Why we fight (872 hits)
Category: Quotes & StoriesRating: 1.71 on 18 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Hookhand (View user info) at 2007-04-21 04:03:57 EDT
It was mainly necessity that got Harper out of his foxhole a good 2 hours before any of his men started to stir.
The first thing he did was get a large pot of water boiling on the backpacking stove. Any liquid water they had with them froze, so he would hack apart a chunk of ice and melt it. He'd dunk his canteen in the boiling water to try and thaw the liquid inside (a gut wrenching mix of water and 17 electrolyte salts designed to supplement the nutrients their bland diet couldn't provide and raise the freezing point of the mixture slightly). Then he'd shave; dragging a pearl-handled razor dipped in warm water that seemed to freeze the moment it left the pot but at least lubricated the creamless ritual enough that he didn't bleed too much.
He began waking the men and replacing the night watch at 0700. He used to reprimand the night watch when he found them sleeping. But they had never once in the 3 years they'd been stationed in Quandrant NW subsection Q sector J17 had there been an encounter. It was eerily quiet all the time.
He knew the enemy was out there somewhere. Almost twice daily they were shelled indiscriminantly - the enemy treading a fine balance between conserving ammunition and reminding the men that they were completely surrounded and light years from home.
Hatcher joined Harper as Harper sat surveying the horizon. Twin "suns" rose in the distance, but their pale blue color reminded Harper always that they were small, desolate moons barely reflecting light from the star at the center of the planetary group.
Back when rank meant something, Colonel Harper and Colonel Hatcher were always getting confused for one another, so Harper took to calling Hatcher "Skip," never revealing why. It had stuck - stuck longer than the rank indicated by the faded, tattered chevron on his one remaining sleeve.
The shelling that night had claimed 3 more lives. Of the original 10,000 enlisted men in the quadrant, only about 300 remained. Reinforcements were 6 light months away. Most of the men, when given the choice to endure the 7 light year journey back home opted to stay where they were. Most of them had been declared dead back on earth anyway; a not so subtle government technique to keep the men from coming home.
"You ever sit an wonder....WHY we fight?" Harper asked, breaking the silence. Hatcher continued staring at the horizon. "Skip?"
"Don't ask stuff like that. You know why we're here. We're here because our mission is to erradicate all hostile forms of life on this planet." Hatcher cracked a smile at the corner of his mouth. Both men had read the intel reports from Quadrant SW. The entire core of the planet was a replicating organism; spitting out shock troops as fast as the Marines could take them down. There was no way to win this war, short of destroying the entire planet, the consequences of which the eggheads back at home had already clearly hypothesized.
"We shouldn't be here" Harper mused. "They ought to drop a few Fusion warheads in a cave somewhere, evac us all the hell out of here and be done with it. Let the first two planets in this God-forsaken system spiral into the sun for all I care."
The silence resumed. Hatcher and Harper stared at the horizon, not speaking a word, understanding why they could never go home.
When the shell landed it blew Hatcher completely in half. All they ever found of Harper was the pearl handle from his razor.
User Reviews
Submitted by Maddog (user info) at 2008-04-11 17:10:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Glenn. (user info) at 2008-04-11 16:45:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
How much allegory are you hiding in these posts?
Submitted by wrinklebeast (user info) at 2007-04-21 23:02:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Cool.
Submitted by PhillipTheGreat (user info) at 2007-04-21 20:17:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
word
Submitted by Wildman (user info) at 2007-04-21 19:16:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice short read.
Submitted by sweetcheebs (user info) at 2007-04-21 16:44:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I enjoy short and quick reads. Sci-fi is good too. This was good as well.
Good.
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2007-04-21 16:28:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Also, Zebe said the parenthetical was too long and unnecessary. I suppose every reader has an opinion, and I disagree in this case. Say levee... :)
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2007-04-21 16:22:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I wondered about the same thing, Zebra. Allegory of Iraq. Although, many things written when I was in my 20s were back-handed slaps at Vietnam. Anyway, Hookhand is a good writer. I also want to see this piece done in a longer version...
Submitted by Zebra (user info) at 2007-04-21 12:48:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
This was interesting.
A little dry, and some of the detail seemed unnecessary. The parenthetical was too long, and the information given within could have been relayed another way if it was that important, which it wasn't. Same for the location.
I liked the revelation of the twin suns very much.
This was much too short.
You write fairly well, so I would encourage you to post longer pieces if you plan to continue the story.
I thought you might be going allegorical with the Irag war, actually.
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2007-04-21 12:03:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
6 light months—that was cool.
A much longer story lurks behind the sentences.
Why did the "authorities" want hostile life forms eradicated?
You could launch a political diatribe about the "eggheads" back home, and the non-fighting, non-technical fools who sit in their ivory towers and send men to death.
Maybe even some back story about the 10,000 being whittled down to 300.
I'd like to see you expand this, because I think your writing is very good.
Submitted by Hookhand (user info) at 2007-04-21 10:51:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Yeah, I actually had Bastogne in mind when I started writing this, which is pretty obvious to anyone who's ever seen BoB. I was inspired to move it elsewhere. I also don't really like this.
Submitted by drgoatcabin (user info) at 2007-04-21 10:15:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Charlie's in the trees.
Submitted by particle_man58 (user info) at 2007-04-21 07:33:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Well that was kinda cool.
Very Starship Trooper-ish
Submitted by i_can_get_you_a_toe (user info) at 2007-04-21 05:57:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 Band of Brothers
off to smoke weed....see ya
Submitted by Ed_0150 (user info) at 2007-04-21 04:49:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by whiskey_jack (user info) at 2007-04-21 04:39:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Jesus Robo Car tron Shadow Elk Castle
Submitted by darko (user info) at 2007-04-21 04:14:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Why we fight?
I get pissed off at you for acting like a dick, then I come around and know you mean well and willingly take me to denny's and all in all are a pretty good friend. Sorry for acting like a prick.
Submitted by frankthebear (user info) at 2007-04-21 04:14:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment