Earthseed

knowing that they will fight with them no more, they have most likely dismantled the weapons.” Ship shifted into its tenor voice. “You, Lillka, should pay more attention to your lessons and my exposition.”
    “What if they didn’t dismantle them?” A flush spread over Lillka’s pale, broad face.
    “I don’t know why you’re so upset about it,” Anoki said. “Ship’s probably right. Anyway, it has nothing to do with us.”
    “But it does.” Lillka’s gray eyes gazed past Zoheret. “What if the people working on the Project thought there was going to be another war? Maybe they sent Ship out because they wanted some people to survive. Maybe we’re the only human beings left.”
    “They didn’t program anything about another war,” Ship said loudly. “They were past that point. There were no ideological, economic, or social reasons for a war. It would have been suicide. They were well aware of that, and loved their lives too much to risk it.”
    “Maybe they fooled themselves,” Lillka argued. “Maybe they thought they could survive one. I don’t know. You tell us about Earth and how wonderful it is with its science and its art. But a lot of the science was used in wars, and a lot of the art depicts war. And they never gave up their war games and their little battles. It’s as if people were made to fight.” She glanced from Zoheret to Anoki. “Don’t you see? It’s as if it’s an instinct. We have the same instincts. It means we’re like them. It means we’ll be just as violent.”
    “My, my,” Ship said. “You’re confusing possibility with necessity, Lillka. Because human beings have fought in the past doesn’t mean they’ll do so in the future.”
    “They might.”
    “Of course they might. And so might you. But it is not inevitable. The people of Earth, it’s true, are a species that tends to seek danger and challenges, that has thrived on struggle and adversity. But the universe itself provides enough of those things. People came to realize that they could channel their aggressive instincts into other activities. There were the planets near Earth to explore, and enough danger in that to challenge anyone. The Project itself involved danger. People died building me. Nature often allows a person only one mistake. You’ll find enough to keep you occupied on your new home, believe me. You won’t have time for pointless and costly battles.”
    Lillka leaned back in her chair. “Maybe.” She pulled at a strand of her short blond hair.
    “Every quality,” Ship murmured, “can be either a good or an evil thing. It depends on how it is directed. You are conscious, thinking beings, and you have a choice. You have a rich heritage, as well as the chance to begin anew. Concentrating only on the bad will give you a distorted picture, and will cripple you in the end.”
    Anoki started. “I’m already crippled,” he said bitterly.
    “I was speaking figuratively. And you can walk around without your crutches now. Besides, you have compensated, Anoki. You have strong arms and shoulders.”
    “Great. I’m so glad. You could have been more careful when I was born.”
    “You were expelled from your womb too soon—you know that. Your limbs were damaged. But it’s not a genetic defect. You won’t pass it on.” Ship’s alto voice was soothing.
    “So you fixed me, and you could have done more if I’d wanted to take a chance on new limbs. But you can’t do a thing for Willem.”
    Ship was silent.
    “Maybe,” Anoki said, “you just should have let us die.”
    “Oh, no,” Ship said softly. “I couldn’t have done that. It was my purpose to care for you and to raise you. That was what I had to do.”
    “You don’t want to die, not really,” Zoheret said.
    “How would you know?” Anoki pushed himself out of the chair with his arms and stood up. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Ship watches us all the time. It’ll look out for me whether I want to die or not.” He limped from the library; the door opened and slid shut behind him.
    “I’d better go after him,” Lillka said wearily.
    “Don’t worry,” Ship said. “I think he needs to be alone for a bit. He’ll feel better later on. It’s normal for him to be depressed or impatient during his convalescence. That’s what my records tell me.”
    Zoheret sighed. Ship never seemed to realize that others might want to be truly alone for a while, without Ship’s constant surveillance. They could escape it only in the