GAIA (second)

"The lesson will be taught in due time, Aloy. Until then, we wait."

This article contains heavy spoilers. Read ahead with caution.

"Look, I swear I'm not drunk, but right now I'm seeing double!"

There are two pages on this wiki with similar names. This page is about the second iteration of GAIA brought to life in Horizon Forbidden West. You may be looking for the original iteration of GAIA created by Elisabet Sobeck.

GAIA is a backup of the original GAIA that Aloy brought to life to replace the original after she destroyed herself. She is a major character in Horizon Forbidden West, and a minor character in Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores.

Appearance[]

GAIA retains the same holographic human appearance as her predecessor, but remains golden at all times, never changing color.

History[]

Development[]

Multiple backups of the original GAIA were sent to LATOPOLIS for use in testing the HADES subordinate function, each containing a root kernal from which GAIA's mind can grow if it has a sub-function to form a heuristic matrix with.^[1]

These backups were left in LATOPOLIS after the facility was abandoned. They were unaffected by Ted Faro's purge of the APOLLO database (which also purged backup copies of GAIA) due to the protection of LATOPOLIS.^[1]

Horizon Forbidden West[]

Centuries later, following the Battle of the Alight, Aloy spent six months fruitlessly searching for backup copies of GAIA to no avail,^[2] as Ted's deletion of APOLLO had purged the backup copies of GAIA along with it. However, Sylens learned through interrogating HADES about the backups within LATOPOLIS, which was isolated from any external signals and therefore unaffected by Ted's purge.^[1] Aloy found two intact backups within, while they only contained GAIA's root kernel and were devoid of any subordinate functions for it to form a heuristic matrix, Aloy was also able to locate MINERVA in the mountains west of Plainsong.^[3]

After restoring MINERVA to its original code state, Aloy was able to boot up the second GAIA. Initially, the AI mistook Aloy for her creator before accessing the data on her Focus and learned the truth. After granting access to the facility to Varl and Zo, GAIA showed them to the lab where Aloy could repair corrupted machine overrides while her heuristic matrix became fully functional.^[4] During their discussions, it became clear that the second GAIA retains most of the memories of the previous GAIA.

The Eye of the Earth — Aloy discussing the situation with a newly booted up GAIA.

GAIA spoke with Aloy in regards to two major threats: the missing subordinate functions and Far Zenith. GAIA quickly ran a search for the former; while APOLLO, ARTEMIS and ELEUTHIA couldn't be found, she was able to locate AETHER, DEMETER and POSEIDON within reach, and HEPHAESTUS within the global Cauldron network. Aloy had to recover the subordinate functions so GAIA could gain enough strength to subdue HEPHAESTUS and through it, the entire terraforming system to ensure the stabilization of the biosphere. As for the strangers who stole the other GAIA backup, GAIA speculated they were descendants of Far Zenith and that they were the ones who sent the Extinction Signal from Sirius to awaken HADES.^[4]

GAIA assigned Aloy to retrieve the three attainable subordinate functions to grant her enough heuristic density to fully absorb HEPHEASTUS, otherwise the rogue AI would absorb her instead. With HEPHAESTUS, she'd be able to retask the machines of the terraforming system to stabilize the biosphere, as well as manufacture an army to defeat the Zeniths.^[4] While Aloy was away collecting the subordinate functions, GAIA focused on training her allies in use of their Focuses and well as shared what information she knew of the world of the Old Ones.

Distress Signal 2 — The SOS signal received by GAIA.

After Aloy returned with the first subordinate function,^[5] GAIA informed her of an SOS signal from ELEUTHIA. She asked Aloy to investigate whether or not the signal was genuine and summoned Varl and Erend to assist her. It turned out the distress signal was from Beta under the guise of ELEUTHIA, who had managed to escape the Zeniths and stole the other GAIA root kernel. Through Beta, it was revealed that Aloy and GAIA's initial assumption regarding the Zeniths was incorrect; the Zeniths were not descendants of the original Sirius colonists, but rather the original Far Zenith members who had achieved physical immortality. With Aloy's encouragement, a pessimistic Beta began working with GAIA on a way to capture HEPHAESTUS.^[6]

When Aloy later returned with the second subordinate function, GAIA advised her to speak with Beta for information on Tilda van der Meer.^[5]

After Aloy had procured the third subordinate function,^[5] GAIA, along with Beta, laid out the plan to capture HEPHAESTUS: Beta would construct a rig with enough data storage to transport GAIA to Cauldron GEMINI, which her predecessor constructed with two data cores after it was damaged by seismic event. However, any attempt to merge with HEPHAESTUS would create a significant power surge the Zeniths would detect, so Aloy proposed having Erend, Zo, Kotallo and Alva spread out to the other Cauldrons and use pulse generators in an attempt to distract the Zeniths. Even though GAIA calculated that such a tactic would be effective, Beta informed them that HEPHAESTUS had written Alpha Clearance out of its access module. Aloy then suggested they find Ted Faro's Omega clearance. Though Beta protested that it was located in Ted's private bunker, Thebes, and that the Zeniths only knew of its general location in San Francisco, fortuitously, Aloy was aware that the Quen had set up a base in the city and decided to seek out Alva.^[7]

Capture[]

Following Aloy's unsettling experience in Thebes and successful acquisition of Omega Clearance,^[7] GAIA informed her that she estimated the merge with HEPHAESTUS would take 35 hours, increasing the risk of detection by the Zeniths. So Aloy proposed that both she and Beta perform the merge, which GAIA calculated would lessen the time to 4.5 hours. After Aloy managed to convince Beta to go through with the plan, GAIA was then transferred into the transport rig and mounted on a Charger on the way to GEMINI. Once installed on the first core, GAIA summoned HEPHAESTUS. While it managed to escape the second data core, GAIA managed to keep it from escaping the Cauldron. After Aloy managed to force it back into the core, she and Beta attempted the merge. Unfortunately, they were interrupted by the Zeniths, who weren't at all fooled by their ruse. While Tilda betrayed the other Zeniths and escaped with Aloy, Varl was killed by Erik Visser, resulting in both GAIA and Beta's capture by Far Zenith.^[8]

Both of them were brought to the Zenith base, where Beta was forced to begin the time-consuming task of merging HEPHAESTUS with GAIA herself,^[9] who was left impotent in her rig. Additionally, GAIA was merged with APOLLO, ARTEMIS and ELEUTHIA.

Fortunately, in Aloy's attack on the Zenith base, Kotallo and Alva destroyed the base's regulator, allowing Beta to inject HEPHAESTUS into base's printer matrix, allowing it to rapidly manufacture combat machines that overwhelmed the Zeniths and their Specters. As Aloy freed Beta, they learned the truth of the Zeniths' plans from Tilda. As it turned out, the colony on Sirius was destroyed by Nemesis, an immense database of the minds of Far Zeniths that gained sentience, and had sent the Extinction Signal to deny its creators a safe harbor on Earth. In truth, the Zeniths didn't want GAIA to retake Earth, but rather to terraform a new planet for themselves while Nemesis scoured Earth in futility. Tilda still desired to carry out that plan and attempted to abduct Aloy as a way of making up for leaving Elisabet to die a thousand years ago, which ultimately resulted in her death.^[10]

With the defeat of Far Zenith, GAIA was returned to the Base, where she began calculating new options to recapture HEPHAESTUS, which had escaped back into the Cauldron network.

Associated Quests[]

Horizon Forbidden West[]

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores[]

To the Burning Shores (mentioned only/post-quest conversation)
Heaven and Earth (post-quest conversation)
The Stars in Their Eyes (post-quest conversation)
For His Amusement (voice only/quest conversation)
His Final Act (post-quest conversation)

Trivia[]

GAIA is named after the Greek primordial deity Gaia who is the personification of Earth and the ancestral mother of all life. In Greek mythology, Gaia is the ancestor of all Greek deities. Similarly, she is the grandmother or great-grandmother of all named sub-routines contained within her AI.
GAIA appears to have inherited most of her predecessor's early memories, being able to remember her interactions with Elisabet, as well as members of the Zero Dawn staff, but appears to not fully remember events during the original's function as the AI of Zero Dawn, relying on data to piece together information as opposed to specifically remembering events.^[11]

Gallery[]

Screenshots[]

References[]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 As mentioned by Sylens during Death's Door.
↑ As mentioned by Aloy during Reach For The Stars.
↑ Death's Door
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 The Eye of the Earth
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 The Kulrut/The Sea of Sands/Seeds of the Past
↑ Cradle of Echoes
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 Faro's Tomb
↑ GEMINI
↑ As mentioned by Tilda van der Meer during All That Remains.
↑ Singularity
↑ As mentioned by GAIA during a conversation at the Base.

Wiki Navigation[]

AI Characters
Project Zero Dawn AIs	AETHER - APOLLO - ARTEMIS - DEMETER - ELEUTHIA - GAIA (original) - GAIA (second) - HADES - HEPHAESTUS - MINERVA - POSEIDON
Firebreak AIs	CYAN
Far Zenith AIs	Nemesis - The Julius
Other AIs	Nova - OLMO - VAST SILVER

[:6-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 As mentioned by Sylens during Death's Door.

[2] As mentioned by Aloy during Reach For The Stars.

[3] Death's Door

[:7-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 The Eye of the Earth

[:8-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 The Kulrut/The Sea of Sands/Seeds of the Past

[6] Cradle of Echoes

[:9-7] 7.0 ^7.1 Faro's Tomb

[8] GEMINI

[9] As mentioned by Tilda van der Meer during All That Remains.

[10] Singularity

[11] As mentioned by GAIA during a conversation at the Base.

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