IRIS Network

- This article is about the IRIS Network as a faction/group. For information regarding the reports that the IRIS Network publishes via their magazine IRIS, see IRIS Reports.

The IRIS Network are the main protaganist faction and rebel organisation who work with local governments to expose the truth of the war against the DomZ, and the betrayal of key military, governmental, and corporate entities through their newspaper IRIS.

The network has a galactic presence within more than 13 different systems across the galaxy. As of late, the network is portrayed as a terrorist group by the Alpha Sections as a means to cover their tracks. Despite their lack of popularity, IRIS continues to work with government figures and reveal the truth of evil intentions and corruption inflicted by their rivals.

IRIS Network in Hillys

Purpose

Prior to the alleged DomZ invasion in 2415, a Hillyan IRIS cell was established amid suspicions of the Alpha Sections arrival and behaviour on Hillys. It was not up until 2435 when the network discovered holes in the Alpha Sections' media and truth, finding means of evidence to justify their accusations.

The IRIS Network gains official support when a message from the Hillyan Governer wishes to see the truth behind her homeworld's new apparent defenders' scrutiny. imploring them further to investigate a recent explosion caused by a DomZ bomb in the canal. While the sector was immediately sealed off and everyone in the area evacuated by the Alpha Sections, not a single hospital received any victims, leading to the belief that they were kidnapped.

In conjunction with the recent disappearances, the IRIS Network has made it their newfound goal to expose the alleged connection between the Alpha Section and the DomZ. Soon they begin to sway the governor into their favour by employing Double H and Jade to probe into the matter.

Thanks to Double H's reports, it had come to the network's attention that the Alpha Sections have been following an influental allegance the DomZ, since the beginning of the war, and profited off of general chaos as cover to shuttle abducted citizens to the Nutripils Factory, then transported to the victims to the Old Slaughterhouses, to be exported to Selene, Hillys' moon, where the Domz have settled. They then send their agents to expose and defeat them to liberate the planet and restore peace and order to Hillys.

Structure

The rebellion on Hillys has a underworld structure; made of cells that operate under cover, using bars and restaurants to conceal their headquarters. Each one seems to made up of a collective, with leaders working together as a cooperative faction. Due to their lack of resources in direct confrontations, IRIS relies on information and distribution of media to expose their enemies as well as gaining support of national armies and government to fund and support their operations.

The Hillyan cell represents a mere fraction of the entire network, the local members consists of:

• Hahn, the lead intel provider.
• Nino, the IRIS Radio operator and transmissions specialist.
• Meï, Editor and Publisher of the IRIS newspaper.
• Peepers, Undercover recruiter and doorguard.
• Double H, IRIS agent and infiltrator.
• Shauni, IRIS agent, reporter, and infiltrator
• Ming-Tzu, Publisher of the IRIS Newsflash and IRIS newspaper.
• Wild Boar, the chief of the IRIS Cell on Hillys.

The network Cell's main base of operations lay hidden within the popular Akuda Bar's cellar.

Origins

Not much is known about the origins of the IRIS Network. According to Hahn, more than 13 other active cells operate within the network across the galaxy, and the DomZ and the Alpha Section have "sucked the lifeblood out of Hillys, exactly as they've done to countless others.", which seems to suggest the IRIS Network was established as a means to warn the population of an imminent 'DomZ-invasion' and the arrival of the Alpha Section. However, it is unknown whether the DomZ and the Alpha Section invade multiple systems at the same time, thus this being the sole purpose of existence seems, at his point, unlikely. More likely, the Network is an rebellion or splinter group that dispenses uncensored information regarding afflictions and injustices occuring within a planet's society or beyond. This could mean social welfare afflictions, struggles concerning the seperation of legal power (or in any way abusing them) and more.

Recruitment

IRIS members are not trained, rather chosen based upon natural talent. Individuals possessing a natural expertise, eyes and a passion for writing or skills that aid with their goals to restore stability and peace on a planet are picked as canididates.

According to the small number of members, finding new members with such qualities and views are hard to come by, let alone one with the skills and expertise the group seeks out entirely. No one can willingly voluntarily join the network without the qualifications to back this and can only provide support by purchasing their newspaper, instead of the regulated circulation of national newspapers. Potential recruits are monitors and slowly investigated by IRIS, pointing out key skills and whims during their life.

Once they decide to finally accept them into their collective, an IRIS agent is then sent to contact that canididate and rendeavous on an area unknown and secluded from prying eyes. There, they conduct a field test or 'situation test' which involves a certain task such as photographing a rare creature and returning the evidence. Once satisifed, the agent returns to HQ and report the results to their peers who then reach out to bring the volunteer to their base where they are filled in on IRIS' motives and asked if they would like to join.

In the case of Beyond Good and Evil, seeing the value in Jade through the reports from Pey'j, she is sent to the remote, abandoned mining island ofBlack Isle.

Post-DomZ War and Possible Return

It is currently unclear if the IRIS Network disbanded after the war ended, or if they will appear in the scheduled sequel, Beyond Good and Evil 2. However, because of the last cutscene at the very end of the first installment's credits, one can assume they will likely return to aid Pey'j and stop a speculated DomZ infection epidemic.

Trivia

• It is currently unknown what the acronym IRIS stand for though their logo depicts a camera shutter, further implying their role as media photographers.
• Every member of the IRIS Network has an alias, though only the ones of Jade, Pey'j, and Hub are known;
• Each time Jade completes a report, she receives a pearl donation from the Hillyans to aid her cause;
• During the ending credits, Meï and Nino can be seen on a photograph posing with the lighthouse kids and Double H. This indicates they actually went to Jade's place, though it is unclear if Hahn and Peepers did the same.
• In an early draft of the game the rebel organization was called SPOON. There may be a reference to this old name: when Jade recites the IRIS password to the newspaper seller in the city, he asks if it's a spoonerism.
  • There are even certain IRIS Network related audio files in the Beyond Good & Evil sally_clean.bf files that are named Spoon (e.g. 046_Spoon1_US.wad.pcm is the audio file used for the first time you enter the IRIS Den). These are yet few indicators.