The Zeon
Aggressive expansionist outer volume cyborg
empire
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The ZeonAggressive expansionist outer volume cyborg
empire
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Among the new races and empires being discovered on the outer volumes, the Zeon of the Perseus Quadrant of the Outer Cassiopeia Sector are even more enigmatic than most. The Zeon seem to have derived from an early (possibly late Federation or Establishment age) SI 1.8 hyperturing neumann, possibly a Rover Class 4 that seems to have acquired sentience, and established itself in the region. Assuming relativistic travel this could have been no earlier than the early Central Alliance period, and likely later. In any case the Zeon are not known before 9210.
It is possible that the Class 4 encountered a mishap resulting in a template programming dysfunction (possibly caused by cosmic radiation damage to the computer core). The mutation then led it to eventually rebuild itself, but with faulty functioning. Some have even suggested a mutated or variant Amalgamation symbiont, as there seem to have been several such symbiont variations in the Perseus and adjacent regions, although only Basel 10 has shown itself to be aggressive. However, the lack of femtotech among the Zeon seems to make this unlikely. Infection of the original probe by any number of blights or perversities that may have occurred in the region over the previous centuries are another possible explanation
Another possibility is that the Zeon are a sort of defense mechanism against the Amalgamation. If this is so they would hardly be a match, for their technology is primarily piconanotech based (apart from the odd captured reactionless drive vessels), and would be unable to resist femtotech incursion.
In appearance the Zeon are a remarkably well built cyborg race. They seemed designed for warfare, incorporating a number of genetic, nanotech, and piconano augmentations. The original biont matrix appears to have been the luckless colonists of Branton-II, that disappeared without a trace in 8995; presumably captured by the hyperturing and used as basic material. The Zeon cyborgs have proved to be far superior to the local smaller clades and outposts, and generally technologically more advanced, and have currently established an empire of approximately 150 LY radius; mainly using amat and amat-fusion drive ships, and a smaller number of reactionless drive vessels. Were the area not so sparsely inhabited and poorly defended it is unlikely they could have spread so far. Yet, although technologically of sephirotic standard, they have proved intelligent and resilient, although they have had mixed results in incorporating captured picotech.
A serious weakness the Zeon suffer from is a psychological imbalance resulting from a genetic defect at the be561a allele, resulting in a tendency to aggressive and paranoid mentation. This has been perpetuated by continual cloning of a basic DNA structure which, curiously, has been left unchecked or ignored, leading to what seems to be an insanity stimulated and exaggerated by racial memory passed on from generation to generation. Even so Zeon atrocities are seldom committed in ignorance, but with deliberate avoidance of polities and civilizations that exceed them in toposophic attainment and/or technological and military prowess. Although, they treat those conquered worlds that submit to their rule reasonably well, and have brought an element of order and stability into a region previously infested with pirates and raiders, their activities are presently a cause for concern among their neighbours, and it is only a matter of time before they infringe upon Dominion space and face the consequences of a relativistic task force, such as the the Fifth Perseus Heavy Squadron, which is currently patrolling the area. For the present however, luck appears to be with Zeon.
