We are the result of an experiment aimed at creating a superconsciousness called “C-Consciousness”.
― The C-Consciousness representative
The Common-Consciousness, abbreviated as C-Consciousness (Ru. О-Сознание), is the result of a secret project of the clandestine research society, known simply as the Group, for the purposes of noosphere alteration. It is ultimately responsible for the creation and expansion of the Zone.
They appear as the primary antagonists of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. They (or members of their research group) are also mentioned in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.
Background[]
In the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, the Soviet Union decided to use the Chernobyl Zone of Exclusion as a testing site for a variety of experiments, starting in 1989[quote. 1]. The location proved to be ideal, as it was recluse enough to avoid unwanted attention, and the Chernobyl NPP was still in operation and able to supply the researchers with plenty of energy for their experiments[quote. 2]. As part of these research programs, an extensive network of research laboratories known as "X-Labs" was founded within the Zone.
The research mostly focused on mind control[quote. 3]. Similar experiments were carried out in the city of Limansk, although it is unknown if they were related to the rest[quote. 4]. When the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, the new independent state of Ukraine was unable to put an end to the research, allowing the scientists' work to continue unhindered.
The scientists' work led to the discovery of the "noosphere", an invisible field of energy surrounding the Earth linked by, affected by and affecting human minds and thoughts[quote. 5], which they would later prove by studying the distortion of signals[quote. 6]. Soon the scientific breakthroughs that began to take place influenced the researchers to find a way to influence humanity psychically on a global scale using the noosphere, by removing negative factors such as cruelty[quote. 7]. This led to the eventual formation of a hivemind of seven neurally linked scientists known as the Common Consciousness, which was necessary as no ordinary human could interfere with the noosphere directly[quote. 8].
The C-Consciousness then attempted to modify the noosphere. The intervention took place on March 4, 2006 and failed due to a power outage[non-game. 1]. A month later, on April 12[note. 1], the experiment was performed again and this time it continued until its completion. However, it did not have the desired effect - instead, the experiment created a rift in the noosphere and allowed it to directly affect the biosphere, creating a large area where physical laws were outright broken and mysterious phenomena not understood by modern science manifested themselves - the Zone[quote. 9].
In the aftermath of the experiment, the C-Consciousness attempted to find a way to control the Zone. The rift in the noosphere was expanding and the C-Consciousness was attempting to restrain it with their power, but their efforts were endangered by humans[quote. 10]. In order to defend themselves against intruders, the C-Consciousness used a powerful antenna array informally known as the Brain Scorcher to block access to the center of the Zone, but also to control the minds of stalkers wandering too close to the center, allowing the C-Consciousness to found a powerful army capable of protecting the center of the Zone against unwanted visitors, which would be later known as the Monolith[quote. 11]. Some of their agents, however, were tasked with infiltrating stalker communities to carry out their orders[quote. 12]. The Wish Granter was also part of this scheme, being used by the scientists to lure stalkers within range of their antennas.
In 2011, the Zone grew increasingly unstable as a result of Strelok's Group's repeated incursions into the center. The stalkers were close to find out the truth about the Zone, but were forced to retreat after encountering a code-locked door within the Sarcophagus[quote. 13]. This led the C-Consciousness to send many assassins after Strelok, though none were successful. Ultimately, the Clear Sky faction apprehended Strelok in the vicinity of the Chernobyl NPP, but they were either knocked out or killed as a result of an emission. Strelok, who was knocked out by the emission, was captured by the C-Consciousness and brainwashed into becoming an agent. Because of a fault in the C-Consciousness systems and Strelok's own total amnesia, he was given the mission to assassinate himself in order to prevent further incursions into the heart of the Zone. The death truck carrying the still-unconscious Strelok later crashed in the Cordon, leading to his discovery by Sidorovich.
Appearances[]
Shadow of Chernobyl[]
The player can interact with the C-Consciousness at the end of the game, provided they spoke with Doctor and retrieved the decoder from the Hotel in Pripyat beforehand. After destroying the Wish Granter generators in the Monolith Control Center, they will encounter a hologram called C-Consciousness representative which will answer many of Strelok's questions regarding the Zone and his past.
After the conversation, the player is given two choices:
- Join the C-Consciousness: Doing so will result in a cutscene showing Strelok being put into a stasis tube and having electrodes placed on his head, becoming the C-Consciousness' eight member. This results in a game over.
- Refuse to join: The player will be teleported to another section of the Chernobyl NPP, where they will have to fight through numerous waves of Monolith forces and make use of Teleport anomalies. Eventually, Strelok is teleported into the room containing the C-Consciousness' stasis tubes which he destroys with his Akm 74/2U. Afterwards, Strelok is shown in a peaceful field, with the Zone seemingly gone. This is the canon ending as per Call of Pripyat, although it is also shown that the C-Consciousness' destruction did not lead to a significant change in the Zone's landscape and phenomena.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
Unusued icon
- Interestingly, while the player is in the Monolith Control Center, if one looks at the 'Contacts' section of their PDA, they can see the PDA of the C-Consciousness representative is detectable. The PDA uses Pavlik's icon, is ranked as an Expert, and stated to be a Loner.
- The game files contain a suitable PDA icon for the representative, though it is unused for unknown reasons.
- The voice of C-Consciousness in the English version is provided by Steve Blum, famous for his role in Cowboy Bebop as Spike Spiegel.
Notes[]
- ↑ The Call of Pripyat introduction states that it took place on June 10th, although both Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky acknowledge the date of April 12th as canon
References[]
- Sources
- Quotes
- ↑
C-Consciousness representative: "No, we had nothing to do with that. Most of us were only starting out in science back then. The Chernobyl Zone was not used as a testing site for experiments until 1989."
- ↑ C-Consciousness representative: "It was the best place. After the explosion in 1986 there were very few people left in this area and we could work without fear of being found. Further, there were many powerful antennae here, which are extremely important for our cognitive optimisation experiments."
- ↑ Krylov: "Secret experiments for controlling consciousness carried out in Soviet times, can you believe that? Those guys made a lot of headway in their research - they even managed to instill simple commands into the minds of animals. That's what led us to suspect that someone, or something, can control mutants."
- ↑ Forester: "You see, there was a closed institute there, a real big one, with houses built specially for scientists and their servants. It was a research institute with some fancy name...something like Radiowave. They put up a huge antenna too, the size of a five-story building! Real intellectuals, those fellas. Only there was never any peace in Limansk. Its residents were always cagey, suspicious of strangers. Always muttering something under their noses and praising the Soviet regime, even when we had provision shortages. We countryfolk used to go 'round Limansk - the people weren't exactly hearty, and the town kinda made your head hurt...must have been the antenna."
- ↑ C-Consciousness representative: "According to our calculations, Earth is surrounded by a special informational field, the so-called noosphere. It includes all the inhabitants of the planet with cognitive abilities."
- ↑ A notebook with a description of an experiment: "The notebook contains a detailed description of an experiment assessing a psy-field's effect on an object in another hemisphere. A group of scientists in the Caribbean received the signal, but it was distorted. The signal was altered in a strange way, as though corrected by someone. A possible explanation is that the noosphere theory is correct and the changes were made by the noosphere."
- ↑ C-Consciousness representative: "Our main goal was to make small adjustments to the noosphere, allowing us to remove things like anger, cruelty, greed and other negative factors from the planet."
- ↑ C-Consciousness representative: "The consciousnesses of seven volunteers were connected during the experiment leading to the creation of the superconsciousness that is us. [...] Individuals are unable to affect the noosphere but C-Consciousness could."
- ↑ C-Consciousness representative: "What you see is the result of ill-considered intervention in the Earth's noosphere. Attempts to affect the noosphere brought about a local crack. The Zone is simply the visible manifestation of this crack. The underlying problem is far greater than you can imagine."
- ↑ C-Consciousness representative: "The Zone is growing. We're trying to restrain its expansion but humanity seems to be intent on hindering our work. "
- ↑ C-Consciousness representative: "We created a network of psi-fields on the way to the Zone’s center in order to recruit agents. You know one of these fields by the name of Brain Scorcher. When a stalker attempts to reach the Zone’s center in order to fulfill some wish we acquire control over his consciousness and program him to a specific mission."
- ↑ C-Consciousness representative: "They infiltrate the stalker “community” and carry out our orders without realising it."
- ↑ Documents from the secret stash in Pripyat: "The stash contained a short report on how Fang and I infiltrated the underground galleries under the station sarcophagus and found a suspicious-looking door. Fang said that he'd put together a decoder for the electronic lock for our next visit. After that we had to run for our lives."
