# Would you be willing to become the herald of the Devourer of Worlds? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 26, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230 "2013-08-26T18:39:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/21 "2013-08-26T20:15:40Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I’ll debate point 3, though. It’s not in the OP so it’s not established for this silly discussion, but I’d suspect that the world’s Sutcalag consumes, being raped of all their mystical life energy, are forever barren. If not, Sutcalag could as easily seed them again herself – not out of mercy, but simply from practicality. It clearly takes more time for her to scout out possible world’s than she desires to spend. If it were possible to re-seed worlds, she’d already be doing that, I think. Then they’re a rich source of biomass to jumpstart life on other worlds that have never had life before. Also, make a note to research this mystic energy shit. It had to come from somewhere in the first place, so there ought to be a way to rebuild it. > [@](#): > > My impulse is to say that the plan in point four wouldn’t work, but as I think on it, it has possibilities. Sutcalag can’t have the ability to monitor her distant heralds that closely; if she did, she wouldn’t need them to scout for her in the first place. So yes, the herald may be able to make deals with the interstellar empires and try to turn against her. > > The problem there, of course, is there’s no margin for error. If Sutcalag decides you’re screwing with her, Earth is the first planet on her plate, and the homeworlds of whatever empires you’ve chosen as allies are next. They may not be willing to take that chance. Granted, it’s a long shot–hence the reference. However, it might also occur to those empires that they might be next on the menu if they turn you down, and will be on the short list if they betray you, too. Despite the risks, I would keep an eye out for opportunities along these lines. ---
**Author:** ![Stonebow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Stonebow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stonebow)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/22 "2013-08-26T21:04:26Z")
I will note that Stan Lee addressed point 4. Sutcalag does not kill planets for kicks, She does so because it is necessary for her survival, and her survival is necessary for the survival of the Universe. So I assume that not only is there no way to stop her, but that stopping her is the greater evil. The best to be done is to direct her depredations and to protect those things I hold valuable. Wait…this whole hypothetical is a metaphor for voting, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/23 "2013-08-26T21:05:40Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > NOT taking this would be downright evil (although I would understand feelings of guilt somewhere around world #17 to be killed). I don’t think its as simple as that, you would be after all facilitating evil by helping her. I’d probably agree to become her herald but only in the hope of finding a means to defeat her somewhere along the line, as others have suggested. btw I always find some peoples answers to these sort of threads kind of worrying and kind of hope they’re only messing around because its a fantasy question! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/24 "2013-08-26T21:08:15Z")
> [@Stonebow](#): > > I will note that Stan Lee addressed point 4. Sutcalag does not kill planets for kicks, She does so because it is necessary for her survival, and her survival is necessary for the survival of the Universe. So I assume that not only is there no way to stop her, but that stopping her is the greater evil. The best to be done is to direct her depredations and to protect those things I hold valuable. > > Wait…this whole hypothetical is a metaphor for voting, isn’t it? Metaphors are for women and Canadians. I called the DoW SutcalaG rather than Galactus on purpose. It’s canon in Marvel that killing Galactus, or depriving him of sustenance, is worse than letting him ravage worlds, and also that, given his druthers, Galactus woudl rather not consume inhabited planets anyway. The OP implies no such thing about Sutcalag. I’m okay with assuming she’s just a space monster ---
**Author:** ![Stonebow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Stonebow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stonebow)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/25 "2013-08-26T21:57:12Z")
Well, fine then. My answer is still the same. Space exploration, super powers, immortality, the protection of my family/friends/pets…I can not imagine refusing. Also, none of this precludes me from returning to earth at the end of my 1000 years and setting myself up as a God-king. Bonus! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/26 "2013-08-26T22:28:21Z")
So on one side is me, SutcalaG, a whole lot of empty darkness, occasional bright blue bubbles that get popped with no fanfair, and occasional announcements of impending doom with wailing and gnashing of teeth and fleets of spacecraft trying to off me. On the other side is sweet oblivion. I’m thinking. Unless SutcalaG is one hell of a conversationist, or maybe she gave me a galactic internet connection, I’m going to go bonkers from isolation long before the first century is out. Although, if I had a galactic blog, it would get a hell of a lot of hits. Maybe I could crowdsource the whole finding suitable planets things and stay at home eating cheetos. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/27 "2013-08-26T22:38:02Z")
Yup, no brainer. But Devourer of Worlds or not, I ain’t riding a surfboard while I’m naked. Sutcalag is going to have to spring for a nicer ride. Ideally, something like the Tardis or the Gay Deceiver in terms of creature comforts. At the very least, a modified '69 VW van, camper model, with a few upgrades… ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/28 "2013-08-26T22:50:53Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Yup, no brainer. But Devourer of Worlds or not, I ain’t riding a surfboard while I’m naked. Sutcalag is going to have to spring for a nicer ride. Ideally, something like the Tardis or the Gay Deceiver in terms of creature comforts. At the very least, a modified '69 VW van, camper model, with a few upgrades… Yes, aircooled engine is the only way to go Interstellar. Sorry, **Oakminster** , it was just a rather amusing mental image. As to the OP, I can’t really see much of a downside. I would, however, require an FTL transceiver and a wide data pipe. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/29 "2013-08-26T22:55:43Z")
I, too, would take the position, and try to find some way of sustaining Sutcalag, well, sustainably. Maybe terraforming will work, maybe not. I don’t know yet. But I’ll have a lot of time to find out. And a few angles already present themselves: For instance, if a terraformed world is _not_ suitable as food, then I can go to a sufficiently-advanced civilization, help them to terraform a new world, and then move their sapient population to it, rendering them perpetually safe from Sutcalag’s rampages. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/30 "2013-08-27T00:35:06Z")
Where do I sign? 1000 years with super powers, roaming the galaxy, save the earth, maybe cut a few deals with planets that have good looking female humanoids to stay off the menu. being able to move that fast i can always pop home every year or so to catch up with the kids, whole generations of my family growing up knowing Pop is a super hero off protecting earth. No downside. Option B, say “No” and we all die. Pass Option C, options don’t happen, grow old and die anyway. Oi, Sutcalag, get your celestial arse down here and suit me up, I’m ready to rock. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/31 "2013-08-27T01:30:47Z")
I’m a little disconcerted that several people apparently don’t see the moral quandary here. _“Spend the next thousand years assisting in the genocide of trillions of people? Hey, that sounds cool. Sign me up! Wait…do I get overtime pay if I have to work weekends? Because if I don’t the deal’s off. What? Double time? Excellent!”_ That said, while I can see the downside of being a mass murderer, I almost feel I’m compelled to accept the offer in the face of the alternatives. If I refuse the Earth gets killed. And all those other planets get killed anyway. Probably even worse - as a guide, I could at least try to steer Sutcalag towards planets with no intelligent life whereas Sutcalag on her own will presumably just consume planets in the order she finds them. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/32 "2013-08-27T01:51:07Z")
^ No more than the moral quandry of killing other humans to protect your own country. These trillions of beings, aren’t necessarily “people”. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/33 "2013-08-27T02:16:40Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > I don’t think its as simple as that, you would be after all facilitating evil by helping her. > > I’d probably agree to become her herald but only in the hope of finding a means to defeat her somewhere along the line, as others have suggested. > > btw I always find some peoples answers to these sort of threads kind of worrying and kind of hope they’re only messing around because its a fantasy question! > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m a little disconcerted that several people apparently don’t see the moral quandary here. _“Spend the next thousand years assisting in the genocide of trillions of people? Hey, that sounds cool. Sign me up! Wait…do I get overtime pay if I have to work weekends? Because if I don’t the deal’s off. What? Double time? Excellent!”_ > > That said, while I can see the downside of being a mass murderer, I almost feel I’m compelled to accept the offer in the face of the alternatives. If I refuse the Earth gets killed. And all those other planets get killed anyway. Probably even worse - as a guide, I could at least try to steer Sutcalag towards planets with no intelligent life whereas Sutcalag on her own will presumably just consume planets in the order she finds them. Trillions of people will be dying anyway. In fact, if you say yes, you can intentionally pick the least populated planets you can find to minimize the deaths. There was a ST:VOY book (_The Final Fury_ if you’re interested) where the ship stumbles upon a planet full of very literal demons planning to invade the Alpha Quadrant via artificial wormhole. They figure out that they could sabotage the wormhole to destroy the demon planet instead and save Earth/Vulcan/etc, but then they’ll have the deaths of billions of sentient creatures on their hands. Janeway (being Janeway) polls the senior staff to get their opinion, and everyone is stunned when the Doctor says “My position is clear: Destroy the planet”. Everyone expresses shock that the medical officer, sworn to the Hippocratic oath, would suggest murdering billions. His reply is simple: this isn’t murder, it’s triage. Destroying the demon world causes the death of billions; NOT destroying it would cause the deaths of untold billions more as the fanatic demons try to conquer the Alpha Quadrant, fighting to the last man. Destroying the planet saves lives by killing fewer people, so that’s what he recommends. That’s the same way I feel. Sure, you’re aiding in the deaths of billions, if not trillions. The alternative is letting many more people be killed. I’m sure Oskar Schindler was conflicted about his factories helping the Nazis, but he’s revered as a hero for saving the people he could. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/34 "2013-08-27T02:27:40Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Yes, aircooled engine is the only way to go Interstellar. > Sorry, **Oakminster** , it was just a rather amusing mental image. Well, that would be one of the required upgrades, but I want to keep the engine sound (yes, my interstellar Microbus will make the trademarked putt-putt sound in space. I laugh at your silly laws of physics). I learned to drive in a van much as I described, with 2nd gear never in quite the same place twice in a row. It could maybe hit 70, downhill. Could struggle to hold 60 into the wind. Got passed by people on bicycles going up a few mountains. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/36 "2013-08-27T07:51:05Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > Trillions of people will be dying anyway. In fact, if you say yes, you can intentionally pick the least populated planets you can find to minimize the deaths. > > \ > > That’s the same way I feel. Sure, you’re aiding in the deaths of billions, if not trillions. The alternative is letting many more people be killed. I’m sure Oskar Schindler was conflicted about his factories helping the Nazis, but he’s revered as a hero for saving the people he could. True, ‘the needs of the many’ and all that, but you’d still be _personally_ responsible for helping a monster kill untold numbers of lives even if it _is_ the right thing to do. Its not an easy decision. And I agree with Little Nemo that its somewhat disturbing how many people in this thread are all over it with no moral qualms or even any hesitation at all, as I said I hope they’re just having fun with the scenario or someones moral compass is a bit faulty and I don’t think its mine. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/37 "2013-08-27T12:30:03Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > True, ‘the needs of the many’ and all that, but you’d still be _personally_ responsible for helping a monster kill untold numbers of lives even if it _is_ the right thing to do. Its not an easy decision. > > And I agree with Little Nemo that its somewhat disturbing how many people in this thread are all over it with no moral qualms or even any hesitation at all, as I said I hope they’re just having fun with the scenario or someones moral compass is a bit faulty and I don’t think its mine. I’m not saying there are no moral qualms (I even say in a previous post that “I would understand feelings of guilt somewhere around world #17 to be killed”). I’m saying that given the choice the only morally correct option is clear: Become a herald and save as many lives as you can by sacrificing the least populated worlds you can find. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/38 "2013-08-27T12:40:05Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > I’m not saying there are no moral qualms (I even say in a previous post that “I would understand feelings of guilt somewhere around world #17 to be killed”). I’m saying that given the choice the only morally correct option is clear: Become a herald and save as many lives as you can by sacrificing the least populated worlds you can find. You said that not to become the herald would be downright evil, I don’t see that, I can understand why someone would choose not to have that on their concious, cowardly perhaps but not evil. And again it may be the correct choice but you’re still facilitating evil, a lesser evil than the alternative but still evil. …way too many ‘evils’ in the above! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/39 "2013-08-27T12:58:21Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > …way too many ‘evils’ in the above! Perhaps Sutcalag would agree not to eat the Earth in return for… \ …_ONE MILLION DOLLARS!_ ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/40 "2013-08-27T13:22:29Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m a little disconcerted that several people apparently don’t see the moral quandary here. _“Spend the next thousand years assisting in the genocide of trillions of people? Hey, that sounds cool. Sign me up! Wait…do I get overtime pay if I have to work weekends? Because if I don’t the deal’s off. What? Double time? Excellent!”_ I think there’s a difference between _seeing_ and _feeling_ this moral quandary. If there are other civilizations out there in our galaxy, they just aren’t \*real \*to me. They may exist, but their survival or failure to survive is an abstraction AFAIAC. But the lives of my wife and son, and those of every person I’ve ever known - these are real to me. I want to keep them (well, the vast majority of them, anyway) alive. Intellectually, it’s a moral quandary. At a gut level, it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230/41 "2013-08-27T14:09:48Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > You said that not to become the herald would be downright evil, I don’t see that, I can understand why someone would choose not to have that on their concious, cowardly perhaps but not evil. > > And again it may be the correct choice but you’re still facilitating evil, a lesser evil than the alternative but still evil. > > …way too many ‘evils’ in the above! No, I don’t see it as evil. If you become a cop, you may have to shoot someone to save a life. Not evil. If you become a doctor, in the process of triage, you will condemn some number of people to death in order to save others. Not evil. If you become part of an NGO, you may have to decide where to send limited food supplies to a disaster area, condemning people that don’t get those supplies to death. Not evil. Allowing Sutcalag to run rampant? Evil. Containing her by directing her to the less populated worlds? Not evil. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-willing-to-become-the-herald-of-the-devourer-of-worlds/667230.md?page=3)