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"Off the record, you are in completely confidential territory now - your guess is as good as mine."
Victor Hoffman's response when he can't find any intel on New Hope

The New Hope Research Facility, also known as the New Hope Wellness Facility,[1] disguised as Jameson Shipping Depot, was a classified COG research facility used to treat the children of Imulsion-poisoned miners afflicted with Rustlung. Founded by the Department of Health under Monroe Administration, the facility was overseen by geneticist Dr. Niles Samson. The facility was later closed after reports of unethical experiments were leaked to the public. These unethical experiments involved the children being mutated into chimeras called Sires. After the shutdown, Samson and his remaining loyal scientists were relocated by a COG syndicate to an underground facility in Mount Kadar to continue their work and avoid prosecution. The work at this facility led to the creation of the Locust.

Before disappearing, Samson left behind a semi-sentient security system to protect the facility. The COG classified all data relating to and the research conducted at New Hope. Any information was passed from former Chairman to succeeding Chairman with the sole task of keeping the facility quarantined and classified. The facility was declassified in 14 A.E. during the Locust War by Chairman Richard Prescott, believing that the information at New Hope could lead to the location of the Locust Horde. Following the end of the Locust War, the COG, under its First Minister, placed guards at New Hope and continued to quarantine the facility. In 42 A.E, the New Hope facility was destroyed by a self-destruct sequence triggered by the security system following a Swarm infestation. [2]

History[]

Pendulum Wars[]

Discovery of Rustlung[]

In the early to mid-Pendulum Wars, the miners of Imulsion and their families began to suffer from a condition known as Rustlung. The Coalition of Ordered Governments, wanting to capitalize on Imulsion and not face reparations for its health effects, commissioned the New Hope Research Facility under the Department of Health during the Monroe administration. Built to be disguised as Jameson Depot, the facility was designed to shelter the children of Imulsion miners infected with Rustlung away from the public eye and attempt to find a cure.

Founding and Research[]

Renowned geneticist Doctor Niles Samson was given the role of Director at New Hope. He began his research by injecting the children with daily doses of concentrated Imulsion to study its effects and progress. Most of the children progressed into Rustlung and perished following metastasis. It was discovered that exposure to Imulsion caused immediate cell stress and degradation. However, some cells underwent point mutations that Samson considered beneficial rather than harmful. Dr. Torres reported a female child named Myrrah displayed no detectable cellular degradation from lethal levels of Imulsion exposure. Instead, her body benefited from Imulsion exposure by strengthening her immune system and decelerating her aging process to 50% of a normal child. Samson was unable to replicate these results in the other children, as Myrrah was a medical anomaly.

Samson determined that curing Rustlung was only possible through genetic engineering. By using the DNA of indigenous creatures from the Hollow, which he theorized contained genetic immunity to Imulsion, he mutated the children into mindless, feral, deformed chimeras called Sires, the beginning of an evolved race. They began to exhibit some resistance similar to Myrrah's immunity, but ultimately failed as they each resulted in death. Those who survived were also genetically unstable and sterile. However, the first Sire, Ukkon, retained his mental capacity. Despite still being afflicted with Rustlung, Ukkon gained similar genetic abilities to Myrrah. When exposed to Imulsion, he exhibited accelerated healing when wounded - making Ukkon physically immortal. As a fail-safe, the scientists developed a Cytostatic Gas to block Ukkon's healing abilities. With Ukkon's retained mental capacity and accelerated healing abilities, Samson became convinced he could genetically create enhanced soldiers to end the Pendulum Wars, as well as evolving the human race into stronger and healthier people.

Ethics Violation and Closing[]

As the research progressed, the other scientists and staff members became concerned about their research - believing it to be unethical and unsafe. Many of the staff members were attacked by the Sires who adopted hostile and sadistic behavior. One male Sire mauled Sven, causing Doctors Doug Sato and Stephanie Zimmer to resign. Following numerous resignations, information leaks were made about New Hope and its research - causing Samson to issue a memo of confidentiality to its remaining employees. Private Sid Redburn, a guard at New Hope, attempted to send a letter to family friend Colonel Tolman exposing the unethical experiments and urging him to alert Chairman Monroe. The letter was intercepted in the mailroom and Samson had Redburn terminated for his actions. Redburn escaped with numerous copies of Samson's research. After securing several files in an abandoned outpost in Winlock, Vasgar; he brought the remaining files to Monroe.

Upon investigating New Hope, Monroe learned the rumors of unethical experimentation and imprisonment and torture of children to be true. Issuing a directive, Monroe ordered the facility to be shut down and all involved to be indicted. Upon returning to arrest the scientists, the COG discovered all the scientists and several dozen subjects missing from New Hope. The remaining Sires were placed in stasis, guarded by a semi-sentient security system built by Samson and based off his personality. The COG spent years searching for the scientists and subjects in the Kadar Valley, but were never able to find any evidence leading to them. All official records on New Hope were destroyed. The only files remaining were passed down to every elected Chairman with the only directive to keep the facility quarantined and classified on a need-to-know basis. Redburn was pardoned for his participation at New Hope and allowed to continue his career in the COG Army.

Unknown to Monroe, a fringe political syndicate within his own administration believed in Samson's work and was responsible for the relocation of his scientists and subjects to an underground facility beneath Mount Kadar where he could continue his work. Samson's work resulted in the creation of the Locust Horde by combining Sire DNA with Myrrah's embryonic stem cells. The new facility sent a message back to New Hope just before the last of the scientists left, but it became scrambled either in transmission or over time while stored in the AI's databanks.

Locust War[]

Assassination of Ukkon[]

In 1 A.E., Chairman Richard Prescott assigned Sgt. Gabriel Diaz to assassinate Ukkon, who had become the Locust Horde's lead geneticist responsible for modifying creatures of the Hollow into weapons of war. Diaz's second-in-command was Major Sid Redburn due to his familiarity with Ukkon. Redburn managed to capture Ukkon, but he was able to escape due to his regenerative abilities. Redburn subsequently revealed his connections to New Hope and how the scientists they were responsible for the creation of Ukkon and the Locust, although Redburn mistakenly believed that the scientists had convinced Chairman Monroe to authorize the creation of the Sires for military potential.

Redburn was able to provide Diaz and Mikayla Dorn with files that he'd stolen from New Hope that proved his story. When Diaz questioned Prescott about Ukkon and New Hope, Prescott attempted to kill Diaz and his forces with the Hammer of Dawn. After the discovery of the truth, Redburn revealed that the scientists at New Hope had created a cytostatic gas as a failsafe to block Ukkon's healing abilities, and that he knew how to make it. By using the weaponized gas, Diaz and his forces were able to render Ukkon vulnerable and finally defeat him. Just before being killed by Reyna Torres, the daughter of Queen Myrrah and Dr. Torres, Ukkon taunted Redburn that he was still haunted by his time at New Hope.[3]

Declassification[]

Main article: Mission to New Hope Research Facility
NHWF Front

New Hope in 14 A.E.

In 14 A.E., the Locust Horde began using a Riftworm to sink the cities of Tollen and Montevado in order to sink Jacinto and flood the Hollow, killing the Lambent. In response, the COG launched Operation: Hollow Storm to invade the Locust stronghold and eliminate their leader, ending the war once and for all. During the first wave of Hollow Storm, Delta-One was able to locate the Riftworm and kill it following the sinking of Ilima, but the COG ultimately failed in locating the Locust stronghold. Chairman Prescott ultimately declassified the intel file on the New Hope Research Facility, believing that wherever Samson took the children was where the Locust stronghold and Queen were located. Delta Squad was sent to search for any clues on the Locust capital. However, all previous activities and details remained classified, even Colonel Victor Hoffman, the highest-ranking military officer, knew nothing more of the place beyond its location.

New Hope Gate

Delta's first Encounter with Niles.

Upon arrival, Sgt. Marcus Fenix and Cpl. Dominic Santiago entered the facility, while Pvt. Augustus Cole and Cpl. Damon Baird guarded the Centaur Tank Delta used as transport. Inside, Fenix and Santiago encountered an armored security door overlooked by the AI system modeled after Niles Samson. After blasting the door open with a charge, they proceeded to navigate New Hope's extensive security network. Fenix and Santiago located the stasis area holding the Sires and hacked the network, recovering information left by Samson about relocating the subjects to Mount Kadar. An unintentional result of Delta hacking the network was the Sires were awakened from stasis and broke out to attack the Gears. Fenix and Santiago evacuated with Baird and Cole when Locust Drones and Boomers suddenly attacked the facility.

The intel proved correct as the Locust capital, Nexus, was situated under Mount Kadar. Delta Squad was able to activate the beacon and start the second wave of Hollow Storm in the actual Locust stronghold. The operation was a success and Nexus was destroyed in the flooding after the COG sank Jacinto themselves after learning Professor Adam Fenix's intel that sinking Jacinto would drown the Locust and Lambent in the Hollow.

Interwar Period[]

In 17 A.E., the Lambent spread on the surface, but was ultimately destroyed by Adam Fenix's Imulsion countermeasure. However, the device did not kill the Locust but instead forced them into evolution as they became cocooned in an impenetrable crystalline shell. According to Marcus Fenix, every First Minister of the restored COG knew of New Hope and posted guards to keep it a secret.[2]

Swarm Invasion[]

Return and Destruction[]

By 42 A.E., the Locust erupted from their cocoons and evolved into the Swarm. The Swarm began rebuilding their army by capturing humans and turning them into soldiers. The leader of the Swarm, the Speaker, led an attack on the Outsiders of Fort Umson and captured their leader, Reyna Diaz. They attached Reyna to their network, but she was later found by her daughter, Kait Diaz, and was euthanized. Reyna left her with her amulet, which is also the symbol of the Locust Horde. Shortly after her mother's death, Kait began having visions and nightmares of the Swarm and Queen Myrrah. She became more aggressive and feared that something was happening to her. After the attack on Riftworm Village, Marcus advised Kait to journey to the New Hope Research Facility where she could discover what's happening to her by learning the origins of the Locust Horde.

Once she and friend, Delmont Walker, arrived at the New Hope Research Facility, the building was nearly in ruins and filled with snow and with the guarding DeeBees corrupted by the Swarm. At the vault entrance, Kait and Del encountered a Warden guarding the facility, suggesting that Swarm intended to turn it into one of their Hives. After destroying the Warden, the two found that New Hope was being transformed into a Swarm Hive and fought off a Swarm Flock as they tried to find the lab, eventually making their way into the prison area which Marcus had never encountered on his journey there. Marcus guided the two through the facility, informing them of what he had learned about the experiments that had been run there.

The two eventually found the mainframe for the Niles AI and reactivated it. However, the AI had badly degraded over the years and most of its files were corrupted. JACK was able to find several that mentioned the name "Kadar" which Marcus recognized and had Damon Baird take a look. However, a Swarm Flock attacked the Niles AI which took it as a sign of the final cleansing beginning. As the AI was destroyed, it activated a purge of the facility using chemicals in tanks Kait and Del found while making their way through it and explosives. Fighting through Swarm forces, the two were able to escape outside. The purge caused the facility to collapse, bringing a final end to the New Hope Research Facility.[2]

Baird discovered that just before the last of the scientists left New Hope, someone sent them a message from a lab in Mount Kadar. However, the message's origin point was scrambled, forcing Kait and Del to locate the comm towers it passed through to track the message back to the hidden lab.[4]

Hivebuster Offensive[]

Inspired by the events at New Hope, Colonel Victor Hoffman managed to acquire the toxic gas that Dr. Niles Samson used during the chemical purge. The chemical weapon was weaponized by Doctor Hana Cole for use against the Swarm by planting a Venom Bomb in the heart of the Hive, hoping for the Hive to be destroyed and all connected and originating from the Hive to be killed. However, the weaponized gas proved to not be strong enough to kill the more powerful Swarm creatures and Scions. Later, by combining the New Hope gas with the venom of the Wakaatu, Dr. Hana Cole was able to create successful Venom Bombs able to destroy the Hive completely.[5]

Building Layout[]

Because New Hope operated under the guise of Jameson Shipping Depot,[6] the perimeter of the building appeared like a warehouse. The building itself housed various laboratories and research offices. Within the main entrance was the lobby. To the right was access to the facility's warehouse. Down the hall from the main lobby were sleeping quarters for on-duty guards. At the end of the hall was a large vault door that led to the research facility. To the right of the circular door was a corridor that lead to the generator and warehouse. When the COG reclassified the facility, they built a security wall to seal off the hallway leading to the vault door. Over the course of twenty-five years, the facility deteriorated heavily with many sections collapsing.[2]

Beyond the circular door were numerous security checkpoints. Downstairs was the employee lobby. Past the lobby was the mailroom, offices, showers, sleeping quarters, kitchen, and cafeteria for the employees of New Hope. Connecting all areas of this facility was a small exterior courtyard. At this point of the facility, the entire area was guarded by numerous automated turrets that locked onto targets and fired until the target was dead or out of range. Most of these weapons had a manual override, which would deactivate the security within that room. Almost every room and hallway had one of these automated weapons installed.

Downstairs from the employee area was the genetic research facility and treatment areas. Deeper in the facility were two long hallways - each with large vault doors at the end. The main hallway was for employee access and guarded by turrets, the other hallway was the security system control that allowed access in the main hallway. Past the vault doors was the heart of the facility in which the Sires were held in stasis tanks. Overlooking each section of the stasis area was a lab station for observation. Adjacent to the observation areas were examination rooms. At the end of the stasis facility was the computer switchboard network and artificial intelligence security system mainframe.

Below in the facility were the prison cells for the children. Supplied with a metal bed, sink, and toilet - the cells were closed with metal doors containing food passes. Down the hall were autopsy rooms to examine and dissect the deceased before they would be cremated. Following the discovery of Myrrah's immunity, she was given her own furnished room. The room itself differed from most cells, as it was larger and better lit. It was furnished with a child's bed, desk, and rocking horse. The plastered walls allowed her to draw on and pin pictures up. The area was monitored by an observation room with a two-way mirror. An elevator at the end of the hall went up into the genetics lab and observation rooms.

In front exterior of New Hope was large parking lot and courtyard. To the right of the facility, next to the garage, was loading dock access for trucks to deliver the toxic gas used in the facility as a fail-safe, which connected to the employee area of the facility. The back exterior of New Hope were barracks built throughout an old train yard to hold the test subjects, along with metal canopies over walkways and throughout the front yard to serve as protection from bad weather such as Razorhail.[7] Train tracks were laid out within the back of the facility to transport the children by train. As part of the facility's guise as Jameson Depot, the tracks extended out into Kadar Valley and a nearby train tunnel.[8]

Documents[]

Interoffice Memo
To: All New Hope employees
From: Director Niles Samson

RE: Ways to Deal with Prying Questions

As many of you know, we recently experienced an internal information leak, and this had led some media outlets to make inquiries of the Department of Health. Should you ever be approached with questions by anyone from the media or from someone who is not an employee of New Hope, I trust that you will all refrain from disclosing any information about the facility or its patients.

Please do keep this in mind moving forward, and continue with the great work that you all are doing. You are making the future a better place.

Best,

Niles[9]

Sato's letter to Stephanie Zimmer
To: Stephanie Zimmer
From: Doug Sato
Subject: WTF?!

Steph, we need to talk. Seriously. I'm worried about our safety. Niles keeps saying that the subjects are harmless under sedation, but I just saw Sven get mauled by one of the males. Like ripped up, bloody mauled. This place isn't safe anymore. Maybe it never was.

I'm already working on my resignation letter, you may want to as well.


Doug[6]

New Hope Medical File
Patient Name: Ruth
Age: 15

Symptoms: Ruth is clearly experiencing extreme swelling in her joints and frequently cries out in pain during the night. She also exhibits rather erratic and unpredictable behavior, though this is quite understandable considering her situation and symptoms. There is a strange discoloration in her eyes, and her breathing often sounds labored. Her nails grow at a faster rate than normal, though her hair grows at a markedly reduced rate. I'll keep trying to find some type of medication to alleviate her pain without adversely affecting our studies.


Dr. Niles Samson[6]

Doctor's Journal
Dr. Stephanie Zimmer

Doug was right. These things, these 'children,' as Niles likes to call them, are completely out of control. It's like working with rabid dogs, except they're much smarter, more conniving... and they're brutal. Sadistic even. It's like they were bred to kill and torture.

These things are going to be the death of us all.

This is my final entry. I'm getting the hell out of here.

I hope this place burns to the ground.


Dr. Zimmer.[6]

Captivity Marks
To: Control
From: Delta-One

We've found some marks on the walls of a cell in the New Hope Wellness Facility. Unclear whether they represent days, weeks, or months, but it's clear someone spent a long time here in captivity. Too long.

Delta out.

Intercepted Letter
Colonel Tolman,

I apologize for the protocol breach of writing you directly, but I am praying that as a family friend you can help me with a desperate situation.

When Command offered me a guard position at the New Hope Research Facility, they called it a career-making opportunity: a chance to support research that would cure Rustlung forever. But that's not what's happening here.

I have been ordered to chain the ill to bed frames like prisoners, not patients. I have had to pin down screaming children while lab-coated men with needles tapped their blood and left them to shiver on the floor.

Niles Samson isn't making a cure. He's making... things. I can't say what they are. No one can. But no good can come of it, I promise you.

I beg you, Colonel: Talk to Chairman Monroe. Tell him people are suffering here. Tell him Dr. Samson's gone mad. I can't stand by and watch this any longer.

Yours,
Private Sid Redburn

Intercepted in mailroom. Get Redburn OUT of here!
-NS

Sovereign Directive 10345
By virtue of the authority vested in me as Chairman of the Coalition of Ordered Governments, it is hereby ordered that all activities at the New Hope Research Facility are to be terminated, effective immediately.

It is further ordered that all staff report to the House of Sovereigns, where they will stand trial and face judgment on the 13th of Bloom.

As citizens of this Coalition, each of us made a pledge to conduct ourselves with honor, and to observe principles of loyalty and purity, as it was decreed by the Allfathers.

I know no greater impurity than what has been conceived within the walls of New Hope, and no act more dishonorable than what is effectively the imprisonment and torture of children.

Furthermore, the untruths told by Dr. Niles Samson and his team to protect themselves and their efforts from scrutiny indicate disloyalty of the greatest severity.

Dr. Niles Samson, you have forsaken your responsibility to society, and so your society must forsake you.

CHAIRMAN MONROE

THE HOUSE OF SOVEREIGNS

Patient Analysis: AX-331-2
Prior to loss of speech, the subject complained frequently about joint and lung pain, as well as agonizing headaches.

Subject's exposure to Imulsion was severe even before testing began. Once Rustlung had metastasized throughout the Subject's body, death came quickly.

Imulsion's effects lead to intense and immediate cell stress. But other cells undergo point mutations that could be considered beneficial. Studies will continue.

Dr. Niles Samson

Patient Analysis: EV-184-9
EV-184-9 has been exposed to Imulsion levels hitherto known - without exception - to be fatal. Yet she displays no detectable cellular degradation at all. Quite the opposite, if anything.

We have decided to isolate and observe EV-184-9 closely, twenty-six hours a day, while continuing to administer a daily dose of concentrated Imulsion. We tell her it's her medicine and she smiles while she takes it. She is quite eager to be helpful.

Dr. Niles Samson

Patient Analysis: RK-619-4
RK-619-4's final transformation occurred roughly eighteen hours before death. Quite disappointing, as the subject's cells had initially benefited from Imulsion exposure nearly as much as Subject EV-184-9's.

It is time to face a hard truth. EV-184-9's response to Imulsion exposure may be entirely anomalous. And Dr. Torres has just informed me that EV-184-9's T cells appear to be particularly responsive. He believes her body is now aging at a pace roughly half that of a normal girl.

Dr. Niles Samson

Timeworn Data Drive
There is a message hidden on the drive that Jack has decrypted:

Dr. Samson,

I represent a concerned party within Chairman Monroe's administration. We are uncolored by the messianic moralism our Chairman has consistently shown. Instead, we are pragmatists. In our view, the greatest kindness we can for Sera is bring the Pendulum Wars to a swift, decisive end.

To achieve this goal, we are willing to provide you with aid and research. Unlike our Chairman, we are capable of imagination - of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, as it were. Your work has too much potential to squander.

Preparations are now underway to relocate your research to a new location, safely distant from eyes that may pry. Monroe has spies everywhere.

We will speak with you again soon.

Known Occupants[]

Scientists

Employees

Patients

Gallery[]

New Hope Exterior

Main Lobby

Employee Area

Holding Cells

Morgue

Sire Laboratory

Behind the scenes[]

  • The multiplayer maps Security and Stasis are both loosely based on New Hope.

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. Gears of War 2 Collectible: Captivity Marks
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Gears 5: Forest for the Trees
  3. Gears Tactics
  4. Gears 5: Act II: The Source of It All
  5. Gears: Hivebuster
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Gears of War 2: Act 3: Gathering Storm
  7. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Origins
  8. Gears 5: Act II: Into the Wild
  9. Gears of War 2 Collectible: Interoffice Memo
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