Overview
Code Zero is the Bureau of Anomaly Control containment operation that recruits Esper Zero into formal anomaly hunter service after they are discovered at the ground zero of the Hypervortex disaster. Following a period of observation and detention by the Bureau, the protagonist agrees to participate in Code Zero containment operations as the condition of release. The agreement places Zero under Bureau jurisdiction while assigning them to the Eibon Antique Shop as their new Appraiser.
The operation's name explicitly references the protagonist's title (Esper Zero) and the unprecedented nature of their case: a Class VII anomaly survivor with no prior records, complete amnesia, and a unique ability to perceive the true essence of anomalies. Code Zero is not a generic mission category but a designation specifically created to handle Zero's situation, reflecting the Bureau's institutional response to a one-of-a-kind anomaly contact.
Origin of Code Zero
The Hypervortex was a catastrophic Class VII anomaly that nearly destroyed New Helios at dusk, delivering what official accounts describe as a catastrophe "both magnificent and devastating." The phenomenon drew bizarre lifeforms to Earth, transformed the surrounding environment, and corrupted any observer who looked directly at it. A mysterious associated rain turned people into violent husks of themselves, prompting the warning "Remember, do NOT look at it."
The protagonist was found at the ground zero of the disaster with no memories of their past, possessing a unique ability to perceive the Nexus of anomalies. Demonstrating awareness of the Hypervortex's Nexus core was enough to convince the Bureau of their value, though the unprecedented nature of the case left questions about Zero's identity, origin, and connection to the disaster unresolved. Code Zero formalized the Bureau's response: detention transitioned into supervised containment work in exchange for ongoing observation.
What Code Zero Authorizes
Assignment of Esper Zero to the Eibon Antique Shop branch as Appraiser
Authorization to investigate, appraise, and engage anomalies on behalf of the Bureau
Ongoing Bureau observation of Zero's abilities and behavior
Provisional unlicensed status: Zero begins work without formal Appraiser certification (the operation explicitly accepts this irregularity)
Code Zero containment authority over Class VII anomaly responses, since Zero's unique ability is uniquely suited for those cases
Unlicensed Appraiser Status
Esper Zero is described in official lore as the first "unlicensed" Anomaly Hunter. Normal Appraisers complete the Bureau's containment safety examinations and receive formal registration before being authorized to take field assignments. Zero begins work without that paperwork, with Code Zero explicitly accepting the irregularity. Eibon's boss takes a pragmatic view, suggesting that "a little rule-bending won't hurt" given the shop's precarious financial situation and the value of Zero's abilities.
This unlicensed status creates ongoing tension throughout the early story. Zero takes commissions and engages anomalies on Eibon's behalf despite lacking the Bureau's formal stamp, while the Bureau itself watches from a distance, weighing the value of Zero's contributions against the protocol breach. The arrangement is functional but uneasy, fitting the broader theme of Eibon Antique Shop operating at the margins of the Bureau's official structure.
Story Significance
Code Zero is the inciting event that brings the protagonist into the world of the main story. Without Code Zero, Zero remains in Bureau detention and the player has no entry point into Hethereau's anomaly hunter community. The operation effectively serves as the story's onboarding mechanism: it justifies why an amnesiac protagonist with unprecedented abilities ends up working at a barely solvent antique shop instead of in a more obvious institutional setting.
The operation also seeds questions that recur throughout the story: who was Zero before the Hypervortex? Why does the Bureau allow such an irregular arrangement? What does the Bureau's continued observation reveal as Zero builds a case file across multiple anomaly investigations? These threads tie Code Zero into the broader investigation arc that drives the main narrative.