Murtaugh or Mur is the deuteragonist of the Submachine series. He has killed or left many people to die in the Subnet. Unfortunately, you, The Player, are one of those unlucky victims. However, he is compassionate and truly regrets some of those deaths (or at least he pretends to regret them).^[1]

AppearanceEdit

Since he has not been actually seen, Murtaugh's looks are unknown. However, it is known that he has lost his left arm. In Submachine 4: The Lab, there is a statue of a god, that symbolises Murtaugh, as stated by Mateusz Skutnik.

PersonalityEdit

Murtaugh is incredibly focused on his goals^[2], as evidenced by his deeds: he has had the patience to explore one third of the vast Subnet and do tedious work for years, just to get his revenge on the people who buried him alive and get back to the Core.

This focus and his other abilities make other people invisible to him, which was why other people in the Core thought he was a sociopath.^[2]

RelationshipsEdit

EinsteinEdit

Murtaugh seems to have cared for his cat to some degree^[3] However, there were signs of anger when the cat disappeared often.^[4]

ElizabethEdit

Elizabeth is known to have had a good relationship with Murtaugh, while both were in the Core, and Murtaugh only talked with her. Murtaugh even calls her "his dear Liz".^[5] Elizabeth seems to have acted as a pacifier of sorts, as she tried to stop Murtaugh from doing something reckless.^[6] However, one of the notes left by the people Murtaugh sent to the Edge indicates that they are polar opposites.^[7]

Other peopleEdit

Others generally seem hostile towards Murtaugh, likely due to his behaviour and not understanding his abilities. Murtaugh has sent some people, namely predecessors of the Player to the Edge, where they all die, which he deeply regrets.^[1]

HistoryEdit

Early life, the Core and career as a lighthouse keeperEdit

The first mentions of Murtaugh are from a camping trip in Kent, where he lost his arm. After losing it he developed a third arm, which he called his Karma Arm. It had the ability to create Karma Portals, which can transport a person to various segments of the Submachine.^[8]

Later Murtaugh stayed in the Winter Palace and began experimenting with his powers. These experimental karma portals tore and distorted the reality inside the palace and the garden. He neglected this fact, as it was only one of the layers, and eventually most of the garden collapsed into the black void of the Subnet.^[9]

Other people in The Core thought that Murtaugh was a sociopath as he would only talk to Elizabeth. This was due to the fact he couldn't see them, but he could see Elizabeth.^[2]In the end, Murtaugh deserted the other people in the palace, and started a new life as a lighthouse keeper.

In the Kent lighthouse he was joined by a cat in October 1905. Murtaugh named him Einstein because he had got in although all door and windows were shut, so he might have broken the time and space barrier^[10]Einstein often disappeared.

Murtaugh also tested his powers, and found that he could transport to other yet unknown areas with the help of Wisdom Gems. Intrigued, he wished to create a portal that could send him out of the Core, and he contacted Elizabeth about this, asking if she could tend Einstein while he was away.^[3] She asked him not to do this; however, she promised to look after Einstein.^[6]

After five months others got concerned for their safety and buried the lighthouse with Murtaugh in it.^[11] As Murtaugh had always been afraid of getting buried alive, he made the portal and left the Core.^[12]

On December 12 1906 Murtaugh tested for entry points for the Core, but failed. He planned on checking 291, because it seemed promising.^[13] One day later Einstein goes missing yet again.^[4]

The LabEdit

It was mentioned that Murtaugh spent a full thirty-two years exploring. It was also mentioned that Murtaugh explored one third of the humongous Subnet during his travels.^[14]

Not much else of this time is known. It seems that this time of exploration came to an end after he found a group of scientist that were investigating the Submachine, whom he joined. He "showed the truth" to the Lab's original members and explained that there are many Submachines instead of just one.^[14]

The Lab trained teams for exploring the Subnet, most - if not all - of which failed. Murtaugh taught them the necessity of leaving notes.

It's known that Mur took The Orb from The Looping Traps and gave it to the Basement Exploration Team because it was their mission to break the Orb. They weren't successful because their Coil had broken so Murtaugh came and took it back to the Looping traps two days after the Ancient Section Exploration Team accidentally found the coordinates 551.^[15]

In the end Murtaugh abandoned the original scientists. They later died.

Later he seems to have created a new Lab, with the objective to invade the Core. This required the Defense System to be turned off, and Murtaugh sent out people out to do this. At least five people were sent to do this task, but nobody returned, which was one of Murtaugh's deepest regrets.^[1]

During the seriesEdit

Murtaugh was contacted by The Player during Submachine 4: The Lab. He sent him/her a list of locations and left the player to explore. It later turned out that this was just a test, a job application of sorts. Murtaugh was pleased by our success and hired him/her.

Later he sent the player his first mission, which was to "explore the Edge"^[16], although this was just a lie, and the true mission was to disable the defense system. He later sent a message to the Edge, which contained the details of the actual mission, although he had no faith that the player would actually succeed.

When the Defense System was disabled, he confessed that the Player's "adventure ended there" and said goodbye.

Invasion of the CoreEdit

After the DS was annihilated Murtaugh and his team deployed a variety of different equipment in the Sanctuary. Although details are unknown, Murtaugh and his team got into Liz's ship and started shooting.

Elizabeth managed to get into her cabin in the ship and escaped before Murtaugh invaded it. There Murtaugh created the interdimensional karma portal to the Fifth Layer and entered it. However, inside the portal Murtaugh changed his mind and created a portal inside the other portal.

Fifth layerEdit

According to Elizabeth, Murtaugh is going to get his revenge on those who buried him alive.

TriviaEdit

• Murtaugh suffers from taphophobia, or the fear of being buried alive.
• Mur means 'wall' in Polish, French, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Catalan.
• Murtaugh's name is an old French surname, and this is where Mateusz took the name^[17].

QuotesEdit

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Regrets Note, Submachine 8: The Plan, only unlocked after finding a secret
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Not Socipath Note, Submachine 8: The Plan, only unlocked after finding three secrets
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Letter to Liz, Submachine 2: The Lighthouse
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Note to myself, Submachine 2: The Lighthouse
5. ↑ Transcript 18/38, Submachine 8: The Plan
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Letter from Liz, Submachine 2: The Lighthouse
7. ↑ Submachine notes#Murtaugh's game (Secret)
8. ↑ Diary Page from Sub1
9. ↑ Karma portals-note from Submachine 7: The Core
10. ↑ Cat Note from Sub2
11. ↑ Diary page from Sub2
12. ↑ Portal Note from Sub2
13. ↑ Entry points- note
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Lab Note from Sub4
15. ↑ Basement Note from Sub4
16. ↑ Mail from Murtaugh in Sub5
17. ↑ PastelForum, Submachine 6: Theories & Suggestions, Matuesz revealed the mystery of Murtaugh's name.

See alsoEdit

• Einstein
• Mateusz Skutnik
• Submachine notes

This article was featured on 2/14/2009.