Memory Corridor

Ezio, my friend! How may I be of service?

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AC2 Memory Corridor — Memory Corridor of the Animus 2.0

The Memory Corridor was a digital construct that allowed the Animus to recreate accurate images from a subject's genetic memory. It appeared to the user as an empty virtual space located within Animi. When the memory loaded, the virtual environment would be recreated over the memory corridor.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Usage

The corridor was mainly used as a "loading screen" between memories, where the user could roam around while a memory was being compiled. The memory corridor appeared to be an endless void, having a different appearance in each software version of the Animus. If the user was desynchronised while reliving a memory, their avatar returned back to the corridor, allowing the memory to reload.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Additionally, the final moments of assassination targets were displayed in the memory corridor, where they would shared their final word with their killer, before receiving their last rites.^[1]^[2]

It was also utilized as a location for the tutorial for Desmond Miles, during his first use of the Animus at Abstergo Industries' Roman facility,^[1] and later as an interface for Rebecca Crane's Animus Virtual Training Program.^[3]

Appearance

The corridor had different appearances, varying with the version of Animus being used and the type of memory being accessed.

Animus renditions

Animus 1.28

The Abstergo Industries Animus 1.28 originally had an icy-blue background, in which simulated fog and strings of computer code existed. The user could move the avatar of their ancestor freely around this simulation, and could use all weapons.^[1]

Animus 2.0

CesareThrown — The Memory Corridor at the end of a traumatic memory, Pax Romana

The background of the Animus 2.0 and its 2.01 update was light grey with white lines, and existed as the main corridor used within the virtual machine, coming to be known as the "White Room".

In the Animus 2.0, an avatar could only be made to run or walk around, but this restriction was removed in the upgraded versions, allowing the user to use weapons as well.^[2]

During some instances, the background changed for certain memories, such as repressed ones, or traumatic parts of the ancestor's life. Examples of repressed memories included some of Ezio Auditore da Firenze's experiences with Cristina Vespucci, one of his lovers during his lifetime, and rendered with a ghost-like Ezio chasing another phantom figure – Cristina – through a dark, red-hued corridor with floating binary code. This corridor remained for a much longer time than most other memories, and the memory could take a very long time to compile.^[3]

Pax Romana was an example of a traumatic memory, in which the memory corridor took on an orange colouration with broken fragments of data. This occurred when Desmond first tried accessing the memory, and after the death of Cesare Borgia, once Ezio had threw Cesare off of the Viana Castle battlements.^[3]

Animus 3.0

The Animus 3.0's background was similar to that of the Animus 1.28, in that it was icy-blue, but withheld the fog. It also appeared to be composed of triangular fragments, which appeared to mesh themselves together to form the environment of any loading memory.^[5]

Animus safe mode

The safe mode program built into the Animus, known as the "Black Room", had a varying dark and bright blue background with black lines, the polar opposite of the appearance of Animus 2.03 in its stable condition.^[4]

Animi Training Program

During the first training stage of the Animi Training Program, the memory corridor appeared to be a combination of the Animus 1.28 and 2.03. It had both a blue, fog-filled background and white lines.^[3]

The corridor within the Animi that was used for the second stage of Abstergo's training program had a gray background with cubical fragments.^[4]

Abstergo Entertainment

As part of Abstergo Entertainment's rendition of the Animus as a games console for consumer interaction, in order to influence the general public, the virtual machine was displayed in a similar manner to the Black Room of the Animus 2.03.^[6]

Accompanying this, a large symbol of the Abstergo Industries' logo could be seen spinning in some instances, alongside a bokeh graphical design that transitioned from blue to orange.^[5]

Alternate renditions

First Civilization

While viewing the memories of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad that were stored on memory seals, the memory corridor developed golden symbols similar to those embedded on the Masyaf Keys.

Accompanying this, once Desmond had completed the remainder of Ezio Auditore's genetic memories, he achieved a Synch Nexus and conversed with Jupiter, Juno and Minerva of the First Civilization. During this meeting, golden symbols surrounded the group in the memory corridor.^[4]

Bleeding effect

When a person experienced the bleeding effect, they experienced something similar to the memory corridor, albeit all in black. At first, figures and objects in the memory would appear to be white on a black background, though they would optimize in more detail, until a point where the memory corridor disappeared and was replaced with a memory, in a similar manner to an Animus.^[2]

Trivia

General

No matter what position or method the assassination target was killed in, or how far away the character was from the target, upon entering the corridor, the character would always be right next to them.
The memory corridor was also used in several failed and spared assassinations. These included Maria Thorpe (spared), Rodrigo Borgia (failed, later spared), Micheletto Corella (spared), Shahkulu (failed), Nicholas Biddle (spared) and Benjamin Franklin (failed).

Assassin's Creed

During a sufficiently long loading period, it was possible for Altaïr to run far enough that glitches and other symbols surrounding him were left behind.
Glitches appeared frequently in the corridor, prompting Desmond to change the angle of the scene, and allowed an assassinated target to walk around as they spoke, appearing uninjured.

Assassin's Creed II

Dante Moro and Silvio Barbarigo appeared in the memory corridor together, even if they were killed separately.
Ezio could only use his fists while he was displayed in the corridor.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

When the Templar agents situated in Rome were killed and entered the corridor, they did not speak. Ezio simply said "Requiescat in pace," before closing their eyes and walking away.
It was possible to run out of ammunition if Ezio used the Hidden Gun, throwing knives or the crossbow in the memory corridor.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations