fandomhigh | Leadership, Thursday, Period 1, Class 11 (11/20/08)

"We've discussed how we can't make everyone happy," Nathan said. "Now let's discuss one of the reasons why. As leaders sometimes it is impossible for us to help everyone. We may want to, but we may lack the manpower, funds, or ability. We do the best we can, but that's just it: the best we can. Not the best there is.

"It's therefore necessary to prepare yourself for this. This is where your foundation of goals and values comes in. It will help you figure out what to do when none of the options available to you are pleasant ones."

Nathan handed out the class exercise. "Break up into your groups and talk about how you would handle this situation. There are no right or wrong answers, but there is no option where you can wave a wand and make everything okay.

"Here are your groups:

Group 1:
Andros
Tony Foster
Ben Skywalker
Agnes Nitt
Meg Powers

Group 2:
Jaina Solo
Lucas Scott
Teddy Altman
Momoko Akatsutsumi
Tabitha-Ruth Wexler

Group 3:
Andrew Wiggin
Dor
Hinata Hyuuga
Summer Roberts
Teyla Emmagan

Group 4:
Alex Drake
Bender
Evey Hammond
Joan Girardi

"I'm here if you have any questions," Nathan said.

[ooc: OCD is up!]

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Agnes glared at him. "Because this is a class about leadership, and I'm showing some. All right? We're stuck in a bunker. If we kill five people, the rest of us can live an extra week. THEN what? Will we really magically be able to go outside after two weeks, or will something ELSE happen to keep us trapped? And if so, THEN what? And are we really so sure that the food and air will only last for a week? Who said?"

She bit her lip, still thinking. "And what kind of IDIOT goes and builds a bunker, and then only stocks it for a week? Sieges can last MONTHS."

"I'm sure forming a committee to look into who was responsible for poor planning will be right up there on our list of things to do," Ben said dryly. "Fine. We keep everyone alive on the theory that what's one more week alive because someone's gonna bomb us again, more likely than not?"

Edited 2008-11-20 19:38 (UTC)

"Well, we could always save the prettiest people and kill and eat everyone else," Agnes retorted. "What would YOUR suggestion be?"

This was the kind of decision his father made every day. Ben didn't envy him.

He closed his eyes and listened for any nudge from the Force. He didn't get one.

"Life is sacred," he said, all business, "and I don't imagine any of the people are going to volunteer to go out and die. But being morally superior isn't going to magically create more oxygen. I say we get rid of the guitar player, the older woman, the minister, the literature major and the whiny scientist."

Ben was icy for a fourteen year old.

"So... we kill off anyone who doesn't pass your criteria for 'usefulness', then? That's AWFUL!!!" She had a feeling Granny Weatherwax might agree with that logic.

"It's an awful situation," he said flatly, "and wailing about it isn't going to make it get better."

"Most of the 'useful' people are assholes," Tony pointed out. "If we're going to be stuck in a small space with this group for two weeks, it's probably better if we pick people we won't want to strangle."

"But what good is it to be happy and learn songs and stories if no one left knows how to fix anything?" Ben asked.

"What are they going to fix?" Tony asked. "Even if some people survive, everything's bombed to bits."

"And you don't think that an ass who knows how to keep an oxygen generator working might be more valuable than a very nice person who sings?"

"I don't know," Tony said. "I mean, what's the point here? To survive long enough to die in the next blast? Because I don't think the last thing I want to do in this life is see how many people I can kill before I go."

And that was kind of Ben's plan, really.

"I think the point is to survive, period," Ben said.

Fine, whatever, it was just a class exercise.

"Isn't the 'whiny scientist' a radiation expert? If we want to survive after we leave the shelter, she'd be good to have around."

"Who would you swap out instead?" he asked.

Tony studied the list of people and chewed his lip. "The idiot who stocked the place," he grumbled.

"He's in a different, better bunker," Ben said.

Yeah, he would be.

"Nobody," Tony said finally. "If I'm in charge, we're not throwing anyone out. We live or die together."

"Then we die in a week," Ben said.

"Then we die," Tony said. "Better than spending the next two weeks wondering if you're going to be tossed out the airlock and then dying anyway when the next bomb hits."

"Um... Just so we're all on the same page, here," Agnes interjected a little timidly, "what exactly IS this 'radiation' stuff? I mean, I get that it's poisonous..."

"It poisons everything," Ben said. "The air, the water, the ground, and it lasts for a long, long time."

"Oh." Agnes bit her lip, thinking some more. "I still agree with Tony, though," she decided. "No one's dying on my watch. Maybe we wait a few days and send a volunteer out to look for supplies?"

"And expose us all to radiation when we open the door?" Ben replied, arching up an eyebrow.

"Were we going to open the door to throw people out?" Tony wondered.

Ben was a cold-blooded little bastard when he had to be.

"Wouldn't we need the additional food?"

Re: Group 1

wantstodirect - 2008-11-21 03:42 (UTC) - Expand

momslilassassin - 2008-11-21 03:53 (UTC) - Expand

wantstodirect - 2008-11-21 04:06 (UTC) - Expand