Exodus: Two Roads To Unforgiveness
Gunnar
He knew his story was just one amongst millions. So he didn’t make a fuss. But he also knew, as he was watching the final preparations before the rocket takes off, he should have been on that flight. Exodus Lottery, hah! He was a great artist! In movies, they always pick important people to save, so he’d definitely be picked if this were more fair, like in the movies. But this lottery system was rigged! There’s no one, without a planet’s worth of Ether that could afford to actually buy the lottery ticket! He was sure there were people that »bought their seat on the ship« by flipping art, probably some of his own NFT’s, too. He quickly put out the cigarette on the window sill and threw it out. He smirked at the garbage covering the street outside. There’s so much. With a fake smile, he kindly waved at the crazy old lady, who had been clearly staring at him again from her apartment building across the street. He quickly closed the window and pulled down the curtains. He really hated that witch. Just then, he remembered waving vigorously at garbage men as they passed his house when he was a kid. Garbage men. The idea made him laugh. Now, it wouldn’t help even if every last person on the planet became one. There’s so much. The voice on the news interrupted his thoughts, saying that the group of final lottery winners are making their way to the last Exodus rocket. Even though he resented that he wasn’t among them, now walking towards a better, garbage-free life among the stars, he still somehow hoped they would make it. It would be just too demoralizing seeing the last rocket fail in making it past all the junk surrounding the planet. He remembered reading on a massage board that only 35% Exodus ships manage to make it. How the hell did we screw this world up so badly so fast, he wondered, as he continued to watch the news, trying to find if there is anyone he’d recognize amongst those lucky bastards. He lit up another cigarette and thought to himself, full of bitterness and anger: I should be on that ship. I deserve it.
Grethe
The ship’s cabin felt cold. She looked around, trying to find a familiar face again, even though she had done that at least a dozen times by now. But there was no one else. She was all alone and felt completely out of place. She was nothing. She had always felt undeserving of her life’s situation, but being amongst the final 50 to escape our rotting planet takes the cake. Her family’s fortune had been opening doors (and keeping them open) for her entire life, but now at least, she was free of that burden. She had sold off all her inherited NFT’s to buy the lottery ticket. She finally felt unchained. Dad would be so disappointed. The engrained shame sank in, as her own internal voice echoed: I don’t deserve this. She wanted to bite her fingernails so bad! With her chest tightening, she started looking around to make eye contact with someone. With anyone. Her look stopped on an old man, who was watching her with a calm, reassuring smile on his face. He had apparently noticed her internal tension building up, so he made a weird face and laughed kindly, trying to evoke a smile on her face as well. She gave him a judgmental look and quickly retreated her gaze. She hadn’t smiled ever since she received the news of being one of the winners of the final Exodus lottery. Still, he seems like a nice old man, she though, maybe I’ll try talking to him later. As she wondered off in her thoughts, she found herself blankly staring at the cabin’s tele-screen, showing wonderful images of off-world, trash-free life. Only 10% chance of not making it past Earth’s debris field, they had assured them as they bought the ticket. I hope we fail anyway, a quiet inner-voice whispered. A deep, controlled sigh of relief made her loosen a bit. How in the heavens did they manage to build those beautiful, fancy space-cities so fast, she wondered as she continued to watch the tele-screen, trying not to think of all the poor people that will be left on Earth to die. She wanted to bite her fingernails again and thought to herself, full of self-criticism and shame: I shouldn’t be on this ship. I don’t deserve it.
