The world grows cold and unbelieving. No, the world has been cold, has been getting colder, and seems to have frozen considerably since I came to this place of thought. the collective belief in possibilities, in miracles, in magic and wonders has dwindled and faded. And why not? When Even those who have ever offered hope walk away, abandon the world to its misery, what is left but hopelessness?

And yet, why not walk away from a world intent on its own destruction? By my oath I am required to ask permission to intercede on behalf of any patient, save those for whom consent must, in the absence of informed consent, be implied. The world clearly does not assent to treatment, preferring to kill itself in bits and pieces. 

Although, as a person, am I any different than the world? How many years have I settled for devising ways to appease the Devourer within, choosing to live with a known problem and mitigate the symptoms? Rather than questioning and examining the cause, I have long opted to turn my attentions to any number of other endeavors centered around aiding friends and allies; now that finding pleasant diversions with friends and allies seems highly unlikely, studying characteristics of this malaise seems moderately more appealing than the alternatives. 

Known: cellular sized hyper-science constructs in the bodies of Centurions maintain health, vigor, and inherent regenerative ability, as well as prevented further cellular variance associated with aging. To maintain these constructs, centurions consume a hyper-science supplement, known as c-rations. This enhanced regenerative state closely resembles a rare but naturally occurring mutation referred to as the "Spark of Life" by certain traditions. 

Known: in the absence of c-rations, the same hyper-science constructs which maintained the body start to feed on the life-energy of the host and all those in contact with the host. most closely resembling a rare mutation known as "psychic vampirism".

Known: the cellular destabilization rate, the attrition of the host in fail-safe mode, exactly matches the cellular destabilization rate in Psychic vampirism. The cellular destabilization rate for psychic vampires exactly mirrors thaumnivoric cellular destabilization for extra-dimensional beings. This rate coincides with cellular destabilization rates for long-term use of expedient enhancements to physical or mental attributes.

 Based on similar effects and identical cellular destabilization rates, the fail-safe mode of the Centurion nano-virus exhibits classic symptoms characteristic of pattern leakage when deprived of the daily dose of C-rations. One explanation for the symptoms of pattern leakage is that the Centurion nano-virus is, in fact, a short-term enhancement that has been applied for an extended period of time.

The exact composition of C-rations is unknown. Direct evidence suggests that C-rations must contain something in addition to life energy and matter.