“We’re only alive,” continued Ella, “because every last one of our ancestors passed every test that was thrown at them. Tests of their immune systems, which had to keep them alive during plagues. Tests of their sex drives, and of their ability to attract mates, which are key requirements for reproduction. Tests of their ability to overcome threats from both nature and their fellow man. We all come from an uninterrupted line of humanity’s winners. Like gunfighters in the Old West, just being alive means that you’re undefeated.”
