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Doctor Nevil Estrom was a Scientist who worked at the Coalition of Ordered Governments Defense Research Agency. He worked with Professor Adam Fenix on the Hammer of Dawn project, and continued to work with him during the Locust War. After learning that Adam had known about the Locust before Emergence Day, Nevil reported to Chairman Richard Prescott about his mentors deception. He and Adam were subsequently sent to Azura to work on a weapon that could destroy the Locust and the Lambent.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
- "Ah, never mind... I'd only fail the army medical again."
- —Nevil, after mentioning to Adam Fenix that he wished he could enlist
Nevil once attempted to join the Coalition of Ordered Governments army and become a Gear, but failed the medcial exam. He instead became a scientist, and joined the Defense Research Agency.[1]
Pendulum Wars[]
Working on the Hammer of Dawn[]
- "But we're as far from getting it operational as ever."
- —Nevil, after Adam told him he believed the Hammer of Dawn would work
In the 75th year of the Pendulum Wars, Nevil was working as the personal assistant of Professor Adam Fenix, and shared an office with him where they directed work on the Hammer of Dawn project. When Adam was out of the office one day, Nevil answered a call from General Bardry Salaman, who said that he wanted to talk to Adam about a personal matter not related to the project. When Adam returned to the office, Nevil told him about the call, and Adam panicked that it was about his son, Marcus, who had recently become a Gear. Nevil told him that Salaman hadn't sounded worried, and Adam called the general. He learned that Marcus had just been deployed on his first assignment to the Acastu Imulsion Fields. After finishing talking to Salaman, Adam told Nevil that he was nervous about Marcus, and wished that he had gone to university instead of enlisting. Nevil remarked that he wished he could enlist, but Adam told him that it was weapons development that won wars, and the working they were doing mattered. Nevil told him to forget he had said anything, and that he would likely just fail the medical exam again. Adam then began looking at the schematics of the Hammer of Dawn, and told Nevil that if he didn't think the project would work and stop the war, he never would have left the army. Nevil told him that they were still no closer to making it work. Adam said it was just a matter of fixing the beam alignment, and that they would eventually crack it. Three days later, Adam showed Nevil an article written by Dr.Mauris Ivo of the Union of Independent Republics, talking about breakthroughs in satellite alignment. Nevil was worried by this, and wondered why the COG Intelligence Agency had never picked up on this information. Adam thought that he might not have given them enough information about what to watch for, and that he would talk to them. They then heard on a radio broadcast that a Gear had been killed at Acastu, and Nevil reassured Adam that it couldn't be Marcus, because Salaman would have called. Adam said he knew that, but it was still someone else's child who had died. Nevil said he understood, and they then went to the laser alignment test laboratory to test their prototype Hammer. Nevil activated the prototype while Adam and the other team members watched, but the test was a failure, with the beams not aligning properly. Adam thanked the team for their hard work, but told them to start over on trying to fix the problem. As he left the lab with Adam, Nevil asked him how they were going to conduct full scale trials, since once the launched the satellites, the UIR would detect them. Adam told him he didn't want to hide the tests, and wanted to scare the UIR and let them know they meant business.[1]
Completion of the Hammer[]
- "You did it sir. You did it."
"We did it, Nevil." - —Nevil and Adam after the successful test of the Hammer of Dawn
Four years later, the COG had successfully stolen beam alignment technology from the UIR at the Battle of Aspho Fields, and Nevil and the rest of the team working on the Hammer finally fixed the problems they had been having. Nevil accompanied Adam to the Garadaner Test Ranges off the northeastern coast of Tyrus, where a demonstration of the Hammer would take place for Salaman and other COG military officers. As they sat in a Packhorse several miles from the test site, Nevil assured Adam that the Hammer would work, and Adam said that after seventeen years, it would have to. Two low-powered beams converged on the test site and combined, annihilating the test site and sending shockwaves toward the Packhorses. Nevil and Adam hunkered down in the Packhorse, and after the shockwaves were past, Nevil asked Adam if he was alright. Adam told him that he was fine, but that it had taken them so long to get to this point. Nevil told him it didn't matter and that he had done it, but Adam responded that they had done it together. They exited the Packhorse and joined Salaman and the others in staring at the test zone, which was engulfed in flames. Salaman noted that Adam didn't look too happy for a man that had just ended the war, but Adam said that it might end the war, but didn't secure the future. As the others stared at the test site, Nevil asked Adam if something was wrong, but Adam told him it was just his usual caution.[2]
End of the War[]
- "Professor? The Chairman's looking for you. They've started talks. It's nearly over. Did you hear me, sir? They're going to surrender."
- —Nevil, informing Adam about the UIR's surrender
Nine days later, Nevil and Adam were back at the DRA in Jacinto, and Nevil learned that the COG had used the Hammer on four ships in the UIR Third Fleet, and that peace talks had begun. Chairman Tomas Dalyell wanted to see Adam and congratulate him, and Nevil went to find him. He found Adam in his office staring out a window, and Nevil told him about the peace talks and Dalyell wanting to see him. Adam told him that that was all very good, and Nevil asked him why he wasn't celebrating. Adam told him that he was just thinking about what came next, and returned to staring out the window.[2]
Locust War[]
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Lambent Pandemic[]
Preparing for the End[]
- "My brother wouldn't have run..."
- —Nevil to Dury, after he asked Nevil to run when the Locust eventually attacked
Three years later, the COG had collapsed following the Sinking of Jacinto and spread of Lambent creatures across the surface of Sera. However, Prescott had relocated permanently to Azura with the entire Onyx Guard, and Nevil and Adam were close to finding a solution to wiping out the Locust and Lambent with the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon. When a massive Locust army was spotted at Endeavour Naval Shipyard, Nevil believed that it was only a matter of time before Azura was located. He began keeping a Lancer with him at all times and prepared for battle. Dury noted how seriously he was taking the situation, and Nevil told him that this is what he had asked Dury to train him for. Dury reminded him that his job was to make bombs, and asked him to run when the Locust did attack. Nevil told him that his brother would not have run, and noted that Dury said "when" not "if" the Locust attacked. Dury pointed out how the Maelstrom did not make Azura invisible, but that it would slow down the Locust once they located the island. Nevil then went to Adam's office and asked him if they had a contingency plan for when the Locust attacked, and Adam said they would simply stay put and defend it. Nevil noticed that Adam's veins were glowing and asked if he felt okay, but Adam claimed it was just lack of sleep and that all that mattered was getting the device operational so he could see Marcus one more time. Nevil tried to convince him that they did not know for sure that the countermeasure would kill him, and pointed out how unfair it would be to reveal to Marcus that he was still alive only to die soon after. Adam rejected the alternative of letting Marcus continue believing that he had died seven years ago because Marcus had failed to rescue him. Adam then asked Nevil to tell Marcus that he was sorry for everything, that he had tried to make things right, and that he loved him in case Adam was unable to see him before they activated the device. Nevil told him that he would live through this and be able to tell Marcus himself when the time came.[3]
Fall of Azura[]
- "Shame I never made the grade as a Gear."
"You've made it now." - —Nevil and Dury, as they prepare to make a final stand against the Locust
When the Locust attacked several days later, an advance team of Drones managed to swim under the Maelstrom and deactivate it, allowing a massive Locust force to land on the island. Nevil was in one of the labs with Adam, who began gathering up papers detailing the countermeasure device. Nevil told him to forget about them and run, but Adam asked about everyone else. The Locust then burst into the lab, and Nevil yelled for him to just run as he opened fire on the Drones. He told Adam to head for Pinnacle Tower, where they could barracde themselves on the top floor. As they ran through the streets of Azura, Nevil provided covering fire for themselves and other fleeing scientists. They were greeted by Red Squad at the base of Pinnacle Tower, who ordered them to the top floor and mentioned that Queen Myrrah was leading the assault. As they ran up the stairs, Adam asked if there was anywhere on the island to hide the research incase they needed to start over. Nevil told him that there was a limestone cave network that run under the island for kilometers. After reaching the roof, Nevil was contacted by Prescott and he informed the Chairman that there was not much they could do to protect the device, and that Myrrah was likely going to try to take Adam alive and the device intact to destroy the Lambent. Prescott and Dury soon joined them on the roof, where Prescott ordered the three of them to leave on KR Zero-One. Nevil, Adam, and Dury all refused to abandon the island, and tasked Prescott with finding the CNV Sovereign to get reinforcements from Col.Victor Hoffman and Marcus. As Prescott prepared to leave, Adam ordered Nevil to take the research and hide in the caverns, and Nevil questioned if he was trying to keep him safe. Adam told him he needed him alive in case he was wrong about Myrrah wanting him alive so he could start over on the device. Nevil left the roof with Dury, who wanted to make sure that Nevil made it safely to the caverns before rejoining the battle. Nevil tried to convince him that he could take care of himself, and Dury said he had trained him so he knew he could. They then encountered several Locust, and Dury ordered him to open fire. As they prepared for a final stand and opened fire, Nevil stated that he regretted never becoming a Gear, but Dury told him that he was one now.[3]
Current Fate[]
Richard Prescott was eventually able to locate CNV Sovereign and set in motion the final days of the war just before he died during the Attack on the Sovereign. Marcus Fenix received Adam's message and managed to locate Azura, free his father, and activate the Imulsion Countermeasure, which resulted in Adam Fenix's death. However, during the Second Battle of Azura, there was no sign of Nevil and Paul Dury.
It was later revealed 25 years later by Victor Hoffman to former member of the Onyx Guard, Corporal Jeremiah Keegan, that Paul Dury was still alive. Considering that he was left in charge to protect Nevil and the back-up plans for the Imulsion Countermeasure and was able to survive, it's probable that Nevil survived the war as well.
Personality and Traits[]
Nevil had wanted to be a Gear soldier, and his failure to the army medical exam was upsetting to him. He thought about trying again, but knew that he would likely fail, and knew that he was doing important work at the DRA.[1][4]
Behind the scenes[]
- Nevil's name is an anagram for 'evil monster'.
Appearances[]
- A Pendulum Wars Story (First appearance)
- The Slab
- Dirty Little Secrets