The Prisoner's Dilemma (Fiction)

On LessWrong, a new piece of fiction reimagines the classic prisoner's dilemma in a dystopian setting. Two people face detention under an authoritarian national security act. Authorities offer each a choice: betray your co-defendant for a lighter sentence, or stay silent and face a decade in solitary confinement. The story explores how surveillance, coercion, and game theory converge—asking whether rational self-interest can overcome loyalty and human connection in an oppressive system.

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