He stopped talking and I did not push for more. I sat back in my chair and rubbed my eyes. I now partly understood why he did it and to an extent sympathized with him. If we weren’t living in a world that had self-destructed due to over a century of economic greed, resource exploitation, political incompetence, and utter environmental mismanagement, I would have agreed with him. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa068zWnIkw
We didn’t cause this mess, we were just the generation that had to pick up the tab when it became due and pay it the best way we could. That was our cross. Yet, there was still one glaring point in my mind that needed an answer.547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SxwIIUTDq
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“Very well, Doctor, I think I understand your actions, but there is still one thing that makes no sense to me. You of all people also knew what would happen if we told the world that 87% of the people on this planet would have to die to allow the rest of humanity and civilization to continue. You knew in that scenario the death rate would be at least 94% percent. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdkKUhIQz8
There was also the strong possibility that the knowledge gained by man over the last 7,000 years of civilization would be lost forever. Assuming you succeeded in your plot, civilization would be in its death throes now. At least using our way humanity has a 71% chance of survival and we can rebuild our society in two to three decades instead of centuries. All of that would be gone if we went your way. You and your family would also have survived, but now that is not going to happen. What did you think you would gain by telling everyone?”547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxqWhloG29
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For the first time the eyes glared back at me. He didn’t look so helpless in that chair. “Because doing it my way, everyone would have the same chance to survive. There would be no favourites, no new master race, and no privileged salvation. Doing it your way, you decide who lives and dies. No one has the right to do that: not me, not you, not your masters, not the jokes we call our leaders, nobody.” 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26nxZlrnA7
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In his mind that made perfect sense, and that was all that mattered to him, in his mind. I understood now so my job was over. It was time for the other part of my briefing. I got up and slightly bowed. “Thank you, Doctor Limner, you have answered my questions. You also have my deepest respect.”547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMKXefMus2
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Before he could say anything in return, I reopened my carrying case and once again brought out the dart gun. I fired quickly hitting him just below the heart. The eyes bulged out and the muscles stiffened because this was a neurotoxin and not a drug. He tried to get up, but his legs would not move. He tried moving his mouth, I was able to see his lips rapidly turning blue trying to form the words, “but you said.”547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pVi6xdQMO
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“I am sorry,” I told him and watched him collapse on the table and then roll off onto the floor hitting with a dull thud. There was one good thing; he would never learn what Investigations had done to his family. If I was a religious woman, I would have told him his wife and children were already waiting for him in a better world than this one. An example made to quiet any other potential loudmouths. At least that part of this job I didn’t have to do.547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkXE6zQ0WK
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