Difference between revisions of "And Another Question..."
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| level = 80 | | level = 80 | ||
| req-quest = | | req-quest = | ||
| req-items = 1 | | req-items = 1 Stellar Magnesium, 1 Stellar Cumin, 1 Meteoric Bonito | ||
| requirements = [[Disciple of the Land]] | | requirements = [[Disciple of the Land]]<br>Trusted [[Reputation]] maxed | ||
| exp = | | exp = 24684000 | ||
| gil = 1295 | | gil = 1295 | ||
| reward(1-10) = | | reward(1-10) = | ||
| unlocks = r5 Omicron | | unlocks = r5 Omicron | ||
| prev-quest = | | prev-quest = Longing So for All the Fish | ||
| next-quest = | | next-quest = The Restaurateur's Guide to the Dragonstar | ||
| release = Endwalker | | release = Endwalker | ||
| patch = 6.25 | | patch = 6.25 | ||
Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
| id-gt = | | id-gt = | ||
}} __NOTOC__ | }} __NOTOC__ | ||
==Steps== | ==Steps== | ||
*Speak with [[Jammingway]]. | *Speak with [[Jammingway]]. | ||
Line 33: | Line 30: | ||
*Speak with [[N-7000]]. | *Speak with [[N-7000]]. | ||
*Speak with the [[sophistic Ea]]. | *Speak with the [[sophistic Ea]]. | ||
*(MIN) Mine [[ | *(MIN) Mine [[Stellar Magnesium|stellar magnesium]] west of [[the Ragnarok|the ''Ragnarok'']]. 0/1 | ||
**Deliver the [[ | **Deliver the [[Stellar Magnesium|stellar magnesium]] to [[N-7000]]. 1/1 | ||
*(BTN) Gather [[ | *(BTN) Gather [[Stellar Cumin|stellar cumin]] south of [[The Vitrified Fort|the vitrified fort]]. 0/1 | ||
**Deliver the [[ | **Deliver the [[Stellar Cumin|stellar cumin]] to [[N-7000]]. 1/1 | ||
*(FSH) Catch a [[ | *(FSH) Catch a [[Meteoric Bonito|meteoric bonito]] at [[Fishing Log: Abode of the Ea|the abode of the Ea]]. 0/1 | ||
**Deliver the [[ | **Deliver the [[Meteoric Bonito|meteoric bonito]] to [[N-7000]]. 1/1 | ||
*Speak with [[N-7000]] in [[A-4 Research]]. | *Speak with [[N-7000]] in [[A-4 Research]]. | ||
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* You arrive on Elysion to find it inhabited by new life─a species of jellyfish-like creatures matching naught real or reconstructed in N-7000's database. The Ea speculate that these creatures might be born of some long-lost memory of their infant forms, and dub them the “Miw Miisv” in hopes that they may unlock further insights into the corporeal Ea that once were. | * You arrive on Elysion to find it inhabited by new life─a species of jellyfish-like creatures matching naught real or reconstructed in N-7000's database. The Ea speculate that these creatures might be born of some long-lost memory of their infant forms, and dub them the “Miw Miisv” in hopes that they may unlock further insights into the corporeal Ea that once were. | ||
==Walkthrough== | |||
* Speak with the Host Unit to teleport to the Last Dregs | |||
==Dialogue== | |||
<pre>N-7000: <whirr> Greetings, [Forename]. This unit commends your fulfillment of objectives relating to the care and feeding of Grebuloff customers. Pescatarian menu items, in particular, have met with high approval ratings. | |||
N-7000: Current mission is proceeding─as audio records indicate your people would say─“swimmingly, hahaha.” | |||
Jammingway: We've learned much from the Karellians and Grebuloffs, and the Last Dregs is now the site of joyful cultural exchange. But don't take our word for it─come and see!</pre> | |||
<pre>(Optional) N-7000: Café status: moderately busy. Waiting times nominal. | |||
(As the cutscene begins, the camera focuses in on a particularly soup-obsessed Grebuloff) | |||
Jammingway: We should keep an eye on that one. They've already polished off three bowls of soup today. | |||
N-7000: Well-fed Grebuloffs provide important mission data. Soup-related sacrifices must be made. | |||
Jammingway: Oho... You like making customers happy! Admit it! | |||
N-7000: <whirr> This unit merely acknowledges customer satisfaction as more conducive to mission objectives than mutual hostility. Speaking of which, Patron-005 and Patron-006 should be closely monitored... | |||
Jammingway: Try to change the subject on me, will y─ Wait, who are Patron-005 and Patron-006? | |||
Jammingway: Hail, newcome patrons! I, Jammingway, would like to personally welcome you to the Last Dregs. Can you tell me a bit about your home star? | |||
Ominous Figure: ...... | |||
M-104: Analyzing metaphysical waveform... Nihilism protocols activated. | |||
<beep>... <beep>... <beeeeeep> | |||
Ominous Figure: It has shared in our truth and shed the self. This is well. The universe, too, is finite. Only in death may we embrace true infinity... | |||
Jammingway: Did you just assassinate my barista? Why would you do that!? | |||
N-7000: <whirr> Situational analysis complete. New customers are of the Nibirun civilization. This society eliminated concepts deemed unpleasant by organic life-forms, such as “war” and “death.” In so doing, individuals attained physical immortality and a state of unified comprehension. | |||
N-7000: Their projections were insufficient, however. The Nibirun people only realized that the elimination of strife would similarly destroy their sources of joy when it was too late. At that point, they jointly decided it would be preferable to return to nonexistence. | |||
N-7000: Pardon this unit for a moment... Halting shutdown processes. Troubleshooter initialized. Repair features and self-determination algorithm restored. | |||
Nihilistic Nibirun: Why have you returned this being to the finite? The golden mercy of Ra-la was so close at hand... | |||
Jammingway: Sweet Mother, this is terrifying! Cultural exchange be damned─we can't let them near the other patrons. | |||
N-7000: On the contrary─this unit believes that exposure to other civilizations may benefit these customers, and invites them to tour the local simulations of dead worlds. | |||
Nihilistic Nibirun: To be certain, the nature of other civilizations is a long-held curiosity of ours. It may be...interesting to discuss their inherent futility. | |||
N-7000: That is “the spirit”! All societies in Ultima Thule are subject to unique manifestations of despair, so this unit recommends comparing each to the tragic perfection of the Nibirun. | |||
Nihilistic Nibirun: We are in favor. To arrive at philosophical resonance with such beings will fill much time before blessed obliteration...</pre> | |||
<pre>Player response options: | |||
1. ...What the hells? | |||
2. I hope you have a plan to prevent this place from falling to despair.</pre> | |||
<pre>N-7000: You have already demonstrated to the peoples of Ultima Thule that despair can be overcome. Projections indicate that, once restored, hope is not so easily extinguished. | |||
Jammingway: Hmm... So you think they'll be able to help each other, like you saved M-104 just now? | |||
Jammingway: I suppose I should be glad that they took you up on it. Those Nibirun make my fur stand on end! I don't want them anywhere near Elysion... | |||
Jammingway: It would be nice if we could cure them of their ennui, of course, but I cannot see how. | |||
N-7000: <whirr> The Nibirun are the last dead civilization with sufficient data for replication. Should it prove impossible to turn them into satisfied customers, the probability of further developments on Elysion is low. | |||
Jammingway: Oooh, that is frustrating. Why must they be so much scarier than the other two? I retract my complaints about our soup budget. | |||
Jammingway: Well, what if we invite patrons from another civilization instead? The Ea, for instance. | |||
Jammingway: There is no reason we have to build all of our own customers, and they seem rather thoughtful. At the very least, it would make good practice in philosophical debate. | |||
N-7000: This unit cannot guarantee that any amount of practice would prepare you to treat with the Nibirun. However, it agrees that inviting local life-forms to the Last Dregs would be good for business.</pre> | |||
===At the Abode of the Ea=== | |||
(Optional)Jammingway: I probably should have asked beforehand, but do the Ea have mouths? That seems a rather important detail in this context... | |||
N-7000: Current objective: convince prospective Ea patrons of the desirability of Last Dregs sustenance. | |||
Jammingway: We'll search for potential customers in this vicinity. Can you ask around at the scary stone circle where everyone stares at the sky? Thanks in advance! | |||
(Optional, found elsewhere within the arena) Nihilistic Nibirun: Indeed, why seek more than these malformed stelae? To those approaching the infinite, such an abode is enough. | |||
====Argumentative Ea==== | |||
<pre>Argumentative Ea: A venue for replenishment and discourse, you say? We once visited similar establishments. They are memorialized today through the existence of our “restaurant,” where we traditionalists gather to restore our aether and vent our petty miseries upon one another. | |||
Argumentative Ea: Your civilization is young, so perhaps you do not yet understand that one such location is more than enough. Even the most transcendent minds can only withstand so much vacuous discourse...</pre> | |||
(Optional) Argumentative Ea: Further details of our restaurant's historical counterparts have been lost to the inexorable flow of time, so they cannot have been terribly important. | |||
====Sophistic Ea==== | |||
<pre>Sophistic Ea: The corporeal beings derive meaning from patronizing this “café,” you say? Felicitations. | |||
Sophistic Ea: Personally, I have long since parted from such material concerns in favor of staring contemplatively into the abyss. To begin chasing hopes and dreams now would be to betray my very principles.</pre> | |||
(Optional) Sophistic Ea: If it is any comfort in your frivolous pursuits, know that I, too, likely once sought meaning─though I can no longer recall such a time. Now, if you will excuse me, there is much staring to be done. | |||
====Return to N-7000==== | |||
(Optional)Jammingway: Ugh... Must they all be so condescending | |||
<pre>N-7000: What is your report, [Forename]? | |||
Jammingway: One would think they could at least show a bit of respect to you, of all people! Out of self-preservation, if naught else... | |||
N-7000: <whirr> The probability of further developments on Elysion is now infinitesimal. | |||
Jammingway: No─I refuse to give up. Their terrible attitudes are all the more reason to make them see the light! | |||
Jammingway: Between the three of us, we will get them to enjoy themselves! | |||
N-7000: ...Implicit threat acknowledged. Initializing joint operation protocols. | |||
N-7000: However, this unit also must acknowledge the non-zero probability of failure. In such a scenario, the odds of ever securing the patronage of the Ea and Nibirun must be revised to “hopeless.” Projections indicate that the business may not survive this outcome. | |||
Jammingway: You're as bad as they are sometimes, do you know that? | |||
Jammingway: [Forename], you mentioned that the Ea once offered you food, did you not? | |||
Jammingway: So they don't consider themselves beyond the concept of repast. There must be a way to build on that to make them understand...</pre> | |||
====Return to the Sophistic Ea==== | |||
(Optional) Jammingway: The moment of truth... | |||
(Optional) N-7000: This unit will attempt to analyze Ea thought patterns for vulnerabilities. | |||
<pre>Jammingway: The moment of truth... | |||
N-7000: This unit will attempt to analyze Ea thought patterns for vulnerabilities. | |||
Sophistic Ea: You interrupt my staring once again. Curious. Is this a physical compulsion? | |||
Jammingway: Er, no. We're simply seeking an enlightened opinion. You seem very...focused, so surely none would be better suited to answer a few questions. | |||
Sophistic Ea: ...I suppose that would be within the bounds of my principles─and as time is inherently meaningless, you will not cost me what might otherwise have mattered. Pray wait a moment, and I will see if other rationally minded individuals are interested in this diversion. | |||
Jammingway: Huzzah! I leave the debating to you, [Forename]─see if you can stimulate their inquiring minds enough to draw them to the café!</pre> | |||
<pre>Objective: Choose the appropriate phrases to generate interest in the Last Dregs. | |||
As the resulting pontification may take several minutes, you may wish to cancel any pending Duty Finder registrations.</pre> | |||
===Attempting to Stimulate the Ea=== | |||
<pre>Sophistic Ea: Truly, there is naught like a rousing examination to take one's mind off the ceaseless torment of existence. Should we start with three hundred fifty thousand, one hundred and seventy-three questions or so? As is customary. | |||
Jammingway: Three hundred and fifty thousand!? I was thinking more in the neighborhood of three... | |||
Sophistic Ea: ...I see that in my cognitive agitation, I neglected to account for your base intellects. Carry on with your paltry queries, then.</pre> | |||
====Question 1==== | |||
<pre>Player response choices: | |||
1. Do you have an interest in gustatory sensations? | |||
2. Do you enjoy a good meal?</pre> | |||
<pre>Player selection: (1) "Do you have an interest in gustatory sensations?" | |||
Sophistic Ea: We long ago abandoned the pursuit of gustatory sensations. Though we yet consume aether to sustain ourselves, we do not experience any particular sensation beyond the satiation of hunger. | |||
Argumentative Ea: That is perfectly sufficient. Though I am curious─you indicated that many beings gather to consume sustenance at your “café.” Do these beings experience gustatory sensations in unison? Does this not confuse and upset them? | |||
Jammingway: Quite the opposite! Taste is key to customer satisfaction─and our customers are very satisfied, I assure you. | |||
N-7000: <whirr> Curiosity detected. This unit concludes that your question piqued their interest.</pre> | |||
<pre>Player selection: (2) "Do you enjoy a good meal?" | |||
Sophistic Ea: Quite. Many traditionalists consume sustenance, and I partake in the occasional absorption of quality aether at the restaurant myself. | |||
Argumentative Ea: A transparent line of inquiry. We have little need of another restaurant─I told you as much already. | |||
Jammingway: Oh dear... I fear you misunderstand what we mean by the term! The food at the Last Dregs offers an entirely different experience than aetherial absorption, I assure you. | |||
N-7000: This unit fears the question may have been excessively simplistic. Data on the Ea indicates a clear preference for mental stimulation via theoretical concepts.</pre> | |||
====Question 2==== | |||
<pre>Sophistic Ea: The diminutive being suggests that gustatory sensations are a primary consideration for your establishment. Biologically, however, these are naught more than a secondary mechanism to prevent primitive organisms from starving to death. Explain this contradiction. | |||
Player response choices: | |||
1. Biology is not the only determinant of a good life, you know. | |||
2. Perhaps to truly comprehend our argument requires tasting for yourselves...</pre> | |||
<pre>Player selection: (1) "Biology is not the only determinant of a good life, you know." | |||
Sophistic Ea: Is it your contention that regardless of their evolutionary purpose, gustatory sensations provide intangible─perhaps psychological or spiritual─benefits? Intriguing... | |||
Argumentative Ea: ...But ultimately unconvincing, if your aim remains to entice us to your “café.” The perception of sustenance is necessarily determined by the nature of one's gustatory and olfactory organs, so to assume that all beings would experience the same positive outcomes is preposterous. | |||
Jammingway: That is true. Nevertheless... | |||
N-7000: Intellectual stimulation is present, but curiosity levels are not yet critical. This unit proposes additional discourse.</pre> | |||
<pre>Player selection: (2) "Perhaps to truly comprehend our argument requires tasting for yourselves..." | |||
Sophistic Ea: ...Perhaps. It is conceivable that, having dispensed with our corporeal vessels, a prolonged absence of sensations experienced by way of the nervous system has limited our imaginations to a degree. | |||
Argumentative Ea: If only we had possessed the forethought to record our gustatory perceptions for posterity... An unfortunate oversight, to be certain. | |||
Jammingway: Yet not an insurmountable one! If you were to visit the Last Dregs, we could help you reclaim some of the knowledge that was lost. | |||
N-7000: <whirr> Enticement detected... This unit proposes following this conversational trajectory to its natural terminus.</pre> | |||
====Question 3==== | |||
<pre>Sophistic Ea: Though I acknowledge that there is some logic to your argument, we are perhaps at an impasse, given our forms' lack of physicality. Nevertheless, I am curious to know what manner of “taste” you would present us with, had we gustatory organs. | |||
Player response choices: | |||
1. The best taste in all of Ultima Thule-- nay, the universe! | |||
2. A taste of your former lives as corporeal beings, perhaps.</pre> | |||
<pre>Player selection: (1) "The best taste in all of Ultima Thule-- nay, the universe!" | |||
Sophistic Ea: A disappointing─though unsurprising─suggestion. Perhaps your intellect simply lacks the capacity to understand that physical perceptions are subjective and therefore fallible... | |||
Argumentative Ea: Even allowing for the possibility of a “best taste” regardless of culture and individual gustatory perception, I am unconvinced of the benefit of this knowledge. If we longed for ultimately meaningless physical experiences, we would not have done away with our corporeal forms. | |||
Jammingway: But you do acknowledge the existence of meaningful experiences. What do you long for, then? | |||
N-7000: Based on past data, this unit suggests that altering the menu to suit the civilization in question would be prudent.</pre> | |||
<pre>Player selection: (2) "A taste of your former lives as corporeal beings, perhaps." | |||
Sophistic Ea: Indeed, it is rational to assume that as corporeal beings with unique gustatory organs, we too once found certain sensations particularly stimulating. | |||
Argumentative Ea: If your “café” is capable of providing knowledge of such long-lost sensations, we would welcome the experience. | |||
Jammingway: If anyone can do it, we can! We've served a variety of civilizations already─with great success, I might add. | |||
N-7000: <whirr> Operational success imminent. Allied units must remain engaging for critical final phase.</pre> | |||
====Question 4==== | |||
<pre>Sophistic Ea: The preparation of historically accurate sustenance will be no simple task, yet the hirsute being insists on accomplishing it. Is this compulsion intrinsically or extrinsically motivated? | |||
Player response choices: | |||
1. It is our deepest and most heartfelt desire to see hope restored to the universe. | |||
2. My journal does suggest that making you happy will help progress my current quest...</pre> | |||
<pre>Player selection: (1) "It is our deepest and most heartfelt desire to see hope restored to the universe." | |||
Sophistic Ea: How very primitive of you! Very well, I am convinced that your establishment will offer an authentic experience of the shackles of the flesh. | |||
Argumentative Ea: “Heartfelt,” it says! How charmingly irrational. Nary a mention of the tangible impact our hope would have on the surrounding dynamis. | |||
Jammingway: There are those too, of course─but most of all, what we want is for our patrons to enjoy themselves! | |||
N-7000: <whirr> This unit does not disagree with the assessment of organic life-forms as “primitive,” though it is rich in irony given the irrationality on display at present.</pre> | |||
<pre>Player selection (2) "My journal does suggest that making you happy will help progress my current quest..." | |||
Sophistic Ea: ...And increases in customer satisfaction lead to positive changes in the nearby dynamis? How...mathematically sound. | |||
Argumentative Ea: I see now that this was all a game to you. That is fair enough, given my own reasons for participation...yet this behavior is quite unlike the primitive organic beings of our records. I grow increasingly uncertain of your ability to fulfill our desires. | |||
Jammingway: Our wish to recreate the Ea's favorite flavors is extremely organic, I swear! Primitive, even! | |||
N-7000: Though the Ea delight in logical argument, acknowledgment of their place as gears in an unfeeling machine of progress has distressed them. Analysis indicates their expectations of allied units have been dampened by this display of cold rationality.</pre> | |||
N-7000: In any case, mission objective complete. Allied units' performance will be logged as '''“<span title="Depending on how many questions were answered correctly">mostly acceptable/capable/optimal</span>.”''' | |||
===Conversation Wrap-up=== | |||
<pre>Sophistic Ea: ...We see that you indeed had few questions. When may we partake in sensory experiences? | |||
Jammingway: Well, first we will need to prepare a full course for gustatory experimentation... | |||
Argumentative Ea: Experimentation, you say! That sounds most agreeable. | |||
N-7000: If this unit may suggest it, [Forename]'s flesh would make a suitable medium. | |||
Jammingway: Oh, I quite agree. No one has tasted more tastes than the intrepid [Forename]. | |||
Jammingway: [Her/His] palate is refined, and her bravery unmatched! | |||
Jammingway: [She/He] will be the perfect candidate to try any and all dishes we prepare. Then you need only scan and transmit the sensory perception data to the Ea's consciousnesses. | |||
Jammingway: It is unclear, at present, what their people may have eaten in their corporeal days, but we can begin by finding out what sort of tastes they enjoy, then refine the recipe from there. | |||
Jammingway: Regardless, we shall need to fire up the ovens immediately! Last I checked our inventory, the kitchens are well stocked with vegetables, fish, and Sharlayan cookbooks... | |||
N-7000: The probability that the Ea's historical diet was identical to that of the life-forms of Etheirys is astronomically low. This unit proposes incorporating ingredients from other worlds as well. | |||
N-7000: Scanning “flavorsome” category for ingredient data...</pre> | |||
'''As Miner''' | |||
N-7000: <ping> Calcite deposits near the ship Ragnarok may contain mineral content suitable for use as an additive. Data indicates that organic life-forms love additives. | |||
'''As Botanist''' | |||
N-7000: <ping> Flora near the vitrified fort may contain content suitable for use as “seasoning.” Data indicates that organic life-forms love seasonings. | |||
'''As Fisher''' | |||
N-7000: <ping> An aquatic life-form similar to Etheirys's tuna can be found in this very settlement. Data indicates that this creature is particularly pungent and may be useful in stocks. | |||
N-7000: This unit once again recommends the highly affordable gold salmon roe available in A-4 Research as materiel for this operation. | |||
<pre>Jammingway: Don't hesitate to taste test in the field! | |||
N-7000: Remaining allied units should proceed to the Last Dregs for recipe analysis. This unit will answer any further customer questions.</pre> | |||
===Return with the ingredients=== | |||
(Optional) Jammingway: Don't worry─I'm certain that N-7000 would speak up if you were about to eat anything that might be lethal. | |||
(Optional) Sophistic Ea: Gustatory perception...how exciting! Are these beings seated in anticipation of the sensations overwhelming their fragile nervous systems? | |||
(Optional) Argumentative Ea: To think that we can finally reclaim the sensations of our fleshy past... | |||
<pre> | |||
System: What will you eat? | |||
Player response options: | |||
1. The perfectly ordinary pasta. | |||
2. The seemingly innocuous hamburger. | |||
3. The vaguely terrifying fish. | |||
Player selection: (1) "The perfectly ordinary pasta." | |||
System: The pasta is not unlike that of Etheirys, although the otherworldly flavor adds a tang of complexity. As for the Ea...surely any gluten-tolerant life-form enjoys a massive bowl of carbohydrates? | |||
(The player is presented with the same question as before, with the remaining options they had before, OR) | |||
Player selection: (2) "The seemingly innocuous hamburger." | |||
System: You are struck with a sudden certainty that Jammingway either borrowed or stole this recipe from the Last Stand, although the locally sourced flavoring adds an unexpected spiciness to the medium-rare meat inside. Your tongue is now tingly. | |||
Player selection: (3) "The vaguely terrifying fish." | |||
System: Was that fish staring into your soul just now? Hopefully not. In any case, its pallid flesh must have thoroughly absorbed the added alien flavor. You certainly tasted...something. | |||
</pre> | |||
===After you are finished eating=== | |||
<pre>N-7000: Gustatory data received. Transmitting to Patron-007 and Patron-008... | |||
Sophistic Ea: So these are the “flavors” of which you speak... | |||
Sophistic Ea: Thank you for helpfully categorizing each as “sweet,” “salty,” “sour,” “bitter,” or “savory”─I fear I am quite overcome by the medley. | |||
Sophistic Ea: It is impossible to say whether this sensory assault is identical to what I might have once felt when consuming sustenance...yet it is a useful reference to ruminate upon nevertheless. | |||
Jammingway: Then it was well worth the effort, in my book! | |||
Jammingway: Tell me, did any of the dishes strike you as particularly enjoyable? | |||
Argumentative Ea: The first stimulated me in a most pleasing fashion. How was this flavor derived? | |||
Jammingway: Ah, that was flavored with local ingredients harvested by [Forename], garnished with powdered miracle shrimp─a type of crustacean the Grebuloffs are farming in Elysion. | |||
Argumentative Ea: Pulverized crustaceans! The nature of gustatory sensations is inscrutable indeed... | |||
Sophistic Ea: That we found these ones pleasing perhaps indicates that we, too, once consumed mutilated decapods. | |||
Sophistic Ea: I cannot imagine why we would have left that behind. I am grateful to have even simulated the experience. | |||
Jammingway: ...And there we have it. Do you think this will be enough to bring about more changes to Elysion? | |||
N-7000: Inconclusive. This unit proposes that allied units ascend to scan for signs of change. | |||
===Return to A-4 Research=== | |||
(Optional) Jammingway: I'm quite curious about what changes to the terrain might come of the Ea's emotions. As a people, they do tend toward the abstract... | |||
<pre>N-7000: Stigma-4 confirms that alterations have occurred. Let us proceed with the scan. | |||
(Completion prompt) | |||
Jammingway: These creatures certainly weren't here before...but what are they? They put me in mind of Etheirys's jellyfish. | |||
N-7000: <whirr> No results found in database. Furthermore, these life-forms differ from the simulations in Ultima Thule on a molecular level. | |||
Jammingway: You mean...a new species has been born? Here? | |||
N-7000: Is it so illogical? Elysion's climate is suitable for the growth of complex vegetation, and a significant portion of its surface is occupied by sea. Many life-forms have arisen from similar environments. | |||
N-7000: This unit would venture that under these conditions, the Ea's yearning for a corporeal past were sufficient to cause dynamis to coalesce as organic life. | |||
Jammingway: That's incredible! New life... | |||
Jellyfish Creature: Mimimi? <burble> | |||
Jammingway: ...And such very adorable life you are! Yes, you are! | |||
Sophistic Ea: Like unto newborn babes...or so I assume. Eons have passed since we Ea have held a child. | |||
Argumentative Ea: Yet is it not conceivable that some part of us remembers? If these creatures arose from our fondness for the past... | |||
Sophistic Ea: ...They may indeed be the nascent forms mentioned in our ancient records. | |||
Jammingway: I do see a certain resemblance. Would you like to give these little ones a name, then? | |||
Argumentative Ea: We lost the meaning to our names long ago, leaving us only the simple phonemic system we now employ for individuals. The suggestion that we might impart the significance of these children via nomenclature is depressingly ludicrous. | |||
Argumentative Ea: ...Nevertheless, we shall call them “Miw Miisv.” A peculiar name to share, perhaps, but one we may find the meaning in together. | |||
Jammingway: I cannot spell that to save my life, but it sounds lovely! | |||
Sophistic Ea: I should like to remain with the Miw Miisv for a time. They doubtless know much of gustatory sensation and other such facets of corporeality. | |||
Sophistic Ea: In serving as their guardians, we may yet reclaim some of what was lost... | |||
System: New life has arisen from the Ea's longing. Nurture and protect the Miw Miisv, for they have much to share. | |||
System: There is yet room for Elysion to grow and change. What other hopes will the power of dynamis bring to life? | |||
Jammingway: It will be a great deal more difficult to focus with those creatures about... They're so wibbly-wobbly! | |||
N-7000: <whirr> This unit requests you contain yourself. Energy levels are already low due to patrons' ceaseless querying. | |||
N-7000: However, this unit does admit to curiosity regarding the new life-forms. | |||
N-7000: Though it is probable that the Miw Miisv share data with the Ea's genetic memory, possibilities for their development are infinite. This differentiates them from other dynamis-based life-forms. | |||
Jammingway: Or maybe they're just one more indication that you lot aren't doomed after all. This place was built for endings, it's true, but we have seen many a beginning. Let's keep that trend going, shall we? | |||
N-7000: Affirmative. Our mission remains one constant among many variables.</pre> |
Latest revision as of 22:41, 17 May 2024
And Another Question...
- Quest giver
- N-7000
- Location
- Ultima Thule (X:27.5, Y:24.5)
- Quest line
- Omicron Main Quests
- Level
- 80
- Required items
- 1 Stellar Magnesium
1 Stellar Cumin
1 Meteoric Bonito - Requirements
- Disciple of the Land
Trusted Reputation maxed - Experience
- 24,684,000
- Gil
- 1,295
- Previous quest
- Longing So for All the Fish
- Next quest
- The Restaurateur's Guide to the Dragonstar
- Patch
- 6.25
“N-7000 would laud you for your service to the café.
※The difficulty of this quest will be synced to your current level.— In-game description
Rewards
- Unlocks
Steps
- Speak with Jammingway.
- Speak with N-7000.
- Speak with the Ea.
- Speak with N-7000.
- Speak with the sophistic Ea.
- (MIN) Mine stellar magnesium west of the Ragnarok. 0/1
- Deliver the stellar magnesium to N-7000. 1/1
- (BTN) Gather stellar cumin south of the vitrified fort. 0/1
- Deliver the stellar cumin to N-7000. 1/1
- (FSH) Catch a meteoric bonito at the abode of the Ea. 0/1
- Deliver the meteoric bonito to N-7000. 1/1
- Speak with N-7000 in A-4 Research.
Journal
- N-7000 would laud you for your service to the café.
- ※The difficulty of this quest will be synced to your current level.
- You speak with N-7000 and Jammingway, who commend you on your work with the Karellians and Grebuloffs. Never one to stand still when they could be dragging you around, however, Jammingway insists on taking you to visit the Last Dregs to see the current state of the café for yourself.
- ※Please note that the difficulty of this quest has been synced to your current level. Furthermore, you may not proceed with a class or job that is different from when you accepted this quest.
- To say that all is not going as well as your colleagues anticipated would be an understatement, given that you arrive to find that Patron-005 and Patron-006─of the nihilistic Nibirun civilization─have triggered an existential crisis in one of the Omicron barkeeps. N-7000 steps in to prevent a complete system shutdown and is fortunately able to redirect Nibirun attentions to the other settlements of Ultima Thule for a time, but it is clear that making satisfied customers out of these individuals will be a monumental undertaking. Seeking a better source of emotional influence and potential custom, the three of you agree to try the Ea, instead.
- You journey to the abode of the Ea, where Jammingway proposes dividing your forces in the hopes of striking upon a likely customer. As ordered, you direct your attention to the mysterious stone formation where members of the ethereal civilization seem to congregate.
- Though you speak to two Ea, neither seems the least impressed by your offers of quality food and beverages. Perhaps Jammingway and N-7000 have had better luck─but probably not.
- Indeed, your fellow Last Dregs managers have met with round dismissal at the spindly hands of the Ea. Having taken this all rather personally, Jammingway insists that you make another attempt to pique their curiosity─this time, together.
- You speak again with the sophistic Ea, this time petitioning it to answer just a few questions. It has no objections─evidently, incessant questioning is something of a pastime among the Ea─and goes so far as to invite a friend to join in. Though the pair end up asking more questions than you do, your rousing discussion nevertheless manages to stimulate their desire to learn more of the gustatory sensations they may have once experienced. To this end, your fellow managers propose experimenting with various dishes to see if any resonate, and send you off in search of unfamiliar flavors.
- Having delivered the necessary ingredients to N-7000, you gaze with trepidation upon the various dishes Jammingway has prepared. As your role as taste-tester demands, however, you bravely sample all that you can manage, providing gustatory data for N-7000 to pass along to the Ea. They are pleased─if slightly flummoxed─by the result, managing even to identify shellfish as a flavor their people may have once enjoyed. Curious to see if this has had any effect on the star, Jammingway leads the way to Elysion.
- You arrive on Elysion to find it inhabited by new life─a species of jellyfish-like creatures matching naught real or reconstructed in N-7000's database. The Ea speculate that these creatures might be born of some long-lost memory of their infant forms, and dub them the “Miw Miisv” in hopes that they may unlock further insights into the corporeal Ea that once were.
Walkthrough
- Speak with the Host Unit to teleport to the Last Dregs
Dialogue
N-7000: <whirr> Greetings, [Forename]. This unit commends your fulfillment of objectives relating to the care and feeding of Grebuloff customers. Pescatarian menu items, in particular, have met with high approval ratings. N-7000: Current mission is proceeding─as audio records indicate your people would say─“swimmingly, hahaha.” Jammingway: We've learned much from the Karellians and Grebuloffs, and the Last Dregs is now the site of joyful cultural exchange. But don't take our word for it─come and see!
(Optional) N-7000: Café status: moderately busy. Waiting times nominal. (As the cutscene begins, the camera focuses in on a particularly soup-obsessed Grebuloff) Jammingway: We should keep an eye on that one. They've already polished off three bowls of soup today. N-7000: Well-fed Grebuloffs provide important mission data. Soup-related sacrifices must be made. Jammingway: Oho... You like making customers happy! Admit it! N-7000: <whirr> This unit merely acknowledges customer satisfaction as more conducive to mission objectives than mutual hostility. Speaking of which, Patron-005 and Patron-006 should be closely monitored... Jammingway: Try to change the subject on me, will y─ Wait, who are Patron-005 and Patron-006? Jammingway: Hail, newcome patrons! I, Jammingway, would like to personally welcome you to the Last Dregs. Can you tell me a bit about your home star? Ominous Figure: ...... M-104: Analyzing metaphysical waveform... Nihilism protocols activated. <beep>... <beep>... <beeeeeep> Ominous Figure: It has shared in our truth and shed the self. This is well. The universe, too, is finite. Only in death may we embrace true infinity... Jammingway: Did you just assassinate my barista? Why would you do that!? N-7000: <whirr> Situational analysis complete. New customers are of the Nibirun civilization. This society eliminated concepts deemed unpleasant by organic life-forms, such as “war” and “death.” In so doing, individuals attained physical immortality and a state of unified comprehension. N-7000: Their projections were insufficient, however. The Nibirun people only realized that the elimination of strife would similarly destroy their sources of joy when it was too late. At that point, they jointly decided it would be preferable to return to nonexistence. N-7000: Pardon this unit for a moment... Halting shutdown processes. Troubleshooter initialized. Repair features and self-determination algorithm restored. Nihilistic Nibirun: Why have you returned this being to the finite? The golden mercy of Ra-la was so close at hand... Jammingway: Sweet Mother, this is terrifying! Cultural exchange be damned─we can't let them near the other patrons. N-7000: On the contrary─this unit believes that exposure to other civilizations may benefit these customers, and invites them to tour the local simulations of dead worlds. Nihilistic Nibirun: To be certain, the nature of other civilizations is a long-held curiosity of ours. It may be...interesting to discuss their inherent futility. N-7000: That is “the spirit”! All societies in Ultima Thule are subject to unique manifestations of despair, so this unit recommends comparing each to the tragic perfection of the Nibirun. Nihilistic Nibirun: We are in favor. To arrive at philosophical resonance with such beings will fill much time before blessed obliteration...
Player response options: 1. ...What the hells? 2. I hope you have a plan to prevent this place from falling to despair.
N-7000: You have already demonstrated to the peoples of Ultima Thule that despair can be overcome. Projections indicate that, once restored, hope is not so easily extinguished. Jammingway: Hmm... So you think they'll be able to help each other, like you saved M-104 just now? Jammingway: I suppose I should be glad that they took you up on it. Those Nibirun make my fur stand on end! I don't want them anywhere near Elysion... Jammingway: It would be nice if we could cure them of their ennui, of course, but I cannot see how. N-7000: <whirr> The Nibirun are the last dead civilization with sufficient data for replication. Should it prove impossible to turn them into satisfied customers, the probability of further developments on Elysion is low. Jammingway: Oooh, that is frustrating. Why must they be so much scarier than the other two? I retract my complaints about our soup budget. Jammingway: Well, what if we invite patrons from another civilization instead? The Ea, for instance. Jammingway: There is no reason we have to build all of our own customers, and they seem rather thoughtful. At the very least, it would make good practice in philosophical debate. N-7000: This unit cannot guarantee that any amount of practice would prepare you to treat with the Nibirun. However, it agrees that inviting local life-forms to the Last Dregs would be good for business.
At the Abode of the Ea
(Optional)Jammingway: I probably should have asked beforehand, but do the Ea have mouths? That seems a rather important detail in this context...
N-7000: Current objective: convince prospective Ea patrons of the desirability of Last Dregs sustenance. Jammingway: We'll search for potential customers in this vicinity. Can you ask around at the scary stone circle where everyone stares at the sky? Thanks in advance!
(Optional, found elsewhere within the arena) Nihilistic Nibirun: Indeed, why seek more than these malformed stelae? To those approaching the infinite, such an abode is enough.
Argumentative Ea
Argumentative Ea: A venue for replenishment and discourse, you say? We once visited similar establishments. They are memorialized today through the existence of our “restaurant,” where we traditionalists gather to restore our aether and vent our petty miseries upon one another. Argumentative Ea: Your civilization is young, so perhaps you do not yet understand that one such location is more than enough. Even the most transcendent minds can only withstand so much vacuous discourse...
(Optional) Argumentative Ea: Further details of our restaurant's historical counterparts have been lost to the inexorable flow of time, so they cannot have been terribly important.
Sophistic Ea
Sophistic Ea: The corporeal beings derive meaning from patronizing this “café,” you say? Felicitations. Sophistic Ea: Personally, I have long since parted from such material concerns in favor of staring contemplatively into the abyss. To begin chasing hopes and dreams now would be to betray my very principles.
(Optional) Sophistic Ea: If it is any comfort in your frivolous pursuits, know that I, too, likely once sought meaning─though I can no longer recall such a time. Now, if you will excuse me, there is much staring to be done.
Return to N-7000
(Optional)Jammingway: Ugh... Must they all be so condescending
N-7000: What is your report, [Forename]? Jammingway: One would think they could at least show a bit of respect to you, of all people! Out of self-preservation, if naught else... N-7000: <whirr> The probability of further developments on Elysion is now infinitesimal. Jammingway: No─I refuse to give up. Their terrible attitudes are all the more reason to make them see the light! Jammingway: Between the three of us, we will get them to enjoy themselves! N-7000: ...Implicit threat acknowledged. Initializing joint operation protocols. N-7000: However, this unit also must acknowledge the non-zero probability of failure. In such a scenario, the odds of ever securing the patronage of the Ea and Nibirun must be revised to “hopeless.” Projections indicate that the business may not survive this outcome. Jammingway: You're as bad as they are sometimes, do you know that? Jammingway: [Forename], you mentioned that the Ea once offered you food, did you not? Jammingway: So they don't consider themselves beyond the concept of repast. There must be a way to build on that to make them understand...
Return to the Sophistic Ea
(Optional) Jammingway: The moment of truth... (Optional) N-7000: This unit will attempt to analyze Ea thought patterns for vulnerabilities.
Jammingway: The moment of truth... N-7000: This unit will attempt to analyze Ea thought patterns for vulnerabilities. Sophistic Ea: You interrupt my staring once again. Curious. Is this a physical compulsion? Jammingway: Er, no. We're simply seeking an enlightened opinion. You seem very...focused, so surely none would be better suited to answer a few questions. Sophistic Ea: ...I suppose that would be within the bounds of my principles─and as time is inherently meaningless, you will not cost me what might otherwise have mattered. Pray wait a moment, and I will see if other rationally minded individuals are interested in this diversion. Jammingway: Huzzah! I leave the debating to you, [Forename]─see if you can stimulate their inquiring minds enough to draw them to the café!
Objective: Choose the appropriate phrases to generate interest in the Last Dregs. As the resulting pontification may take several minutes, you may wish to cancel any pending Duty Finder registrations.
Attempting to Stimulate the Ea
Sophistic Ea: Truly, there is naught like a rousing examination to take one's mind off the ceaseless torment of existence. Should we start with three hundred fifty thousand, one hundred and seventy-three questions or so? As is customary. Jammingway: Three hundred and fifty thousand!? I was thinking more in the neighborhood of three... Sophistic Ea: ...I see that in my cognitive agitation, I neglected to account for your base intellects. Carry on with your paltry queries, then.
Question 1
Player response choices: 1. Do you have an interest in gustatory sensations? 2. Do you enjoy a good meal?
Player selection: (1) "Do you have an interest in gustatory sensations?" Sophistic Ea: We long ago abandoned the pursuit of gustatory sensations. Though we yet consume aether to sustain ourselves, we do not experience any particular sensation beyond the satiation of hunger. Argumentative Ea: That is perfectly sufficient. Though I am curious─you indicated that many beings gather to consume sustenance at your “café.” Do these beings experience gustatory sensations in unison? Does this not confuse and upset them? Jammingway: Quite the opposite! Taste is key to customer satisfaction─and our customers are very satisfied, I assure you. N-7000: <whirr> Curiosity detected. This unit concludes that your question piqued their interest.
Player selection: (2) "Do you enjoy a good meal?" Sophistic Ea: Quite. Many traditionalists consume sustenance, and I partake in the occasional absorption of quality aether at the restaurant myself. Argumentative Ea: A transparent line of inquiry. We have little need of another restaurant─I told you as much already. Jammingway: Oh dear... I fear you misunderstand what we mean by the term! The food at the Last Dregs offers an entirely different experience than aetherial absorption, I assure you. N-7000: This unit fears the question may have been excessively simplistic. Data on the Ea indicates a clear preference for mental stimulation via theoretical concepts.
Question 2
Sophistic Ea: The diminutive being suggests that gustatory sensations are a primary consideration for your establishment. Biologically, however, these are naught more than a secondary mechanism to prevent primitive organisms from starving to death. Explain this contradiction. Player response choices: 1. Biology is not the only determinant of a good life, you know. 2. Perhaps to truly comprehend our argument requires tasting for yourselves...
Player selection: (1) "Biology is not the only determinant of a good life, you know." Sophistic Ea: Is it your contention that regardless of their evolutionary purpose, gustatory sensations provide intangible─perhaps psychological or spiritual─benefits? Intriguing... Argumentative Ea: ...But ultimately unconvincing, if your aim remains to entice us to your “café.” The perception of sustenance is necessarily determined by the nature of one's gustatory and olfactory organs, so to assume that all beings would experience the same positive outcomes is preposterous. Jammingway: That is true. Nevertheless... N-7000: Intellectual stimulation is present, but curiosity levels are not yet critical. This unit proposes additional discourse.
Player selection: (2) "Perhaps to truly comprehend our argument requires tasting for yourselves..." Sophistic Ea: ...Perhaps. It is conceivable that, having dispensed with our corporeal vessels, a prolonged absence of sensations experienced by way of the nervous system has limited our imaginations to a degree. Argumentative Ea: If only we had possessed the forethought to record our gustatory perceptions for posterity... An unfortunate oversight, to be certain. Jammingway: Yet not an insurmountable one! If you were to visit the Last Dregs, we could help you reclaim some of the knowledge that was lost. N-7000: <whirr> Enticement detected... This unit proposes following this conversational trajectory to its natural terminus.
Question 3
Sophistic Ea: Though I acknowledge that there is some logic to your argument, we are perhaps at an impasse, given our forms' lack of physicality. Nevertheless, I am curious to know what manner of “taste” you would present us with, had we gustatory organs. Player response choices: 1. The best taste in all of Ultima Thule-- nay, the universe! 2. A taste of your former lives as corporeal beings, perhaps.
Player selection: (1) "The best taste in all of Ultima Thule-- nay, the universe!" Sophistic Ea: A disappointing─though unsurprising─suggestion. Perhaps your intellect simply lacks the capacity to understand that physical perceptions are subjective and therefore fallible... Argumentative Ea: Even allowing for the possibility of a “best taste” regardless of culture and individual gustatory perception, I am unconvinced of the benefit of this knowledge. If we longed for ultimately meaningless physical experiences, we would not have done away with our corporeal forms. Jammingway: But you do acknowledge the existence of meaningful experiences. What do you long for, then? N-7000: Based on past data, this unit suggests that altering the menu to suit the civilization in question would be prudent.
Player selection: (2) "A taste of your former lives as corporeal beings, perhaps." Sophistic Ea: Indeed, it is rational to assume that as corporeal beings with unique gustatory organs, we too once found certain sensations particularly stimulating. Argumentative Ea: If your “café” is capable of providing knowledge of such long-lost sensations, we would welcome the experience. Jammingway: If anyone can do it, we can! We've served a variety of civilizations already─with great success, I might add. N-7000: <whirr> Operational success imminent. Allied units must remain engaging for critical final phase.
Question 4
Sophistic Ea: The preparation of historically accurate sustenance will be no simple task, yet the hirsute being insists on accomplishing it. Is this compulsion intrinsically or extrinsically motivated? Player response choices: 1. It is our deepest and most heartfelt desire to see hope restored to the universe. 2. My journal does suggest that making you happy will help progress my current quest...
Player selection: (1) "It is our deepest and most heartfelt desire to see hope restored to the universe." Sophistic Ea: How very primitive of you! Very well, I am convinced that your establishment will offer an authentic experience of the shackles of the flesh. Argumentative Ea: “Heartfelt,” it says! How charmingly irrational. Nary a mention of the tangible impact our hope would have on the surrounding dynamis. Jammingway: There are those too, of course─but most of all, what we want is for our patrons to enjoy themselves! N-7000: <whirr> This unit does not disagree with the assessment of organic life-forms as “primitive,” though it is rich in irony given the irrationality on display at present.
Player selection (2) "My journal does suggest that making you happy will help progress my current quest..." Sophistic Ea: ...And increases in customer satisfaction lead to positive changes in the nearby dynamis? How...mathematically sound. Argumentative Ea: I see now that this was all a game to you. That is fair enough, given my own reasons for participation...yet this behavior is quite unlike the primitive organic beings of our records. I grow increasingly uncertain of your ability to fulfill our desires. Jammingway: Our wish to recreate the Ea's favorite flavors is extremely organic, I swear! Primitive, even! N-7000: Though the Ea delight in logical argument, acknowledgment of their place as gears in an unfeeling machine of progress has distressed them. Analysis indicates their expectations of allied units have been dampened by this display of cold rationality.
N-7000: In any case, mission objective complete. Allied units' performance will be logged as “mostly acceptable/capable/optimal.”
Conversation Wrap-up
Sophistic Ea: ...We see that you indeed had few questions. When may we partake in sensory experiences? Jammingway: Well, first we will need to prepare a full course for gustatory experimentation... Argumentative Ea: Experimentation, you say! That sounds most agreeable. N-7000: If this unit may suggest it, [Forename]'s flesh would make a suitable medium. Jammingway: Oh, I quite agree. No one has tasted more tastes than the intrepid [Forename]. Jammingway: [Her/His] palate is refined, and her bravery unmatched! Jammingway: [She/He] will be the perfect candidate to try any and all dishes we prepare. Then you need only scan and transmit the sensory perception data to the Ea's consciousnesses. Jammingway: It is unclear, at present, what their people may have eaten in their corporeal days, but we can begin by finding out what sort of tastes they enjoy, then refine the recipe from there. Jammingway: Regardless, we shall need to fire up the ovens immediately! Last I checked our inventory, the kitchens are well stocked with vegetables, fish, and Sharlayan cookbooks... N-7000: The probability that the Ea's historical diet was identical to that of the life-forms of Etheirys is astronomically low. This unit proposes incorporating ingredients from other worlds as well. N-7000: Scanning “flavorsome” category for ingredient data...
As Miner N-7000: <ping> Calcite deposits near the ship Ragnarok may contain mineral content suitable for use as an additive. Data indicates that organic life-forms love additives. As Botanist N-7000: <ping> Flora near the vitrified fort may contain content suitable for use as “seasoning.” Data indicates that organic life-forms love seasonings. As Fisher N-7000: <ping> An aquatic life-form similar to Etheirys's tuna can be found in this very settlement. Data indicates that this creature is particularly pungent and may be useful in stocks. N-7000: This unit once again recommends the highly affordable gold salmon roe available in A-4 Research as materiel for this operation.
Jammingway: Don't hesitate to taste test in the field! N-7000: Remaining allied units should proceed to the Last Dregs for recipe analysis. This unit will answer any further customer questions.
Return with the ingredients
(Optional) Jammingway: Don't worry─I'm certain that N-7000 would speak up if you were about to eat anything that might be lethal. (Optional) Sophistic Ea: Gustatory perception...how exciting! Are these beings seated in anticipation of the sensations overwhelming their fragile nervous systems? (Optional) Argumentative Ea: To think that we can finally reclaim the sensations of our fleshy past...
System: What will you eat? Player response options: 1. The perfectly ordinary pasta. 2. The seemingly innocuous hamburger. 3. The vaguely terrifying fish. Player selection: (1) "The perfectly ordinary pasta." System: The pasta is not unlike that of Etheirys, although the otherworldly flavor adds a tang of complexity. As for the Ea...surely any gluten-tolerant life-form enjoys a massive bowl of carbohydrates? (The player is presented with the same question as before, with the remaining options they had before, OR) Player selection: (2) "The seemingly innocuous hamburger." System: You are struck with a sudden certainty that Jammingway either borrowed or stole this recipe from the Last Stand, although the locally sourced flavoring adds an unexpected spiciness to the medium-rare meat inside. Your tongue is now tingly. Player selection: (3) "The vaguely terrifying fish." System: Was that fish staring into your soul just now? Hopefully not. In any case, its pallid flesh must have thoroughly absorbed the added alien flavor. You certainly tasted...something.
After you are finished eating
N-7000: Gustatory data received. Transmitting to Patron-007 and Patron-008... Sophistic Ea: So these are the “flavors” of which you speak... Sophistic Ea: Thank you for helpfully categorizing each as “sweet,” “salty,” “sour,” “bitter,” or “savory”─I fear I am quite overcome by the medley. Sophistic Ea: It is impossible to say whether this sensory assault is identical to what I might have once felt when consuming sustenance...yet it is a useful reference to ruminate upon nevertheless. Jammingway: Then it was well worth the effort, in my book! Jammingway: Tell me, did any of the dishes strike you as particularly enjoyable? Argumentative Ea: The first stimulated me in a most pleasing fashion. How was this flavor derived? Jammingway: Ah, that was flavored with local ingredients harvested by [Forename], garnished with powdered miracle shrimp─a type of crustacean the Grebuloffs are farming in Elysion. Argumentative Ea: Pulverized crustaceans! The nature of gustatory sensations is inscrutable indeed... Sophistic Ea: That we found these ones pleasing perhaps indicates that we, too, once consumed mutilated decapods. Sophistic Ea: I cannot imagine why we would have left that behind. I am grateful to have even simulated the experience. Jammingway: ...And there we have it. Do you think this will be enough to bring about more changes to Elysion? N-7000: Inconclusive. This unit proposes that allied units ascend to scan for signs of change. ===Return to A-4 Research=== (Optional) Jammingway: I'm quite curious about what changes to the terrain might come of the Ea's emotions. As a people, they do tend toward the abstract... <pre>N-7000: Stigma-4 confirms that alterations have occurred. Let us proceed with the scan. (Completion prompt) Jammingway: These creatures certainly weren't here before...but what are they? They put me in mind of Etheirys's jellyfish. N-7000: <whirr> No results found in database. Furthermore, these life-forms differ from the simulations in Ultima Thule on a molecular level. Jammingway: You mean...a new species has been born? Here? N-7000: Is it so illogical? Elysion's climate is suitable for the growth of complex vegetation, and a significant portion of its surface is occupied by sea. Many life-forms have arisen from similar environments. N-7000: This unit would venture that under these conditions, the Ea's yearning for a corporeal past were sufficient to cause dynamis to coalesce as organic life. Jammingway: That's incredible! New life... Jellyfish Creature: Mimimi? <burble> Jammingway: ...And such very adorable life you are! Yes, you are! Sophistic Ea: Like unto newborn babes...or so I assume. Eons have passed since we Ea have held a child. Argumentative Ea: Yet is it not conceivable that some part of us remembers? If these creatures arose from our fondness for the past... Sophistic Ea: ...They may indeed be the nascent forms mentioned in our ancient records. Jammingway: I do see a certain resemblance. Would you like to give these little ones a name, then? Argumentative Ea: We lost the meaning to our names long ago, leaving us only the simple phonemic system we now employ for individuals. The suggestion that we might impart the significance of these children via nomenclature is depressingly ludicrous. Argumentative Ea: ...Nevertheless, we shall call them “Miw Miisv.” A peculiar name to share, perhaps, but one we may find the meaning in together. Jammingway: I cannot spell that to save my life, but it sounds lovely! Sophistic Ea: I should like to remain with the Miw Miisv for a time. They doubtless know much of gustatory sensation and other such facets of corporeality. Sophistic Ea: In serving as their guardians, we may yet reclaim some of what was lost... System: New life has arisen from the Ea's longing. Nurture and protect the Miw Miisv, for they have much to share. System: There is yet room for Elysion to grow and change. What other hopes will the power of dynamis bring to life? Jammingway: It will be a great deal more difficult to focus with those creatures about... They're so wibbly-wobbly! N-7000: <whirr> This unit requests you contain yourself. Energy levels are already low due to patrons' ceaseless querying. N-7000: However, this unit does admit to curiosity regarding the new life-forms. N-7000: Though it is probable that the Miw Miisv share data with the Ea's genetic memory, possibilities for their development are infinite. This differentiates them from other dynamis-based life-forms. Jammingway: Or maybe they're just one more indication that you lot aren't doomed after all. This place was built for endings, it's true, but we have seen many a beginning. Let's keep that trend going, shall we? N-7000: Affirmative. Our mission remains one constant among many variables.