This audiobook features "Mahabbah" by Logan Thrasher Collins. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Would the world be better with more empathy? If so, why not simply engineer society to be more empathetic? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Jacqueline is a scientist who invents a virus that she says changes people for the better. By editing genes and changing hormone levels it makes people more empathetic and compassionate towards others. She calls it Mahabbah and she wants the help of her friend Aziz to continuing human trials and release it into the world. Aziz agrees to also test the virus and determines it does perform as advertised. After being infected, Aziz is more sympathetic, and more willing to help others. When Aziz goes to Jacqueline’s office, he finds that she is being detained and her office is being quarantined. Jacqueline gets a message to Aziz who goes to her house, gets the virus, and releases a transferable version in the airport. It works. Over the next few months wars end and world peace takes hold. Jacqueline is released from quarantine months later and meets up with Aziz, and their friendship is strengthened in a new world.
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