<P><B><DC=0,164,224>The Story Behind... Area 51
<P>by Beeblebrx
<P>
<P>The story of Deus Ex relies heavily on conspiracy theories and myths about mystic men controlling everything. Last week we did a story on Majestic 12. (You might want to read that to catch up on our The Story Behind... series). Today we'll try to give you an explanation about the government facility called Area 51. What exactly goes on out there in the desert? Do they have UFOs hidden somewhere? Here are some answers to shed light on another part of Deus Ex's great story.
<P>
<P><B>Unidentified Flying Objects?
<P>
<P>Area51 has long been a favorite subject to talk about amongst the group of people that believe in government conspiracies and flying saucers and several factors seem to back their (insane?) claims. The isolated position of the base has led some people to the conclusion that the U.S. Government is doing things that are not entirely legal out there. Several sightings of strange plane-like objects in the area and a (supposedly) crashed UFO are also parts of the lore surrounding the base. The official no-talk policy hasn't helped dampen the outbreak of theories either.
<P>
<P>That something is going on in Area 51 is without a doubt. But the notion that the U.S. Government should be hiding aliens and their spacecrafts seems a little far fetched to me.
<P>
<P><B>The Base In The Desert
<P>
<P>Area51 isn't the name of the base itself as most people believe, but is actually a large piece of government owned property in the Nevada desert near the Groom Dry Lake. The name supposedly originates from an old map of the region. The area is offlimits to people (as indicated on the signs below), but nevertheless draws thousands of tourists to the desert. The perimiter of the base is guarded by armed guards nicknamed the 'Cammo Dudes', which again add to the UFO myth. I reckon these fellows greet strangers with just about the same lack of warmth as the MiBs in Deus Ex, but that's just a guess.