Author Topic: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?  (Read 2985 times)

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Offline adeon222

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Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« on: October 23, 2009, 12:39:29 AM »
I'm really, really, really, really, really sorry if this has already been brought up... Really... But I looked for a long time and couldn't find a thread about it, so, here goes...   :-\

In #10, after Erik obliterates the yeerk troops to save the Animorphs, changes his programing back to nonviolence, and basically breaks down with (understandable) shame and horror, he asks the Animorphs how they deal with the killing - taking another life... They just try to forget... but Erik is an android, so he can never forget anything, right?

Wrong!!!!
 :huh:
Am I the only one who was wondering why Erik didn't use the Pemalite crystal (a tool so powerful it could alter his core essential programming) to erase his memories of the killing?
Obviously I'm not saying this would alter the series in any great way, because I'm not advocating just killing more and using the cube to forget over and over again... But still... wouldn't it have saved him a lot of ETERNAL pain and anguish that he could possibly have forgotten?

Just saying...  :-\
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Offline Cloak

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2009, 12:51:55 AM »
Erik?  Eh, I'll let someone more authorative be a spelling nazi.  And I don't think I've seen a thread tackle this particular issue, so you're probably in the clear there.

But you bring up a good point -- one I never really considered.  Then again, you have to remember, though they may be robots and such, they are sentient and capable of mistakes, I think.  It could be KASU (Katherine Applegate screws up) or simply be because it never occured to Erek or perhaps that circuitry is completely different or something.  I don't have an explanation -- well, not one that satisifies me.


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Offline estrid

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #2 on: October 23, 2009, 12:59:44 AM »
thats a good point, on that makes sense. (it's erEk btw :P)

but i go with KASU, cuz she had lotsa those
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Offline Stephquiem

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2009, 01:33:45 AM »
thats a good point, on that makes sense. (it's erEk btw :P)

but i go with KASU, cuz she had lotsa those

XD That doesn't necessarily make it a KASU. :P

Some of this stuff we have to remember is done for the drama value. Erek remembering what happened forever is a lot more poignant than "Oh, no big, I'll just make myself forget." Actually, I think that'd be pretty anti-climactic. And make the whole thing completely pointless.

He did something he regrets. Now he has to live with it. He has the option to run away from it, but he doesn't. Personally, I like him better for that. :P

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2009, 06:54:49 AM »
I think he probably COULD have erased his memory of that, but he chose not to. He would probably see erasing the memories as an insult to those he killed, and chose to keep the memories to not only honour the dead, but also to remind himself of WHY the Chee are non-violent.
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Offline Chad32

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2009, 08:05:37 AM »
It would kind of ruin the moment. Maybe be creepy even. Yes it could probably be done, but it would diminish the dramatic tone.


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Offline JFalcon

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2009, 09:12:16 AM »
I think he probably COULD have erased his memory of that, but he chose not to. He would probably see erasing the memories as an insult to those he killed, and chose to keep the memories to not only honour the dead, but also to remind himself of WHY the Chee are non-violent.

Exactly my own thoughts. Not that I ever thought about it before, nor do I think it's been brought up before (least long as I've been around). So A+ question, I think.  ;)
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Offline adeon222

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #7 on: October 23, 2009, 10:59:52 AM »
My wife doesn't like the name spelled that way... so I changed it to Erik on purpose...  ^-^ :P
And...

thats a good point, on that makes sense. (it's erEk btw :P)

Not even gonna comment... (even though I just did...)  ;)

All good answers, btw, and ones that I was expecting... I had personally figured on the 'dishonoring the dead/dramatic effect' answer... but I figured that it would be an interesting topic to bring up anyway...
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Offline estrid

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #8 on: October 23, 2009, 11:27:01 AM »
meh it was late at night.  :P
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Offline Phoenix004

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2009, 11:48:39 AM »
I think he probably COULD have erased his memory of that, but he chose not to. He would probably see erasing the memories as an insult to those he killed, and chose to keep the memories to not only honour the dead, but also to remind himself of WHY the Chee are non-violent.

Exactly. We are all the sum of our own memories and experiences, good and bad. It's very likely that he could have erased the memory of the battle, but if he had what would have stopped him from doing it all over again? The battle was a harsh lesson for him, proving that the Chee are supposed to be non-violent.
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Offline morfowt

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #10 on: October 23, 2009, 03:32:07 PM »
or maybe he just couldn't erase his memories? did the book clearly say a chee could erase their memories with the crystal?

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #11 on: October 23, 2009, 04:16:49 PM »
It was never explicitly mentioned, but if the crystal was powerful enough to rewrite a Chee's most basic programming, no doubt it would be able to overwrite a memory.
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Offline Phoenix004

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #12 on: October 23, 2009, 04:22:53 PM »
or maybe he just couldn't erase his memories? did the book clearly say a chee could erase their memories with the crystal?

No it didn't, that's why I said it was very likely, not certain.

In fact, now that I think about it, in book 26 Jake asks Erek if he can remove the Howler memories and I vaguely recall him saying he can't. Perhaps this would still be the case even with the Pemalite crystal. Thanks for reminding me Morf.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2009, 04:24:40 PM by Phoenix004 »
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Offline crystalclear

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #13 on: July 27, 2010, 12:16:37 PM »
I was wondering why they didn't change his programming again in #54 so he could help fighting and NOT draining the dracon beams instead ::)

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Re: Erik's Oversight: Why not, Erik?
« Reply #14 on: July 27, 2010, 12:48:04 PM »
I was wondering why they didn't change his programming again in #54 so he could help fighting and NOT draining the dracon beams instead ::)

Because at the end of #10 they threw the crystal into the ocean. They no longer had access to it.

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