[Books and Artifacts] IV: The Price of Progress

 

The Price of Progress

 

     Not all know what it is I do. It's better that they don't. I am among those who were selected to study the Guardian Ascended, to do whatever necessary to discern the nature of their Ascension and recreate it synthetically for our soldiers. The first time they brought me a subject, I got sick to my stomach. But then I got to work on his deconstruction. That was the last time I let my work bother me. He cried out miserably, demanding to know why it was he who had been chosen.

"Perhaps you should ask the Vigil," I responded, making some adjustments on the machine and avoiding his pleading gaze. "As for me, I would tell you it was all chance. You happened to fall into our nets. But you are the one who believes in divine purpose, Guardian, not me."

"This is not the will of the Vigil." He muttered. Then, "But why do this?"

I stopped my work, looked him directly in the eye, and said, "Because there is no other choice. You and your kind left us with no other choice. The world is ending. Consider it your last great act of heroism that you may have at last been part of preventing it." He seemed to consider my words.

Then he slowly shook his head. "This is heresy. We will all burn."

I paused for a long moment, then, as I powered up the device, I said "We may. But if we succeed, many others may not. That is our sacrifice."

His screams were terrible. At one time they would have shaken me. But when I remembered the cries of our dead and dying in Meridian, and the sound of the world breaking as Regulos ate out it's heart, I find it curiously easy to block out the memory of his cries.

 

 



     *And here's something else I found in the Life Factory of interest! It's not a book and it's not really a lore piece, but I liked it all the same, so I'll record it here.

 

 

 Protocols for Proper Ascended Regeneration 

 

1. Never use a skull, pelvis, or any of the large bones to begin the regeneration process. Instead, choose a small bone so that if there is a slight mismatch with the subject's original skeleton, it does not end up a fatal problem. For example, a phalanx from the hand is ideal, for a finger of a slightly shorter or longer length will not cause the subject many health problems upon return to life.
2. An exact balance of sourcestone must be achieved. There can be no substitutes or miscalculations in the measurements or the body will collapse and the soul will be lost.
3. Do not eat or drink near the resurrection forges.
4. A soul must rate a 50 on the Valis-Farwind scale to be worthy of regeneration.

 

 

 

 

Reference: The book "The Price of Progress" can be found on a crate behind you when you first spawn in the Defiant tutorial zone. There's no author or any indication of who the person writing the page could be. And it reads like the part of a diary. Obviously it belongs to one of the scientists. Maybe even Sylver? Who knows, I don't. I find it interesting that Regulos ate the heart of Telara. Does that mean he ate the big powerful Sourcestone core? As for the Protocols piece, I wonder what a "50 on the Valis-Farwind scale" actually means....they measure a soul? By what do they measure it? Skill, power? Potential? Personality? I'd LOVE to know!!! Anyway, both of these can be found in game and do NOT belong to me! They belong to awesome Rift and Trion!!! <3