Moral implications of a galactic "Them or Us" situation.

For courtesy's sake, consider this a trigger warning. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

So, background; humans have spread across space, there are a metric shit-ton of worlds that have been colonized, and over time, the human settlers have adapted to suit their new environments.

Now, one of these new groups of people has developed psychic links. They're all part of a hive mind. At certain points, when a population becomes extremely large, a new hive-mind will emerge, and the two hive-minds will split up and go their separate ways.

Within each of these hive-minds, every mind is connected, and they all make decisions together. An individual body functions on a sort of autopilot, taking care of basic needs; eating, drinking, and the like, until a situation arises that requires... more thought. Where to build a house, the house's architectural design, how many kids to have, that sort of thing. The question is open to the entire hive-mind, and the majority rules. The consciousness connected with that particular body might want to do one thing, but every mind gets a say, and the idea that has the widest support is the one that happens (which could theoretically mean an idea that got two votes might win if all the other members of that hive-mind put forth their own ideas and aren't willing to vote for any of the others, though that has never happened before).

Now, these people breed like rabbits. Their population grows at an unsustainable rate, which pushes them to colonize new planets faster than anyone else. If you're a child when they settle on a planet, you could see them preparing to launch another colonization effort within your lifetime; the planet they took when you were a kid is getting full already, and the next planet they plan on coming to could very well be yours.

Now, that's not the problem in and of itself; on the whole, they aren't hostile. They're a bit cold, calculating, and insensitive, but not hostile. No, the real problem is that they bring other people into that hive-mind through simple exposure. Extremely strong-willed individuals (not "stubborn, doesn't give up" strong-willed, but "holds out under torture for three years without breaking" strong-willed) can stave off the influence for a while, but the average person is integrated into the hive-mind within a few weeks, a month at the very latest. Now, these "integrated" members of the hive-mind get to put in their two-cents when a decision needs to be made, but the majority still rules, and the "born" members of the hive-mind are uniformly group oriented, lacking any regard for individuals (any children that a member has while part of the hive-mind are part of the hive-mind from the moment their brains start working).

Let me clarify just what that means.

It means when these people come to your planet, they're going to pull your mind out of your body and add it to their collective, and use "their" new body however the group thinks it should be used. So you can say "I want to build a square house with red walls over here." The hive-mind responds "A sphere, half dug into the ground, is a more efficient use of materials, painting it red instead of the grey of the rocks you use is pointless, and over there is a better location." Then, your body goes over there, builds that spherical house, and doesn't paint it.

It means that if the hive-mind decides it needs you to breed, you say "No, I don't want to," or "I've got a spouse on another planet. I want to remain faithful and have children with that person," and the hive-mind responds "Yes you do. Get to it," or "Your spouse isn't here, your marriage is a pointless custom, and we need kids. This other member of our hive will do fine."

Lastly, it means that when someone asks you if you're part of the hive-mind willingly, you try to say no, but the hive-mind says "yes." When you tell the hive-mind you aren't willing and you want to go home, billions of voices say "You're part of the group. Leaving is bad for the group, so no member of the group could possibly want that. You don't really want to go home. You're staying here willingly," and when you argue, when you tell them that you aren't, they flat out tell you "You're wrong." The hive-mind doesn't even acknowledge that you could possibly see things differently from them, even if you say you do. Your body tells everyone around you that you're willing and you want to stay, and even fights anyone who tries to take you away from the hive-mind to give you back your freedom, and you can't do anything, because the hive-mind says you don't want to. A few people enter the hive-mind to try to reason with them, and show them that people don't want to be part of it, but the hive-mind says "they only don't want to be part of it because they aren't part of it yet. They'll be happy to be part once we integrate them." "But I don't want to be part of this." "Yes you do."

Oh, also, the hive-mind has access to your memories, so they know about any planets that you know about, and they can start making plans to colonize them, as well. They also know how to imitate your mannerisms (to a degree) to show your friends you're willing. Because deep down, you really do want to be part of the hive-mind, even if you are saying no.

So, recap.

These people are a hive-mind with no real concept of the individual as we know it. Or at least, their idea of the individual is horribly twisted.

Any children that someone has while they're a part of hive-mind become parts of the hive-mind themselves.

Just being around these people makes you part of the hive-mind if you don't get out of there damn fast, giving them control over your body and letting them parade it around claiming you're staying willingly even if you're not.

These people reproduce at such a rate that it's literally not possible to just avoid them; sooner or later, they'll spread to every inhabitable planet.

This group of humans isn't intentionally malicious, but they really can't understand other groups who don't share a hive-mind, even when they have access to the full memories of people from outside the hive-mind.

So, knowing all of this,the heroes decide to pull a Papa Palpatine.

Now, in the interests of brevity, because this post is long enough already, I'm going to skimp on the details here, but the short version is that there is literally no other alternative.

I've avoided the G-word until now, because I wanted everyone to be on the same page about the situation before I said it, but this is flat-out genocide, which is by-and-large considered to be one of those things that is never acceptable under any circumstances. Is this still true in this case? Remember, no other alternative will work, here. The choice the heroes are faced with is committing genocide or having every sentient being in the galaxy (and possibly every galaxy at some point in the future) enslaved, mind-raped, physically raped, and eventually bred out to the point of extinction, without even the slightest chance of release or rebellion.

So, knowing all of this, from a moral standpoint, is this an acceptable decision? Are you signing over your soul when you pull the trigger on an entire race, no matter the circumstances, or do the circumstances justify such a choice? Is the morally correct decision to lay down your weapons and surrender your freedom, your individuality, even your own body, or is going quietly into that goodnight and refusing to take a stand to protect the galaxy from such a threat, however well-meaning they may be, the real evil?

edited 4th Aug '16 5:45:39 PM by Dragon573

Just a few questions that come to mind:

If the actions of the hiveminders are essentially determined by majority vote, why are they "cold, calculating and insensitive" and obsessed with rapid breeding and expansion? Shouldn't they just be more like the average human? Unless..?

What is the range of their "hivemind-ness" like? Would it be possible to split a hive apart by separating it's members far enough from each other?

Even if it's impossible to shield or disconnect people from the hive, aren't there still more options than straight up genocide? What is the tech level of the setting like? Would some kind of infertility virus be feasible? Or orbital weapons that zap any spaceships that try to take off?

It is an undeniable and may I say fundamental quality of mankind that when threatened with extinction ANY alternative is preferable! - Dr. Leonard Church.

I don't think there's much moral dilemma in "Wipe out these assholes or they will rape us into extinction." Provided it can be reasonably demonstrated that this is their actual goal and there is, as you say, no other alternative whatsoever.

edited 5th Aug '16 11:05:14 AM by Eagal

What you are describing does not sound like a hive mind, because there is still a sense of individuality, even though you say there isn't. Instead, it sounds like a population where everyone is telepathic and the majority can mind control the minority.

In a true hive mind, there is no "majority" or "minority", there is only one mind for several bodies.

edited 5th Aug '16 8:20:03 PM by shiro_okami