Challenge #04448-L064: Completely Unsupervised Chaos

in #fiction22 hours ago

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You can't control chaos, don't even try. So what makes you think you can control the humans? -- Anon Guest

The Humans, as always, have a song that fits... even if it only fits slightly. There's a hold-up in the Bronx/ Brooklyn's broken out in fights/ There's a traffic jam in Harlem that's backed up to Jackson Heights/ There's a scout troop short a child/ Khrushchev's due in Idlewild... The meaning's been lost to the centuries, but it does contain the moral - if anything can go wrong, it will do so in abundance.

The historical Human education method of one adult teaching twenty to thirty neophytes seems like more Human madness in retrospect.

These particular space pirates had discovered the downside of taking the adults hostage and threatening the children. Well. Several downsides, to be accurate. First among many being that children without adult supervision transform into little savages. Each trying to see what 'naughty things' they can get away with. Some escalate faster than others.

One was painting what they thought were rude words along the wall. A group of five were making a multicoloured handprint mural. Three were climbing objects that never should be climbed. A rough half-dozen were running around and screaming. Four were throwing things. At least one was running, screaming, and throwing things.

And at least three had taken the opportunity to flee their containment area by bolting through the pirates' legs.

The pirates focussed on the one very quiet child who had found a tool they could use to patiently and carefully disassemble the panel that lead into the air re-circulation system. They had got three screws out of five completely out.

Unthinking of the chaos they were allowing to occur, the three who'd gone to check on the kids raced to stop the quiet child. Leaving the door open so all the chaotic screaming ones had more room to run and play.

Including the entire pirate ship, with unguarded tools and weaponry.

Two hours after they realised this, the pirates surrendered.

[Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash]

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