Honored guests,
I have seen the future. I have felt the sting of smoke and ash in my lungs, the heat of fire on my skin, and the phantom pain that festers within me. Ever since I was a child, my consciousness has traveled between our world and this hell that shall be our future.
Let me tell you about this future: the city of Andova will be destroyed by an Ilviran nuclear missile a few months from today on January 1st, 2090. There will be no warning. There will be no reason. 5 million lives will be lost. The other 2 million of Andova will soon die from radiation. Within hours, Telessa will declare war on Ilvir and return fire. A total of 1.5 billion casualties will follow as the two countries collapse into a nuclear war. Everyone you love will die.
I have lived through these future visions many times. I know they will come true. You may not believe me or in my visions, but tell me, can you not hear the voices of the future as well? Can you not hear the words of your companions from the future, in the year 2109?
You, my chosen ones, are tasked with making a grave decision: release a pathogen to reduce the likelihood of war or do nothing and risk a nuclear winter.
This pathogen, designated IcaR5, is potent but mostly harmless. It has a very high infection rate and yet has rarely led to casualties. My logic is thus: a major pandemic shall put such a drain on resources that Telessa and Ilvir shall be forced to stop their talk of war and focus on the health of their people. I seek to de-escalate tensions by introducing a shared threat. Perhaps there may be casualties, but there will be far less fewer than if a nuclear war occurs. And of course, the pathogen may mutate once it is out of my hands, but I assure you that historically, such events are unfavored by chance.
So, you must vote: release the pathogen in exchange for a few casualties and the low risk it may mutate into something worse, or do nothing and see if 1.5 billion people will die. The choice is yours. You are my judge and jury, and I, your faithful executioner. I will honor the decision favored by the majority.
Afterwards, you will be placed in a cryogenic sleep alongside your companions with whom you were kidnapped. In 2109, I will wake them up. They will observe the aftermath of your decision and connect to us in the past, informing us if the right choice was made. It is their voices in the future that you are hearing now, giving you council as you weigh your options.
I am watching. Good luck.
Zero
Proceed with caution