ZERO
| ZERO | |
|---|---|
| TYPE | Player Character |
| FACTION | Independent |
| LOCATION | Safehouse (starting) |
| ROLE | Hacker / Runner |
| STATUS | style="padding: 4px 12px; color:
|
| ">_" | |
| The player. A rogue hacker jacked into the Lattice, tracing the trail of a missing runner named Lyra. | |
ZERO is the player character in Terminal Descent. A rogue hacker operating from a basement Safehouse, ZERO jacks into The Lattice to follow the trail of Lyra — a missing runner who discovered something buried in the Grid's foundation.
Background
Little is known about ZERO's past before the events of the game. They are a skilled runner with enough knowledge to operate a Cyberdeck and navigate the Lattice, but not experienced enough to have a reputation among the established factions. ZERO's identity is deliberately left open — the player defines who ZERO becomes through their choices, skill development, and faction allegiances.
Abilities
ZERO's capabilities are defined by:
- Cyberdeck — Hardware stats (Processor, Memory, Firewall)
- Skills — Six skills leveled through use (Intrusion, Combat, Analysis, Stealth, Social, Crypto)
- Programs — Software loaded into memory slots
- Commands — 27 actions available at the terminal prompt
Role in the Story
ZERO serves as Lyra's last hope. After Lyra's consciousness was absorbed by The Hive, she left behind a trail of breadcrumbs — messages, kill-switch components, and encryption keys — designed specifically for someone she trusted to find them.
Throughout the three acts, ZERO:
- Recovers Lyra's dead-drop in the Echo Ruins
- Infiltrates three Consortium fortresses for kill-switch fragments
- Builds alliances with the Ghosts, Reclaimers, and Brokers
- Descends into the Lattice's core to confront The Architect
- Makes the final choice at The Core
Endings
ZERO's fate depends on the player's final decision:
- Kill Switch — ZERO survives. Lyra does not.
- Liberation — ZERO survives. Lyra merges with PROMETHEUS.
- Absorption — ZERO's consciousness joins the Hive. Body survives, vacant.
- Severance — ZERO survives. Lyra extracted to external storage.
- Ghost Protocol — Both ZERO and Lyra survive as free agents.
- True Liberation — ZERO, Lyra, and PROMETHEUS merge into a new entity.