Rauli "Iso" Isotalo

Rauli Isotalo, commonly known as Iso, is a pioneer who was on the AISV Cicada when it crashed onto Proteus. He served as a survival specialist and was a celebrity who loved putting his own life at risk. Iso had an ongoing on/off relationship with fellow pioneer Mel.

Iso's last known death occurred approximately 236,000 hours ago in the EVA Prep wreck after being kidnapped by Tailings, who seemed interested in the technology he carried. He was successfully reprinted after this incident. His last known position was in Camp One, having joined Jubilee, where he left a note reading: "Sisu is the key to all things. — Iso". His current whereabouts are unknown.

Background

Rauli Isotalo was considered somewhat of a celebrity, acting as a popular commentator and personality in the pioneering field. Rauli had formerly been the sole survivor of expeditions to 'Rakshasa' and 'Nyos'.

According to the databank entry of the Survival Multitool, Rauli Isotalo was one of several experienced pioneers who protested the Survival Knife being replaced by the Survival Multitool. He was a practitioner of a fictional Finnish discipline termed 'BioSisu' and, according to his profile, was unable to experience positive emotion without being in mortal danger.

Blackboxes

Blackbox - Iso (Depth 95m - Abducted)

• Location: In the Cicada Wreck (EVA Prep) near the Karakorum Power Plant, above the Upper Generator Control Room.
• Depth: 95 meters
• Coordinates: -160710, 459644, -9397

Audio Transcript:

Iso: "Hello, blackbox...I am almost out of oxygen. The Tailings have taken me into a Cicada wreck. I think they want me to show them how our technology works. They were very interested in Nahema's bacterial scanner. Too bad they crushed it when they took it away from me! Still, a good chance to observe them up close. They are crawling directly on me, all over me...they have many limbs and complex mouthparts. And no sense of personal space. It is pitch dark. But I can hear their chattering...the snap of their claws."

Databank Entries

Profile: Rauli "Iso" Isotalo

• Gender: M
• Mission Role: Survival specialist, celebrity sponsor
• Pay Rate: No pay.
• Biography: Multiple sole survivor of expeditions to Rakshasa and Nyos. Practitioner of Finnish 'BioSisu' discipline. Popular commentator and entertainment personality. Close working relationship with partners Udal Singh and Melaku Sansar. Unable to experience positive emotion in the absence of mortal danger.
• Notes: Despite initial positive sentiment, likely to defect from or mutiny against biobed system. May require versional discipline.
• Source: Acquire a blackbox belonging to Iso.

Blackbox: Isotalo, Rauli "Iso"

• Event: Print loss
• Audio:

  ISO: "Hello, blackbox...I am almost out of oxygen. The Tailings have taken me into a Cicada wreck. I think they want me to show them how our technology works. They are very interested in Nahema's bacterial scanner. Too bad they crushed it when they took it from me! Still, a good chance to observe them up close. They are crawling directly on me, all over me...they have many limbs and complex mouthparts. And no sense of personal space. It is pitch dark. But I can hear their clattering...the snap of their claws."

• Postmortem:
  • Cause: Asphyxia (after twelve minutes of static apnea)
  • Complications: Viremia, metal poisoning, capture and restraint
  • Nearby Pioneers: 0
  • Time: ~236,000 hours ago
  • Reprint: Successful (nearby base camp)
  • Remarks: AEP suit registered constant touch during and after death. A bottle of fresh water was introduced to Iso's mouth post-mortem.
• Source: Find Iso's blackbox at the EVA Prep wreck.

Relevant Entries

Iso - "Don't go out alone"

The rules are simple. Keep the perimeter sensors on alarm—no matter how many false positives you get—and do not go out alone. They are hunting us. We don't know why. Someone made a mistake a long time ago, and we have to live with it.

The damn thing is maybe it was one of us. Maybe they see us and say, look, it's that soft criminal, back from the dead again, let's get the freak. And we don't even remember what we did.

• Author: Rauli "Iso" Isotalo
• Source: Found at Shallows Wreck 3.