How should I choose who will be murdered?

I'm only about an hour into Wolfenstein: The New Order and my men were just captured by General Deathshead. He demanded that I choose which of my teammates he would dissect or else promised to kill them both.

I chose the guy on the right. When the cutscene ended, I unlocked the "Wyatt Timeline" which says I can pick locks now. Was this because of my choice? What would have happened if I'd made the other choice, or refused to choose?