Seeker

by Douglas E. Richards

“But because the Androms evolved with a different reproductive strategy, their evolutionary challenges were weaker than what you have experienced. The fires that pushed them forward were tamer, and their scientific and cultural development was far slower. “Your development, on the other hand, was meteoric. The predators that evolved on your planet challenged your species to within an inch of extinction. And your drive for power, for dominance, in order to attract mates, put you in a constant state of war with the most dangerous predators on your planet—yourselves. “The Androms grew up, so to speak, in relative tranquility. Their planet had a single continent, and they formed a single nation, speaking a single language. Because of this, they became as docile as a herd of your cattle. You, on the other hand, grew up in a ruthless pressure-cooker, and became a warrior species. “Your predatory nature, your very bloodthirstiness, accelerated the rise of your technological civilization, spurned on over and over again by your quest for superior weaponry with which to vanquish each other.”