Cerberus

Organizational Information
Cerberus


Founder:	The Illusive Man, Jack Harper

Leader:	Ophelia Marcellus

Headquarters:	Kronos III

Related Organizations:	• Abstergo Industries • Umbrella Corporation
Historical Information

Date Formed:	2157

Date Collapsed:	2186

Date Reformed:	2188
Additional Information

Notable Members:	• Malcolm Marcellus • Natalie Blake

Cerberus is a human-centric paramilitary group and one-third of a massive conglomerate, led by the enigmatic Ophelia Marcellus. Cerberus' core belief is that humans deserve a greater role in the galactic community, and that the Systems Alliance is too hamstrung by law and public opinion to stand up effectively to the other Citadel races. Cerberus supports the principle that any methods of advancing humanity's ascension are entirely justified, including illegal or dangerous experimentation, terrorist activities, sabotage and assassination. Cerberus operatives accept that these methods are brutal, but believe history will vindicate them. Nevertheless, both the Systems Alliance and the Citadel Council have declared Cerberus to be a terrorist organization and will prosecute identified Cerberus agents accordingly.

For the History of Cerberus up until the end of end of the Reaper War, please check Cerberus.

Current Organization

Cells

Cerberus is and has always been divided into numerous independent cells which have no knowledge of their counterparts. This ensures that should one cell be compromised; the others would not be captured. Each cell is led by an operative who reported directly to the Illusive Man, Daniel Kaine and now, Ophelia Marcellus. Cerberus operates many kinds of cells, ranging from military to political to scientific, but all united under the common goal of advancing humanity. Cerberus also has operatives throughout the Alliance, often embedded in high-ranking positions, giving Ophelia constant updates and feeding her information that would otherwise be classified.

As of 2192, Cerberus consists of 400 operatives organized into multiple cells. Ophelia oversees all projects carried out by the cells personally; consequently, there are never more than a dozen projects active at one time. This degree of micro-management leaves the organization vulnerable should Ophelia ever be compromised. Though through her ties with Abstergo Industries and Umbrella Corporation, they have been allowed to operate and conduct business as long as no casualties are reported and no living beings are experimented upon. Also, they have to submit an annual audit by the Council of their main operations.

However, with this stipulation there is a loophole: Only Cerberus has to submit the Council Mandated audit. Umbrella and Abstergo do not. This allows Cerberus to skirt the line of morality as they are used to, and have other minor subsidiaries carry on the experimental research.

Communication

Communication throughout Cerberus is monitored, yet still takes the form of steganographic messages embedded within extranet broadcasts. This is to avoid the detection of the White Wolf, a dangerous vigilante hellbent on destroying the organization. These messages can range from troop movement orders to instructions to financiers to direct money into certain cells.

Financing

Cerberus has very wealthy sympathizers within the Alliance military-industrial complex, who still contribute credits and resources to Cerberus, and trust Ophelia to make the right decisions. Cerberus also owns several front corporations which further fund and support their operations. Spending trends indicate that Cerberus has a reliable income running up to several billion credits per year.

Network

Cerberus has operatives planted across Citadel space and the Terminus Systems who regularly report to Ophelia. Due to their widespread network, Cerberus effectively has access to almost every settled system, major trade stop, and colony in the galaxy. However, Cerberus has no knowledge of what goes on in uncharted systems and the Migrant Fleet, thus rendering Ophelia blind in those areas.

Cerberus operatives usually work alone. If an operative is captured, depending on their usefulness, Cerberus might attempt a rescue or simply declare them to be expendable and abandon them to their captors.

Projects

Enhanced Defense Initiative - An initiative to create a "shackled" AI developed from a rogue Alliance VI and systems salvaged from Sovereign. The result was the Enhanced Defense Intelligence, or "EDI", which was installed onto the Normandy SR-2 as an analysis and cyber warfare system.
Lazarus Project - Established in 2183. Based out of Lazarus Research Station and led by Miranda Lawson, the Lazarus Project spent billions of credits in pursuit of one goal: bringing Commander Shepard back to life.
Project Doorway - Established in 2163. Produced forged Council-standard medicards and identitags to allow operatives unrestricted movement.
Project Eva - Commissioned by The Illusive Man after Cerberus lost contact with Commander Shepard, EDI and the Normandy SR-2 following the defeat of the Collectors. Project Eva developed Dr. Eva Coré, an infiltration mech.
Project Firewalker - Responsible for field-testing the prototype M-44 Hammerhead planet-side exploration rover.
Project Mia - Developed by Cerberus scientists studying indoctrination and Reaper-Husk communication who later fled the organization and took refuge on Gellix with their research. Due to the compartmentalization of the project's components, and at least one of the researchers was dead before the group's exodus, the surviving researchers could not piece together the true nature of the project.
Project Overlord - Based on Aite, Overlord was intended to develop a specialized hybrid-VI capable of controlling the geth to serve Cerberus.
Unnamed Biotics Project - Based at Pragia's Teltin Facility, this project aimed to increase biotic potential in humans through experiments on child biotics kidnapped by Cerberus or bought from batarian slavers. Among the subjects were Jack and Aresh Aghdashloo. The project's highly unethical methods included the use of torture (both physical and psychological) and drugs on subjects as well as gladiatorial combat between subjects. Fatalities were not uncommon. The project ended following a riot by the child subjects, leading to the deaths of many guards and children.
Project Trapdoor - Established in 2168. Using the front corporation New Dawn Pharmaceuticals, the drug Omega-Enkaphalin (O-E) was developed to disrupt the powers of biotics. Cerberus personnel were nanosurgically altered to resist O-E.
Project Phoenix - This project used Norah Creed to experiment on enhancing human physiology to develop the perfect solder, and to develop stronger biotics in Cerberus Soldiers. Once Norah was saved from Cerberus, the research, along with Project Axomis, became the basis for Project Alice.
Project Axomis - Established before the First Contact War. This project was part of a personal covert operation program created by Daniel Kaine to enslave his rival's son, and to experiment with mind control technology as well as how effective Reaper technology would fair against the galaxy organically.
Project Alice - Based on The Barn during the Reaper War, this project aimed to create the perfect super soldier with the research results from its predecessors; Project Phoenix and Project Axomis.

Resources

Facilities

Aite outposts (site of Project Overlord)
- Hermes Station
- Prometheus Station
- Vulcan Station
- Atlas Station
The Barn
Kronos Station (Cerberus Headquarters)
Firebase Glacier
Firebase White (now a crater)
Sanctuary on Horizon

Front Corporations

Hughes Aerospace
Terra Nova Commonwealth Bank
Haribon Military Industries
Black Cross Pharmaceuticals

Operatives

Leader
- Ophelia Marcellus - The current Leader of Cerberus

Operatives
- Malcolm Marcellus - Ophelia’s second-in-command.

Scientists and Researchers
- Natalie Blake – Leader of the Dollhouse Cell and subsequent program.

Dolls that were (or still are) a part of the Dollhouse Cell
- Subject Alpha - Currently Miles Kincaid.
- Subject Charlie - Composite. Imprinted with the personalities of Lola Ochoa, Lucy James, and Kendra Williams.
- Subject Echo - Imprinted with the personality of Ariana Valentin. Ariana is Malcom’s assistant and master assassin for Cerberus.
- Subject Juliet - Imprinted with the personality of Serendipity Kim. Serendipity is currently the Head technician of the Dollhouse.
- Subject Sierra - Imprinted with the personality of Nikki Collins. Nikki has currently been released from the program and is in the care of Jason Turner.
- Subject Whiskey - Imprinted with the personality of Jessica Hayes. Jessica Hayes died in the Reaper War, but was personally brought back by Ophelia to cause her ex-husband pain.

Trivia

The name "Cerberus" comes from Greek mythology, where Cerberus is the three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades. In-universe, the organization's name comes from Jack Harper's manifesto detailing the need for humanity to have a "Cerberus" to guard it from the aliens beyond the Charon Relay (Charon is the ferryman in Greek mythology in charge of ferrying souls to Hades).