The Return of Jason Hilton

"So, what would you do in the following situation?" the professor showed, pointing to the whiteboard, which displayed several old pen marks made for that purpose. As in every college class, attention was turned sometimes to the board, sometimes to the cell phone. Not that day, at least not for Winston. He had been attending philosophy classes faithfully since his school days, and now he liked the idea of becoming a philosopher. All around him, Winston looked much older, everyone in his 25s, while he was almost 40. He didn't care, in that class, all he wanted was an answer.

The whiteboard displayed one of those classic problems that you have to think through until you come up with a personal answer. With attention on the educator, the issue was then shown:

"Think of someone you love besides yourself. In a survival situation, in which only one of you two can make it out alive, counting on one killing the other. What would you do?"

A - I would kill that person.

B - I would let that person kill me.

C - I would do nothing, let the other person decide.

D - I would commit suicide.

There was a commotion. On one side of the room, they shouted the letter A, and on the other, B. The smallest part chose alternative D, and the central part chose C.

Intrigued, the professor questioned the minority, who replied, "I would be incapable of killing anyone, in any way". He simply listened, then questioned the central part: "I wouldn't know how to decide, I would leave it in someone else's hands, if they attacked me, I would defend. Whoever was left, would live." He simply listened. He questioned the B-side: "I would decide the person I love to live in my place, I would give my life for her. Finally, he looked around the room for someone who could answer alternative A: "My life matters more than the other people". The voice had been heard, coming from the back of the room, there was Winston, with his right hand raised. He had not been chosen the professor had not even gone near his desk.

Leaning on the head table, he gave him a curious look as he questioned the student as to why he believed his life was worth more than another's.

"That's the obvious answer. Everyone wants to live, everyone would do anything for it. The reason alternative A didn't win is that people are afraid to say what they think."

The curious eyes were now all on Winston. Some students were whispering among themselves, and others remained fixed on that man.

"You're not wrong, Winston, everyone wants to live. However, the rest of the room is not wrong either," the professor said calmly, as he stopped leaning on his desk.

"How can we all be right?" asked some girl, as she raised her hand.

"I didn't say they were right, I just said they weren't wrong. Pay attention, I'll explain," he paused until everyone turned their attention fully forward. "The truth is that survival requires a certain instinct, and that requires adrenaline. Thinking simply, it's natural for them to judge that in a situation like that, they will choose to attack with everything and do whatever they can to survive, even if it means taking someone's life," he fixed his eyes on Winston, who seemed uneasy with that explanation, he was sure of his answer. "However, that's the theory. In practice, things don't work exactly that way. The truth is, you can't be certain what you would do until you face a survival situation. Now in the room, you may decide not to kill the other person, but in real-time, end up giving in to instinct and killing first, just as the opposite may occur. It is not a decision you can make, not now."

"I disagree," Winston cut in, again.

"Unfortunately, I cannot test it in practice to prove it to you, my dear Winston. You will have to make do with my class. You are dismissed for today."

It was that night, in class, that he felt challenged. He was sure he was right, and he wanted very much to prove his answer. That day, with a few months left to graduate, he began a plan that would later turn out to be something sickening.