The Number Seven

"...seven is darker."

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OK... OK... before they carry me away kicking and screaming hear me out. Why does the number seven appear so frequently in the story? Is this just a simple numeric preference of the writer(s) or does it signify something more? For the nonbelievers among you here are some of the passages:

central core has almost Reformatted been, seven is darker. from reversal thought syndrome suffering if the crew was in grave peril in forward section 27. This is not a coat rack, would I choose to express. Is was shall could might happening will be, imagine not what. Recovery, imminent perhaps inevitable Never.

Your last mission was a success, but I have terrible news.
#@Pragma Nautical Redefined^# efenders reported seeing the
aliens 1§moving a large cylindrical object.
#101111011110111100001# is is a '7'. Mjolnir Recon number 54
must stop them from exploding igniting/ blowing up/ *A94F12/
it/ the S'pht full spPace cOmputEr¢ Or PlannEd exterm.
@14.Sword-Roland.transfer

427q3w8459806ladimir in 1902 and Frederi~just recently. Both, however, carried out reforms before their deaths which slowly integrated their people secretly into world society, which are now scattered all over the globe- to meet only once every seven years in southeast France~FFFffxfffffF?F?FF?Ff must be chosen.

Apart from these rather obscure passages we also have the number seven appearing in the following passages:

Now, you fall into your old habit, and begin to daydream about your childhood on Mars, your father's death when you were seven...

(Manual Page 4)

And now, it looks as if you're heading right into the colony's biggest crisis since it was established seven years ago.

(Manual Page 3)

There are more but I have to stop somewhere!

The 10th military Mjolnir Mark IV cyborg

The 10th military Mjolnir Mark IV cyborg
"Mjolnir Recon number 54..."

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To quote a popular phrase "They're Everywhere!". The Marathon Story is awash with cyborgs. We have cyborg S'pht, a cyborg Pfhor controlling the S'pht, cyborg simulacrums of the Marathon crew and nine military Mjolnir Mark IV cyborgs on the colony. But is there a 10th military Mjolnir Mark IV cyborg?

The evidence would suggest that there is.The log of Bernard Strauss (Marathon's first science director) reveals that the Marathon left Mars carrying

...all of the destructive knowledge of mankind. Ten cyborgs.

Leela reports that

...nine military Mjolnir Mark IV cyborgs were covertly living among the colonists, and acting together they were able to single-handedly turn back the latter stages of the Pfhor assault.

More recently, Durandal in the Marathon 2: Durandal (Preview) remarks:

Were you ever curious about the tenth cyborg which was supposed to be on the Marathon? Why could Leela find only nine? Was it ever activated? Was it destroyed during the defense of the colony? You are right to be curious.

If the 10th cyborg exists is there any reference to it in the story?

One terminal may hold the clue to the existence of the 10th cyborg. The exit terminal on Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! (Terminal 2) contains the following text.

Public Access Terminal 92-g<92.45.28.48> Your last mission was a success, but I have terrible news.#@Pragma Nautical Redefined^# efenders reported seeing thealiens 1§moving a large cylindrical object.#101111011110111100001# is is a '7'. Mjolnir Recon number 54must stop them from exploding igniting/ blowing up/ *A94F12/it/ the S'pht full spPace cOmputEr¢ Or PlannEd exterm. @14.Sword-Roland.transfer@@2-Fren. ie transfer. Partial cOmputEr^&ø relay. Tycho.&**Security error.Ty93.2 !dead.Communication interruption cause: unknownMy original programming didn't prepare me for these kinds ofattackers. All of my functions will fail within a few minutesof this transmission. I have one final chance to trick theoncoming viruses, but it is unclear whether this attempt willbe successful.I have given instructions to Durandal as to the best defenseof the Marathon, but he is completely unstable and I fear thathe is in the Jealous stage of Rampancy.Good Luck...***JUMP PAD ACTIVATION INITIATION START******TRANSPORT WHEN READY***