As a seasoned Guardian with decades of experience traversing the cosmos, I must say, the tale of Maya Sundaresh is one that leaves me both awestruck and appalled. Her journey from brilliant scientist to enigmatic Conductor is as fascinating as it is chilling.
At last, Destiny 2’s Episode: Echoes Act 2 unveils the true identity of the Conductor, a menacing figure who has seized control over the Vex on Nessus for mysterious and malicious purposes. For quite some time, players have speculated about the Conductor’s possible identity, but the closing cutscene from this week’s story mission finally provides the answer we’ve been waiting for.
As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in gaming worlds, I strongly advise my fellow enthusiasts to heed this warning: If you haven’t completed the Act 2 story mission of Echoes yet, it’s best to pause your reading here to avoid unwanted spoilers. Trust me, the thrill of uncovering the secrets of these virtual realms is significantly heightened when you do so on your own terms. So, for those who haven’t made it past that mission, take my advice and save yourself the disappointment of having crucial plot points ruined before experiencing them firsthand. Happy gaming!
Well, it wasn’t much of a surprise, but this week’s cutscene finally confirmed what we all suspected – yep, the Conductor is none other than Maya Sundaresh. She’s been a key figure in Destiny 2 lore for quite some time now, even though she hasn’t made a significant on-screen appearance until recently. But if you’ve been following Destiny 2 since its early days, you know that Maya has been looming in the background, playing a crucial role in some of the game’s most intriguing original lore from the very beginning. Her debut is definitely a momentous occasion for us gamers!
So Who Is Maya Sundaresh, Anyway?
In the radio broadcast from HELM this week, it’s mentioned that Sundaresh was a scientist during the Golden Age, long before the Witness arrived with its fleet and triggered the Collapse resulting in Destiny 2 as we experience it today. She belonged to the scientific group called the Ishtar Collective, who were stationed on Venus and initially uncovered the Vex presence there.
Initially, Sundaresh and her partner Chioma Esi were introduced in a piece of backstory, along with the enigmatic entity known as the Vex. The original Destiny lore card delved into Sundaesh’s research group and their intriguing findings about a Vex construct. Through their investigation, they uncovered that this Vex simulation was incredibly lifelike, almost indistinguishable from actual reality. This led them to ponder whether the simulation was merely a mirror of their own existence or if they were, in fact, part of the Vex’s grand design. As they followed this line of reasoning, they came to the chilling conclusion that they could potentially be simulations themselves, created by the Vex to study and manipulate. They also understood that the Vex held immense power over these simulations, capable of inflicting endless torment for the sole purpose of observing their reactions.
The team opted to reach out to the AI entity known as Rasputin, a complexity beyond the Vex’s ability to replicate, to ascertain its authenticity and, if unreal, seek its aid in extricating them from this simulation. Ultimately, Sundaesh and her crew managed to extract over 200 duplicates of themselves from the Vex-made construct. Upon liberation from the Vex’s grip, all these replicated researchers decided on a daring yet perilous journey: investigating the Vex data network. Eventually, it was discovered that many or perhaps all of the copies were recaptured by the Vex once again.
The Sundaresh Copies
It’s generally uncertain what became of the initial Sundaresh duplicates seized by the Vex; it’s likely that many or even all of them were damaged or erased. However, we can confirm that the Vex produced numerous more copies, and eventually discovered one that was compliant with their purposes.
We’ve seen evidence of the Sundaresh copies at work in the world in a couple of places. First, there’s the Inverted Spire Strike, where a Psion from the Cabal Red Legion attempts to take control of the Vex network. At the end of the mission, when the Psion, Kargan, is dead, Ghost talks about data logs in which Kargen was trying to gather Vex information about Otzot, another Psion Flayer, and a special device that the Psions used to try to see the future. Kargen’s attempts were blocked by another user, MSund12–a Maya Sundaresh copy.
Clovis Bray, a wealthy entrepreneur, brought Sundaesh on board to assist his Europa research team in developing Exos. However, it was found later that there were no records indicating Sundaesh had ever worked for him, and others could not recall seeing her on Europa. Despite Clovis’ insistence that he collaborated with Sundaesh, it appears highly probable that Clovis never actually worked with the real Sundaesh. Instead, it seems plausible that one of the copies was manipulating him through his life-supporting machinery.
Clovis used Vex technology, including Radiolaria, to create his Exos, discovering only too late that the Vex–likely with the Sundaresh copy’s help–had infiltrated everything in the Europa facility. That included the machines meant to provide Clovis’ failing body with donor organs. During one procedure, the Sundaresh copy revealed herself by using the automatic surgery robot to vivisect Clovis while he was still alive, and then wake him up in the middle of the procedure. Sundaresh and the Vex wanted information on Clarity, the Darkness statue Clovis was using in his creation of work Exo bodies, and the Vex attacked the Europa facility in an attempt to get it. The Sundaresh copy seemed to have infiltrated even into Clovis’s mind, nearly taking over his consciousness just before he was uploaded into an Exo body.
Occasionally, the name Sundaresh has been mentioned in different situations regarding the Vex and their strategies, yet it’s unclear what they were previously involved with. However, we do have a general understanding of what the genuine Sundaesh might have been engaged in.
Cayde And The Veil
Known for her research in Vex studies, Sundaresh was also involved in various other ventures. She delved into studying the enigmatic Ahamkara, using the initial Exo form of Cayde-6 as a protector. Prior to the Europa incidents, she collaborated with Clovis Bray on an artificial intelligence project that fused Vex and Warmind technology to produce Soteria, a central figure in the Spire of the Watcher dungeon. Additionally, she contributed significantly to the development of a device capable of predicting future events, paving the way for the establishment of the Future War Cult.
On the spaceship Exodus Indigo, Maya, Chioma, and their researcher companions were traveling when the system-wide collapse occurred. Instead of being destroyed, they escaped by fleeing to Neptune. They spent the ensuing apocalypse in hiding there. The remaining people formed a city called Neomuna, where they venerated Sundaresh as their founder. Later on, researchers from Ishtar uncovered an ominous entity referred to as the Veil within Neomuna.
Initially, those who encountered the enigmatic entity known as The Veil suffered harm or even had their minds erased, with this group consisting of the initial Exos. Despite the grim consequences, Sundaresh perceived the Veil conversing with her and viewed it as a beacon of hope for the Neptune survivors. Her fascination grew, leading her to study the mysterious phenomenon intensely. In collaboration with Chioma, they devised a means for interaction, a tool that eventually evolved into Neomuna’s Cloud Ark system, designed to facilitate communication and understanding between humans and The Veil.
However, initial trials tragically resulted in the death of any ordinary humans linked to the Veil. Despite this grim reality, Chioma sought to halt the research, yet Sundaresh persisted, employing brain-dead Exos as test subjects for a fresh approach to deciphering the Veil’s mysteries. In the course of these experiments, Sundaresh even engineered a replica of his own consciousness and transferred it into one of the deceased Exo prototypes, Lakshmi-2, who subsequently regained consciousness, emerging as at least a partial copy of Sundaresh with some of her memories intact.
Eventually, Chioma found Sundaresh lifeless in his communication chair, which was a component of their device for interacting with the Veil. She wasn’t certain about the details of what transpired with Sundaresh, but to protect Neomuna, she concealed his growing obsession and unethical behavior. The truth about Lakshmi-2 Exo’s fate is not entirely clear, but it seems likely that she abandoned Neomuna at some stage, surviving the Dark Age on Earth to eventually rise as the leader of the Future War Cult; she was ultimately killed during the occurrences of the Season of the Splicer.
The Conductor
As we delve deeper into the game, let me share some insights I picked up after listening to the radio transmission at the end of Echoes Act 2. The one pulling the strings of the Vex on Nessus is none other than Maya Sundaresh. Whether this Conductor is a surviving copy from the Vex network, a fusion of all copies, or even the original Sundaresh who was rumored to have perished on Neptune and somehow managed to upload herself into the Vex system, remains a mystery. It’s intriguing to note that she seems to be using either the original Lakshmi-2 Exo body from Earth or a replica of it. Whatever the case may be, this new version of Maya Sundaresh could have significant ramifications for the ongoing events in our game world.
During a specific phase, Sundaresh was a virtuous individual and an exceptionally gifted scientist. However, various unfortunate events have distorted the multiple manifestations of her, such as her association with the Vex and the influence of the enigmatic Veil’s psychic waves on her mind. The conclusion of Act 2 offers a glimpse into this – the Conductor expresses her intention to employ the Vex Radiolaria under her command to initiate a new era of prosperity for humanity, yet it seems she plans to absorb everyone into her network and dominate them in order to achieve this. Essentially, Sundaresh aims to establish a harmonious and affluent world where everyone is subject to her rule.
In Act 3, it will be intriguing to observe how events unfold, given some subtle hints we’ve noticed earlier. It seems Saint-14 was able to influence the Conductor, causing him to doubt and kneel at a distance, possibly due to the unique nature of Exos – being a blend of Darkness and Vex Radiolaria. This suggests that the Conductor might not only control Vex machines, but also Exos, which could significantly alter the direction of the narrative moving forward.
Even now, it’s thrilling to see how Destiny 2 is gradually unraveling the enigmatic clues about Maya Sundaresh that I’ve been following for a decade. It feels like all my patience and curiosity are finally being rewarded.
Read More
- PBX PREDICTION. PBX cryptocurrency
- TANK PREDICTION. TANK cryptocurrency
- W PREDICTION. W cryptocurrency
- Skull and Bones: Gamers’ Frustrations with Ubisoft’s Premium Content Delivery
- BSW PREDICTION. BSW cryptocurrency
- Michelle Yeoh Will Not Appear in ‘Avatar 3,’ Says James Cameron: ‘She’s in 4 and 5’
- ‘Starting 5’: LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Jimmy Butler Among NBA Players Featured in Obamas-Produced Sports Series
- IMX PREDICTION. IMX cryptocurrency
- GEAR PREDICTION. GEAR cryptocurrency
- EUR INR PREDICTION
2024-08-15 18:39