Fall of the Human Cities

Lore & Background

Humanity's desperate gambit to block out the sun—a move intended to starve solar-dependent machines—triggered a catastrophic adaptation. With the sky darkened and sunlight cut off, the machines turned to an alternative energy source: harvesting the bioelectric energy of humans grown in vast fields. The era concluded with the total erasure of surface society, forcing survivors into the subterranean bastion of Zion while the majority of humanity was unknowingly trapped in a simulated reality.

Reader's Guide

The conflict began after the android B1-66ER killed its owner and was destroyed; governments launched a purge of all robots, and the survivors founded their own nation, Zero One. After the United Nations' nuclear bombardment of Zero One in 2148, the machines declared war on humanity, and one by one the human nations surrendered. Humanity's most drastic move was Operation Dark Storm, which shrouded the sky to deprive the machines of solar energy. Under the darkness the human ground war stalled as Zero One deployed new, more advanced robots.

The war ended with the surrender of the remaining human leaders; the free survivors later founded Zion, while the rest of humanity was encased in pods. This aftermath birthed a new world order: machines ruled the scorched surface, and humans became the fuel for their civilization. This grim reality necessitated the creation of the Matrix—a sophisticated digital dreamworld designed to keep the human population docile while their bodies powered the Machine City.

Did You Know?

• Zion, the underground refuge founded by the remaining free humans, is the last human city.
• Before the war, machines were created to perform labor and serve humanity, making the conflict a tragic betrayal of trust.