- "As citizens of this Coalition, each of us made a pledge to conduct ourselves with honor, and to observe principles of loyalty and purity, as it was decreed by the Allfathers."
- —From Sovereign Directive 10345, ordering the closure of New Hope and indictment of its staff.
Chairman Monroe was the Chairman of the Coalition of Ordered Governments during the early years of the Pendulum Wars. Despite being noted for his moralism, Monroe's administration was partially responsible for the creation and coverup of the Locust. Upon discovering Imulsion exposure caused miners and their families to be afflicted with Rustlung, Monroe ordered the Department of Health to establish the New Hope Research Facility to house and treat the miners' children. Director Niles Samson used the facility for transgenic experiments, causing the children to either die or transform into chimeras called Sires. Upon learning from a former employee of the crimes at New Hope, Monroe ordered all work to stop and those responsible to appear before the House of Sovereigns to await trial.
Before the trial, Samson and the scientists fled. Unknown to Monroe, a fringe political group within his administration believed in Samson's work as military potential and superseded Monroe by relocating the New Hope scientists and subjects to a hidden, underground lab inside Mount Kadar. The work there later led to the creation of the Locust. Following the escape of the scientists, Monroe ordered all information on New Hope to remain classified, and for the Chairman's eyes only. The only expectation from future Chairmen would be to keep the New Hope facility quarantined and classified. Monroe later died before the end of the Pendulum Wars. Six weeks after, the Locust - descendants of the Sires - invaded the surface of Sera to initiate a genocidal war against the humans.
Biography
Pendulum Wars
New Hope
- "By virtue of the authority vested in me as Chairman of the Coalition of Ordered Governments, it is hereby ordered that all activities at the New Hope Research Facility are to be terminated, effective immediately. It is further ordered that all staff report to the House of Sovereigns, where they will stand trial and face judgment on the 13th of Bloom. As citizens of this Coalition, each of us made a pledge to conduct ourselves with honor, and to observe principles of loyalty and purity, as it was decreed by the Allfathers. I know no greater impurity than what has been conceived within the walls of New Hope, and no act more dishonorable than what is effectively the imprisonment and torture of children. Furthermore, the untruths told by Dr. Niles Samson and his team to protect themselves and their efforts from scrutiny indicate disloyalty of the greatest severity. Dr. Niles Samson, you have forsaken your responsibility to society, and so your society must forsake you."
- —Chairman Monroe, Soverign Directive 10345.
During his administration, Monroe approved the opening of the New Hope Research Facility under the control of the Department of Health and placed Dr. Niles Samson in charge.[1] The original purpose of New Hope was to find a cure for Rustlung, a disease that was ravaging the Imulsion miners. The COG leadership set up New Hope in secret as they feared that the word of Rustlung would turn the public against the Imulsion industry and thereby jeopardize the COG war effort against the Union of Independent Republics in the Pendulum Wars. Unknown to Monroe, rather than finding a cure, New Hope's research led to the discovery of genetic anomalies within one test subject that demonstrated her immunity to Imulsion as well as increased biological longevity. Niles was inspired to refocus his efforts on creating an army of supersoldiers designed for inter-generational warfare. His first steps toward that goal were the Sires.[2]
Niles took great plans to ensure that New Hope's work was not leaked to the COG leadership, but eventually Chairman Monroe learned about the grisly experiments and the lengths which Niles compromised his ethics. Appalled, Monroe wrote Sovereign Directive 10345, demanding that all staff at New Hope cease their work and immediately return to Ephyra for trial. However, a rogue group of officials within the Monroe administration arranged for another laboratory to be built in secret under Mount Kadar and had Niles and his staff relocate there to continue their work. It was there that Samson achieved a breakthrough that would have devastating consequences decades later: the creation of the very first Locust.[2]
Legacy
Monroe's most significant yet least known legacy was arguably his indirect responsibility for the creation of the Locust Horde as he was the person who authorized New Hope and appointed Niles Samson to run it. Due to the willingness of subsequent Chairmen and First Ministers to cover New Hope and Samson's work up, it was unlikely that this knowledge would ever reach the public.[2] Major Sid Redburn, who had worked as a guard at the New Hope facility, believed that Monroe had authorized the experiments Niles had conducted that created Ukkon, unware of the truth that Monroe had been in the dark and shut down the project as soon as he learned of Niles' actions.[3]
In the Halvo Bay Military Academy, a hall was named after Monroe.[4]
Personality and traits
Chairman Monroe appeared to have been a morally upstanding leader of the COG who sincerely believed in the principles that Nassar Embry outlined in the Octus Canon and worked for the betterment of his nation. The rogue officials within his administration who allowed Dr. Samson to continue his work took issue with Monroe's character, however, criticizing him for "messianic moralism" and a lack of imagination for rejecting the opportunity to achieve victory in the Pendulum Wars sooner by using Samson's super-soldiers.[2] However, it was under Monroe's authorization that the New Hope Research Facility be opened and house the children of Rustlung-stricken Imulsion miners for experiments to find a cure. It would appear that Monroe was more considered about controversy and image for himself and the COG rather than complete moral outrage following the information leaks.
Behind the scenes
- Monroe's name is misspelled "Munroe" in some Gears 5 collectibles.
Appearances
- Gears of War: Judgment (Mentioned only)
- Gears Tactics (Mentioned only)
- Gears of War 2 (First mentioned)
- Gears 5 (Mentioned only)