Instinct is inextricably bound to unreasoning impulses, and today we clearly see its true nature. But inseparable from Instinct is its dark twin, Superstition. Instinct coddled us and kept us safe in those hardscrabble years when we hardened our sticks and cooked our first meals above a meager fire and startled at the shadows that leapt upon the cavern's walls. Instinct was our mother when we were an infant species. I find it helpful at times like these to remind myself that our true enemy is Instinct. It also requires planning and forethought that run in direct opposition to our neural pre-sets. It requires radical rethinking and revision of our genetic imperatives. This simple fact has far-reaching implications. First, let us consider the fact that for the first time ever, as a species, immortality is in our reach. Do our benefactors really know what's best for us? What gives them the right to make this kind of decision for mankind? Will they ever deactivate the suppression field and let us breed again?Īllow me to address the anxieties underlying your concerns, rather than try to answer every possible question you might have left unvoiced. Of course, your question touches on one of the most basic biological impulses, with all its associated hopes and fears for the future of the species.

Why has the Combine seen fit to suppress our reproductive cycle? Sincerely, A Concerned Citizen.'

Let me read a letter I recently received. And so, whether you are here to stay, or passing through on your way to parts unknown, welcome to City 17. I have been proud to call City 17 my home. I thought so much of City 17 that I elected to establish my Administration here, in the Citadel so thoughtfully provided by Our Benefactors. You have chosen, or been chosen, to relocate to one of our finest remaining urban centers.

Half life text to speech