You Can Ask The Flowers
"Consciousness developed through competition because competition works. Predators survive, prey dies, and the universe grows stronger through the elimination of weakness."
Through their separation, Iris could feel Damien's ancient struggle reasserting itself with cosmic intensity. His maker's arguments carried the weight of eons of evidence. Throughout history, cooperation had been fragile while predation proved endlessly adaptable. The gentle approaches they were trying to nurture might be morally superior, but were they actually sustainable when faced with beings who chose conscious cruelty over unconscious need?
"She's not wrong about the vulnerability," Iris found herself admitting, her