History Fridge / Marathon

* The fan game ''Eternal'' has been through several different revisions, but although the events of the plot are somewhat different between them, it's possible for them all to be part of ''Eternal''[='=]s canon [[spoiler:because it has a "[[StableTimeLoop metastable time loop]]", wherein one timeline's events result in very similar events happening in the next timeline]]. At the same time, this means it's not necessary to have played an earlier version to comprehend a newer version's plot.

* In Infinity and in Durandal we find out that the W'rkncacnter are not threatening when trapped in their prisons, however all of their prisons (blackholes, storms, stars, ect.) are temporary at best, meaning they would eventually get out, and having no way to kill them adds to the fear factor.

* Lysander from ''Rubicon'' is a major source of this in general, but particular note goes to [[spoiler:Durandal's shift in attitude towards him near the end of the Salinger Plank; prior to the last chapter, Durandal seemed to regard Lysander as just another enemy, albeit more irritating than usual (casually referring to him as "blitheringly sociopathic" during the SO's escape from the Pfhor ship, for example). Then he informs the SO that Lysander is another Traxus Derivative Model like the ''Marathon'' AIs, and orders them to put him down. No sarcastic remarks or even anger over how much trouble Lysander's been giving the duo--Durandal sounds downright somber, and not just because he didn't get to question Lysander, either. Well, to know that Lysander was a TDM, Durandal would have had to do some deep digging--say, during the chapter "Distant Orbit", when Lysander's focus isn't entirely on the ''Salinger''--and it's highly unlikely that he could find this information without also discovering the horrific abuse Lysander was subjected to...]]
** [[spoiler:Given that Durandal himself is implied to have been subjected to horrific abuses by Strauss, it's quite likely possible he's started to regard Lysander with some degree of pity as well, which arguably turns the whole thing into a bit of a Fridge TearJerker, too.]]
** [[spoiler:You'd think Dangi would keep a close eye on the primary developer of the ''Achilles'' virus and make sure that he didn't, oh, say, snap and escalate its lethality to apocalyptic levels...but they didn't, suggesting that Dangi thought he was too broken down to even conceive of such a thing. Another way in which they treated this sentient being like a tool.]]
** [[spoiler:Per Word of God, Lysander was slated for execution once ''Achilles'' was released. He says that he "gave you" those core dump override chips (themselves presumably advanced programs that couldn't be hastily written minutes after the attack on the station), not that he ''made'' them...]]

* Humanity and the Pfhor are really NotSoDifferent in some ways. Beyond our own sordid history enslaving our own species, [[spoiler:Bernhard Strauss effectively created the AIs to be humanity's sentient servants, and his treatment of them is strongly implied to resemble ParentalAbuse]]. The game, of course, explicitly condemns the Pfhor for owning other sentient races as slaves - but the S'pht themselves are an artificial race. The Pfhor didn't create them themselves, but the comparison can still be drawn. Moreover, [[spoiler:it's shown in the second game that Tycho bears some massive scars from his time serving humanity, arguably pushing him into WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds territory]]. The games often take BlackAndGreyMorality to some ''very dark '' places.

* Lysander from ''Rubicon'' is a fairly big source of this in general, but particular note goes to [[spoiler:Durandal's shift in attitude towards him near the end of the Salinger Plank; prior to the last chapter, Durandal seemed to regard Lysander as just another enemy, albeit more irritating than usual (casually referring to him as "blitheringly sociopathic" during the SO's escape from the Pfhor ship, for example). Then he informs the SO that Lysander is another Traxus Derivative Model like the ''Marathon'' AIs, and orders them to put him down. No sarcastic remarks or even anger over how much trouble Lysander's been giving the duo--Durandal sounds downright somber, and not just because he didn't get to question Lysander, either. Well, to know that Lysander was a TDM, Durandal would have had to do some deep digging--say, during the chapter "Distant Orbit", when Lysander's focus isn't entirely on the ''Salinger''--and it's highly unlikely that he could find this information without also discovering the horrific abuse Lysander was subjected to...]]

* The cyborg tanks in the second and third games are confirmed by WordOfGod to be created from captured humans. When one thinks about the fact that the Pfhor are slavers and have thousands of years of history, one considers that they have probably done something similar to all of the races they've enslaved. There is also a theory that the "assimilated [=BoBs=]" - which look human, run up to you, and explode - might actually be captured humans as well, but the game says they're artificial constructs (however, whether this is actually the case is open to interpretation). Either way they're a pretty strong source of FridgeHorror as well.

* I had wondered why Durandal turned down godhood for a long time. I called it a DarthWiki/WallBanger, I called him too dumb to live, and more, but now I see the reason why. He doesn't want to be alone. Sure, he'd be a god, powerful enough to reshape his new universe, and able to do anything, but he would be alone. Also, he would know everything. He wants to know everything, but once he reaches that goal, he'd have no purpose. He would be lonely and unable to learn. That is a FateWorseThanDeath.

* This one goes hand in hand with AndIMustScream. It turns out that PathwaysIntoDarkness and Marathon are in the same universe, and in that universe, when you die you are forever stuck in your body for the rest of eternity, or it is implied.

* I had wondered why Durandal turned down godhood for a long time. I called it a DarthWiki/WallBanger, I called him too dumb to live, and more, but now I see the reason why. He doesn't want to be alone. Sure, he'd be a god, powerful enough to reshape his new universe, and able to do anything, but he would be alone. Also, he would know everything. He wants to know everything, but once he reaches that goal, he'd have no purpose. He would be lonely and unable to learn. That is a fate worse than death.

[[AC:Fridge Horror]]

* This one goes hand in hand with AndIMustScream. It turns out that PathwaysIntoDarkness and Marathon are in the same universe, and in that universe, when you die you are forever stuck in your body for the rest of eternity, or it is implied.

* In Infinity and in Durandal we find out that the W'rkncacnter are not threatening when trapped in their prisons, however all of their prisons (blackholes, storms, stars, ect.) are temporary at best, meaning they would eventually get out, and having no way to kill them adds to the fear factor.

* I had wondered why [[{{Marathon}} Durandal]] turned down godhood for a long time. I called it a DarthWiki/WallBanger, I called him too dumb to live, and more, but now I see the reason why. He doesn't want to be alone. Sure, he'd be a god, powerful enough to reshape his new universe, and able to do anything, but he would be alone. Also, he would know everything. He wants to know everything, but once he reaches that goal, he'd have no purpose. He would be lonely and unable to learn. That is a fate worse than death.

* In [[{{Marathon}} Infinity]] and in Durandal we find out that the W'rkncacnter are not threatening when trapped in their prisons, however all of their prisons (blackholes, storms, stars, ect.) are temporary at best, meaning they would eventually get out, and having no way to kill them adds to the fear factor.