THE ONLY STORY THAT EVER NEEDS TO BE TOLD
May. 21st, 2006 10:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kleenexwomanOnce upon a time, there was an organism. This organism had evolved to a point where it was fabulous and tough enough to attract a mate and raise offspring, which resembled it. It thought that its offspring were just about the greatest thing on the planet.
The organism thought about how far it had come with its limited resources, and came to the conclusion that its offspring could go even farther with more resources...but its resources were still limited. But the organism knew that other organisms, none of which were as fabulous and tough as it was, had resources that didn't belong to it yet.
So the organism killed off a lot of other organisms and took their resources, and it drove off a lot more organisms and took their resources. And eventually, it had a hell of a lot of resources.
The organism's offspring grew up enjoying many, many resources. They had so many resources that they became far more intelligent than the parent organism was. And since they didn't have to strive as hard for resources as it did, they had more energy to spend on making up concepts like "existential despair." They also thought up the concept of "empathy."
And one day, the offspring looked around at the other organisms it saw, most of which didn't have a lot of resources. And because it had created "empathy," it felt bad. It went to its parent.
"Parent," it said, "why do I have so many resources? And why don't the other organisms have any?"
The parent organism made a gesture of affection. "Because when you were born, my offspring," it said, "I wanted you to be the best organism you possibly could be, and have all the resources you could use. So I killed a bunch of the other organisms and took their resources, and drove off more and took them, and gave them all to you!"
The offspring was shocked. "Is this right?" it asked. "Did those organisms deserve to be killed, or to have all their resources taken? Do I deserve to have more than them?"
"I don't understand what you mean," said the parent. "What's this "deserve" thing?"
And the offspring knew that its parent wasn't very evolved at all, no matter how fabulous and tough it was. And it was saddened.
One day, the parent organism died of old age. The offspring realized that it now owned all of the resources that its parent had collected. It remembered its revelation, and it went to the other organisms.
"My parent took all of your resources," it said. "I apologize for that; you see, I'm more intelligent than it, and I created the concept of "empathy." So because I recognize all of you as organisms deserving of resources, just like me, I'm going to give all your resources back to you! Take them! Enjoy! Evolve!"
"Hooray!" said all the other organisms. They swarmed all over the offspring organism and ate it. For in the interim, they and their offspring, to compensate for their lack of resources, had evolved into flesh-eating bacteria. And organisms who stop to ask whether flesh-eating bacteria deserve their food, or whether its victims deserve their fate, are usually the first to be eaten by them.
The organism thought about how far it had come with its limited resources, and came to the conclusion that its offspring could go even farther with more resources...but its resources were still limited. But the organism knew that other organisms, none of which were as fabulous and tough as it was, had resources that didn't belong to it yet.
So the organism killed off a lot of other organisms and took their resources, and it drove off a lot more organisms and took their resources. And eventually, it had a hell of a lot of resources.
The organism's offspring grew up enjoying many, many resources. They had so many resources that they became far more intelligent than the parent organism was. And since they didn't have to strive as hard for resources as it did, they had more energy to spend on making up concepts like "existential despair." They also thought up the concept of "empathy."
And one day, the offspring looked around at the other organisms it saw, most of which didn't have a lot of resources. And because it had created "empathy," it felt bad. It went to its parent.
"Parent," it said, "why do I have so many resources? And why don't the other organisms have any?"
The parent organism made a gesture of affection. "Because when you were born, my offspring," it said, "I wanted you to be the best organism you possibly could be, and have all the resources you could use. So I killed a bunch of the other organisms and took their resources, and drove off more and took them, and gave them all to you!"
The offspring was shocked. "Is this right?" it asked. "Did those organisms deserve to be killed, or to have all their resources taken? Do I deserve to have more than them?"
"I don't understand what you mean," said the parent. "What's this "deserve" thing?"
And the offspring knew that its parent wasn't very evolved at all, no matter how fabulous and tough it was. And it was saddened.
One day, the parent organism died of old age. The offspring realized that it now owned all of the resources that its parent had collected. It remembered its revelation, and it went to the other organisms.
"My parent took all of your resources," it said. "I apologize for that; you see, I'm more intelligent than it, and I created the concept of "empathy." So because I recognize all of you as organisms deserving of resources, just like me, I'm going to give all your resources back to you! Take them! Enjoy! Evolve!"
"Hooray!" said all the other organisms. They swarmed all over the offspring organism and ate it. For in the interim, they and their offspring, to compensate for their lack of resources, had evolved into flesh-eating bacteria. And organisms who stop to ask whether flesh-eating bacteria deserve their food, or whether its victims deserve their fate, are usually the first to be eaten by them.
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-22 04:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-22 05:49 am (UTC)That is...
Date: 2006-05-22 05:50 am (UTC)You should turn that in to your fic collective group.
You should publish that.
If I already had my publishing company, I would publish it.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-22 01:43 pm (UTC)That was poinant.......
Date: 2006-05-22 02:00 pm (UTC)!
Date: 2006-05-22 05:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-23 12:10 am (UTC)