...would YOU?

[Jinx]

I've been re-watching The 4400 lately, as it just popped up on Netflix (and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to watch a truly excellent sci-f/mystery/cop show.)

In the later seasons, a chemical/drug called promicin becomes available to the public. If someone takes promicin, they will develop a 4400 ability. The catch? There's a 50% chance your body will reject it and you will die a swift, bloody, and painful death.

My question is: how many of you would take the risk to potentially develop a god-like ability? Now, in this show and scenario, you have no say over what ability you would get, and it could be literally anything. You could have a great ability like healing, telekinesis, or the ability to create alternate dream worlds for yourself and others. Or you could have terrifying abilities that were a curse, like a plague that wipes out anyone around you or creating soundwaves that shattered the brains of those around you when you were upset.

Would it be a risk you'd be willing to take? What power would you hope for and how would you use it if you had one?

[Shauna]

Nope.

[Faris]

No thank you.

[Shorty]

If it was just for the hell of it, I wouldn't. If it became a necessity in order to survive a generation in which everyone else has these powers, I might.

[Loony BoB]

I love the 4400! But no, no dice, I'm not going to play Russian Roulette.

[Jess]

No.

[Denmark]

I love the 4400! But no, no dice, I'm not going to play Russian Roulette.

technically, this is a greater chance of dying than Russian Roulette (50% vs 16.66666666666666% (1 bullet out of 6 chambers))

and yeah, I'm with Sarah on this one. if it becomes necessary to have these powers in order to survive/thrive/whatever, then yes, because that turns a 0% chance of survival into a 50% chance. but on a whim, probably not.

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

Yep. I would totally do it. And hope that I don't die.

[Aulayna]

I was always bought up with a bit of a grin and bear it mentality in regards to illness etc so I rarely use painkillers, cough medicine or anything of the sort and I'm sort of wary toward any sort of medication after doing a Minor in Psychology and learning what half those drugs actually do.

So, I'd probably past. Although depending on my state of mind at the time/how much it cost I may also try it, particularly if I was having a FML moment.

[Skyblade]

It seems to me that a 50% chance of death is a bit ridiculous when it's combined with a random power. I mean, let's eliminate the chance of death. Picking a power and random is already a pretty nasty gamble with pretty much the same 50/50 odds (since there are just as many negative powers as positive ones, if you're pulling from a theoretically infinite list). So your odds of getting a power that doesn't make you miserable is already 50%.

Now, figuring out just how useful or powerful you might be is kind of hard, since there's no real guideline for that. But I'd say that, being generous, you're looking at another 50/50 shot to get a power powerful enough, or with a correct nature, to actually be useful or helpful to you.

So your chances are: 50% chance to die. 25% chance to have a horrible power. 12.5% chance to have a benign but useless power. 12.5% chance to gain a superpower.

Gamble if you want, but I don't like those odds.

[Jinx]

I probably wouldn't do it in the first round of people, but as more and more people did it and developed abilities, I'd probably do it.

[Hollycat]

In a heartbeat.
I'd hope for shapeshifting or Psychokinesis.

[CimminyCricket]

I'd have to sleep on it for a few days, but I could see myself truly considering it.

[fire_of_avalon]

Only if my survival depended on it or I was already dying of some other kind of disease.

[Freya]

If it was just for the hell of it, I wouldn't. If it became a necessity in order to survive a generation in which everyone else has these powers, I might.

What shorty said