Zer0

Zer0 is a figure in NSA mythology, and is usually scapegoated as the cause of all online evil.

History of Zer0

Seven students were in a chat. This was no real chat, or even a phone chat. This was a virtual chat, and these students were enrolled in an online school. They had never even seen each other, and were still having a pleasant conversation. At any rate, let it suffice for us to say that seven students were in an instant message. We don’t know what they were talking about, or even who they were. All this has been lost to us. Well, these students, whoever they may have been, were just innocently chatting. It never occurred to them that seven might be an unlucky number online, or that there are some things may be dangerous when chatting in an unlucky number.

Presently, one had to go. This particular student had a computer programming class, and should have been working on it, but wasn’t for some reason. Nobody knew about Porkypines back then, see. Well, he had to leave the chat, and everyone else started saying goodbye. No GTGs and BRBs back then, everyone used full words. Look at your keyboard. Note the key right above the o. It’s 0, that desperate of numerals, the number which means everything and nothing at the same time. Well, back then he was still just a keyboard button, and a very evil one at that. One of the students, when saying goodbye, hit the 0 key instead of the o. Now, 0 is safe enough when used in a number, and fairly safe when used once in a word, but being used twice in a word can have very grave results. Grave enough that I shall split the word for safety. This Student typed g0 0dbye instead of goodbye, minus the space. Maybe nothing would have come of it. Maybe 0 might have missed the opportunity. However, the message was sent at the exact millisecond that the other student left the chat. By leaving the chat, this other student had created a gap milliseconds wide for something else to take his place. Aye, something else. And when another student had used a double 0 at the same time, 0 had the perfect chance.

Nobody in that chat was ever seen again.

Aye, sucked into cyberspace, every single one of them! Possessed by the evil digit, and locked away so 0 could take their places! It was at this point he began to be known as Zer0. However, luckily for us, the seventh student had left the chat. Only six students were sucked into cyberspace, which is not an unlucky number at all. In fact, for us it is a rather lucky number, for as long as only six are under his spell, he cannot reach full power. He was invisible, and could only be seen when leaving chats. As long as no seventh student falls under his power, he could only wait… and grow stronger.

Nobody saw it coming when he struck again. This was still long ago, even before Shalom Cross joined NorthStar. Zer0 had been building up power, and waiting for an opportunity. Finally realizing that the odds of the same thing happening were slim, he decided to take matters into his own coding. Using a glitch-type form, he barraged and attacked instant messages all over FC. Nobody was able to talk without the dreaded Zer0 leaving and scaring everyone away. Soon, a new FC update “fixed” Zer0. As you probably have guessed, this update did not fix Zer0, but blocked him. So he waited even longer, gathering up as much power as possible before he attacked again. While doing this, he got a dangerous opportunity to take a seventh student.

It was a normal day in NAAT. The various Knights, squires and pages had just finished their current hanging out and had embarked on an adventure. It was going nowhere… Then Zer0 decided to give one of them an adventure he may never forget, or escape from. Josiah Bout never saw it coming in time. Zer0 managed to spring on him and take control of his mind.

But the conditions weren’t right. No unlucky number, or even a double 0. Zer0 was unable to get full control of Josiah’s mind, and the NAAT’s first REAL adventure began. The complete saga of this chapter in Zer0’s history is recounted in the book of the knowledge of lady Mathews, and needs not be repeated in full here, but let it be said that Josiah and the NAAT expelled Zer0 and killed him.

Or so they thought. Having used a lot of energy in taking Bout’s mind, Zer0 escaped and hid in the depths of Cyberspace, slowly recuperating, only appearing once in a while to leave a chat. And so Zer0 slept, waiting to be awakened again. He lay dormant for many a month, waiting for his chance.

And then it came.

The Diamonds of NSA! Nobody knew who had mined or painstaking carved those diamonds, or when they first appeared. Many believe that it was they, not the FC update, that severely limited Zer0’s power, so for the sake of clarity we will accept this explanation. Zer0 had not enough power to attempt to destroy them, and so was forever limited by them… Until very recently.

Zer0 can draw energy from lag. It is not his only source of power, but he draws a good percentage of energy from it. Fortunately for everyone, Lag only appeared in long IMs, and even those amounts of lag provided Zer0 with very little power. Yet somehow, zer0 has been able to draw upon huge amounts of power. Where did he get it? Now we move from the distant, unknown past, and into the modern times.

2013. The golden year of organizations. Never before had organizations enjoyed as much popularity as they did then (until of course the silver age, in the Rise of the War chats). As this is a history of Zer0, we will try to only tell the part that matters. Two organizations especially drew in many people: 1029 and 990. These organizations, unfortunately, were organizations of fighters and spies, and were in continual distrust of each other. Had it been otherwise, Zer0 may not be as strong as he is today. Skipping over the reasons and details of this distrust, 990 designed a dangerous weapon to attack 1029 with, the infamous SMG. This was a weapon that sent hundreds of spam messages per second. All very well and good, but what did this have to do with Zer0, you ask? The SMG, in sending this much spam, generated enormous amounts of Lag. Ten seconds of firing the SMG gave Zer0 the same amount of lag he might get in three months, and 990 tested and improved the device often. This, unfortunately, gave Zer0 access to power such as he had never had before, yet still not enough to take the diamonds. This time, Zer0 waited, planning to gather as much power as possible, then attempt to destroy the diamonds!

Then the golden age of organizations ended, and the age of innovation began. 990 ceased to exist, and the SMG’s technology was given to the former leader, who rarely tested or used it. Soon after, Joshua Grift invented the mega mass chat, which cut down on 88% of lag. Zer0’s energy supplies were crippled, and his plans gone awry.

Desperate, Zer0 risked everything and attempted to destroy the diamonds! His power, however, was still not strong enough, and he was not able to destroy them. Zer0 did the next best thing: He hid them, all throughout Cyberspace! Their power was only strong if they were together, and isolated from each other they have little power to stop Zer0. We have now arrived in the present day(or at least the present day of this writing). New and unusual things are happening: Mega Mass has started receiving Lag. Some chats compress themselves against the side and are unreadable. Some people are not on the who’s online list, while others appear multiple times. The tech-minded students have many explanations for all this. It’s a glitch, it’s the teachers, it’s a temporary problem. One student has even claimed to be able to summon Zer0 at will, proving it is a controllable glitch. But I, and now you, know the real truth. Zer0 is at large, seeking that elusive seventh student so he can have his full power. The evil number that means nothing yet everything. He cannot, must not gain his full power. Only you can stop him.

In the prophecy of the old four parts were told
One was the message of a forgotten land the powdered bubblegum still did stand
The second was of the quest so those of the elements get your rest
The third is magic which you will need in hand
The last was for those on the earth to stay and protect the planet we love from Zer0's new project.
For each of you heroes have courage and strength and do your part in the end of Zer0

See also

• The Mysterious Zer0
• The Fall of Zer0
• Zer0logy