The Roark Instruments logo
Roark Instruments is a large American computer software company in the world of Chuck, which features prominently in the second season episode Chuck Versus the Dream Job and is run by CEO Ted Roark, old partner and arch-nemesis of Stephen Bartowski, who may also be behind Fulcrum.
Roark Instruments building on Next Expo day
Ted Roark and the company are credited with creating some of today's most successful computer technologies. Despite operating successfully in the United States, his firm has been implicated in several suspect technology transfer deals and has been under CIA surveillance for 18 month prior to "Chuck Versus the Dream Job". Although no mention of Roark Instruments is made after season 2, it might have survived the fall of Fulcrum and the death of its founder, since Chuck Versus the Muuurder shows Devon attempting to install a Roark Instruments blank hard drive on Orion's laptop nearly two years after the events of Chuck Versus the Ring.
NextExpo[]
NextExpo is Roark Instruments Annual Tech conference and production Expo which Roark run every year.
NextExpo leaflet Chuck flashes on
The '09 NextExp, took place some time in March 2009, where Roark Instruments unveiled their new Open source Computer Operating system which would be free to download.
The CIA and NSA believed that Roark Instrument's new operating system contained a virus which would steal information from the computer system it had been installed on. This would be useful as it would insure that Fulcrum Intersect which was being built at Roark Instruments would have important, sensitive information from many organization, possible even government sources.
Chuck, who had recently been hired as a cover, attempted to stop the countdown to the release of the new operating system due to the fact that the CIA knew about the virus and because Casey and Sarah had failed to steal the Operating system source code. He first tried to warn Roark about the CIA suspicions but when he wouldn't listen Chuck snatched the countdown button out of his hands and attempted to run off with it. This attempt was thwarted, despite Jeff and Lester's help, when Chuck was knocked out by the MIT Roark employee who had given him the job. The software was then released to the public.
Ted Roark's Intersect[]
For more information, See: Fulcrum Intersect
Intersect cards
In Chuck Versus the Predator after Orion's supposed death, Chuck finds a package under his pillow from Orion which contains a video of Orion with instructions to study the cards (also in the package) which depict the Intersect, saying that Chuck needs to understand how the Intersect works if he has any chance of having it removed from his head. On the next several episodes we see Chuck pretending to read comics but which have the Intersect cards stuck to the pages. Orion aka Stephen Bartowski is brought to Chuck's Apartment after Chuck and Sarah track him down. Stephen slips a leaflet with map of Roark Instruments onto Chuck bed after having a talk with Chuck which allows Chuck to discover that Roark Instruments houses an Intersect.
The map of the building
Chuck tries to convince Sarah and Casey that there is a Intersect at Roark Instruments but without proof neither believe him and he breaks into the building his self. In the building he finds his dad, saves him, discovers that he's Orion and continue on with him to the Intersect room to find a way to remove the Intersect. They find the Intersect and Stephen plans to use it to overwrite the Intersect files in Chuck's head, therefore removing them, this fails however as the Intersect is not yet complete and Ted Roark and his Fulcrum body guards show up. After Ted Roark gives orders for Chuck to be killed, Stephen makes a deal that as long as Chuck can leave free, he will build the Intersect for Fulcrum. Casey and Sarah show up and upon hearing the agreement drag Chuck out of the room.
Notable Employees[]
- Fulcrum
- Ted Roark (deceased)
- Vincent Smith (deceased)
- Chuck Bartowski (fired)