Sarah sat at her kitchen table, staring at the letter that had just been delivered by the government. The crisp white paper seemed to mock her as she read the words that she had been dreading: “As per the new law, you are required to undergo mandatory euthanasia within the next three months.” Sarah couldn’t believe it – she had just turned 100 years old, and now she had to say goodbye to the world.
She let out a sigh and looked around her cozy kitchen. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the room. The smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air, and Sarah could hear the sound of her granddaughter playing in the next room.
Sarah couldn’t help but smile as she remembered all of the happy moments that she had experienced throughout her long life. She thought back to the days when she was a young girl, running through the fields with her friends. She remembered her wedding day, and the birth of her children. She even remembered the day that her granddaughter was born, and the joy that it had brought her.
Sarah and her granddaughter walked down the bustling street, the sun beating down on their backs as they made their way towards the evaluation center. Sarah was deep in thought, still trying to wrap her head around the letter that she had received from the government earlier that day.
“It’s just not fair,” Sarah said, shaking her head. “Thanks to all the fancy medical technology and our understanding of the human body, people are living well into their 120s and 130s now. But the government can’t afford to support everyone for that long, so they came up with this law that says you have to be euthanized when you turn 100.”
Her granddaughter, a young woman in her twenties, nodded sympathetically. “I know it’s tough, Grandma. But if you have the money, you can extend your life by paying for it.”
Sarah let out a sigh. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t have enough saved up to pay for the treatments and procedures that I would need to extend my life. I could possibly buy another ten years. And the thought of euthanasia is just too much to bear.”
Her granddaughter reached out and squeezed Sarah’s hand. “I’ll help you figure it out, Grandma. We’ll make the best decision we can together.”
As they approached the evaluation center, Sarah couldn’t help but feel a sense of nervousness wash over her. She was greeted by a nurse who led her through a series of tests and evaluations. After a thorough examination, the nurse declared that Sarah was in excellent health and could continue living until her natural death.
Sarah knew that she had to act quickly if she wanted to extend her life. She rushed to the bedroom and gathered all of her savings, counting the bills and coins carefully to make sure she had enough. She then sat down at her desk and picked up the phone, dialing the number for The Life Extension agency.
As the phone rang, Sarah’s heart pounded in her chest. She knew that this was her last chance to extend her life, and she was determined to do everything in her power to make it happen.
Finally, a voice answered on the other end of the line. “Life Extension, how can I help you?”
Sarah took a deep breath and explained her situation, her voice shaking with emotion. “I just received notification that I have to undergo mandatory euthanasia within the next three months. But I have enough money saved up to pay for an extension. How much will it cost for me to live for an additional 10 years?”
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, and Sarah held her breath. Finally, the voice replied. “It will cost $50,000 for a 10 year extension. Is that something you can afford?”
Sarah swallowed hard. It was a steep price, but she knew that it was worth it to live for an additional decade. “Yes, I can afford it,” she said firmly.
The voice on the other end of the line gave her further instructions on how to make the payment, and Sarah hung up the phone feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She had done everything in her power to extend her life, and now all she could do was wait and see what the future held.
But not everyone was as lucky as Sarah. Many of the poorest citizens couldn’t afford the expensive treatments and procedures necessary to extend their lives, so they often opted for voluntary euthanasia at the age of 90 or even 80. For those who refused to undergo euthanasia, the government had a different plan. They were forcibly taken to euthanasia clinics, where they were put to sleep against their will.
Sarah tried not to think about the horrors that were happening to others as she enjoyed the extra decade of life that she had been able to purchase. But as the years passed, Sarah began to notice that the world around her was changing. Many of her friends and loved ones had already been euthanized, and the ones who remained were either wealthy or had managed to extend their lives like her. The gap between the rich and the poor had grown even wider, and Sarah couldn’t help but feel guilty for being able to afford an extra decade of life.
As she approached her 110th birthday, Sarah knew that it was time to say goodbye. She had lived a long and fulfilling life, and was grateful for the extra time that she had been able to purchase. But as she took her last breath, Sarah couldn’t help but wonder what the world would be like if everyone had been given the same opportunity to live a full and complete life.
This Short story was written using Open AI Chatbot. All images were generated using DALL.E 2 (Open AI)