The Absence of Conflict

The teacher strode across the front of the room, looking out at her class. “And so with the invention of Concordance 5 true peace finally enveloped the world,” she said with a serene smile. “For one hundred years we have lived without conflict. The dream of world peace that so many strove for before is ours.”

A young man in the front row frowned and raised a hand. “Can you truly define peace as the absence of conflict?” he asked. “If people are not allowed to disagree they are not at peace. They live in constant fear.”

She cocked her head, eyes narrowing. “And so you disagree with me then?”

The young man nodded automatically. “Yes,” he said, and then his eyes widened. “I mean, no, I–” The veins in his throat seemed to bulge and twist as his hands grasped at his neck. He sputtered for a few moments and then fell on his desk.

The teacher smiled gratefully at the class monitor as he removed the body from the chair. “Version 5 is ten times faster than version 4, leaving no time for argument, which is truly key,” she continued. There was a meaty thump outside the door but no one paid it any heed. The janitors would have everything cleaned up before the bell rang. And thus peace reigned over the classroom.

Credited to: User:Star Kindler