...three time a day we hear the little ax hitting people in the head. One time in the morning, one in the afternoon, one at night. Sometimes screaming, too, and then we hear the crack, like splitting coconut. After that, quiet. A small sound, cracking the skull, but you can hear it everywhere. You hear this three times every day. Even the killing is on a schedule. I was one of the lucky ones. I was a good pilot, and managed to escape my home planet. Forging a life in the stars isn't easy. Managing to move up the ranks as I did was even harder. I've earned what I have. That still does not silence the cracking of the skull. Like clockwork. Three times a day on a schedule. I may have escaped, I may be virtually immortal, but you can never run from your past.