Scenario game 2: Prisoner’s Dilemma
“Hand in the air! You're surrounded!”
“Arrgh!” You grunt as rough hands push you to the ground and hold you down. “Damn you! Unhand me!”
“You think you could escape? After robbing the bank?” A voice says.
“I didn’t do it!” You insist. “You have no evidence!”
“Hahaha… I don’t think I need to remind you, but whatever you say can and will be used as evidence against you… In court!”
Deciding that there is nothing more that you can do, you say nothing more, and let the police take you back to the station.
**********
“Hello, my name is-”
“Who are you?” You shout. “What do you want?”
“As I was saying, I’m your lawyer.” The man says as he gives you a carefree smile.
You keep silent.
“Don’t worry. The police aren’t listening – They aren’t allowed to. Client-lawyer privileges.” The man says matter-of-factly.
“Can I go soon? They have no evidence.” You say confidently. “There’s no way they can charge me.”
“Or do they…?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your partner has been caught.”
You gasp in shock – Him too? What are the chances?
“Don’t worry. I haven’t heard anything about the gold so I guess they still haven’t found it yet.” Your lawyer said.
You sigh in relief. “I knew it. The police can’t do anything.”
“Don’t be so sure. Your guilt is obvious – Anyone with half a brain could figure that out.”
“It doesn’t matter. In court, evidence is everything. If they can’t even find the thing that we ‘supposedly’ stole, how can they say we’re the culprits?”
“There is evidence – Evidence that you and your partner had indeed entered the building. That alone is enough to charge you with breaking in and entering.” Your lawyer says.
You look at him grimly. “How bad is it?”
“With a person of my caliber, I could probably reduce your sentence to about 4 years.”
“4 years?” You shout. “That long?”
“Not only have you entered a restricted building, you also caused great structural damages and injured 5 men while doing so. Also, there is the problem with your past crimes of petty theft and robbery.”
“Arrgh…” You mutter. “That bad, huh?”
“Do not despair, though.” Your lawyer says. “The police are prepared to offer you a deal.”
You look up to your lawyer’s face in curiosity. “What kind of deal?”
“If you come clean and tell them the whereabouts of the treasures of your latest heist, they would give a more lenient sentence.”
“What’s the catch?” You eye him suspiciously.
“Hahaha, I thought you’d say that. The catch is that your partner would suffer instead of you.”
“No.” You immediately say. “I wouldn’t betray my partner.”
“Hear me out first, okay?” The lawyer says. “If you come clean, your sentence would be reduced by half, and your partner’s sentence would be doubled. Of course, the reverse is also true.”
“Say what?”
“Your partner has been offered the same deal. If your partner betrays you, your sentence would be doubled and his would be halved.”
“So the betrayer gets only 2 years in prison and the other gets 8 years.”
“That’s right.”
“What if both of us betray?”
“Ohh, then the police would have the evidence needed to convict the both of you. Both of you would be facing about 6 years of prison.”
“Why the hell would I betray, then? So long as the both of us remain silent, we only need to do 4 years each.”
“Ahh, but are you sure that your partner would not betray you?” Your lawyer says with a twinkle in his eyes.
You frown and think. “I’ve known my partner for over five years now. He’s my friend. He wouldn’t… Would he?”
“You never know.” Your lawyer says. “Two years off his sentence would be pretty nice, don’t you think? Think of what you can accomplish in two years.”
“I… I…”
“I’ll give you some time to think about it. One word of advice though – Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”
“Wait!”
“What is it?”
“You’re my lawyer. What do you think I should do?”
“I’m a lawyer, that’s correct, but I cannot make decisions for my clients. This dilemma is one that you would have to figure out by yourself.” Your lawyer says before exiting the detention centre.
**********
Task:
Well, today’s task is easy. There are only two options: Ally or betray. You just pick one. There is no way of communicating with your partner, and no way of knowing his decision.
You ally/ Partner ally: Both gets 4 years in prison
You ally/ Partner betrays: You get 8 years, partner gets 2 years
You betray/ Partner ally: You get 2 years, partner gets 8 years
You betray/ Partner betrays: Both gets 6 years
“I have returned.” Your lawyer says as he takes a seat across you. “Have you made your decision? Do you ally or betray?”
“Yes, I have made my decision.” You say. “I choose…”
YOU ARE READING
The Secenario Game
פנטזיהOur past is straight, like a river flowing from upstream. Whenever there is a choice, the river splits into two, signifying the possible decisions. Just because you chose one, does it mean that the other path does not exist? Is there ever a 'correct...
