A coin for a life

[AceJoker]

For years after that day, sometimes I awoke in the night, bathed in sweat with nightmares, in which I heard
the always same conversation with that sadistic maniacs who attacked us. I didn't knew who they were, or
where did they came from. Maybe they came aboard as passengers like all the others. We were hardly
gone beyond the first half of the trade lane through Galileo when they suddenly attacked the pilot and
threatened the passengers...

I heard lots of stories of people who were attacked by someone or survived an encounter with criminals.
Can't hear more of them anymore. This is Sirius, such things happen every day. But my experience
is different. Soon after they gained control of the ship they ejected all the escape pods only left a few
for themselves. They decompressed the front half of the ship, so we were squeezed like animals in the
ships stern. Then their leader stepped forward and divided his hostages into pairs and gave all of them a
gun. One of the hostages immediately pointed his weapon at the leader and was shot right away. A woman
screamed in panic, trying to help him. And then... then... the real nightmare begun...
screaming people everywhere, the smell of people who were causing a mess into their pants, crying people
begging for their lifes and others protesting their innocence... just horrible. I will never forget his next
words...

"Innocence proves nothing! And now that I have your attention ladies n' gentlemen, we will
play a game!" he cawed.

"The guns my men handed you over, have only one shot. Each pair has to decide which of
its members should die. I would ask you to hurry, cuz I'm emptying the oxygen tanks right now. Anyone
who refuses to play my game, will be thrown into the decompressed section! The survivors will be spared!"

I want to wake up from that nightmare. When humans are forced to make such decisions, then you see
parents kill their children, men and women either kill each other or sacrifice themselves, hoping that their
wife or husband or even children may get out of here alive. I can't forget these faces. That madman seems
really to enjoy each shot he heard. Until it was my turn. I thought I would die immediately, because I
did'nt had any partner.

"Hey, Boss! This one's remaining!"
He approached me and looked right into my eyes.
"So now what are we going do to with you?"
I could'nt move because of my fear. My face was expressionless.
"Are you afraid of me, Son?"
I still could'nt move. He continued starring at me for a few moments.
"You're facing death and you're still mute and keep that expressionless face?
HA HA HA HA HA HA! You improved my mood, son!" he laughed out loud.
"Well maybe if the one who dared refusing would'nt be killed, then you could play too.
But I'm a sportsman and I like fair play." he smiled grimly.

He pulled something out that looked like an old coin of his trouser pocket.
"Head will give you the present of life. Tail will wrest your life away from you!" he said as he already tossed it.
Now I could move and followed that coin-thing with my eyes...my heart pumps faster as it falls down.
The coin fell at the ground and spun around. First slowly, then fast...then even faster...


...until it stopped showing the head...

"Today is your lucky day!!!" he screamed drowning out the crying people behind him. "You'll come with us!"
Like in trance I left the hostages and walked along with them to the section with the pods.
Before he closed the hatch behind him, he told the people, that he did'nt done anything with the oxygen
tanks, he descriped them as murders, and that they all deserved to die. I don't know what happened to the
people afterwards and I believe that they did'nt want to be saved anymore, knowing that they butchered
the ones they loved with their own hands needlessly.

"Boss...do you really want to take him with us?"
"Not at all." he replied.
"Okay...erm you did messed up with the life support systems, did'nt you?"
"Of course I did. But a little mental torture at the last few moments in someones life is always funny, don't you think?"
Then all laughed again. I was paralyzed again.
"I have a special use for you! You will just stand there! Got it?!" he yelled at me.
My whole body was trempling as I saw them hopping into the escape pods and launched, leaving me behind with
the last pod. I had a choice again. Return and help the others, or flee. But I knew something they did'nt. He
really sabotaged the life support systems. In panic you do weird things. My only wish was to ran far, far
away. I launched myself away and realized now what for a "special use" they had for me.

A ship approached and dragged all the pods into its belly. All except mine. Now I understood why. When
routing a foe, leave one alive to take the news back to his home. One helpless survivor to spread the fear.
Me. I've been spared only to tell others...that when they come, NO ONE will be spared.


Even today I have a few questions...how did they get their weapons through the starports controls? What or
who were they searching for? Who were they? Why have they done this? I don't know. But I'll find the answer.
The alarm clock sounds...time to get up...

...END OF LOG

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How to speak like a Rheinland native