Oh it did, and I get it, but the action then is what, one of "screw you, I'll show you who the better man is by saving this species?"! Seriously, if they posed a mortal threat once that required these lengths to eliminate, do you really think bringing them back is a good idea? I just think that part left me dissatisfied.
Oh I see. Michelle had the same issue. Major Spoiler alert! Major plot points of the series revealed ahead:
So it turns out Enders Game is really just a prologue to introduce the character of Ender, that ended up growing into its own novel, so that is part of the reason this isn't explained well... I think OSC was trying to point out how very very alien, alien life forms might be and how that may very well lead to real problems in understanding one another.
In the book and subsequent books its revealed that the initial Hive Queen/Earth interaction was not an invasion.. and the Hive Queens were using the game he was playing to contact him.. not as an attack but as a cry for mercy. A hive Queen basically shares the same soul as its 1000s of workers. The workers HAVE no soul and no intelligence without the queen ( which is why if you destroy the queens ship, the rest just fall out of the sky) and they communicate using a "philotic" connection - basically a instantaneous faster than light connection enabled by the spirit/ soul ( in this universe, every bit of matter has a "soul" - and that is the basis for quantum entanglement ) - and the queens talk with each other this way too.
The point being that the queen who invaded earth's system squashed a few humans as a way of letting the other queen know she was there. As a tap on the shoulder, because the queen couldn't sense a "philotic" connection in the system she could talk to. The idea of each human being a separate living sentient organism was foreign to the queen, but by then the war was started. The remaining queens informed by the invading queen via philotic connection of what happened, figured out that we were a swarm of tiny sentient beings, but none of them could contact a human to admit wrong doing and tell them that they had no intention of seeking another confrontation. Eventually they formed a philotic connection with the computer Ender was playing - and manipulated the game in an attempt to contact him, and in so doing eventually found his soul and started talking directly to it instead of via the conduit of the computer. - but meaningful communication was NOT established before the human fleet arrived, and the Xenocide was committed. Also not really portrayed in the movie, was that Enders final desperate move to destroy of his defending ships and use the MD on the planet was an act of rebellion and anger at his instructors. He was exhausted from being tested, frustrated by the seemingly impossible battle before him, and he just chose the fastest route to ending the simulation- hoping to freak his instructors out, and not realizing he was committing 1000s of real live humans to death. Likewise, in the movie he found the Hive Queen on the planet they commanded the battle from. In the book that was an Asteroid in our own system, and Ender returned home victorious, and to find his Brother in charge and his presence as a rival unwelcome ( an entire, very interesting subplot of the book that was dropped, for understandable e reasons) and so he sets of with his sister to colonize one of the Hive worlds-- and his Soul connection was used by the remaining infant hive queen to ensure he would come to her world, hundreds of cycles later earth time.. over which the bond becomes strong enough for meaningful communication and the Hive Queen can (finally) tell her side of the story - admit guilt, and beg/rely on the human who exterminated her race to find a new home for her - and Ender comes to know her over a long life and trust she will not seek revenge upon the human race. ( they are a bit like Vulcans - doing so would not be logical)
And you thought it was a fun sci fi story about gamers in the future
Most of OSC's work is philosophical and he seems to delight in setting up real ethical conundrums and really hard choices for his characters.. I started Enders Game at 10pm at night and finished at 5:30 in the morning and shuffled off to work. It is the only book I have ever read that I literally could not put down.
Ultimately I think there is some truth to Ender's statement that to know an enemy well enough to defeat him you must love them. Its not a universal truth and yes Hollywood decided to come over heavy handed with it because I am sure the lefties there think it is. But sadly I know its not universal (more on that in a bit) and so did OSC-- as Ender starts wandering the universe his sister writes a description of
http://ansible.wikia.com/wiki/Hierarchy_of_Foreignness]the Heirarchy of foreigness[/url]
Utlanning are individuals who are of the same species as the subject, and are from a different region, city, or country. Culture is similar, communication between subject and Utlanning is generally easy.
Framlings are individuals who are recognized as being of the same species as the subject, but who are from another planet. Culture and manners between Framlings may be different, but they are still similiar.
A raman is an individual recognized as a sentient being who is of another species, but with whom communication is possible.
The varelse are true aliens: they are sentient beings, but are so foreign that no meaningful communication is possible with the subject. Only war with Varelse is justified.
For this heirarchy to work, the being involved have to be MORAL beings- or at least moral enough to recognize the right of others to exist, and to make their own decisions, and live their own way. So there is an class of being in the Enderverse with which war is inevitable, and I would argue that "meaningful communication" requires recognition of the simple moral principles inherent in the idea of inalienable rights. . And sadly that really is what we are facing with the Left. They do not recognize those principles., and cannot see a reason to do so... They are Varelse.
I understand them - often far better than they understand themselves, but I feel no love for them - other than love perhaps expressed as pity. But even so I can't tell you what goes on their heads when they hear what I say. But I do know Meaningful communication with them is impossible. .. because they refuse or are incapable respecting the lives of others - especially if the focus, goals and values of that life differ from their idea of what they should be. . . The left will literally NEVER respond to our arguments, or engage in any sort of good faith communication on the subject. They do not keep promises, they have no standards but double standards regarding us, and our mere presence elicits their hatred.
Like the hive queen, the idea that we are ( and want to be) independent from their community (hive) is completely foreign to them. Unlike the hive queen, they are unwilling to accept that in any capacity. . They are unwilling to live and let live, or to accommodate our foreign ways in their midst. They refuse overtures to simply separate and live apart - and insist that we be assimilated or die. After all, live and let live imposes our values on them-- our value of our own life as our and not owned by the collective. Maybe the left is capable of understanding and refuses to .. maybe they will only understand when we have beaten every one of their brains open with a rock. From our perspective it doesn't matter. They refuse to agree to any terms that recognize our right to live separate and out of the direct control of the hive, and as such war is inevitable.
