Xaviers!

Cam took notes.

"Got it. But what if -- same scenario -- a different person is standing on the tracks you'd divert the trolly on to? So, if you don't pull the switch, five tourists will die, but if you do flip the switch, you're sending the trolly to kill this other person?"

"Hmm... can I pull the lever, outrace the trolly and push the person off the track?"

"No. The trolley moves arbitrarily fast," Cam shook his head. "Such is the power of thought-problem trolleys."

"Well... I mean I guess I pull the lever then." she says, though she doesn't exactly seem happy with that conclusion.

"What if it's two people? Or three? Or four?

Or, for that matter, five? Is there a line where actively deciding who lives and dies is different than passively deciding it?" he said, tapping his chin with his pen.

"I dunno... Feels like I'm making a choice either way. If I don't pull the lever I still could have, I just chose not to. I'm still responsible."

"See, that's the kind of data we need here, because it's not a simple question -- some people would argue that by pulling the lever, they're inserting themselves into the situation -- and that that sort of 'playing god' is an immoral act.

What if it was five strangers on the initial track, and Haley on the other line?"

"Well, she can probably crush the trolley with her brain, but I guess that's not what you're getting at, huh. I... don't know. She could probably save more than five people, but that's just an excuse for pulling the lever..." she says, sounding a little uncomfortable.

Cam, either missing the uncomfortableness or opting to ignore it, pressed on.

"But maybe those other five people were going to write a symphony. Or cure world hunger. Or bring back Nowhere Man."

"Well okay, then I need my power to pick up on that. That's the whole reason we're doing this, right?"

"Your power can figure that out?" Cam asked, intrigued. "I thought it only told you what actions to take?"

"Well yeah, but I want it to tell me to do the best possible thing, right? And if one of the people on the track are gonna, like, cure world hunger..."

"Well, that opens up a whole new BOAT of complications. Which is more important -- curing world hunger, or stopping AIDS? Writing a symphony, or making a video game? Now there's all sorts of difficult new variables."

"Hmm... Okay, so less complicated for now. I... guess I'd let the trolley hit Haley cause I dunno, this question sucks. But living cause your friend killed a bunch of people would be rough."

Cam took notes.

"Final trolley problem. Five people on the tracks, and you're at the lever. But what the lever will do is move the trolley onto tracks that YOU are standing on."

She doesn't answer immediately, but she doesn't take particularly long to think about it either. "I pull it."

"You're sure? Remember, this is a hypothetical situation -- there's not a chance, like, you get maimed but not killed or someone else comes in to save the day..."

"Well yeah, but that's what heroes do, right?"

"I don't think death wishes necessarily coincide with heroism."

"But heroic self-sacrifice does."

"That's fair enough. It's your morality, after all," Cam said, taking some more notes. "Personally, I do more good alive than dead, but then, that's why I'm not on the teams.

Last question, then I've got to crunch data. Well, second-to-last question, bur last moral question. Trolley. Out of control. Heading towards five people. No switch this time, but you know if you can throw a heavy object in the way, you can stop it. Next to you is a morbidly obese man with enough mass to stop the trolley. Do you throw him in the way of the trolley, killing him but stopping it?"

Nailah frowns. "Is that the only way to stop it?" she asks, although she obviously knows the answer and doesn't really seem to expect an answer. "I... suppose not. I can't make that decision for him."

"So, you're OK with putting people in harms way if they were already doing something slightly dangerous, but not getting them in harm's way to begin with?"

"I suppose... It's like, when me and Haley go fight badguys we both kinda already accept we might get hurt, right?"

"So, you're sort of volunteering yourself for potential consequences. Alright, fair enough, there's a logic there I can work with.

Final question: Do you have any piercings or internal devices? Pacemaker or anything like that?"

Nailah looks at him weirdly when he says pacemaker. "I got my ears pierced but I don't wear anything in them when I go out punching bad guys."

"Any particular reason? Clashes with your outfit?"

"Just don't wanna have them ripped out in a scrap, I guess." she shrugs. "Just seems risky."

"Hrm, yes," Cam said, tapping his pen against his teeth. "Have you ever considered a tongue piercing?"

"Not really. no. Why's that matter?"

"The more centrally located the sensor is, the more accurate readings it can provide. Ideally, I'd implant it directly in your neocortex, but I'm not sure they'd give me access to the proper equipment."

"How bout a tiara instead of cracking open my skull?"

Cam made a face. "No aesthetic taste, then? Well, I suppose we can work SOMETHING out there, though it may be uncomfortable on your temple."

"Hey, what do you mean no aesthetic taste? That's a perfectly cromulent costume accessory."

"When someone is flying around and doing flips? Maybe not so much!"