Sam Carter

Sam Carter is the quartermaster at the UNATCO headquarters and a childhood hero of JC Denton.

Biography

Sam Carter was a General in the United States army,^[1] and is widely known for his involvement in the Merced Operation, which JC read about in school. He also saw service in Afghanistan at one point. At some point, Carter lost his family, including his children, to NSF terrorists.^[2] Afterwards, he resigned his commission and joined UNATCO. Sometime before he joined UNATCO, he had lost his feet.

In 2052, he was transferred to UNATCO's headquarters on Liberty Island in New York, where he served as quartermaster, supplying agents and soldiers with equipment. While he had has suspicious about UNATCO, he prefers to tell others that the only way for UNATCO to survive is for the good people to stay. After JC Denton's escape from the MJ12 facility underneath the headquarters, an email on Carter's computer reveals that he has been in contact with Silhouette leader Chad Dumier. The email from Chad also reveals that Carter aided the resistance by compromising UNATCO security protocols to help a friend of his escape. This "friend" of Carter is not explicitly named, but the email mentions Daedalus, who had just helped JC escape.

Despite his intentions of staying at UNATCO, Carter is later released by Walton Simons, who dismisses all staff that had served outside of the coalition. After his dismissal, he joins his old friend and colleague Gary Savage at X-51 to further aid the resistance.

Description

“

When the high command talks of General Sam Carter, they just shake their heads. Carter was once a renowned strategist and a first-rate tactician, proving himself useful both behind the lines and in the thick of battle. There are those who think that without him in command, civilization as we know it would have ended several times over. He was a hero to any schoolchild who dreamed of stopping the bad guys in their tracks. Then terrorists killed his family, and overnight everything changed.

Still committed to the ideals he once fought for, Sam Carter no longer cares to make life-or-death decisions. He resigned his commission and took on a job as quartermaster at the UNATCO Headquarters. He's well liked by the troops, and largely ignored by the brass. He seems to always know what's going on outside HQ, although he no longer seems to enjoy discussions of the current NSF conflict.

— Deus Ex official strategy guide, "Sam Carter: Supply Officer"

Interactions

Sam Carter can be found in the armory on level 3 of the UNATCO headquarters during each of the four visits to the headquarters. While at UNATCO, Carter generally reacts favorably when JC takes a pacifist, rather than lethal, approach. Later in the game, he appears at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Carter is invincible throughout the entire game.

During the first visit to the headquarters, Joseph Manderley will send JC to see Carter for equipment (initiating the secondary goal, "See Sam Carter for equipment"). Carter will provide a Stealth Pistol and a choice of a lockpick, a multitool, or ammo.
During the second visit to the headquarters, Carter will provide an accuracy modification and a multitool when spoken to again. His dialogue with JC depends on whether the Battery Park mission was completed with a lethal or non-lethal reputation. If the Battery Park mission was completed with a non-lethal reputation, Carter will also provide ammo to JC.
After JC's return from LaGuardia Airport, Carter will provide additional ammunition. Carter's dialogue will depend on how JC handled his orders to assassinate Juan Lebedev. If JC refused to kill Lebedev, Carter will commend JC for upholding his duty as a UNATCO peacekeeper by refusing an order to kill in cold blood. There will also be two ammo crates in the area. If you smash them in front of Carter, he will reprimand you for breaking them, although there is no penalty for triggering this reaction.
After JC's escape from from the Majestic 12 facility beneath the headquarters, Carter can be spoken to for another set of dialogue. JC tries to tell Carter about what he has learned about UNATO's motives, but Carter does not want to hear it. JC also invites Carter to join the resistance, but Carer declines, telling JC that "the only way for UNATCO to survive is for the good people to stay." Nonetheless, Carter tells JC to load up and open the door to his armory. His computer in the armory reveals that he has been aiding the resistance.
Later, JC encounters Carter again in the command center of Vandenberg Air Force Base, the headquarters for X-51. He reveals that he was kicked out due to having served outside of UNATCO, as opposed to a soldier who has only been with the coalition, which made him harder for Majestic 12 to control.

Prior to escaping from the MJ12 facility, Carter's armory cannot be entered without cheat codes. However, if you do get inside, everything in the armory is usable and its content will refresh after each visit to the headquarters.

Quotes

"In my day international peacekeepers were citizens first and soldiers second."
"I think you should concentrate more on mission objectives and less on the enemy body count."
"Being a soldier isn't just following orders, it's following those orders in the service of a higher cause. When that cause is betrayed, we're not soldiers anymore, just pieces on a chess board dying for the wrong reason."
"A pistol is more than adequate. Hell, I dispatched a whole platoon one time with a pocket knife."
"Come here...I'll show you how it's done."
"My unit killed a bunch of Afghans one time, but we weren't proud of it. In fact, our liaison at the UN went to the funeral."
"Some say concentrated power leads to abuse, but I believe that if an institution has a solid foundation, it can survive the narrow aspirations of the people it employs. [After the Player interacts with him again] We'll get this place back on track."
"Never negotiate with terrorists. You'll only encourage more acts of terror."

Trivia

In concept art, Sam Carter looks more like a retired soldier and has a more visibly augmented appearance, with his right leg completely mechanically augmented. In an early render, he wears a black trench coat and keeps his right leg augmented like in the concept art. However, in the final version of the game, he has only light mechanical augmentations in his legs.
Although Sam Carter never speaks to JC Denton over the infolink, an infolink icon for Carter can be found in the game files.

Gallery

References

↑ Email on Gary Savage's computer.
↑ Dialogue (JC: "I can't believe what the NSF did to your family." Sam: "Enough of that, soldier. We each have our troubles. I lost my children, but you've had to grow up without your parents. Which requires more courage? I don't think it matters.")

[1] Email on Gary Savage's computer.

[2] Dialogue (JC: "I can't believe what the NSF did to your family." Sam: "Enough of that, soldier. We each have our troubles. I lost my children, but you've had to grow up without your parents. Which requires more courage? I don't think it matters.")

[1]

[2]