Constellation 07

[scienceandgod]

[Arthur sits at his desk, hunched slightly forward, his head resting somewhat on his hand. He's got a history book opened up in front of him, several more stacked around him. Its opened to one of the chapters regarding World War II.

His expression is hinted with confusion, sadness, and anger. But mostly, he just looks very tired. In his left hand is

Comments

[salvagestime]

[The Doctor ends up leaning against the desk, glancing down at the pages.]

Have you already read through them all?

[scienceandgod]

[shakes his head] Only about half of them so far.

Religious, economical, and political causes. Death tolls, estimated scale of destruction, how many wounded. Military strategies, extermination camps, memorials......[He trails off, closing is hand around the watch]

[salvagestime]

[Gently.]

I think you should stop reading, just for a bit. That's a lot to take in all at once.

[scienceandgod]

Just a little longer won't hurt.

[quietly]I....I read about Einstein. And the Manhattan Project, and the atomic bomb, and Japan. He wa- is, he is anti-war.I don't understand.

[salvagestime]

[He leans a bit heavier on the desk.]

He was. Erm, is. He...it's complicated, Arthur. Especially at the time.

[scienceandgod]

The Great War, they called it. The War to end all War. Twenty seven years later, there's sixty million dead.

[salvagestime]

You really can't blame people for having hope that it wouldn't repeat. Most people hope every war will be the last.

[scienceandgod]

I don't- I understand why it happened, what led up to it. I don't see why it had to. 40 million civilians dead.

40 million people that had nothing to do with the fighting. Didn't get drafted or volunteered or went out to fight. They simply died in the cross fire. And the extermination camps....

[His voice is still quiet, but shaking] How is that fair, Doctor? How is that right? To think that God would allow such a thing.

[salvagestime]

It isn't. There's nothing right or good or just about the deaths. [He puts his hand over the book, resting it on the pages.] There isn't one simple answer for 'why.' That's part of what makes it so terrible.

[scienceandgod]

[He nods, bringing the watch close. Silently, almost as if the Doctor weren't there, Arthur opens it and runs his fingers over the face slowly. He's still holding it like that when he speaks]

We're very stupid, humans. For all the brilliance, we can do such stupid, stupid things for the sake of pride.

[salvagestime]

Well, it isn't just humans. Not that you don't have your fill of it but most species fall victim to pride or arrogance or greed. It's a common flaw.

[He leans in slightly.] But it isn't all bad. You know that especially well, Arthur. For all the bad, there's so much good that is - or can be - done. There were actually a lot of positive things that came after this war. Terrible things, yes, but good, too. It isn't perfect but it isn't so simple as just the bad. You can't let yourself become completely fixated with it.

[scienceandgod]

[Arthur leans back in his chair, just a bit closer to the Doctor]

I know that. There's more to war than just the death. It's just hard to look past it, even now.

[salvagestime]

I know. Believe me, I do. But you need to. The world doesn't end there.

[scienceandgod]

I'll just...take a break for now. But I want to keep reading, later.

[salvagestime]

[He smiles a bit at that.] Good. Thank you.

[scienceandgod]

[Arthur gives him the slightest smile in return, pushing his chair back and standing. He slips the watch into his pocket, glancing at the books] I'll return them all to you in a few hours, at most.