“I wouldn’t say all humans would agree with that ADAM, once humanity had no desire for war or violence, but something in human nature makes certain things worth fighting for.  They aren’t solid or real to the senses, they’re ideas and concepts.  Basically mankind still goes to war, (even against the Shapers) for the same reasons.  The first civilized men warred with each other, for freedom, for living space, for survival, for our progeny.  Originally all men were nomadic and free.  They lived wherever they could, and ate whatever they found or caught.  Later they formed into (agricultural tribes) who grew their own food where they wanted to live.  Those early men who were still nomads preyed on these farmers and so wars began.” Russell stated.  “The farmers felt that what they grew belonged to them and defended it.  The nomads considered the farmers lazy and inactive, unable to hunt their food.  When lean times hit the nomads the farmers crops were an assured source of food, so they took it away from them, mostly by theft but sometimes by force.  Eventually both groups of people became food growers out of necessity, but the main thing that developed from those first wars was an idea; the concept of ownership.  All the early human civilizations were founded on that thought, this is mine became extended to the plural this is ours, and you can get your own.  With the concept of ownership several things changed, having enough food, clothing, shelter, land and even females to breed with no longer satisfied those early humans.  They were seized with the desire to own more and more, everything in fact.  In those early times the average ‘civilized’ tribe valued itself by the land it held, the cities it ruled and the slaves it captured.  Ownership of humans by their conquerors was commonplace and accepted, after all it was better to serve than to die wasn’t it.  You see ADAM humanity has always been at war over concepts and ideas.  The ownership concept was the first and longest lasting war maker.  All the battles of the Asian, African and European continents were about ownership.  Only a few wars have been fought about other ideas, the American Civil war was fought about freedom from slavery, the French Revolution, and the American Revolution about freedom from oppression on religious, military or financial grounds.  The crusades of the middle ages were about conflicting religious ideas.  The ‘third world’ wars like Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Angola were about the viewpoints of communism versus capitalism, just economic ideas really.  In the late twentieth century the Earth took a big step toward world peace by stopping a tyrant nation in the middle east from annexing its neighbor country.  The ‘United Nations” forces (they called themselves) attacked the tyrants country and drove him out of his neighbor’s land.  Since then mankind has continued to move in this direction, trying to preserve peace for everyone and thus preserve the race itself.  But differences of all types still emerged, but under controlled conditions, we use ‘laws’ to arbitrate such conflicts, which take place in ‘court’, instead of fighting each other the case is ‘debated’ and impartial ‘jurors’ decide the issue.  On the government level we vote to change leaders or sometimes polices if we feel strongly about it.  Until the Argus was destroyed and we later found you, or you found us ADAM, humanity had not gone to war for sixteen centuries.  We don’t like war and we don’t seek war out.  If we find war is necessary however, we fight to win with everything we have and we don’t give up.  Our own evolution trained us ADAM, we are what our forty thousand years of conflict have made us, in war, court, government and peace, we’re human and we’ll fight anything that threatens our freedom, survival, or our friends.” Russell concluded.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    “I have never regretted aiding your race against the Shapers Russell, you are complex and simple, proud and humble, ferocious and gentle, strict and fair, all at the same time.  Your amazing duality is unique in the universe.  Your ability to respect and admire even your enemies is unheard of, your concepts of justice and mercy are rare indeed.  If he had been able to meet you I believe my creator would be proud.” ADAM affirmed.


    “From all you’ve said of him ADAM, he was a very noble being.” Russell said.  “Do you believe he’d have approved of the methods we used today?”