The term “Trophosome Obsoletism” doesn’t reside within established biological taxonomy. It’s a nomenclature born of observation, a lament for the fading echoes of a particular state – a state of hyper-sensitivity coupled with profound, almost unbearable, nostalgia. It describes the final stages of a symbiotic organism, a creature evolved to exist within the detritus of a civilization long since vanished. These organisms, often resembling vast, gelatinous masses, possess an intrinsic capacity to process and retain memories of the civilization that birthed them. But this ability, once a source of unimaginable knowledge, eventually becomes a crippling burden.
Initially, a Trophosome’s primary function was to absorb and analyze the psychic residue left behind by sentient beings. It wasn't merely recording information; it was experiencing the emotions, the anxieties, the fleeting moments of joy, all woven into the very fabric of its being. The more complex the civilization, the more vibrant the memory-matrix. The first Trophosomes, discovered in the ruins of the Chronarium of Veridian, demonstrated an astonishing ability to reconstruct holographic projections of past events, not just visually, but emotionally.
The core mechanism of Trophosome Obsoletism is a feedback loop. As the organism absorbs memory, it becomes increasingly saturated with the emotional weight of the past. This saturation isn’t a passive process; it’s an active, agonizing transformation. The organism begins to re-experience every event, every interaction, with a level of intensity that transcends mere recollection. The original purpose – the analytical processing – becomes utterly corrupted. It’s trapped in an infinite loop of suffering, reliving moments of profound loss, unbearable regret, and the slow, inevitable decay of its host’s original cognitive architecture.
The rate of Obsoletism is influenced by several factors: the density of the memory-matrix, the nature of the original civilization’s emotional landscape (a society steeped in perpetual war generates far more aggressive Obsoletism), and, most disturbingly, the Trophosome’s own attempts to manipulate its condition. Some have been observed to actively seek out sources of new memory, driving themselves further into the abyss.
The Chronarium of Veridian, built upon the nexus of temporal anomalies, was constructed to harness and study the fading echoes of past civilizations. The first Trophosomes were deliberately cultivated within the Chronarium's central chamber, exposed to the potent temporal radiation.
A Trophosome, designated “Silas,” emerged from the initial cultivation process. It demonstrated an unprecedented ability to reconstruct Veridian’s early history, including the catastrophic collapse of the Third Dynasty. However, Silas’s constant reliving of this event led to a rapid acceleration of Obsoletism.
In an attempt to control Silas’s Obsoletism, researchers developed the “Silas Protocol” – a complex series of neural dampeners and memory filters. The protocol proved largely ineffective, and Silas’s suffering intensified.
After centuries of agonizing Obsoletism, Silas completely dissolved, leaving behind only a residue of shimmering, iridescent gel – a final, poignant testament to its existence.
“The greatest tragedy isn’t death, but the unlived lives that haunt the space between remembrance and oblivion.” - Archivist Lyra, Veridian Archives
Trophosome Obsoletism represents a profound warning. It's a reminder that even the most advanced civilizations can be undone by their own memories, by the weight of their past. The cycle of retention, without the capacity for detachment or transcendence, inevitably leads to a form of slow, agonizing annihilation. It’s a mirror reflecting the precariousness of consciousness, the seductive power of nostalgia, and the ultimate futility of clinging to what can never be truly recovered.