People killing each other? That just makes no sense!

[kill_all_vagans]

[Coming on the heels of the incident with the Noise and terrorists, Flit's uploading the data gathered about DODS-proof enemies to the AGE Builder.  Fighting enemies like the Behemoth was bad news... but if the UE broke out something like that it could disastrous if a response wasn't prepared for it.  But that's not all that's on his mind.]

How can people... just go and make other people -friends even- just tools to be used and thrown away for no reason?  Just making the world burn won't fix anything and it'll wind up hurting a lot more people than the ones who hurt you before in the first place!

That isn't even vengeance.  That's just nihilism.

Comments

[cloningblues]

They were pushed to the point where nobody mattered for them anymore. That's insane...

Or so I thought. But what if that's just a normal human reaction? And we're the insane ones?

[kill_all_vagans]

No. That's not how it is. It can't be.

If it were... we'd all be dead. We would've died out as a species long ago.

[cloningblues]

Maybe. But I wonder what kind of people they were before despair drove them to... this. Were they just normal soldiers?

[kill_all_vagans]

Whatever happened to them... there were people that could've helped them. Even then, if they would've just put down their guns, or realized there were bigger threats out there.

How can people even... drive each other to that point?

[cloningblues]

People can be cruel. As bad as the evil aliens and monsters we're fighting, sometimes.

But these guys put down their guns in the end. Eventually.

[kill_all_vagans]

And that's the difference between people and monsters like the UE... even if we do fight each other so often. I can't say I'm happy with what they did, with the people they've hurt or killed...

But at least they did stop.

[cloningblues]

At least. But what will happen with them now? Will they get better, will they make up for what they did... Or will they remain broken human monsters forever.

[no99]

A pattern that has repeated itself since the dawn of civilization. Hate is second only to love in how blind it can make those afflicted by it.

[kill_all_vagans]

You're speaking from experience?

[no99]

I have loved. I have hated. I have killed.

But to make others my tools, to cast aside? This I have seen, but never by my own hands.

[kill_all_vagans]

But the world's just been one massive playground for you and the other "war gods". Diregarding the world and everyone in it's not far off from what they did.

[no99]

Like it or not, the truth is that such people exist. No amount of wishing will make them go away.

As in all things your only choice is what you will do about it.

[kill_all_vagans]

You make it sound like I just let these things happen.

[He holds up the AGE Device, though his grip is tight.]

I've spent over half my life working to make sure people stay safe from monsters out there... even if it means I'll have to fight other humans.

[no99]

Very good. If you have both power and determination, then you can change the world.

[dolorous_sensei]

You're talking heavy stuffs kid. What happened?

[kill_all_vagans]

There were people out there. People who said they just wanted to world burn and make people suffer. Even in the face of an enemy like the Noise -an enemy of everyone- they kept trying to fight us!

Turning a blind eye to the monsters out there doesn't help anyone or any cause!

[dolorous_sensei]

Ah, you met one of those... Yes, those kind of people exist... It's a sad reality that we soldiers don't just have to fight monsters, but humans as well.

[kill_all_vagans]

I know... there's enough enemies out there for us to fight. We shouldn't have to take arm against each other.

[majestic_keiki]

Desperate people often do crazy things...But you're right, this just seemed insane. Maybe they were some kind of cult?

[kill_all_vagans]

You mean like... a group worshiping a comet and thinking they'll reincarnate there?

[Flit has limited grasp of what cults are like. Sheltered life on a colony with good socio-economic conditions will do that.]

[majestic_keiki]

Maybe. There have been many cults over the years and some kill people...I saw a documentary about some once.

[kill_all_vagans]

Even killing?

... What would they even hope to gain? What would their leader hope to gain by deceiving and manipulating a bunch of people?

[majestic_keiki]

I have no ideas...But some people just go crazy, it seems.

[keep_your_dignity]

AFTER A CERTAIN POINT THE HUMAN BRAIN JUST CRACKS. SOME JUMP OFF A BRIDGE. OTHERS GO INTO DRUGS OR LOSE THEMSELVES TO SELF-INDULGENCE. AND SOME DECIDE TO GO OUT AND TAKE EVERYONE THEY CAN WITH THEMSELVES.

I'm starting to think this should be Flit's default usericon

[kill_all_vagans]

But... but something like that can't happen immediately or instantly. There would be signs... people could be able to help them!

[keep_your_dignity]

OF COURSE THEY COULD. IT'S JUST LIKELY THAT NOBODY DID.

[kill_all_vagans]

Almost as much victims as the people they hurt...

I hope they ones who surrendered after the battle can make a new life for themselves.

[keep_your_dignity]

MAYBE. BUT DON'T STAKE TOO MUCH OF YOURSELF ON IT. NOT EVERYONE CAN COME BACK FROM THE BREAKING POINT.

[genericbiggerbrother]

"I can't really understand why humans would do that to each other either." Yancy agrees solemnly.

He shakes his head. "But if I had to guess...I think they do these things out of a twisted sense of despair."

[kill_all_vagans]

But... fighting other people like that would just make things worse! It would make people think "there's no going back for me now", wouldn't it?