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The Destiny Algorithm and Energized Protodermis


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Destiny is a funny thing in BIONICLE. It’s supposed to be some sort of immutable outcome that can influence a person’s life in certain ways, like whether or not a Toa stone will transform somebody, or how energized protodermis will change you.

 

Some people simply describe it as a function of the Great Spirit. A sort of universe-wide sorting algorithm (I like the sound of that, The Destiny Algorithm) to decide which Matoran should be enhanced into Toa, and such. This does make sense, to a certain degree, and I bought into this until theory until I started thinking about it in a little more detail. Then I realized that Energized Protodermis busted this myth.

 

See, the Energized Protodermis Entity is the oldest entity we’ve yet met in the BIONICLE universe, with the only other possible contender being Annona, whose origins remain unknown. He was on Spherus Magna, within it, since before the Great Beings even knew the substance he lived through existed. Whether he predates the GBs themselves is up for speculation, but the fact that they didn’t program him is indisputable, and crucial. 

 

Why do I bring this up? Because, when the Toa Metru first encountered the EPE, he spoke to them of Destiny. The guy is practically made of the stuff, as everything he, and his extension, Energized Protodermis, touched, would either be destroyed or transformed. Energized Protodermis is like the physical manifestation of Destiny itself, and it predates the three virtues that some theorize are just part of Matoran Programming.

 

So where did these ideas come from, exactly? Did the Great Beings borrow Destiny from EPE? Did it simply hear about it from the natives of the Matoran Universe? Is it simply a universal constant? All three are plausible, but given the EPE’s connection to every source of Energized Protodermis in the MU, I think the second is the most believable. So you would think that would mean lights out for this theory, right?

 

Wrong. What we need to do now, is to look at two instances of things transformed by Energized Protodermis: The Toa Nuva, and the Protocairns.

 

If the concept of Destiny were simply that- a concept- then these two instances of transformation would make no sense. First, the case of the Protocairns. For those unfamiliar with them, they’re powerful Rahi that have plagued the Matoran Universe for millennia. They sort of function like volcanoes, destroying land much like the Bohrok, but then spontaneously dying and then transforming into land, themselves. 15,000 years ago, a pack attacked Ga-Metru, and the resulting land mass was the island the Great Temple was built upon. 

 

Now, unlike most Rahi, Protocairns were not created by Makuta. They were once Matoran living in seclusion, possibly members of a cult, who sacrificed themselves to Energized Protodermis, and emerged as Protocairns. If this transformation were truly random, half of them would have been destroyed, and the other half would have been turned into a random assortment of creatures. It’s clear that something specific was intended for these Matoran. The will of a higher power? Certainly not the EPE’s will, since it itself didn’t know what would happen, and on the contrary, found entertainment in experimentation. An almost childlike, yet scientific thrill of watching things transform at random, like a child with a magnifying glass.

 

As for the Toa Nuva, I think you already see where I’m going with them. At the end of the Bohrok Arc, when they defeated the Bahrag, the Toa were dropped into tubes of Energized Protodermis. When they emerged, they had changed into similar, yet unique beings. Far more powerful than before. Not only did none of them get destroyed by the protodermis, but they all transformed in exactly the same way. More powerful elements, new armor pieces, and the ability to share their mask powers with others. We don’t know why those pits of EP were there (though you can bet I’m asking Greg that), but my theory is they were put there as a trap. The Bahrag had a duty to fulfill, and keeping them from it could ruin everything, and so they used Energized Protodermis, a substance it seemed nothing was immune to, save for the material the black flask in Maze of Shadows was made of. And yet it didn’t work. Instead it gave the Toa the power they would need to later achieve their destinies.

 

Destiny clearly at work.

 

Though, I suppose I misspoke earlier. This does not necessarily debunk the ‘Destiny is a program’ theory I mentioned in the beginning, it simply doesn’t allow for it as the sole definition of Destiny. Destiny as an algorithm could possibly exist at the same time as a universal Destiny. They’re not mutually exclusive. And I do have a piece of evidence to support this, and another theory that spawns from it: The Toa Inika.

 

Funnily enough, the point I’m getting to now is originally the main point I wanted to make in this theory. Now it’s more of a side note, because it’s honestly comparatively drab. But moving on.

 

Each of the Toa Inika, with the exception of Nuparu and Hahli, were the right hand Matoran of their respective Turaga. Nuparu was the chief engineer, and Hahli was chosen to represent Ga-Koro in place of Kotu, Nokama’s left hand, both significant positions. Just how did it happen that the future Inika were all such important figures?

 

I can answer this question with another question. What, exactly, is the function of a Turaga? By any logic, it would make sense for a Toa to always remain a Toa, right? They can carry out their function of protection forever that way.

 

But I suppose that with age, a Toa does have to eventually retire, so why not work that into the algorithm? Once a Toa has achieved what the Destiny Algorithm recognizes as the Toa’s ‘Destiny’, they turn into Turaga. So, what, does it end there? Are they now obsolete? Nope. There’s still one more function they can serve.

 

Somewhere within a Turaga’s programming- manifested as a subconscious instinct- is the function of searching for the next Matoran Destined to become a Toa. Acting on that subconscious instinct, Vakama, Matau, Onewa and Nuju selected those that the algorithm running within them pointed them toward as future Toa to be their right hands. Then, due to the glitch in Matoran functions that granted them emotions, Nokama and Whenua selected the wrong right-hands, though ultimately, their instincts did still bring them to the right conclusion. And thus, the Inika were born. It’s also possible that Vakama reacted to Takua’s Destiny as well, given the extra attention he offered him.

 

This also raises the possibility that Kolhii is a part of the algorithm as well, as ultimately, ALL the Matoran on Mata Nui who would one day become Toa, with the exception of Nuparu, were involved in the Kolhii tournament seen in MNOLG2 and MoL. I’ll leave that for you to decide.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's magic. No need to overthink it that much.

Except it's magic mixed with sci-fi, in which case yes, there's every opportunity to overthink it.

 

You know, it's funny how the three virtues were unity, duty and destiny.  Destiny isn't really something you can know, much less strive for like a virtue until you actually come across yours.  But if there's a tiny piece in the subconscious of every Matoran/Toa/Turaga what their destiny is, it could keep prodding them towards their destiny.  So, unknowingly, they are moving closer and striving for their destiny, in which case it DOES make sense that it's a virtue.

 

Did that make any sense or do I just need to go to sleep now..?  Probably just need to sleep...

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Avatar by Nicholas Anderson (NickonAquaMagna)

My blog: The Jaga's Nest

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  • 3 weeks later...

You can kinda parallel the three virtues: Unity, Duty, and Destiny, to the 3 Laws of Robotics featured in I-Robot (and the original novel) that is meant to guide their core programming. With this looming "Destiny" subconsciously pushing forward their motives and actions. They were machines with a dedicated purpose before their sentience and culture developed. It is not too out there to believe their base code drives them in choices they make with their developed free will.


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The pits of EP those tubes of proto lead to, as I recall, are part of the camo system for the GSR. When it lands, EP is leaked out to create a surface for the GSR that mimics the local in which it landed.

 

Granted, Aqua Magna has no surface landmasses, Biomes, or Flora, so it's questionable how well that function works.

 

 

(or maybe that's why it just spat up six distinct biomes when it made the island, hmmm...)

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The pits of EP those tubes of proto lead to, as I recall, are part of the camo system for the GSR. When it lands, EP is leaked out to create a surface for the GSR that mimics the local in which it landed.

 

 

Granted, Aqua Magna has no surface landmasses, Biomes, or Flora, so it's questionable how well that function works.

 

 

(or maybe that's why it just spat up six distinct biomes when it made the island, hmmm...)

Well, it wouldn't be reasonable to liquefy the exposed bits of the robot, so it went for an island. Mata Nui was down for the count, and it was a crash landing, so things went a bit haywire.

~~-BS01 Histories-~~
by Zox Tomana, B.A. - Blog

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