[ audio/open ]

[standaloneshell]

"Human beings are
soft and supple when alive,
stiff and straight when dead."

This is a popular quotation that originated in the Tao De Ching; it was said by Lao Tzu. The remainder of the text goes on to extol the virtues of flexibility: "The army that is inflexible will not conquer; the tree that cannot bend will snap." However, like many such

Comments

[Text]

[windowsftl]

It's not worth it.

[ audio ]

[standaloneshell]

You don't think so?

[ audio ]

[windowsftl]

[Hesitantly changing to audio. Faint laughter.] No. I don't. Back home, there was a small army of people willing to do anything for immortality, even if the price meant to kill the people who were unable to attain it. It doesn't seem right...

...And also, old people get dementia, right? And so, to be that old and never die... Dementia doesn't sound like fun.

[ audio ]

[standaloneshell]

So, it isn't that you don't want to be immortal, it's that you're unwilling to kill for it?

text;

[heterochromiia]

nothiing. iimmortaliity would fuckiing 2uck.

text;

[standaloneshell]

Why?

text;

[heterochromiia]

one liife ha2 enough bull2hiit wiithout addiing two iit. be2iide2, everythiing would lo2e meaniing iif you ju2t kept exii2tiing iindefiiniitely.

text;

[standaloneshell]

Human beings tend to live a hundred years or so. For creatures who count their existences in decades, there's not a lot of conceptual difference between a thousand years and 'eternity'.

What do you think your life span will amount to?

✖ { voice ; }

[idkmybffhanna]

[Given the number of other Weird Stuff he's seen via the Network, trying to hide what he is seems a bit silly]

I seem to have already traded my memories for it.

Not certain if that was intentional, of course [Said a bit wryly] Either the immortality or the memory loss.

I suspect it wasn't. Not that it matters.

[ audio ]

[standaloneshell]

In certain mythologies, it's almost a theme- the unwitting immortal.

There are worse pricing options.

✖ { voice; }

[idkmybffhanna]

It is at that.

Absolutely agreed. I'm not bothered by it, anyway.

[ audio ]

[standaloneshell]

Good for you.

[modelscientist]

Wouldn't. Everything has beginning and end. Have accepted my lifespan, limitations of it.

Wouldn't mind another decade, though.

[standaloneshell]

And when that decade was over, you wouldn't reconsider, and want another?

[modelscientist]

Purely hypothetical. Have to say no. Have had a very fulfilling life. Successful family, successful career. Very successful, in fact.

What else could I ask for?

[standaloneshell]

I wouldn't know.

[eighttotwelve]

I would not.

[standaloneshell]

That seems to be a popular opinion.

[eighttotwelve]

Not to follow a trend, but I consider it the wisest option.

[standaloneshell]

Would you care to elaborate?