- "My job was flying your asses over here, not wiping 'em once we arrived."
- —Tucker to Lieutenant Sam Kettle.[1]
Lieutenant Tucker Edwards was the pilot of the CMS Terra Nova during the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces expedition to Tau Volantis in 2311.[2]
Biography
Tau Volantis Expedition
- "I'm... I'm sorry, Tucker. But you heard Mahad's announcement. We're facing a Scenario Five situation."
"Scenario Five?! What the hell does that even mean?!"
"It means you have to die. We all do. If we don't, he'll just send someone over to do it for us."
"Come on, Valery. Just put that down."
"I'm sorry!"
"They don't have to know!"
"I'm so sorry! I-...."
"*Loud gunshot is heard, followed by the Commander's body collapsing.*"
"Not as sorry as I am, Commander. And if any one of them jacked-up jarheads tries to come for me, they'll be sorry too." - —Tucker and Valery Dietz's last conversation, heard in an audio log.
In 2314, the Terra Nova was disabled by the "Scenario Five" contingency, ordered by General Spencer Mahad. All of the personnel were ordered to execute the crew, destroy all of the data, records and communications structures and commit suicide. A remorseful Commander Valery Dietz attempted to kill Edwards under orders, but he shot her first and prepared for the soldiers that would pursue him.[3]
The traps that he set up in advance throughout the Conning Tower were designed to prevent the progression of the SCAF personnel from reaching him, with explosives rigged on the vents at any given areas to trigger attacks by the Necromorphs on board the ship. When Isaac Clarke and John Carver explored the Tower two hundred years later, Edwards' audio recordings were tripped the moment that they entered a particular area, all of the recordings mocking who Edwards assumed would be the SCAF soldiers. Each recording that Edwards made explained that he never intended to harm anyone and simply wanted to continue living. Given that all of his traps and recordings were yet to be triggered when Isaac and Carver arrived, it could be safely assumed that no one was ever sent after him, either because he was thought to be dead or because the soldiers knew that it was not worth it going after him and he would eventually starve to death.
- "It took me a while but now I realized why we weren't allowed to live. And if you've found this and you're still alive, I guess I can finally do my part: Computer, blow all remaining charges. It's time for you to join us."
- —Tucker's message to whoever managed to get to the loot cache alive.
His final recording revealed that he had finally given up the struggle to survive and understood why everyone needed to die. As the only survivor, he realized that his crewmen had been right about his laziness. He effectively "took one for the team" and committed suicide after the realization. Edwards' corpse sat in a chair with a view of space and the planet below.
- "Congratulations. You found me. Kind of stupid, ain't it? I just wanted to live and now that I'm the only one left, I couldn't give a shit. With all this time alone, I realize it's just like Sam said. I'm a lazy prick who never took one for the team."
"*Gun cocking is heard.*"
"Well, team, if you can hear me now, this one's for you."
"*Loud gunshot is heard, followed by Tucker's body falling in a chair and the gun hitting the floor.*"" - —Tucker's last log.
200 years after his death, in 2514, during the exploration of the Conning Tower, logs on the ship and a recorded message set up by Edwards alerted Isaac Clarke to the events that had occurred on the ship before and during Tau Volantis' Necromorph outbreak.
Later, when the Unitologist Cult turned the Terra Nova into a church, Tucker's body had disappeared.
Personality
Edwards was flippant with his fellow crewmen, refusing to help with general duties outside his obligation as a pilot. As a result, his nonchalant behavior was thought of as "lazy" and unkind. Edwards often referred to his commanding officer, Commander Valery Dietz, by "Val" in spite of her requests not to,[2] suggesting a friendship between them (Edwards was somewhat interested in her and even asked himself why he and Valery never hooked up,[4] and apologized for killing her at the same time). He spoke with a distinct southern American accent and was also known for his fondness of country music and, in fact, even had different country songs play in the cockpit, much to the ire of his shipmates. He also rigged a country styled riff to play during lock-down procedures, likely to serve as a sort of calling card.
Trivia
- During the optional mission, a large amount of graffiti can be found spray-painted on the walls as the player progresses, along with a number of spray paint cans littered all over the floor. The graffiti often portrays threatening messages by Edwards, the text becoming increasingly paranoid and frightened as the player moves closer and closer in on the Conning Tower room. Among the text, Edwards also spray-painted an image of a bull's head multiple times all over the walls, which he seemed to have used as his personal symbol; an actual bull skull can be found in Edwards' quarters. Additionally, the symbol of a bull skull appears on the Terra Nova emblem on the displays over doors aboard the ship.
- It can be assumed that Edwards held out for a considerable amount of time in the Conning Tower. If one looks around in the Conning Tower room, they can find a makeshift bed among other amenities. It is unknown how he was able to find food, though many boxes are scattered around and a food dish is present next to him to indicate he may have stocked up some sort of dehydrated condensed food canisters. There is no bathroom present.
- Edwards is a smoker as assumed by the ashtray next to his bed.
- Though the audio indicates he shot himself, there is no gun to be found. Also, there is a bullet wound on his corpse's head.
- It appears Edwards had won three medals as there is a framed picture next to his bed to indicate so. However, it may also be the badges of his fallen team as there is also a similar picture on the wall with two photos next to them.
- It is possible that the tally marks spray-painted on the tower room floor represent the amount of days that Edwards survived in the tower until he committed suicide, as evidenced by the aforementioned amenities. If this is the case, it implies Edwards survived for over ten years after the cleansing order, which seems very unlikely.
- It is likely he committed suicide some time in 2314, as in his logs, he thought S.C.A.F. soldiers would come for him.
- Isaac and Carver can destroy the vents rigged with explosives before the computer is told by Edwards to detonate. This does not set off the ambushes any quicker, nor do the explosions do so much as faze them at melee range.
Gallery
Sources