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176.Therearefourwaysinwhichthetopologyofgamespacecancometoanendandbesupercededbyanewtopos-atleastaccordingtothegameDeusEx:InvisibleWar.(Ifyouhaveplayedthisgameyoumayknowthereisalsoafifthending,ofwhichprotocoldemandsthewithholdinguntilthepuzzleoftheoth erfourendingsunlocksitssignificance.)Inthegame,yourcharacterhastochoosebetweenaidingthevictoryofoneoffourorganizations,allofwhichareatoddswitheachother,andeachofwhichhasitsownideaofhowtorealizeapermanentatopiabeyondgamespace,atoposbeyondtopology.Worki ngbackwardsfromthesefourendingsitispossibletoplotthebackstory,notjustofDeusExbutofthemilitaryentertainmentcomplex-atleastasitcanbeunderstoodfromwithinthegame,fromwithinTheCave(tm)itself.177.ThefourendingsofDeusExcanbepiecedtogetherbyarrangingthemintwo pairs.(Seefig.8)Thefirst,more'personal'pairofendingspitsthevictoryoftheTemplarsagainstthatoftheOmar.TheTemplarsareafanaticalreligiousorderdevotedtothebody'spurificationofall'biomods'.TheOmarareanolessfearsomecollectiveorganismofblackmarketeers,inwhich thebodyhasbeensubsumedintotechnology.Thesecond,more'political'pairofendingspitsthevictoryoftheIlluminatiagainstthatofApostleCorp.TheIlluminatiareasecretcabalofpower-brokershiddenbehindorganizationalfronts,dedicatedtorestoringorderundertheircontrol.Apo stleCorpisatechno-intellectualfactiondedicatedtobringingaboutajustanddemocraticbutnoless'posthuman'civilization.You,thegamer,playaminorcharacter,whocanneverthelesstipthebalancebetweenthesepowersandtheirgoals.178.DeusExisashadowyworld.Someoftheorganiza tionswhoatfirstappearsopowerfularejustfrontsforothers.Forinstancetheneo-liberalWTOandthereligiousfundamentalistsofTheOrder,whichappearantagonistictoeachotherineveryway,turnoutinclassicconspiracytheorystyletobebutmaskssecretlycontrolledbytheIlluminati. Thischainofunmaskingcanbeextendedevenbeyondthegame.Behindthefinalfourpowers-TemplarandOmar,IlluminatiandApostleCorp-isatleastonemoreunmasking.Thefirstpairofendings-TemplarandOmar-masksanagonbetweenthecompleteassimilationofthehumanintothemachine(Omar)v ersusthecompleterejectionoftheintercourseofbodywithmachine(Templar).Alongthisaxis,theproblemofwheregamespaceisheadingis'personal',aquestionoftheboundariesofthebodyanditsother.Theotherpairofendings-IlluminatiandApostleCorp-islessabouttheimmediaterelati onofbodytomachineassomething'personal'.Itisaboutsomethingnotpersonal,somethingthatisperhapspolitical.Heretheendsofgamespaceareanagonbetweenademocraticrelation,inwhichallbodiescommunicateequallywithmachines;versusthehierarchical,whereallcommunicationpa ssesviaacontrollingpower.Thepersonalispolitical,butinDeusExtheimpersonalispolitical,too.179.Forthegamer,itisalwaysamatterofstartingatthebeginningandplayingthroughtotheend.IntheoriginalDeusExanditssequel,InvisibleWar,therearedifferentwaysofgettingfromb eginningtoend.Itcanbedonebystealth,byviolence,ornegotiation,buteitherwaythegamerevealsitselflevelbylevel,fromstarttofinish.Forthegamerastheorist,perhapsinDeusExit'samatteroftakingtheendasthestartingpoint.Thequestionofwhatcanconstituteanendstateisthequ estionofwhatoccupiesthelimitstothoughtwithingamespace.Whythesefourendings?Iftheyarejustarbitrary,randompossibilities,thentheymaybefunforthegamertoplaythroughtobutnotmuchfunforthegamertheoristtostartoutfrominthisothergame-theothergameoftherelationbetwe entheallegorithmofthegametotheallegoryofgamespace.ButperhapsthefourendingsofDeusExarenotrandombutareratherthepiecesofapuzzle.180.BehindthefourorganizationswhovieforpowerinInvisibleWararefourmoreabstract,moreimpersonalantagonistswhostalkthefantasticvis tasofgamespaceitself.Eithertechnologytrumpsthehuman,orviceversa.(Templarvs.Omar.)Eitherdemocracytrumpshierarchy,orviceversa.(Illuminativs.ApostleCorp.)Butbeyondthat,perhapsthegamereachesacertainlimit.Behindthismaskisnotanothermask;behindthispowerisnot anotherpower,butsomethingelse-adiagramoftheavatarsofpower.Thefourendingsexhaustthepossibilitieswithinwhichgamespacecanthinkaboutitself.Theyareitsendgame.Butwhilethereisnotatthispointanothercharactertounmask,thereisapuzzletosolveinthearrangementofthese masks.Theseendings,andwhattheymask,enterintoquitedefiniterelations.Thefourtermsinvitethegamertheoristtoanewkindofgame.181.ThefourpossibleendingsofDeusExfitona'Greimassquare.'Whichistosay,theendingsaretermsinagameofmeaningmaking.(SeeFig.8)IfGeorgePerec istheavantgardeaestheteofgamespace,Greimasisitspioneeringtheorist,forwhomallculturecannowbethoughtretrospectivelyintermsofthegame.A.J.Greimas:"Perhapsoutofadesireforintelligibility,wecanimaginethat,inordertoachievetheconstructionofculturalobjects(lite rary,mythical,pictorial,etc.),thehumanmindbeginswithsimpleelementsandfollowsacomplextrajectory,encounteringonitswaybothconstraintstowhichitmustsubmitandchoicesitisabletomake."Orinotherwords,theplayofmeaningismadewithintheboundsofagame.Atstakehereisthe relationofplaytogame.Astopographygiveswaytotopology,gamerisesinprominencerelativetoplay.Intherealmofavantgardestrategies,thegamewithinconstraintsofGeorgePerecsupercedestheplaybeyondgameofGuyDebord.Intherearguardoftheoreticalstrategies,thegameofmeaning supercedesthemeaningofgames;A.JGreimastopsJohanHuizinga.ForHuizingaplayprecedesgame.Itistheplay'instinct'thatinspirestheformationofforms.Greimasanticipatestheenclosureofplaywithingamespace.Asthewholeofspacesuccumbstothegame,itisthelogicofconstraintswh ichdeterminethepossibilitiesofplay.182.Huizinga,writingintheshadowoftheNazis,knewwhatwascoming:"Itremainedforthetheoryof'totalwar'toÉextinguishthelastvestigeoftheplayelement."Themilitaryindustrialcomplexisonitsway.Totalwarthenextendsitslogisticstothes pacesofwork,andfinallyplayitself.Nowthemilitaryentertainmentcomplexisonitsway.TransgressiveplayhasitslasthurrahintheSituationistattempttoliveoutHuizinga'stheoryasaprogramforaction.GreilMarcus:"Asbathositwasjustdrunkstryingtowalkandthinkatthesametime." Thereisnowheretohideoutsideofgamespace-thetotalgame.GuyDebord:"Onecannotgointoexileinaunifiedworld."TheformerleaderoftheSituationistswilldevotehisdecliningyearstodesigningandplayingaboardgamewhichformalizesallheimagineshehaslearnedaboutrevolutionarypl aytime,andyetentombsitwithinitsrules.183.Withtheriseoftopology,thetensionbetweengameandplayisresolvedinfavorofthegame.Whetherinart,theory,orineverydaylife:Thereisnothingoutsidethegame.Thestoryline,whichoncemarkedtheboundarieswithinwhichagamecouldbegin ,becomesinternaltogamespace,andisnowmuchmoreaboutlegitimizingthepointatwhichagame'must'end.Thestorylinebecomesjusttheworkingout,onemoveatatime,ofapossiblelinethroughtheconstraintsofgamespace.Inthegameitisanalgorithmthatdetermineswhensomethingcanend;bu titisthestorylinethatmakesthisendpointseemnatural,inevitable,andnecessary.Butwhileastorylinehasanending,DeusExhasfourendings.Itrevealsjustabitmoreoftherulesofthegameofmeaningmakingthanastoryusuallywould.ThatDeusExisagameoffourendingsisalreadyaslightsl ippageofthemask,revealingtherulesofthemeaning-makinggame.184.Intopographictimes,heterotopiangamesgaveontonon-gamespaces.Agamewasdelineatedbywhatitwasnot.Intopologicaltimes,atopiangamesgiveontonothingbutothergames.Ingamespace,theexitfromonegamewillturn outtobeanentryintoanother.Eachcaveletsontoanothercave.Butthisdoesnotbanishtheproblemofwhatisnot-game.Onthecontrary,itmakesitapervasiveandincessantproblem.Itslocusisthegamer,whocanonlybeagamerbybeingconstantlypulledintoandpushedoutofonegameafteranother ,andwho,inmomentsofboredominbetween,glimpsestheveryconditionsofpossibilityofgamespace.Thesearethemomentswhenthegamercanneithertargetsomethingwithinthegamenorbethetargetthegameitselfselectstomakeitsown.Thetensionisnolongerwhatispriortooroutsidethegame, butwhat,frominsidethegame,maybringittoanend-andwhatthatendmightbe.185.Thegamer'sboredomarisesoutoftherecognitionthat,underthevariegatedspectacleofdetails,theactofgamingisalwaysessentiallythesame.Thegameroscillatesbetweentwostates.Thefirststateisbeings eparatefromthetarget;thesecondisbeingmergedwiththetarget.(PlayingDeusExinstealthmodeonlyreversestheprocedure.Thegoalistonotbetheother'starget).Thefirststatemergesthegamerwiththecharacterinthepresenceofthetarget,thesecondmergesthecharacterwiththetarget andproduces,asaresult,thegamer,astheonewhohitormissed.(SeeFig.6)Thegameroscillateswithinanagonbetweentwoterms:beingseparateandbeingmergedintothegame.InDeusEx,theTemplarsaretheknightsofseparation;theOmarwantnothingbutcompletesynthesisofhumanandmachine. ThisfirstpairintheGreimassquareenacttherealizationofthegameasoneoftwoagonisticstatesinwhichthegamermaybeinrelationtoanygame.186.OnemaybeOmarorTemplar,mergedorseparatedfromgamespace,butthispairoftermsmasksanother:beyondtheantagonisticpositionsofbeingme rgedorseparated,thereisapairofslightlydifferentterms,whichareothertotheinitialpairratherthanantagonistictothem.Youmaybeseparateormerged;butyoumayalsobenot-separateornot-merged.Thislatterpairofpossibilitiesopensupalotmoreterritory.Theantagonistofsepara teismerged,buttheotherofseparateisthenot-separate,whichcouldbemanyotherstates.Theantagonistofmergedisseparate,buttheotherofmergedisnot-merged,whichcouldbemanyotherstates.Withinthegame,theagonisticseemstodefineadigitaldifference:ifnotonething,thenanoth er.Onetermantagonizesanotherterm;eachofwhichdefinestheothernegatively.Eachiswhattheotherisnot.Butintherelationofgametonot-game,therelationtotheothertermtakesprecedence.Agamealwaysdependsonapriordifference,notquitedigital,butofanotherorder.Thisisothern ess,whereinatermispositedagainstapurenegative,againstwhatisnotit.Thisothertermdoesnotinturndrawitsidentityfromthisrelation.Itremainsunmarked.Agamebeginsbyrulingoutwhatisnot-game.Itsaysnothingaboutwhatnot-gameis.Thereisnothingitcansayaboutwhatnot-gamei s.Norcanitsaywherenot-gamebeginsorends.187.Tobenot-separatefromthegamecouldbemanythings.Fromwithinthelogicofthegame,theonlywaytoventureintothisterritoryisbypositingsomethingthatcangointheplaceofthenot-separate.ThegameexpandshereundertheguiseoftheIllum inati.Perhapsthereissomethingbeyondthedigital,on-offrelationofthegamerwiththegame.Perhapsitisbiggerthanthat.Perhapsthereareprotocolsdeterminingwhohasaccesstowhichgame;perhapssomegamesaremoreimportantthanothergames,anddeterminethepossibleoutcomesofsubo rdinategames.Evenmoredisturbing:Perhapsyouonlyappeartobetheplayerofagame.Perhapsyouarereallya'non-playercharacter'inagamecontrolledbysomeoneorsomethingelse.Perhapsifyoutookoffyourownmask,themaskofthegamer,youwouldfindthatyouonlyimagineyourselftobetheo neplaying-perhapsyouaretheonewhohasbeenplayed.IceT:"Youplayedyourself."Inagamespacegovernedbyprotocol,bycodesofaccessanddenialofaccess,toonethingfrontedornotfrontedbyanother,everyappearancepromptstheparanoidsuspicionthatitisnotwhatitseems.188.Tobenot- mergedwiththegamemightalsobeamorecomplextermthaneitherthemergedorseparateterms.HoldingdownitsplaceisApostleCorp.Perhapsitisnotaboutmoreorlessseparation.Perhapsitisaqualitativerelationthatcan'tbecapturedbythesimpletermsofseparationandmerger,noryetbythe protocolsandhierarchiesofthenot-separate.HereyoumayfindtheghostofHuizinga,andaplaythatcallsintobeingitsownrules.Thisfourthtermmaybethemostinterestingofall,butonewhichisusuallysuppressedinfavorofoneoftheotherthree.Nevertheless,thefourthtermhastofindits placeinthepuzzleinordertounlockthenextlevelinthisgame.189.Thefirststorylinestrand-fromTemplartoIlluminati-startswiththeseparationofgamerandgame,andterroraboutmerginghumanandmachine.Butbeyondthisexistentialtension,thestorylinedevelopsthethoughtofwhatca nbeoutsideofseparationandmerger.Itfantasizesapowerofcontrolovertherelationbetweenseparationandmerger.Themergeratthebasestlevelsispresidedoverbyaseparationatthetop.Orviceversa:separationatthebottomresistsandreactsagainstmergeratthetop.190.Thesecondstor yline-fromOmartoApostleCorp-takestheoppositepath.Italsobeginswiththeexistentialquestionoftheseparationofgamerandgame,orofthehumanandthenonhuman.Onlyitresolvesthetensioninfavornotofseparationbutofmerger.Ittakesmergerforgranted.Thisistheproperly'cyberpu nk'axis.Itstartswiththeassumptionofaschizoidsplittingandmixingoflayersandlevelsoffleshandmetal.Thestorylineaxisthentravelstowardthefourthterm,whichisthatofthenon-merger.Aretherewaysforthesoftmachineofthebodyandthedigitalmachineofthegametoco-exist?Onwh atterms?Couldtherebeacommunicationbetweenthem?Acommunicationinwhichoneneednotbetheantagonistoftheother?Deleuze&Guattari:"Theschizophrenicistheuniversalproducer.Thereisnoneedtodistinguishherebetweenproducinganditsproduct.Weneedmerelynotethatthepure'thi sness'oftheobjectproducediscarriedoverintoanewactofproducing."Itmightnotbeanantagonismofopposites,stilllessacommunicationofequivalents,somuchasanexcitationofincommensurables,offleshbymachineandmachinebyflesh.191.TheTemplarattractthesenseofpanic(andres ignation)aboutthemachine;theOmarafear(andeuphoria)thatitistoolate,andthatanydalliancewiththedigitalsubsumesanythinghuman.TheIlluminatiopentowardaparanoiaaboutwhatmightbebehindgamespace,amysteriousconspiracy,andperhapsacriticaltheory-ofthemilitaryenter tainmentcomplex.Thefourthtermpointstowardsadigitaldelirium,anegatedrealmofpossibilities-an'extopian'possibility,inwhichgamerandgameceasetoexistasseparateterms,andthereisacompleteeliminationofthelimitsofanytopos.The'extopian'dwellsneitherherenorthere,b utatonceandatonewiththeworld.Thepossibleendingso