Misanthropic

4.

In the cycle of awakening, my daily dream is usually short but full of bright images. I often dream about my mother and my grandmother's old house, where I used to spend every single summer. I never liked being there; in fact, it felt like a prison to me. All my friends would stay in Berlin and have fun together while I had to work on my grandmother's garden instead. My parents and my grandparents always used to work a lot, and it was unacceptable for them to not do any chores at all. I always had to be occupied, even if it was some meaningless task. My grandmother would burst into my room at 7 a.m. and say, "Why are you still sleeping? Aren't you ashamed?" So even after I grew up and my grandmother passed away, I felt uncomfortable returning to that house. No one could tell me what to do anymore, but I still wanted to stay away from it.

It's strange that my wife and daughter never appear in my dreams, as if they never existed. I always wanted to have children. My daughter was a charming and sweet little princess. But unfortunately, neither I nor my wife were ready for the immense responsibility that came with having her. I feel sorry for our daughter - she was very unlucky to have us as her parents. It never occurred to me that I should get married. Looking back, I realize I did it not because I truly wanted to start a family, but because society considers it the norm. But now I understand how outdated this approach is and how it neglects many factors. In fact, it doesn't consider any factors. So what's the point of it then?

"Omni, record the following: "On Gileadia 12, marriage is optional!"

"Marriage is one way to establish and strengthen emotional and romantic relationships between two individuals. It creates a formal and long-term bond in which spouses promise to support and care for each other. Marriage is also the foundation for creating a family and raising children. It promotes stable and secure development for children, providing them with material and emotional support. Marriage has social significance and recognition, granting spouses an official status in society..."

"Wait! I've already talked about this. Such an approach hasn't worked for centuries, and perhaps it never did. Marriage is not a guarantee of happiness and success."

"But marriage is needed to increase the likelihood of success for our mission."

"To what extent? Estimate."

"To 23.17%."

I think it's worth seriously considering this. This is my ship and my planet. Right now, I am the only rational human being for thousands of light-years around. What's stopping me from making some changes to the algorithms for building a new civilization? I know I shouldn't do this, but what if my suggestions increase the likelihood of success more than the points I've removed? Well, at least I have time to think about it! I enjoy challenging tasks.

By the way, I completely forgot about the message from the other ship. My eyes simply stopped noticing that flashing notification, but it was still there. Now seems like a good time to read it.

Just a few words from the captain of the ship E: "Hey! Are you sleeping?"