[ wp ] The killing of ten thousand people can now bring one person back to life .

The crowd huddled closer in the vast hangar, which seemed small in the cramped circumstances. Despite having been waiting for about an hour, they stood patiently, some even grinning. The promise of better lives for family members was the reason most of them stood in that desolate setting. Those who wore smiles were the ones who had chosen to be there, fueled by religious sentiment or simply by curiosity. They all knew what would happen but not how it would take place. 
 
 “ Thank you for being here with us today, be it here, in one of the nine other hangars or if you are tuning in from home, ” a blonde man in a sharp suit and tie towered over them with arms outstretched as he spoke. “ Today we are taking a huge step to better our country. ” 
 
 A stout, dark-haired woman beside me was silently praying, hands clasped firmly in front of her and eyes shut. She did n't seem afraid. I dried my sweaty palms on my pants and tried to focus on the speech which was really for those sitting comfortably in their homes and watching the spectacle live who would live to see a day after that one. 
 
 Everyone went on about how heroic it is to sacrifice your life for something you believe in. Most of the people there were probably desperate: for attention, for food, for adrenaline... I looked at the unfamiliar faces from my place at the back and wondered how this had ever happened. Thousands of people were willing to die in exchange for a favor from the government. From what I had seen on the news in the days leading up to the event, some had asked for basic necessities like food, homes or health insurance for their families. The unsettling story of a ten-year-old girl with cancer whose parents had no money to pay for her treatment had stuck with me. I wondered if her mother was in the crowd. 
 
 What most people did n't know was the reason for such a massacre. If each and every one of the volunteers died, one single person could be revived. The confidential information regarding this process had n't been revealed in the governmental leak, but the fact that it would be carried out had. The information was only available in the most remote websites, as the government had put its fist down and was enforcing strict censorship. 
 
 The big question was who would be brought back. Some said that the clear choice was a genius like Einstein who could put their intelligence at the service of the government. Other theories were quite far-fetched, like those that defended Elvis would be the chosen one. It was clearly a political move and the fact that a far-right government was in power was n't comforting. After reading an account from a former intelligence agent who swore Adolf Hitler was the strongest contender, I decided to stop investigating. 
 
 Restless, I sighed and scanned the room for what seemed like the hundredth time. My eyes fell on the tubes over the crowd and lining the walls. No doubt they had figured out what they were for by now. I could n't meet anyone's eyes. The woman beside me had tried to catch my glance and smile a few times, but I backed away a little more each time. I could n't engage with them. 
 
 When the speech finally came to an end, the signal came. I quickly exited the area, closing the airtight doors behind me and putting the locks in place. I heard yells and rushed to unlock them, but my superior placed a hand on my arm, stopping me with a stern look. 
 
 “ They have already decided. Release the monoxide. ” 
 
 My heart began beating faster as I placed my hand over the lever. It finally dawned on me. They had n't been randomly chosen.
