If you've been reading along, you may recall there were some sizable changes along with the events described within the last update. We saved the world from aggressive mutated flesh-eating cows, I became an adoptive father and I ordered the mental restructuring of my deranged Illuminati-crafted clone, "Dr." Retekra.
You might also note that it has been quite some time since that last update, and thus suspect that one of these things may not have gone very well. You would be somewhat correct if so.
The elimination of the Mad Vegan's Battle Cattle was a success and his infant daughter has grown to be a thriving, bouncing baby girl I count myself fortunate to be the guardian of, albeit my monitoring of them has had to be via proxy. No, the problem was what I now see to be a rather overbold plan to reform Retekra. Even though I would insist it was quite successful a small group of henchpeople and project leads, led by Drs. G, Ab, and L went straight to the ethics review board and protested.
The ethics review board ultimately ruled against me as while they found the newly reformed former Retekra objectively improved in being certifiably sane and quite emotionally stable despite something of an identity crisis- the original Retekra was still technically sentient and warranted more in the way of existential protection under the circumstances. They additionally could not rule out the possibility my efforts were motivated more by offended vanity than any desire to rehabilitate.
I myself would insist my primary motivation was to further secure the well-being of my new heir, but such details are almost impossible to prove. In any case I found and still find no fault in the ERB's assessment and conclusion, it was perfectly just. You could perhaps see the problem I had, being the ultimately autocratic head of Arketer Labs. Fortunately the ERB and most of the complainants were quite reasonable and thus I am now mostly suspended from my duties and in a sort of exile for an as-of-yet uncertain period of time.
Zero has thoroughly cursed me out for being a fool, but this should serve to make it clear that no one at Arketer Labs may take ethical matters lightly. Not even me.
I would like to to actually thank almost all of those who objected and stress again that I have no ill-will towards any of them save one of the Doctors who I have ascertained was and is motivated solely by blind ambition- going so far as to attempt to inform our enemies of my whereabouts. You know who you are, and I suspect your peers do as well. The Ethics Review Board will convene on this and I hope to see you soon.
So, where does this leave me? On the run.
My enemies know I am removed from Arketer Labs facilities and that this presents an incredibly valuable opportunity to secure or eliminate my personage. If this were not an election cycle in the U.S. threatening to go spectacularly awry right now, I might have been caught already. My heir is perfectly safe at least, under the care of the reformed former Retekra in well-secured secrecy.
I will be documenting my survival here, though as usual Zero will be editing the content for grammar and any information that might doom me.
Progress continues!
