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The Organization
ZFT came to the attention of Olivia when it was mentioned in John Scott's case files. In Power Hungry, Scott led Olivia to a basement containing several encrypted files related to Pattern investigations that he was conducting on his own, outside Fringe Division (perhaps as a member of a secret NSA task force, as revealed in The Transformation).
In In Which We Meet Mr. Jones a parasite infecting Mitchell Loeb was found to contain in its DNA the repeated sequence ZFT, hidden as a
cipher. Broyles describes ZFT as an organization which is part of an unknown number of privately funded cells with presence in eighty-three countries. Members are not terrorists in the conventional sense; they traffic in scientific progress, not drugs or weapons. Pattern-related events may simply be proof that scientific theories and experiments work.
In Midnight it was revealed by the recently deceased Dr. Nicholas Boone, a member of ZFT, that the man funding the organization is none other than William Bell, founder and CEO of Massive Dynamic and Walter Bishop's former lab partner.
The Manuscript
The exact meaning of "ZFT" was discovered in Ability to be Zerstörung durch Fortschritte der Technologie, or Destruction Through Technological Progress in English. It is a self-published anonymous manuscript, a copy of which was obtained from a contact of Peter Bishop specializing in collectible and rare books.
The document explains how scientific and technological progress will lead to the Apocalypse. It also describes the existence of a parallel world inhabited by beings not unlike us existing in an history slightly ahead of our own. The document further states that the way to travel between the universes has been discovered and that the final outcome of these travels will be the survival of only one of the two worlds: us or them.
Walter points out that the term recruit used by Jones in the instructions for his evaluation system is also found in the ZFT manuscript: "Many warriors of the inevitable confrontation are among us now - but before they can be considered soldiers, they must be regarded as recruits. And the expectation must be that they shall be unwilling".
In
Bad Dreams,
Nick Lane mentions the "Man with Glasses,"
Isaac Winters, spoke "all of the old words," echoing the ZFT phrasing.
Walter appears very interested and troubled by the manifesto. At the end of Ability he confirms to himself that an old portable typewriter in his own lab has been used to type the document. In The Road Not Taken, he demonstrated the peculiar elevated "y" character of the typewriter to Peter and revealed that William Bell purchased the machine.
In Over There, Part 1, Walternate explains to members of the Fringe Division in the alternate universe that his book ZFT (published in 1995), talking about holes in the fabric of the universe associated with natural and environmental disasters which started in 1985 at Reiden Lake (the Zero Event), was a half truth and that these holes are the work of man and lead to an alternate universe on the other side.
Transcribed Content
- Transcriptions of pages from the manuscript.
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From the page seen in Ability[1]:
...t and to never surrender. Give yourself to the cause and the
fight, and to the victor goes history.
The other is as determined as we are and is never to be underesti-
mated in his intention to destroy us. His understanding of the
...is complete and his determination to survive is unimpeach-
able. We shall not heed his words nor allay his fears.
The nature of the universe allows for all the circumstances needed
to present us with this unwelcome opportunity. Would that it were
...and that existence of all beings could be allowed to contin-
ue. Alas, that is not to be.
Who are these who are to fight? What is the selection process? Is
this a natural phenomenon or is it a construct of further arrogance
on the part of humanity?
[??] the last: Both. Neither.
Humanity is naught but the collection of it’s moments and the sum
of it’s parts. That some s[??]be used to counter others is as natur-
al a selection process as the lion and the gazelle, Homo-Sapien
and Cro-Magnon. In this there is comfort should it be needed.
This is not a war of hatred and anger. It is a battle of survival.
Thus the Soldier to come is both natural and, fairly, unnatural. A
...ter to his enemy and a hero, possible a god, to his charge. Do
not underestimate the feelings that victory will instill in both
savior and saved, either. This is a thought to be covered later.
The question for now is what is the Soldier and what is the Re-
cruit?
The former is the culmination of millennia and days both. The time
to develop the intellect is beyond imagination, yet the prepara-
tion for the exercise of it is measured in comparative nanoseconds.
The latter is the clay from which the other is formed, a potential
without release until the training and revealing has been enacted.
But even that will not happen without the preparation of science.
This is the conundrum of our knowledge. This is part of the mys-
tery of what we are about to do.
In all of history, only a few bloodlines have been found to be
ready for the work of our body. Only very few of those of the
right lines are capable of dealing with the responsibility and
fewer still are able to field the weapons of their ...
Over many years the right individuals have ...
...sible, but for now, our list is complet...
...here is no time to continue the ...
...of a select few, the identi...
Soldier and Recruit alike. ...
...pt this ignorance ...
This is ...
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From the page seen in The Road Not Taken[2]:
Those who shall be among those saved will be those...
chosen to fight, this much is obvious. What is also...
the assistance of the many who have brought us to this point...
without their realizing it. This will be accomplished by...
of those who know. Yet willingly move about in the camp...
initiated. They will move the unknowing in the direction...
need to be guided
What we know as reality is only a fragile membrane on...
of a larger multiverse.
A skin on a bowl of pudding.
The unknown truth is that the means to crossover have already been
discovered — by beings much like us, but whose history is slight-
ly ahead of our own.
These beings are not of our world as such, and as such should be trea-
ted as enemies. Were it possible to negotiate...
so but this is not possible because they...
uld suspect.
slightly ahead of our own is an...
deserves attention. Later in this document...
as to what exactly this means and how it is possible...
ice for now that our future is not necessary...
through it should be remembered that the f...
amount of clarity, be obfuscated. This is not a cost...
statement and again will be explained.
ns of our victory depends on a confluence of scientific...
ent and the willingness to used that which would other...
our destruction.
cy is paramount and need not be justified. Government...
society in general are not prepared for the knowledge we...
must at all cost be kept from it lest a catastrophe...
take place. The destruction for within of the human...
nestion as to the right of existence is one that shal...
ed..
the lives of those formerly unknown beings des...
continue unadulterated? Would that the situation...
there is no question as to the infeasibility
destruction is assured were it...
It is not just ourselves who...
the other is as culpable...
this reason alone...
|
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From the pages Walter studies in Ability:
but this commingling of universes will violate the natural or...
Both ours... and theirs.
Cross-pollination will lead to a series of inevitable breakdown...
Unquantifiable at first, but growing, not unlike a cancer, until...
simple fact becomes self-evident.
Only one side will prevail. And it will be wither us...or them.
Many warriors of the inevitable confrontation are among us now.
But before they can be considered soldiers, they must be regarded
as Recruits. And the expectation must be that they are
unwilling.
A black horizon approaches. Our scientific advancements have so
dramatically outpaced those of the human soul that man, a creation...
defined by passion and greed, now stands at the base of an in...
pyramid of knowledge which expands heavenward with with no regard for the
the frailty of its foundation. We will as a species, surely be
crushed beneath its weight.
But we will not simply perish. The very fabric of our universe
will be torn to rags.
like an infant conducting the firmament, these technological trends will
produce a cumulative impact far more catastrophic than the minds of its
architects can possibly understand.
Against those men of science, whose grand investigations will usher...
in the cataclysm, stand only a handful who can see beyond the horizon,
Soldier angels who must watch over and protect us before...
blind, thoughtless beast fed by thousands upon thousands of our...
Pandora's force open the locks of Nature and compel her to spill...
her precious secrets.
Of all the beings considered for the gift of continuance, only those
who qualify at the molecular level are to be approached.
...not their resistance deflect our intent. All rules of societal...
behavior are void in the pursuit of the goal. Morality has no place...
...in the coming battle and those that hesitate will perish in the coming...
table dec...
generally understood (but...
ine, and which this document..
What we know as reality is ...
of a larger multiverse.
A skin on a bowl of pudding.
.. unknown truth is that the
..d -- by beings much...
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- Transcriptions of excerpts read from the manuscript.
A reading from the foreword by Peter in Ability
|
The advances of science which is supposed to expand our knowledge
of the universe, will, if not carefully controlled, destroy the
world as we know it...
Our technological ambitions have not only driven us to the brink
of catastrophe, the catastrophe has already begun. What will the
apocalypse look like? The answer to use a term generally
understood but the specifics of which you cannot imagine,
in which this document will attempt to describe, is “warfare”.
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An excerpt read by Walter in Ability
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...We think we understand reality, but our universe is only one of many.
The unknown truths of the way to travel between them has already been
discovered, by beings much like us but who's history is slightly ahead
of our own. The negative aspects of such visitations will be
irreversible both to our world and to theirs. It will begin with a
series of unnatural occurrences. Difficult to notice at first but
growing, not unlike a cancer, until a simple fact becomes undeniable
only one world will survive and it will either be us or them.
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A reading by Walter near the end of The Road Not Taken
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...Our children are our greatest resource. We must nurture them and
protect them. We must prepare them so they can one day protect us.
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Associations
| Theories about these unanswered questions should be placed and read at ZFT/Theories
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| Unanswered questions
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- Do not answer the questions here.
- Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer.
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Unanswered Questions
- Is the ZFT unpublished (or self published) in our universe, but was published as a mainstream book in the parallel universe?
- If they are different, who authored each version?
