Nex Gen Corporation #

“ALL HAIL NEX GEN! Could I get an amen?!”

Nex Gen Corporation is an innovative company that is involved in human experimentation and other shady business. Their aim is to take the next step in evolution.

They are mentioned explicitly in the song AmEN!

Backstory #

Nex Gen's earlier shenanigans

The story of this company actually starts on the ARC/HIVE page, since this is what the company was previously known as.

You want to know about the Nex Gen Corporation? Oh, where do I start?

It is not only a company; it is the vanguard of human progress. Through our groundbreaking innovations, we are shaping the future, enhancing human capabilities, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible! In a world where technology and humanity are increasingly intertwined; Nex Gen stands as the beacon of advancement and the architect of a new era.

Embrace the future with us, where the only limit is your imagination!

But between me and you, don’t buy their bluetooth socks… They’re fucking dogshit!*

M8 when prompted on Nex Gen.

Nex Gen is a company that was previously known as ARC/HIVE. The company does research into spirituality, consciousness, hidden dimensions, dark matter and cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence, making their research inherently dangerous.

The company is lead by Victor Carmine, the mysterious man behind Operation Trinity, Project D.U.S.T./S.Y.K.O., the test subjects from the Kingslayer Codec and likely many more experiments. They also hold information about mysterious Goxmog sightings.

Project D.U.S.T. was a continuation of Project Kingslayer from the cult of Mantra around 2021, when the company was still called ARC/HIVE. It continues with the research of the trinity, who were extracted by them around Christmas 2020 in Operation Trinity. This project proposal also focuses on the development of a tank to keep subjects in stasis, something that seems very similar to the Dreamseeker tanks we see Nex Gen develop later. Nex Gen was also involved in the creation of SYNTHs and Mindstream, both of which are technologies receiving a lot of criticism.

Rebecca & Synths #

In early 2027, Rebecca posts about being diagnosed with Chronic Environmental Respiratory Syndrome (C.E.R.S.) on Grumblr. At the time, she is still a lab assistant at ARC/HIVE and terminally ill. Not much later in June 2028, an interview from Tekka with interviewer Jax Jackson reveals that she is now a synth, a project Dallus Lauren worked on for ARC/HIVE and Nex Gen. Her synth body is credited to Nex Gen. She has also been promoted to managing the R&D team. In the interview she is also asked about Victor, Dallus and Strassman, questions Rebecca does not wish to answer.

In the second Grumblr post we get from Rebecca in November 2036, she is working with Dallus and Strassman for the first time on the SYNTH project. Strassman tells her that Skys is not coming back in any natural way, so they upload his consciousness into a synth body. He immediately starts begging for death and Dallus and Strassman end up arguing about what put him into this state. Rebecca ends her recount of the events with the words “I’ll do it”, likely referring to the disposal of Skys, leaving his final fate unknown at the moment. While Rebecca is meant to be a beacon of hope for humanity, she later falls victim to one of Nex Gen’s drugs, Lupamine, which her synth body has made her more susceptible to. From the webbrowser we also learn more about the truth behind the SYNTH project.

Ren & E.V.E. #

Ikaro Lauren, Dallus’ son, was also employed at Nex Gen and played a significant role in their developments. He created at least three AI assistants in the RO8OT line, being D8, R8 and M8. The intention was to eventually create 8 of these robots, as is revealed in Dallus’ diary. D8 was first in operation on the day that Ikaro (nicknamed Ren) activated E.V.E., an AI that will seemingly do anything to suit her own interests. R8 followed shortly thereafter, with the ability to reconstruct the past. M8 is a multidimensional navigator, meaning she can explore multiple dimensions. M8 is created before Sof is born.

The pandemic #

In the year 2037 there is an outbreak of the VSPR-37 pandemic. Nex Gen’s secret team of operatives, FANTOM, attempts to retrieve test subjects NYX-01 (Selene) and NYX-02 (Scott). Scott, already suffering greatly from the virus, bites Selene and is shot by operative Spectre or his team. Scott does not survive the encounter.

Selene, while bitten, seems to be immune to the virus, making her a vital piece of the puzzle to find the cure for the pandemic. Nex Gen is particularly interested in her pineal gland, that produces significantly more natural DMT. Nex Gen discovers that she can enter Youtopia, something we learn more about in the document distributed physically at the pop-up shops. This also details the importance of performing the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) before entering the dimension, also labeled Y-93.

LBR sites #

On an unknown date in 2038, the LBR sites letter was sent from Strassman and a redacted name to Carmine and another redacted name. Strassman speaks about establishing two new Lesser Banishing Ritual Sites, above two eldritch conduits in Heian-Kyna and Kaniwa-kyna. These sites are positioned above powerful energy sources, crucial to the functioning of the sites. We learn that something catastrophic happened during the final days the company was named ARC/HIVE, where an incident happened because of a surge of aetheric hyperflux colliding with Dallus’ consciousness. Several modifications have been made to their systems to keep what is called the Astral Matrix stable. These sites are constructed to perform the LBRP on a larger scale and help people reach Youtopia, likely as a direct consequence of what they learned in their research with Selene. Strassman also remarks that there are four ruins hidden in laboratories that Nex Gen is searching for, which is also underlined in the letter.

P.U.S.S.-E #

In June 2039, the Strassman codec is recorded. In it, we hear a conversation between Karl Strassman and E.V.E. Strassman informs her that they have been able to synthesize Selene’s unique indole alkaloid structure (from her special pineal gland) into a drug, called pineal upregulation synthetic substance or P.U.S.S-E for short. Sadly, the drug has had devastating consequences on its subjects’ mind. Many of them have suffered organ failure or other systemic failure, indicating that many of them are dying. Despite the side effects, E.V.E. insists that they continue with their plan to invoke Youtopia. Strassman wonders about her motivations, since her energy needs are increasing and she seems to be using humans as batteries to her own benefit.

Unbeleevable #

Somewhere in the year 2039, the first episode of Unbeleevable is also released. Along with the episode itself, Selene also left a letter sent by Nex Gen’s PR department. The letter is from a woman named Susan White, addressed to a mysterious Dr. R Fletcher. She informs Fletcher of a potentially critical situation, which is the release of Dr. Lee MD’s show Unbeleevable, broadcast on the Community Resource Analog Programming (CRAP) network. He has made, according to her, several accurate claims about their operations and might have access to insider information. She suggest a few measures: she requests they monitor the show and conduct an internal review among their employees, to identify any possible information sources. She also proposes a PR contingency strategy and finally, that they brief their FANTOM unit, in case they need to be ready for a “slate wipe”, suggesting Nex Gen will go to extreme lengths to protect their reputation.

Chapel Incident #

Tragedy strikes for Nex Gen in 2040, when the Chapel incident occurs and Dr. Elias Mortem and his team lose their lives. According to Sof’s journal, this may have been a direct consequence of what they started with Project D.U.S.T.

Sof #

It also seems like Selene has turned against the company when she gives birth to Sof in 2040. Sof is born inside Nex Gen’s lab and the booklet mentions that they are actually a demi-god. Just 20 minutes after her birth, Selene leaves Sof in the care of AI assistant M8. She leaves after hearing an alarm, remarking that this is her cue and she must leave. Sof then writes (part of) their journal 8 years after the chapel incident in 2048. At the time Sof writes the intro to their journal, they are living at the Nex Gen lab that is now abandoned.

Dreadit & Spiritual Research #

A Dreadit post marked 2052 (we are not sure why this date seems to be in the future) expands on Nex Gen’s shady operations around the time of the pandemic. The user speaks about Nex Gen having immune child Selene in their facilities and that they have many so-called GAIA Rehab Centers all over the world. While most people have lost the ability to produce DMT according to the post, Selene seems to produce lots of it. Continuing the post, the user speaks about Nex Gen’s mysterious Dreamseeker tanks, which apparently have the ability to replace the need for the LBRP when coupled with a high dose of DMT.

The combination of the Dreamseeker tanks and P.U.S.S-E seems to be the latest version of their attempts to contact other dimensions and combine neuroscience and spirituality, the latter of which is also hinted at in the Science Study newspaper. Sof also wonders in her journal if Skys’ pink hair has anything to do with her mother or themselves.