Mako Reactors
From Final Fantasy Wiki
- "The Shin-Ra Electric Power Company found a way to use the Lifestream as an energy source. Thanks to the Shin-Ra, we were able to lead very comfortable lives. But isn't that because we were taking away from the planet's life?"
- —Marlene Wallace
The Mako Reactors are giant reactors, created by Shin-Ra Electric Power Company in Final Fantasy VII. The reactors are large machines built to forcibly extract the Lifestream from the earth and process it into Mako. Because Mako energy is efficient in comparison to other fuels (implied to be coal and oil in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII) used at the time, and Mako reactors can be built almost anywhere, Mako allows Shin-Ra to acquire a monopoly on electricity production and almost rule the world.
The Mako Reactors were designed by Reeve Tuesti several years prior to Final Fantasy VII. It is unknown exactly when the reactors were designed, but in Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-. the rebel group AVALANCHE has already formed, so the reactors were surely designed and built at least five years in the past, which is approximately when Before Crisis takes place. This also coincides with Midgar, Shin-Ra's headquarters, still being under construction in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-.
According to the novella On the Way to a Smile: Case of Barret, it is revealed that the flow of the Lifestream has changed since the coming of Meteor, and thus the Mako reactors can no longer access it and produce Mako. As well, the reactors have been shut down since people feel indebted to the Lifestream for saving them. Still, small bits of Mako remain in the reactors, which are used by the Midgar survivors to build Edge near the city's ruins. In Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-, Reeve and the World Regenesis Organization destroy the reactors to prevent Omega Weapon from drawing the Lifestream through them.
Contents |
[edit] Known Reactors
[edit] Midgar Reactors
A total of nine reactors were built in Midgar - eight surrounding the city, one for each sector, and one underground to power the Shin-Ra Headquarters and the base of Deepground. In the opening events of Final Fantasy VII, AVALANCHE is able to blow up the Sector 1 Reactor, causing a brief power outage. AVALANCHE later bombs the Sector 5 Reactor, even thought Shin-Ra had anticipated the attack and brought reinforcements. Despite the bombings, the two reactors are either rebuilt or more likely, repaired and returned to operational status.
Late in the game, the Sister Ray is moved to Midgar. Without Huge Materia from Junon to power the cannon, the Sister Ray is connected to the eight Mako reactors surrounding the city. When then cannon fires, putting Midgar into a temporary blackout, it successfully destroys Diamond Weapon and pierces the barrier Sephiroth has erected over the Northern Crater. At this time, Professor Hojo takes control of the cannon to overload it and fire again, giving Sephiroth more Mako. Through the intervention of AVALANCHE, Hojo is killed and the cannon shut down. The Mako reactors apparently continue to be used until Meteor arrives.
[edit] Fort Condor Reactor
A large condor lives on the top of this reactor. Throughout the game, the condor appears dormant, protecting its eggs, and both it and the Reactor are protected by rebels living in the fort. The presence of the bird interferes with Shin-Ra's attempts to retrieve a Huge Materia from within the Reactor, and they repeatedly attempt to remove it and defeat the rebels held up in the fort. A mini-game within the main storyline is to combat Shin-Ra and save the condor mother, after which time the mother dies and the egg hatches into a chick, along with the Phoenix Materia.
The Master Command Huge Materia is also found here.
[edit] Corel Reactor
The Corel reactor is a reactor located near the coal mining town of North Corel. Several years before the game's storyline begins, Shin-Ra executives convinced the townspeople of Corel (including Barret Wallace) to sell their coal-mine to the company and allow the construction of the Reactor. At some point after the construction of the Mako Reactor, Corel was burned down by Shin-Ra in response to an apparent terrorist attack on the Reactor. The Gold Saucer theme-park is constructed above the ruins of Corel. With nowhere to go, the survivors built a small shanty town which they named North Corel. This event is critical to several sub-stories in the game.
The Master Magic Huge Materia is produced in this Reactor and transported by train to North Corel.
[edit] Junon Underwater Reactor
The Junon Reactor is the only Reactor that resides underwater. It has its own Submarine dock, and can be accessed from ground level by an elevator.
The Master Summon Huge Materia is taken from here by submarine.
[edit] Gongaga Reactor
This Reactor was installed near the small town of Gongaga, but an accident caused a devastating explosion, killing many of the villagers. The Titan Summon materia can be found in its ruins.
[edit] Mt. Nibel Reactor
For reasons unknown, the Mt. Nibel reactor holds many horrible secrets. It housed a chamber containing subjects of extensive experimentation by Shin-Ra scientists, who tested the effects of injecting Mako directly into human beings. The entity Jenova was also kept within this Reactor at one time, but was moved to Midgar after the village was razed by Sephiroth. The reactor continued to be used to power Nibelheim, however, and it is likely that the test subjects at the reactor were either destroyed or moved as well.
The Huge Materia that can be harnessed as the Bahamut ZERO Summon Materia was produced here, transported to Junon, and then shipped from there to Rocket Town by way of the Gelnika.
[edit] Modeo Reactor
A reactor was originally planned to be build in Modeoheim. The reactor construction had already begun when the project was scrapped. The few resident scientists abandoned the town and it was not visited again until the partial reactor was briefly used as a base by Genesis's forces.
[edit] Wutai Reactor
Shin-Ra targeted Wutai to place a reactor there, but the ruler of Wutai, Godo Kisaragi, refused. This led to the conflict known as the Wutai War. Although Shin-Ra won the war, for unknowns reason they abandoned their plans to build a reactor at Wutai.
