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02/ 5/25 10:52:46 [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2], 3, 4 ]

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Date Posted: 10:06:23 10/21/03 Tue
Author: Siridar-Viscount Leonov Drakken
Subject: The Ancient Enemy? *Prequel Spoilers perhaps*

Okay the obvious answer is Omnius being the ancient enemy that is to return in Dune 7/8. But being that some of the things set up in Butlerian Jihad that took us in one direction actually ended up being twisted in Machine Crusade something makes me think that maybe, just maybe the ancient enemy might be something different. Let's look at it this way. Omnius is a very predictable creature in the prequels. And granted Dune 7 comes many many thousands of years after the Butlerian Jihad how much can Omnius have changed in all that time? Could he have learned space folding by then? Perhaps, but if he has why hasn't he already used it? And why would it be so important that humanity /Siona's heirs be 'invisible' to prescience? Could prescience be a weapon of the ancient enemy? Now granted I don't doubt that a machine is involved and that Omnius is involved in some way but I honestly have this feeling that Erasmus is the Ancient Enemy.

Okay my clues for this are..
1. In Machine Crusade Erasmus experiences leadership for the first time when he must defend Corrin after Ominus mind is corrupted.

2. Erasmus is a much more hated enemy than Omnius in the series. Omnius is the target of the Jihad in general but Erasmus is the one who started the Butlerian Jihad and many of the major players have a deep hatred of him, this is evident by Serena's actions and feelings when she goes to meet with Ominus and encounters Erasmus.

3. Humanity still is unsure whether Erasmus is still alive. So if he flees to unknown regions in the "Battle of Corrin" humanity won't know he escaped to fight another day.

4. Erasmus has feelings? Feelings. Ominius is a machine but Erasmus seems to have a soul of sorts? An evil malicious and deadly soul.

5. (I think) Erasmus is mentioned in Dune 5 or 6. Remember the painting in the Bene Gesserit school. The Van Gogh that was recreated and if I'm not mistaken it was recreated by Erasmus and signed by Erasmus. Take a look and let me know. I am pretty sure I verified that at some point. That seems like a strange note to put in the book since the painting had such a connection with the Bene Gesserit in those books.

6. Erasmus is training Gilbertus Albans who I personally think is responsible for the Mentat School later in Battle of Corrin. All the evidence in Butlerian Jihad pointed to the Cogitors but Gilbertus Albans is developing mentat skills in Butlerian Jihad. Note how Erasmus is teaching him observation and how to predict events through reasoning and a machine like ability to recall facts, etc.

The reason I think this is important is because Erasmus notes several times that Gilbertus is not only a student but a teacher. Perhaps Erasmus learns to predict future events in some way. Erasmus is evolving whereas Omnius is not. Perhaps that is why humanity needed to changed into something outside of prescience.. because Erasmus was becoming prescient.. or at least understanding humanity to a degree that he could predict thier behavior..

Okay so granted these are just theories and they are rather loose at that. But I think he plays a bigger role than we think at the moment. And I enjoy him as a villian much more than Omnius. I want to see him play a role at the end. I want to see a meeting between Duncan and Erasmus.

Now here is another theory.

Perhaps it's neither Omnius or Erasmus. Perhaps it's Agamemmnon. He's had it out for Humanity since the beginning. He's more human and would be much more of a threat. And how cool would it be for Duncan to come face to face with the original Atreides. I highly doubt this possibility though considering that Humanity would make it a point to search out Agamemmnon and slag him, and I also think Vorian Atreides and Agamemmnon have a predestined father vs. son meeting coming.

Those are my ideas. Thoughts?

M-

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Replies:

All I know is..... -- Crysknife, 17:20:39 10/21/03 Tue
I think you are right -- IDAHO, 01:28:17 11/26/03 Wed