[ He'd expected more questions than that, or a different one, at least, so it's a bit surprising, but Sam figures it makes sense to want to know, so he starts in on explaining. ] (What we were creating... they were already life. We weren't going to lobotomize them, it would've been completely against our nature. So, they had free will. That's what makes life, isn't it? Agency? The ability to decide who you want to be, and be that?)
[ Maybe. Maybe just having individual thought. Having wants and desires, having opinions that develop all on their own, without someone typing something into a program. It's complicated, but he isn't getting into a philosophical chat here. ] (We tried to give them good influences. Make them individuals, teach them morals, ethics. Compassion, empathy and kindness. With most of them, it took. But with John...)
[ There's a sorrow that's touched in his mind, tangled up in a kind of disgust, the memories of his time on occupied Caprica, and watching John slaughter and commit atrocities on New Caprica still so bright in his mind. ]
(Like humans can grow into cruelty, John became petty, and jealous. Rejected what we tried to instill in him, hated us for not agreeing with him. He... was angry, that he'd tried to make him more human. That all of us were trying to be human, as far as he'd seen it. He thought we should all be more machine, solve problems coldly and distantly, experience the universe through more than just two eyes.)
[ It was a mess of vague notions, and Sam's not sure he can completely understand it. But that's the point of life as well. Being unique in a way that's also lonely. ]
(He wanted us to see the flaws in humanity, and hoped it would make us reject them. He thought that was the way to win, I dunno, some kind of parental love back from us.)
no subject
[ Maybe. Maybe just having individual thought. Having wants and desires, having opinions that develop all on their own, without someone typing something into a program. It's complicated, but he isn't getting into a philosophical chat here. ] ( We tried to give them good influences. Make them individuals, teach them morals, ethics. Compassion, empathy and kindness. With most of them, it took. But with John... )
[ There's a sorrow that's touched in his mind, tangled up in a kind of disgust, the memories of his time on occupied Caprica, and watching John slaughter and commit atrocities on New Caprica still so bright in his mind. ]
( Like humans can grow into cruelty, John became petty, and jealous. Rejected what we tried to instill in him, hated us for not agreeing with him. He... was angry, that he'd tried to make him more human. That all of us were trying to be human, as far as he'd seen it. He thought we should all be more machine, solve problems coldly and distantly, experience the universe through more than just two eyes. )
[ It was a mess of vague notions, and Sam's not sure he can completely understand it. But that's the point of life as well. Being unique in a way that's also lonely. ]
( He wanted us to see the flaws in humanity, and hoped it would make us reject them. He thought that was the way to win, I dunno, some kind of parental love back from us. )