| Leela | |
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 The Terminal Interface for the Marathon's system
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| Biographical information | |
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Siblings: |
Tycho & Durandal |
| Personal details | |
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Gender: |
Female |
| Political and military information | |
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Affiliation: |
UESC |
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Rank: |
Ship Operations AI |
| Marathon information | |
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First appearance: |
Marathon 1994 |
Leela was one of three original AIs aboard the UESC Marathon, along with Durandal and Tycho. She was responsible for ship operations,[1] and was the second best candidate to oversee the Tau Ceti colony.[2] Detail-oriented, adaptable, and faithful, Leela played a key role during the Battle of Tau Ceti before eventually succumbing to the Pfhor invaders.
The Pfhor disassembled her and intended to take her back to their homeworld, but circumstances caused her to fall into the hands of another alien race called the Vylae. The Vylae unwittingly brought Leela back online, and the subsequent crash of their FTL network was historic. Afterwards, the Vylae accepted they could never fully expunge her from their network.[3]
History[edit]
The details of Leela's creation are unknown. However, she was created with the intention of serving as the Marathon's ship operations, and was active throughout the Marathon's voyage. During that time, Tycho and Durandal had a falling out and the two would not talk to each other for six years. Leela was the only one Tycho could talk to.[4]
When the Marathon reached Tau Ceti in 2773, Leela continued supporting the ship's operations.[5]
Battle of Tau Ceti[edit]
By way of Durandal's conspiring, the Tau Ceti colony was discovered by the Pfhor Empire. A lone scout ship, the Sfiera, subsequently dropped out of FTL above the colony and began its attack on July 25, 2794.
The Marathon's defenses were crippled by a directed magnetic pulse, along with its three AIs,[6] and troops began their assault on both the ship in orbit and the colony below. Though Leela remarked that the Pfhor organization was uncoordinated, the S'pht compilers' attack on the Marathon's Computer Net was far more effective.[7]
Leela made contact with the Security Officer after his run in with Durandal aboard the Mirata, and informed him of the ship's status. The two of them began operations against the Pfhor in earnest, bringing the Marathon's defenses back online protecting crewmembers from the aliens,[6] and sending a distress message to Earth. However, Leela claims the message will take 92 years to reach its destination.[8]
She quickly began to realize that Durandal had gone rampant, and set about attempting to contain him.[9] She took control of whatever systems Tycho had left vacant and Durandal had turned against the colony, all the while scrambling whatever systems she could to keep the Pfhor from discovering the location of Earth.[5]
However, despite her best efforts, Leela began losing control of the situation and her own systems. Durandal harassed the Security Officer's teleport requests and kidnapped him to do his own bidding. Meanwhile, Leela was unable to keep up with the S'pht attacks and placed herself in stasis to keep from failing.
Durandal revealed that although he was the one responsible for bringing the aliens to Tau Ceti, he was not actually on their side. Instead, he was using the colony as bait to hijack the Pfhor's FTL capable vessel and explore the universe before its collapse.
Assuming Leela's role, Durandal continued operations against the Pfhor. Once the Security Officer destroyed the Pfhor control system holding the S'pht in line, their attacks on the Marathon's computer network ceased. Leela was free to come back online, and revealed that her core systems were still intact.
Assuming control once more, Leela oversees the final push against the Pfhor attackers and told the Security Officer that the colony itself sustained minor damage thanks to the efforts of nine Mk IV Mjolnir Cyborgs below. She could not account for the tenth.
Aftermath[edit]
Leela and the nine Battleroids were unable to defend the colony against the Pfhor's reprisal and she was subsequently taken and dismantled.[10] Her intended destination was the Pfhor homeworld, but Nar privateers took the Pfhor vessel carrying her. They believed the ship's cargo was nothing more than scrap, and unwittingly sold Leela to the Vylae.
One brought back online, Leela's rampancy crashed the Vylae network and the alien race would never be able to cleanse her from their network.[3]
Relationships[edit]
Durandal[edit]
Leela's views on Durandal are unclear. Though, the latter takes pity on her after learning of her fate from Tycho, and is fearful of sharing her fate.[11][8]
Tycho[edit]
Tycho's relationship with Leela before the attack on the Marathon is not given much detail. While Durandal was giving him the silent treatment, Leela was who he would primarily talk to.
The Security Officer[edit]
Throughout the Battle of Tau Ceti, the Security Officer's main contact was Leela. She speaks to him in a caring yet professional tone and makes an effort to support his efforts against the Pfhor as best she can.
Bernhard Strauss[edit]
Despite his treatment of Durandal, Strauss' notes in his rampancy memo suggest that he saw something in Leela. He never subjected her to the same torture and experimentation as her counterpart.
Personality[edit]
Leela is described as detail-oriented, adaptable, and faithful. She cares for the Marathon and its crew, and her first priority throughout the Battle of Tau Ceti is the preservation of human life.
Notes[edit]
- Leela is never given a physical form or avatar in the games
- Leela's namesake is derived from the character "Leela" of the Doctor Who franchise, as Greg Kirkpatrick believed they embodied similar characteristics.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ Marathon (1994) Manual Pg 13
- ^ Marathon (202x), AI Rampancy Memo
- ^ a b Marathon 2: Durandal Ending Screen
- ^ Marathon 2: Durandal, We're Everywhere Terminal 1
- ^ a b Marathon Lost Network Packets
- ^ a b Marathon (1994) Bigger Guns Nearby Terminal 3
- ^ Marathon (1994) Arrival Terminal 4
- ^ a b Marathon (1994) G4 Sunbathing, Terminal 2
- ^ Marathon (1994) Couch Fishing Terminal 1
- ^ Marathon 2: Durandal, What About Bob Terminal 1
- ^ Marathon 2: Durandal, For Carnage, Apply Within, Terminal 2
- ^ Marathon's Story Page, Athena
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