Towards the end of the twenty fifth century death was made illegal.
There was simply no good reason to die any more.
It was deemed to be everyone’s duty to continue living, to continue contributing to society.
There were no more fatal diseases and any injury could be repaired, any lost limb or organ fixed or replaced.
People could be maintained in reasonably good physical health indefinitely.
Refusing the required medical treatment was now a criminal offense. As was any attempt at self harm, particularly attempts at suicide. Prison sentences were often centuries long.
‘Why’ asked the government. ‘Why would everyone not want to continue doing their bit for the good of all?’
That law was enacted a hundred years ago. People still die of course. There are accidents, though not many. There are murders too but even that crime has declined since its heyday in the twenty first century. The last person convicted of homicide was locked up for a millennium, with no possibility of parole. On the Lunar penal colony where even a day is an eternity.
So we carry on, year after year, decade after decade, doing our duty to the State. It will never end.
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