[ Initial Deployment ] is the start of Marathon (2026)'s story and gameplay. It functions as the opening tutorial for the game.
Overview[edit]
[ Initial Deployment ] begins with a cutscene summarizing the events leading up to the start of the game, including the departure of the Marathon colony ship, its loss of contact, and the signal received by Earth from Durandal. It proceeds into a summary of Runner functionality and operations on Tau Ceti IV, then guides the player through a brief run and exfiltration on Perimeter, before allowing access to the game's main menu.
Opening cutscene[edit]
Multiple audio broadcasts cut in and out. The graphics depict the Sol system and displays the year 2472.
- MALE REPORTER: "It is a historic day across the solar system."
Various radio broadcasts cut in and out.
- MALE REPORTER: "--The enormous UESC Marathon colony ship--"
- MALE REPORTER (EAST AFRICAN): "--sets out for the Tau Ceti star system--"
- MALE REPORTER: "--to establish a new home for humanity--"
- MALE REPORTER: "--and with it, infinite possibility."
- FEMALE REPORTER: "--Everyone is watching."
The date changes from 2472 to 2773. Multiple reporters continue to cut in and out.
- MALE REPORTER: "Breaking news. Contact has been lost with the Marathon colony ship."
On-screen date shows 2804.
- MALE REPORTER (BRITISH): "--Official messaging from the UESC is that nothing is amiss--"
- MALE REPORTER: "The people just want to know: What happened? And what is the UESC doing about it?"
- FEMALE REPORTER (BRITISH): "--And still, no answers."
The on-screen date ticks upwards from 2817 to 2888. "BREAKING NEWS" scrolls across the screen in English, Simplified Chinese, and Cyrillic. Multiple reporters continue to cut in and out.
- MALE REPORTER: "Shocking news today--"
- FEMALE REPORTER (SLAVIC): "--After losing contact with the Marathon colony nearly 100 years ago--"
Brief flashes of violent civil unrest.
- MALE REPORTER: "--After decades of citizens demanding answers--"
- FEMALE REPORTER (SLAVIC): "--A message has been received from the UESC Marathon".
- MULTIPLE REPORTERS: "A distress call--A threat--An invitation--"
- MALE REPORTER: "But the message has been leaked. It reads--"
- Durandal: "Somewhere in the heavens, they are waiting."
Visuals flicker to digital interface of Etherstep defragmentation software.
- ONI: "Evaluating shell integrity... Evaluating..."
- ONI: "Evaluating vital signs... Evaluating recognition response..."
Visuals show digital renders of WEAVEworms printing a Runner shell.
- ONI: "Executing neurological subroutine."
- ONI: "Establishing passphrase..."
Visuals change to pixelated flashes of silk moths consuming WEAVEworms.
- ONI: "My last breath fell quiet like dying embers. My first thought hummed through a silver thread."
- ONI: "Where is death?"
Visuals return to Etherstep defragmentation software.
- ONI: "Loading memory packages. Liminal buffer status, 26%."
Visuals change to digital representations of various Runner shells in described scenarios.
- ONI: "Assert: Subject is a Runner, a disconnected consciousness inhabiting a biocybernetic shell."
- ONI: "Assert: Subject's psyche is preserved outside their body in the event of shell death."
- ONI: "Stay calm. Stay with me--"
- ONI: "Subject exists only in this liminal state while their next shell is being woven."
- ONI: "Please stand by."
- ONI: "Establishing passphrase..."
Visuals shift back to flickering digitized images, this time of a biomata face surrounded by silk moth pupae and newly-emerged adult silk moths.
- ONI: "Yesterday I walked with feet of fragile flesh. Today, I drift as light across the grid."
Images change to digital renders of Tau Ceti, zooming in to the destroyed Marathon in orbit.
- ONI: "Assert: Runners arrived in the Tau Ceti system after the investigation of a distress signal from the lost colony ship, the UESC Marathon."
- ONI: "Warning. Cognition runtime error--"
- ONI: "Assert: Runners are mercenaries, hired to salvage the ruins of the human colony on Tau Ceti IV."
Six faction logos are superimposed over a digital representation of Tau Ceti IV.
- ONI: "Proceeding with suboptimal durability settings--"
- ONI: "Assert: Liminal buffer status, 100%."
- ONI: "Runner defragmentation complete."
Digital renders resolve into a single green circle, which is revealed to be the eye of a digital biomata render.
- ONI: "Your shell will be ready momentarily and you will deploy to Tau Ceti IV for your first assignment."
The head rotates around and the camera pans in to inhabit its frame of reference.
- ONI: "Please prepare for consciousness transfer in 3, 2, 1... Initiate."
Screen goes black.
- ONI: "Good luck."
Gameplay[edit]
Player materializes in a Destroyer shell with no shields, reduced health, and only a knife as a weapon. They spawn near a DCON facility during a storm.
- ONI: "Your neural interface is malfunctioning."
- ONI: "Run."
Large atmospheric charges begin to strike around the player in quick succession.
[ Initial Deployment ] Seek shelter[edit]
A waypoint appears at the nearest shelter, a DCON facility.
If player runs in the opposite direction during the lightning strikes, a massive strike immediately downs them.
If player waits out the lightning strikes, they can leave the DCON area, but the region is covered in threats, including UESC drones and excessive tick nests.
If player goes down at any point before exfil:
- ONI: "Systems critical. As your shell's functions deteriorate you will experience discomfort, fear, regret. There is nothing I can do to alleviate full body collapse. I will prepare a replacement shell for your next attempt at survival."'
If player dies at any point during Initial Deployment:
After reaching the marked indoor environment:
✓ OBJECTIVE COMPLETE appears on-screen.
- ONI: "Your perception matrix was damaged during transfer to the planet's surface. Your shell too. Search the area for repair supplies, while I find a way to access the colony's systems."
[ Initial Deployment ] Search the shelter for medical items and repair your shell[edit]
After retrieving both a patch kit and a shield charge.
- ONI: "Engage your heal systems to use an item to repair your health or shields, depending on which is lower."
After player restores health:
- ONI: "Your health and shields restore separately. Be sure to recover both."
After player restores shields:
✓ OBJECTIVE COMPLETE
An antenna telescopes out of a device near the authorization terminal.
- ONI: "Authorization terminal active. Use it to interface with the colony systems."
[ Initial Deployment ] Connect to colony systems[edit]
Player finds an authorization terminal in front of a large window. Their Runner plugs in to the side port and begins typing while lines of code appear on-screen.
While accessing the terminal:
- PA SYSTEM: "System access granted. Welcome to New Cascadia."
- PA SYSTEM (DISTORTED): "You're going to die here."
✓ OBJECTIVE COMPLETE
Loud alarms begin to sound. Runner stops typing on terminal keyboard.
Multiple UESC dropships appear outside the window behind the authorization terminal. Many UESC bots disembark, their eyes in red "hostile" mode, and approach the shelter.
- ORION: "UESC security forces have been alerted to your activity. Exit the building immediately."
Runner presses some more buttons on the terminal and the window shutters close. Runner disconnects from terminal.
- ONI: "I recommend you not follow those orders. Stay calm. Your newly acquired systems access will allow you to navigate the colony. Search this structure for a way out."
[ Initial Deployment ] Escape[edit]
Waypoint appears over covered vent in bathroom floor.
After reaching waypoint:
- ONI: "Look for a drain or vent cover and try to break it with your knife."
After breaking the vent cover and proceeding a few steps down the drainage pipe, a loud bang is heard in the facility they just left. The player moves down the tunnel towards its exit.
Waypoint appears at entry point to either Station or Overflow.
- ONI: "Keep low. Keep quiet. By syncing your systems with the colony's we've secured your permanent access to all of New Cascadia. Know when to pick a fight, and when to make an exit. All that matters now is staying alive."
After reaching tunnel exit:
✓ OBJECTIVE COMPLETE
As player approaches waypoint, more UESC dropships create a sonic boom as they rapidly approach the area to drop off more bots.
- ONI: "The UESC believes Tau Ceti and everything on it belongs to them. If you want to survive, you'll need a weapon."
[ Initial Deployment ] Find a weapon[edit]
Waypoints continue to guide player towards indoor area of the nearby Region. If player attempts to leave area instead of proceeding indoors, the region is surrounded by a packet loss barrier which blocks them.
After entering the region interior, player comes across the remnants of a firefight, with a dead UESC bot and a dead Thief shell nearby.
- ONI: "Another Runner. Check the remains for weapons and supplies. They don't need them anymore."
If player goes out-of-bounds indoors:
- ONI: "Don't wander too far. This entire region is thick with data corruption. Too deep into the red and your shell will devour itself."
After retrieving a firearm near the dead Runner:
✓ OBJECTIVE COMPLETE
A new waypoint appears above a Survey Drone Cartridge on the ground, surrounded by a digital UESC ticker-tape. When the player crosses the cordon, a UESC Recruit materializes from an overhead emitter.
After eliminating the Recruit:
- ONI: "I've located an active exfiltration point near your location. Marking it on your map. Exfil points are the only way to safely move solid matter off world. That includes you. Scavenge the area for additional assets if you need them, but be careful. Die here, and you'll lose everything."
[ Initial Deployment ] Proceed to exfil site[edit]
Multiple UESC dropships continue to circle the area.
After approaching the exfil site, more UESC dropships arrive and deploy more bots.
- ONI: "Your prime ability is charged. Use it during combat to unleash a barrage on your enemies."
After activating the exfil site:
[ Initial Deployment ] Stay near the exfil site as it activates[edit]
- ONI: "Calibrating your destination, Runner... I'll see you on the other side."
Player holds off small waves of UESC Recruits while the exfil calibrates.
A large UESC lockdown event begins to occur over the area.
- ONI: "Your tactical ability is ready. Use it to deploy a personal shield."
If player delays exfil:
- ORION: "UESC forces, target all Runner threats for extermination."
If player continues to delay exfil:
- ORION: "This is UESC Security Commander Orion, authorizing kill orders on all Runners trespassing in the Tau Ceti system."
After successful exfil:
Establish Link: CyberAcme[edit]
After completing the run and entering the Factions page of the menu, the CyberAcme faction introductory cutscene plays:
Contract debrief[edit]
- ONI: "Welcome home, Runner."
- ONI: "I'm ONI, your Onboard Navigational Intelligence. Your consciousness and my neural programming are inexorably interlinked. Think of me as a friend... one you don't yet remember.
- ONI: "You may still be experiencing some memory degradation from the damage to your perception matrix. But worry not. CyberAcme is here for you. I'm here for you."
- ONI: "Per our arrangement, you've come to Tau Ceti to scavenge the ruins of a long-lost human colony. Now that we've successfully calibrated you to New Cascadia's systems, our next step is connecting with factions who will pay for your services."
- ONI: "The Unified Earth Space Council is equipped with advanced faster-than-light communications technology."
- ONI: "Commandeer it, and I should be able to reverse engineer direct contact with faction representatives back home on Earth and Mars."