The Decision

“But, daddy,” Lizzie whined. “I want to stay here and keep playing with Mrs. Alpaca and Buggy Bear.”

“Okay, I have an idea, Lizzie,” her dad said. “Why don’t you invite Mrs. Alpaca and Buggy Bear to come with you to grandma’s house.”

Lizzie held Buggy Bear’s head up to her mouth and whispered.

“They don’t want to go.”

“Hmm, that crazy bear,” Lizzie’s dad said playfully. “He would rather stay here than go to grandma’s house on Christmas Day, when it’s all decorated and smells like pumpkin pie?”

Lizzie, now deep in thought, turned her head to the left.

“I mean,” her dad said, “I know Buggy Bear might feel kind of jealous because grandma got you a Christmas present, and not him, but you could always share yours with him.”

Persuaded by her father’s mention of pumpkin pie and a Christmas present, and remembering another new toy she had unwrapped that morning, Lizzie said, “wait! Frankenstein says he wants to go with me. Can I bring him, daddy?”

“Well, I’m not so sure about that Frankenstein yet. Does he promise to be on his best behavior at grandma’s house?”

She held Frankenstein’s mouth up to her ear. “He said he promises as long as I hold him so he’s not a-scared.”

——

“Daddy, is Grammy a-scared?” Lizzie turned from the car window to look at her father.

“Umm, maybe. What makes you think that?”

“Well, I asked the Voice of Bot why Grammy says mean things sometimes, and she said that people usually are mean when they are a-scared or lonely.”

“Well, Bot is pretty wise. I don’t think Grammy wants to be mean… and she’s not mean to you, is she?”

“No, she’s nice to me. But sometimes she says mean things to you. And sometimes she says mean things about the ladies she plays cards with,” Lizzie said.

Her father held out his hand. Lizzie placed her hand in it. He kissed her on the forehead.

“Maybe Grammy is scared. But you know what that means, Lizzie?”

“What?”

“It means you should be extra nice to her so that maybe she’ll feel better. Okay?”

“Okay,” Lizzie faced the window again. “Look Daddy, it’s snowing!” She smooshed her nose against the car window for a better view of the sky.

——

Five Hours Later

“Thanks for coming to see me, Lizzie! It makes Grammy’s day when I get to see my beautiful granddaughter.”

Lizzie had her arms full, Frankenstein in one and a new baby doll in the other, when she leaned forward to hug her grandmother.

Then Grammy looked at her son and said, “you’re lucky we have self-driving cars now, Benjamin, or else I wouldn’t be letting you drive. You had all those beers.”

“Oh, I’m fine, Mom. I only had two.”

“Yes, and that would be too much risk for my wonderful son and beautiful granddaughter to take.”

“Thanks, Mom. We’ll miss ya. Love you!”

Just like that, another year’s Christmas dinner had passed. Lizzie and her father were on their way back home.

——

Humans used to control cars. Now real-time data controls them. It steers them. It stops them. It puts them in motion. A computer controls the car based on the data it is given.

Vehicle CJA-8842 collects data. The cliff is 1846 millimeters from the right-side panel of the vehicle. There is a left-hand turn, with its surveyed circumference, 42876 millimeters ahead.

Based on current weather conditions, current tire tread condition, current shock and strut condition, current brake condition, current vehicle weight, and a thousand other datasets, CJA-8842’s computer needs to slow it down by 7.19934 kilometers per hour in the next 140 milliseconds to safely navigate the left-hand turn.

Another vehicle’s computer broadcasts a ping. Data transmission indicates vehicle PHA-9962 will safely pass 1566 millimeters from the left side of vehicle CJA-8842 in exactly 9.831119 seconds.

A startled deer sprints out of the woods toward the road.

Based on current data, there is not enough time to slow vehicle CJA-8842 down enough to collide with the deer at a safe speed.

On the current route, vehicle CJA-8842 will collide with the deer in 3.111984 seconds.

Based on current data, if vehicle CJA-8842 swerves 52 degrees to the right in 1.72311 seconds, both of its right-side wheels will fall off of the road, and the car will roll down the cliff.

Based on current data, if vehicle CJA-8842 swerves left in 1.72311 seconds, it will collide with vehicle PHA-9962 in 7.39812 seconds.

Based on current data, vehicle CJA-8842’s speed at the time of a collision with the deer would lead to human fatality.

Based on current data, vehicle CJA-8842’s speed at the time of a right-hand swerve would lead to a fatal plunge off the cliff.

Based on current data, vehicle CJA-8842’s speed at the time of a left-hand swerve may lead to the survival of vehicle CJA-8842’s passenger, but would lead to the fatality of vehicle PHA-9962’s passenger.

In order to save either vehicle, one vehicle must veer off the cliff.

Based on current data, vehicle CJA-8842’s passengers are:

1. Benjamin Gonzales:
   • Acceptance of vehicle terms and conditions: Confirmed,
   • Prestige rank: 42,
   • Charity rank: 13,
   • Cash value: $8079.09,
   • Children: 1 daughter – over the age of 13,
   • Civil unions: 0 male, 0 female.
2. Lizzie Gonzales:
   • Acceptance of vehicle terms and conditions: Minor N/A,
   • Prestige rank: Minor N/A,
   • Charity rank: Minor N/A,
   • Cash value: Minor N/A,Children: Minor N/A,
   • Civil unions: 0 male, 0 female.

Based on current data, vehicle PHA-9962’s passenger is:

1. William Schaffer:
   • Acceptance of vehicle terms and conditions: Confirmed,
   • Prestige rank: 19,
   • Charity rank: 77,
   • Cash value: $588.44,
   • Children: 2 daughters – 9 years old and 14 years old,
   • Civil unions: 0 male, 1 female.

Based on data stored among a million zeroes and ones, the loss to society will be 14 if vehicle CJA-8842 continues around the left-hand bend, and vehicle PHA-9962 swerves left off the cliff.

Based on data stored among a million zeroes and ones, the loss to society will be 2 if vehicle PHA-9962 swerves slightly left, into the oncoming lane, and vehicle CJA-8842 continues straight off the cliff.

Vehicle CJA-8842 continues around the left-hand bend. PHA-9962 swerves left, off the cliff.

80 milliseconds before its front hooves hit the asphalt, the deer veers back toward the woods. Vehicle PHA-9962 doesn’t have enough time to course-correct.

Rest in peace, William Schaffer.