John Scott
02-25-2009, 01:26 PM
Lucy was born in Alcatraz prison. On the day she was born, aliens came down to earth and gave humanity a gift - they gave us boundless happiness on one condition. As long as we keep one innocent person in prison, all illnesses will be cured, all sadness replaced with happiness and all hardship replaced with comfort.
Humanity agreed to the deal, and Lucy was locked away in prison instead of being sent to an orphanage. It should be mentioned that the orphanage that she was to be sent to was famous for its abusive keepers.
The aliens kept their bargain as well, and from that day on every sickness was healed. Cancers disappeared. Previously horrific car crashes no longer caused pain or death. Instead, people just giggled and walked away. A person could shoot himself with a gun and the bullet would simply bounce off. Economic prosperity was like none ever experienced. Throughout the world, happiness abounded. Schools actually had to teach students what frowns were because the younger generations had never seen one with their own eyes.
Lucy, too, enjoyed the happiness. Although she was locked away in Alcatraz, there were no other criminals because crime had ceased to exist. She had the entire prison to herself. Humanity was of course very grateful to Lucy, and she received millions of gifts every day. She ate the most delicious meals known to man. She slept in the most luxurious silk sheets. She wore thick fur coats made from the hair of PETA activists.
Socially, Lucy enjoyed the most active, exciting and fulfilling social life one could have. She was entertained and courted by the most brilliant and handsome men and made love to every man she desired.
She wanted for nothing. Except maybe to be released. She wasn't even sure she wanted to go outside the prison, having everything she wanted within its walls.
One day, you come to the prison to visit Lucy. As you leave, the guard says he has to go home, and leaves you there to guard the door. Since there is no government, the choice of whether to lock the door and continue Lucy's unjust but pleasant incarceration is entirely yours.
As you consider letting leaving the door open and thereby freeing her, an alien visits you and informs you that Lucy is dying of old age (she's 230 years old), and even if you leave the door open, she will only live another 6 hours. However, if you continue the injustice and lock the door, and Lucy dies in captivity, the world will be rid of evil for eternity.
What do you do?
Humanity agreed to the deal, and Lucy was locked away in prison instead of being sent to an orphanage. It should be mentioned that the orphanage that she was to be sent to was famous for its abusive keepers.
The aliens kept their bargain as well, and from that day on every sickness was healed. Cancers disappeared. Previously horrific car crashes no longer caused pain or death. Instead, people just giggled and walked away. A person could shoot himself with a gun and the bullet would simply bounce off. Economic prosperity was like none ever experienced. Throughout the world, happiness abounded. Schools actually had to teach students what frowns were because the younger generations had never seen one with their own eyes.
Lucy, too, enjoyed the happiness. Although she was locked away in Alcatraz, there were no other criminals because crime had ceased to exist. She had the entire prison to herself. Humanity was of course very grateful to Lucy, and she received millions of gifts every day. She ate the most delicious meals known to man. She slept in the most luxurious silk sheets. She wore thick fur coats made from the hair of PETA activists.
Socially, Lucy enjoyed the most active, exciting and fulfilling social life one could have. She was entertained and courted by the most brilliant and handsome men and made love to every man she desired.
She wanted for nothing. Except maybe to be released. She wasn't even sure she wanted to go outside the prison, having everything she wanted within its walls.
One day, you come to the prison to visit Lucy. As you leave, the guard says he has to go home, and leaves you there to guard the door. Since there is no government, the choice of whether to lock the door and continue Lucy's unjust but pleasant incarceration is entirely yours.
As you consider letting leaving the door open and thereby freeing her, an alien visits you and informs you that Lucy is dying of old age (she's 230 years old), and even if you leave the door open, she will only live another 6 hours. However, if you continue the injustice and lock the door, and Lucy dies in captivity, the world will be rid of evil for eternity.
What do you do?