The Foundation Man

The Foundation Man
General information
Japanese name	財団 (Zaidan)
Classification	Phantasma Being
Gender	Male
Affiliation and military information
Affiliation	The Foundation Signs
Eras present	Verdict War
Real world information
Appearances	Armored Core: Verdict Day Armored Core: Verdict Day Official Setting Documents Collection -the AFTER-
Voice actor	Cam Clarke (ENG) Kazuma Horie (JAP)

The Foundation Man is the spokesperson for The Foundation, a mysterious organization that specializes in many Last Age technology and reported to produce many unmanned, large-scale weapons of mass destruction. The Foundation Man is an enigmatic character of whom little is known. He shows great interest in the Lone Mercenary, testing the pilot's potential by pitting him against multiple large-scale weapons such as Hunters, Grey Lotuses, and Scavengers and even using the Reaper Squad as pawns to achieve this objective. The Foundation Man also shows interest in the Lone Mercenary's Operator, the former mercenary AC pilot Magnolia "Maggy" Curtis, particularly towards her enduring will to remain on the battlefield despite her handicap preventing her from piloting an AC.

Biography

The Foundation Man and K secretly observe the Lone Mercenary's battle at Route N64. He asks for K's opinion on the rookie's prowess but she remains undecided. The Foundation Man replies that as they have planned, they will eliminate anyone with potential.

He later hires the Lone Mercenary to fight a new model of Autonomous Weapon — the To-605 — at Old Uriae, an abandoned shipyard, ostensibly as a test. The Foundation Man hides his identity and refuses to indulge Maggy's curiosity, ignoring her when he is asked whether he is with the Foundation and what the purpose of the test is. He proceeds to warn them that since the drone is equipped with live rounds, their defeat could result in death. The mercenary is then supplied with a group of UNACs for support; the Foundation Man claims that the fight would be unfair otherwise. Maggy questions his intentions but the Foundation Man continues to ignore her and commences the test.

The Lone Mercenary's subsequent victory over the Autonomous Weapon surprises the Foundation Man. As he wonders how the mercenary could have prevailed, a passive-aggressive Maggy asks whether he is disappointed at their victory or worried that he does not have the money to pay them. The Foundation Man assures her that they will be paid, as he obtained the data he needed from the test. Maggy once again questions the purpose of the test, asking if the man intends to start a war with weapons like the drone, only for him to dodge her once more. Vexed, Maggy prepares to take her leave. The Foundation Man reveals to her that he is aware that she secretly took photos of the battle but she is free to do with the pictures as she pleases. He advises her not to tarnish her mercenary credentials, addressing her by her former alias, "Blue Magnolia." Maggy sarcastically replies, "Duly noted," as she and her partners leave the shipyard.

After Reaper M is defeated by the Lone Mercenary at ALG742-181, the Foundation Man remarks that the awaited battle between M and the Lone Mercenary, the two top candidates observed by the Reaper Squad, ended at anti-climatically. He reveals that the AC pilots encountered prior by the Lone Mercenaries were also candidates; M was the 52nd and with her death, only the Lone Mercenary remains. He then threatens to have the Lone Mercenary die next, and that the god M mentioned in her story about the Dark Raven was wrong — mankind will destroy itself. A force of Autonomous Weapons proceed to attack the Lone Mercenary.

The mercenary triumphs over the drones, stunning the Foundation Man who remarks that the battle exceeded all his expectation. The Foundation Man discloses to the Lone Mercenary and Fatman that he was responsible for the Foundation's tampering and "malfunction" of the UNACs, and that the purpose of the UNACs was to learn the potential of the human race and gather data. The Foundation Man then challenges Fatman's partner to a final showdown, intent on proving to the pair that humanity is doomed. When Fatman questions whether or not the Foundation Man himself is human, the man replies, "Oh, I'm human. Or at least I was."

For the final battle, the Foundation Man writes to the Lone Mercenary directly, no longer hiding the Foundation's control over Signs and challenging the mercenary to a duel near the remains of a Spirit Class Moving Fortress at the Dozur Desert. The man has J — the last remaining member of the Reaper Squad — pilot his ultimate craft: the N-WGIX/v. As J makes his way to the dueling ground, the Foundation Man tells his champion that the Reaper's victory is ensured thanks to a combination of his knowledge of countless battlefields and combat data from the UNACs as well as the power of the N-WGIX/v. J notes that the Foundation Man seeks a world filled with endless war and destruction, an ideal that J also shares.

When J is seemingly defeated by the Lone Mercenary during the first phase of the battle, the Foundation Man feigns shock at his champion's apparent defeat, before laughing it off and stating that everything is proceeding as he planned; the N-WGIX/v, meanwhile, switches its operation pattern and increases its generator output, emitting enough heat that surrounding debris melt. The Foundation Man then raves about mankind's inevitable self-destruction and dismisses both the Dark Raven and hope as mere absurd myths. J then cuts the conversation, declaring that no more words are necessary as he charges towards the Lone Mercenary.

Fatman and his partner leave as the N-WGIX/v (center) explodes

When the mercenary ultimately proves victorious, the Foundation Man tells his foes that he still refuses to believe that mankind has hope, and that he will never forgive the world for destroying his life. He reveals that the Last Age weapons housed within the Towers have now been activated and that they will continue to function until everything is in ruin. However, he also tells Fatman and the Lone Mercenary that if the two of them believe themselves "different," then they are free to carry on fighting, saying it is both their right and responsibility. Fatman replies that they will do exactly that so long as they can still fight.

Quotes

"Mission: 01 'Dirty Worker'"

• Second cutscene:

"Data acquired. What do you think?"

"We will eliminate anyone with potential. That is the plan, after all."

"Mission: 04 'Peekaboo'"

• First cutscene:

"Right on time. You mercs are punctual."

"Your task is simple. I want you to pit yourselves against our weapon. This 'thing,' as you put it."

"We're using live rounds, so defeat could mean your death. Be prepared. The bout ends as soon as one side is taken out of action. We'll supply a UNAC to fight with you. It wouldn't be a fair fight otherwise."

"Enough talk. Let's begin. Good luck."

• Second cutscene:

"You actually won? Who is that mercenary?"

"Don't worry. You'll get your fee. I have the data I need."

"You ask too many questions."

"Do as you wish with the images you secretly took. They are not part of our contract. You've been snooping around a lot, I hear. Try not to tarnish your mercenary credentials, Blue Magnolia."

"Mission: 07 'Gravity'"

"So you'll come back to us?"

"You'd be welcome here, Blue Magnolia. We have many wars to wage. We'll dismantle the Three Forces, and anything else that gets in our way."

"An impressive analysis in such short time. But do you really think you can win?

• Third cutscene:

"Welcome back. Ah, such tenacity. Now your legend can begin again. You seek that Reaper, hmm? The one you were defeated by. Or is it me you want? Anything goes, as long as destruction is wrought. I thought that mercenary would be the one. But your will to fight, oh, it intrigues me."

"Mission: 09 'Forgiveness for an Angel'"

• Third cutscene:

"Well, that's that, I guess. A bit of an anticlimax. In the course of this war, I've eliminated 51 candidates. She'll bring my total to 52. There's nobody left worth mentioning, except you. And now, it's your turn to die."

"God has it all wrong. Mankind will destroy the world all by itself."

• Fourth cutscene:

"Amazing. This has exceeded my expectations! Perhaps you are curious of the UNACs' purpose. I sent them out to learn the potential of the human race, and gather intel. I will challenge you, and strike you down. The human race is beyond hope. I'll prove this to you."

"Oh, I'm human. Or at least I was."

"Mission: 10 'Mechanized Memories'"

• Mission details:

This is a personal challenge to you and all you represent. It's time to prove who's right. I'll be waiting.

• First cutscene:

"Report your status, J."

"You have knowledge and experience gained from walking countless battlefields, and now you are armed with combat data from the UNACs. And on top of that, this craft will ensure your victory."

"And so you abandoned mankind to destroy it?"

• Second cutscene:

"No... It can't be..."

"Is that what you wanted me to say? Hah hah hah! All is proceeding as planned! Hah hah!"

"These machines have brought destruction upon the world in the past. The Dark Raven is nothing but an absurd myth, just like hope for mankind. Mankind will be destroyed by its own hand."

• Third cutscene:

"I refuse to believe that mankind has hope. I will never forgive the filthy world that destroyed my life, and everything in it. My weapons are already in action. The towers power them. They will continue on without me. The battle for the towers has begun. It will continue until all is in ruin. But if you think you are different... Then carry on. You have that right and responsibility."

Gameplay

The Foundation Man appears in the Armored Core: Verdict Day Story Mode as an NPC and the main antagonist. He first appears in the ending cutscene of "Mission: 01 'Dirty Worker'" observing the player and conversing with K regarding the Lone Mercenary's power and the Foundation's scheme. His next appearance is in "Mission: 04 'Peekaboo'" where he hires Fatman's team to fight a To-605. Afterwards, he appears in "Mission: 07 'Gravity'" to observe the fight between the Lone Mercenary and a Grey Lotus, then collecting Maggy when she decides to join The Foundation. In "Mission: 09 'Forgiveness for an Angel'", he makes an appearance after M's defeat, ordering a Scavenger and Ammon drones to attack the player. Finally, he writes the mission briefing for "Mission: 10 'Mechanized Memories'" and commentates during J's match with Fatman's partner.

Armored Core: Verdict Day also has DLC that adds additional CPU voices — each based on Story Mode characters — to the game. The Foundation Man is included in DLCs CPU Voice 4 and CPU Voice Complete Set 1.

Trivia

• In the Japanese version of Armored Core: Verdict Day, the Foundation Man refers to himself with the pronoun "boku," an indication of his childishness.
• In Armored Core: Verdict Day's now-defunct ACVD LINK official archive, there is a character named Isaac who harbors deep hatred towards mankind for ruining the world similar to The Foundation Man. It is heavily implied that Isaac is the Foundation Man's true identity, given their similar distaste for man, and the fact that The Foundation Man personally dismisses the Dark Raven as "nothing but an absurd myth."
• The Foundation Man's final lines in the campaign are a callback to the final words of the Ravens' Nest AI from the original Armored Core: "Go on living, Raven. You or I? Which one of us is ultimately right? You have the right - the duty to find that out."

Appearances

• Armored Core: Verdict Day
  • "Mission: 01 'Dirty Worker'"
  • "Mission: 04 'Peekaboo'"
  • "Mission: 07 'Gravity'"
  • "Mission 09: 'Forgiveness for an Angel'"
  • "Mission 10: 'Mechanized Memories'"
• Armored Core: Verdict Day Official Setting Documents Collection -the AFTER-

Speculation

The following information is "gray area" content — it may not be completely factual, and/or falls under YMMV territory.

• The Foundation Man presumably dies after the N-WGIX/v explodes.
• Although it is never explicitly stated in-game, The Foundation Man is a Phantasma Being, a digitized consciousness. He is heavily implied to be a man named Isaac from the Armored Core V side story The Forgotten Day.
• It is likely that the Foundation Man was the OS voice of the N-WGIX/v.