The children had been released from their lessons and all adults have the day off. Theoretically, the children should play and adults should relax, for if they are chosen, that will be the end of their time on X4 - Delta, or X4 - D. The colony had been built deep underground, of course. That was the only place warm enough for water to exist, and every colony got water from the subsurface ocean. But today the children are too nervous to play and adults too tense to relax. They are thinking about their grades, their records, their life. If they are chosen, it would change everything ... forever.

…

“Everyone report to crater 3, everyone report to crater 3, The Choosing will begin at one - eight hundred.”

The speakers crackled with an official male voice. If you listened closely, you could just detect a slight tremor and stutter.

In a few moments, slowly, one by one, doors opened and people poured out. They walked out slowly, savoring their possibly last moment on the planet, suddenly caring so much after years of complaining. All memories were made here, even if some were about the dry food or hard beds. They looked around, trying to take in everything they could before they possibly left forever. Being chosen was a serious matter. Only a select few were chosen each year, but recently more and more were needed.

...

The hallways filled quickly as people pushed into the changing rooms. Everything was silent except for the occasional grunt or hiss of a suit contracting and pressurizing. The children weren't running about and messing around as usual. They could also be chosen. If someone was chosen they could not live on X4 - D anymore, which is where most everyone had lived all their lives. Some were eager to leave and escape to a place where cold nights and hard chores were nonexistent, but others were not willing to make the sacrifice.

Everyone crowded around the lifter, and almost no one complained about the suits, which was something that only happened on this day. They were very stiff, heavy, and hard to move around in. They also had thick insulation and padding, so by 1500 everyone was dripping with perspiration.

...

Each occupation group traveled together, starting with Group 1, the high officials and the Hive Master, and continued through Group 7, the Mine Workers. The tension in the room was overwhelming. Everyone was hushed, but if you looked closely, you could see the twitching hand of the Hive Master, the rapid blinks of the Operator, the fidgeting of the Teachers. Finally, after each group had made it to the surface through the supersonic elevator, the Operator appeared and locked the hatch.

After the Hive Master ensured that no one had wandered off, they made their way to the crater. The walk was silent. Sentries accompanied them, standing off to the sides with tremendous blasters. The crunch of their own heavy footfalls and whirs of the suits as it filtered the dense air were the only sounds; not even the children broke through the walls of silence surrounding everyone.

…

The Hive Master stumbles to the front of the still crowd and commands attention.

“Oh - Okay, fellow colonists. Please be quiet. Give your attention here!”

This is unnecessary, as everyone is already silent. The Hive Master is a plump little fellow, and one might wonder how he was elected, as he always seems nervous and restless.

“Ah, I will start The Choosing by giving a, um, little speech about the history of our colony.

He clears his throat and adjusts his gloves before continuing.

“When Earth was first deemed uninhabitable, we flew around many solar systems looking, uh, for a new place to settle. We tried Venus, we tried Earth's moon, but nothing seemed to … be fitting. Them we, uh, we stumbled upon X4 - Delta, the 92nd moon of  ZX92. We detected water under the heavy crust, and after many months of digging and living in cramped rovers and tents, we humans hit water.

He talks faster and stutters less, using his hands to gesture.

“From there on, we built a civilization. We made technological breakthroughs. We discovered new food sources. Most importantly, we made a new system. We created colonies all around the moon and made jobs, such as the Hive Master and Mine Worker. Everyone had a role and was well fed. We flourished. But soon, um, problems arose.

He pauses and shifts, fidgeting with his fingers.

“X4 - Delta became too small for our growing size. We didn’t have enough, uh, food. We didn't have enough space. Shortly, it would be just like Earth all over again. So we created Choosing Day, where an s-select few are chosen to help solve our problems. That brings us here, to our, 7th annual Choosing Day. Remember, it is a great honor to be Chosen and y-you will be doing a huge part to help humanity thrive.”

The Hive Master pulls out a holo-reader and brings up the names of the chosen few. Everyone glances around, nervous. Who will it be this year? Sentries can’t be chosen, as they are too important and valuable on the planet. Likewise with the Hive Master. Apart from them, everyone has a chance, as long as they have the required grades, statistics, health, etc. Even the little ones. In the past these conditions were restrictive, but since more people are needed now, they have grown broader and broader.

Some think about making a run for another colony, but that lesson was learned during the 3rd annual Choosing Day when someone from Colony 8 made a run for it in a rover. A week later, the armored vehicle was found in shreds, and the body had been torn apart by Kapacs, mutant dogs created in a failed experiment to create pets.

“Well, let’s, uh, let’s begin. May the Chosen please come up and stand in a line beside me. A-Andy Clove. Grady Galos. Peter Jouf. Um, Hover Ruaf.”

Teacher. Specialist. Child. Technician.

“Loc Fi. Johnny Ramoy. Hutt Sriji Kols.”

Mine Worker. Head Security. Colony Communicator.

“Gulf A-Aq. Hoji Nimoj. Vilian Pes. Granuar Golezia Xuj.”

Operator. Drill Worker. Assistant Treasurer. Cook.

“That is it for, uh, this year’s choosing. Please stand in a line beside me if your name was, um, called.”

Three more than last year.

A moment of stillness passes. Then, slowly, the chosen ones are forced from the crowd and stand in a broken line at the front.

“These honorable colonists have been selected to help with our, uh, problems. May we give them a round of applause.”

The claps are barely audible since the dense gloves muffle the sound. Then, without warning, a chosen colonist lunges at the Hive Master.

“It isn’t fair!”

He seizes his shoulders, shaking him.

“I’ve lived my whole life here! You can’t just -”

Abruptly, a laser beam cuts through his head. He wobbles for a few seconds, then falls to the ground. There is a small thunk and a trickle of smoke rises from the hole in his head. A Sentry stands to the side with a small laser gun in his hand, pointed to where the Teacher’s head once was.

Everyone is silent for a few moments, shocked. This is the first time such an outburst has occurred in Colony 6, the most obedient on the planet.

The Hive Master clears his throat.

“Well, after that, uh, incident, let's move on and continue with the, uh, The Choosing. Without further ado, we shall start the process.”

The Hive Master pulls up his holo-reader. He lifts his finger and presses a button. A sharp hissing fills the air. The selected colonists’ helmets depressurize, and their heads are exposed to the frozen planet’s atmosphere.

Death is immediate, the bodies crumble as all the moisture in them suddenly turns to ice. Their skin shrivels up and frozen veins pop out. Their eyes dry and shrink. In just a few seconds, they become unrecognizable.

No one moves. All is still. Then, someone at the front of the crowd steps forward, and as if pressing play after pausing a video, everyone begins moving. They approach the corpses and start rolling them. One by one, the bodies plunge into the crater. It is deep. None can see the bottom, and the sides are steep, almost vertical. After they all drop in, everyone crowds around the rim of the chasm. Following several moments of silence, a long, piercing howl rises from the crater. The Kapacs have received their meal.

The colonists trudge back to The Hive in silence, the Hive Master leading them. They have the rest of the day off. Some will spend the day weeping for their lost loved ones. Some will spend the day assigning new workers, working to help with the stress and shock. Some will spend the day in a spa or bar. Everything will be different for a few weeks, but eventually, after everyone forgets about the rogue colonist after everyone forgets about The Choosing, everything will be the same again.