No. It's how every self-proclaimed empire will ultimately fail. An empire must by its nature continue to expand. When it gives in and declares it no longer needs land, or no longer monitors other lands, then it has declared itself satisfied and thus dead. They needed to continue, or proclaim themselves weak.
That being said? They made a mistake in siding to begin with. They should have let the war naturally run its course, with one side victorious, and then gone in. They attempted to be liberators and failed. Better then to have gone in as tyrants and simply smashed every single living thing down, instead of attempting to defend.
It's already begun. [The fact that he finds himself a predator? Hardly hidden. He smiles pretty broadly at saying that.]
You would be correct. Let us say that my superiors were quite unhappy with some of my later actions, and decided to have me executed. They almost succeeded, and most of my body was left unusable. It was my great luck that I had a friend able to create a, let us say, most impressive prosthetic.
[He flexes and moves one of his arms and hands. It's so natural and human you could hardly tell it was cybernetic.]
A fall is inevitable in the end no matter how far they expand or how long they control their territories, isn't that so? All things created by a human hand are slated for a finite existence, though some last much longer than others. The countries that don't make consecutive idiotic decisions, for instance. [a dismissive handwave] Though their poor decisions were very beneficial to me, so I oughtn't complain too heartily.
[the broad smile is returned by a look of simple curiosity. well, predators are predators, even if they aren't the literal hunt-and-devour sort.] I suppose that could be said.
[and then he leans forward just a bit to get a closer look at that arm, brow furrowed.] ...Very impressive indeed. I've not seen prosthetic work this efficient even in my own time, though the medical fields have certainly taken great steps forward.
It is so. But in order to keep from falling into despair at how everything will, in the end, be reduced to ash, many can't think of where it's been. Only where it's going. And even then, only thing very much in the short run.
[The Major just chuckles a little bit.]
You could say he was a man undeterred by moral restraints in his research. How much more we would accomplish, if man learned to throw them out.
It's a shame, but such is human nature. It would be strange to consider a world in which no one tried to cover up or ignore the ephemerality of its existence. [even he had difficulties accepting a notion like that, and his expression sours for a moment before he straightens his posture again.]
A good deal more would be accomplished, surely, but morality is a heavy chain and one that refuses to give way easily. You were fortunate to be in the company of one such person who had discarded their inhibitions and was more useful for it, but on a whole, it's likely a good thing that many still adhere to archaic morals and standards. It's almost like an built in evolutionary speed bump.
It wouldn't work, either. A people so fully aware of their mortality, of how short their existence was....they would be a highly unproductive people.
I suppose it depends on the person, and you need both those unrestricted and those chained. The unrestricted to make the actual advances, the chained to implement those discoveries in actual society and make them...palatable, in their forms.
It would be pleasant if it had the reverse affect, but that's expecting too much.
That's certainly a functional system, even if it isn't entirely without its flaws. I suppose you would consider yourself to be a part of the former group, yes? Those unihibited by morals and even, at times, practicality. [he looks thoughtful for a moment.] It's a mindset I've seen often, but fields of science are often filled with people who would do much for the sake of curiosity.
It isn't very surprising, but still somewhat interesting. The lengths people will go to in order to satisfy their intellectual cravings are really quite astounding at times. It's certainly something that can make a monster of a man. [his rocks back on his heels for a moment, still maintaining perfect balance.] But I suppose something like that is also natural.
Mmmm. When you play with anything, you run the risk of becoming a monster. It's simply the way things are! The trick is merely to remember what makes you a man. What separates you.
The natural and unnatural are heavily entwined, I have found. To the point where you may not always be able to tell the difference.
Is that so? [a thoughtful pause and his feet fall flat against the pavement again.] I wouldn't mind living in a world like that. A place where the divide isn't so stark.
I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case in most worlds. The divide isn't so much naturally created as it is by perception. The natural and unnatural tend to live together, without even realizing it.
Of course, what happens when they do realize it....
[oh how heartily Charles would disagree if he knew that. if one thing gets under his skin, it's a monster trying to paint himself as a man.
as things are though, he simply shrugs the statement off.] A very select few, perhaps.
Ah, if that's the sort of thing you're talking about, I know of it quite well. It provides fair protection for both sides but they can't coexist forever, correct? [a rhetorical question: he's well aware of how poorly things turn when humans so much as catch wind of something outside of their understanding.]
The creatures might have greater strength than man, but man has shown itself capable of enslaving creatures to do their bidding. Sometimes, the most powerful of them.
[the answer is met with a clearly dissatisfied frown, but he doesn't give voice to it since he isn't sure whether or not to classify the Major as a 'human' yet, and as such can't properly gauge how much offense should be taken.]
Well, I suppose we'll never truly know until it actually happens.
That being said? They made a mistake in siding to begin with. They should have let the war naturally run its course, with one side victorious, and then gone in. They attempted to be liberators and failed. Better then to have gone in as tyrants and simply smashed every single living thing down, instead of attempting to defend.
It's already begun. [The fact that he finds himself a predator? Hardly hidden. He smiles pretty broadly at saying that.]
You would be correct. Let us say that my superiors were quite unhappy with some of my later actions, and decided to have me executed. They almost succeeded, and most of my body was left unusable. It was my great luck that I had a friend able to create a, let us say, most impressive prosthetic.
[He flexes and moves one of his arms and hands. It's so natural and human you could hardly tell it was cybernetic.]
As you can see, his was an incredible work.
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[the broad smile is returned by a look of simple curiosity. well, predators are predators, even if they aren't the literal hunt-and-devour sort.] I suppose that could be said.
[and then he leans forward just a bit to get a closer look at that arm, brow furrowed.] ...Very impressive indeed. I've not seen prosthetic work this efficient even in my own time, though the medical fields have certainly taken great steps forward.
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[The Major just chuckles a little bit.]
You could say he was a man undeterred by moral restraints in his research. How much more we would accomplish, if man learned to throw them out.
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A good deal more would be accomplished, surely, but morality is a heavy chain and one that refuses to give way easily. You were fortunate to be in the company of one such person who had discarded their inhibitions and was more useful for it, but on a whole, it's likely a good thing that many still adhere to archaic morals and standards. It's almost like an built in evolutionary speed bump.
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I suppose it depends on the person, and you need both those unrestricted and those chained. The unrestricted to make the actual advances, the chained to implement those discoveries in actual society and make them...palatable, in their forms.
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That's certainly a functional system, even if it isn't entirely without its flaws. I suppose you would consider yourself to be a part of the former group, yes? Those unihibited by morals and even, at times, practicality. [he looks thoughtful for a moment.] It's a mindset I've seen often, but fields of science are often filled with people who would do much for the sake of curiosity.
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I do indeed. I cast aside any idea of "morality" I possessed a long time ago.
[A small chuckle.]
Are you surprised? I would say curiosity is the main factor as to why anyone does anything. We need to know the previously unknown.
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The natural and unnatural are heavily entwined, I have found. To the point where you may not always be able to tell the difference.
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Is that so? [a thoughtful pause and his feet fall flat against the pavement again.] I wouldn't mind living in a world like that. A place where the divide isn't so stark.
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[He certainly thinks he's one of them.]
I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case in most worlds. The divide isn't so much naturally created as it is by perception. The natural and unnatural tend to live together, without even realizing it.
Of course, what happens when they do realize it....
[And he just lets that hang, shrugging.]
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as things are though, he simply shrugs the statement off.] A very select few, perhaps.
Ah, if that's the sort of thing you're talking about, I know of it quite well. It provides fair protection for both sides but they can't coexist forever, correct? [a rhetorical question: he's well aware of how poorly things turn when humans so much as catch wind of something outside of their understanding.]
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It does indeed. And it shouldn't exist forever.
Eventually, the scales will tip and fall one way.
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The creatures might have greater strength than man, but man has shown itself capable of enslaving creatures to do their bidding. Sometimes, the most powerful of them.
In the end, in minor skirmishes? Man.
If it were to be all out war?
Mutual destruction.
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Well, I suppose we'll never truly know until it actually happens.
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