Journal entries of Volker Von Müller

Journal entries of Volker Von Müller
Writer(s):	Greg Kirkpatrick and Matt Soell
Release date(s):	Initially emailed to Hamish Sinclair on September 27, 1995 Uploaded to Marathon's Story Page on September 28, 1995

The Journal entries of Volker Von Müller was an in-universe text from Bungie sent to Hamish Sinclair, maintainer of the popular fansite "Marathon's Story Page". Its real-world purpose was to correct and clarify inconsistencies with dates within the terminals of Marathon (1994) and early demos of Marathon 2: Durandal.

Description

Volker Von Müller wrote the first journal entries during the Pfhor attack of the UESC Marathon. The entries detailed the resistance Müller raised against the Pfhor and their experience with the Rampant Durandal. At the end of the fighting, Müller wrote what was planned to be the final entry. They had been cut off, with Müller as the sole survivor. The entry was effectively a suicide note, as Müller had elected to die over being taken prisoner by the alien invaders. The entry ended with: "And now, where did I put that last bullet. Here it is...".

However, there was a following entry, written seven years later. Now held hostage by Durandal, Müller was ordered to list the chronology of events that occurred before the launch of the Marathon. Müller explained that when the Marathon was attacked, the damaged Leela began to scramble the history of mankind before being cut off by S'pht compliers and Durandal, leading to the errors found in the terminals. This had apparently not worked on the compliers, but notably did leave Durandal confused. The dates were recorded in years only to the best of Müller's memory, as not all of them could be verified. Finally having access to a terminal, Müller recorded this final known entry, with these journal entries being part of a burst download by Durandal from "Unidentified warship 2703.4.21.4".

Real-world origin

Hamish Sinclair had created a "Dates" page on his site detailing the inconsistencies, both from his own research and other users submissions. It was clear there were significant issues with dates found in the terminals, and no reasonable timeline could be discerned. In response to an email from Hamish, Greg Kirkpatrick and Matt Soell sent back a reply with an attachment of a "weird little transmission", which was the journal text containing a corrected timeline. Hamish would then upload the text to a new page on his site.

Two days later, Hamish received another email from Matt Soell with a clarification. The first email claimed the transmission originated from the UESC Marathon; however, the text itself described it as originating from an unidentified Warship. Matt explained that the first email's description was an error and that the transmission was indeed sent from the unidentified vessel.

Afterwards, Hamish created another page to detail any issues found with "Bungie's New Timeline". While inconsistences were meant to be explained as being due to Leela's scrambling, there is an exception. In Müller's timeline, it was stated that Martians stashed munitions aboard the Marathon in 2465. In the level Blaspheme Quarantine, Durandal stated this event happened "three hundred and fifteen years ago". Indicating that the munitions were stashed in 2479, 14 years off from where this event happened in Müller's timeline. In the level Ingue Ferroque, Leela predicted unauthorized additions to the Marathon's cargo were made in "the early twenty-fourth century", and explained that Durandal's records of this early pre-launch period were missing, deleted externally before he became Rampant. Meaning, Durandal did not have his own records to go off of and would need to use Leela's; however, the records Leela possessed led her to date this event sometime before at least 2350, over 100 years off of Müller's timeline. Leaving with Durandal giving an incorrect date without an explanation.

First email

This section is a direct archive of the original source. Any errors have been preserved.

From BUNGIE1@aol.com  Wed Sep 27 20:52:00 1995
Resent-Date: Wed, 27 Sep 1995 20:51:54 +0100
Resent-From: BUNGIE1@aol.com
From: BUNGIE1@aol.com
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 1995 15:51:27 -0400
Subject: Re: Problem with the M2 story line!!
To: Hamish.Sinclair@tcd.ie

Hey There, Hamish-

Attached to this missive (in WordPerfect format) is a weird little 
transmission from the U.E.S.C. Marathon.  Lost network packets can be so 
interesting sometimes....

Your research is admirable and your logic impeccable.  You're pretty 
close to a couple big revelations, but we'd never want to spoil the 
thrill of discovery so we'll keep our traps shut and let you figure it 
out.  Keep up the good work.


Greg K. and Matt S.
Bungie

Journal text

This section is a direct archive of the original source. Any errors have been preserved.

<Journal entries of Volker Von Müller>
<Data transferred from Unidentified warship 2703.4.21.4 as
part of burst download from Durandal>

<Date 2794.7.25.23.45>
Our defenses are collapsing.  I had no idea just how soft all
of our security personnel have become.  They just can't fight
anymore.  Maybe it was the stasis, or maybe they just never
fought a hard fight.

Worse yet, that damn computer keeps giving me empty promises
about reinforcements.  I've been doing all that I can just to
keep the Aliens from reaching the main generator area, but we
won't last long without help.

<Date 2794.7.26.00.41>

Thank god that the MADDs came on line.  We've been able to
hold the aliens off for now, but I've been getting reports that
a new class of alien has joined the fray, and the Madds aren't
much good against them.  Corridor three barricade was just
breached, and that leaves the core of our defense open to a
flank attack.

<Date 2794.7.26.01.05>
We've had to fall back along three corridors, but one group
was cut off when the bulkhead door sealed shut.

Damn computers.  Now, I know that Durandal has gone Rampant.
Doors and elevators keep failing just when we need them.
What good does a intelligence quotient of ten thousand do
when you've got strangling hands around you're throat?

<Date 2794.7.26.01.50>

I would shoot this terminal right now, if I thought that
it would reach that damn AI.  I might do it anyway, but
ammunition is short. I've run out of ammo for my assault
rifle, and the only flamethrower we had was lost when an
elevator failed to function, and squad two was cut off.
I understand that the aliens are taking prisoners.  I'll
hand it to them, they are better fighters that us.  But
I'll be damned if I'm going to be taken prisoner, my last
bullet is for me.

I've got a minute or two to rest, so I'm going to wax
philosophical. I can't say any of this to the men because
I don't want them to know how hopeless I think our fighting
is.  If I thought that we'd be safe if we surrendered, then
that is what I would do.

I don't know if our resistance has changed the outcome of
this conflict, but I know that I've killed more of them
than they have of me.  Battlefield humor is the driest that
there is.  How can I laugh at my own death, my own
destruction.

<Date 2794.7.26.02.01>
If anyone reads this, I'm dead.  The aliens cut us off,
and we all fought to the end.  I saw three of my best
friends killed by some kind of flying slug. There is a
way out of here that goes to the PWS Holo-Fun Park, but
I don't have the power in my suit to propel me there.

My final wish is that someone kill that damn computer...
And now, where did I put that last bullet.  Here it is...

<Date 2801.9.14.06.01>
That goddamn computer.  It took him seven years just to
let me use a terminal. All of his messages came stamped
onto my food packets.  My protein bars told for an entire
year "You need time to calm down."  I still wish
that I could eradicate him, although I am at his mercy.
He keeps saying that I should be thankful that he saved
me.  For the record, I want to say again that computer
is not sane.

Durandal seems to be missing some of the chronology of
events that occurred before the launch of the Marathon.
When the Marathon was attacked, Leela began to scramble
and rewrite all of the historical information for mankind.
Of course, she was damaged, and her efforts were cut off
by the compilers and by Durandal.  The result is that some
but not all of the Marathon's data was muddled.  Leela's
effort at confusion failed to trick the Pfhor, but it has
confused Durandal, and that is funny.

This is the time line that I am going to give to him.
I can't verify some of the dates but I've done my best.
I don't understand why all of these dates are important
to Durandal, but he's threatened to isolate me with some
of those weird S'pht things if I don't do this.  Its bad
enough being the only human around, keeping company with
compilers for too long would make one mad.

2194- War between Icarus and Thermopylae.
2395- Purchase of Deimos from Free holders by UESG
2402- Doors Manual written up
2405- Marathon project begins pre-construction phase
2408- Deimos Conversion begins
2442- Misriah Massacre at food Riot
2465- Martians place munitions on Marathon
2466- Failed Martian Coup, MIDA controls government for
      short period.
2472- Launch of Marathon
2773- Marathon arrives at Tau Ceti
2787- Colony established
2794- Marathon attacked

Second email

This section is a direct archive of the original source. Any errors have been preserved.

From BUNGIE1@aol.com  Fri Sep 29 21:59:49 1995
Resent-Date: Fri, 29 Sep 1995 21:59:48 +0100
Resent-From: BUNGIE1@aol.com
From: BUNGIE1@aol.com
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 1995 16:59:28 -0400
Subject: Re: Problem with the M2 story line!!
To: Hamish.Sinclair@tcd.ie

Hello Again, Hamish-

A couple things I should point out:

1. In our first message, the Von Muller transmissions were described as 
originating from the U.E.S.C. Marathon.  This is actually incorrect; they 
were in fact sent from some other, presently unidentified vessel, as the 
header at the top of the messages attests.  We are unsure how this error 
crept in, since the only people who knew about that message were myself, 
Greg, and this comp...oh no.

2. Strangely enough, the group that composed and performed the Marathon 2 
music is called Power of Seven.

Warm Regards,

-Matt S.


Matt Soell
Online Liason
Bungie Software
matt@bungie.com