Erasing John Berryman - A Needless Sacrifice?

[Astarte]

This was by far Cassie's worst sin, erasing someone from existence. And if like me, you believe in the concept of a soul or an afterlife, then this just doubles the horror of basically destroying someone's soul, so that they cannot even have a peaceful death.

But was it really necessary? Let's talk about that. I mean, the Animorphs had possession of the Time Matrix. They could have gone anywhere, any time, and honestly, erasing the host body of Visser Four makes no sense, since he would have another host body, and if he got reassigned to Earth, he'd have another human host and end up going to the construction site and discovering the Time Matrix for whatever reason he did in the original timeline. Honestly, this feels like Cassie's darkest sin simply being there just to be the most evil thing she's ever done. Couldn't the Animorphs have used the Time Matrix to travel to the moment just before Visser Four found the Time Matrix. Even killing him to prevent that future from happening would be better than just causing a man to cease to be.

Thoughts?

[NothingFromSomething]

Pretty sure they were just wanting to minimize the use of the Matrix, do whatever the smallest, most direct thing they could do was, without effecting other aspects.

[AndaliteBlues]

I don't see why they couldn't just prevent Visser Four from finding the Time Matrix. Seems to be the easiest thing to do and it doesn't change the future (or present) by wiping someone from existence.

[Chad32]

I wouldn't think going back and keeping someone from being born would erase their soul. It would just mean their soul just didn't inhabit that body. Though it's kind of a confusing topic, since we can't detect souls, and can't say exactly what does and doesn't happen with them. Much like time travel and alternate timelines.

I don't think it's an evil act. I do think there were better ways to handle it. Now she's done some really bad things. I just don't think this was the worst idea she had in the series.

[Shenmue654]

I wouldn't think going back and keeping someone from being born would erase their soul. It would just mean their soul just didn't inhabit that body. Though it's kind of a confusing topic, since we can't detect souls, and can't say exactly what does and doesn't happen with them

~They can be detected by some, but it is not as obvious as one might think. It is what causes you to believe that someone is following you when you hear no footsteps nor any other means of detection, and you are proven right.

As for the destruction of John Berryman, of course it would mean that he was erased! Even supposing his soul was a recoverable thing, it would no longer exist in Berryman's chemical composition or his brain. The new Berryman would not be Berryman.

As for the sin itself, I agree with Astarte in that it seems terribly pointless...althoug h it is implied that without his host's incessant recitation, Visser Four would never find the Time Matrix. If this is presumed true, Cassie's actions had their intended effect. That does not temper my disgust at the callousness of the Animorphs.

[Chad32]

I always figured that if souls exist, they're just waiting for a new body. Assuming the woman had another child, his soul would go into that child. sure it wouldn't be exactly the same, but as I said we can't really say exactly what happens to a soul at any point. It's not something we have concrete knowledge of.

Even if some people can sometimes tell if someone is following them without hearing, seeing, or smelling them.

[RYTX]

~They can be detected by some, but it is not as obvious as one might think. It is what causes you to believe that someone is following you when you hear no footsteps nor any other means of detection, and you are proven right.

I'm not a gambling man, but I'd put money down that is not the case.


On topic

...he'd have another human host and end up going to the construction site and discovering the Time Matrix for whatever reason he did in the original timeline.

Possibly, but his host would very likely not be a weak Shakespearean actor with the time and means to mull around construction sites and dig up time machines, like Berryman was.
As with David, Karen, and a number of other scenario's, there are other things the could have done, but after being in what 5 wars since breakfast, Cassie went with the solution without killing, and with the no obvious other effects on history (Though man, that's gotta sting if you're Berryman)
Can't imagine anyone being affected by this more than Cassie, and no it wasn't the best move. It was a sacrifice that yielded the desired result, so while it wasn't required, it was worth something. 

killing him to prevent that future from happening would be better than just causing a man to cease to be.

Don't know that I agree, but that's purely personal opinion either way.

[Tim Bruening]

I wouldn't think going back and keeping someone from being born would erase their soul. It would just mean their soul just didn't inhabit that body. Though it's kind of a confusing topic, since we can't detect souls, and can't say exactly what does and doesn't happen with them. Much like time travel and alternate timelines.

I don't think it's an evil act. I do think there were better ways to handle it. Now she's done some really bad things. I just don't think this was the worst idea she had in the series.

Cassie's worst idea being allowing Tom to abscond with the morphing cube?

Better use of Time Matrix: Warning Prince Seerow to not give the Yeerks space travel in the first place?

[Chad32]

Yes, allowing Tom's Yeerk to get away with the cube was her worst act.

I'm pretty sure that, since their whole mission was to keep that kind of thing from happening in the first place, The Ellemist wouldn't have allowed them to do that. Or crayak, obviously.

[DinosaurNothlit]

I'm pretty sure that, since their whole mission was to keep that kind of thing from happening in the first place, The Ellemist wouldn't have allowed them to do that. Or crayak, obviously.

I thought the whole reason they were even on that mission was because neither the Ellimist nor Crayak could stop anybody from doing anything with the Time Matrix.  Rules of the game, and all.

That said, of course, I'm trying really hard to think of reasoning against that course of action (besides simply the fact that it would end the series far too early, lol), and I'm coming up blank.  Chalk it up to 'nobody can think of everything,' I suppose.

[Chad32]

"Because it would end the show" is a common reason for characters to not be too competent. The two of them didn't want the TM to be in the other's hands, but they didn't want a mortal messing with it either.

[Tim Bruening]

Wouldn't erasing Visser 4's host John Berryman (forcing him to take another host) have affected his performance in the Leeran battle, possibly changing its outcome?