ARC/HIVE #

ARC/HIVE was a big company with ties to the government, focusing on the development of sustainable projects. Their notable employees include Dallus Lauren, Dr. Karl Strassman, Rebecca Sinclair and Dr. Elias Mortem.

The company later renamed itself to Nex Gen Corporation and became known for their shady experiments on humans, while still under the leadership of Victor Carmine. The company name is also a play on the word ‘archive’.

ARC/HIVE also studied several human subjects, including Skys, Scott, Selene and the so-called “special six”.

ARC/HIVE logo

The logo for ARC/HIVE, as seen in the video In The Dark and later used for the password screen for the Tekka Interview, with Rebecca, the first synth and one of their employees.

Background #

The company was most relevant from 2020 until 2031, when the influential men behind the Mantra cult were extracted in Operation Trinity. Powerful men like Victor Carmine were interested in the supernatural phenomena that seemed to occur around this cult. The company developed different types of technology, also being tied to some developments in the interest of national security. Dr. Dallus Lauren also developed the MOXYPAK for the company, which helped purify air in a devastated country.

Dallus’ Diary from 2021 gives another view on ARC/HIVE. He was promised safety in return for his cooperation and also speaks about his synth project, something Carmine is very interested in. Another key figure in the trinity was Skys, the leader of the Mantra cult himself. However, Skys has gone into a in a coma and his body is now “useless”, according to the diary.

Dr. Karl Strassman, a scientist with a particular interest in the spiritual side of science, is the last member of the Trinity now employed at ARC/HIVE.

In 2031 the research proposal for Project D.U.S.T. is declassified by Nex Gen, evidenced by the logos on the page. At this point, they seem to mostly have distanced themselves from the previous company name.

ARC/HIVE scientists

We learn more about the company’s experiments around the time of Project D.U.S.T. from the proposal. They were interested in the supernatural phenomena that occurred around Mantra. Dr. Elias Mortem starts by talking about the Kingslayer project, something Sof files under “incidents” in her journal. Skys originally spearheaded this project, along with an individual whose name is redacted in that same proposal. The proposal tells us that the cult members were seemingly able to harness dark matter, which could also be seen in their brain patterns. The more commonly named mares were shared visions inducing fear in trained troops of soldiers.

Skys thought that psychological and/or physical distress could help subjects access hidden dimensions (like Youtopia) and harness dark matters themselves.

Project D.U.S.T. is a direct continuation of this research. Mortem remarks that the results of this project may have fallen into hands of enemies like the Eastern Citadel. The primary goal of the research was to create a potent bioweapon, for national security purposes. Mortem proposes they carry out the research on a redacted word referring to a group extracted in Operation Trinity. He mentions that these subjects have anomalous abilities and cannot be released. The redacted word here may be children, referring to the “Special Six” children who used powers to get away from their executioners. It’s been heavily theorised that these events are also what is seen in Kool-Aid’s official music video.

To advance their research, he proposes a new version of their technology called an Altilium Chordata tank. The schematic attached in the research proposal closely matches the tank we see in in the dark, which also showcases some of ARC/HIVE’s other experiments in its official music video.

Woman in a tank, touching the glass with her hands

A woman in the altilium chordata tank (the glass on the top left states this). The number 2 indicates that we might be looking at the second version of the tank, as described in the project proposal.

The Altilium Chordata tank is a stasis chamber, keeping the bodies of the subjects in a stable state where it can repair and regenerate cells. The tank inhibits endorphins, natural hormones that alleviate pain, lower stress, improve mood and well-being. Recalling Skys’ research into pain, this seems to be a continuation of their goal to reach other dimensions and control dark matter. Sadly, a lot of the text on this page has been redacted.

The project proposal further raises the topic of P.S.Y., or Psychoactive Structured Yttrium. This is a substance they are interested in due to the cult being able to fend off hundreds of troops using “advanced psychological tactics”, possibly referring to the manipulation of mares. P.S.Y. possibly refers to the drug Mantra, that the cult was taking as evidenced by Unbeleevable Episode 2.

The research proposal subject line also refers to Project S.Y.K.O, likely referring to the character Syko. More information about this project might be behind some of the redacted lines and potentially relates to Dallus’ synth research, as the band are also depicted in a synth-like fashion in Top 10 Statues.

Continue the story with Nex Gen corporation

The rest of the companies shady business is documented in the Nex Gen Corporation article.

Other experiments #

Dr. Dallus Lauren developed the MOXYPAK at ARC/HIVE, something mentioned in both his own diary, and his son’s log on Eve’s genesis. It is also mentioned to have saved a lot of lives by Rebecca in her 2036 Grumblr post. This device also seems present with a little girl in the music video for Top 10 Statues.

Printer at ARC/HIVE

We also see a mysterious printer at ARC/HIVE, printing some type of data.

ARC/HIVE #

Background #

Other experiments #

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