a sense of joy and then a panic

I'm no utilitarian, but it's a pretty common ethic amongst americans (at least some form--often a 'newer, better, not as stupid' form if you're a philosopher, or just 'an inconsistent and hodgepodge form' if you're a layperson, but not necessarily that significantly different--of consequentialism is), and that would seem to favor choice A. I mean, there are good arguments to be made for it, whether it's right or wrong 'in fact' (whatever that means, if that means at all).