Dr. Rudolf Gustav Wernicke is the main overarching antagonist in Outlast and a minor character in The Outlast Trials.
Biography[]
Backstory[]
Rudolf Gustav Wernicke was born on October 20, 1918, in Munich, Germany. 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. The extent of Wernicke's contributions to the regime remains unknown due to a lack of evidence.
In 1949, Wernicke migrated to the United States of America 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. After decades of government research in Los Alamos, Wernicke retired in New Mexico until being recruited by the Murkoff Corporation to revive Project Walrider.
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.
Outlast: Whistleblower[]
In the prequel, Wernicke and his work on the Morphogenic Engine are briefly mentioned by two scientists on September 17, 2013, when Waylon Park is summoned to the underground control room for maintenance and briefly overhears two scientists discussing.
Outlast[]
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.
Death[]
Dr. Wernicke with several mercenaries holding Miles at gunpoint.
Wernicke 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 has most likely met his end at the hands of the nanobotic entity.
Outlast: The Murkoff Account[]
Wernicke is only mentioned by Simon Peacock during his interrogation of Paul Marion as Simon performs a prayer and Simon refers Wernicke as the father of the holy trinity.
Trivia[]
- Wernicke might be named after Carl Wernicke, a German physician, anatomist, psychiatrist and neuropathologist best known for his influential research into the pathological effects of specific forms of encephalopathy (Wernicke encephalopathy) and also the study of receptive aphasia (Wernicke's aphasia).
- Wernicke has Theodoor Rombouts' painting of Prometheus hanged on the wall of his office. This can be symbolic to Wernicke as he sees himself as the modern version of Prometheus and he's facing the consequences for giving the morphogenic engine and its nanites to Murkoff and causing the events of the game.