"Perhaps," Marcus mused, raising an eyebrow and looking directly at Daniels, "someone else can answer your question." His gaze sharpened. "Am I right, Ms. Daniels, who works for the Earth Government?"
Unlike the rest of the team, Daniels's presence on the Ishimura wasn't simply about repairs. Her true mission was to cover up the Unified Church's reckless excavation of the Red Marker, to clean up the mess left behind. In the original timeline, the USM Valor, laden with nuclear warheads, was destined to blow the entire Ishimura to smithereens, obliterating all evidence. Daniels's identity and her government ties were meant to be a closely guarded secret, even from Isaac and the others. Yet, this stranger, Marcus, had exposed her with a single, unnerving sentence.
Isaac and the rest of the crew exchanged astonished glances. As teammates, they had no inkling of Daniels's true affiliation. Isaac's voice was tinged with urgency. "Daniels, tell me, quickly, what exactly happened on the Ishimura? Nicole must be in danger!"
Daniels, however, ignored Isaac, her eyes fixed on Marcus. "I'm sorry," she stated, her voice strained, "I don't know what happened on the Ishimura. I'm just an ordinary communications repair technician."
Marcus chuckled, seeing through her facade. "Alright, Ms. Daniels, there's no need to bluff. The USM Valor is currently loaded with nuclear warheads and heading straight for the Ishimura, isn't it?"
Daniels flinched. The news about the Valor and its deadly cargo was something she'd only recently received herself. How could this man possibly know? It was then that Marcus deliberately displayed a hint of impatience, and a Tyranid Warrior beside Daniels let out a guttural, terrifying roar. After a tense silence, Daniels began to reveal the truth to her teammates.
"It's the Marker. The Ishimura excavated the Marker on Aegis VII, and it's influencing the crew's minds through some kind of psychic pulse. It's driving them mad, making them commit suicide, or turn on each other. Their bodies are then twisted into these monsters." Daniels explained, glancing at the Slasher pinned to the ground. "I'd only ever seen these things in video recordings before." She carefully omitted any mention of her work for the Earth Government.
Marcus didn't press the point. "Currently, there are at least a thousand of these monsters on the Ishimura, and their numbers are still increasing." He raised his hand, and a Psychic Flying Knife pierced the struggling Slasher. The decay effect triggered successfully, dissolving it into a putrid puddle of green slime. "You can rest assured, I won't harm any of you. My goal is simply to kill all the Necromorphs on the Ishimura."
The group wasn't overly surprised by Marcus's display of psychic power. The kinetic module in the Dead Space universe could achieve similar effects, leading them to assume Marcus was simply using some highly advanced kinetic module technology.
Isaac's voice was now laced with anxiety. "Nicole is still on the ship. I have to go find her!"
Marcus looked at Isaac with a touch of pity. The engineer still didn't know that Nicole had already taken her own life on the Ishimura. Hammond and Daniels exchanged a quick glance, then Hammond turned to Marcus. "Mr. Marcus, are there any living people left on the Ishimura?" As a security officer, Hammond's primary concern was the rescue of any survivors.
"Yes, quite a few," Marcus replied, "probably dozens to a hundred people, but that number is constantly decreasing."
"We must rescue them!" Hammond declared immediately.
"You'll have to take that up with Ms. Daniels," Marcus said, gesturing towards her. "The USM Valor is loaded with nuclear warheads and is about to blow the Ishimura to smithereens." As he spoke, a lictor once again snagged a Necromorph from a nearby vent. This time, Marcus didn't intervene. A Spore Beast in the corner of the room sprayed a Spore Mine, which swiftly dissolved and killed the Slasher.
"Daniels!" Isaac exclaimed, grabbing her arm, his voice urgent. "Is what Mr. Marcus said true? Is the Earth Government really going to bomb the Ishimura with nuclear weapons?"
Daniels slapped his hand away. She shook her head. "The Ishimura is beyond saving. The Marker's contamination has spread throughout the entire ship."
"What about those who are still alive?" Hammond pressed, aghast. "Are we just going to abandon them?"
Daniels said nothing more, her gaze returning to Marcus. She knew arguing with the others now was pointless. Their lives, and hers, rested entirely in the hands of this enigmatic stranger.
"As I said, my goal is simple: to kill all the Necromorphs on this ship," Marcus reiterated, spreading his hands. "So, I won't let the USM Valor directly destroy the Ishimura, Ms. Daniels. As for those survivors, you can save them if you want, as long as it doesn't hinder my actions."
"Are you from CEC?" Daniels's eyes narrowed. The Ishimura was CEC's most vital Planet Cracker. If Marcus was indeed from CEC, it would explain why he didn't want the Valor to simply obliterate the vessel.
"Meaningless speculation is pointless, Ms. Daniels," Marcus said, neither confirming nor denying her suspicion. Then, he addressed the five individuals. "What about you? Do you want to go deeper into the Ishimura and rescue the survivors, or do you want to try and escape?"
As he spoke, Marcus felt a disturbance; the two Tyranid Warriors he'd sent to the Sanctuary were engaging with Necromorphs. He got up and walked out of the cabin door. Isaac and the others exchanged glances and followed. Just as they reached the Sanctuary, two Tyranid Warriors hurled several Necromorphs out. Another Tyranid Warrior, wielding vicious bone blades, rushed from within the Sanctuary and swiftly dismembered the Necromorphs. Several Spore Mines, previously floating around Marcus, immediately surged forward, dissolving all the pieces.
"That was a close call. Your ship's core was almost destroyed by these monsters," Marcus remarked, turning to face the group behind him. Isaac and the others' expressions immediately darkened. They were terrified by the thought of being trapped if the Sanctuary's singularity core was destroyed, and at the same time, they realized their only way off the Ishimura was now entirely dependent on Marcus.
"So, you can answer my question now," Marcus prompted.
Isaac immediately replied, "I'm going to save Nicole. She has to still be alive." Hammond followed quickly, indicating his desire to rescue other survivors. After a moment of thought, Daniels also chose to enter the Ishimura. Her ultimate goal was the Red Marker, and she wouldn't leave so easily. Besides, the USM Valor, filled with soldiers, would arrive soon. How could this man and his "genetically modified monsters" possibly resist a regular army?
As for Chen and Johnston, after a brief silence, both chose to stay on the Sanctuary. Isaac and Hammond didn't blame them. Not everyone possessed the courage to venture deeper into the monster-infested Ishimura. Marcus waved his hand, and a Tyranid Warrior armed with a strangler gun stepped forward, joining the defense of the Sanctuary. Now, three Tyranid Warriors guarded the shuttle: one with a barbed whip, one with bone blades, and one with a strangler gun. Unless dozens of Necromorphs attacked the Sanctuary simultaneously, this level of defense would be more than sufficient.