Life before the events of Horizon Zero Dawn came to an abrupt end at the hands of the Faro Plague. Before humanity could fully perish, however, Elisabet Sobeck spearheaded Project Zero Dawn — an initiative that entailed constructing an autonomous terraforming system that would rebirth life on Earth after the Faro Plague had been dealt with. For this project to come to fruition, Sobeck needed the brightest minds in the world.
As a part of Project Zero Dawn, a large bunker was constructed. This bunker, known as Elysium, would serve as a living space for all the people Sobeck called on to help. Even though it isn’t an explorable area in Horizon Zero Dawn, there’s already plenty of intrigue surrounding it.
A Safe Haven After Project Zero Dawn
The large, sealed bunker of Elysium was built to house all the people who worked on Project Zero Dawn, along with their immediate family or two people of their choosing. They would move there once work on the project was completed and live out their remaining days there, even after Zero Day — the day when all life on Earth was eradicated. According to datapoints in the game, the bunker would be able to sustain 2,000 individuals for up to 100 years. It was not designed to repopulate the planet, as resources were limited.
Elysium was named after the afterlife in Greek mythology. In the original mythos, Elysium was also known as the Isles of the Blessed as it was reserved for humans who were chosen by the gods, the righteous, and the heroic. The people there are said to live happy and blessed lives. If anything, the choice of name shows just how much Sobeck believed in Project Zero Dawn, and that she and her team were doing the right thing — though not everyone would share her sentiments.
Not Everyone Would End Up in Elysium
During the early stages of Project Zero Dawn, Sobeck would have professionals from multiple fields pulled out of their current responsibilities and asked to work for Project Zero Dawn. The true nature of the project, as well as the deception involved in Operation: Enduring Victory, would be explained to them. After which, they’ll be given a choice — participate in Project Zero Dawn or not. Choosing to help Sobeck and her team would grant the person access to Elysium after the project was completed.
However, those who decided that they did not want to be part of the project would not be allowed to leave the Project Zero Dawn facility, as they already knew the truth of the initiative. As such, they could only choose between detention and medical euthanasia. Dr. Susanne Alpert, an environmental scientist, willingly chose the latter. This was because she learned that everyone who would reside in Elysium needed to be sterilized. Aside from that, she didn’t believe that life on Earth had a chance anymore, after the Faro Plague.
As for those who chose detention, these people were to be confined within the Project Zero Dawn facility until the project’s completion. They would not be allowed to contact anyone from the outside world until then. Once GAIA was completed, those who had still not opted for medical euthanasia would be released, where they’d presumably have to fend for themselves in a decaying Earth.
There are no datapoints in the game that explicitly mention anyone who was detained throughout the span of Project Zero Dawn. However, there are audio logs hinting that those who refused to cooperate would be detained by force. In one interview, Ron Felder, an aerospace engineer, lashed out against his interviewer, thinking that Project Zero Dawn was a space project similar to the Odyssey. In the next interview, after learning the truth of the project, he lashed out again, calling Sobeck a “dangerous fantasist” and demanding release. At the end of the recording, Felder cries out, “get your hands off me!” suggesting facility personnel forcibly detained him.
These rigid protocols showcase a much darker side of Project Zero Dawn. A chosen few are torn away from their normal lives and then forced to choose between compliance, detention, and death. All the while, Elysium is presented like some sort of prize for those who opt to comply — a living space where one could live the rest of their years naturally, fully knowing that life on Earth was in the process of being completely and utterly destroyed. Still, everyone in Elysium supposedly deserves to be there as they were on the side of the righteous — at least, Sobeck’s idea of it.
This is not to discount Sobeck’s work, as her role was not an easy one. It’s also worth noting that she and the rest of the Alphas chose to remain in GAIA’s facility while everyone else was transported to Elysium. Overall, she knew the consequences of the project she was taking on, and these morally dubious acts are just some of said consequences. Though, to Sobeck, they were necessary for the sake of Project Zero Dawn. Time proved her right as she ultimately ensured that life continued on Earth — not a fantasist after all.
Elysium in Horizon Forbidden West
With so much intrigue surrounding Elysium, players are wondering where the bunker actually is. It doesn’t seem to be anywhere on the map of Horizon Zero Dawn. Though in a datapoint, Charles Ronson, the Alpha of ARTEMIS, explains that evacuations to Elysium were successful and that the bunker was just a matter of miles away from GAIA’s facility. Given this, the community theorizes that Elysium could be an explorable area in the game’s sequel, and that it may hold more lore about the old world. Whether this is the case will have to wait until the release of Horizon Forbidden West.
Elysium served as a literal afterlife for those who were involved in Project Zero Dawn. Although the circumstances of how its inhabitants were chosen reveal a somewhat disturbing process, the bunker served its purpose and the project was successful. Hopefully, Horizon Forbidden West devotes more time to this structure and the stories that lay dormant within it.
Horizon Zero Dawn is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.
