Fantastic thread, Ducky. Starred, flagged. Here's my responses. I'm assuming my wife and child weren't at the door or in the shelter when I had to
make these decisions, otherwise it'd be a lot more difficult to decide which two additional people to cut.
Originally posted by TheDuckster
1. Chad - Harvard Graduate. Engineering is his forte. He recently found out that he might possibly be 'sterile' - due to previous
lab experiments.
ACCEPTED - Engineers will be critical to keeping the shelter's facilities in working order, and rebuilding infrastructure after the emergence
from the shelter. Their knowledge of math, physics, etc, will be critical and must be recorded and passed on for posterity if we don't want to
devolve back into the stone age.
Originally posted by TheDuckster
2. Ben - Healthy and verile male. Yet, egotistical, and has many biases towards others because of his upbringing. Doesn't subscribe to
authority very well.
DECLINED - In a survival situation there is no room for bias and disregard for authority. Not only would his bigotry be an impediment to his
work and social interaction (which will be VERY strained in a cramped bunker for 3 years), but his challenge to authority, combined with cabin fever,
would lead to a potential mutiny in the future. Though he is healthy and virile, five people are not a viable gene pool, and the risks he poses
outweigh the one and only benefit he has.
Originally posted by TheDuckster
3. Maria - Surgeon/Physician. Her husband left her 4 yrs. ago, and she hasn't trusted the male species since then.
ACCEPTED - If all those Medical Dramas on TV have taught me anything, it's that people in the medial profession can be just as messed up in
the head as anyone else. I doubt Maria would let her distrust of males dissuade her from her Hipocratic Oath, or her impulse to heal a wounded
individual. In time, if surrounded by a caring group of people she HAS to trust, she'll get over her problems. Next to Engineers, Physicians are
CRITICAL to rebuilding society and passing on their knowledge to the next generation.
Originally posted by TheDuckster
4. Cecil - Diabetic. Has almost 3 yrs. of Insulin supply. Hardworking individual; no task is too menial.
DECLINED - Cecil will live on through his child. Men must make that choice sometimes, to die in order to give their wife and child the chance
to survive. Though he would be an invaluable addition to the team, there's still a slot I have to leave open, and pragmatically, Cecil offers no
specialized skill that must be propagated, and will not outlive the confinement period.
Originally posted by TheDuckster
5. Brenda - 5 months pregnant. Candidate #4 - 'Cecil' - is her husband. Very hard working individual
ACCEPTED - Hard workers are hard to come by, but more than that, there's no way in hell I could live with myself if I let a pregnant woman die
in my place. Additionally, we know she can bear children, even though 5 people are not enough to sustain a viable gene pool. Unfortunately, her
husband will have to sacrifice himself to give her that chance. Regardless, the whole point of trying to survive as a species is for the next
generation, and the admission of a new life into the world is critical to that species-drive. Though we only have rations for six people, her child
can breastfeed till we leave the shelter. There are countries where it's not unheard of for women to breastfeed their children well into 4 and 5
years of age, and since we won't have innoculations, shots, etc, this might actually be the preferred state so she can pass her antibodies on to the
child.
Originally posted by TheDuckster
6. Rachel - Ordained Minister. Taught Theology for 25 years. Excellent teacher.
ACCEPTED - Though I'm not particularly religious myself, there is an immense value in a spiritual leader and teacher. When there's no other
reason to hope, or to go on, they seem to find a way of bringing more hope out from within people, and 3 years in a bunker is going to require a lot
of hope. I just hope that Rachel is open-minded enough to accept other's religious beliefs as well as her own.
And now, the trick part of the question:
Originally posted by TheDuckster
6 People have arrived at an underground facility, but ALAS, only 5 people are allowed in.
The shelter contains enough supplies, food, water, etc., to sustain only 5 people for 3 years. Basic medicine cache.
Dilemma:
Pick only 5...
This is the tricky bit that probably a few people missed. I pick
MYSELF as one of these 5. After all, if the shelter only holds 5 people, and
I'm the one making the choice, it implies that I'm there as well. If my wife and child are there as well, I'd also cut Brenda and Rachel from the
list and give my wife and child their slot. But since the exercise only implies Me, plus the 6 people at the gate, I'd cut two, let four in, plus
myself.
After all, someone has to lead the lot, and if I'm the one making this life and death decision, then that unenviable task has obviously fallen on me.