‘So do you have an actual destination in mind?’ Hector asked. ‘Or are we just going to wander around and hope for the best?’
‘What’s wrong with wandering around and hoping for the best? Maybe the universe will do us a solid for being such nice people all the time.’
‘So you believe in karma now?’
‘Not even a little bit. If the universe rewarded people for being nice, there wouldn’t be so many rich assholes in the world. Also, nature itself would be fundamentally different, and evolution as we know it would be dramatically altered. “Survival of the fittest” would be “survival of the friendliest.” Which sounds pretty awesome, actually. If I ever visit an alternate reality, I hope it’s one where that’s somehow a rule.’
‘...So we’re really just wandering around right now, is what you’re telling me?’
‘No, I’m scanning the area for souls that are carrying the aura of death around them.’
‘Oh yeah,’ said Hector. ‘I keep forgetting you can do that.’
‘Well, it’s not the most useful power when I’m just watching servants tear each other limb from limb. Which is something you seem pretty keen on taking part in.’
‘Hey, you can’t blame me for that shit. That first time when we went to meet the Queen--that was YOUR stupid plan.’
‘Well, maybe you shouldn’t be such an unthinking follower, then. Maybe you should come up with some amazingly clever plan of your own instead of relying on me all the time.’
‘Maybe I will,’ said Hector.
‘Alright, then.’
‘Good.’
‘I’ll be waiting with bated breath to hear what ingenious plan you formulate for us.’
‘Of course. But, uh. In the meantime, are you sensing anything?’
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every night at midnight PST by ~400 words.
Okay, now I *now* Frost's been reading the comments.
ReplyDeleteSurvival of the fittest is a bit of a misnomer - it can lead to survival of the friendliest, because societies tend to be full of genes that get passed on if everyone's friendly. If Grud always skips hunting duty for the tribe, then Grud might not get any meat the next time around.
ReplyDeleteEngaging in an argument with Garovel? Spot the first mistake... ;P
ReplyDeleteNot really a misnomer. 's more a case of folks just not really understanding what "fittest" means.
ReplyDeleteTo be clear, Garovel isn't saying that he thinks only cutthroat motherfuckers can get anywhere in the world. He's specifically talking about karma here, in the sense that some vaguely cosmic force rewards good behavior. People simply returning favors or kindness, he regards as something else.
Maybe the universe will do us a solid for being such nice people all the time.’[For some reason I don't understand this sentence.]
ReplyDeleteAlso, nature itself would be fundamentally different, and evolution as we know [would it] be dramatically altered.
How was it possible to not know that. He fixes all of the error posts and occasionally discusses stuff here.
ReplyDeleteMeant it as a joke; a little while back, there was some discussion in the comment section about how Garovel hasn't really mentioned the death-aura thing in a long while.
ReplyDeleteSurvival of the fittest means little if you can just get resurrected as a servant anyway. Even if you're royally messed up in the head and tend to walk out in traffic or off cliffs or something, some reaper might like your brand of recklessness or lack of higher brain functions. And we do know that servants can have children; so even the dumbest, most unfit servant might be able to procreate.
ReplyDeleteOnce you introduce the ability to "cheat death" into a system, survival of the fittest doesn't work anymore. We have medicine, technology and all that (and I'm definitely not saying that this a bad thing). Things that used to kill off a person or prevent them from procreating can be treated now.
Not true. It only changes what qualifies as "fittest."
ReplyDelete