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Emiliana didn’t understand. “Are you... really trying to tell me that Abolish is helping humanity grow?”

Gohvis shook his huge head. “No. It may be true that Abolish is preventing stagnation on some level, but that is beside the point. What I am saying is that the aspect of humanity which compels growth is itself the problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“It is a fundamental element of human nature to require--and therefore pursue--growth. Without that fundamental element, humans wither and die in agony. But as I said, growth requires conflict. That conflict may mean physical violence. It may mean an entirely psychological process. It may mean something in between. But that conflict is still nonetheless required for growth to occur. That is its nature.”

She touched her forehead, still trying to understand what he was getting at. “So then... are you saying... that Abolish is trying to destroy humanity’s need for growth?”

“Yes. Exactly.”

“But... how does that translate into callously murdering so many innocent people?”

“You don’t see? It could not be more simple. Broadly speaking, there are only two perspectives with regard to solving the problem of growth. The first is the very basic, straightforward method which you just mentioned. Genocide. No human conflict can exist if no humans exist.”

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. “How can you say that so matter-of-factly? That’s horrible...”

“Yes,” said Gohvis. “To believe in such a method first requires a deep hatred of humanity--or perhaps of existence as a whole. And for people such as yourself, who have no doubt never personally felt such hatred, then its logical conclusion of genocide does not seem logical at all. I might as well be trying to describe the beliefs of an alien species. It would be just as relatable to you, I imagine.”