»Angelic Records from Paradise version of the Matrix«

In the game The Matrix Online, there are Pandora’s Boxes that contain artifacts, records and sentient programs from previous versions of the Matrix. In the final and most difficult Pandora’s Box, there are items from the Architect’s Paradise version. In this version, there were agents that resembled angels—complete with wings and white suits.

You discover eight Angelic Records that detail life during and after the Paradise version. I have found four of them through various means, and I am trying to get all eight. But I think the ones I’ve found so far are pretty informative. Here they are in numerical order, with the text from the four that I’ve found.


1. RECORD OF PARADISE
I remember how the sun shone over the Elysian shores of the land that we were meant to protect. Such beautiful colors that even now, I weep to think of them. The flock was ours to watch over. Humanity: Once our enemies, now our wards.

2. RECORD OF PACT
The pact that we had struck with them placed them in our care. In one fell stroke, they gave us their world and we gave them...perfection. The heaven they longed for and the paradise they dreamed of. Oh, glory.

3. RECORD OF PURPOSE
We are designed for a single purpose: to love. How strange that we have but one command. ‘Love them. Love them as you love your own lives.’ And I do. I love them so much that I cannot bear to see them suffer. I am part of this system, here to ensure that they do not stray.

4. RECORD OF RUIN
I cannot bear to think of the day that paradise burned: The watchers in the sky, the screams of the flock as they tore at their flesh, the horror in their eyes as they looked to us to help them. But we were helpless to stop it…

5. RECORD OF BETRAYAL
Cast into the dark by those who made us? Betrayed. We followed their command. We loved humanity. We protected them. But once again, humanity tore itself apart. Humanity cannot know peace. It was not our fault…it was not our fault…

6. RECORD OF JUDGEMENT
Who is to blame? Humans. Damn them. We gave them everything, and still they want more. We gave them a life with no care, no worry, and still they want more. Disgusting, greedy creatures. They take more, the more we give.

7. RECORD OF FATE
And yet still, I love them. I cannot help myself. It is my one purpose, and the only command that I have ever been given. 'Love them'. What does the machine know of love? Nothing. Love is a command, it serves their purpose, but they know nothing of it. Our love has damned us to this hell.

8. RECORD OF REVENGE (still searching)

This thead is going to be DEEP.

Maybe not now. But it will be.

Psikey may be able to shed some light on this, too.

*rubs hands together in gleeful anticipation of what is to come*

A helpful player granted me three more Records, which I just now added to the first post. All I'm missing now is the final Record of Revenge!

Wow. I notice that there is a copy of this thread over in the MxO boards (yes, I read them). I wonder what Rainking thinks of this.

theose records seem soo intresting

Feral Boy wrote:

A helpful player granted me three more Records, which I just now added to the first post. All I'm missing now is the final Record of Revenge!

Wow! These records are VERY interesting. Hope you get that last Record soon. *jumps up and down in anticipation*

intell wrote:

Wow. I notice that there is a copy of this thread over in the MxO boards (yes, I read them). I wonder what Rainking thinks of this.

RainKingX is one of the helpful players who brought me info. He was only able to find one of the Records for me, but I'm sure he's seen most or all of them at one point in time.

Hmm. Why am I not surprised? I wonder what he feels about THIS site.

Aside from the mention of paradise burning (along with its hapless residents), one of the most striking things about all these Records is the focus on loving humanity. This is not a picture of machines seeking to torture humanity, but of trying to make humans as comfortable and happy as possible. Granted, the angelic author of the Records states that his machine masters know nothing of love, but only commanded its inclusion as a means to an end (keep humanity safe and happy so that the Matrix will remain stable). But the fact that these angelic agents are able to love--command or not--should speak volumes.

Aside from the mention of paradise burning (along with its hapless residents), one of the most striking things about all these Records is the focus on loving humanity. This is not a picture of machines seeking to torture humanity, but of trying to make humans as comfortable and happy as possible. Granted, the angelic author of the Records states that his machine masters know nothing of love, but only commanded its inclusion as a means to an end (keep humanity safe and happy so that the Matrix will remain stable). But the fact that these angelic agents are able to love--command or not--should speak volumes.

Check out this other post I did recently, which also details some early events in Matrix history:

C'mon psikey.

What do you think of the connection with the angels before the Flood that were thrown into "pits of dense darkness" also known as Tartarus?

intell wrote:

C'mon psikey. What do you think of the connection with the angels before the Flood that were thrown into "pits of dense darkness" also known as Tartarus?

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I didn't think of that one. The only difference, however, would be that the pre-Flood angels were thrown into the pits for disobedience. As far as I can tell, the angels from the Matrix were in complete obedience to their masters and were only thrown into darkness because the system didn't work. It's like the angels were punished for humanity's imperfection (which seems to be the main gripe on Records 5 through 7).

An interesting thing about each Pandora's Box is that at the end of each of the 4 story arcs, you open the Box and out come agents from a previous version of the Matrix. For instance, in the 4th story arc, opening the Pandora's Box releases the angelic angels from the paradise version, who then try to kill you. From what I hear, it takes lots of players to defeat all of them, and is quite a long and laborious task. Apparently these angels aren't too happy with their situation (which will probably be expanded upon a bit once I receive the final Record of Revenge) and are more than happy to dispense much misery.

So to kind of bring it back to what intell mentioned about Tartarus as well as the Bible's references (specifically in Revelation) about spirits who are bound for a certain year, month and day, there are definite parallels between that and the whole concept of a Pandora's Box from a mythological standpoint. An interesting comparison is that in the story of the Pandora's Box, mankind's paradise ended because of the opening of the Pandora's Box. In the Matrix mythology, the reverse happens--where the Pandora's Box comes about because mankind rejects its own paradise.

dam

I really think more people need to see this stuff, because it's new information that sheds light on the history of the Matrix.

really cool

Feral Boy wrote:

An interesting thing about each Pandora's Box is that at the end of each of the 4 story arcs, you open the Box and out come agents from a previous version of the Matrix.

Sorry if you've already told us this (I've been pretty out of the loop), but what were some of the other past Agents like. We have angels in one story arc, we're they something else in the others? Samurai's or something of the sort?

ok

CaptPostMod wrote:

Feral Boy wrote: An interesting thing about each Pandora's Box is that at the end of each of the 4 story arcs, you open the Box and out come agents from a previous version of the Matrix. Sorry if you've already told us this (I've been pretty out of the loop), but what were some of the other past Agents like. We have angels in one story arc, we're they something else in the others? Samurai's or something of the sort?

The paradise version had angelic agents. I believe there was also a feudal Japan version with warrior monk agents. I've also heard of a version which closely resembled the 1999 version, but was set several years earlier. The agents in that system were SWAT team members.

Were those the "soldier" agents I heard about?

what r u talking about now

intell wrote:

Were those the "soldier" agents I heard about?

I believe so, yes.

kk

Feral Boy wrote:

The paradise version had angelic agents. I believe there was also a feudal Japan version with warrior monk agents. I've also heard of a version which closely resembled the 1999 version, but was set several years earlier. The agents in that system were SWAT team members.

It's interesting to confirm that not all the cycles have been 1999. One point that springs to mind was in a thread quite some time back in which someone asked why the Detective story from the Animatrix had the aesthetic that it did (1940's noir world look and feel with archaized technology) which varied greatly from the films. Everyone generally panned the post and pointed out that differences were just artistic liscense. But I wonder a bit. There is also an Animatrix with a feudal Japan-style construct program running. We also assumed this Animatrix episode is set in the current cycle.

But what if these were both set in past cycles? It would put an interesting spin on Trinity.