A god appears and grants you immortality, and the power to bestow immortality on a being of your choice, to be your companion for eternity. Which being do you choose?

if it was just my preferences, I would definately say my dog.
BUT I should be socially responsible and say a living humanitarian that makes the world a better place. But since Bezos and Gates are at the top of that list, I’ll stick with my dog.

Remembering the story of Tithonus, of Greek mythology, I would bestow immortality on my worst enemy. When the goddess Eos sought immortality for her lover Tithonus, she forgot to ask for eternal youth. He aged, became weak and decrepit and loathsome, and yet could not die, and she abandoned him as a pitiable helpless thing.

But I would not keep company with such a person. Nor would I want to live forever myself. It’s our mortality that gives life meaning and value, they say, and I believe it. Read Elizabeth Hand’s Mortal Love for a compelling fictional treatment of this theme.

@Jeruba That looks good, thanks!

Roseanne.

I would reserve the second person indefinitely, stringing people along. “If you do nice things for me I might grant you immortality…”

They’d have no choice but to do what I want.

It would be my cat, but it’ll have to be my mum.

Sorry cat. :(

I’d say my daughter.

I wouldn’t necessarily want to have to live on the Earth, because I don’t think the Earth will be habitable in a few hundred years.

How immortal do they get to be? Must they be currently alive? Are there perks such as age fluidity or other abilities? Will we starve and/or suffer damage and illnesses?

I’d ask God what’s going to happen to me when the Sun blows up in a billion years? It won’t be fun hanging around for eternity on a burnt out cinder.

I want you loli -Yeah you.

Because I know you will fuck off, and you will leave me leave me alone eventually.

And I’ll be grateful for eternity.

My old dog, Tanner.

I’d choose an imaginary being.

I wouldn’t want to remain alive after our sun had burned itself out, and probably long before that my immortality would become a curse. The certainty of outliving your children is not a blessing.