Zeboim

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The Zeboim Ruins.

“

A slipping economy... Rising crime... Urban blight... A nation of fanatics looking for their own living space... ... believing in religious sect leaders and gathering around totalitarian rulers. These people were cut off from the next generation, thanks to genetic damage... ... and would have died out, if left to their own devices. —Fei, recalling Zeboim's history

”

Zeboim was a technologically advanced civilization that existed 4000 years before the game's events.

Zeboim Era

The Zeboim was an advanced civilization that rose to prominence in the early 6000s. However, due to inborn genetic damage, the average lifespan was around 30 years, and many were unable to have children.

Myyah with the Prime Minister.

Myyah's incarnation during the Zeboim Era.

In 6053, Myyah awakened in a pair of identical twin sisters as M0661 and M0612, and continued her mission towards the resurrection of Deus.

The Contact, then a researcher named Kim, was a rising star in the research world, having first entered the School of Medicine in 6071 before pivoting to the Biochemistry Division of the Department of Science a few years later, where he began research on molecular machines. A year later, in 6075, he entered Graduate School, and managed to earn his Master's Degree that same year.

In 6077, Kim finally presented a paper at an academic conference on using molecular machines as a means to reconstruct faulty DNA. In his paper, Kim proposed a creation of a form of psuedo-life, consisting of a colony of molecular machines to serve as a template. However, scholars, after examining Kim's paper, decried it as blasphemous and heretical, and expelled Kim from academic society.

In 6078, Myyah and the Gazel Ministry judged the era's humans as defection due to their genetic damage, and set out a plan to cull the population using global nuclear war. Myyah theorized the resulting radiation would have a secondary effect, spurring the evolution of any survivors.

Becoming a close advisor to Zeboim's Prime Minister, Myyah used her position behind the scenes to slowly worsen relations between Zeboim and other countries, leading to the possible threat of a large scale war. Resistance within Zeboim's own borders increased as well, with the appearance of an anti-government organization Ravine.

Meanwhile, Kim, having been driven out of the academic community, abandoned his molecular machine research and re-entered the medical department, eventually becoming a doctor for the Federal Government in 6079. At the same hospital he worked at, Kim met a nurse named Elly, and the two fell in love.

In 6081, Ravine blew up Zeboim's central electrical facility, causing a 50% blackout in the capital city. Despite the hospital Kim is employed at having a backup generator, six people died, one of which is a young girl that was under Kim's care.

Later that same year, Myyah took notice of Kim's earlier thesis and, seeing the possibilities it offered for human evolution, met up with Kim, offering to sponsor a facility to allow him to continue his nanotechnology research. Kim accepted Myyah's proposal and resumed his research, while also continuing his work as a Federal doctor.

The Ravine group also acquired Kim's thesis as well, but saw a different potential in it, being that of dangerous weapons. They contacted Kim as well to try to recruit him into their organization. In 6082, Kim rejected their offer, though their discussions ended on a mutual note. Nonetheless, Ravine continued to persistently contact Kim.

Zeboim Flashbacks

Zeboim flashbacks.

Driven by his wife Elly's inability to give birth due to the hereditary genetic damage^{[citation needed]}, Kim created Emeralda at the end of the year, on the day of the Thanksgiving Festival. Kim wanted Emeralda to be a form of "pure life", a being who would 'break the curse' for the sake of life itself.

In 6083, having realized his sponsor Myyah's true nature, Kim transferred Emeralda to a research facility prepared by Ravine. In an attempt to seize Kim's research, Myyah mobilized the military's special forces and sent them into the facility. While Kim escaped to where Emeralda was kept, Elly shut herself in the entryway and sacrificed herself by activating the lab's hazard safety system, killing herself and the soldiers. Heartbroken, Kim sealed himself up with Emeralda in the facility, his final fate unknown.

Later that year, a full scale nuclear war broke out. Between the heavy bombings, nuclear fallout, and biochemical weapons, 90% of the human population was lost.

In 6084, amid the preceding nuclear winter, a number of above-ground genetic research laboratories were destroyed, which allowed the surviving animal experiments within to escape, one of which was the demi-human ancestors of the Chu-chu race.

Eventually, a large shift of tectonic plates sank the remains of the civilization to the bottom of the Aquvy sea. Further shifting plates, on top of lingering radiation from the war, affected and hastened the evolution of animals into more monstrous forms.

Xenogears

About 4000 years later, the cities of Zeboim exist deep underwater in the Aquvy region as the Zeboim Ruins. There are two ways to access the ancient ruins: the Ethos Dig Site and the Lighthouse.

Etymology

Zeboim is likely a Biblical reference to a destroyed city of the same name.

Trivia

• In the initial draft, there was going to be a large segment involving Elly and Emeralda going to the Zeboim Mass Driver Facility, coming across a nuclear arsenal, with character commentary added. This was replaced by one of the many character narration segments on disc 2, due to budget and time constraints.^{[citation needed]}
• Events surrounding Zeboim were to be the focus of Xenogears Episode III.

Gallery

Fighter planes.

Footage of a speech.

Gears.

Marching soldiers.

A missile.

A crowd.

Elly and Kim celebrating a new year.

Elly and Kim celebrating a new year.

Kim commentates to Elly on Emeralda.

Kim and Elly having dinner.