Very well written and an intriguing allegory.
To me, it does not present much of a moral dilemma. Between one's ears is a brain. Irrespective of how it got there (creation or evolution), presumably it was intended to be used. A good many of the problems of the world are the result of people not using that with which they were endowed. Ironically, the decision to forfeit thought is the ultimate expression of Free Will ... but as with all decisions, there are consequences.
The deaths described in your story were the payment of a "Stupidty Tax."
Quill
You know, I sit down, order a coffee, and put the first word on the page, and the story goes from there. In a way, I'm just the conduit, much like the artist who starts on a block of wood and finds the sculpture inside...
@wales,
I'm the same way. I start with a vague idea and the "poem/story writes itself." By the end, I'm as surprised as anyone else about how it all unfolded. To be honest, I'm often dumb-founded that this non-system system works.
Quill