As it is difficult to sort through the inmates on execution day, an automatic gun is placed above each door with blanks or lead ammunition. The guard enters the cell numbers into a hashed database, before talking to the unlucky prisoner. He recently switched to the night shift, and his eyes droop as he shoots the ray.
When he wakes up, he sees “enter cell number” crossed off on the to-do list, but not “inform the prisoners”. He must have fallen asleep on the job, and now he doesn’t know which prisoner to inform! He figures he may as well offer all the prisoners the amnesia-ray.
“If you noticed a red light blinking above your door last night, it means today is your last day. I may have come to your cell to offer your Last rights, but it is a busy prison, so I may have skipped you over. If you would like your Last rights now, they are available.”
Most prisoners breathed a sigh of relief. “I was stressing all night, thinking, what if I’m the one? Thank you for telling me about the red light, now I know it is not me.” One out of every hundred of these lookalikes were less grateful. “You told me this six hours ago, and I haven’t slept a wink. Did you have to remind me again?!”
There was another category of clones though, who all had the same response. “Oh no! I thought I was safe since nothing happened last night. But now, I know I could have just forgotten. Please shoot me again, I can’t bear this.”
As it is difficult to sort through the inmates on execution day, an automatic gun is placed above each door with blanks or lead ammunition. The guard enters the cell numbers into a hashed database, before talking to the unlucky prisoner. He recently switched to the night shift, and his eyes droop as he shoots the ray.
When he wakes up, he sees “enter cell number” crossed off on the to-do list, but not “inform the prisoners”. He must have fallen asleep on the job, and now he doesn’t know which prisoner to inform! He figures he may as well offer all the prisoners the amnesia-ray.
“If you noticed a red light blinking above your door last night, it means today is your last day. I may have come to your cell to offer your Last rights, but it is a busy prison, so I may have skipped you over. If you would like your Last rights now, they are available.”
Most prisoners breathed a sigh of relief. “I was stressing all night, thinking, what if I’m the one? Thank you for telling me about the red light, now I know it is not me.” One out of every hundred of these lookalikes were less grateful. “You told me this six hours ago, and I haven’t slept a wink. Did you have to remind me again?!”
There was another category of clones though, who all had the same response. “Oh no! I thought I was safe since nothing happened last night. But now, I know I could have just forgotten. Please shoot me again, I can’t bear this.”