Abstergo Industries

"We change the world. Every day, in a hundred different ways. Did you know that every single breakthrough of the last millenia, be it medical, mechanical, or philosophical, has come from Abstergo, or its predecessors?"

- Warren Vidic to Desmond Miles

Abstergo Industries is one of the most prominent and largest multinational corporations in the world by the year 2012, serving as a front for the modern day Templar Order. They are the employers of Dr. Warren Vidic and (formerly) Lucy Stillman, the science department that organized Desmond Mile's capture, and the company that funded the Animus project.

Even though Abstergo is outwardly labeled as a company working in the fields of medicine and science, technology, Dr. Vidic boasts of their accomplishments in fields beyond these. He claims that either Abstergo or its predecessors were responsible for every scientific accomplishment and involved in every mass progressive movement over the past millenium, though Abstergo chooses who gets credit for the accomplishments very carefully. However, these achievements are not purely of their own doing, as when Desmond asked who designed the Animus' technology, Dr. Vidic cryptically replies with "Those Who Came Before."

Desmond discovered Abstergo's identity as the modern-day embodiment of the Knights Templar while being held at their laboratory. He does so after reading several e-mails, particularly one viewable in the conference room, wherein Alan Rikkin writes to Vidic: "May the Father of Understanding guide you to success," a phrase long used by the Templar Order.

Abstergo has also been hunting the last of the Assassins left in the world, hoping to end their enemies' way of life, thus eliminating any chance of their own failure. Vidic's e-mail reveals Abstergo and Assassin presence in many events throughout history, including the Tunguska event. The emails also discuss the Philadelphia Project, in which the USS Eldridge (which was stationed in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard) was allegedly rendered invisible for several seconds, and sent forward in time. Experiments with the artifact related to this incident were halted, with Abstergo citing concern about paradoxes.

Mitchell-Hedge's communicators are also mentioned, along with an abstract reference to the 13 Incan Crystal Skulls that were supposedly discovered by the gentleman adventurer of the same name in the 1920's. New Age theorists state that the Crystal Skulls enable telepathy between their wielders, and therefore, the term "communicators" implies that Abstergo either has these skulls or is able to communicate using them. This communication is likely also undetectable by any modern-day Assassin.

Through the e-mails, it is learnt that Abstergo is being investigated for something called "New Fluoride," which they tested on an isolated community, were caught, and are currently being held in suspicion because of it. This is the reason behind the December 21, 2012 launch of their Eye-Abstergo communications satellite, as afterwards, they risk being immobilized by having their assets frozen. The 12/21/2012 launch is also extremely significant, as it marks the end of the Mayan Long Count, 13th baktun cycle - the date set by many to be the end of the world.

Abstergo was also involved in an accident under the Denver International Airport, at Abstergo's satellite manufacturing (and possibly launch) facility. E-mails show that a member of the project apparently went insane, using the Apple present to kill almost everyone at the facility, ultimately destroying himself and the Piece. This loss caused Abstergo to capture Desmond Miles, in order to locate for a replacement Piece, as well as ascertaining the remaing Pieces.

Products
Vidic mentions that Abstergo invented everything to enhance everyday life, and it is also stated by Lucy that Abstergo produces anti-depressants. Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were past Abstergo employees, making Abstergo responsible for popularizing the assembly line and electricity. During World War II, the Atomic Bomb's creation was directly linked to Abstergo, with "O" (J. Robert Oppenheimer) being given the go ahead by an unnamed Abstergo employee.

History
On July 22, 1944, an unknown member of the company sent out a memo to fellow members. They mentioned using the assembly line to control both capitalists and workers, and credited Ransom "Ranny" Olds and Henry Ford for its creation. This person further added that they hoped that in the future, the company would not have to use such "ugly chains". They mention that Abstergo's founders designed the "Plan" in 1910. This individual also brought up the Communists and said it was Abstergo's duty to save them (neutralize) and their followers. The reasons given were that they were to be allowed to eat and to reproduce. The sender of the memo further elaborates on Abstergo's goals, stating to his fellow Templars that their duty was to "shepherd those beneath us through life, even if force is required". The unknown member mentioned other Templars known only by the initials "H." and "S." (Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin) who brought on the "turmoil and fear". Towards the end of this memo, they brought up the "successful ruse of Rockefeller's dimes". This information was hidden by Subject 16 for Desmond Miles to find.

Abstergo was responsible for British mathematician Alan Turing's criminal prosecution and possibly his death.In a phone recording dating to June 1954, also hidden by Subject 16, two Templars only known by the initials "V." and "N." mention the need for Turing to be arrested. They feared "mass unemployment" if the mathematician did ended up creating a computer. The two men also mentioned American economist and senior U.S.A. Treasury Department official Harry Dexter White.

In the 1970s, Abstergo involved itself in the economic and political affairs of Iran, Argentina, and Chile. This information was also revealed to Desmond by Subject 16 via a company memo hidden in a glyph. This memo on the subject of South America stated that "to ensure company's success, company agents must be able to move freely from country to country and maintain power within all of them. A global international order must be implemented".

In Argentina, the memo tells members to inform capitalists that if they helped ensure that the junta (likely referencing The National Reorganization Process) stays in power Abstergo will pass all their corporate debt onto the Argentine people, thus quelling any attempts of popular revolt. The person who wrote the memo also added that they wanted trade unions there to be destroyed. The actions of Abstergo likely contributed to the disappearance of at least 30,000 Argentinian people in the 1970s.

In neighboring Chile, Abstergo wanted the free markets to proceed. The memo mentioned a Templar known as F., who visited the country last year, thus helping things along. The memo went on to state that all public companies need to be sold to the private sector, preferably at a cheap price.The price of bread and other staples must rise, therefore ensuring that the Chilean people remain in poverty and being unable to resist. Abstergo's efforts ended up thwarting President Salvador Allende's efforts to allow the people to own Chile's corporations, which ended with his apparent suicide in 1973. This helped future dictator Augusto Pinochet to assume power. Abstergo escaped detection because it deliberately hid its involvement and implicated the U.S. government.

In Iran, Abstergo backed monarch Shah Pahlavi, Shaban Jafari, and the National Intelligence and Security Organization, otherwise known as SAVAK, against democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.This resulted in Mosaddegh being overthrown in 1953 and dying under house arrest in 1967.

In September 1985, the research division of Abstergo worked on a prototype capable of mimicking POE capabilities across a network. They also started testing on Subject 4.

In November 2004, a member of the CIA named Gary found out about Abstergo. He mentioned to a woman, likely his wife, that Abstergo has holdings in numerous companies (Kraft, Coke etc.) and that Abstergo has interests in all companies over a certain size. He was going to publish a book on the company, but was presumably thwarted by the Templars.

Justice of the Supreme Court and templar Antonin Scalia convinced Sandra O' Connor to retire. He sent a letter to "S.". Scalia mentioned that W. (George W. Bush) will restart animosities with Iraq, giving C.'s (Dick Cheney) contractors more work. After the destruction of the Campaign finance laws, the company would be free to elect anyone they choose to the Senate, House, and eventually the Presidency.

In January 2012, the head of the company left it to an unknown person. He warned his successor of a crisis, that once the free market falls, the people will turn against them.

Current employees

 * S.
 * Alan Rikkin – C.E.O. at Abstergo.
 * Warren Vidic – Head of Research for genetic memory and the Animus project.
 * Nancy Nilop – Unknown position, possibly Leila's (former) boss.
 * Jane Birkam – Unknown position, friend of Warren Vidic.
 * Audrey Jacobs – Alan Rikkin's assistant.
 * Richard – One of the three men that threatened to kill Lucy Stillman, before being stopped by Vidic.
 * James Morse - Abstergo employee whose Abstergo e-mail can be accessed from their website by imputing the login password PFRDVJ5aLLg.

Former employees

 * Lucy Stillman
 * Leila Marino (deceased)

Trivia

 * Abstergo is a Latin verb, meaning "I cleanse."
 * In the Truth file regarding Apollo, scanning the symbol on the Eagle shows the Abstergo logo, suggesting that Abstergo Industries was behind the moon landings. Similarly, scanning the American flag planted on the moon reveals the Templar cross.
 * During Ezio's visit to the Vault, the Abstergo logo can be seen on several images projected by Minerva.
 * In the concept art for The Vault, what looks like the Abstergo logo can be seen on the floor of the circular room in which Ezio fights Rodrigo.
 * Abstergo's Animi room has a wall with a large window in the shape of the Templar cross.
 * The doors within the laboratory are marked with blue lights in the shape of the Templar cross.
 * In Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy, the player is an Abstergo employee. However, the player does not seem to be aware of the company's association with the Templar Order or their war against the Assassins. However, it is implied that the player is descended from Assassins, thus their motives for secrecy might not be so mysterious.
 * Abstergo has a Twitter page for Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy
 * The multiplayer mode of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is played from the point of view of Abstergo employees undergoing training in the Animi.
 * The Abstergo Industries facility in which Desmond was initially held, and later escaped from, was located in Italy. During his escape, Desmond saw several signs written in Italian.
 * According to sound files found in rifts hidden by Subject 16 in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Abstergo used closed circuit televisions to spy on civillians and video games to distract them.The secret menu is located between channels 172 and 173 and it has the owner's names, credit card number, their likes, EEG, and ARAS. In April 2011, a man named Mr. Jameson found out about this and called his cable company, Comstatic. In response, Abstergo sent someone to deal with him and his twelve year old son Paul.
 * According to Gary, Coke, Kraft, Detroit, Wall Street, and the pharmaceutical industry are all associated with Abstergo.

Notes and references
Abstergo Industries Abstergo