An interesting (to me) moral dilemma
-
I'm rereading "Elysium Fire" by Alastair Reynolds.
Toward the end of the book, we meet an old, decrepit man, barely surviving on life support - he's full of wires, tubes, etc. We don't even know if he's conscious.
One of the main characters is told that where he (the character) is being held prisoner is about to be destroyed. However, the character has a chance to escape. The problem is that if he escapes, the habitat in which he was being held will be destroyed a bit earlier, killing the old man.
So, we know the old man's going to die, regardless of what the protagonist does. But, in attempting to escape, he will bring about the old man's demise that much sooner - perhaps a minute, perhaps a few hours. But, sooner nevertheless.
Is it murder, or at least homicide?
I think if the death were a year premature, we'd agree that it is. But hours?
