Bernard Strauss

"I want you to find a friend of mine."

Bernard or Bernhard? Both names are used in the story. Durandal refers to a Bernhard Strauss (on three occasions). However, there is also the log of Bernard Strauss, the Marathon's first science director, and Tycho also makes reference to a "Bernard St~~~". The later two are presumed to be the same person. But are Bernard Strauss and Bernhard Strauss two different people?
Unlikely given the fact that the terminal text of Bernard Strauss' log in the resource fork is identified as <L201 Refuel.BERNHARDSTRAUSS.TERM1> suggesting that they are one in the same person. The most likely explanation for this difference is that two or more people had a hand in writing the terminal text and this discrepancy was never corrected.

Was Bernard Strauss responsible for bringing the ten cyborgs on board the Marathon?
He certainly knew of their existence on the Marathon at the time of its launch. His log reads:

"Had he only known that it carried also all of the destructive knowledge of mankind. Ten cyborgs." <Beware of Low-Flying Defense Drones... (Terminal 2)>
Leela states in the last terminal:
"I do not believe Durandal himself brought the cyborgs on board, and I have other evidence that a human operator was influencing Durandal up to the time the Marathon was launched." <Ingue Ferroque (Terminal 3)>
We know from the log of Bernard Strauss that he was going into stasis for the duration of the voyage:
"I'll be glad to be put in stasis for the next three hundred years." <Beware of Low-Flying Defense Drones... (Terminal 2)>
Hence any influence that Strauss had over Durandal would have probably ended after the launch.
What available evidence there is points to Strauss as being the "human operator" Leela refers to and therefore most likely to have brought the cyborgs onboard. However, his motive for doing so is as yet unclear.

Is Bernard (Bernhard) Strauss dead?
Durandal asks you to rescue him on two occasions but after the second attempt he promptly forgets about him. If he was taken on board the Pfhor ship as Durandal believed then he is likely to be in orbit around Lh'owon. His story is yet to be told.

Go Back to Marathon's Story Home Page
***TRANSPORT WHEN READY***

Go Back to Contents Page
***TRANSPORT WHEN READY***

Go Back to Facts and puzzling things about
***TRANSPORT WHEN READY***

Hamish Sinclair
Hamish.Sinclair@tcd.ie Last updated Sept 19, 1995