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INT. WAREHOUSE CONFERENCE ROOM – DAY

This room is situated such that it has windows that look down on the warehouse floor where the Gynophage lives. At one end there is a high-resolution video screen.

Harry, Joe, and ERNIE ALBERTSON sit at a chrome conference table while Rosalie. stands next to the video screen with a pointer/clicker device.

HARRY

So what do we know, Dr. Quisp?

ROSALIE

Well, the biochemistry is nothing special. The creature has chromosomes with DNA, uses RNA in the synthesis of proteins, makes use of many of the same chemicals invertebrate animal species use. Oxygen transport through its circulatory system appears to be mostly performed by hemocyanin rather than hemoglobin, which would make this creature seem to be related, if very distantly, to squids and octopuses.

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EXT. THE CAMPUS – LATER

MIRANDA

Quite a throwdown you had with Chad there.

TOOZIE

Well, Miranda, he’s religious and all. Not that he’s so bad, but…

MIRANDA

Professor Lee looks at you like you’re future philosophy talent.

TOOZIE

I don’t know. A lot of philosophy from Plato and his cave onward seems just to be a contest to see who can come up with the most compelling piece of fiction.

They walk in silence for a few steps.

MIRANDA

Do you think you’d really pull the trigger on yourself?

TOOZIE

I don’t know. Do you think it would make a compelling story?

Miranda half-snorts, half-laughs in response to Toozie.

MIRANDA

Do you think you might go to the kegger at Quincy Hall tonight?

TOOZIE

Oh, I don’t know. I have reading to do.

MIRANDA

Lot of hunky guys there.

TOOZIE

Yeah. Who want to bed an Asian girl because they think they won’t have to try too hard.

MIRANDA

Cynic!

TOOZIE

Seriously, a frat-boy trying to have sex makes me think of an orangutan trying to play the violin.

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INT. A COLLEGE SEMINAR ROOM – DAY

…

TOOZIE

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

FANTASY VERSION OF THE CLASSROOM

Action follows Toozie’s narration of her scenario. Everyone has their hands on heads, watched over by subordinate terrorists. The TERRORIST hands Chad a revolver.

TOOZIE (V.O.)

One chamber out of six is loaded, but you don’t know which one. Let’s assume further that our terrorist has well-armed confederates who have the drop on you so doing a macho-man stunt like, shooting him and rescuing everyone is out of the question. He demands that you play one round of Russian Roulette by spinning the cylinder, putting the revolver to your head, and pulling the trigger.

Chad spins the cylinder and puts the revolver to his own head.

TOOZIE (V.O.)

If you don’t, he’ll kill everyone else in the seminar. If you give in, he lets everyone go.

BACK TO SCENE

TOOZIE

Assume further you know that he is telling the truth — perhaps he is a world-famous terrorist who does this all the time and always keeps his word. Would you do it?

CHAD

Um…

TOOZIE

I’ll take the burden off you. Suppose that he gives me the revolver and demands that I play the round of Russian Roulette. Do I have the right to spin the cylinder and pull the trigger?

CHAD

It seems pretty marginal to me.

TOOZIE

It doesn’t to me. I would hope I could find in myself the courage to do exactly that.

MIRANDA

Toozie!

PROFESSOR LEE

Interesting. Just out of curiosity let’s see a show of hands. Who here thinks Toozie would have the right to pull that trigger?

Most of the seminar, Chad excluded, raise their hands.

TOOZIE

Now suppose we have cases where we add more and more bullets to the revolver. Two bullets — still play the game? Three? Or what about six?

CHAD

Look, even if I were to concede that you had a right to play the game with one bullet — which I don’t, but I guess many people don’t agree with me — six is just plain suicide.

TOOZIE

Where does the magic happen, Chad? Between Coal Road and one bullet? At two bullets? Three?

CHAD

I find this math game inappropriate.

TOOZIE

That’s a cop-out.

CHAD

Your life does not belong to you to throw away.

TOOZIE

I submit my life is not the sort of thing capable of belonging to anyone.

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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.

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INT. A COLLEGE SEMINAR ROOM – DAY

PROFESSOR LEE and about twelve undergraduates sit around a massive wooden table in a college room that bespeaks generations of wealthy alumni. The walls are mostly lined with old books in glass cases.

A seminar is in progress. On a blackboard behind Professor Lee are written the words MORTALITY AND MORALITY, WEEK 5. Student books and papers cover the massive table.

Professor Lee sits sphinxlike at the head of the table. Across from each other at the middle are LUCY CHEN TU (“TOOZIE”) and CHAD. MIRANDA sits next to Toozie. Chad is wrapping up a student presentation.

CHAD

So we should conclude that if human life is a fundamental moral value, a sacrifice of human life, even if undertaken with the noble purpose of saving other lives, cannot be countenanced by a just society. Thank you.

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

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