Alternate Ending Cold Equations

Alternate Ending

"I'm ready," She said

He nodded, then slowly lifted his hand up to push up the lever, which would then close and lock her in the air lock, but he couldn't do it. He could not bring himself to kill this young, innocent girl. He could not bring himself to think that he was the one who would cause this family the pain of losing a child. He just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"I said I'm ready." The girl stated once more. He turned around and looked at her, her face tear stained and eyes red and puffy. She looked at him, confused. After a couple seconds, her look changed from confusion to anger.

"I knew it!" she yelled, startling him. "I knew that you did want to cause me pain! I just knew it! Someone did want me to die, and it was you!" she said, stepping out of the air lock, walking over to him with clenched fists hanging at her sides, ready for her to lift up at any time and hit him.

The man was just stood there, staring at her, dumbfounded by her sudden outburst. Then it clicked in his mind. She thought that he was trying to cause her pain by sending her off when she least expected it, so that he could hear her scream as she suddenly, un-expectantly, dropped through and out of the air lock. But it wasn't like that at all! He just couldn't bring himself to kill her! He quickly spoke up.

"No, no, no! It's not like that!" he begun. "It just-"She cut him off

"It's just what? You wanted to laugh as you watched me drop out, screaming as I was about to die?" she yelled. He leant back.

"No! I just couldn't bring myself to kill a young, innocent girl like you!" he said, trying to get her to listen. She looked at him with confusion laced on her face.

"Is this a joke?" she snickered. He was staring to get frustrated with her not believing him.

"No! Not at all!" he said. She stared at him, in attempt to read him. Her left arm crossed her chest and held onto her right side while her right hand was placed on her chin in a thinking position. She studied him, trying to see whether he was lying or not. She tilted her head slightly to the left, while she stood in the same position for a while, then brought her right hand up to brush away the long strands of curly brown hair that had fallen across her face. She sighed.

"I can't tell whether you're lying or not..." she said. He looked at her.

"I'm not!" he yelled, catching her off guard, causing her to jump slightly. "Unless you want me to jettison you off the ship?" he asked, yelling. Her eyes went wide.

"No, no, no, no!" she said, her hands out in front of her. "Please, no! Never!" she cried. He sighed.

"Then come sit down next to me while I think of what to do." He said as he gestured towards the seat to the left of him, and then sat down in his seat. She walked over and sat down. He was staring at the blank communicator, his left arm up on the small space of the table with his head resting in his hand while his right hand was tapping its fingers against the table. His mind racing, trying to think of ways to save his life, the six men's lives, and last, Haleigh's life. Then, he had it. He had an idea. An idea that just might work. He turned and looked at Haleigh, who was leaning back in her chair, staring down at her hands, which she was fiddling with in her lap. He smiled briefly at the sight. She looked like any normal teenage girl right then, maybe one who had just been caught trying to sneak out, but no, that was not her situation. Hers had been much worse. The thought snapped him back to reality. He then cleared his throat, to which she instantly looked up to find him staring at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I have an idea." He said, slightly smiling at the thought of him saving her and her family the pain that he would have caused them all just a couple minutes ago.