Altruizine, or A Truthful Account of How the Hermit Dobricius Wished to Bring Happiness to the Cosmos and What Came of It

The robot hermit Dobrіtsy, having spent sixty-seven years in the desert in contemplation, decided to bring help to his neighbors. In response, the constructor Klapauci told Dobrіtsy a story about the ensers—that is, beings who reached the Highest Development Step. Enserds once also decided to make everyone happy without violating the idea of the highest good. They tried every method one after another: they poured streams of wealth onto planets, floods of satisfaction and abundance, and gave kind advice. But the concept of happiness is different for everyone—someone seeks Kaif above Duty, while others seek Duty above Kaif. And to top it all, Klapauci began producing altruizine—a drug that transfers any sensations, emotions, and experiences from the one who feels them directly to all others within a radius of up to five hundred fathoms. Altruizine was meant to bring into any society the spirit of brotherhood, unity, and deep sympathy. But it turned out a little differently…