In a society where ageing is cured and population control is enforced through infanticide and government-assisted suicide, Edward Wehling Jr. faces a dilemma when his wife is about to give birth to triplets but he can only find one volunteer to die. As despair overwhelms him, a series of interactions unfold in a hospital waiting room, culminating in Wehling’s tragic decision to end his own life along with others, making room for his children. The painter witnessing this event contemplates life’s complexities and ultimately seeks his own appointment with the Bureau of Termination.

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Bibliographical information is available at https://www.ester.ee/record=b5675486