California Ground Zero

California Ground Zero is the official name given to the two major cities of California that have been taken over and destroyed during the 2042 Mutricon Raids: San Francisco and Los Angeles. These two cities are unique in that they are home to hundreds of thousands of Mutricon soldiers, making California Ground Zero the only Chokepoint where they can be encountered naturally and on a regular basis.

Both cities have been damaged severely as a result of the attacks. San Francisco has several repurposed buildings and parks that Mutricon soldiers use to keep human prisoners, essentially turning the entire city into one massive gulag. As a result, the borders of the city are heavily guarded by Mutricon soldiers and vehicles, with technology matching or surpassing that of Palliative Animal Weaponry. P.A.W. units are typically shot and killed on sight due to the Mutricon's aggressive nature, and as a result, San Francisco is home to several chokepoints reserved for only the most battle hardened veterans.

Los Angeles is in significantly worse condition: Approximately 95% of the city is in ruins. Buildings are destroyed or severely damaged, barely able to support themselves as a result of the bombing runs the Mutricons performed. Corpses of both humans and Mutricons litter the streets, as well as items such as crates. Mutricons have officially pulled out of this location, but some remain to scavenge the post-apocalyptic wasteland, or to guard the repurposed LAX Airport, which is now a maximum security prison for survivors of the attacks.

## Chokepoints

### South Central

South Central is a Level 5 Chokepoint, the lowest clearance level out of all of California Ground Zero. This Chokepoint is used as a "preview" of the rest of the region used to train P.A.W. units for handling Mutricons in greater numbers. It is situated in an undisclosed area of Downtown Los Angeles. Several destroyed buildings and building chunks litter the streets. Some of these buildings contain crates that can be looted. Overall, the Chokepoint is very massive with large amounts of open space, allowing long range weaponry to shine here.

There is also a tram that can be operated with the help of a Blackhat Class unit. Once hacked, it can take units to other nearby Chokepoints. These locations are: Griffith Observatory, Grand Park. It can also take units to the LAX center, but the tram cannot be taken to this location until all units in the party are at the proper level.

Once in a while, small squads of Mutricon soldiers (typically 1-6) will patrol the streets. The Mutricons have very unpredictable attack patterns that vary depending on what species of Mutricon are in the squads. Caution is to be taken when engaging them, as they utilize much more powerful weapons than P.A.W. units or humans use that can inflict fire or electric damage. These weapons contain biometric locks and cannot be used, but they can be picked up and taken home. Caution is to be taken when doing so, as there is a chance that these weapons are armed with "Biometric Bombs", which will detonate if a unit picks up the weapons.

In the center-left area of the Chokepoint lies a large crater. Rubble is abundant in the crater where buildings used to be. This area is more close-quarters oriented and darkened by the smoke, dust, and other hazards. Some buildings and parts of the ground are on fire, and there are also holes units may fall down which contain loot crates. Typically, they contain weapons. One must get out with the help of another unit if they fall down these holes. It is also recommended to use Bug or Sonar to locate enemies through the smoke, as visibility here is very low. Mutricons can use the smoke to their advantage and strike unexpected units. During certain events, a Mutricon soldier here serves as a boss.

### Grand Park

Grand Park is a Level 6 Chokepoint. Once a beautiful park hosted in the Los Angeles Civic Center, it has now been claimed by nature. Walkways are littered with debris and plantlife.