An American Dream

What would you choose?

Photo by William Hadley on Unsplash

Walking through the door, Riley is greeted by a fervent Quinn who blurted, “Did you hear the news?” Riley barely had time to take off his coat before being buffeted by an onslaught of facts and questions he wasn’t provided enough time to answer. This was a common occurrence lately. Riley had always known Quinn to be fascinated by science, but sometimes his beliefs waded into the waters of science fiction. Today’s fascination was the announcement of the government’s new discovery of the very “real” ability to teleport objects. Apparently, it had been successfully tested on a small stone, and soon they will be testing it on living beings.

“They always announce things long after they’ve discovered it, so I’m sure they’ve already tested it on small living beings, and surely, we’re next.” Quinn was working into a frenzy, and Riley knew the only way to calm him was by falling in with his line of thinking.

He was exhausted from work, but played along as much as he could. “What kind of living being would survive that? What would it do to it?” He glanced over to the other end of the couch where his other roommate was scrolling on his phone. “What do you think about all this, Eren?” He only grunted in response.

As Quinn prattled on about the physics and metaphysics of it all, Riley began to make a pot of mac and cheese, his favorite comfort food after a long day. He had just begun boiling the water when an odd sensation of buoyancy overcame him. The background noise that was Quinn’s voice suddenly cut out and the kitchen light that illuminated the stovetop became so blinding that even closed eyelids couldn’t prevent the pain of such a blaze.

As quickly as the pain was inflicted, it was soothed by the brisk breeze coming from an air conditioner rolling over his skin and a leather chair cooling his back. The sudden temperature change sent shivers down his spine. Riley tentatively opened his eyes to see a room furnished in a Scandinavian style, with a pale blue loveseat and a sleek, but very comfortable beige armchair that he was currently lying in, with a white coffee table between them.

Despite having no windows, the room felt spacious and light. It was as if the room was built specifically to put him at ease. Riley wished it had worked, but he was too alarmed by the abruptness of this scenario to be fooled into a false sense of security. The leather of the armchair suddenly felt too warm as his palms became clammier. Before he could dwell on the sensations overwhelming his body too long, a smartly dressed lady walked in the room holding a large, shiny, black box.

She greeted him warmly with a calm smile. “Hello,” she continued spryly as she placed the box on the coffee table, “I know this is quite disconcerting, but I want to assure you that you’re not in any trouble. I simply have a question for you.”

Riley’s palms were swampier than the Everglades. For some reason, this “question” felt like a threat. Without getting too stuck in his head, Riley meekly responded, “I suppose I have an answer then.”

The woman offered a small smile that seemed to convey pity more than kindness. “An apt response for someone in your position.”

“My… position?” The back of Riley’s neck was slick from the sweat that ran down it.

“Yes,” the woman replied, “you’re now in the position to make an important choice.” She took the lid off and pulled a metal contraption out of the box. It was mostly silver, except for two buttons; one red, one blue. She pushed it across the table toward Riley and lifted the clear plastic cover that encased the buttons. “If you and more than half the world press the blue button, then everyone lives. However, if the majority chooses red, then everyone that chooses blue will die.”

With defiance in his heart, Riley countered, “And if I don’t choose?”

She clucked her tongue as she tilted her head, “I’m disappointed. I thought you were one of the smart ones.” Her eyes scanned lazily over the walls as she coldly replied, “If you press both buttons or choose neither, then you guarantee your death.”

His widened eyes filled with fear flashed to every corner of the room and settled on the almost imperceptible crack that outlined the hidden door she initially came through.

She chuckled, “You really are dumber than I thought if you think there’s a way for you to escape.”

Rearing with rage, Riley shouted, “What gives you the right to force this decision on anyone? This is evil in so many ways!”

“What gives the government the right to do anything? They have the power, and they use it as they please,” she continued in a distant voice, “I’m just another tool they have power over.”

Riley whispered, “Only if you let them.”

She shook her head, bringing her back to the present moment, and gave him another pitiful smile. “You’re just a tool too. Your birth is what allows them to have power over you… your mere existence is their power. So just choose: red or blue.”

Laughing awkwardly, Riley runs a hand through his hair. “You can’t actually expect me to choose. If I choose blue, I risk my own life. If I choose red, I risk the lives of others. I’m either suicidal or homicidal. What kind of sick game is this? What’s the point of it?”

“What if I told you there is no point? Would that help you choose more honestly?” Her eyes continued to scan the walls.

Riley, nervous by her demeanor, began looking closer at each wall, but saw nothing. “I suppose it wouldn’t really make a difference.” He thought of Quinn, knowing he’d choose blue because that’s just the idealist he was, and that Eren would choose red just because it’s the most logical decision. This meant there’s at least one person that would negate Quinn’s choice but at least Eren would still be alive, so the only way to help was to choose blue. Right?

He grabbed either side of his head and pulled the thinning hair there. He was only thirty and agonized over the time he wasted. If blue doesn’t get the majority vote, then he’s dead. Was blue worth the gamble? He shook this question out of his head because the question that came along with that was ‘Would Quinn really choose blue?’ If Quinn didn’t choose blue, then that would mean Riley knew absolutely nothing about his roommate of over 2 years and this gamble was for nothing.

They weren’t ‘best friends,’ but in a way, they were. Riley listened to all of Quinn’s kooky ideas and Quinn let Riley gripe about his shitty job and even shittier dating life. This was enough to strengthen his resolve. He couldn’t go back to their apartment with the knowledge that his decision led to Quinn’s death. Right now, he couldn’t fall into mania or self-pity. He needed to stay anchored in reality, but something nagged in the back of his mind. “Why should I believe a word you say?” Riley began to doubt that either choice would change the outcome. Perhaps this was just a psychological research experiment, or some serial killer’s dream.

The woman shrugged. “Whether you believe me or not, you still have to make a decision. I’ve already made mine.”

This made Riley pause. She said that with such dull eyes and so much defeat in her voice. Riley asked if she would tell him what choice she made. She said she couldn’t.

Riley’s gaze settled on the buttons. He raised his hand over them, whispered, “I hope this is the right choice,” and pressed down on the blue button.

The woman’s eyes welled with tears as she offered him one more smile and said, “If only I was like you.”

Riley felt something whir past his ear, causing him to flinch. When he opened his eyes, he saw the woman slumped in the loveseat, eyes vacant with a bleeding hole between her brows. Before Riley could react, he was enveloped in the same blinding light as before.

When the odd sensation of floating ceased and the light dimmed, Riley was back in his apartment, standing in front of the pot with water boiling over. He turned off the heat and let out a long exhale. He hoped that maybe that was some kind of fever dream or weird daydream from hearing Quinn’s rants. That’s when he noticed the silence.

Twisting slowly, he turned around to face the couch to see a speechless Quinn staring at the lifeless body that once was Eren. Riley walked toward Quinn in a daze and heard him muttering, “Why didn’t you just choose blue?”

Riley threw his arms around Quinn and held him until they both calmed down. Desperate to break the silence, he turned on the news. The main headline sent shock waves through their bodies. “Two-Thirds of Americans Lost in Latest Foreign Strike.”

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Hello my lovelies,

This short story was inspired by a thought experiment. It only involved choosing red or blue, so I added another facet that would ensure that each person (adults and children) would have a consequence no matter their choice. This is not really a show of my personal political leanings, rather of some possible alternate reality. I’m trying to practice writing more sci-fi to help me write my novel. I’ve been feeling a little stuck in my old writing style, so I’m trying to branch out into new ideas and styles.

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Dreamily yours,

Z