Manuel

Manuel is Dr. Warren's assistant at the Eden Prime dig site and research station. Dr. Warren claims he's always been a bit unstable - "genius and madness are two sides of the same coin" - but since the geth attack, he has become almost completely unhinged, and Dr. Warren has been forced to medicate him.

Manuel blurts out some comments that at the time make no sense to Commander Shepard or any of the rescue team; however, they prove to be accurate foreshadowing of things to come. He is convinced that the age of humanity is over and there is absolutely no hope. When asked about Nihlus, Manuel claims he saw "the prophet" leading the enemy, but had in fact seen a different turian, Saren Arterius.

When Shepard asks Dr. Warren about Manuel's state of mind, the commander has the opportunity to punch Manuel unconscious. Doing so grants Renegade points, while leaving him alone grants Paragon points.

Trivia
Some have claimed that several of Manuel's statements - such as "Our extinction is inevitable", "Is it madness to see the future? To see the destruction rushing towards us? To understand that there is no escape? No hope? ", and describing Saren as "the prophet" - are too accurate to be dismissed as simple ravings. This has led to a theory that Manuel may have used the Prothean Beacon and that his mind (unlike Shepard's) was unable to withstand the experience.

Another theory is that the "awful noise" transmitted by Sovereign as it landed contained some elements of indoctrination (such as describing Saren as a prophet, which would be impossible for Manuel to know, even if he has used the beacon), and that Manuel's existing psychological condition may have made him more susceptible to its message than, say, Cole or Powell. See Talk:Manuel.