John slowly lifted his gaze, the alien light shimmering across his face as he finally answered, “Kevin… you speak as if perfection makes you superior, but you forget something: equality without freedom is just another kind of cage. Your people live in harmony because you were designed to because your minds were shaped to think alike.”
He stepped closer, voice steady despite Kevin’s towering presence.
“Humans are chaotic because we are free. Yes, we follow corrupt leaders. Yes, we fight, we divide, we make foolish choices. But we also rebel against tyranny, we question our gods, we break our traditions, and sometimes, just sometimes, we overturn an entire world for the sake of justice.”
John’s expression softened as he continued:
“As for class and prestige… you think I never saw the suffering of the poor? I envied them, Kevin. They lived without chains of expectation. They could choose their destiny, even in hardship. Do you know what an aristocrat’s life is? A beautiful prison. Every step set. Every dream assigned. And I ran from it.”
Kevin’s luminous eyes flickered - surprise, confusion, something like curiosity.
“You say your civilization is superior,” John concluded, “but maybe it’s not superiority you’re proud of… maybe it’s safety. A life without risk, without failure, without the possibility of chaos.”
He folded his arms.
“Tell me, Kevin… can a being truly be good if it has never faced the temptation to be evil?”