Something occured to me whilst reading the shotgun thread. The difference in technology levels in FFVIII is quite astounding. On the one hand you hand trains and classic cars driving around small towns. On the other, spaceships that can fly in atmosphere, Esthar, Shumi village.

Aliens exist in VIII in the form of the Lunar Cry, and Pupu. Alien technology also exists in the form of Lunatic Pandora (I think).

But things such as Shumi Village, and Garden both use highly advanced technology. The Garden's flight methods certainly look alien. Who funded Garden? A shumi.

So where do they get the technology from? Why is travelling anywhere such a huge deal to a species who could so easily profit from their knowledge? Why do they isolate themselves in such an unnatural looking village in the middle of nowhere? Where has their species even come from? Nothing even vaguely resembles them or there abilities anywhere else.

So what do you all think? Could Shumi's have come with Lunatic perhaps? Are they totally separate? Are they from the same world as humans?