Zero Shift is an ability unique to high level Orbital Frames, using the space compression abilities of metatron to transport the entire frame short distances near instantaneously by means of the urenbeck catapult. Appearing to the naked eye as outright teleportation, frames using it gain near insurmountable combat advantage due to the massive increase in speed and manoeuvrability, appearing behind their opponents and performing high speed hit and run attacks. The two frames using it, Anubis and Hathor, were indeed able to quickly overwhelm their counterparts Jehuty and Isis, despite most other capabilities being of a similar level.
As well as space compression ability enough to encorporate the mass of the Orbital Frame itself, the complex calculations required require a high level A.I. running specially designed software. Due to being lost before this software was complete Jehuty and Isis both lacked the ability to perform Zero Shift despite mechanical capability, though Jehuty later recieved a firmware update that activated this capacity. Impressively if not somewhat dangerously James Links and the Dolores A.I. managed to perform a Zero Shift by means of simple observation and theorectical understanding of turning the Vector Trap upon themselves, though in this case they simply disappeared and reappeared without use of the urenbeck catapult effect.
Zone of the Enders: the 2nd Runner[]
Zero Shift is a weapon that appears in The 2nd Runner, and is used both by Jehuty and Anubis. Anubis already has the Zero Shift capability initially. Jehuty obtains the weapon from Lloyd after defeating Inhert, but it does not become immediately available. Only after the program has sunk into Jehuty's programming does it become usable by Jehuty. The player can control the direction of the shift by holding the analog stick to warp backwards while locked on to a target. Holding the X button down allows the user to warp downwards and Triangle upwards. Zero Shift is the only item not to consume subweapon energy. While it appears instantaneous, Zero Shift does in fact have a movement speed, though the only instance in which the player can meaningfully observe this is during the battle with Inhert on a New Game +, in which it is possible to lock on to and thus Zero Shift to Inhert from several times the normal reach of Jehuty's combat zone. The sheer length of the blacked-out arena means even the use of Zero Shift will take Jehuty several seconds to reach Inhert.
Trivia[]
- Every user of the Zero Shift thus far had to have been defeated with the Zero Shift or some variety of the Zero Shift. In both cases, however, both Frames without Zero Shift have been able to damage their counterparts who have had it.
- Oddly enough, every user of the Zero Shift shown thus far has been shown to be self-sacrificing or suicidal to a certain extent. Anubis and Nohman wanted to activate Aumaan to wipe out all of existence, Radium and Hathor wanted to topple the Earth Orbital Elevator to eradicate Earth's population, A.D.A. intended to self-destruct within Aumaan in order to cancel out its explosion, and the Dolores A.I. intended to go as far as sacrifice her own energy reserves to ensure the Elevator's stability.
- During the battle with Anubis inside the Urenbeck Catapult trip to Aumann, Anubis's Zero Shift behaves in an abnormal manner, with the frame turning black and sliding around the battlefield at a comparatively slow pace. Anubis is invulnerable to attack while its color is shifted in this manner, but its movements can easily be tracked with the naked eye. It is unclear if this is a result of attempting to use Zero Shift while inside a space that is already compressed, as Jehuty's own Zero Shift does not exhibit these anomalous properties, though this may be for the sake of gameplay mechanics.
Subweapons |
Bounder · Comet · Decoy · Floating Mine · Gauntlet · Geyser · Halberd · Homing Missile · Javelin · Mummy · Phalanx · Sniper · Vector Cannon · Wisp · Zero Shift |