S and G
FFVII books and stuff
- AKA
- MJ Gallagher
Once upon a time when the Lifestream forums were but a twinkle in the eyes of Cthulu and others, I agreed to provide information relating to the Dirge of Cerberus: Online and Before Crisis games. I think it's fair to say I have focused primarily on the latter. However, now that I have brought the special episode summaries exclusively to TLS, it's maybe only fair that I try and touch upon this stuff too. While still part of the ACF community, I accumulated a lot of information on DC Online thanks to Hitoshura, Suzaku, Souya and Shinra Employee among others. Much credit goes to these guys for providing me with relevant info or links to sites that are now long gone. However, I still have an extensive archive of information and rare media collected, so anyone wishing to learn more, do ask and I'll do my best to share the information and/or data.
The following is something that I originally started writing for the opening of TLS but never got around to finishing until now. It's simply a detailed summary of relevant events that reveal the history of Deepground and the lead up to the story of the online game.
The information in this post is as close to canon as I can get, with a number of things added that have been hinted at in different areas. The accumulated data was gathered from Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus (Online), Crisis Core, Before Crisis, Ultimanias, and the information that was provided by those mentioned above. I apologise if I have missed anything here. Do let me know and i will credit appropriately.
Anyone wishing to debate this article or add to its content can do so freely. I occasionally do forget things. Credit will be given.
DISCLAIMER: all of the events, characters, etc here are property of Square-Enix, but this document is property of me. Anyone wishing to link this article can do so as they wish, but be sure to credit where applicable. Please do not post this on any other site without my permission.
WARNING: the following contains massive spoilers.
Synopsis
Following the release of the single player Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus in Japan in 2005, an online mode was established to enable fans of the title to use their honed skills to do battle in a multiplayer environment based on the world and characters created by the original. Dirge of Cerberus: Online allowed the player to delve deeper into the history of the secret facility of Deepground, and of the antagonists of the single player mode; the Tsviets. Through almost a century of missions, the player controlled a newly-recruited Deepground SOLDIER entangled in the conspiracy that led to the eventual seizure of power by the Tsviets. Unfortunately, in early 2007, Dirge of Cerberus: Online was scrapped, and most of the information relating to it was lost. What remains, however, is a chapter in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII saga which contributes significantly to the overall scenario, explaining many of the Shinra Company’s dark secrets.
History
Shinra Manufacturing Works was originally established as a weapons manufacturer, but in the year 1959, was responsible for the discovery of Mako energy. The utilisation of Mako as an energy source was an evolution in the basic standard of living for people across Planet Gaia, and the Shinra Company was quick to monopolise the discovery. Over time, Shinra was able to grow rapidly as the world’s dominant power, achieving unrivalled commercial, economical and political status. The process of extracting Mako from the Mako mines and turning it into electricity proved costly but highly profitable, and the Company constructed their first cost-effective Mako Reactor in the Nibel Mountains in 1968. Shinra Manufacturing Works became Shinra Electric Power Company, absorbing all competition, and expanding to encompass new fields of study. One such field was that of biological and biochemical scientific research.
Among the ranks of Shinra’s top scientists were biologists Professor Grimoire Valentine and Professor Gast Faremis. As Head of the Department of Science, Professor Grimoire studied the secrets of Mako, travelling across the world to research its mysteries. One such find was that of a strange form of stagnated Mako which seemed to hold different properties to that of regular Mako. With the aid of an assistant, Lucrecia Crescent, and the passages from ancient scripture, Grimoire was able to determine that stagnant Mako held in it a dark power; a power which could be born from the tainted Mako.
While on an expedition to the newly chartered crater in the northern-most regions of the Permafrost Continent, Professor Gast discovered a frozen humanoid figure trapped in the rock. Returning the body to the laboratories of Shinra, Gast named the being Jenova, and extensive research commenced. After a long period of examination, Jenova was declared to be Cetran; an ancient nomadic race thought to have become extinct. Knowing that the Cetra had once been able to use the powers of the Planet, the founder and owner of the Shinra Company, President Shinra, ordered that attempts be made to create a child with the powers of a Cetra so that Mako extraction costs could be further reduced. The research was codenamed Project Jenova.
The following experiments using the cells of Jenova resulted in the births of three children to women of the Shinra Department of Science; Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth. Of the three, only Sephiroth showed a perfect genetic match to Jenova, as the other two had been altered using the diluted cellular combination of Jenova cells and that of scientist Professor Gillian Hewley. Project Jenova G, otherwise known as Project Gillian, was deemed obsolete in relation to the success of Project Jenova S. Project Jenova G was scrapped, and the samples of Gillian and Genesis’ cells were put into storage.
As a child, Sephiroth was endlessly experimented upon as the scientists strove to determine the abilities of a Cetra. After capturing the Planet’s last natural full-blood Cetra, Ifalna, interest in Sephiroth for his Cetran abilities diminished, but different tests began to be performed. When exposed to Mako, the cells inside Sephiroth reacted tremendously, revealing that a certain genetic balance between the two resulted in a phenomenal physical enhancement. Following these results, President Shinra ordered that an army of genetically altered warriors be established by exposing the strongest individuals to Jenova cells and intense degrees of Mako infusion. Such was the founding of SOLDIER; the elite faction of the Shinra Army.
In 1976, Shinra Electric Power Company began the construction of a Plate above the city of Midgar as a location to centralise the Company with a modernised Headquarters at the heart of the Plate. The vast upper-city was designed to house the growing support and investment base of Shinra, powered by eight enormous Mako Reactors around its circumference. However, unknown to most, commencement on the construction of a secret facility in the caverns below Midgar took place simultaneously. The complex was primarily established as an infirmary for injured SOLDIERs, powered by its own Mako Reactor – dubbed Mako Reactor0. All records of its existence were locked away, accessible only by the senior-most Heads of Department in the Company. The facility became known as Deepground.
Over time, further experimentation began to take place in Deepground. What had been created as a medical facility had slowly become home to increasingly immoral biological testing inspired by the results of Project Jenova. Deepground began to expand as a complex around the Mako Reactor, giving rise to numerous buildings within which many employees' working lives were tied. With the encouragement of President Shinra, the dark and ambitious experiments continued, and the scientists of Deepground knew no bounds. In 1985, the first genetically-engineered child was born in the facility with the sole purpose of having her body pushed to limit of human capabilities. The child was named Rosso.
Over the next two years, more varied and extreme experiments occurred in secret. The greedy scientists of Deepground began to ignore morality completely, opting instead to fuel their own maddened hunger in the name of research. Archived documents such as those regarding Project Gillian and Professor Grimoire’s studies on stagnant Mako were used as the foundation of further experiments. Of the hundreds of babies born in Deepground to Project Jenova G, none would survive beyond infancy, developing a strange form of degradation of the body due to a genetic leak inherent in Gillian’s cells. Similarly, it was found that Genesis’ cells – termed G-Cells - held properties different to those of Gillian and Jenova, though the conditions for which these properties could be realised could not be determined as those injected suffered the same degradation. Worse still, of all the test subjects exposed to stagnant Mako while in foetal form, only one was born; a child bearing the power of darkness, destined for a life of misery. At birth, the darkness that emanated from the baby was enough to absorb his mother – a brilliant and highly regarded scientist of Shinra - into the vacuum of an unknown dimension, and he was contained within a special suit. The child was named Nero.
With the success of SOLDIER as a force for combating anti-Shinra activity, President Shinra ordered that further experiments be carried out on existing SOLDIER members in order to obtain even greater potential; the perfect soldier. A large number of SOLDIERs were sent to Deepground for testing. As part of the research, a training complex equipped with ultramodern virtual reality technology was built so that the effects of the SOLDIER’s treatment could be observed by the scientists while they did battle against one another under set conditions. Due to the rigorous experiments, the bodies of the SOLDIERs became dependant on Mako, and needed Mako baths to preserve them. Special suits were developed so that a weak current of Mako could run through their bodies at all times, maintaining the balance between Jenova cells and Mako, keeping them at their physical peak. These superhuman warriors were cut off from the outside world, forming a force of their own. They became known as Deepground SOLDIER.
As well as the continual testing of the Deepground SOLDIERs, the scientists closely studied three unique children that had been born and raised in the facility. As orphans, Rosso and Nero were continually under extreme experimentation based on their genetic traits, as was Nero’s biological older brother, Weiss, who had become an interest to the scientists following his remarkable growth in ability without exposure to the cells of Jenova. Over time, through ruthless testing based on his body’s incredible reaction to nothing but untainted Mako, Weiss was hailed as a pure soldier, and was given the nickname ‘The Immaculate’ by the researchers. Similarly, Rosso became known as ‘The Worst Crimson’, as the fierce experiments that pushed her body to breaking point in an effort to unleash the hidden potential in humans had caused her psyche to lose any lingering notion of humanity, and satisfaction came only when she was bathed in the blood of her opponents, taking great pleasure in slaughtering friend and foe alike. With Nero, whose darkness had become a force to be feared by all those who witnessed it, this trio were given the status of SSS – the most dangerous individuals in Deepground.
As the years progressed, men and women started to emerge from within Deepground SOLDIER as stronger than their peers. Four individuals battled their way through the harsh training regimes of the Deepground facility to gain the respect from their fellow SOLDIERs, proving themselves elite amongst the best. In recognition of their ability, these individuals were gathered to form a secret entity whose commands were handed down directly by President Shinra. All proof of the existence of these individuals was covered up, and to the handful of people who knew of them, they became SOLDIER Unit 14: Lost Force.
In 1992, the Shinra Electric Power Company declared war on the Empire of Wutai when it denied Shinra permission to build a Mako Reactor on sacred Wutai grounds. Many troops were sent from the Shinra Army and SOLDIER to Wutai to do battle with the Wusheng. Amidst the fighting, large numbers were wounded. Having trained for many years under harsh conditions, Deepground SOLDIER were charged with recovering the injured from the battlefield in secret, and returning them to Deepground where some would be nursed back to health, and others would fall victim to the torturous experiments that took place there. Lost Force specialised in these extractions. Even in the most covert of operations, members of Deepground SOLDIER lost their lives. One such victim was a sniper named Usher.
However, there were those who discovered the secret of Deepground, and did not approve of its existence. SOLDIER Unit 13: Ragnarok, hailed as the strongest in the world, considered the concept of a training facility where SOLDIERs fought to the death to be wrong. With a desire to put an end to the internal fighting, Ragnarok were ordered in secret to the heart of Deepground, where they were met in battle by the four members of Lost Force, a SOLDIER Unit that Ragnarok knew not to exist. Lost Force annihilated Ragnarok in a single night, and were declared the governors of Deepground, showing loyalty only to President Shinra. In order to prevent further opposition, restriction chips were planted into the brain stems of all Deepground SOLDIERs, controlled by each member of Lost Force. Lost Force became known thereafter as the Restrictors.
The restriction chips were implanted and monitored using Deepground’s state-of-the-art computer mainframe, Patricia. Patricia was a supercomputer designed to aid the scientists in their work, as well as control and store the results of the ultramodern Virtual Reality System (VRS) used in the experiments of the Deepground SOLDIERs. The VRS was a program developed by Shinra to allow test subjects to interact with prepared data in a virtual environment, meaning that the observations of the soldiers’ strengths could be made under various conditions without them unnecessarily having to leave Deepground. Making use of the Biorhythm-Testing Materia equipment to create any variety of virtual simulations in a designated cyberspace, the test subjects would don special goggles to collect data directly from their bodies, and do battle. However, many of these experiments led to the deaths of a great number of its participants as any wounds received using the VRS were real.
Due to the high mortality rate of those who entered the Deepground training program, more individuals were regularly sent to the facility. Not all were accomplished SOLDIERs, however. SOLDIER applicants and those conscripted against their will were sent; some not knowing where they were going; others knowing nothing at all. SOLDIERs injured in battle were sent, never to be seen above ground again. Those wishing to test their strength were sent, only to find themselves embroiled in a world of torment and immorality. And all the while, those born from the experiments at the heart of Deepground were raised to know nothing but fighting and killing, forever chained to a destiny of servitude under the watchful gaze of Shinra and the Restrictors.
With the increasing numbers of Deepground SOLDIERs, the training facility expanded over time to become four unique sectors, titled North, South, East and West. Every SOLDIER was enlisted into a sector, and each sector was governed by a member of Lost Force, who had unlimited power within the confines of their domain and the individuals that existed there. Respectable men and women who had proven themselves worthy of the Restrictor’s trust were granted the duty of Officer, a role which involved supervising the SOLDIERs and designating their assignments. A scaling domed roof was built above the compound, illuminated by a holographic image of Shinra Inc.’s Headquarters that towered over Midgar’s skyline, designed to remove the growing atmosphere of entrapment.
Under the Restrictors’ rule, Deepground SOLDIER began to evolve into their own army. All those who resided in the Deepground training complex were separated by rank based on their ability as a SOLDIER, from Drone to the highest class of Deepground SOLDIER; Tsviet. The rank of Tsviet was seen as the goal for any Deepground SOLDIER, for as each strove for promotion, they would be tested against stronger and more powerful opponents in the Deepground Army through experiments using the Virtual Reality System. In order to reach the status of Tsviet, the SOLDIERs of Deepground were required over time to progress through the ability-rated levels of Drone, Scout, Trooper, Commander and General. Among the ranks of the Tsviets, Weiss, Nero, and Rosso were known as the most elite, answerable only to Lost Force.
During the Wutai War, as part of a mass influx of individuals into Deepground due to Shinra’s desire to further genetic warfare, a young woman named Argento was sent to Deepground. She quickly became highly regarded by her peers for her exceptional sword and analytical kills. Climbing the ranks of Deepground SOLDIER using honed ability and intelligence, she achieved Tsviet status, and became of special interest to the Restrictors. They were impressed by her sword expertise which led to one member challenging her to a training duel. The battle ended in bloodshed for Argento, however, when she lost her right eye to the blade of the Restrictor. She was later given an important role at the Deepground training facility of using her analytical talents to identify and nurture possible Tsviet candidates within the new recruits, where she would form a bond with the candidate, offering them advice and guidance until at last they achieved their goal. In addition to this, her artistic and creative mind was put to use when she was charged with the task of designing and crafting the weapons of her comrades at the upper-echelons of the Deepground foodchain, including Rosso’s double-bladed lance capable of bursts of fire, and twin gunblades named 'Heaven' and 'Earth' for Weiss. Unbeknownst to the Restrictors, Argento silently began to harbour resentful feelings towards them.
Within a few years of the Wutai War’s commencement, Genesis, the original product of Project Jenova, was enlisted as a SOLDIER. The scientists of Shinra were eager to learn about Genesis’ potential having witnessed Sephiroth’s superhuman strength, and the reaction of Genesis’ cells with Mako infusion was carefully studied. Genesis, along with his friend and fellow product of Project Gillian, Angeal, were dubbed SOLDIER Type G. It was discovered that with a careful blend and balance between Genesis’ G-Cells and Mako, the host would be able to achieve the same levels of ability as Sephiroth without the highly concentrated doses of Jenova present in their body. However, only those with incredible endurance could withstand such a genetic alteration, as their bodies had to eradicate the genetic leak that caused the degradation and eventual death of so many before. In Deepground, research using G-Cells resumed, and Weiss became the first non-infant to be infused.
The results of the G-Cells experiments were extraordinary. Already regarded as one of the strongest in Deepground as an adolescent, Weiss showed signs of reaching a level of ability superior to anything in Deepground. Similarly, Nero and Rosso were exposed to G-Cells and their strengths grew. As a result of the harsh training and fierce pressure put upon her, the inclusion of G-Cells in her genetic structure brought her body almost to invincibility. As the sole survivors of the respective experiments that had made them who they were, each was branded with an epithet of colour as a codename, given only to those infused with G-Cells to become the highest level of existence in Deepground. They became known as the Coloured Tsviets; ‘Weiss the Immaculate’, ‘Nero the Sable’ and ‘Rosso the Crimson’. Fearing the power of the three, the Shinra superiors who knew of their existence decided that the restriction chips that had been implanted would not be enough to contain them.
Taking measures to ensure they were kept under control, Rosso and Nero were removed from the general population of Deepground, while Weiss – whose power had grown so incredible – was sedated and chained to the throne at the core of Deepground’s Mako Reactor0 where he was kept from escaping by thick locks and a high current of electricity. As a mocking tribute, he was dubbed ‘The Immaculate Emperor’, and a special restriction chip was implanted in his neck. The design of this chip was such that a fatal virus would be released into Weiss’ body should the supercomputer, Patricia, fail to register the life signals of the Restrictors, giving him three days to live. Under the Restrictors’ strict instructions, Weiss and Nero would only be allowed to participate in missions of extremely high importance – with Nero confined to a specially designed uniform that bound his hands, negating the darkness that emanated from them, and chained him up in a room hidden inside Mako Reactor0. Given her inability to control her desire for blood or differentiate between an ally and an enemy, it was commanded that Rosso would never leave Deepground.
In 2000, Shinra discovered the existence of a young orphan girl named Shelke Rui with an extremely rare gift known as Synaptic Net Diving (SND), who had displayed great ability as a child with the technique which allowed her to interact with different planes of existence such as digital currents and the subconscious thoughts and memories of others. Wishing to develop and harvest the ability for a new generation of warfare, the Company ordered Shelke be taken from her sister to Headquarters in Midgar to be inducted as a SOLDIER. However, President Shinra ordered a top secret mission to be executed by the Restrictors. As the girl was being transferred to Midgar by the Turks, the convoy of Shinra soldiers accompanying her were attacked and annihilated by Deepground SOLDIERs led by a member of Lost Force. Unbeknownst to anyone but those involved, Shelke was taken to Deepground.
In the years that followed, Shelke was subjected to a series of severe experiments and training regimes. As the researchers of Deepground sought to analyse her SND abilities, her mind was stretched to an almost unrecognisable state. Desperately wishing to be rescued by her sister, Shalua, Shelke’s psyche turned in time from that of an innocent child to a hollow, emotionless shell. While the primary benefits of SND that were recorded showed that Shelke was able to connect to the Worldwide Network while retaining her own consciousness to gather information, it was soon discovered that it was possible for her to enter other people’s minds and share thoughts and memories with them. Further investigation revealed the technique could be used not only to view and store data held within another person, but to artificially create memories or emotions. However, the use of SND was found to put a great burden on Shelke, often leaving her tired and lethargic. The extreme testing on Shelke left lasting physical damage, preventing her body from developing beyond that of a nine year old, and requiring a daily Mako bath in order to live.
As well as having the ability to SND, Shelke was later exposed to Jenova cells and their reaction with the Mako in her body caused great physical enhancement. Training within the Deepground SOLDIER regime, she was taught to fight with energy sabres designed by Argento. Her petite stature and nimble movements made Shelke a tough opponent, and over time she proved herself worthy of the rank of Tsviet. However, due to her body’s Mako weakness and need for Mako baths, she was unable to participate in regular battles or field missions outside Deepground. With her SND skills proving invaluable to the Tsviets, Shelke was successfully infused with G-Cells, and became the fourth member of the Coloured Tsviets with a codename that reflected her ability; ‘Shelke the Transparent’.
In summer of 2000, while having a mock battle in the Virtual Reality training room of the Shinra Headquarters’ SOLDIER Department with Sephiroth and Angeal, Genesis suffered an injury that required special Mako treatment. The scientist assigned to his rehabilitation was Professor Hollander, a key participant in Project Jenova G and a man deeply resentful of his demotion within Shinra’s Department of Science at the hands of his fierce rival, Professor Hojo. Knowledgeable in Genesis’ origins and genetic abilities, Hollander taught Genesis the truth of his birth. In return, he asked for the aggrieved Genesis’ help in creating an army powerful enough to take on Shinra, given that the War in Wutai was drawing towards an inevitable conclusion. Genesis agreed and in autumn of 2000, while on a mission in Wutai, led a mass desertion of SOLDIERs, leaving the Department critically short in numbers.
Following the end of the Wutai War in early 2001, many anti-Shinra activists rose to continue the battle. With the Genesis Army, the remnants of Wutai’s Crescent Unit and AVALANCHE among others causing serious problems for the Company across the world, President Shinra was forced to recruit new members to the diminished forces of the Shinra Army and SOLDIER. Charged with the duty of scouting and bringing in possible candidates for SOLDIER, the Investigation Division of the General Affairs Department – known as the Turks – were sent around the world to seek out new members.
One such candidate was an exceptionally strong man named Azul who was captured by the Turks and placed upon a ship bound for Midgar. Only feeling truly alive in the heat of battle and believing he was born to fight, the enormous Azul travelled the world seeking a warrior worthy enough to challenge him. After escaping from his holdings while the ship was docked in Costa del Sol, Azul learned the secrets of SOLDIER, and returned to complete the voyage to Midgar so that he may be entered into the program. He was impressed by the Turks, and vowed to push himself to become the strongest SOLDIER of them all.
With an unnatural obsession for power and tenacity to prove his strength, Azul was sent to Deepground to participate in the researchers’ rigorous experiments to test his limits. Disregarding the seriousness of the fighting and slaughtering his opponents with ease, Azul rocketed through the ranks of the Deepground Army, quickly gaining the status of Tsviet. He later volunteered to take part in a Metamorphose Project, where the Deepground scientists experimented with the concept of shape-changing. Taking the form of a hulking behemoth, Azul butchered the other test subjects, and was named as the sole success of the experiment, capable of transforming into the beast – dubbed ‘Arch Azul’ - under set conditions. Believing him worthy of the highest rank in Deepground, Azul was later exposed to G-Cells, and his immeasurable strength and natural abilities were enhanced further. Becoming the fifth and final member of the Coloured Tsviets, Azul was gifted a large handheld cannon that only he could carry as a weapon, and was given the title ‘Azul the Cerulean’.
As the years went by, the horrors of Deepground continued beyond the knowledge of the vast majority of the Planet. The Restrictors ruled with an iron fist, adhering to President Shinra’s commands for the creation of perfect SOLDIERs. Knowing that the restriction chips prevented the Tsviets from taking action against their merciless rulers, Weiss began to form a plan to supplant the Restrictors without they or the Shinra Executive realising. He recognised that in order to exploit their circumstances, they had to act stealthily and gradually in order to ensure success. Communicating his thoughts to the Coloured Tsviets through Argento, the Restrictors’ messenger to the Tsviets and sympathiser to the cause, Weiss divulged his scheme to use someone not restrained by the restriction chip to infiltrate Lost Force.
In autumn of 2007, following a top-secret assignment from President Shinra, the Restrictors sent Nero and Weiss to the southern town of Banora to collect Genesis after the Company discovered his location. Aware of their cellular connection to the man and the high importance of the mission given their involvement, Weiss explained the situation in Deepground to Genesis and asked him to join them in their fight against the Restrictors. Remorseful of his actions since leading the mass SOLDIER desertion and wishing to reclaim his pride as a SOLDIER by atoning for his sins, Genesis rejected the request. Leaving Deepground soon after arriving, he sealed himself in a chamber below Midgar, only to be awoken when the Planet needed him again.
Shortly afterwards, the Tsviets discovered the existence of the HJ Virus, a software capable of breaking through the firewall of Deepground’s supercomputer, Patricia. Under Weis’ instructions, Shelke and Argento were able to upload the HJ Virus into Patricia undetected and used it to hack into the mainframe. By doing so, they found that they could breach the security of Deepground by altering the process of the restriction chip implant, thus rendering the chip void and the individual free of the Restrictors’ control before the researchers began to tamper with their head. Conscious that their chosen subject would need to be one worthy of the rank of Tsviet and have a secret motive to want to kill the Restrictor of their training sector, Argento was ordered to identify an appropriate candidate immediately while Shelke was given the task of using her SND abilities to manipulate the candidates thoughts and memories to artificially create a lasting hatred towards the Restrictors. The other Coloured Tsviets agreed to protect the chosen candidate so that they may succeed in their plan.
It was only a matter of time before new recruits would be sent to Deepground.
Thus began the conspiracy to overthrow the Restrictors…
The following is something that I originally started writing for the opening of TLS but never got around to finishing until now. It's simply a detailed summary of relevant events that reveal the history of Deepground and the lead up to the story of the online game.
The information in this post is as close to canon as I can get, with a number of things added that have been hinted at in different areas. The accumulated data was gathered from Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus (Online), Crisis Core, Before Crisis, Ultimanias, and the information that was provided by those mentioned above. I apologise if I have missed anything here. Do let me know and i will credit appropriately.
Anyone wishing to debate this article or add to its content can do so freely. I occasionally do forget things. Credit will be given.
DISCLAIMER: all of the events, characters, etc here are property of Square-Enix, but this document is property of me. Anyone wishing to link this article can do so as they wish, but be sure to credit where applicable. Please do not post this on any other site without my permission.
WARNING: the following contains massive spoilers.
Synopsis
Following the release of the single player Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus in Japan in 2005, an online mode was established to enable fans of the title to use their honed skills to do battle in a multiplayer environment based on the world and characters created by the original. Dirge of Cerberus: Online allowed the player to delve deeper into the history of the secret facility of Deepground, and of the antagonists of the single player mode; the Tsviets. Through almost a century of missions, the player controlled a newly-recruited Deepground SOLDIER entangled in the conspiracy that led to the eventual seizure of power by the Tsviets. Unfortunately, in early 2007, Dirge of Cerberus: Online was scrapped, and most of the information relating to it was lost. What remains, however, is a chapter in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII saga which contributes significantly to the overall scenario, explaining many of the Shinra Company’s dark secrets.
History
Shinra Manufacturing Works was originally established as a weapons manufacturer, but in the year 1959, was responsible for the discovery of Mako energy. The utilisation of Mako as an energy source was an evolution in the basic standard of living for people across Planet Gaia, and the Shinra Company was quick to monopolise the discovery. Over time, Shinra was able to grow rapidly as the world’s dominant power, achieving unrivalled commercial, economical and political status. The process of extracting Mako from the Mako mines and turning it into electricity proved costly but highly profitable, and the Company constructed their first cost-effective Mako Reactor in the Nibel Mountains in 1968. Shinra Manufacturing Works became Shinra Electric Power Company, absorbing all competition, and expanding to encompass new fields of study. One such field was that of biological and biochemical scientific research.
Among the ranks of Shinra’s top scientists were biologists Professor Grimoire Valentine and Professor Gast Faremis. As Head of the Department of Science, Professor Grimoire studied the secrets of Mako, travelling across the world to research its mysteries. One such find was that of a strange form of stagnated Mako which seemed to hold different properties to that of regular Mako. With the aid of an assistant, Lucrecia Crescent, and the passages from ancient scripture, Grimoire was able to determine that stagnant Mako held in it a dark power; a power which could be born from the tainted Mako.
While on an expedition to the newly chartered crater in the northern-most regions of the Permafrost Continent, Professor Gast discovered a frozen humanoid figure trapped in the rock. Returning the body to the laboratories of Shinra, Gast named the being Jenova, and extensive research commenced. After a long period of examination, Jenova was declared to be Cetran; an ancient nomadic race thought to have become extinct. Knowing that the Cetra had once been able to use the powers of the Planet, the founder and owner of the Shinra Company, President Shinra, ordered that attempts be made to create a child with the powers of a Cetra so that Mako extraction costs could be further reduced. The research was codenamed Project Jenova.
The following experiments using the cells of Jenova resulted in the births of three children to women of the Shinra Department of Science; Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth. Of the three, only Sephiroth showed a perfect genetic match to Jenova, as the other two had been altered using the diluted cellular combination of Jenova cells and that of scientist Professor Gillian Hewley. Project Jenova G, otherwise known as Project Gillian, was deemed obsolete in relation to the success of Project Jenova S. Project Jenova G was scrapped, and the samples of Gillian and Genesis’ cells were put into storage.
As a child, Sephiroth was endlessly experimented upon as the scientists strove to determine the abilities of a Cetra. After capturing the Planet’s last natural full-blood Cetra, Ifalna, interest in Sephiroth for his Cetran abilities diminished, but different tests began to be performed. When exposed to Mako, the cells inside Sephiroth reacted tremendously, revealing that a certain genetic balance between the two resulted in a phenomenal physical enhancement. Following these results, President Shinra ordered that an army of genetically altered warriors be established by exposing the strongest individuals to Jenova cells and intense degrees of Mako infusion. Such was the founding of SOLDIER; the elite faction of the Shinra Army.
In 1976, Shinra Electric Power Company began the construction of a Plate above the city of Midgar as a location to centralise the Company with a modernised Headquarters at the heart of the Plate. The vast upper-city was designed to house the growing support and investment base of Shinra, powered by eight enormous Mako Reactors around its circumference. However, unknown to most, commencement on the construction of a secret facility in the caverns below Midgar took place simultaneously. The complex was primarily established as an infirmary for injured SOLDIERs, powered by its own Mako Reactor – dubbed Mako Reactor0. All records of its existence were locked away, accessible only by the senior-most Heads of Department in the Company. The facility became known as Deepground.
Over time, further experimentation began to take place in Deepground. What had been created as a medical facility had slowly become home to increasingly immoral biological testing inspired by the results of Project Jenova. Deepground began to expand as a complex around the Mako Reactor, giving rise to numerous buildings within which many employees' working lives were tied. With the encouragement of President Shinra, the dark and ambitious experiments continued, and the scientists of Deepground knew no bounds. In 1985, the first genetically-engineered child was born in the facility with the sole purpose of having her body pushed to limit of human capabilities. The child was named Rosso.
Over the next two years, more varied and extreme experiments occurred in secret. The greedy scientists of Deepground began to ignore morality completely, opting instead to fuel their own maddened hunger in the name of research. Archived documents such as those regarding Project Gillian and Professor Grimoire’s studies on stagnant Mako were used as the foundation of further experiments. Of the hundreds of babies born in Deepground to Project Jenova G, none would survive beyond infancy, developing a strange form of degradation of the body due to a genetic leak inherent in Gillian’s cells. Similarly, it was found that Genesis’ cells – termed G-Cells - held properties different to those of Gillian and Jenova, though the conditions for which these properties could be realised could not be determined as those injected suffered the same degradation. Worse still, of all the test subjects exposed to stagnant Mako while in foetal form, only one was born; a child bearing the power of darkness, destined for a life of misery. At birth, the darkness that emanated from the baby was enough to absorb his mother – a brilliant and highly regarded scientist of Shinra - into the vacuum of an unknown dimension, and he was contained within a special suit. The child was named Nero.
With the success of SOLDIER as a force for combating anti-Shinra activity, President Shinra ordered that further experiments be carried out on existing SOLDIER members in order to obtain even greater potential; the perfect soldier. A large number of SOLDIERs were sent to Deepground for testing. As part of the research, a training complex equipped with ultramodern virtual reality technology was built so that the effects of the SOLDIER’s treatment could be observed by the scientists while they did battle against one another under set conditions. Due to the rigorous experiments, the bodies of the SOLDIERs became dependant on Mako, and needed Mako baths to preserve them. Special suits were developed so that a weak current of Mako could run through their bodies at all times, maintaining the balance between Jenova cells and Mako, keeping them at their physical peak. These superhuman warriors were cut off from the outside world, forming a force of their own. They became known as Deepground SOLDIER.
As well as the continual testing of the Deepground SOLDIERs, the scientists closely studied three unique children that had been born and raised in the facility. As orphans, Rosso and Nero were continually under extreme experimentation based on their genetic traits, as was Nero’s biological older brother, Weiss, who had become an interest to the scientists following his remarkable growth in ability without exposure to the cells of Jenova. Over time, through ruthless testing based on his body’s incredible reaction to nothing but untainted Mako, Weiss was hailed as a pure soldier, and was given the nickname ‘The Immaculate’ by the researchers. Similarly, Rosso became known as ‘The Worst Crimson’, as the fierce experiments that pushed her body to breaking point in an effort to unleash the hidden potential in humans had caused her psyche to lose any lingering notion of humanity, and satisfaction came only when she was bathed in the blood of her opponents, taking great pleasure in slaughtering friend and foe alike. With Nero, whose darkness had become a force to be feared by all those who witnessed it, this trio were given the status of SSS – the most dangerous individuals in Deepground.
As the years progressed, men and women started to emerge from within Deepground SOLDIER as stronger than their peers. Four individuals battled their way through the harsh training regimes of the Deepground facility to gain the respect from their fellow SOLDIERs, proving themselves elite amongst the best. In recognition of their ability, these individuals were gathered to form a secret entity whose commands were handed down directly by President Shinra. All proof of the existence of these individuals was covered up, and to the handful of people who knew of them, they became SOLDIER Unit 14: Lost Force.
In 1992, the Shinra Electric Power Company declared war on the Empire of Wutai when it denied Shinra permission to build a Mako Reactor on sacred Wutai grounds. Many troops were sent from the Shinra Army and SOLDIER to Wutai to do battle with the Wusheng. Amidst the fighting, large numbers were wounded. Having trained for many years under harsh conditions, Deepground SOLDIER were charged with recovering the injured from the battlefield in secret, and returning them to Deepground where some would be nursed back to health, and others would fall victim to the torturous experiments that took place there. Lost Force specialised in these extractions. Even in the most covert of operations, members of Deepground SOLDIER lost their lives. One such victim was a sniper named Usher.
However, there were those who discovered the secret of Deepground, and did not approve of its existence. SOLDIER Unit 13: Ragnarok, hailed as the strongest in the world, considered the concept of a training facility where SOLDIERs fought to the death to be wrong. With a desire to put an end to the internal fighting, Ragnarok were ordered in secret to the heart of Deepground, where they were met in battle by the four members of Lost Force, a SOLDIER Unit that Ragnarok knew not to exist. Lost Force annihilated Ragnarok in a single night, and were declared the governors of Deepground, showing loyalty only to President Shinra. In order to prevent further opposition, restriction chips were planted into the brain stems of all Deepground SOLDIERs, controlled by each member of Lost Force. Lost Force became known thereafter as the Restrictors.
The restriction chips were implanted and monitored using Deepground’s state-of-the-art computer mainframe, Patricia. Patricia was a supercomputer designed to aid the scientists in their work, as well as control and store the results of the ultramodern Virtual Reality System (VRS) used in the experiments of the Deepground SOLDIERs. The VRS was a program developed by Shinra to allow test subjects to interact with prepared data in a virtual environment, meaning that the observations of the soldiers’ strengths could be made under various conditions without them unnecessarily having to leave Deepground. Making use of the Biorhythm-Testing Materia equipment to create any variety of virtual simulations in a designated cyberspace, the test subjects would don special goggles to collect data directly from their bodies, and do battle. However, many of these experiments led to the deaths of a great number of its participants as any wounds received using the VRS were real.
Due to the high mortality rate of those who entered the Deepground training program, more individuals were regularly sent to the facility. Not all were accomplished SOLDIERs, however. SOLDIER applicants and those conscripted against their will were sent; some not knowing where they were going; others knowing nothing at all. SOLDIERs injured in battle were sent, never to be seen above ground again. Those wishing to test their strength were sent, only to find themselves embroiled in a world of torment and immorality. And all the while, those born from the experiments at the heart of Deepground were raised to know nothing but fighting and killing, forever chained to a destiny of servitude under the watchful gaze of Shinra and the Restrictors.
With the increasing numbers of Deepground SOLDIERs, the training facility expanded over time to become four unique sectors, titled North, South, East and West. Every SOLDIER was enlisted into a sector, and each sector was governed by a member of Lost Force, who had unlimited power within the confines of their domain and the individuals that existed there. Respectable men and women who had proven themselves worthy of the Restrictor’s trust were granted the duty of Officer, a role which involved supervising the SOLDIERs and designating their assignments. A scaling domed roof was built above the compound, illuminated by a holographic image of Shinra Inc.’s Headquarters that towered over Midgar’s skyline, designed to remove the growing atmosphere of entrapment.
Under the Restrictors’ rule, Deepground SOLDIER began to evolve into their own army. All those who resided in the Deepground training complex were separated by rank based on their ability as a SOLDIER, from Drone to the highest class of Deepground SOLDIER; Tsviet. The rank of Tsviet was seen as the goal for any Deepground SOLDIER, for as each strove for promotion, they would be tested against stronger and more powerful opponents in the Deepground Army through experiments using the Virtual Reality System. In order to reach the status of Tsviet, the SOLDIERs of Deepground were required over time to progress through the ability-rated levels of Drone, Scout, Trooper, Commander and General. Among the ranks of the Tsviets, Weiss, Nero, and Rosso were known as the most elite, answerable only to Lost Force.
During the Wutai War, as part of a mass influx of individuals into Deepground due to Shinra’s desire to further genetic warfare, a young woman named Argento was sent to Deepground. She quickly became highly regarded by her peers for her exceptional sword and analytical kills. Climbing the ranks of Deepground SOLDIER using honed ability and intelligence, she achieved Tsviet status, and became of special interest to the Restrictors. They were impressed by her sword expertise which led to one member challenging her to a training duel. The battle ended in bloodshed for Argento, however, when she lost her right eye to the blade of the Restrictor. She was later given an important role at the Deepground training facility of using her analytical talents to identify and nurture possible Tsviet candidates within the new recruits, where she would form a bond with the candidate, offering them advice and guidance until at last they achieved their goal. In addition to this, her artistic and creative mind was put to use when she was charged with the task of designing and crafting the weapons of her comrades at the upper-echelons of the Deepground foodchain, including Rosso’s double-bladed lance capable of bursts of fire, and twin gunblades named 'Heaven' and 'Earth' for Weiss. Unbeknownst to the Restrictors, Argento silently began to harbour resentful feelings towards them.
Within a few years of the Wutai War’s commencement, Genesis, the original product of Project Jenova, was enlisted as a SOLDIER. The scientists of Shinra were eager to learn about Genesis’ potential having witnessed Sephiroth’s superhuman strength, and the reaction of Genesis’ cells with Mako infusion was carefully studied. Genesis, along with his friend and fellow product of Project Gillian, Angeal, were dubbed SOLDIER Type G. It was discovered that with a careful blend and balance between Genesis’ G-Cells and Mako, the host would be able to achieve the same levels of ability as Sephiroth without the highly concentrated doses of Jenova present in their body. However, only those with incredible endurance could withstand such a genetic alteration, as their bodies had to eradicate the genetic leak that caused the degradation and eventual death of so many before. In Deepground, research using G-Cells resumed, and Weiss became the first non-infant to be infused.
The results of the G-Cells experiments were extraordinary. Already regarded as one of the strongest in Deepground as an adolescent, Weiss showed signs of reaching a level of ability superior to anything in Deepground. Similarly, Nero and Rosso were exposed to G-Cells and their strengths grew. As a result of the harsh training and fierce pressure put upon her, the inclusion of G-Cells in her genetic structure brought her body almost to invincibility. As the sole survivors of the respective experiments that had made them who they were, each was branded with an epithet of colour as a codename, given only to those infused with G-Cells to become the highest level of existence in Deepground. They became known as the Coloured Tsviets; ‘Weiss the Immaculate’, ‘Nero the Sable’ and ‘Rosso the Crimson’. Fearing the power of the three, the Shinra superiors who knew of their existence decided that the restriction chips that had been implanted would not be enough to contain them.
Taking measures to ensure they were kept under control, Rosso and Nero were removed from the general population of Deepground, while Weiss – whose power had grown so incredible – was sedated and chained to the throne at the core of Deepground’s Mako Reactor0 where he was kept from escaping by thick locks and a high current of electricity. As a mocking tribute, he was dubbed ‘The Immaculate Emperor’, and a special restriction chip was implanted in his neck. The design of this chip was such that a fatal virus would be released into Weiss’ body should the supercomputer, Patricia, fail to register the life signals of the Restrictors, giving him three days to live. Under the Restrictors’ strict instructions, Weiss and Nero would only be allowed to participate in missions of extremely high importance – with Nero confined to a specially designed uniform that bound his hands, negating the darkness that emanated from them, and chained him up in a room hidden inside Mako Reactor0. Given her inability to control her desire for blood or differentiate between an ally and an enemy, it was commanded that Rosso would never leave Deepground.
In 2000, Shinra discovered the existence of a young orphan girl named Shelke Rui with an extremely rare gift known as Synaptic Net Diving (SND), who had displayed great ability as a child with the technique which allowed her to interact with different planes of existence such as digital currents and the subconscious thoughts and memories of others. Wishing to develop and harvest the ability for a new generation of warfare, the Company ordered Shelke be taken from her sister to Headquarters in Midgar to be inducted as a SOLDIER. However, President Shinra ordered a top secret mission to be executed by the Restrictors. As the girl was being transferred to Midgar by the Turks, the convoy of Shinra soldiers accompanying her were attacked and annihilated by Deepground SOLDIERs led by a member of Lost Force. Unbeknownst to anyone but those involved, Shelke was taken to Deepground.
In the years that followed, Shelke was subjected to a series of severe experiments and training regimes. As the researchers of Deepground sought to analyse her SND abilities, her mind was stretched to an almost unrecognisable state. Desperately wishing to be rescued by her sister, Shalua, Shelke’s psyche turned in time from that of an innocent child to a hollow, emotionless shell. While the primary benefits of SND that were recorded showed that Shelke was able to connect to the Worldwide Network while retaining her own consciousness to gather information, it was soon discovered that it was possible for her to enter other people’s minds and share thoughts and memories with them. Further investigation revealed the technique could be used not only to view and store data held within another person, but to artificially create memories or emotions. However, the use of SND was found to put a great burden on Shelke, often leaving her tired and lethargic. The extreme testing on Shelke left lasting physical damage, preventing her body from developing beyond that of a nine year old, and requiring a daily Mako bath in order to live.
As well as having the ability to SND, Shelke was later exposed to Jenova cells and their reaction with the Mako in her body caused great physical enhancement. Training within the Deepground SOLDIER regime, she was taught to fight with energy sabres designed by Argento. Her petite stature and nimble movements made Shelke a tough opponent, and over time she proved herself worthy of the rank of Tsviet. However, due to her body’s Mako weakness and need for Mako baths, she was unable to participate in regular battles or field missions outside Deepground. With her SND skills proving invaluable to the Tsviets, Shelke was successfully infused with G-Cells, and became the fourth member of the Coloured Tsviets with a codename that reflected her ability; ‘Shelke the Transparent’.
In summer of 2000, while having a mock battle in the Virtual Reality training room of the Shinra Headquarters’ SOLDIER Department with Sephiroth and Angeal, Genesis suffered an injury that required special Mako treatment. The scientist assigned to his rehabilitation was Professor Hollander, a key participant in Project Jenova G and a man deeply resentful of his demotion within Shinra’s Department of Science at the hands of his fierce rival, Professor Hojo. Knowledgeable in Genesis’ origins and genetic abilities, Hollander taught Genesis the truth of his birth. In return, he asked for the aggrieved Genesis’ help in creating an army powerful enough to take on Shinra, given that the War in Wutai was drawing towards an inevitable conclusion. Genesis agreed and in autumn of 2000, while on a mission in Wutai, led a mass desertion of SOLDIERs, leaving the Department critically short in numbers.
Following the end of the Wutai War in early 2001, many anti-Shinra activists rose to continue the battle. With the Genesis Army, the remnants of Wutai’s Crescent Unit and AVALANCHE among others causing serious problems for the Company across the world, President Shinra was forced to recruit new members to the diminished forces of the Shinra Army and SOLDIER. Charged with the duty of scouting and bringing in possible candidates for SOLDIER, the Investigation Division of the General Affairs Department – known as the Turks – were sent around the world to seek out new members.
One such candidate was an exceptionally strong man named Azul who was captured by the Turks and placed upon a ship bound for Midgar. Only feeling truly alive in the heat of battle and believing he was born to fight, the enormous Azul travelled the world seeking a warrior worthy enough to challenge him. After escaping from his holdings while the ship was docked in Costa del Sol, Azul learned the secrets of SOLDIER, and returned to complete the voyage to Midgar so that he may be entered into the program. He was impressed by the Turks, and vowed to push himself to become the strongest SOLDIER of them all.
With an unnatural obsession for power and tenacity to prove his strength, Azul was sent to Deepground to participate in the researchers’ rigorous experiments to test his limits. Disregarding the seriousness of the fighting and slaughtering his opponents with ease, Azul rocketed through the ranks of the Deepground Army, quickly gaining the status of Tsviet. He later volunteered to take part in a Metamorphose Project, where the Deepground scientists experimented with the concept of shape-changing. Taking the form of a hulking behemoth, Azul butchered the other test subjects, and was named as the sole success of the experiment, capable of transforming into the beast – dubbed ‘Arch Azul’ - under set conditions. Believing him worthy of the highest rank in Deepground, Azul was later exposed to G-Cells, and his immeasurable strength and natural abilities were enhanced further. Becoming the fifth and final member of the Coloured Tsviets, Azul was gifted a large handheld cannon that only he could carry as a weapon, and was given the title ‘Azul the Cerulean’.
As the years went by, the horrors of Deepground continued beyond the knowledge of the vast majority of the Planet. The Restrictors ruled with an iron fist, adhering to President Shinra’s commands for the creation of perfect SOLDIERs. Knowing that the restriction chips prevented the Tsviets from taking action against their merciless rulers, Weiss began to form a plan to supplant the Restrictors without they or the Shinra Executive realising. He recognised that in order to exploit their circumstances, they had to act stealthily and gradually in order to ensure success. Communicating his thoughts to the Coloured Tsviets through Argento, the Restrictors’ messenger to the Tsviets and sympathiser to the cause, Weiss divulged his scheme to use someone not restrained by the restriction chip to infiltrate Lost Force.
In autumn of 2007, following a top-secret assignment from President Shinra, the Restrictors sent Nero and Weiss to the southern town of Banora to collect Genesis after the Company discovered his location. Aware of their cellular connection to the man and the high importance of the mission given their involvement, Weiss explained the situation in Deepground to Genesis and asked him to join them in their fight against the Restrictors. Remorseful of his actions since leading the mass SOLDIER desertion and wishing to reclaim his pride as a SOLDIER by atoning for his sins, Genesis rejected the request. Leaving Deepground soon after arriving, he sealed himself in a chamber below Midgar, only to be awoken when the Planet needed him again.
Shortly afterwards, the Tsviets discovered the existence of the HJ Virus, a software capable of breaking through the firewall of Deepground’s supercomputer, Patricia. Under Weis’ instructions, Shelke and Argento were able to upload the HJ Virus into Patricia undetected and used it to hack into the mainframe. By doing so, they found that they could breach the security of Deepground by altering the process of the restriction chip implant, thus rendering the chip void and the individual free of the Restrictors’ control before the researchers began to tamper with their head. Conscious that their chosen subject would need to be one worthy of the rank of Tsviet and have a secret motive to want to kill the Restrictor of their training sector, Argento was ordered to identify an appropriate candidate immediately while Shelke was given the task of using her SND abilities to manipulate the candidates thoughts and memories to artificially create a lasting hatred towards the Restrictors. The other Coloured Tsviets agreed to protect the chosen candidate so that they may succeed in their plan.
It was only a matter of time before new recruits would be sent to Deepground.
Thus began the conspiracy to overthrow the Restrictors…
***** END *****
***** Follows with Dirge of Cerberus Online *****
***** Follows with Dirge of Cerberus Online *****
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