Trial 2

Trial two focused on providing Subject A with an idyllic and fulfilling life. For this to happen, I manipulated the factors surrounding his birth to foster an optimal upbringing. While Subject A's mother was in her first trimester, his father was offered a promotion due to my influence and shares in his company. Weeks before Subject A's mother went into labor, his father's company sold for a high price, allowing him to cash out his options and retain a position under the new ownership. Subject A's mother went into labor with her husband by her side, and I removed the possibility of any complications as she gave birth. 

Tears of joy plastered his mother's face as he let out his first cry. His father gently held his wife's hand and smiled contentedly as he enjoyed more serenity than ever. The two huddled together and embraced each other and their child, watching lovingly as he nestled into his mother's chest. The family they had dreamed of had finally become a reality. Subject A's mother swore at that moment she would do her utmost to raise the boy with as much love and care as a child could need. His father vowed to provide and be present to ensure the best life for his child. The family left the hospital with hope and excitement for the future.

This was a lackluster beginning. I found trial two a chore to maintain. During trial one, I took a removed and dispassionate stance when it came to observing and shaping Subject A's life. This was difficult for trial two. The second trial was far less engaging. I wouldn't say I was delighted with the suffering I put Subject A through in trial one. Still, it certainly was more interesting seeing Subject A live in complete chaos while attempting to regain control than never facing obstacles. This further proved my notion that the disorder returning to order was the most satisfying to observe. Though the show was losing my interest, the outcome of this second life was critical to my final decision. Pushing my reservations aside, I continued work on Trial 2.

Subject A was a clever child and managed to learn quickly with the constant guidance he received from his parents. He made himself the leader of his friend groups and ruled with an iron fist. Any dissenters or peers that may have challenged him found themselves having never been born. Childhood passed, and all the boxes of a good life were checked. Subject A filled his trophy case with symbols of his manufactured worth and meaningless achievement. Little league MVP, academic excellence, debate champion, varsity letters, these pointless accolades simply fed into Subject A's growing ego. I gave Subject A talent, blinked any would-be enemies out of existence, and made failure impossible, all of which ultimately aided in turning Subject A into a truly insufferable person.

I pushed him towards a "girl next door" romance that would give him a devoted companion and a fulfilling enough sexual experience to keep him from feeling alone or disillusioned with love. The specifics behind their union were by the book. Raised together as childhood friends, they realized their feelings ran deeper than friendship. Their first kiss would be "magical," and their commitment to each other would deepen daily. She was the ideal partner, as beautiful as I could make a human according to conventional standards, and deeply devoted. Beyond that, she was kind and nurturing and believed she would be most happy when changing the world for the better. To sum it up, she was incredibly dull. 

Her many suitors were turned away by my hands, either forgetting she existed or disappearing into thin air, and she remained a possession of Subject A. The two married shortly after graduating college. Subject A enjoyed his overwhelmingly dominant position in the relationship and never was forced to examine himself or grow as a person or spouse. The household was strictly patriarchal, and the power dynamic between the two reflected it.

I choose to make Subject A's parents religious for Trial 2 to manufacture purpose in his life, as that would stave away the typical existential dread. Christianity becomes a large focus of Subject A's life. He was raised in a Christian household, baptized, and never questioned his faith. He believed the constant string of blessings was proof that a merciful god loved him. He was wrong. He forced his beliefs on others and became intolerant of "non-believers." He was living proof that "God was good," so he couldn't imagine anyone thinking differently.

Subject A was fiercely evangelical and took any opportunity excuse to "spread the gospel," whether or not he was asked or wanted. When his church provided was providing relief for the local children in their missionaries in Africa, he sent bibles and sports equipment before considering the value of a toothbrush. His circle of friends held the same convictions as him, which quelled any potential conflict. Subject A flaunted his superiority, using his life as a model existence when talking down to troubled individuals. When he was "blessed," he was "receiving God's love"; when others suffered, it could be explained away with a simple "God works in mysterious ways."

Never having faced challenges or having overcome anything, Subject A had an inflated sense of self-worth and believed himself to be a man who deserved every good thing in the aspect of his life. He thought beliefs that challenged him and actions against his principles were inherently wrong, as he had been rewarded for everything he had done, painting his actions as objectively correct. Subject A had no resilience as he never needed any. In the wild, a man like Subject A would be devoured.

At age 31, Subject A enjoyed an executive position at a pharmaceutical company after his many gambles in climbing the corporate ladder paid off. It had saved a considerable amount of money, putting him in a position where he and his wife were ready for children. I took time and care to customize his unborn offspring into what humans would call "model children." They were twins, a boy, and a girl, who were born after an easy pregnancy with no complications. The twins were beautiful children who drew unending admiration. They rarely cried and never became sick or injured. According to their mother, "angels must have been watching over them."

As a father, Subject A held his children to unreasonable standards that they continually met continued to meet. Subject A wanted full control over his family and preferred to live in an echo chamber where his children and spouse conformed snuggly to his values. He raised the children on strict Christian dogma, and their morality never deviated from that of their father. Subject A's family was so perfectly in sync that it could be called uncanny. The unity of the family was not truly harmonious but instead built around the desire of the head of household, Subject A. For Subject A, his happiness was his children's happiness, but not vice-versa. Subject A's entitlement held the family in line in a morphed, dysfunctional manner.

I made sure the children grew up healthy and were conditioned into contentment. The male child followed closely in his father's footsteps as a forced kind of choice. Like his father before him, I caused the stars to align to his benefit. He was never bullied, and I dropped opportunities out of the sky and into his hands. The child was driven but cold. He had a habit of ejecting and ostracizing any of his friends that failed to live up to his standards. A close friend for years would be abandoned for missing soccer practice one too many times. The female child believed that the man's role was to provide while women were meant to nurture, so her ambitions never went beyond caring for an eventual family. 

I was disappointed by this way of thinking. I ensured her success in this unimpressive endeavor by giving her beauty and a sickly sweet kindness that drew domineering men like flies. Having the female population be expected to contribute less than the males was a waste of manpower.

Humans continue their desperate search for new ways to divide themselves. 

Trivial differences in physical strength leading to the unbalanced hierarchy should have been easily overcome when technology reached the point that manual labor was no longer the only way to provide. Still, humans continued to uphold the status quo, another testament to their lacking adaptability. In the eyes of their parents, both children flourished.

Narcissism was one of Subject A's defining traits toward the middle of his life. ShortlyHis new desire exemplified this after turning 40. Subject A began to lust after other women other than his wife. Subject A's wife had done nothing to displease him. He simply thought of the experience as thrilling. Sensing this change, I hand-selected an ideal seductress. The woman was an intern at his company with a bubbly personality and a conventionally attractive appearance. I hardly needed to coax her into seducing him when a couple of friendly exchanges and flirtatious glances were enough to have him pounce on her. 

Subject A and his mistress began their meetings once a month. When she became pregnant because of Subject A's carelessness, his stance on abortion miraculously flipped. The affair lasted for two years before he grew tired of her and broke it off. I cut off any possibility of the woman confessing the nature of her and Subject A's relationship to another with her tragic disappearance during a hiking expedition. Subject A never spoke a word of it. His family continued blissfully unaware, and his conscience did not nag at him once.

Believing himself invincible, Subject A would take countless risks. In pursuit of further thrill, Subject A frequented casinos and tracks. Of course, he never lost, eventually amassing a small fortune on top of his already hefty salary from his executive position. With the money, he entered an early retirement where he wasted each day with a new extravagant pastime. He dabbled with cocaine for recreation. Subject A would come out of his every bender unscathed and unpunished. Anything was justifiable for him with enough cognitive reframing. 

Subject A would infrequently and loudly donate to whatever charity had the most public attention at the time. His donations would be made as public as possible, and he ensured that every large sum he handed over would be met with a plaque or building with his name on it. Any charitable act that crossed the line into inconvenience was strictly off-limits for him and his family. A man of his status couldn't be caught dead covered in dirt building homes in Mexico or ladling soup to the dirty homeless, or so he thought.

Subject A became more outspoken about his ideals as he retired. When he began to publish self-help books, they flew off shelves, content notwithstanding. Many of his beliefs were direct attacks on people he deemed deviant, including but not limited to: homosexuals, non-believers, most progressives, new-age practitioners, and "radical" feminists. His writings never faced controversy as any critical media directed towards criticizing them was conveniently rejected for publishing, and any individual planning on speaking out seemed to forget what they were about to type. 

Now 70, Subject A was feeling the effects of age. I kept him healthy and sharp, but I began preparing intended to end his life at age 85. His son had succeeded in his position at the pharmaceutical company, and his daughter was married to a man who was a near mirror image of her father. At this time, I began preparing for Subject A's death.

The hospital setting seemed too cold and clinical to act as a send-off for life such as this. Subject A and his family were together for the New Year. He and his wife were 85 and nearing the end of their lives comfortably. The children and grandchildren were all gathered in Subject A's home. The party was lively but peaceful. The children reminisced about their family's history, and they spread goodwill all around. The grandchildren Subject A favored were duly spoiled. 

After midnight hit, the others left the house, leaving until it was just Subject A and his wife alone. They sat on the couch holding hands, telling stories until the morning night drew on, and they went to bed. Subject A felt the urge to pray for the first time in years. While holding his wife's soft hand under the covers, he closed his eyes, smiled softly while smiling softly, and offered up his final words to the God he knew was listening.

"Lord, thank you for this blessed life you have given me. I know I've done you proud as your servant due to all of the love I have received. I feel so much joy that I will spend the rest of eternity with you and my loved ones in heaven. In my life, I have spread kindness and goodwill and I know that long after I am gone the people I have helped will never forget me. It gives me so much happiness knowing that my deeds have brought lasting change to your beautiful world. My life has been one where I have served and was rewarded. Thanks to your guidance, Lord, I have fulfilled the purpose of what I was put on this earth to accomplish. Oh loving and merciful God, thank you, and you're welcome." That night, Subject A and his wife lay blissfully in each other's embrace as I took their lives. Thus and ended the world of trial 2.

The hypocrisy was so egregious his words may as well have been a satire of themselves. Subject A proved himself deep in his delusions with this final prayer, going as far as to assume his God would thank him for his time on earth. Subject A lived a life of plenty and luxury and became reckless, selfish, and prideful due to his good fortune. Harmony in his life came at a cost. He would never know how many people I had to remove or puppeteer for his happiness. In line with human nature, his life proved that there was no feasible way to maintain order among people without destroying the lives of others. 

His family was mistreated and took it all with smiles. His coworkers were trampled on as he rose to the top. Establishing religion early in his life made God his justification for all he had received and the easy life he had lived. Subject A became blind to the suffering around him and came to assume that anyone who lived in hardship must have done something to spite God, as God had never failed him.

On the surface, he would claim that his purpose in life was to serve his Lord and spread God's love, but in truth, his purpose was to satisfy his desires. His lust, greed, and pride all had their outlets, allowing him to live in a perverse comfort. His God was a loving and merciful one. Like in trial one, he believed God would judge the value of a human and act accordingly. Time and time again the all too common conformation bias made humans only see what they wanted to see. Personal experience is given more weight than any account of the lives of others.

The glaring difference is that to him, in this life, God was a judge who wanted to reward humans and it pained God to dull out punishment. Humans proved to be a complicated and flawed species time and time again throughout my trials. With valuable discoveries and insights, I wound back time and began the final trial, trial three. Trial three was distinct from the others as I decided not to interfere. The environment would begin the same as trials one and two, but after Subject A's birth, I would allow his life to play out without intervention. To discuss trial three, I will start from the end instead of a play-by-play.