[ WP ] You walk into the oval office on your first day as president . Your predecessor hands you a document : A plan to reduce the human population by 99 % .

`` Is this what I think it is?'' 
 
 `` Yes.'' 
 
 The newly-elected took the document and sat, reading. The former walked to the window, looking out. They passed the next few minutes in silence. 
 
 `` This,'' said the newly-elected, `` is quite thorough.'' He tossed the packet onto the table, the papers scattering everywhere. `` And that's just the outline, is n't it? I'm sure there's a more detailed plan.'' 
 
 `` Of course,'' said the former. `` In fact, phases one through eight are actually ready and able to be implemented as soon as you wish.'' 
 
 The newly-elected's eyes went wide. `` You're serious?'' 
 
 `` Yes.'' 
 
 With a deep sigh, the newly-elected leaned forward in his seat, his elbows resting on his knees as he rubbed his eyes. `` I knew things were bad. Did n't realize that they were this bad,'' he muttered. `` Maybe I should have seen this coming.'' 
 
 The former put her hand to the window, feeling the frost on the other side of the glass. The coldest winter on record was upon them, colder than the coldest winter of last year. Looking around the office, she realized that she would not miss it. `` Yes,'' she said, turning to the newly-elected, `` you should have.'' 
 
 Another minute, they sat quietly. The former watched the newly-elected. The newly-elected rubbed his eyes. 
 
 `` How was this even approved?'' said the man. 
 
 `` It was n't,'' replied the former. 
 
 `` Do you even understand what will happen to you when the public finds out about this? I mean, how has Congress-'' 
 
 `` -Congress does n't know.'' 
 
 `` How?'' 
 
 `` It does n't matter. After all, they're part of the ninety-nine. So am I. If you consider the magnitude of the plan, it really does not matter how illegal it all is. The phases were set-up and prepared in secret with the thought that the people executing the plan would be dead at the end of it, anyway. Who's going to punish me, after all? Of course Congress would n't approve this, but they'll all be gone, too. That's how complete the plan is.'' 
 
 `` No,'' said the newly-elected. `` I'm not asking how you did it. Of course we have the power to do something like this. What I'm asking is how you could even think that this was in any way righteous?'' 
 
 `` So short-sighted,'' said the former. `` Ca n't you see it!'' she yelled, walking to the door and pulling it open. The dreadfully cold winter air filled the room, silencing any heat in seconds. `` Ca n't you feel it?'' 
 
 The Secret Service stationed by the door in their winter gear approached the open door, looking questioningly inside. The newly-elected waved them off; they returned to their posts as the former slammed the door. `` Have I made my point?'' she asked, kicking at some of the snow that had easily blown into the room. `` We're looking at the end.'' 
 
 `` The end?'' 
 
 `` Yes. The end. And when you're looking at it this close, there's really only one way of looking at things. There's really only one shot. When you have a plant that's malnourished and diseased, there's only one way to save that plant: cut off the disease, and trim off as much as you can so that the organism survives. This is not about race, it is n't about class, it is n't about greed; I'm on the list, damn it!'' She stamped her foot onto the ground and the heel broke from her shoe. She stumbled over to one of the side chairs and sat. `` It's monstrous. It's evil. It's genocide.'' 
 
 `` Yes,'' said the newly-elected. `` I'm glad that we agree.'' 
 
 `` And it must be carried out,'' she said with conviction. `` It's the only way we survive. Well... not we. But the eighty-million or so that have been chosen. And you.'' 
 
 `` And me?'' 
 
 `` Of course.'' 
 
 `` Why me?'' laughed the newly-elected. `` Why me, of all people?'''' 
 
 `` You're not like us, kid. We're dirty, you know? Do you even understand how deep this corruption runs? Do you know how true all of those conspiracies have been? And do you know for how long? Kid, you have no clue. And that's exactly why you were chosen.'' 
 
 Suddenly, it dawned on him. `` You rigged the election.'' 
 
 `` Of course I rigged the election. You did n't stand a chance, without me.'' She took off her broken shoe, and then she took off the other one, kicking them aside. `` You were chosen precisely because you were one of the few good ones, left. Untainted. Innocent. Good. And we're going to do the most evil of things to give the world the best shot that we can. We finally realize, you know?'' she said, rubbing her eyes. `` We finally realize that for the newest generation to live, we *have to die*. And that's all there is to it.'' 
 
 `` Have you begun the plan?'' 
 
 `` No. That's for you. You will begin it.'' 
 
 `` Why me? Why not you?'' 
 
 `` I'm already a part of the ninety-nine. I will die for this plan. You are the future,'' she said, talking out the PAD. `` Here it is,'' she said, tossing it to him. `` The only one. There is no other. The worlds needs you to make a very simple decision: run the plan.'' She laughed, `` Save the world.'' 
 
 `` Do you even understand how many people will die?'' 
 
 `` Yes. If we do n't, all of them.'' 
 
 The newly-elected looked at the PAD in his hands, turning the decision over, for a moment, in his mind. 
 
 He reached for the first few pages of the packet on the desk and examined them for a moment. Then, without more thought, he keyed the combination necessary to disable the PAD. After the PAD was turned off, he removed the battery and tossed it aside, putting the disabled PAD in his pocket. 
 
 `` This is not the time to be scared, kid.'' 
 
 The newly-elected shook his head. `` No,'' he said. `` You're confused. Somehow, for some reason, you have been confused for a very long time. From your perspective, you've found one solution that would help the human race survive. You found a solution and then you stopped looking, thinking that it was final. But this solution misses the point, entirely.'' He walked across the room, standing by her. `` We should n't survive by choosing who to throw overboard. We should n't survive by dictating who has to live and who has to die. We should survive *together*. We will live *together*, and if we die, we die *together*. Our survival is in our numbers, in our variation. Even our luck.'' 
 
 `` We have n't been so lucky lately.'' 
 
 `` And that's why we *play the numbers*. The chances of winning the lottery are slim enough, but we stand a better shot with eight billion tickets.'' 
 
 `` Do you really think it's all that simple? You're naive.'' 
 
 `` You're old. And it is that simple. We are human. We have learned, painstakingly, that all humans are priceless. We save each other. That's all there is.'' Then, even though the PAD was already disabled, with the battery removed, he removed it from his pocket, dropped it onto the floor and stepped on it. He did not need to stomp; his weight was enough to shatter the screen and bend the pad beyond use.
