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- "After the fun and games at the Monument, Sam Fisher headed to White Box. The goons who'd bought the place had already gotten what they wanted out of it, and were moving it offsite. But he didn't care what they were taking out. He wanted to get in - not that a double-walled EMP containment structure has a lot of back doors. He only needed one."
- ― Victor Coste[src]
White Box Laboratories is the sixth solo campaign level in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction. Ex-Splinter Cell agent Sam Fisher infiltrates White Box Laboratories to investigate why the Private Military Company, Black Arrow, is offering protection detail for the R&D company.
Mission Information
Objectives
Mission Overview
Sam types on a security camera to watch the video feed.
Sam Fisher parks his vehicle outside of White Box Laboratories' outer perimeter, a distance from where the front security gate is located. He manages to enter the parking lot and scale the outside wall of the facility and enter in through a ventilation area located near the top of the side. Fisher navigates down the catwalks that connect across the outer areas inside the building and finally comes to a security room with Black Arrow members inside. After dealing with them, Fisher activates the camera system and scans the different video feeds until he sees an EMP device being worked on by scientists. Black Arrow members are standing around them, and two of them are ranking members, Shawn Robertson and Jeremy Prentiss. One of the scientists that were working on the device stands up and threatens Prentiss, telling him that if he keeps interrupting, he'll tellLucius Galliard that they are interfering with their work. Prentiss laughs at the scientist and shoots him to death, stating that what he failed to realize was that they [Black Arrow] work for Galliard as well. Prentiss tells them to keep watch over the scientists, and to kill them if they get out of line. He grabs one of the female scientists by the arm and states that Reed wants her at a different location. The two of them leave in the elevator as Robertson leaves as well, leaving the room guarded by Black Arrow soldiers.
Fisher backs out of the feed and climbs into the room, dispatching each of the Black Arrow personnel and rescuing the last scientist that was in the room. The scientist explains that Lucius Galliard hired Black Arrow to provide security, and that Major Shawn Robertson has been collecting and disposing of experimental data with EMP countermeasures. Fisher tells the man that he should leave the building, but the scientist states that he is going to try to find his coworkers and friends and help them evacuate, if possible. Fisher tells him 'good luck' and takes the elevator to another floor. Fisher arrives on the floor and finds employees dead and wounded across the room; Black Arrow has been murdering them. Fisher must head to Robertson's office and download the data that Robertson has been disposing of. On the way towards the office, Anna Grímsdóttir contacts Sam and states that she is able to have Sarah Fisher briefly talk to him. Fisher talks to his daughter, briefly, but is cut off when Grim states that Fisher must continue on. This confirms to Fisher that Sarah is still alive and continues towards Robertson's office.
Robertson as he appears behind the glass window of the control room.
Fisher arrives to the office and begins downloading the data for Grim's analysts to study, but the download speed is slow and Black Arrow operatives were on their way. Fisher was tasked with defending the computer until the data was fully transmitted. Afterwards, Fisher had to navigate through the facility and activate the EMP device located there to maintain Grim's cover. Fisher finally arrives to the EMP device area but Robertson is already in the area's control room and attempts to have Fisher killed by sending more Black Arrow operatives after him. Fisher dispatches the opposition and sees Robertson 'protected' behind a glass window. Fisher activates the EMP device and Robertson is electrocuted and killed by the blast. Fisher escapes the facility and heads towards the Lincoln Memorial in search of Lucius Galliard for answers.
Trivia
- This is Robertson's second, and last appearance, in Splinter Cell: Conviction.
- Although Sarah Fisher doesn't physically appear in this level, her voice does as she and Sam have a brief conversation before Grim stops it.
- This is one of two missions where the player access a security camera system to listen in on important story-based conversations. The camera in this level can also be used to listen in on other scientists around the White Box Laboratory building as well.
- It is possible for the player to be stuck during the last section where Shawn Robertson is located (in the large cargo room where the EMP device was located). The player has to execute a Death from Above and land on the indoor fence/wall objects, then Fisher will be stuck and usually unable to escape (forcing a restart).
- This is the last mission Fisher uses Grímsdóttir's vehicle (or at least the last time that it is shown during the gameplay/cutscene). This would mean that he used it to transport between two different levels, perhaps using it at the end of this one.
- There is one section where two scientists, a male and female, are executed by Black Arrow officers. It is possible to take out the executioners before they are supposed to kill them, but the scientists will still be 'shot' as if the executioners were still alive.
- It is impossible to save any of the scientists. One example of this is when Sam is climbing up a pipe, a Black Arrow guard can be seen guarding a scientist on his knees who is about to be executed. Sam can shoot the guard, but the animation of the scientist being shot in the head will play as if the guard had executed him.