Olympic Exclusion Zone

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The Olympic Exclusion Zone, also casually referred to as "The Zone", is the setting of the game. It describes a massive 3,600 square mile area in Northwest Washington State called the Olympic Peninsula, a vibrant, mountainous wilderness.

Up until 1955, it was home to over 100,000 people, including Dr. Ophelia Turner. With claims of eminent domain, the Zone was sealed off by a brand-new secretive governmental agency called ARDA - under the guise of national security - shortly after the discovery of an ambiguous, yet promising, technology known as LIM.

This series of events shares similarities to U.S. Government nuclear research programs in the 1950's. See Los Alamos aka "Project Y".

History

The Peninsula's history was fairly unremarkable up until the year 1946. It was then that Dr. Ophelia Turner made a breakthrough - the first in an otherwise underwhelming career - in her basement laboratory. Allegedly, this was the moment she produced the first ever LIM wave, modulated radio waves with almost supernatural properties.^{(src: Frequency File #2, Part 2)}

After Dr. Turner's discovery of LIM waves, she and a few fellow scientists living on the Peninsula spent four years testing the limitations and utility of the waves.^{(src: Frequency File #2, Part 2)} There is little information regarding the five years between 1950 and 1955, but it is assumed that Dr. Turner spent that time further tinkering with her discovery and possibly showcasing it to various government officials.

By 1955, the federal government had taken notice of Dr. Turner's LIM technology and their interest became apparent immediately. They seized Dr. Turner's home, as well as the area around it, establishing the Olympic Exclusion Zone - or the Zone - and what would be known as the Deep Zone, and placed the concept of LIM technology under the strictest confidentiality.

A new governmental branch, ARDA (Advanced Resonance Development Authority), was established and tasked with cordoning off the Peninsula and using it as ground-zero for further experimentation into LIM technology.^{(src: Frequency File #2, Part 2)}

The boundaries of the Zone were expanded once in 1961, originating the Mid Zone, and once again in 1967, originating the Outer Zone.

In 1973, as a result of a catastrophic energy burst at a LIM technology fair, the entire town of Sierram was destroyed and Colossal Cappy was formed.

According to Francis Cooke, ARDA lost its funding, thus the organization then fired all of its staff and ordered everyone to evacuate the Exclusion Zone. The zone was officially sealed by 1987.

In 1998, The Driver is warped into the Zone and the events of Pacific Drive begin.

Geography

The zone is segregated into three sections, each surrounded by a 500 meter tall wall. Sections are further subdivided into Sectors, lettered A to G and skipping over to R, which are then divided into Junctions, taking their Sector letter and adding a number to it (ex. E1, R4). There are six different types of environments occuring in the Zone, known as Biomes, there being two Biomes per Section.

Outer Zone

The Outer Zone is the most stable, recent, and largest section of the Olympic Exclusion Zone. It was established in 1967 and includes: Sector E (Southeast), Sector F (Northeast), and Sector G (Southwest).

This section of the zone is separated from the Mid Zone by the Expansion Wall and the outside of the Zone by an unnamed outer wall.

Its big story location is Sierram.

Outer Zone junctions use the Blistering Woods and Damp Forest biomes.

Junctions

Outer Zone Junctions
Type	Identifier	Junction Name
Junction	JCT E1	Sierram
Junction	JCT E2	The Downs
Junction	JCT E3	N/A
Junction	JCT E4	N/A
Junction	JCT E5	N/A
Junction	JCT E6	N/A
Junction	JCT E7	N/A
Home Junction	JCT E8	The Auto Shop
Highway	HWY F1	N/A
Junction	JCT F2	N/A
Junction	JCT F3	N/A
Junction	JCT F5	N/A
Highway	HWY G1	N/A
Junction	JCT G2	Expansion Wall
Junction	JCT G3	N/A
Highway	HWY G4	N/A
Junction	JCT G6	N/A
Junction	JCT G7	N/A
Junction	JCT G8	N/A
Junction	JCT G9	N/A

Mid Zone

The Mid Zone is the middle section of the Zone. It was established in 1961 as the first expansion of the Zone's original borders. It includes: Sector B (North, a single highway junction), Sector C (Center) and Sector D (West).

This section of the zone is separated from the Deep Zone by the Old Wall and the Outer Zone by the Expansion Wall.

Its big story location is the Red Meadow Research Facility.

Mid Zone junctions use The Mires and The Scorch biomes.

Junctions

Mid-Zone Junctions
Type	Identifier	Junction Name
Junction	JCT A9	Old Wall
Highway	HWY B1	N/A
Junction	JCT C1	Red Meadow
Junction	JCT C2	N/A
Highway	JCT C3	Rest Stop
Junction	HWY C4	N/A
Junction	JCT C5	N/A
Highway	HWY D1	N/A
Junction	JCT D2	N/A
Highway	HWY D3	Acrid waters
Junction	JCT D4	N/A
Junction	JCT G2	Expansion Wall

Deep Zone

The Deep Zone is the original and most unstable of the sections. It was established in 1955 and includes: Sector R (Northwest) and Sector A.

This section of the zone is separated from the Mid Zone by the Old Wall.

Its big story location is the Well.

Deep Zone junctions use the Red Spires and Smokestacks biomes.

Junctions

Deep Zone Junctions
Type	Identifier	Junction Name
Junction	JCT A1	N/A
Junction	JCT A2	N/A
Highway	HWY A3	N/A
Junction	JCT A4	Tourist Attraction
Junction	JCT A5	N/A
Junction	JCT A6	N/A
Junction	JCT A7	N/A
Junction	JCT A8	N/A
Junction	JCT A9	Old Wall
Junction	JCT R2	N/A
Junction	JCT R3	N/A
Junction	JCT R4	N/A