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"Nothing is supernatural."
―Rudolf Wernicke
 

Doctor Rudolf Gustav Wernicke is one of the researchers who worked in the hidden research facility beneath Mount Massive Asylum and one of the more prominent figures behind Murkoff Psychiatric Systems, as well as the lead scientist behind Project Walrider.

Background[]

Rudolf Gustav Wernicke was born on October 20, 1918, in Munich, Germany.[1] In his early life, he achieved fame in mathematic and scientific communities for a paper written with computing pioneer Alan Turing. During the late interwar period and throughout World War II, Wernicke worked for Nazi Germany to develop an early design of the Morphogenic Engine. His initial success on the project netted him praise from the government where one of the observers noted that Wernicke's work would greatly benefit their ideals and suggested that he should be excluded from Germany's culling programs, but did not specify for which reason was Wernicke considered as a candidate for extermination.[notes 1] The extent of Wernicke's contributions to the regime remains unknown due to a lack of evidence.[2]

In 1949, Wernicke migrated to the Unites States as part of Operation Paperclip, a process where German scientists were taken from the former Nazi Germany to provide military advantage against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.[3][1] After decades of government research in Los Alamos, Wernicke retired in New Mexico until being recruited by the Murkoff Corporation to revive Project Walrider.[1]

Story[]

The Outlast Trials[]

At the height of Cold War, Wernicke was one of the researchers that experimented on Murkoff's abducted test subjects in the Sinyala Facility. He can be occasionally seen observing the Reagents in the Sleep Room.

In 2009, Murkoff faked his death and had an obituary published while he continued to work on the project in the Mount Massive Asylum laboratories under the guise of charity work. The obituary also stated that Wernicke spent his retirement pursuing landscape photography and caring for his pet cats, leaving no descendants.[1]

Outlast: Whistleblower[]

On September 17, 2013, when Waylon is summoned to the underground control room for maintenance, he briefly overhears two scientists discussing Wernicke's work on the Morphogenic Engine.

Outlast[]

Dr. Wernicke makes his first appearance near the end of the game. After Miles Upshur's last encounter with Chris Walker, who was brutally killed by the Walrider, he opens the door to his office and asks him to come inside and let him explain the situation.

He explains to Miles how normally he should have already been dead, but somehow William Hope keeps him alive out of sympathy and according to his own words - may even think that Wernicke is his father. Then he explains how the Murkoff Corporation contacted him to help them with human nanotechnology experiments, whom they wish to conduct on the asylum patients, with the only reason being profit. Eventually through his work, the scientists produced the precise molecules necessary. He also laments the fact that it was foolish from the very beginning to think they could master such powerful technology, but regardless continued due to the possible large profit. Then the patients escaped and caused the horrors within the asylum in the first place. After being done talking, he instructs Miles to stop Billy and turn off his life support system, so that he could effectively kill the Walrider, who slays anyone trying to escape from the asylum. Miles leaves the room and after much effort, stops Billy's life support and kills him. 

He then again appears at the exit with armed security forces at the end of the game to confront Miles, who (unknowingly to Wernicke) has been possessed by the Walrider. The soldiers then shoot Miles (possibly by the orders of Wernicke, who doesn't wish the young journalist to reveal to the public the truth about the Murkoff's plans to profit from the experiments that were illegally conducted on the patients, as well as Wernicke's own involvement) in the chest several times. As Miles collapses to the floor, Wernicke is shocked to see that Miles has become the host. Gunfire and mauling sounds can be heard briefly before the credits roll.

Despite the preceding events, it is never made clear if Wernicke was targeted or killed by the Walrider. Although, given the creature's nature, it can be assumed that Rudolf met his end at the hands of the ghostly entity.

Outlast: The Murkoff Account[]

During Simon Peacock's interrogation of Paul Marion, Simon performs a prayer, in which Wernicke is referred to as the father of the holy trinity.[4]

Personality[]

Little is known about Wernicke's personality due to his short and rare appearances, but he stated it was foolish from the beginning to think they could master and control nanotechnology and with it the human mind. This implies that he is either very questioning, realistic or pessimistic. A statement from the company calls Dr. Wernicke a true humanitarian with a generous spirit. Murkoff implies that he was too distracted by Billy Hope's success to not notice the three "lucid dreamers" but his actions - killing Miles to remove any hosts for the Walrider - imply that he had noticed them and decided that Billy was dangerous enough and deliberately kept quiet.

Physical description[]

Wernicke is a wheelchair-bound elderly man with fairly toned wrinkled skin, blue eyes and no hair. He wears a blue hazmat suit and black dress shoes. Due to his advanced age, he requires a ventilator to breathe.

Trivia[]

  • The documents spell Rudolf's name as both "Rudolf" and "Rudolph",[2][5] although the latter could just be an oversight on the developers' part, seeing as "Rudolf" is the more common spelling.
  • Rudolf has Theodoor Rombouts' painting of Prometheus hanged on the wall of his office.
  • "The Spirit Breach" document mentions that due to his contributions to Nazi Germany, Wernicke should be excluded from any of the country's culling programs, although it does not specify for which reason was he ever considered as a candidate for extermination. Given the document's vagueness, this could imply two things that may or may not be mutually inclusive:
  • Outlast 2's game files contain Wernicke's audio logs from Outlast that are not used within the final version of the game.

Notes[]

  1. cf. #Trivia

References[]

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