2360:During the occupation Zer's father Rin knew the Cardassians were brutal, but he believed that if they cooperated and worked with them they could make life on Bajor better than before. He tried his best to do just that.  He even worked in the government as a Bajoran liaison. Unlike the other collaborators who did what they did to the detriment of their people he had good intentions. In spite of this, people still hated him for it. His own family disowned him for being so friendly with the Cardassians. His own brother pretended that he didn't even exist. Even so he went on with his life trying his best to make things better for his people. What he didn't know is that he wasn't going to be very successful. 

2367:While he was working at the government office he was an employee of, he met a young Cardassian nurse named Arvi Gora in Sick Bay. He would get sent there every so often due to clumsiness and injuries recieved from his fellow Bajorans. They became friends and eventually grew to love each other. 

2369:After dating Gora for a year or two, Rin decided that he couldn't live without Gora. They couldn't get married because their two races were at odds with each other. He couldn't risk anyone finding out. He had built a house several miles outside of the city, especially since people in the city hated him. He decided that they were going to live there together. They both left their jobs, and Rin snuck Gora out of the city to their new home. The Cardassians were leaving anyway, so no one would miss her. They were very happy together. After things cooled off in the city, Rin got a job in a store to provide for them.

2372:In the past few years they spent together they didn't have any children. Then finally Gora gave birth to a healthy baby boy they named Zer. At that moment they were the happiest they've ever been. 

2380:When Zer was eight years old a tragedy happened in his life. By this time Rin had become a manager in the store where he worked. A man that worked in the store with him needed to speak with him about some important business. It was Rin's day off, so he wasn't at the store. The man new Rin lived outside of the city, so he went to find his house. Rin had gone out to get some fire wood. Zer wanted to go outside and play with his mother. About that time the man found the house. He was about to go up to the door and knock when Gora and Zer opened the door. When he saw the Cardassian he held back in the shadows behind the bushes and trees. I wonder where the Cardassian came from. He didn't know the woman, but he thought that the child looked a little like Rin. He wasn't sure, but his suspicions were confirmed when Rin returned. He kissed the Cardassian woman, ruffled the child's hair, and all three of them went into the house. He was in total shock. That would explain why he lives so far outside of the city. He completely forgot about talking to Rin. He went back to the city and repeated what he saw to the other people who work in their store. They were outraged. They called Rin a traitor, gathered a mob together, and made their way to his house. Some time later Rin heard a commotion outside. When he opened the door to see what was going on he saw the crowd of people looking angrily at him and calling him a traitor. They had weapons, so he knew his secret was discovered. He closed the door to barred it. He then told Gora and Zer to escape out the back door, and that he would hold them off. He could hear them pounding already. Just as they slipped out the back door the mob broke through the door. As they ran for their life they heard Rin scream. They had tears in their eyes as they ran knowing that he was dead. As they continued to run they heard the mob catching up to them. Gora told Zer to keep running and she would try to slow them down. He didn't want to leave his mother, but she insisted. As he continued to run he heard his mother's voice telling the mob to follow her. After a few times of running he suddenly heard his scream echo through the air. He was completely alone now, and he was scared that the mob would come looking for him too. He began to climb a tree and climbing as high as he could he sat there as quietly as possible. After sitting there for a while there was no disturbance, so he knew that they had given up on finding him. He was so distraught and scared that he didn't want to move, so he stayed in the tree until the morning. 

After being homeless for several weeks now he was starving and weak. One day he smelled a very delicious scent while in the city, and after following the scent it led him to an orphanage. He snuck into the kitchen after checking that no one was around, and he was about to take some food when he was caught by a lovely young Bajoran woman. When she saw how weak he was she gladly gave him some food. She asked him his name and fearing that his father's name would be recognized he told her that his name was Arvi Zer. She told him that her name was Niva Kor and asked him if he had a home. He didn't, so she told him that he was going to stay there. The people that ran the orphanage weren't happy about it, but they didn't want to leave an innocent child on his own. They then raised him and educated him. In spite of this that doesn't mean he had a good life. He continually endured mockings and abuse from the other children and the adults because of his mixed heritage. Because of this he grew up timid and withdrawn. The only one loved and cared about him was Kor. The other adults who worked there ridiculed her for that. "Why do you care about that little abomination Kor?" they'd say. "He's just a filthy half-breed." Then she'd say, "Every child deserves to be loved. Besides, he can't help he's the way he is." In spite of the ridicule she went right on giving him the love he most desperately needed and deserved. She was the only light in his now wrecked life. Because of her he didn't become bitter about his life, and because of her he didn't lose faith in the Prophets. 

2390:By the time he was eighteen he decided it was time to leave the orphanage and make something of himself. He thought about what he should do. He decided he wanted to do something that would help people. After all, he would want someone to help him when he needed it. He wanted to do the same. He decided that the best way to do that is to become a doctor. He expressed his desire to the warden, and said that he would need to get a job to pay his way. Hoping to get rid of him as soon as possible the warden offered to pay his way to anywhere he wanted to go. He gratefully accepted and decided to study at a civilian medical school on Earth. So he bid a sad and affectionate good bye to Kor and went on his way. He was sent to San Francisco the Federation capital to go to school. He thought that it would be best to train as a nurse and work his way up. 

2396:Through his six years of training Zer tried his best a graduated with honors. He then easily got a job as a nurse at a local hospital. His life was finally starting to look up. 

2402:After six years of service as a nurse he decided to enter Star Fleet Academy. He majored in medicine and minored in science. He specialized in Biology and Linguistics.