Mardock Scramble полностью

Here, Faceman opened his eyes wide and tilted his head, that is, his whole self, forward. “What is the definition of a human being? It’s based on whether a creature understands the concept of a value system. Human infants are very much like animals in that they don’t understand the idea of values, but then they study them, and in doing so arrive at their own sense of self-worth, as well as the value of other objects, recognizing the value of other people, and in learning how to heighten their own sense of values they finally begin to participate in society as a human being. Although, on the other hand, there is a certain type of person who seems to have found his niche in society without a fully developed value system—and they exist as little more than animals.”

Then Faceman grinned mischievously, although Boiled didn’t respond. “Oeufcoque knows what values are,” Faceman said, his eyes gentle and narrow, but in a tone of voice clearly designed to elicit a response from Boiled. But it did not work.

“Originally he was just selected as a Living Unit because a mouse’s metabolic system seemed extremely compatible with what we were trying to achieve, and he happened to be selected as that mouse. But as he had his intelligence amplified, he gained a personality. He understood the concept of values, and so he changed from just another lab animal to a creature called Oeufcoque. Oeufcoque made a conscious effort to amass his own value system and tried to recognize value in others. He did this because he recognized that this was the main reason human society has managed to develop to the extent that it has. Surmounting crisis after crisis, human will has always striven to rebuild society anew, to develop it to the highest level possible. The reason Oeufcoque has elected to concern himself with all of society’s ills is precisely because he recognized and understood all of this.”

The Professor continued in earnest. “You’re the exact opposite—the very definition of folly. Even as you try to erode your own sense of values, regressing back into an animal state, you still desperately cling to human society. If you’re looking for the opportunity to kill, pure and simple, then why not head to a jungle in a nature reserve and kill all the animals and fish—bugs and germs, even—that you want? There’s no reason that you have to be around humans.”

Boiled responded for the first time, almost as a reflex reaction. “I was a soldier. I defended one set of lives and I studied warcraft in order to fight more effectively against another set of lives. It’s an existence designed for a high level of defense and attack. Even now, I protect lives even as I take them.”

“Is that the thing you’re most proud of in your life? What a bundle of contradictions human beings are. On one occasion they will devise a killing machine called an army in order to better defend themselves. At other times they’ll go on a looting spree as a means to increase prosperity—even though doing so makes their victims think of them in turn as a collective object worth attacking in the future, rather than one worth cherishing. And these are your values, are they?”

“What would a person who has deliberately isolated himself in a manufactured paradise know of society’s values?” asked Boiled.

“It’s precisely because we understand society’s values that we founded Paradise here. This is my challenge to my own values.”

“I always challenge my own values,” said Boiled.

Faceman opened his eyes, seemingly impressed. “Indeed? So, what are you, then?”

“In order to defend one set of values, humans have to annihilate opposing sets of values. I’m a being created specifically to bring about that annihilation. If it’s humans who make values, it’s also humans who break them.”

Faceman sighed a small sigh. “What a profound thought—and yet so helpless at the same time. Is this your compensation for your own sense of helplessness? Having had your own emotions denied you, with all the highs and lows that this entails, you seek to bring about nihilism in all living beings?”

“This place you call Paradise was built on the back of people’s broken values. You’re the ones who know all about toying with nihilism,” replied Boiled.

“Values come and values go. We’ve thrown out sacred cows in the past, and I’m sure we will again in the future. But as long as we remain fixed on our aim of creation, new values emerge from the detritus of the old. This is most definitely not nihilism.”

“How is this facility—which treats human beings as objects—how is it in a position to evaluate anything?”