Click to load or right-click to download full-size image.

INT. A COLLEGE SEMINAR ROOM – DAY

…

There is a round of brief and polite applause from the undergraduates. Professor Lee nods at Chad.

PROFESSOR LEE

Excellent presentation, Chad.

(turning to Toozie)

Toozie, you are this week’s respondent. How do you respond?

TOOZIE

Thank you, Professor Lee

(clears throat delicately)

There’s a great deal I found rather abstract in Chad’s presentation. Rather than try to rebut some of his theses directly, I think I might best be able to respond by offering a series of thought experiments.

PROFESSOR LEE

Please do.

TOOZIE

Scenario One: A terrorist has taken this entire freshman seminar hostage.

There is a round of nervous giggles at Toozie’s premise.

TOOZIE

He’s standing there with his gun and he tells you in a voice that makes it clear that he really, really means it, that if no one volunteers to cross Coal Road and come back that he will execute everyone in the seminar.

(looks pointedly at Chad)

So Chad, would you volunteer?

CHAD

Just to go across Coal Road and back? Sure.

TOOZIE

Pretty easy, except that you know that there is at least some risk you will be killed by a careless driver.

CHAD

I’d say the risk is less than small.

PROFESSOR LEE

But if I may intervene for just a moment, certainly real. Just three years ago, at the Main Street crossing, poor Professor Morris lost his life in exactly that way.

There is a moment of awkward silence.

TOOZIE

I’m sorry, Professor, I didn’t mean…

PROFESSOR LEE

No, please go on.

TOOZIE

Chad?

CHAD

Sure. I’d cross the road.

TOOZIE

Okay. Scenario Two: Just like Scenario One except that this time the terrorist hands you a revolver.

Please do not reproduce this storyboard or its associated screenplay text without permission from Faustus, who may be contacted here.