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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
62
"For
the
benefit
of
those
who
are
visiting
our
gallery
for
the
first
time,"
the
loudspeaker
said,
"a
word
of
explanation
is
in
order.
The
prisoner,
Will
Barrent,
has
freely
chosen
the
Trial
by
Ordeal.
The
instrument
of
justice,
which
in
this
instance
is
GME
213,
is
an
example
of
the
finest
creative
engineering
which
Omega
has
produced.
The
machine,
or
Max,
as
its
many
friends
and
admirers
call
it,
is
a
murder
weapon
of
exemplary
efficiency,
able
to
utilize
no
less
than
twenty-three
killing
modes,
many
of
them
extremely
painful.
For
trial
purposes,
it
is
set
to
operate
upon
a
random
principle.
This
means
that
Max
has
no
choice
over
the
way
in
which
it
kills.
The
modes
are
selected
and
abandoned
by
a
random
arrangement
of
twenty-three
numbers,
linked
to
an
equally
random
time-selection
of
one
to
six
seconds."
Max
suddenly
moved
toward
the
center
of
the
room,
and
Barrent
backed
away
from
it.
"It
is
within
the
prisoner's
power,"
the
loudspeaker
voice
continued,
"to
disable
the
machine;
in
which
case,
the
prisoner
wins
the
contest
and
is
set
free
with
full
rights
and
privileges
of
his
station.
The
method
of
disabling
varies
from
machine
to
machine.
It
is
always
theoretically
possible
for
a
prisoner
to
win.
Practically
speaking,
this
has
happened
on
an
average
of
3.5
times
out
of
a
hundred."
Barrent
looked
up
at
the
gallery
of
spectators.
To
judge
by
their
dress,
they
were
all
men
and
women
of
status;
high
in
the
ranks
of
the
Privileged
Classes.
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