Rhizome 9 in a crater on the Moon.
Rhizome 9 in a crater on the Moon.
Rhizome 9 is an underground Moon base and post-apocalyptic shelter. It is the setting of Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward. There are 54 Rhizomes on the Moon.
Each Rhizome is connected via an underground pathway to prevent Radical-6 from entering and to allow easier travel between them. It is unknown what numbering system is used to designate each Rhizome and thus, the meaning of the facility's number can't be determined.
Because Earth was destroyed by Radical-6 and the antimatter reactor disaster in April 2029, humanity expanded to the Moon. As such, the Rhizome is equipped with a pantry full of food, a game room for entertainment, a library, a group of rooms for people to sleep in, an infirmary, and a garden.
At some point before the events of Virtue's Last Reward, this Rhizome was abandoned for unknown reasons, although it was probably because it was reserved for the AB Project. The road connecting it to other Rhizomes was cut off with steel plates.
Rhizome 9 has two floors: Floor A (above) and Floor B (below). Like the names imply, Floor A is the uppermost floor and Floor B is the lowermost floor.
It's also implied that there is more to the Rhizome than what is shown, as there are inaccessible locked doors found in some escape rooms.
Virtue's Last Reward[]
Rhizome 9 blowing up on the Moon.
Rhizome 9 blowing up on the Moon.
The Nonary Game: Ambidex Edition occurs here on January 25, 2074 in order to send Sigma Klim and Phi's consciousnesses back in time to prevent the spread of Radical-6 and save the lives of six billion people. This would also prevent the explosion of the 18 antimatter reactors on Earth which caused a nuclear winter.
For much of the game, the players are unaware that they are on the Moon. Only in Dio END does the player see what lies beyond the Number Nine Door.
Dio explodes Rhizome 9 using 4 Antimatter Bombs in several routes.
Floor A[]
Map of Floor A.
- Warehouse A, contains AB Rooms and the number nine door, leading to a lift to the outside.
- Crew Quarters
- Infirmary
- Lounge
Floor B[]
Map of Floor B.
- Warehouse B, contains the white Chromatic Doors as well as an alternate entrance into Rhizome 9.
- Archives
- B. Garden
- Control Room
- Director's Office
- GAULEM Bay
- Laboratory
- Pressure Exchange Chamber
- Pantry
- Q
- Rec Room
- Security
- Treatment Center
Trivia[]
- Rhizome 9 contains nine images of "lions eating suns" in the escape rooms. This is what the graffiti means.
- In AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative, another game directed by Kotaro Uchikoshi, the character Ryuki mentions Rhizome 9 in a line of optional dialogue, calling it the "Moon Base".