Zion (The Matrix)
Encyclopedia
Zion is a fictional city
in The Matrix
films. It is the last human
city
on the planet
Earth
after a cataclysmic nuclear war between humankind and sentient Machines, which resulted in artificial lifeforms dominating the world.
attack upon the newly-established machine civilization of Zero One, a global nuclear war between both factions began for control of the Earth. After several desperate plans to halt the seemingly never-ending waves of robot-soldiers, the human leaders realized that the Machines had a good chance of winning. The human leaders began the construction of an entirely underground city, called Zion, that was built for the purpose of preserving the human race. When the war ended in the Machines' favor, the remnants of humanity were left struggling to survive on the cold, dangerous and desolate surface. It was quickly becoming uninhabitable due to the cloud created by Operation Dark Storm. The Machines captured or killed almost all humans with the exception of the inhabitants of the unfinished Zion. The captured survivors were imprisoned and put into the newly-constructed bio-electric towers with their minds placed in the Matrix to keep them docile. Twenty-three prisoners were freed by a mysterious Matrix-controlling figure referred to as "The One"
and led to the unfinished Zion where they worked to complete it. After making the city operational and regaining technological usage from geothermal energy from the Earth's core, the One taught the humans to continue building and maintaining a war effort, and to fight inside and outside the Matrix. After the One's death, the humans learned to survive on their own and began waging a partial-guerrilla war from Zion against the Machines, and at the same time trying to free the Matrix's population from their virtual "prison".
EMP devices, despite being installed on every hovercraft in the fleet, were never installed in Zion's defensive grid (even as a last resort), primarily because the city possesses no EMP shielding. Though an EMP could be used and every Machine in its range instantly disabled, the defensive grid, APU fighters and virtually every piece of defensive hardware in Zion would be permanently disabled as well, leaving the city with no way to defend itself during a second Machine incursion.
It was later revealed that none of Zion's defensive systems were sufficient to withstand the juggernaut of the Machines' army. The city's total destruction and the death of its entire population was well within the Machines' power, but was never carried out due to their purpose (see below). An attack could have been ordered on the city at any moment by the Architect
when he wanted to reload the Matrix.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in The Matrix
The Matrix (franchise)
The Matrix is a science fiction action franchise created by Andy and Larry Wachowski and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The series began with the 1999 film The Matrix and later spawned two sequels; The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003, thus forming a trilogy...
films. It is the last human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
on the planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
after a cataclysmic nuclear war between humankind and sentient Machines, which resulted in artificial lifeforms dominating the world.
History
Following the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
attack upon the newly-established machine civilization of Zero One, a global nuclear war between both factions began for control of the Earth. After several desperate plans to halt the seemingly never-ending waves of robot-soldiers, the human leaders realized that the Machines had a good chance of winning. The human leaders began the construction of an entirely underground city, called Zion, that was built for the purpose of preserving the human race. When the war ended in the Machines' favor, the remnants of humanity were left struggling to survive on the cold, dangerous and desolate surface. It was quickly becoming uninhabitable due to the cloud created by Operation Dark Storm. The Machines captured or killed almost all humans with the exception of the inhabitants of the unfinished Zion. The captured survivors were imprisoned and put into the newly-constructed bio-electric towers with their minds placed in the Matrix to keep them docile. Twenty-three prisoners were freed by a mysterious Matrix-controlling figure referred to as "The One"
Neo (The Matrix)
Thomas A. Anderson is a fictional character and the main protagonist in The Matrix franchise, as well as having a cameo in The Animatrix short film, Kid's Story. He was portrayed by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Trilogy and The Animatrix. Andrew Bowen provided Neo's voice in The Matrix: Path of Neo...
and led to the unfinished Zion where they worked to complete it. After making the city operational and regaining technological usage from geothermal energy from the Earth's core, the One taught the humans to continue building and maintaining a war effort, and to fight inside and outside the Matrix. After the One's death, the humans learned to survive on their own and began waging a partial-guerrilla war from Zion against the Machines, and at the same time trying to free the Matrix's population from their virtual "prison".
Geography
Zion was built four kilometers below the Earth's surface, just above the Earth's mantle, and exists entirely underground. The city itself is cylindrical (vertically inclined with respect to Earth's surface) in design and possesses many levels including:- Council Chambers: This level is near the bottom area of the middle section of the city. It has a series of chambers that are used as living areas and offices for the members of the Zion Council.
- Gathering Spaces: A level just below the Dock. It contains many areas where homeless or new arrivals rescued from the Matrix gather to live until permanent quarters are assigned.
- Geo-Thermal Generation: This level is near the bottom of the city. It is dedicated to providing power to the city in the form of geothermal energy from the Earth's core.
- Intermediate Areas: Other areas of the city that have yet to be mentioned and only seen.
- Life-Support Level: The bottom level of the city. It is dedicated to providing life support, in the form of water, warmth, air, etc., to the city's population. In an ironic twist, the machines that do these tasks are entirely automated, but their human overseers have taken steps to ensure they can never reach sentience, and the machines have built-in kill switches that would shut them down at the first signs of sentience.
- Living Quarters: The entire central middle section of the city. This level is dedicated to providing shelter for all of Zion's population, numbering approximately 250,000.
- Meeting Hall: A chamber near the bottom of the city. This is where the Council convenes and meets with Zion's hovercraft Captains and military leaders and plans high-priority missions.
- The Dock: The top level of the city and entrance into the underground tunnel network. The dock is operated and its systems administered by the operators in The Crane Tower. It provides a recharging station and repair area for the hovercraft fleet.
- The Temple: A large cavern below the city itself. This cavern is dedicated to holding religious gatherings for the entire population, and also serves as a last defensive position in the event of a complete invasion by the Machines.
Defenses
Zion has a multitude of defensive systems that collectively is commonly known as the Zion Defence Grid. The systems consist of:- Six Double-Barrel Turret Machine Guns: The main defensive system, installed in The Dock, which serves to protect incoming hovercraftHovercraftA hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
from Machine incursions. - APU Corps: Mechanized bipedal combat suits that are used for heavy support in the event of an attack on The Dock by the Machines. The corps is led by Captain Mifune.
- Infantry: Human soldiers equipped with electromagnetic "lightning" guns plus rockets and launchers. They are trained to defend the city in the event of a Machine incursion.
- Hovercraft Fleet: Electromagnetically powered hovercraft that continuously fight the Machines in the real world with EMP weapons, with crews fighting to free the Matrix's captive human population by journeying into the Matrix itself.
EMP devices, despite being installed on every hovercraft in the fleet, were never installed in Zion's defensive grid (even as a last resort), primarily because the city possesses no EMP shielding. Though an EMP could be used and every Machine in its range instantly disabled, the defensive grid, APU fighters and virtually every piece of defensive hardware in Zion would be permanently disabled as well, leaving the city with no way to defend itself during a second Machine incursion.
It was later revealed that none of Zion's defensive systems were sufficient to withstand the juggernaut of the Machines' army. The city's total destruction and the death of its entire population was well within the Machines' power, but was never carried out due to their purpose (see below). An attack could have been ordered on the city at any moment by the Architect
Architect (The Matrix)
The Architect is a fictional character in the last two films of the Matrix trilogy, created by the Wachowski brothers. The character is played by Helmut Bakaitis. He also makes an appearance in the MMORPG The Matrix Online.-Constructing the First Matrices:...
when he wanted to reload the Matrix.