Pulse of the Imperium

Efren walked briskly down the halls of the castle towards the infirmary after the debriefing let out.

There hadn't been time on the way out for proper communication... His first shot at command had been a mixed bag to say the least.

Half of his village squad was kidnapped and tortured... Another member of his mountain squad now lay in a coma...

All the while... there he was... getting promotions and attention from everyone.

It didn't sit well with him. It didn't feel right to leave it as it happened.

And so, he walked with purpose down the maze-like corridors. He opened a door and found someone standing directly in his path.

"Oh... excuse me."

Kiran blinked as the other Muadh in the group opened the door, their hand hovering where the handle would have been. "Oh! Fancy meeting you here. Hi, Efren," they croaked it out, but it was with a smile.

"Kiran! I was just coming..." He then processed the roughness in the voice and gave them a look up and down.

"Are you fit to be released?" The tone was one of heartfelt concern... as Efren was wont to be both of those things on regular occasion.

They chuckled a little, then coughed. "Good enough. They just can't do much for me in terms of analgesics, I'm afraid," they said, stepping out. "A walk would be nice, though."

"Mind if I join you then?" Efren offered.

"I feel there are somethings I should share... and apologize for."

"Sure," they replied with a smile and indicated a direction with their hand, starting to walk. "Apologize?"

“You were my responsibility as we went to the village. I should have kept you safe.” He said in an honest manner.

“I was elated to see you all emerge from that tunnel, but I am sorry for my part in putting you there in the first place.”

They shook their head. "We didn't have enough information. It happens. Let it weigh enough for the lesson to sink in, but not enough to weigh you down." They said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Letting go, they added, "Besides... We got something important from those dreams."

“What was that?” He asked with curiosity… referring to the important thing they mentioned.

"I don't remember most of it, but... we shared dreams, those of us who were captured." Kiran said. "We connected with each other in a deep way, and I saw something of the path humanity is going down."

“Huh…” Efren replied with a nod.

“Are we heading somewhere nice?”

"I wasn't heading any place in particular," they said. "I don't really know this place well. Do you know any nice places?"

He smiled, “I was talking about humanity.”

"Oh!" They bumped their palm gently against their forehead. "Right, obviously. Not particularly nice, that I can tell. There's some people into the idea of progress through suffering."

“Not to sound stupid… but is there any other way? It seems like adversity and trial is usually what makes us stronger.” He asked.

"Our need to look after others has also spurred our development, as much if not more than our own hardship," they agreed. "And to a certain extent, it is true than pain can teach lessons. It can't teach all of them, though, and too much just causes trauma and learned helplessness."

Efren nodded as they spoke. Kiran appeared to be quite the kind and compassionate person. He could see similarities between his thoughts and theirs... but some differences as well.

He then asked, "Doesn't someone need to be strong enough to protect others? Or a big enough group of 'someones'? We build muscle through struggle. We build brain power through struggle. It seems like someone has to suffer. Someone has to build up that ability to beat back the jungle cat that comes hunting for the babe on its mat."

"We build muscle and brain power through challenge, not broadly inflicted suffering on an entire society," they said. "A moderate level of it is inevitable and can be a way to grow. That doesn't mean it should be the foundation of a plan for humanity as a whole. Deliberately putting everyone through hell isn't a good groundwork. "

"I'm not sure why everyone takes 'we should build something with the better part of our nature as the foundation rather than deliberate cruelty' as 'no one should go through any hardship'. I need to get better at communicating, if people are gettingthat from my ideas that consistently."

Efren put his hands up in a gesture of non-offense, "I don't mean to challenge you or anything. I'm just listening. I'm interested in what you have to say... I've never been much of a philosophizer myself. I mostly feel things out... And suffering is something that feels like something humans gotta experience. Too much, and yeah... it'll break you just like you said. But the right amount does wonders."

He nodded his head, "Going out of your way to make people suffer does seem kind of... wrong. The universe is bound to give enough resistance on its own if you ask me."

He then asked, "You say we're all heading down that path, though? Who's doing the 'groundwork' on that?"

"No, you're not wrong. If my arguments aren't challenged, I won't see their weak points. Sure, it's frustrating, but..." They shrugged.

"I wish I could remember more details," they said, shaking their head. "I just saw the path. Everyone under the worst sort of tyrrany. With the insistance that it will force people to evolve."