The Darkness of Shinra – Deepground’s History Revealed

Rise of the Deepground SOLDIERs

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 specialized 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 food chain, 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 harbor resentful feelings towards them.

Within a few years of the Wutai War’s commencement, Genesis, one of the survivors of Jenova Project G, 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. In Deepground, this was no surprise, since all of the colored Tsviets had been injected with Genesis’ genes. It was a prerequisite to earning a color title, and becoming one of the strongest and most gifted soldiers within the facility.

Already regarded as one of the strongest in Deepground as an adolescent, Weiss showed signs of reaching a level of ability superior to anything imagined in Deepground. Similarly, Nero and Rosso’s strength grew. As the sole survivors of the respective experiments that had made them who they were, each was branded with an epithet of color as a codename, given only to those infused with the SOLIDER’s genes to become the highest level of existence in Deepground. 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 Reactor 0 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 unrecognizable 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 daily Mako baths and injections in order to live.

Training within the Deepground SOLDIER regime, she was taught to fight with EM 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 became the fourth member of the Colored Tsviets with a codename that reflected her ability; ‘Shelke the Transparent’.

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. 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…