Problematic notion about Zone 5 & 6 story bits.

[Cleretic]

Indeed, but another aspect is that it's not simply an isolated question of whether to destroy it because its existence is "wrong", but whether it deserves to exist at the expense of the living.

Essentially, it's a variation of the "trolley problem", and if we do choose to sacrifice the living to keep the lights on in Living Memory then they're still only going to last until the battery runs out.

Agreed; I believe both of those statements, but I don't believe the second one just because because I believe the first.

If Sphene wasn't pulling the knives out, and Cahciua wasn't giving Endless approval for what we have to do, we'd have sort of a 'SeaWorld orca program' problem: the act of making it was wrong and horrible, but once it existed it would then be even worse to just kill it. (And yes, I am proud of finding a theme park metaphor for Living Memory.) It's Sphene and Cahciua that make the road we land on okay, or at least justified, not the existence of Living Memory itself.

EDIT:

I do agree on those points. I would have hoped that Cahciua more firmently states that this is actually something she's discussed with all the residents and that it's ok to shut them down. But from what we see is people who really are enjoying their lives and we are just inserting our own beliefs onto them. Yes it's a difficult decision, yes Sphene has delivered and ultimatum, we have to do this. But I was firmently hoping atleast someone, either Erenville or G'raha Tia who is somewhat of an expert on dimensional things would at bare minimum entertain an alternative option or suggest somehting else. And I get there ISN'T an alternative option, Krile's parents and Cahciua say this, but I would still hope G'raha at the ery least try and find a solution. He quite literally had no purpose being with us.

I get the want for a counter-voice in something like this; it can be hard to believe an argument you only hear one side of. It's why I think Fandaniel (both Amon and Hermes) is the saving grace of Emet-Selch's story, because his very existence poking holes in it lets me believe that the Ancients were actually real.

But I also don't know if it would necessarily help here; the story of Living Memory is ultimately the one of us having to put an end to the Endless. A third option doesn't help that; it weakens it, as it either becomes something we could just not do, or something we could have averted.