The ZAIN Project (ザインプロジェクト) is a central concept from both the Strider Hiryu manga and its NES adaptation, as well as the main reason for both Hiryu and Kain's fight against Enterprise and Matic.
The project codenamed "ZAIN" was initiated and has been under development for at least 30 years by the business organization Enterprise and its director, Faceas Clay[1]. Faceas Clay has been keeping the project in total secrecy, as he plans to use it to control all humanity and take the throne of a god.
The ZAIN machine is a brainwashing weapon. Through a small radio transmitter implanted on the neck, the machine is able to manipulate the subject by sending a certain kind of electric wave into an area of the brain known as "Crocodile's Area", from where the most basic behaviors can be issued[2]. In this way, ZAIN destroys the mind and forces the subject into acting out of instinct rather than reason.
Development History
Discovery
Initial research into the human mind led to the discovery of a mysterious area of the brain, which controls the most primitive of human behaviors such as "eat", "sleep", "kill" or "escape". This area hidden deep within the human subconscious was christened the "Crocodile's Area" (ワニの領域), comparing it to a Black Crocodile hiding in a swamp awaiting for a prey to attack.[2]
Following this discovery, a scientist from the "Central Control Organization" (Enterprise's legal name) was able to streamline the body's natural electric current into this section and discovered it tuned to a certain kind of radio wave[2]. By directing these radio waves into the brain, it was possible to control basic actions in human subjects, though perfect control was considered impossible since the human brain isn't yet fully understood and there exists many mysteries about its workings.[2]
This led to the creation of a computer system and transmitters capable of broadcasting these radio waves. The project received support from the Kazakh government and police force, who intended for it to be used as a weapon to neutralize any opposing force into controllable puppets[2]. The project's true goal, however, is to use the machine as a way to control all humans seeking to "perfect" them by removing the "evil" that exists within them, the root of all of society's problems.[3]
Effects on subjects
Once implanted on the subject, the transmitter exchanges the body's electric current with radio signals from ZAIN, generating hallucinations in the subject's mind[4]. This creates a sense of alienation and solitude, which evolves into a fear of imminent death, a deep paranoia where everyone is plotting to kill him; and finally a state of rage, violence and bloodlust. These hallucinations are permanent, causing a total loss of sanity in the subjects.[5]
The process is eventually irreversible, turning the subject into a shell of its former self, a zombie-like being who can barely move, grunt and swing whatever they hold in their hands at perceived threats. If the transmitter is damaged or disabled in time, however, this can be prevented and the subject comes back to their normal self after a short time. Receiving a fatal injury can also break the mind control and bring the subject back to normal, as seen briefly before Mariya's death.
Enterprise continued conducting experiments in an attempt to perfect the process and achieve full control of the subject's mind without destroying it.
Technology
Enterprise developed specific technology in order to transmit and conduct the radio waves of ZAIN in a way that'd allow them to control the subject's mind.
Transmitters
A radio transmitter was developed in order to conduct ZAIN's radio waves into the brain. The first models are small pea-shaped interfaces that need to be implanted through surgery into the subject's neck, leaving a noticeable bump. A second model was developed by the director of the Kazakh Federation Mental Institute. It's called a "bullet-type" due to its shape, and can easily be implanted using air guns.[4]
Further research on the bullet-type implant was halted following Hiryu and Kain's infiltration and destruction of the building. Research on the original model continued and it appears eventually managed to perfect the mind control, with the Host Computer going through an upgrade process to allow it to control anyone on Earth who has been implanted.[6]
ZAIN Terminals
- Main article: ZAIN Terminal
To expand the effective range of the project's mind-control ability, various stations known as ZAIN Terminals are installed in different parts of the world. These terminals are all interconnected as a network of relay computers and are dependent on the "Main Tree" to operate[7]. Likewise, destroying them has little impact, and the project remains active as long as the Main Tree is operational.[8]
Although several are said to exist all over the world, only a select few are actually known in each adaptation.
List of known Terminals
| Location | From | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Kazakh Federation Mental Institute | Manga | An operational terminal, the result of 30 years of research by the director. Destroyed by Hiryu during his and Kain's infiltration. |
| Amazon Institute | Manga | Infiltrated by Hiryu and Kain in order to track down the Host Computer. Was under heavy protection by both Enterprise and Matic's men. Destroyed. |
| Sahara Institute | Manga | Not visited, mentioned by the Kazakh Institute Director. |
| Chinese Base | Game | Protected within a tower base. Hiryu was sent here by Chief Kuramoto to destroy it. |
| Kazakh Secret Police HQ - Underground | Game | Kept deep underground in the headquarters' dungeon. Destroyed by Hiryu after his trip to China. |
| Africa | Game | Hidden inside a cavern, and under protection of the Strider Matic Unit. Destroyed by Hiryu. |
| Australia Base/Africa | Game | Found in an isolated area within the African cavern, only accessed through a Transport Tube in Australia. Destroyed by Hiryu. |
| Los Angeles | Manga | The ZAIN Host Computer, the most important station. Much more massive than the other Terminals, it's shown in the manga to be built as part of the large skyscraper that serves as Enterprise's headquarters[9]. Its destruction marked the end of the project. |
| The Red Dragon | Game |
Mankind Restructuring Project
The Mankind Restructuring Project (人類改造計画) is the next step in Enterprise's plans following the completion of the ZAIN brainwashing machine. As every human on Earth is put under the control of the ZAIN Host Computer, the intention of this plan is to take over the world and rebuild human society via mind control, assuming the role of a God ruling over all humans.
Secretary Yuri excitedly describes how they will be able to monitor every human's thoughts and actions, and control them fully in order to carry out the renovation of mankind. He also states that this will only apply to lower-class citizens, and those in positions of power (such as Matic) will not be implanted or controlled by ZAIN[10]. The project's true goal as envisioned by Faceas Clay, however, is to remove humanity's malice (something he considers a mistake left behind in humans by God) via mind control and rule over them as a guide, ensuring all of mankind enters a "Millenium of Bliss" (至福千年紀) where there are no more wars and wealth is distributed equally among the populace.[3]
Given Clay's more altruistic objectives, it'd appear he would be the only one with control over humanity, and Yuri is either oblivious or was lied to about the project's final goal, and in the end, neither he nor any other higher-up is going to be spared ZAIN's mind control.
Notes
- The Crocodile's Area referenced in the origins of the ZAIN Project appears to be based on an actual real-life term known as the "reptilian brain" or "reptilian complex", part of the Triune brain model about the evolution of the brain in vertebrates. The reptilian brain is the assigned name of the basal ganglia and similar to the Crocodile's Area, it's said to be involved in controlling a species' instinctual behaviors.
- The 2014 Strider referenced this concept in the ZAIN Project v2, a similar project related to brain research but intended to create the "perfect warrior" instead of a brainwashing machine.
References
- ↑ Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 3, Pg. 113. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 3, Pg. 70. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 6, Pg. 189. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 3, Pg. 81. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
- ↑ Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 3, Pg. 82. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
- ↑ Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 5, Pg. 162. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
- ↑ Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 3, Pg. 114. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
- ↑ Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 6, Pg. 188. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
- ↑ Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 5, Pg. 159. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
- ↑ Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 5, Pg. 163-164. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.