How Much Is Too Much

The Elixir

In the year 2154, Doctor William Joseph of the John Hopkins Institute provided a genetic cure to cancer. Another discovery the next year at the Mayo Clinic by Dr. Muammar Auodawa solved the problem of immortality by creating a drug that could halt the aging process. The drugs were fast tracked through FDA approval due primarily to pressure from aging politicians. National health organizations around the world began to provide the elixir to the world’s entire population with much fanfare. It was a great day for humankind.

In the next decade, the world population increased rapidly. There were shortages of basic necessities and riots as the economies of the nations of the world could not grow fast enough to produce jobs for the expanding population. It became obvious that population would need to be controlled. Not even the moon colony would sustain such population growth for very long. The UN convened a conference with representatives from every country to find a solution.

The representatives debated for months and proposed many solutions. The suggestion to colonize Mars had some merit but would only serve as a stop gap solution. A Mars colony would not be a quick solution as the colony had been postponed in 2052, 20888, 2119, 2127 and again in 2143 due to budget cuts.

A second proposal was that use of the elixir be stopped. None of the representatives supported this proposal as they all wanted to use it themselves.

Another proposal was that childbearing should be temporarily banned until population was brought to a reasonable level due to unpreventable deaths, and then strictly restricted after that. This proposal seemed promising but failed when some delegates demanded exemptions for themselves and their immediate families.

Finally a proposal was made that the survival of the human race required the supreme sacrifice by some members. Some of the population would have to be euthanized so that the race could survive. There was heated debate but eventually a number was reached. The key decision would be who would be chosen to remain. Clearly this was going to be a difficult process. Passage would not be possible without inclusion of the delegates, the leaders of each nation and their families.

Scientists and medical professionals would need to be maintained in order to administer the elixir and to care for the health of the surviving members. People who had made notable contributions to mankind such as in literature, civil rights and preservation of the environment and other significant advancements to the human race would also be rewarded with inclusion. Members of the media were included in order to provide positive coverage of the proposal. Some members of the military and police organizations would need to be included in order to control the masses who were not chosen.

The debate for the remaining spots raged for months. Some delegates demanded that the survivors be balanced based on race, religious beliefs and sexual orientation. Others demanded inclusion of people more varied socioeconomic backgrounds. The leader of one country offered to euthanize the majority his population in exchange for gold, a yacht and four race horses. Another leader offered to give gold, a yacht and four race horses in exchange for inclusion of his 38 wives, 115 children, 32 concubines, 165 step children in, 245 cousins, 835 nieces and nephews, 1534 other relatives as well as 523 people to be named later. Finally a compromise that no one wanted was made between the delegates to achieve the necessary votes for passage. In the final compromise each leader and delegate was given 1000 additional spots that they could assign as they saw fit. Most of these were assigned to the highest bidders. The list was passed by the UN, the selections were made and the plan was set into motion as the necessary steps were carried out.

Unfortunately the delegates neglected to include farmers, shop keepers, factory works, tradesmen, business men and other people who were necessary for the production and distribution of essentials such as food, water, and clothing. Alarmed at the lack of necessities, the survivors called for another council to discuss the situation, but there was not enough food and water to last. The survivors tried their best to fill these positions but they simply did not know how to grow food, manufacture goods or even produce the elixir.

This was the end of the reign of mankind on earth.

The Fall of Men

Once upon a time before the dawn of history, men went out each day to hunt or forage in order to find that day’s meal. In those days when the only weapons were spears hunting must have been very hard and dangerous. They would have to travel long distances in search of game and then if the hunt was successful they would have to carry it back to the camp. In those days women must have admired the men of the tribe for their hard work and bravery.

Then one day one of the men decided that it would be much easier if they could corral the animals so that they would no longer have to travel such distances on the daily hunt. Now they could simply go out in the woods, hang out with the other men and then at the end of the day slay one of the corralled animals and take it back to the camp. Lie was indeed much easier for the men. In order to preserve their lifestyle of relaxation and to maintain the respect of their women the men conspired to keep their newfound invention, herding, to the secret. Every evening the men continued to bring home the night’s meal and the women greeted them with admiration and thankfulness. They must be great hunters to have a successful hunt every day. Lie was good for men.

After the passage of time there came a young hunter recently of age and seeking a mate. He had his eye on a particular woman who was playing hard to get. He made much fine jewelry for her but she was not impressed. He painted many fine pictures for her but she was not swayed. He built a fine tent but she would not move in. He promised her that he would never allow her to go hungry but she was not persuaded. After all how could he guarantee a successful hunt every day. Finally, in desperation he decided to prove his cleverness to her, he took her to the corral when the men kept their animals. She was indeed impressed by his cleverness.

She went back to the tribe and told the other ladies all that she had seen. They could not believe the stories of wild animals penned up in a corral. They had to see for themselves. She took them to the corral just in time to see them men slaying the day’s catch.

That night at the camp the evening went as usual, but when the men retired to their tents they were confronted by their wives.

“Hunting all day?”

“Travelling great distances through the heat and snow following the roaming herds?”

“Facing dangerous animals on the hunt?"

That night each man faced the contempt and anger of their wife for the very first time. It was a long night indeed. The men did not understand this after all they were able to feed their families much better as there was always fresh meet readily available. And it was much safer for them to not have to wander so far from the camp. What difference did it make that they were able to enjoy some relaxation time? But the women had other ideas. If the men were not spending so much time hunting then they could spend time decorating their tents with murals, or they could make more fine bone jewely. Or they could spend more time enjoying another recent discovery with their wives, language.

The following day the young hunter entered the woods with the others. He did not return to the camp that night and was never heard from again. But it was too late. Man had lost the respect and admiration of women forever. The secret was out that men are essentially lazy creatures. The fall of man had occurred and it was irrevocable.