MxO begins immediately after the truce.
"The Matrix Online is a massively multi-player role playing game that takes place immediately following Matrix Revolutions." - Toby Raganai, Lead Designer, Monolith. Source - Games fusion interview. June 24, 2004.
The framework of the Novallis II was the one in the best condition and that's why it was the first to be salvaged and repaired. If you've ever seen military mechanics at work you'd know why this is possible in a very short period of time. We were first informed on DN1 of Neurophyte during Nightfall I think which takes place in the second month. We were given the official story of the Novallis II during Choice and Consequence which happened in fourth month. Here is the official story on that ship, straight from Tyndalls personal records ... shhh .. don't tell her I'm reading her stuff. She'll kick my butt this time for sure ...
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Novalis II, Refitted Pacer Class Hovercraft, designated 227. Novalis II is our first new hovercraft, even if it is one of our old ones…
The war was hard on everyone in Zion, but the Zion Military took perhaps the hardest hit. With almost every single one of their trained redpills killed, and almost all of their hovercrafts destroyed, there was a faction within the Military that wanted to write off the Matrix entirely. Luckily for today’s redpills, an aggressive training program began instead – hoverbarges were built, redpills recruited, and the Matrix continued to be the center of the battle for the future.
It was soon discovered, however, that an older style of hovercraft was needed. These hovercraft were fast, and stealthy, and most important, they allowed a group of redpills to work independently of Zion without eyes looking over their shoulders. With that in mind, the Military set out to survey what was left of their old fleet.
Many hovercrafts, like the Brahma, were destroyed so utterly that nothing usable could be salvaged. Others, like the wreckage of the Novalis, were in fairly good shape. The Novalis’ flight-frame was more or less intact. With replacement parts already present in Zion, it was soon up and running. The only question remained: who would crew this ship?
Concurrent with the lack of hovercrafts, the Zion Military was faced with a shortage of trained redpills. Most were killed at the end of the war, and those who remained were either in training or too inexperienced to take command. It was these first days after Neo’s Truce that Zion faced a crisis of confidence.
Faced with a need to move fast and talk its way out of most of its problems, Zion most needed a person able to handle the pressures of being the first hovercraft captain after the Truce. This new captain needed to be able to talk when talk was needed, but fight hard when the going got tough. With the resurrection of the Novalis, now named by her captain Novalis II, came the promotion of a promising young redpill, Sawayaka
Sawayaka found herself in a unique situation. Both the Machines and Exiles placed unusual emphasis on her appointment. Considered the forerunner of a new era, Sawayaka and her crew became more than the first new hovercraft… they became a symbol of the new Zion emerging from war.
Combining the roles of diplomats, soldiers, and even entertainers, the crew of the Novalis II has emerged from these critical first months ready to help Zion and humanity find their way.
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