker. Approached by Martin Archimbaud, a cult leader who considers himself a
priest, Upshur is told he was sent by "God" to be his witness to the night's events.
It soon becomes clear that Archimbaud has no intention of letting Miles escape,
and that he worships a seemingly supernatural entity known only as The Walrider,
which he claims caused the breakout.
Trapped inside, Upshur is forced to work his way through Mount Massive and
evade several Variants, including a pursuing Walker, and a pair
of cannibalistic twins. Chased through the male wards, Upshur is rescued by a
descending dumbwaiter, only to be captured by a delusional Murkoff executive
named Richard "Rick" Trager. Trager, a "doctor" who experiments on patients,
straps Upshur to a wheelchair and amputates two of his fingers. Left briefly alone,
Miles manages to escape into an elevator. Grabbed by Trager while the elevator is
still moving, a struggle ensues which results in Trager being crushed between
floors. Upshur then encounters Archimbaud again along with The Walrider, which
Upshur can only see through IR mode. Reaching an auditorium with a playing reel,
Upshur learns The Walrider was created by Dr. Rudolf Gustav Wernicke, a German
scientist taken in by Operation Paperclip. Wernicke was developing a
"Morphogenic Engine" for Nazi Germany, which employs severe psychological
trauma and dream therapy to generate a malevolent nanite-driven being.
Finding Martin in the asylum's chapel, Upshur witnesses his self-immolation on a
crucifix. Told he can escape by an elevator, Upshur uses it, only to be tricked and
descends into an underground facility beneath the institution. Followed and
attacked by Walker, Upshur watches as The Walrider gruesomely murders him.
Locating an aged Dr. Wernicke, Upshur learns The Walrider is a result of
nanotechnology experiments, and that it is being "hosted" by catatonic patient
Billy Hope. Instructed to shut off Hope's life support system, Upshur does so, but
is immediately seized by the weakened and hostless Walrider. Nearing death, he
staggers towards the exit, where a security team led by Wernicke fires upon him,
intent on hiding everything that has occurred. As Upshur collapses, Wernicke
realizes that Miles is the Walrider's new host, and panicked screams and gunshots
are heard.
