Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 10 - Dreaming In Fire
”What can you feel K-bot?”
”I can hear you breathing”
"I added the emulation for you . . "
K-Rox opened his eyes and turned down to look at her; he had never seen her face like that, it was somehow more . . more vulnerable.
”You didn’t have to do that for me.”
”Well maybe I did it as much for me, you breathe, even though you are in a virtuality, you still breathe, because it is natural and even though there is no need for air, your avatar still simulates breathing because it would make it less real to you and others if you didn’t. I wanted to be the same I guess . . . Why did the human race fight wars?”
”Huh?”
The question threw him, Amorphia had a habit of asking questions that were completely out of sync with the mood she had been expressing only seconds earlier. It had the effect of completely making him forget what he had been thinking about, and to only be able to concentrate on the question just asked. Not answering one of these questions was just not conceivable, he started to think about war. Even though he had been born several decades after the last official war had been fought on earth. The history of war had not been lost on him.
”Lots of different reasons, although I guess there were always the core reasons. Resources, and tactical advantage, which in turn lead to money and power. I’m sure I could make it more complex than that, but that’s what it boils down to.”
”So people fought wars so they could be rich and powerful?”
”Maybe not so much the foot soldiers, or in fact many people who did any of the actual fighting. In pre-technology warfare, they were more likely to end up dead or maimed. The generals, the Princes and Kings, they were the ones who got the money and power.”
”What about in the era of technology; did the soldiers become rich then?”
”I don’t think so”
”So what was in it for them?”
”If you were a defending force, then your way of life was under threat . .”
”and if you were an attacking force?”
”Then I guess you too also thought that by attacking the enemy, you were preserving your way of life. I don’t know, it’s hard, it’s like discussing slavery, or child labour. Those things happened in a time where society just had a different outlook on life, for me to try and comment on war from a 23rd century perspective, when there is absolutely zero chance of one happening now, is almost impossible.”
K-Rox looked into Amorphia’s eyes, she had that small crease, that formed over her left eye when she wasn’t satisfied with his answers. She seemed to be contemplating what he had told her, but at the same time thinking of the next thing to say.
”Well let’s keep the conversation to a time you can understand K-bot; why are no wars fought today?”
”Yuh, I guess that’s a bit easier; we simply don’t have the need for war, it has no function in today’s society, and if we are anything, we are functional. Plus of course, the organisations that used to fund and facilitate wars no longer exist.
Humans used to have things called governments, made up of elected officials who would administer affairs for a particular region, tax the people and organise wars.”
”It all sounds very efficient.”
”I don’t think it was, I think the idea of governments was probably a good one; however human nature always seemed to come into play, given enough time the most well-meaning government would inevitably fall to corruption.
Nowadays however, we are lucky enough to have an abundance of resources that are pretty much freely available to everyone. We don’t have territories marked out in the same ways that pre-Confusion humans did, and the blockchain takes care of administration.
I mean, the Qblock renders a lot of those old squabbles pointless, anyone can go anywhere they like on earth today, and I don’t know . . . I guess . . I guess our needs are met. Like I said, I can’t really imagine why one human being would want to join up with a group of others, trek halfway around the world and then try and kill a bunch of strangers, because yet more strangers ordered them to do so.”
Amorphia held a steady gaze as she looked into K-Rox's eyes, he returned her stare, losing himself in the deep blue pools that seemed to reflect his soul back to him. He had become to expect a profound statement or searching question anytime she wore such an expression.
”OK, let me ask you this then my little K-bot; if the causes of war were removed, their organisers vanquished, and their resultant trophies made useless; then why do you still spend money?”
Asimov's Ghost Previous Chapters:
Asimov's Ghost -Chapter 0 - Alone In The Game
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 2 - Phantoms In The Chain
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 3 - The Storms Of Malcraft
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 4 - Ghost In The Machine
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 5 The Reality Dilemma
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 6 - The Confusion Labyrinth
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 7 - Alone In The Dark
Original artwork by @nekromarinist
Words by Cryptogee
Haha, losing oneself in Amorphia's deep blue eyes as can be seen in the picture is surely seductive! No wonder K-Rox couldn't help it 😃
Amorphia seems to have in common with me this characteristic of asking questions completely out of sync! I love doing that when I find people being overly preoccupied with a certain matter. It really throws them off, because it causes confusion when the context instantly changes so unexpectedly, and more importantly, it allows them to not get lost in those toxic spirals of worry. :)
I love your way of making readers stay tuned. Definitely a strength!