Advent Children - Geostigma

[Davey Gaga]

You may be able to tell but I'm going through a brief VII binge recently.

I'm currently re-watching Advent Children and it's struck me - Geostigma is a disease resulting from Jenova's influence on the Lifestream, to which many people have now been exposed as a result of the events at Meteorfall.

Cloud suffers from the effects of Geostigma - however, as I've said already, it's a disease resulting from Jenova's cells coursing through the Lifestream. In other words, Mako energy + Jenova cells = Geostigma. Cloud (and everyone else who used to be in SOLDIER) was already exposed to these things. He was injected with Jenova cells and infused with Mako energy in Hojo's lab in the Shinra Manor at Nibelheim, and he also fell into the Lifestream during the events of VII for good measure.

Assuming this isn't a plot hole, what's the likely explanation for this?

 

[Shaissa]

A personal theory (I think it's just bad planning but here is my theory)

The world had protected many people through the generations but once Sephiroth used Meteo and Aerith used Holy, the planet used life too much Life Stream to battle Jenova who was it for many years finally could attack people. Starting with children who have still developing immune systems, and those who had too much mako in them (Cloud and Rufus).

But just a theory. Personally... Bad planning lol

 

[Davey Gaga]

I've been digging around the internet and the best theory people have come up with is that Sephiroth's "will" is causing to the Jenova cells to become more virulent, causing the immune response we see in Geostigma. Geostigma is essentially an auto-immune disorder. Think of it as a terrible case of psoriasis.

Where I think that falls down is that Sephiroth has been "in" the Lifestream since Cloud "killed" him in Crisis Core. How he has MORE influence in the world now that his physical body has been destroyed is probably the question of the day - some nonsense about his life energy maintaining its influential nature now that he has "returned to the planet".

I like your theory but, essentially, it was the Lifestream that caused Geostigma by surfacing to protect the planet from Meteorfall - otherwise, no one would have been exposed to it (save for those exposed to Mako regularly). So I'm not sure there's any evidence to suggest the Lifestream protected anyone passively before the events at Meteorfall.

EDIT:
As a total side-issue, if all that had to happen to cure Geostigma was for Aerith to make it rain in the slums then why the fuck did she wait 2 years to do it?!

 

[Razberry Knight]

I think this is a simple answer. In order to infect the lifestream, a significant amount of Jenova cells had to enter it. Its not the same as Cloud with Jenova cells and going into the lifestream briefly.

 

[Galadín]

In Advent Children Kadaj states that it is "Mother's mimetic legacy" living on through "the Lifestream (that) makes it happen". I think that this is a definite indication that Jenova's cells are multiplying in the Lifestream but not in the way normal cells would divide and devour. Essentially I think what this means is that the Jenova cells are exhibiting the nature of the Lifestream since they have the ability to mimic not just each other but other aspects too. However, unlike the Lifestream itself, these cells are intruding agents which carry the truest form of Jenova (which even Sephiroth doesn't have due to his creation through human means) which unfortunately cannot be detected by the Lifestream because of the mimicry.

I believe that Geostigma results from this poisoning of the Lifestream since the Jenova cells are infecting the planet as well as its people "...it looks like the planet is a lot madder than we thought" (Marlene). This is why the disease differs to what was done to SOLDIER operatives and Cloud; although they were injected with Mako and J-cells they were not exposed to the unique and more deadly variation seen in Geostigma.

Lastly, Mako energy differs from the Lifestream greatly. Prolonged exposure to Mako can lead to poisoning, genetic mutation and death whereas the Lifestream is "the river of life that circles (their) planet, giving life to the world and everything in it" (Marlene), therefore it cannot possibly effect people the same way as Mako. Cloud and other SOLDIER operatives were Mako enhanced and therefore exposed to a controlled or particular level of this energy, an energy that reacts differently in the body to that of the Lifestream. Once the Lifestream was contaminated with Jenova's legacy however, instead of bestowing life and energy it carried Geostigma and death.