- Agustus
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- Exalted Legendary Member
Some can come away from reading "War and Peace" thinking it a simple adventure story, while others can read the ingredients on a gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.
Posted by: Lord Snakie
Posted by: Agustus
Yet there is a problem with all of that. The flood isn't like a human as he describes it. Memories are stored as electric impulses in our neurons. Now there are theories that it also becomes stored in DNA. This explains why Spartans can "remember" Forerunner/Covenant symbols from a past life. It is oddly familiar to them, because its in there DNA from Forerunners (or precursors?). This also backs that Forerunners inter-matted with Humans. There DNA was passed to us so when seeing there symbols and language it awakens dormant DNA.
Now when the Flood absorbs someone, Terian is saying it is stored in the Flood's DNA. DNA memory can't be "forgotten", if you know how memory works. Our "past life memories" would be in every cell of our body. While our "normal" memories are electric impulses that can eventually form DNA if important enough (in theory). So the Flood, having control over its DNA and evolution can not "forget" like we can. When a memory is made, it is stored in a neuron. If it isn't important then that neuron stops communicating with the others around it. So the "arms" (synapses) that connect it to the others die, isolating that cell and thus "forgetting" that memory.
The only way the flood can forget is by physical decay of DNA and RNA. If someone is absorbed by the flood, it gathers there memories from its neurons. Then stores them in its DNA. This is the only way to explain how different generations of Graveminds can remember before it reformed. So in essence, there is, and ha only been one Gravemind. "Reincarnated" multiple times. But it has the same thoughts, memories, goals and agenda, as well as personality.
Eh, DNA degradation is quite possible. Cancer in humans is merely DNA degradation in a cell to an extreme effect, and mutations in cells happen so often that the number of times per day cannot accurately be calculated, our cells merely have the ability to repair them. If similar mutations and damage occurred to Flood cells, but they could not repair them for whatever reason, it would be quite possible that cellular degradation could cause damage to their stored memories.
Or, if you want to go beyond that, it's also possible that the Flood's spores function as semi-telepathic neurons, the "synapses" existing in no-contact-necessary manner. Doesn't really sound likely, but I'm just talking out loud here. There are plenty of possible explanations.
The Synapses actually make sense. It would be how the flood communicate on the molecular level. Flood cells are some times described as "super" cells. Perhaps they can all function as a neuron, both physically and telepathically.
EDIT: And I think the Flood can repair its cells like us, but also like us for a limited time. DNA eventualy degrades from free radicals, radiation and other environmental forces. After a certain period of no new nutrients, the flood would not be able to keep up with the damage beying done to the DNA. After entering hibernation, which would slow the effect substantially, the result would be loss of detailed memory. But as long as a single cell contains one of those memories when the flood awakens, it will "share" it with the other cells. For example:
There are memories 1 and 2. Then there are cells A and B. Cell A contains memory 2, while cell B contains memory 1. They awaken from hibernation, and upon establishing contact, they "send" each other there memories. Like a computer backing up a file. Now both cells contain both memories, and the memory won't be lost if one of the cells die. When a gravemind forms it can "upload" all these memories and making living sense of them.
[Edited on 09.26.2009 3:21 PM PDT]