'Not only are these people excessively selfish, unwilling to sacrifice themselves, and only looking towards their own goals, but they are also extremely arrogant. I mean, think about it! After that debate, don't you think it would be a bit strange that you were voted in unanimously as the representative? These people should question things a bit more. I can't tell if it's just arrogance or stupidity- probably both.'
Nathan found himself wondering why not a single person had caught on to the trap he laid.
After such an argument, there should be no way that any of these men would be unanimously voted as the representative. It was impossible to think, and yet these men accepted it without so much as a second thought. Just how self centered were they?
Not only this, but they had all voted for themselves without a second thought!
If even a single person had voted for someone else, Nathan would have let the round go on for another discussion, however that had not happened.
Instead, each man had gone in their with the mindset of 'I can't put my life in the hands of another. I have to be the one to decide what happens.'
Whether it was out of greed or fear, Nathan did not know for certain. But what he did know, was that these men didn't care about anyone but themselves.
Out of the two men who had selected their picks for people to save thus far, they did so out of pure selfishness, prioritizing themselves before anyone else.
'Next is the mad scientist..... if I recall correctly, he came by the workshop once..... I believe he was a customer..... as to what..... well.....'
The words of Mrs. Fera earlier today rung in Nathans ears.
"Do you know how much effort I spent producing those products!??! There was even one who was almost ready for sale!!!"
Nathan then recalled the words that Mrs. Fera spoke to that man the day he visited.
They talked in code, referring to products and centerpieces.
But he now knew exactly what they were referring to.
And it was not the equipment which Nathan slaved to create.
It was him.
He was the centerpiece.
He was the product, ready for sale.
And this man was the customer who would purchase him.
Nathan looked down and smiled, knowing that he held the fate of this man within the palm of his hands.
'Now then.... I suppose I'll let him dance a bit for me.'
Nathan switched his mic on, and began to speak to the man.
----
Lorenzo made his way into the chamber, number 3.
'Cheh.... those imbeciles simply don't understand.... they'll never understand, because they're fools who are too scared of something new to accept it! I'm sure that if the Emperor hadn't legalized magic that they would be taking part in the witch hunts as well. They're still going on in some areas, but it seems that the Senator here didn't want any more attention being drawn to his little village due to their..... other unsavory practices. I'm so close.... I've finished the prototype, but I need someone to test it on. I've already ran successful tests on rats, birds, a dog, and now a gerbil. But now, I need to make it fit for humans!!'
Closing the door, a clicking noise was heard, locking him into the stall.
'Speaking of which.... I wonder what ever happened to those animals? They were too strong for the cage to contain them, so most of them escaped to the wild, though the guinea pig was taken care of by that kid.... tch... it pisses me off just thinking about him.... how could someone be so talented? Well, not my problem anymore. I need a human. A test subject. And I need to survive here, of course. If I cannot finish this research, then my life will be incomplete!! I absolutely must make it out of here alive, and preferably with a subject!'
Lorenzo thought back to the children.
He recalled that they each had numbers written on their clothing.
'Ah! That boy.... number 8.... he looked to be the strongest test subject in the bunch. If I am to save anyone, it must be him.... yes, certainly. He is the first priority. But anyways.... for now, I must focus on convincing those idiots to accept my proposals. I can't believe they didn't. Who wouldn't? If they paid me, then it would almost guarantee that they would be freed, as I would not be able to receive my payment unless they made it out alive to give it to me! I suppose they were too greedy to give anything up for me, or perhaps it was because I didn't specify any concrete terms? But that should benefit them more, as they could negotiate a small price with me when they got out alive. Hmm.... I need to figure out what they all want. For now....'
Lorenzo picked the number 3 for his vote.
'That should be fine. I can keep voting for myself, until I convince them to vote for me. I wont compromise on this. My research must be completed. I will keep on selecting myself until I get them all to vote for me as well. Heh heh. Even if they all agree on another representative, I'll never give in! None of those men will want to save a magic user! It's obvious! They'll cut me off if I give them the chance to! I have no reason to allow my fate into the hands of another besides myself.'
"Congratulations! It looks like all the others unanimously selected you as the representative! Now then.... the screens should have changed to show numbers 1 through 10. Select which 5 people you wish to go free. Of course, 1-5 are the people you came in with, whereas 6-10 are the orphans. Choose wisely."
'Um....'
Lorenzo looked around suspiciously, and started mumbling off to himself out loud.
"Maybe some sort of error in the system? Could this have been a malfunction? Is there any way that this is a legitimate response? No, regardless of whether this was an error or a legitimate response.... that doesn't matter!! Whether those other guys actually accepted my offer, thinking that I would save them for the payment, or whether this was some sort of heaven induced glitch, I don't care!!! I'm saved!!!! HAHAHA!!!! I'll be able to finish my research!!!!"
Lorenzo was overcome with ecstasy as he realized that through some odd reason, the most improbable scenario had come to fruition.
"Let's see.... which should I select??? Unfortunately for those idiots, they mistook me for a money grubbing simpleton!! Haha!!! They have it in their minds that money can fix everything! That money can obtain anything!! NO!!! THAT'S WRONG!!!! Money can't obtain everything! Sure, it can get you places, but it isn't everything. Science!! Research!!! No matter how much money you have, without science you can't get anywhere!! I will evolve humanity!!!! Not for the sake of money, but for the sake of progress!!! For the sake of my research!!!"
Lorenzo shouted from within his own cell with madness in his voice. If the stalls weren't soundproofed the others would hear his rambling, however this was not the case. They were indeed soundproofed, so nobody would hear his rant.
"How joyful a day it is, whenever I make a single observation- whenever I see a certain pattern in the data, and alter the correct variable to get an expected result! Just the tiniest bit of progress fills the heart of a true scientist with joy!! And now I can finally.... finally.... test out this product which I've spent years upon years developing!!! There have been so many tests that have gone into it, and I'm just a few steps away from perfection!!! Just a few more steps!!!! I'm so close, but I need a few subjects.... yes, I could save the others for money, but that's wrong!!! That would be the wrong decision!!! As a scientist, it is my duty to finish this research, so I will need as many subjects as possible! I don't know when or how I will be able to obtain more, or if I ever will have another chance like this, so I have to take what I can get!! Yes.... that is the right decision! Why? Because no matter how much they pay me.... no matter how much money I get out of them from saving them..... human lives will always be worth more than money!!!!"
Lorenzo selected his own number, 3, and four of the orphans aside from the weakest looking young girl.
"There we go.... yes, human lives are worth more than money. How else would I obtain a fresh batch of these priceless human specimens?? Of course, I will save up the ones I can use for my experiments!!! But I have to get away from here... I don't want Mrs. Fera finding anything out, so I have to take the orphans and run..... but that's perfect!! These orphans probably hate that slave driver, so they will likely willingly come with me!!! I will be their savior, after all!!! After saving them from the monster, I will tell them that they don't have to go back to that evil woman, and they will look at me as some sort of hero!!! We can run back to the lab, grab all the important stuff, load it up on a carriage, and leave in just an hour!!! Yes.... I will do that!"
Lorenzo turned around to open the door, however when he turned the handle, it was still locked.
"Hm? Is there something else I need to do?"
Looking back at the panel, he noticed that he had yet to press submit.
"My goodness.... I almost just had a heart attack just now. That made me think that something had gone wrong, like I had selected the wrong number. I was 3, wasn't I? Yes, I was. Alright. Let's double check this before I click submit."
Lorenzo looked over the numbers selected, before pressing submit.
"Looks good!"
"You've selected to save yourself, and four orphans fresh out of the slave factory for experimental use?", the voice on the intercom asked.
"Yes, of course!!!"
"Hahaha!!! What an interesting man you are. Very straightforward and honest, really. Let me ask you something before I can't speak with you anymore. Were you the one who was going to purchase me?"
"Hm? Purchase you? Don't tell me..... you're the centerpiece?!"
"I am. The one and only. The pride and joy, the centerpiece that was shaped and crafted by that slavedriver, Mrs. Fera."
"You.... you've grown into quite the twisted little fella, haven't you. I like you. Hey, why don't you come with me too?? If you come with me, I'll let you assist me in my experiments!! We could both experiment on these four together, and you could help me to refine my concoction! What do you say!? I'm in dire need of a new assistant!!"
"Mmm..... a tempting offer. What to do, what to do? Stay here with a monster, in his clutches, or go with a mad scientist to perform experiments on children.... the same experiments which were supposed to be performed on myself.... ah, such a bind, really. Both options are so appetizing, I don't know which one to pick! It's as if I have to decide between steak and lobster! I can't choose! I want both, but I can't have both! I have to make a decision!!"
"You really are a wreck, kid, if you find both of those things appetizing.... heh heh.... but trust me, I'm sure that coming with me will be better for you than staying here with this beast who might turn on you at any second. Come on. Let's go!!"
"Hahaha!! You know what? You've convinced me. Fine. I'll come with you."
"Ohh!!! Really?? Then, tell me where I can find you so we can make our way out of here!"
"Did you really think I would say that?"
"What?"
"Did you really think that I would just give up this new life, with my wonderful father and mother, to go and perform your wretched experiments on my own siblings?"
"Huh?"
"Tsk tsk tsk. You're much more demented than I am, Mr. Scientist. Surprise surprise. I don't feel like letting you go. Haha!! Now, why don't you run some experiments on the chemical composition of the gas which is about to enter that room."
"What?! W-wait!!! Gas?? Gas!?! Are you about to kill me!?!?! And were you lying about coming with me!?!?! WAIT!!!! JUST THINK THIS THROUGH!!!! IF YOU KILL ME, THEN NOBODY ELSE WILL SAVE YOU!!!!"
"Save me? Who ever said I needed to be saved? Hahaha. No no..... you're the one who needs saving. Not me. But, unfortunately for you... that chance has been lost. I'll let you in on a little hint. If you weren't such a piece of scum, then I would have saved you."
"SCUM!?!? YOU'RE THE SCUM!!!! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO KILL ME!?!?! I WILL SURVIVE THIS, AND I WILL FIND YOU, AND I WILL PERFORM AS MANY EXPERIMENTS AS I LIKE ON YOU!!!!!!"
"Mhm. Why don't we do a little test on that hypothesis of yours?"
The tube then opened up, extending into the room.
Lorenzo jumped so that he stood on the control panel, as he desperately tried to put his hands over the tube to prevent the gas from seeping in, but he could not stop the flow.
His hands were blown out of the way with a massive force, and upon inhaling the gas his eyes bulged, and his mouth foamed.
He fell from a height, and his head split upon hitting it on the door.
"You'll never finish whatever insane research you're performing. Not because I hate science, but because I hate scum like you who would sacrifice the lives of those you don't even know for it."
----
Zachary walked into stall number 4.
He had a duty to perform. To kill that monster. He was clearly the only one here who could do so.
Yet, that scientist brought up something about possible corruption, without even really specifying a motive!
Zachary was clearly the most trustworthy person.
The young bar owner was simply too suspicious, and too bent on having himself be the one to decide.
It was clearly strange.
Zachary on the other hand, had a DUTY to protect people.
Why would he betray anyone here?
It made no sense.
Of course, he also had a duty to protect the orphans. That much was true. But at the end of the day.....
Wait a minute.
"It would indeed look pretty bad if everyone made it out alive, and uninjured, while the orphans were all dead or still trapped... but even so, we could say that they were dead when we arrived.... but if we say that, then what? Unless we defeat the monster, we can't raise our heads high. What will we say? We fled in fear on seeing it? No. But then again, that makes it all the more important for me to live, and make it out of here! As the only one who knows how to fight, it has to be me! It has to be me who takes it on! So why were they so obstinate? Was it because they were simply selfish, and wanted to be the one to decide?"
Zachary thought out loud as he looked around the stall, and heard the door click shut.
"What do I do here? I mean, this should be obvious. I wait until the next round, and bring this up to everyone. Of course. I'll vote myself for now, and everyone else will likely vote themselves. We need more time to discuss things. 5 minutes wouldn't have gotten us anywhere."
Zachary selected option 4 and pressed submit.
"I can't trust any of those men. They simply are all suspicious. I have to be the one to decide who gets to survive. It's that simple."
He waited for quite a while before being given any feedback.
'I suppose the others are voting? I wonder what's taking so long?'
Suddenly, the intercom came on.
"Congratulations! It looks like all the others unanimously selected you as the representative! Now then.... the screens should have changed to show numbers 1 through 10. Select which 5 people you wish to go free. Of course, 1-5 are the people you came in with, whereas 6-10 are the orphans. Choose wisely."
'Seriously? What? That doesn't even make any sense! I.... really? Truly? Have they actually all selected me? That seems..... impossible! It's impossible! Why? They should be all selfish people, only trying to save themselves! Why then, would they select me?? Why? I don't understand at all. How could each and every one of them trust in someone else so readily? Especially these men! It's strange. Too strange. It's as if something has been rigged!'
'Wait a minute.'
'Could it be, that some way or somehow....'
'Could the person running this jig.... could it be that they are actually in custody, trapped by that spider monster, forced to say these evil things? Could he be lying about the rules? Could this entire thing be a lie!?!'
'That must be it....'
'Then, he must have selected me, because I am the only one who can save him....'
Coming to this conclusion, Zachary looked up to where he believed the person could see him from.
"Don't worry, whoever you are up there!!! I am coming soon to save you from that thing!!!", Zachary shouted.
'Ah, perhaps I shouldn't have said that... I hope the monster isn't right next to him.'
"How many times do I have to say this? I don't need any saving. Not by you. Not by that scientist. Not by anyone!!! None of you are here to save me! Do you know how I know this? If you want to truly save me, then go ahead. Select all 5 orphans to save. That is what will save us."
"Eh? But..... how would I be able to-"
Zachary then realized what must be happening.
'AH! He must be saying that because the monster is right next to him! What he really must want me to do is to save four of them, and also myself so that I can defeat the monster and save him as well!!! Of course!'
"I'll do exactly as you wish!", Zachary shouted.
'Thankfully, I am quite smart, and able to realize other people's intentions with these sorts of things. He can thank me later, once I've defeated that thing. Of course, since I cannot allow myself to come out without the orphans, or without having killed the beast, I think the best option would be to save as many children as I can. Those other scum aren't worth saving anyways.'
Zachary selected himself and four of the children to save.
A disappointed voice came from the intercom as he pressed submit.
"You too? Sigh.... and you even said that you will do as I wish.... tsk tsk.... looks like you too prioritized yourself. I even told you exactly what to do! I literally gave you the answer, and you still didn't listen to me!! People are so greedy!!! They are so quick to save themselves, ignoring others completely! And especially if they are orphans! You know, according to what my father instructed me to do, the next test won't test peoples willingness to save themselves, but rather whether they actually care about the orphans- or whether they see us as nothing more than bottom feeders. Parasites to society who have no use. Parentless children who aren't raised properly, and will never grow up to contribute to society. People who's lives are worse less than what money can buy. Is that what you think of us? Or do you actually intend to help us? No, I don't think so. You would have listened to me if you did. Sigh.... such a disappointment. Every single one of you."
'Ah, he must be saying these things because the monster is right next to him. I'm sure he must be jumping for joy right now, knowing that I'll soon be over there to save him! All that's left is for him to release that lever!! Come on!!'
The gas tube extended itself into the room which Zachary was locked in.
'What's that thing? A tube?'
A cloud of purple gas entered the room.
Before Zachary could even realize what had happened, his mouth had foamed up, his eyes had popped out, and he dropped dead, hitting the floor with a thud.
He would not live to fight any beasts, nor protect any children. Because in the end, he could not even give his own life for a single child. He failed in his final duty as a protector of the people.