He looked for the Culture ship, then told himself not to be stupid; it was probably still several trillion kilometers away. That was how divorced from human scale modern warfare had become. You could smash and destroy from unthinkable distances, obliterate planets from beyond their own system and provoke stars into novae from light-years off…and still have no good idea why you were really fighting.
The character reflects on the vastness of modern warfare, realizing how disconnected it has become from human experience. The sheer scale of potential destruction is overwhelming, with the ability to annihilate distant planets and provoke cosmic events from a staggering distance. This advanced technology allows combat without the immediate presence of the enemy, creating a surreal sense of detachment.
Despite this capability for widespread destruction, there is a lingering uncertainty about the true reasons behind the conflicts. The protagonist grapples with the idea that such immense power does not clarify the motivations for war, highlighting a disconnect between the means of warfare and a clear understanding of purpose. This emphasizes a profound existential question about the nature of conflict in a technologically advanced society.
