USH'S MATRIX GAME FOURTH ASSIGNMENT (PHILOSOPHY PATH)- 'The Journey'

"What makes you think I would waste my time with frivolities?" asks Melitus.

"Whats your deal, what do you want. Why are you doing this!?!!?!?"

"The same reason David did; it suits my purposes."

"And what is the purpose? Stop going in circles. Answer the damn question!"

"I am not here to answer your questions," says Melitus. "You are here to go through with what you asked. It is not my fault that you did not appreciate what it was you were asking for."

"Ugh..."

Castor walks over to one of the solid walls and plants fist into it cracking some drywall.

"What now?"

Rade chuckles. He is somehwat amused by the situation.
"yes...i guess i do not really know whetther or not i'm an AI or not, right now. BUT..i guess it makes no difference. I have a body waiting for me outside....i will return to it once i jack out. They will not.

though i do not see how this is what we wanted"

Err, you won't return to it if you are the AI, Rade... you can only return if you are being broadcast- the AI is not. The AI cannot jack out.

(I think he means that "I" as in the real Rade will return.)

What was the point of cloning us?

Well, it confuses poor old me if you use 'I' to refer to someone other than yourself!

"Well," says Melitus, "it presents you with your final conondrum."

"Which is?"

(We'd save a lot fo time if meltius wasnt such a choppy speaker...lol. Least were not like team muppet tho.)

Well... I think it is clear from the films that the Machines are all very elongated speakers... which suits me well, because we are stll waiting for the combat guys!

(This is kinda rediculous, what are they deasling wiht over there anyways?)

Errr... did you know they failed? Combat Path has failed their mission, and they are trying to escape an Agent.

(I didnt know that, what was their mission, and how can they escape when they cant even jack out, lol...X( )

Well, that is kinda the fun of it! Less fun is that they are two men down and pretty beat up. So we need San and Barb's full attention, for which they need a connection that works! Which they should have either tonight or tomorrow, with any luck!

(I see....sucks for them....)

(yes, i was reffering to i, as in the real rade...i didn think before posting, that it might prove to be a confusion...but..too lazy to modify)

OOC
Heh heh heh. Good call Ush! Plot twists rule! Now to make funny things out of two people speaking at the same time. Although, surely if Dexx is one of them, and the other says the same, then he is playing the real Rade too!

BIC
Azrael chuckles, "I agree with Rade. It does not matter who is who, because when we jack out, the real version will be the only one to survive."

"No," says Melitus. "For a start, you re both real, and secondly, the never version will not die, he will simply be unable to leave. I find it very odd that you would be so blase about the possibility of your own destruction, however. After all, we all have a right to live.

"However, this is all academic. Such a situation will never occur- because only one of each you is leaving."

The wall slides closed again, blocking your view of the others.

"The wine on the table is posioned, with hemlock. One of you will drink the wine and die. Once this has happened, I will allow the other version of you to leave.

"I am leaving you now, until you are ready to make your final decision. You will be allowed to leave messages for your other half to discuss things. The matter you must consider is this- I want you to persuade your other self to be the one to drink the wine and die. But you had better give a good reason.. Your other self will, of course, have the right to try and persuade you the same way.

"Please think carefully before making an answer on this, as I will only accept one submission and that will be final. Goodbye."

There is a crackle- and Melitus is silent. True as his word- he has broken contact.

In case you have not guessed, this most certainly IS the crux point of the Philosophy section and what you do next is how I will judge a pass or fail for each of you individually. Much of this will be based on the submissions you have already made.

PLEASE TAKE YOUE TIME OVER THIS. It is very complex, and there is a lot riding on it, and as it stands you have plenty of time. I want you, when you are done, to tell me your reasoning as to why your other self should be the one to drink the wine and not you. You can if you wish make a submission as to why YOU should drink it, if you want to. It is important, however, that your reasoning is consistent with your beliefs which I have just spent the entire Assignment determining.

If you want to talk to 'yourself', then do so. But don't expect ME to do the conversation. If you ask yourself a question, the only person who can answer what you ask it is you. You can leave small messages for each other and answer them in kind- in the end, it is only like talking to yourself. The only point where I will consider a definitive split is when you give me your submission, at which point I will judge your other version's reaction to it.

Please note- this is very important. You may be tempted to try and cheat fate, to pretend by control of both characters that your other self does not mind, or to trust to luck. Now, if you make a submission, and one of you drinks the wine, and there is no definitive proof as to which one it was- proof to my statisfactiopn, that is, then there is a 50/50 chance you just killed the original you. I want you to know- from the enxt Assignment onwards, only the originals can be played. Therefore, that is a 50/50 chance that you just killed your character. So you can see, this is nothing to be flippant over.

Something else to consider- if this happens, I will simply roll a die; on a 1-3 it is the original, and hence 'you' you just killed. Note that this means, and this is something you should be aware of, that *I* do not know which of you is real and which the copy either. It really is that random. This is not a logic puzzle- it is a point of philosophy.

As Melitus says, when you make your submission to him (you can use the intercom when you are DONE and no sooner), that will be final- and I will take things for you from there.

Melitus has gone and will not answer questions. However, from now on you may ask ME questions, in order to try and gather some basic facts. Melitus has brought this situation before you. You may want some clarifications. I will not, under any circumstances, help you make your choice- but I might confirm some things if asked, especially some things you do not know (I will simply confirm that you do not know them).

If you think that I have dropped you in a harsh situation with no help... then my single piece of advice to you is- that is unfair. I have been helping you from the moment the first Assignment started. I hope you were paying attention. Melitus had this all worked out in advance- and so did I.

You may, if you wish, decline to take part in this, If so, Melitus will kill you both.

Good luck.