- "Well, in a few words: Imulsion is a newly-discovered fuel source that may render Sera's energy crisis non-existent. Cheap and limitless, Imulsion may be the answer to all of Sera's fuel problems."
- —An unknown scientist explaining Imulsion's potential as a fuel source.
Imulsion is an extinct parasitic mycelium previously found naturally occurring in geological formations beneath the surface of Sera, known as the Hollow. Its appearance was that of a golden, phosphorescent, highly volatile, low-viscosity liquid.
Drilling was carried out by utilizing derricks, previously equipped to drill exclusively for petroleum. Imulsion was refined and separated into numerous products, from gasoline and kerosene for energy, to chemical reagents used in the making of weapons. Imulsion was also capable of crystallization, and the resulting materials were used for various purposes, including the Hammer of Dawn; an orbital-beam weapon of mass destruction. Since Imulsion was destroyed in 17 A.E., humanity has resorted to alternative sources of energy.
The components of Imulsion remain unknown, other than being fungal in nature. It displayed no detectable signs of life. It's believed to have been created through some unknown evolutionary process by the manure of the Riftworms; gargantuan creatures that tunneled beneath prehistoric Sera, creating the Hollow network, and an extensive ecology of subterranean animal and plant life. Commonly refined into a fuel source through the Lightmass Process, Imulsion became the most sought after resource on the planet. It was mostly recovered through mining and drilling, as natural Imulsion springs were rare during those years.
Imulsion was the main cause of the Pendulum Wars, as a majority of Imulsion reserves were located in nations under the auspices of the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) - making it one of the largest economic superpowers on the planet. The other nations without Imulsion reserves in their home territories later joined together under the flag of the Union of Independent Republics (UIR). The COG would eventually be victorious over its rival after almost eighty years of war.
The use of Imulsion as a fuel would later cause mass pollution, adverse health effects, and disease, contrary to its previous image as a clean fuel source. In humans, overexposure to Imulsion fumes could cause a fatal respiratory condition known as Rustlung. The COG utilized unethical experimentation in the search for a cure, with the adverse effect of giving birth to the ancestors of the Locust and eventually leading to the Locust War.
Imulsion's evolution was accelerated drastically by human industry, later causing a global pandemic, with all forms of life becoming infected and colonized by the Imulsion parasite, known as Lambency. In 17 A.E., Imulsion and the Lambent lifeforms were destroyed by Professor Adam Fenix through the use of his Imulsion countermeasure, a targeted-radiation device aimed at killing Imulsion at the cellular level.[1] The remaining sources of Imulsion were later crystallized, found in nature and shed from the bodies of evolved Locust Scions.
History[]
Origin[]
The origins of Imulsion remain a consistent mystery. It is unknown if it has existed on Sera since before the rise of intelligent life, or if it somehow developed or was introduced by unknown means during human history. However, it's possible that it developed during prehistoric ages when the colossal Riftworms were active in creating the Hollow. Their excrement allowed for the evolution of life in the Hollow - thus, assumedly, eventually giving rise to Imulsion.
Imulsion was a fungal parasitic organism - acting as a mycelium in the Hollow. Despite no apparent signs of life such as: response to outward stimuli, methods of reproduction, or any metabolic processes - it was a living organism and possessed a life cycle that made it highly invasive and extremely dangerous. The vapors and fumes exuded by raw Imulsion acted as a carrier for spores that could infect potential hosts.
Discovery[]
It is unknown when Imulsion was first discovered by humans - but at the time, it was considered to be more of a scientific curiosity than a practical resource. It was essentially useless, until Dr. Helen Cooper created the Lightmass Process, capable of refining Imulsion into an efficient energy source.[2] For a planet desperate for energy and facing something of an energy crisis in the long term, Imulsion was the perfect solution: efficient, seemingly clean and fairly abundant.
The founding of the Lightmass Process thrust Sera from the Age of Silence into the Gold Rush Era, effectively saving humanity from a global crisis. However, Imulsion reserves were exclusive to certain areas on Sera, located within particular nations. These nations with rich Imulsion reserves combined under a singular government known as the Coalition of Ordered Governments, or simply the COG.
As the Gold Rush continued, the COG began to reap the profits of imulsion’s sale and became a global economic and political superpower, while other nations were denied profits.
Pendulum Wars[]
Soon after Imulsion turned into fuel, the COG and UIR fought for ownership.
Over time, Imulsion speculation on the financial markets ran rampant, and entire currencies and economies became linked to its value. This eventually resulted in a large economic collapse on the planet when extremely low Imulsion prices crippled the financial sector. The economic crisis sparked military actions, and the countries under the Coalition of Ordered Governments that possessed an abundance of Imulsion reserves soon found themselves at war with those nations who were not as fortunate, now under the political regime of the Union of Independent Republics. This conflict became known as the Pendulum Wars.[3] The Pendulum Wars became a global conflict that would last for seventy-nine years, with millions dead.
Health Crisis[]
Meanwhile, the miners of Imulsion and their families became poisoned by Imulsion. It was discovered that exposure to Imulsion vapors during mining and refining led to a fatal respiratory condition known as Rustlung. The Coalition of Ordered Governments feared the potential economic and political ramifications if the public knew that Imulsion caused health problems. In order to resolve the health crisis, the Department of Health, under the Monroe Administration, opened the New Hope Research Facility to house the children of the infected miners, study the toxicity of Imulsion, and discover a cure for Rustlung. The country of Vasgar also saw the effects of Imulsion-poisoning and opened the Nedroma Health Institute for the same purpose of treating, studying, and researching Rustlung to find a cure. The institute was capable of developing the Immune System Booster, which was successful in treating the effects of Rustlung - but it had catastrophic side-effects and required to be taken constantly.
Famed geneticist, Dr. Niles Samson, was established Director of New Hope and their research to cure Rustlung. Initially injecting the children with concentrated doses of Imulsion, Samson discovered that exposure to Imulsion caused immediate cell stress that could metastasize to other parts of the body and cause death. He also noted that other cells exposed to Imulsion caused point-mutations that could be beneficial to genetic engineering. Fellow scientist, Dr. Torres, discovered a child subject Myrrah exhibited a genetic immunity to Imulsion's ill-effects. Upon further research, it was revealed that Imulsion exposure benefited Myrrah by strengthening her immune system and decelerating her aging by 50%. Dr. Samson hoped to replicate her results in other children, but was unsuccessful. Considering the point-mutations caused by Imulsion, Dr. Samson began transgenic experiments, looking to indigenous creatures of the Hollow.
Due to their proximity to Imulsion, he believed they held a genetic immunity to Imulsion. Manipulating the point-mutations, Dr. Samson began to mutate the children with the DNA of the Hollow creatures. This resulted in the children transforming into aggressive, mindless, genetically unstable chimeras called Sires. One of the Sires, Ukkon, retained his intelligence. Exposure to Imulsion also gave him powerful regenerative powers, effectively making him immortal. Niles Samson then saw the Sires as military potential, as well as a means to evolve the human race to be stronger and resistant. Due to the unethical experimentation and attacks on the staff by the Sires, many employees of New Hope resigned and leaked information to the public. Chairman Monroe discovered the wrongdoings of New Hope and ordered the facility shut down. All involved were indicted.
Unknown to Monroe, a fringe political group of self-proclaimed "pragmatists" resided within his own administration. They contacted Niles Samson and expressed their support for his work and wished for him to continue in order to cure Rustlung and help end the Pendulum Wars by creating enhanced soldiers. He agreed, and the group relocated his loyal employees, subjects, and research to a secret facility in the underground caverns of Mount Kadar. No government was able to find a sensible solution to Imulsion sickness, and instead implemented stricter health codes and precautions for Imulsion miners. The Coalition attempted to erase any record of Rustlung, and medical officials were forced to deny its existence. However, blue-collar workers were still familiar with the disease, and continued to warn other miners and those willing to listen about the health effects of Imulsion.
At the Mount Kadar Laboratory, Dr. Niles Samson began making hybrids by combining the embryonic stem-cells of Myrrah with Sire DNA, resulting in the creation of the Locust Horde. However, the Locust longed for independence as they felt imprisoned, oppressed, and tortured. Myrrah later gave birth to a human daughter named Reyna, but was led to believe by the scientists that Reyna was killed when the father, Dr. Torres, tried to escape with her from the facility. Due to Myrrah's grief and connection with the Locust, she became their Queen and led the Locust to slaughter all the scientists and escape the facility. She then led her people underground into the caverns of Mount Kadar where they built their own civilization: Nexus. As the Pendulum Wars raged on the surface, the Locust grew and became organized and developed their own culture, religion, science, and technology. Queen Myrrah and scientist Ukkon then used Niles Samson's Imulsion research to genetically enhance the Locust and the creatures of the Hollow into biological weapons and transportation.
Lambent War[]
By 17 B.E., many of the creatures in the Hollow began mutating and becoming infected with Imulsion to the point of becoming a host, known as the Lambent. Eventually, members of the Locust Horde began to become Lambent as well. The Lambent were capable of mutating and evolving on command and would self-destruct upon death in an attempt to spread Imulsion fumes and reproduce. By 7 B.E., the Locust Horde began experiencing an epidemic, resulting in a conflict known as the Lambent War. As the Locust continued to lose ground and people to the Lambent, Queen Myrrah considered a plan of emerging from the underground and colonizing the surface to escape the Lambent, and would eradicate the entire human race in order to occupy Sera.
In 5 B.E., Professor Adam Fenix was contacted by Queen Myrrah. She revealed her potential plans to destroy the human race in order to escape the Lambent, but was willing to stay underground if he could resolve Lambency without harming the Locust. Adam Fenix agreed, but discovered that all biological countermeasures would not work against the ever-evolving Imulsion. He also discovered that any physical countermeasures, such as radiation, would harm the Locust because their genetics contained Imulsion from their ancestors. Due to his inability to cure the Lambency, and the Coalition demanding he complete the Hammer of Dawn to end the Pendulum Wars - Queen Myrrah decided to go with her original plan to escape the Lambent by colonizing the surface.
Locust War[]
After 79 years of fighting, the Coalition won the Pendulum Wars against the Union of Independent Republics. Six weeks after their victory, however, the Locust emerged and began a genocidal campaign. Within the initial attack, 25% of Sera's population was killed. The humans were pushed back to cities located on the Jacinto Plateau, namely Ephyra and Jacinto City. Meanwhile, the humans continued to mine Imulsion using derricks, as the Hollow was occupied by the Locust, who also used Imulsion as a fuel source. By 14 A.E., the COG developed a Lightmass Bomb and a Sonic Resonator. By using the resonator, they would map the Locust tunnels, and then send the Lightmass Bomb to destroy them. The Lightmass Bomb was successfully deployed during the Lightmass Offensive. However, the heat from the bomb caused the Imulsion in the Outer Hollows to evaporate, exposing the remainder of humanity to Imulsion fumes and causing a new wave of Rustlung outbreaks.
Six months after the Lightmass Bombing, the Locust were preparing to sink Jacinto as they did with Tollen, Montevado, and Ilima, using the gigantic RiftWorm that had been awakened by the Lightmass Bomb. The COG then deployed Operation: Hollow Storm, sending a majority of their forces underground to defeat the Locust once and for all. The Rift Worm was destroyed, and the COG then discovered the Civil War between the Locust and Lambent as the reason for the Locust invading the surface. The COG then discovered a recording from Adam Fenix detailing that sinking Jacinto would flood the entire Hollow with seawater, drowning anything underground. Jacinto was then sunk by the COG when a Brumak became infected with Lambency and was detonated by the Hammer of Dawn. The city fell and the walls of the plateau collapsed with seawater, drowning a majority of the Locust. The COG then eventually relocated to the island of Vectes.
Lambent Pandemic[]
- "Sera's dying—the whole planet's infected. It's the Imulsion that's killing it."
- —Professor Adam Fenix[4]
Despite a conflict with the Stranded on the island of Vectes, the COG had momentarily found some peace. But by 15 A.E., the Imulsion quickly polluted Sera's oceans and landscapes, giving rise to new and more aggressive Lambent lifeforms, among them the Lambent Stalks, Lambent Leviathans, and Polyps. The Lambent began to sink ships and invade inland, killing and infecting everything in their path. Meanwhile, Adam Fenix, who had been kidnapped in 10 A.E. by Chairman Richard Prescott, was situated in Azura, a secret COG facility, taking samples from the Vectes attacks and developing a solution for the Lambent Pandemic, a targeted radiation pulse-wave that would only kill cells infected with Imulsion, otherwise known as the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon. Prescott then abandoned the COG to bring more samples for Adam and help develop the weapon, as Sera had a few years left before the entire planet became infected. Adam then began injecting himself with Imulsion in order to study it's lifespan and reproduction, to ensure the countermeasure would work.
By 17 A.E., the weapon was completed, but Azura was invaded and captured by the Locust, with Adam left alive and Prescott escaped to find reinforcements. The COG had since been disbanded, but reorganized to take back Azura and activate the countermeasure. By that time, humans began becoming Lambent along with all other species on the planet, as the Imulsion reached a critical stage in its life cycle. Adam detonated the countermeasure, which resulted in the death of Adam Fenix, the Imulsion, and any life-form heavily colonized by it, while those less infected were cured of their affliction.
Legacy[]
Despite Imulsion being destroyed by the Imulsion Countermeasure, its health effects lingered among the human population - as those diagnosed with Rustlung continued to suffer and perish from the disease.[5] Over the next twenty-five years, a technological dark age would define the civilization that was attempting to rebuild itself. Humans were forced to return to and consult traditional and alternative energy sources in the hopes of restoring the Seran society that had existed during the Era of Silence. Due to the ingenuity of Damon Baird, the newly reformed COG turned to automation and fabricators to rebuild civilization.
Although it was commonly believed that the Locust Horde had also been wiped out, they were not killed by the Imulsion Countermeasure as the humans believed, but instead went into a forced hibernation as a result of genetic evolution. Relying on Dr. Niles Samson's genetic engineering of the Locust Horde to be adaptable and survive generational conflict, the countermeasure triggered a mutation in all Locust lifeforms, causing the Imulsion in their cells to crystallize the Locust in a crystallized cocoon shell. Unable to burn the bodies, the COG disposed of the Locust bodies in mass burial sites located in underground or in abandoned prewar facilities. For twenty-five years, the Locust inside the coccons evolved into the Scions. The Scions began to emerge from their shells in 42 A.E. With their numbers low, the Scions created a biological weapon known as the Swarm to transform humans and other lifeforms into soldiers for their army to continue the mission their queen began years ago: to destroy humanity and claim all of Sera for their own. The Scions would shed some of the imulsion crystals on their bodies while some turn the crystals into melee weapons for their arsenal, such as the Breaker Mace.
Known Areas with Imulsion[]
- Dushin
- Kashkur
- Lesser Islands Chain
- Knifespire, Imulsion reserves within Gatka Ridge.
- Serano Ocean, Emerald Spar Imulsion Platform controlled by the UIR nation of Gorasnaya.
- Vectes, contains the Vectes Imulsion Field near Pelruan.
- Sarfuth
- Denava, contains the Denava Imulsion Facility and a major pipeline.
- Tyrus
- Char, home to Griffin Imulsion Corporation and their own refining facility.
- Concord, various Imulsion reserves and major pipelines.
- Ephyra, home to Aspho Gas Station and the Lethia Imulsion Facility.[8]
- Jacinto, various Imulsion derricks drilling outside the city.
- Mercy, an Imulsion township and home to Mercy Fuel.
- Mount Kadar, contains one of the largest underground Imulsion lakes.
- Timgad, large Imulsion lakes within Timgad Valley.
- Vasgar
- Imtik, contains the Imtik Imulsion Rig north of the city
- Zenic, contains the Zenic UIR Laboratory, located above a large Imulsion lake.
Known Imulsion Corporations[]
Mining Methods[]
Old oil rigs and Derricks were re-purposed to extract Imulsion from pockets near the surface. Facilities like Lethia and Denava Imulsion Facility mined deep into the Outer Hollow, and Imulsion crystals were used for military purposes.[9] Offshore Imulsion deposits required advanced drilling platforms in order to be tapped.
Composition[]
- "At the time of its discovery, there was no reason to believe that Imulsion was a living organism. It exhibited no observable characteristics of typical life: no response to stimuli, no apparent method of reproduction, and no metabolic process. It has since become clear that this is not the case. Though our examinations were sound, the assumptions upon which they were based - our narrow definitions of life - were not. It is very definitely alive, mutagenic, and highly invasive. Viewed in that light, Imulsion exhibits characteristics that resemble the structure and life cycle of many fungi. The bulk of the organism - in liquid form - is underground like a mycelium. The evidence of its existence on the surface in the form of stalks is the equivalent of fruiting bodies. Its periodic vapor-like emissions are perhaps best likened to spores. Its behavior is parasitic yet simultaneously viral. It not only colonizes its host, it also reproduces in the host at the cellular level. Its life cycle appears to be a long period of dormancy followed by accelerated activity before maturation, but I cannot establish whether it has existed on Sera since the first origins of life or it somehow developed or was introduced during human history. A successful parasite does not kill its host. Imulsion does. It may be inept, but I suspect the death of its host organisms - which appears to be every living thing on Sera, plant or animal - is part of its reproductive strategy, not an unfortunate side effect. Its high-energy content may be part of that."
- —Professor Adam Fenix's research on Imulsion and Lambency.
Unknown until 17 A.E., the properties of Imulsion were mostly fungal, acting as a parasitic mycelium. It reproduced asexually in its Imulsion form, an effect that was seen as beneficial to humans using Imulsion as a limitless fuel source. Both in its natural state and during refinement in the Lightmass Process, Imulsion gave visible fumes and vapors, which were spores of the Imulsion mycelium. Otherwise, Imulsion was unresponsive in its natural state, but was also volatile and high in temperature, capable of melting flesh.
Imulsion then becomes an apparent living organism when it infects its hosts due to overexposure to Imulsion spores called Lambent. Imulsion in a host is capable of controlling the host into attacking and infecting any non-infected organisms. Also, Imulsion possessed a fascinating mutagenic effect that could produce extra limbs, increased size, and amplify strength, speed, and agility. On the death of the host, it will explode in order to spread the parasite. Imulsion can also be seen to escape the host body and move on its own.
Behind the scenes[]
Like "no blood for oil," Tyrus has an anti-war movement
- Due to Imulsion being a living organism responsible for every conflict since its discovery and the creation of the Locust Horde, Lambent, and Swarm - Imulsion could be considered the true main antagonist of the series.
- The original spelling of Imulsion in concepts for Gears of War was "emulsion". The word "emulsion" is defined as: "a fine dispersion of minute droplets of one liquid in another in which it is not soluble or miscible".
- Propaganda posters can be seen on walls featuring a picture of an upraised, bloody hand with the phrase No Blood for Imulsion. This suggests that the campus population opposed the Pendulum Wars on that basis. The phrase is also a play on the anti-war slogan "No Blood for Oil" popularized by the opposition to the 1991 Gulf War.
- Developers of the Gears of War franchise have repeatedly mentioned that the series has been an allegory for the United States and its involvement in the Middle East conflicts over oil.
- While petroleum exists in the Gears of War universe, Imulsion serves as an allegory to oil throughout the series. Much of the infrastructure around the exploration, extraction, refinement, shipping, distribution, and utilization of Imulsion is similar to that of the petrochemical industry. In fact, petroleum was often remarked as "Liquid Gold", a name which parallels Imulsion's almost golden-like liquid appearance within the game.
Appearances[]
- A Pendulum Wars Story
- The Rise of RAAM
- Gears of War: Judgment
- Gears Tactics
- The Slab
- Gears of War (First appearance)
- Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
- Aspho Fields
- Gears of War 2
- Anvil Gate
- Coalition's End
- Dirty Little Secrets
- Gears of War 3
- Gears of War 4
- Ascendance
- Gears 5
- Bloodlines (Appears in flashback(s))
- Hivebusters
See also[]
- Alternative energy
- Imulsion (energy drink)
- Rustlung
- Sire
- Lambent
- Lambent Pandemic
- Locust Horde
- Locust Shell
- Pendulum Wars
References[]
- ↑ Gears of War 3
- ↑ Destroyed Beauty - An Inside Look at Gears of War, page 3
- ↑ Destroyed Beauty - An Inside Look at Gears of War, page 4
- ↑ Gears of War 3: Act I: Anchored
- ↑ Gears of War: Bloodlines
- ↑ Gears of War: Unsaid
- ↑ Gears of War: Anvil Gate
- ↑ Gears of War
- ↑ Gears of War: Aspho Fields