Note: This synopsis was first discovered on the Whiteshark Entertainment homepage in February 2002 and was removed shortly thereafter.
It was retrieved using the Internet Archive.
TEX MURPHY - A BLACK SUN ASCENDING (a synopsis)
As the curtain rises on A Black Sun Ascending, the year is 2024 and we learn that mankind’s folly has resulted in the destruction of the ozone layer, forcing a “time reversal” – to avoid the lethal effects of unfiltered sunlight, the human race has become nocturnal: The world sleeps through the day, and then comes to life after sunset. This time reversal, a consequence of World War III, was enacted in the year 2012 – an event, we are told, seems to have been predicted by Mayan prophets two millennia earlier.
In the opening sequence, we see ancient hands wrapping a strange, metal box marked with the symbol of a black sun, followed by the mysterious murder of a young woman. The murder, the box, the black sun symbol and the Mayan prophecies must be related, but how?
Enter Tex Murphy, a down-on-his-luck private detective who, despite living in the 21st century, has the sensibilities and style of the classic 1940s’ PIs. Tex is a charming and attractive man’s man who is three months late on his rent and busy dodging bill collectors, with no prospects of employment on the horizon. By sheer happenstance (or is it?), he meets Gordon Fitzpatrick, an enigmatic older man on a quest that has reached a dead end. Fitzpatrick hires Tex to track down an old friend named Tomas Malikov, who recently rented a room in the hotel where Tex lives.
The search for Malikov quickly turns ominous when, in the course of the investigation, Tex is attacked and beaten senseless. When he regains consciousness, he is being tended to by Chelsee Bando, the woman Tex loves and intends to woo (when and if he can afford it). The attraction, though unspoken, is obviously mutual and their flirting banter is reminiscent of Nick and Nora Charles from The Thin Man. The relationship between Tex and Chelsee plays a pivotal role as the story unfolds.
Tex’s efforts to locate Malikov take us to the mid-point of the story. Along the way, Tex meets:
The remainder of Act III involves several razor-thin escapes, uneasy alliances and the revelation of the startling discovery that has forced Malikov to run for his life. Chinese puzzle boxes, the Mayan civilization, the Tanguska asteroid of 1912 and extra-terrestrial hieroglyphics all play a part in the twist-filled plot.
Act III takes Tex to the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula to unearth an ancient and potentially devastating secret. He is not the only one intent on finding it, however, and opposing forces converge in a race against time. As the story builds to its breathless climax, betrayal, sacrifice and – finally – the truth are revealed. And just when you think it’s over, one surprise after another is unveiled.
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Set against a visual backdrop of post-World War III high-tech decay, the pacing of A Black Sun Ascending is fast and furious while the tone is breezy, flirtatious and very funny. The story can be best described as Blade Runner meets Romancing the Stone. It is high adventure (and family-friendly) in the tradition of the Indiana Jones movies and would earn a PG-13 rating (for moderate violence).
The Tex Murphy character has appeared in a series of five very popular and critically acclaimed “interactive movies”. These computer games, produced by Access Software, Inc. (now part of Microsoft Corporation) have won numerous awards, including two for “Best Screenplay” and several for “Game of the Year”. One of the interactive movies, The Pandora Directive (the inspiration for A Black Sun Ascending), was the only computer game nominated by the Software Publishers’ Association for its “Best Overall Multimedia Product” award.
Summary edited to fix spelling errors. Changes made to the plot from The Pandora Directive (Tanguska, Malikov, etc.) are explained by Aaron Conners in the February 25, 2002 article at AID.
It was retrieved using the Internet Archive.
TEX MURPHY - A BLACK SUN ASCENDING (a synopsis)
As the curtain rises on A Black Sun Ascending, the year is 2024 and we learn that mankind’s folly has resulted in the destruction of the ozone layer, forcing a “time reversal” – to avoid the lethal effects of unfiltered sunlight, the human race has become nocturnal: The world sleeps through the day, and then comes to life after sunset. This time reversal, a consequence of World War III, was enacted in the year 2012 – an event, we are told, seems to have been predicted by Mayan prophets two millennia earlier.
In the opening sequence, we see ancient hands wrapping a strange, metal box marked with the symbol of a black sun, followed by the mysterious murder of a young woman. The murder, the box, the black sun symbol and the Mayan prophecies must be related, but how?
Enter Tex Murphy, a down-on-his-luck private detective who, despite living in the 21st century, has the sensibilities and style of the classic 1940s’ PIs. Tex is a charming and attractive man’s man who is three months late on his rent and busy dodging bill collectors, with no prospects of employment on the horizon. By sheer happenstance (or is it?), he meets Gordon Fitzpatrick, an enigmatic older man on a quest that has reached a dead end. Fitzpatrick hires Tex to track down an old friend named Tomas Malikov, who recently rented a room in the hotel where Tex lives.
The search for Malikov quickly turns ominous when, in the course of the investigation, Tex is attacked and beaten senseless. When he regains consciousness, he is being tended to by Chelsee Bando, the woman Tex loves and intends to woo (when and if he can afford it). The attraction, though unspoken, is obviously mutual and their flirting banter is reminiscent of Nick and Nora Charles from The Thin Man. The relationship between Tex and Chelsee plays a pivotal role as the story unfolds.
Tex’s efforts to locate Malikov take us to the mid-point of the story. Along the way, Tex meets:
- A gorgeous nightclub singer being stalked by a supposedly dead serial killer
- The singer’s oversized – and violently over-protective – companion
- A UFO conspiracy nut convinced that he’s been burglarized by aliens
- Tex’s smooth-talking former PI partner
- A diabolical government agent with a hidden agenda and a taste for blood
The remainder of Act III involves several razor-thin escapes, uneasy alliances and the revelation of the startling discovery that has forced Malikov to run for his life. Chinese puzzle boxes, the Mayan civilization, the Tanguska asteroid of 1912 and extra-terrestrial hieroglyphics all play a part in the twist-filled plot.
Act III takes Tex to the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula to unearth an ancient and potentially devastating secret. He is not the only one intent on finding it, however, and opposing forces converge in a race against time. As the story builds to its breathless climax, betrayal, sacrifice and – finally – the truth are revealed. And just when you think it’s over, one surprise after another is unveiled.
--------------------------------------------------
Set against a visual backdrop of post-World War III high-tech decay, the pacing of A Black Sun Ascending is fast and furious while the tone is breezy, flirtatious and very funny. The story can be best described as Blade Runner meets Romancing the Stone. It is high adventure (and family-friendly) in the tradition of the Indiana Jones movies and would earn a PG-13 rating (for moderate violence).
The Tex Murphy character has appeared in a series of five very popular and critically acclaimed “interactive movies”. These computer games, produced by Access Software, Inc. (now part of Microsoft Corporation) have won numerous awards, including two for “Best Screenplay” and several for “Game of the Year”. One of the interactive movies, The Pandora Directive (the inspiration for A Black Sun Ascending), was the only computer game nominated by the Software Publishers’ Association for its “Best Overall Multimedia Product” award.
Summary edited to fix spelling errors. Changes made to the plot from The Pandora Directive (Tanguska, Malikov, etc.) are explained by Aaron Conners in the February 25, 2002 article at AID.