Young and Young at Heart (The Rewrite of The Walking Dead Game: S2) [TWDG/TWD]

38. The Prisoner's Dilemma

"So, that's probably enough about the Roman Empire for today," concluded Gene as he started erasing the board.

"Ugh, why do we have to keep learning this stuff?" whined Bridget. "What does it matter what happened a thousand years ago?"

"Ancient Rome was the largest city of its time and part of an empire that represented what was the modern world, and it fell. Yet mankind marched on. I just thought I'd help give you kids some perspective when you start thinking this is the end of the world. Just because we're experiencing a fall of our own does not mean this is an end."

"That Caesar guy sounded kinda cool," said Matt. "Just rolling into Rome and taking over the place."

"In addition to being 'cool', I hoped Caesar would demonstrate just how big an impact a single person can have on history." Gene checked his watch. "We've got a bit of time left before your survival lesson for today, so I've got a little game we can play." Gene drew a line down the middle of the whiteboard, then drew a stick figure on each side.

"You and one other person are taken prisoner, each accused of a crime. You're both separated from the other, unable to communicate, when you're approached by your captors.

"They tell you if you say the other person committed the crime, you can go free, but that person will get five years in prison; unless the other prisoner says you did it as well, then you both receive three years. However, if neither of you confess, you'd each receive only one year. But if you don't confess, and the other prisoner does, you'll receive five years in prison."

Gene drew out the different outcomes with a chart, demonstrating how being betrayed had the harshest penalty but betraying someone presents the best outcome. "So, what do you do?"

"Say the other guy did it, duh," answered Bridget.

"Yeah, no-brainer. Right Mick?" Matt looked to Mick, who still seemed to be pondering the question. "You gotta think about this? The answer is obvious."

"Well not really, if the other guy talks too you're getting three years," noted Mick.

"Yeah, and if you don't talk, you could get five," reminded Matt.

"That's true," conceded Mick. "I'd talk."

"Sarah?" asked Gene.

"I... I don't think I could do it," said Sarah.

"That's because you're a wuss," said Bridget.

"You'd really risk five years, just for the chance to get only one?" asked Gene.

"It's not that, it's just, if I said the other person did it, and they didn't say I did it, they'd be stuck in prison for five years because of what I did," rationalized Sarah. "And I'd feel terrible if that happened because of me."

"God you suck," said Bridget.

"Well, that's your choice to make. But I doubt the other person would be as worried about you." Gene turned to Clementine. "What's your answer?" Clem felt torn. Her first instinct was to say she'd tell, thinking she couldn't trust a stranger to help her. But after hearing what Sarah said, she realized she'd be acting just like the kind of person she was afraid of. "Clementine?"

"I wouldn't tell," answered Clementine confidently.

"Hope you like taking it up the ass for five years," remarked Bridget.

"Bridget, enough." Gene looked at Clem. "You'd really risk so much of your life on the word of someone you may not even know?"

Clementine turned to Sarah. "Yeah, I would. And if they did the same for me, not only would it not be as long, I'd know I could trust them too."

"Seems like an awful risk to me." Gene looked at Adam, who was staring off into space again. "Adam, what would you do if someone asked you to accuse someone else of a crime in exchange for your freedom?"

"Freedom?" Adam seemed to grow anxious upon hearing that word.

"Just, what would you do if I said you could have what you want, but you had to tell me what someone else did?" asked Gene.

"I... I tell you what I know," answered Adam in a quiet voice.

"Looks like you two girls are in the minority," Gene said to Clem and Sarah. "Sure you wouldn't want to change your answer?"

"No," answered Clem, annoyed at Gene's suggestion.

"I don't think I want to either," said Sarah. "Walter said we all do better when we're willing to help each other."

"Who's Walter?" asked Gene.

"He's this smart nice man who helped us."

"Well that's good, but is Walter a teacher?"

"Yes," answered Clem.

"He is?"

"Yeah, he told me yesterday morning that he used to be a teacher," explained Clem.

"So, this Walter is with you in the pen?" asked Gene.

"Yeah, why?" said Clem.

"He just sounds like the kind of person I'd like to meet."

The doors swung open and Maude burst into the room."It's eleven," she announced. "The children are scheduled for their shooting lesson now."

"Shooting lesson?" asked a nervous Sarah.

"Finally, we get to do something good," said Bridget.

"Everyone fall in line," ordered Maude. "We've got a walk ahead of us." Clem and the others followed Maude. Clem was surprised to see they were moving back towards the front gate. A man in a yellow shirt Clem didn't recognize helped Maude slide barricades out of place on the inner gate. As they worked, Clem looked over at the odd arrangement of large plastic barrels surrounding a few short cargo containers.

A metal gutter ran around the edge of each of the containers and several spouts ran down to each individual barrel. Off in the distance, Clem could see Nick and George moving two of the barrels with hand trucks and realized the gutters must collect water when it rains.

"Everyone move up." Stepping into the small walled in holding area, Clem watched as Maude and the man in yellow opened the outer gate, noting that none of the barricades had actual locks like the door in the warehouse. You just had to move them out of place. But watching Maude struggle with the last barricade made Clem realize they must be really heavy.

Stepping outside of Shaffer's felt strange. Clem had only been there two days and already the idea of leaving felt impossible. As they moved across the road Clem looked back, finding an intimidating sight. The long walls made entirely out of thick metal boxes topped with a fence that was topped with razor-sharp wire made Clementine realize how unlikely escape truly was. And seeing the man in yellow close the gate didn't make her feel any better.

Maude guided the group to a small two story building across the road. A large ladder had been pushed up against the side of the structure, which Maude instructed everyone to climb. Reaching the rooftop, Clem looked around for anything of note, but found nothing but an empty roof.

"So, when do we get to shoot something?" Bridget asked Maude as she reached the top of the roof.

"Your instructor will be here shortly," answered Maude as she came up the ladder.

"Why isn't he here now?" A deafening gun shot rang out across the area, causing everyone except Maude to duck. Everyone looked around frantically for the source of the gunshot, but didn't see anything. They listened closely as they heard someone climbing up the ladder. Clem watched as Byron emerged onto the roof, a pair of rifles on his back.

"I'm Byron Waters, and I'll be your firearms instructor for the day." Sarah moved in close to Clem, grabbing the younger girl's hand.

"Isn't that the man who aimed a gun at you?" whispered Clem.

"He's the one who shot Pete," whispered Sarah.