If you are offered a chance to be the subject of some shady experiments, do NOT take it. I know the pay may be great, but stay away from it. Here’s my story as a warning to everyone reading this:
I was a lonely, average man. I had some friends, but we were not too close to each other. I am still single to this day, but thankfully, I always have my family to support me day after day. I worked at a supermarket as the manager, and honestly, the pay isn’t so great, but it is still enough.
Before this, I’d always wanted to get out of this boring life. Being a manager in this supermarket is actually very boring; there are a lot of reports that I have to write and meetings that I have to attend. My job was 70% dealing with these reports and meetings and 30% dealing with workers and actual management.
One day, when I was scrolling through some Google searches about how to beat a level in my favorite game, I came across an ad. The ad says, “Want to escape your boring life for 2 days? Click here!” Now, when I think about it, I should’ve known better and not trusted the ad. Unfortunately, I clicked on the ad. I was redirected to a website. The website itself is pretty basic, but it has a professional look to it, so I didn’t think much of it. I clicked on the “Sign Up” button.
The website asked for my name, age, address, and some other personal information. After I finished signing up, the website turned green and said that I was offered to join an experiment as a subject. The website assured me that there will be no to minimal physical pain involved, the experiment will last for 2 days, and I will be paid $15,000 per day. Surprised by the pay and the chance to take a break from my monotonous routine, I accepted the offer and went to the address mentioned, without checking any details of the experiment. I was a dumb man.
I met one of the researchers, and he told me that I would have to stay in the facility for two days, sadly without any means of communication. He told me this was done to ensure the best quality of data by reducing outside factors. I still agreed to this because I saw it as a way to get out of my boring life, at least for some time. I told my boss that I would be taking a 2 day break. My boss agreed, but I would have to wait 5 more days because of the busy season. I told the researcher, and he agreed to postpone the experiment for 5 days.
Work went fast, and the experiment day finally came. I went into the facility with my clothes, books, and other stuff. I was guided to a room that looked very comfortable. The room has a heater, an air conditioner, a king-sized bed, a bathroom with a bathtub and hot showers, and a large collection of books. I was told to rest when the door closed behind me. I thought to myself, “Why do they need the door locked?” but then I went to sleep.
A loud sound woke me up. It was 6:00 AM, according to the clock above my bed. Breakfast was served, and it was actually delicious. “This experiment might not be so bad after all,”, I thought. Suddenly, a curtain opened. It has been there since I entered the room, but I can’t open it because it is behind glass. It revealed two people, in separate rooms. I tried calling them, but they couldn’t hear me. I can see that they had a supply of food and water, but nothing more. Two buttons, each on a platform, rose from the floor before me.
A voice spoke to me from the speakers; it said, “You will have 48 hours to decide which one lives by pressing one of the buttons. You will have their personal information on the tablet provided to you. If you fail to choose a person in 48 hours, both will die.” I was shocked and unable to move for a minute. I was processing the thought of being a judge who has to pick between two human lives. The timer ticks down, making a beeping noise every second as I get closer to my inevitable decision.
47:58:45 left.
I grabbed the tablet and turned it on. There is only one app on the tablet. I opened the app, there were two names there. Here is the basic structure of the app:
A. James Mick
See family ->
See criminal record ->
See personal life description ->
See interests and hobbies ->
B. Marie Janger
See family ->
See criminal record ->
See personal life description ->
See interests and hobbies ->
I clicked on James Mick’s family information. The screen displays:
Father: Alive
Mother: Alive
Sister: 2 (1 Alive, 1 Dead)
Brother: None
Relationship Status: Single
Notes:
-> The family is abusive, causing the death of one of his sisters.
-> His father and mother were divorced when he was 13.
-> He has cut off any contact with his mother and father.
I scrolled down to find the criminal records section:
-> (2012) Attempted bank robbery. Sentence: 3.5 years.
-> (2018) Petty theft. Sentence: 3 months.
There’s still no concrete information; I scrolled to the personal life description.
James Mick is a 36-year-old with a troubled past. He had committed crimes in the past due to his economic issues. After being in prison for the second time, he began to fix his life. He surprisingly got a job at a company as an office boy. He worked hard to build his skillset and go up the corporate ladder, now ending as an executive in the company, and he is still working hard after getting to the top.
Keeping that in mind, I scrolled to the final section.
Interests and Hobbies:
-> Drinking with friends
-> Playing basketball
-> Reading
Nothing really interesting. With this lack of information, I am not sure I can make a decision. When I was pondering the information about this man and how he improves his life, my lunch was brought to my room. It was 12:30 PM, and I decided to eat to clear my mind. After eating, I felt really sleepy, so I fell asleep. I woke up at 16:00 PM. The timer’s ticking, so I decided to read the second person’s information.
37:35:56 left
Marie Janger
Father: Deceased
Mother: Alive
Sister: None
Brother: 1, Alive
Relationship Status: Married
Children: 2
Notes:
-> Her family is a happy and supportive one.
-> Her dad died when she was 20. She felt very sad and missed her dad.
-> She has a happy family of 4.
Criminal records:
This field is empty.
Personal life description:
As a teenager, Marie Janger has made a lot of reckless decisions, such as being drunk, coming home late, and even having sex with one of her classmates. Her family supported her through this, and she finally found the love of her life. They are faithful to each other and now have a happy family. She is known as a caring mother and cares a lot about her kids and community.
Interests and hobbies:
-> Sewing
-> Gossiping
-> Baking
I noticed both their life descriptions mention an improvement in their lives. Both are actually deserving of life. “This is going to be tough”, I said. How am I supposed to pick one?
I keep walking around as I’m thinking about my options. Do I pick one or I let both die, ensuring the same treatment for everyone? The tablet beeps. Two pictures have been sent to me. The first one is James’s photo taken while he’s in a meeting, and the second one is a photo of Marie’s happy family. Seeing the photos made me emotional, thinking about futures that I will have to ruin.
Dinner came, and dinner wasn’t too great. I mean, can you eat properly when faced with this difficult dilemma? After eating dinner, I decided to go to sleep to get my head clear. Even when I’m trying to sleep, I am still thinking about the decision that I will have to make.
I woke up at 7:30 a.m. The timer shows 22:29:43. I will have to make a decision quickly. I ate breakfast while observing them through the glass. Both are genuinely scared for their lives and are begging for mercy. Still, they don’t know their lives are in my hands. I tried communicating with them, but the glass was too thick and it was a one-way mirror.
20 hours left. The tablet beeped and displayed a message, “Still haven’t chosen yet? You will need to hurry. Choose one, and you will be freed.”
I was really frustrated, and I wanted to get the hell out of there. I was really sick of thinking, Should I ruin a hard-earned career or a family? Should I sympathize with the one who had been abused and lived a tough life, or with the one who lived a smooth and happy life? Questions kept flowing in my head, and it hurt me. I don’t even eat lunch and dinner because I am so focused on the decision that I have to make. The timer now shows 08:57:09. They will both die if I don’t choose fast.
I am leaning toward saving Marie. I thought that family was more important than any career. I tried to argue against this by myself for hours, but I couldn’t find a strong enough argument to change my mind. The timer now shows 01:23:12. I prepared myself to push the left button to free Marie. I was nervous and still had some reservations about it, but I am finally ready.
I pushed the button. The door in Marie’s cell opened, and Marie was freed. On the other hand, James was crushed to death by a giant block. It was a gruesome sight, blood and organs were splattered everywhere on the cell. I wish I could unsee that, but I still remember it to this day. My door opened, and I ran out of there.
I tried searching the ad again, but nothing was found. Two days after the events, when I came back to the address, everything about the experiment was gone.
I still wonder if I made the right choice. I know saving a family is more important than saving a career, but was it fair for the abused man to die in such a gruesome way?
One thing that scares me the most, a deposit of $30,000 is transferred to my bank account from an unknown account. I never shared my bank account when I applied.