Can a soul be created? a study by nikunja shah

After my extensive study with my various geckos, I have wondered this question quite a bit. If it were possible to 'regrow' someone, in a sense, would they be just a body or would they be their normal selves? My study with my geckos has left me to wonder this question even more!Every single gecko I have seemingly shares the same traits and ailments of the their sample sources. (Aside from the sample sources that are not people, such as the curry.) Take into example, Geckne, created via a sample from a...good friend of mine. His source, Signe Djt-Gilda, is quite possessive and intense. While Geckne doesn't seem to hold this same feeling over me, he does get extremely upset when I attempt to move either Geckhir or Geckunja (The gecko version of myself.) Even with a lack of proper teeth, he has made many attempts to bite me during weekly tank cleanings.This is important to note because it's almost as if his entire personality is now within this little gecko. I see this exhibited multiple times within almost all of my subjects. But...on the subject about the creation of souls, it's hard to know if what has happened has been a some form of creation or something more of a...rewriting, in a sense. It is up for debate if animals and various creatures have souls. What degree of living being is allowed a soul? It would be safe to assume one celled organisms who are incapable of a single thought don't exactly have one but something like a house pet potentially would. I will make a note to speak with someone more developed in the study of animals but even without the addition of extra DNA, people keep these geckos as normal pets. Those pets have quirks, personality, feelings, all things that make them unique to who they are. Would that be considered a soul?More research necessary.

What is akasa? A study by Nikunja shah

I, like many others at the Great Work, consider Miss Nidhana not only an inspiration but a beacon of knowledge. To think the great discoveries we would have missed without the help of her and all other Arkasodara within our company...I could confidently say we would be years, if not decades, behind. That being said, there is one thing she has spoken about that greatly interests me is 'Akasa'.From what we know, Akasa is an unseen energy that has been defined by Hannish Alchemical Theory. This distinct energy is different than aether and, in simple terms, has theorized to be influenced by emotions or feelings. This energy is unreachable but has been shown to very much exist. It can not be created or destroyed, unable to be manipulated willingly. It can only be influenced by, as Miss Nidhana says, 'spiritual emotion'. That being said, it is difficult to say if I personally have every experienced such a phenomenon. It is difficult to look back and determine if such things happening was an act of fate, luck, or something more. Everything can only be based on pure speculation.Aside from my distant past, we know this energy makes up a large part of our surrounding atmosphere, untouchable but present. While it's effects could have positive results, we are all aware of the outcome of the Final Days. There isn't a single person within my line of work that hasn't experienced some form of tragedy following the destruction. Even now, we are all still attempting to recover. Even now, it's hard to stop myself from being overcome with worrisome emotions. As long as I live, I don't think I'll ever fully get over it. Perhaps that is exactly what's supposed to happen. Sometimes you just can't let things go. That being said, the effects of akasa was clear. With the barrier of aether thin, many of our loved ones succumbed to horrific despair, turning them into mindless beasts.This exact fate happened to my own parents. It gives me chills thinking about it, even now. I wonder what their thoughts were exactly before it happened. Did the despair they felt feel similar to mine when I remember I can't simply just go back home. Do I border on that delicate line between keeping my sanity and completely losing myself? It's a terrifying thought.[There is room to finish this along with small dried circles on the parchment. It seems like Nikunja has shelved this study for now.]

a question of ethics, composed by nikunja shah

It's difficult to determine where the line should be drawn when it comes to the study of genetics and the potential advancements we could be missing. As the saying goes, 'The Ends Justify the Means'. I'm a very firm believer in this! We owe it to those who will come after us to push the envelope and pave the way for bigger and better things. We are put on this star to live, thrive, and die. During our lifetimes, we must continue the pursuit of knowledge, under any circumstances. If a few moments of my suffering equal a breakthrough centuries after I have returned to the Aetherial sea, it will all be worth it.To determine exactly what would be considered 'ethical', one must realize this varies from person to person. For example, someone who has been raised towards a vegan lifestyle may consider the consumption of animals 'unethical'. Culturally, many of our local dishes contain some kind of meat or animal byproduct like eggs or dairy. Is it fair to say we as a society are unethical for what we eat? No, but it doesn't make the opinion of the vegan in question any less valid. They are allowed to feel that way as much as we are allowed to enjoy Jhinga Curry on a lazy Sunday afternoon.My point being is it is difficult to determine a set standard. I believe we can have some loose guidelines but be willing to bend and adjust given the circumstances. The purposeful death of an innocent living being is wrong, we know this but allow me to document a few findings from my study of 'Patient X'.'Patient X' came upon us at the Great Work one early afternoon a few years ago. Our shores had been recently ravaged by pirates, swindlers, criminals, and the like. They even attempted to come into my own childhood home, still home to my now late mother and father. My mother, as valiant as she was even in her later years, managed to defend the home and possibly all of Yedlihmad from future attacks. These criminals left destruction and heartache in their wake, many reporting the loss of their children in what seemed to be a child exploitation operation. My point being is any and all involved in this debauchery were terrible people. Returning back to my mother, who used to be somewhat of a pirate herself in her younger years, had one of these criminals barricaded in her home. This was a rarity, most were found deceased in altercations with the Radiant Host or simply managed to get away.'Patient X' was then collected by the Radiant Host and brought to our doors at The Great Work. You may be asking 'Why were they not brought to the city for justice?' At this point, the Radiant Host had fought for months to quell this problem. Some of them had lost brothers, sisters, or their own children to be used however these criminals seemed fit. I hold absolutely no judgement over their decision to forgo usual methods and many of us at The Great Work were thankful for it.He was a younger male, estimated around 20-25 years of age. He was very combative and required sedation frequently. 'Patient X' did eventually get to a point where we did not have to restrain him prior to sedation but it would take usually I and a few other alchemists to keep him still enough for the injection. He stayed with us for about a month before he managed to escape, to the dismay of the Radiant Host. Considering his state, I highly doubt he will ever think about his past criminal ways again. In some form of pest control, you allow them to feed and bring back food to the nest in order to poison the entire thing. We like to think that was the outcome to all of this.In my possession, I still have these collections from 'Patient X':

You may consider our actions towards 'Patient X' as cruel, unethical, and the like. I, along with many of my colleagues, consider our actions justified. The advancements made because of our ability to not only test but sample from a living being have made countless breakthroughs now and for the future alchemists who will take our place. We have made something positive out of a situation that has terrorized countless families and children from our shores. If getting some kind of justice for them is unethical, then that is the side I will proudly stand on.

notes

The following is a log of any procedures I have performed on myself and the outcome. For a disclaimer, I am and was of sound mind when doing these procedures. I fully understand the risks of these procedures and consent to whatever outcome comes of them.