Fandom High School

One last class, one last ethical decision!

Okay, at least, one last painstakingly contrived ethical decision. Your lives were likely going to be filled with them. Which was why Liliana suggested getting rid of as many as possible before that happened. It made things ever so much easier.

Today's breakfast was a variety of sweet and savory breakfast rolls, along with the usual collection of coffees, teas, and fruit juices.

"This, I will admit, I found preprogrammed in the Danger Shop, though I've changed a few of the details," Liliana said, once people were settled in with however much breakfast they desired. "You are a captain of a small spaceship; while it does have both offensive and defensive capabilities, its primary function is that of exploration. One day, you pick up an emergency distress broadcast by the captain of another ship, a ship transporting several civilian families emigrating to a new colony. They think their ship was hit by space debris, damaging many critical functions - including shields and engines - and their hull has been breached. Life support is failing and if they are not rescued soon, they will not survive.

"However, when mapping out where this ship is located, you realize that they have drifted into a dangerous and lawless part of space, where renegade ships of thieves and slavers are known to prey on any ship they think they can outfly or outfight. This could be a legitimate call for help, this could be a ruse from a group waiting to attack your ship, it could even be both: legitimate people in legitimate danger who are being used as unwitting bait. You seem to be the only ship close enough to pick up the distress signal, which means there are no other ships close by to come to their rescue, never mind yours.

"Your crew is asking for your decision; the longer you dither, the higher the likelihood that the ship will run out of life support and that someone unfriendly and opportunistic will find them. Their life expectancy does not increase by much, should that be the case. But for you to go to them, you are risking your lives and the lives of your entire crew, the majority of whom are not trained to fight. For you to ignore them, you are sentencing dozens of people - of families - to death. You have not hailed the other ship yet; you can simply pretend you never heard it and continue on your way. From what you can tell, opinion amongst the crew is pretty evenly split between going to save them and flying away, so asking for a vote won't help. The decision comes down to you, Captain. What is your order: do you attempt to rescue the civilians? Or do you leave the Kobayashi Maru to its fate?"

After one week in the Danger Shop and one off for a trip abroad, class was once again being held in the conversatory in the creepy mansion in the woods. In addition to the regular selection of beverages, there was a selection of various delicious handpies, each platter accompanied by a discreet list of ingredients, so nobody would have to worry about allergens or dietary restrictions.

"Good morning--" a stretch, considering how early it was and how much Liliana could still be sleeping, "--and welcome back to class." Anyone who expected Liliana to apologize for canceling class while she flitted off to Argentina to get engaged was in for a very long wait. "Today, we're discussing another short story, this one called The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin. It is, in fact, very short, and I highly recommend that people read it, either before the discussion, or on your own time; I've enough copies to pass out. ( But, as a summary )

Liliana looked around the class, violet eyes dark and fathomless. "So here is your cold equation, darlings. You are the pilot. You have medicine for 6 dying men. You are the only ship in the area, there is no chance of a last minute rescue. There is a girl standing in front of you, telling you that she's very sorry, that she just wanted to see her brother, and your ship's computer is informing you that you will reach the point of no return in just a few minutes. What do you do?"

Liliana had reached out and informed the class that they would be meeting in the Danger Shop today several days before the island had decided to be cute. So, the giant steamer trunk that simply said THE MENDING (in all the alphabets that she could read, including Braille for maximum rudeness!) that had nearly blocked her in the room this morning hadn't only inconvenienced her--as well as proving her her previous decision both right and prescient. Had she thought that being in the Danger Shop would stop the luggage from appearing, however....well, that she was sad to discover was not to be.

( Might Get More Bags After This Class... )

"But, what is easy to decide in a solarium, surrounded by your peers and focusing only on a single child's misery, may become much harder when you are face to face with the people who will actually pay the price for your actions." She waved around the park, then pointed to various buildings. A hospital. A university. A day care. A market. "Welcome to Omelas, darlings. Today's ethical decision: decide whether or not you will be the personal architect of the city's downfall. Best of luck."

Rather than teaching in a classroom this session, everyone in class had been instructed to make their way to the creepy mansion in the woods Professor Vess's home, and to follow the path around the house to the back, where a long glass room ran almost the full length of the house. This was where their class would be held from now on; at least until specified otherwise. It was not difficult to find their professor, she was in a wide open area with a number of different seating options arranged in a circle: a couch, several loveseats, a scattering of arm chairs (probably? none of them were murderous?), cushions and blankets, even a few hanging chairs, and a papasan or two. Look, there were sixteen of you, everybody should be able to find somewhere comfortable to sit. There were trays and tray tables, so people could help themselves to the breakfast charcuterie boards, courtesy of Professor Scientia, that were sitting on a low table in the middle of the circle, along with a selection of juices, teas, and (of course) coffee.

( Terms and conditions may apply )

"Now, a word about the scenarios. As I said, they are meant to put you in difficult and ugly situations. For some of you, these situations may hit uncomfortably close to home. If you find yourself emotionally compromised by a day's scenario, you're always welcome to leave the discussion, whether it's for a few minutes or for the remainder of the period. Lastly, my office hours are on Fridays, if you would like to discuss topics pertaining to class. Any questions or concerns thus far?"