Authors Note: This is written in the same format as OSC with the beginning
in bold and the rest normal. I don't own anything that OSC has written in
his books so please don't sue.
"All of those in favor of the motion please raise your hands. Remember decisions of this kind must be unanimous," said Strategos Marshall who was in charge of this meeting. With those words the hands of the Hegemon, Polemarch and Strategos went up in the air. The only hand that did not was that of IF Admiral of the Fleet Tyler, whose duties as Commander in Charge of the entire Fleet meant he was the voice of the IF service members at this meeting.
"I hope you understand the risks of this operation. We not just talking about my men and women but the fate of Earth," he said.
"We all know the risks Admiral Tyler. This is the only way to end the bugger problem once and for all," Responded Hegemon Adam's.
"We'll I am not completely convinced. How do we know that the buggers didn't learn their lesson from the last war."
"We don't know, that's just the thing. We can't trust the buggers and we need to end this once and for all."
"Fine, but I still say this is to risky," yet at that time the Admiral raised his hand making the vote unanimous.
"Then it is agreed upon. The IF will prepare a fleet to attack the buggers in there home worlds. We will start deploying ships now and stop when we feel confident in the fleets strengths and its commanders abilities," the Strategos announced, and with those words the preparation for a third and final bugger war began. Yet amazingly, later that day, Hegemon Adams would receive the great news that his wife was pregnant with a baby girl.
Twenty-two years later, Jenna Adam's daughter of the ex-Hegemon was about to experience one of the most important days of her life, her wedding. To many she was the perfect woman, beautiful, witty and caring. It was amazing that she only had one boyfriend who was also her husband to be. It was widely believed that the reason for this was because of her intimidating father. Yet one man was willing to deal with him. His name was Alex Knight and they fell in love at first glance.
At the age of 25, three years older than Jenna, Alex had already lived a very special life. A son of a pilot from Mazer Rackhman's small force that defeated the buggers in the second war, he turned down battle school only at his fathers request. A genius by all accounts he had a PHD in both physics and astrophysics as wells as BS in Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering by the age of 17. After which he proceeded to join BT Technologies the sole defense contractor to both the US government and the IF. By the time of his marriage Alex was already their top engineer and a junior vice president. Their wedding and honeymoon was perfect and their lives something out of a fairy tale.
Nearly a year after their marriage they were blessed with their first and only son Mitch Knight. He would prove to be even smarter than his father, by achieving all the academic accomplishments of his father by the age of fifteen. Spared from Battle School by his failure of the psychological tests he was poised to start working for his father now President after the end of the summer. All of this changed on a muggy and humid Saturday night in August while at home together. That night a man in an IF uniform showed up at the door. Jenna answered and he identified himself as one Captain. Chamrajnagar with pressing business the whole family needed to hear.
They all went into the living room where the Knights sat on one couch, Capt. Charmrajnagar on another, with both facing each other. "Well I will get straight to the point. A few days ago most of our top engineers died when their shuttle crashed during docking. They were working on a top secret uh project that the IF desperately needs for some of our new ships."
"So you need my company to help the IF out. Why didn't you have your CO call me at work."
"Let me finish sir and it will all be explained. Those engineers were specialists in a rare area, theoretic molecular physics." This statement caused Mitch to straighten up as that was his specialties. "What we at the IF is asking is if Mitch would care to come and work for us at the IFECARD which is the International Fleet Engineering Corps Advanced Research Division. We'll make him a Lieutenant and he can leave at any time he wants. All I can say is that this project is vital to our new line of defense without them our ships just might be inferior to the buggers."
"Why me?" Asked Mitch as he talked for the first time.
"Because you're the best. No one, not even your father can match your intelligence and because you are one of the only physicists who specializes in both of these fields."
"Can I think about it."
"Sure, here is my net address. Take as much time as you might need but respond ASAP." With that he left leaving the Knights to talk things over.
"Mitch don't go don't you know how much I will miss you. The IF can get some one else." Jenna said almost as if she was begging.
"Mom I haven't even said yes yet. Let me think about it okay. Dad what do you think?"
"I will support you either way. It is not like its much of a difference in work its just that we might not be able to see you. It is your choice."
"I need to think about this. I'm going for a walk." Mitch then walked outside onto the street and for whatever reason went next door to visit his grandfather.
After entering his grandpa's house which was only a few blocks away, Mitch immediately heard his grandpa's loud and belligerent voice yell, "I know that's my grandson so got over here now."
"Hey, grandpa." They both hugged.
"Whats wrong your grandpa always knows when something is wrong."
He then told his Grandfather all about his predicament.
"You know what I say, its ones greatest duties to serve his country or in this case planet."
"I know that's why I accepted. I mailed the IF a few minutes ago."
"Great for you, but there's something you need to know. This is from when I was Hegemon so you can't even act as if you know it."
"Yeah"
"The whole defense thing is a farce. We know when the next attack is coming. It will be in about twenty years. That's why we have to get ready now"
"Really?
"Yes, so be very careful out there and remember that peoples lives are resting in the balance of your work"
"I don't know what to say."
"I don't think I even should have told you that but you needed to know. Be careful and think twice you never know what results your actions will really have." On that note Mitch left and began his career in the IF.
At first Mitch and the team of engineers he was put in charge of were stumped. They were given one goal. Create a Molecular Detachment Device. It was supposed to cause a chain of reactions that had the potential to wipe out whole groups of ships. It took two years but they finally develop a working warhead.
During those two years Mitch probably averaged five hours a sleep if he was lucky. When others stopped to break, he kept on working because he knew that this device would save the lives of the soldiers already poised to defend against the buggers. The only problem with the warhead was delivery but that was solved two months later when they realized that it didn't need to be put on a missile, it just had to be aimed at the generator of the enemies ecstatic shield.
Upon completion and his return home, Mitch couldn't help but feel used. Was his only life purpose to create a weapon of never before seen destruction? The guilt was overbearing but Mitch was able to deal with it. However that did not last long as a four years later while teaching a physics class a student came up with the same idea as the doctor device except the students was to be used on a planet.
It was then that Mitch realized the device wasn't meant for ship to ship combat but for destruction of planets and extermination of a race and that what his Grandpa told him was just another lie. We were really attacking them or even worse, the IF was taking advantage of Earth's fear of the buggers to stay in power and that he had handed the IF the ultimate weapon that could keep all of Earth in check. As a result of this discovery Mitch swore that he would never have children because he knew the natural talent he probably would pass on to them would just be used as another weapon just like him.
THE END.
"All of those in favor of the motion please raise your hands. Remember decisions of this kind must be unanimous," said Strategos Marshall who was in charge of this meeting. With those words the hands of the Hegemon, Polemarch and Strategos went up in the air. The only hand that did not was that of IF Admiral of the Fleet Tyler, whose duties as Commander in Charge of the entire Fleet meant he was the voice of the IF service members at this meeting.
"I hope you understand the risks of this operation. We not just talking about my men and women but the fate of Earth," he said.
"We all know the risks Admiral Tyler. This is the only way to end the bugger problem once and for all," Responded Hegemon Adam's.
"We'll I am not completely convinced. How do we know that the buggers didn't learn their lesson from the last war."
"We don't know, that's just the thing. We can't trust the buggers and we need to end this once and for all."
"Fine, but I still say this is to risky," yet at that time the Admiral raised his hand making the vote unanimous.
"Then it is agreed upon. The IF will prepare a fleet to attack the buggers in there home worlds. We will start deploying ships now and stop when we feel confident in the fleets strengths and its commanders abilities," the Strategos announced, and with those words the preparation for a third and final bugger war began. Yet amazingly, later that day, Hegemon Adams would receive the great news that his wife was pregnant with a baby girl.
Twenty-two years later, Jenna Adam's daughter of the ex-Hegemon was about to experience one of the most important days of her life, her wedding. To many she was the perfect woman, beautiful, witty and caring. It was amazing that she only had one boyfriend who was also her husband to be. It was widely believed that the reason for this was because of her intimidating father. Yet one man was willing to deal with him. His name was Alex Knight and they fell in love at first glance.
At the age of 25, three years older than Jenna, Alex had already lived a very special life. A son of a pilot from Mazer Rackhman's small force that defeated the buggers in the second war, he turned down battle school only at his fathers request. A genius by all accounts he had a PHD in both physics and astrophysics as wells as BS in Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering by the age of 17. After which he proceeded to join BT Technologies the sole defense contractor to both the US government and the IF. By the time of his marriage Alex was already their top engineer and a junior vice president. Their wedding and honeymoon was perfect and their lives something out of a fairy tale.
Nearly a year after their marriage they were blessed with their first and only son Mitch Knight. He would prove to be even smarter than his father, by achieving all the academic accomplishments of his father by the age of fifteen. Spared from Battle School by his failure of the psychological tests he was poised to start working for his father now President after the end of the summer. All of this changed on a muggy and humid Saturday night in August while at home together. That night a man in an IF uniform showed up at the door. Jenna answered and he identified himself as one Captain. Chamrajnagar with pressing business the whole family needed to hear.
They all went into the living room where the Knights sat on one couch, Capt. Charmrajnagar on another, with both facing each other. "Well I will get straight to the point. A few days ago most of our top engineers died when their shuttle crashed during docking. They were working on a top secret uh project that the IF desperately needs for some of our new ships."
"So you need my company to help the IF out. Why didn't you have your CO call me at work."
"Let me finish sir and it will all be explained. Those engineers were specialists in a rare area, theoretic molecular physics." This statement caused Mitch to straighten up as that was his specialties. "What we at the IF is asking is if Mitch would care to come and work for us at the IFECARD which is the International Fleet Engineering Corps Advanced Research Division. We'll make him a Lieutenant and he can leave at any time he wants. All I can say is that this project is vital to our new line of defense without them our ships just might be inferior to the buggers."
"Why me?" Asked Mitch as he talked for the first time.
"Because you're the best. No one, not even your father can match your intelligence and because you are one of the only physicists who specializes in both of these fields."
"Can I think about it."
"Sure, here is my net address. Take as much time as you might need but respond ASAP." With that he left leaving the Knights to talk things over.
"Mitch don't go don't you know how much I will miss you. The IF can get some one else." Jenna said almost as if she was begging.
"Mom I haven't even said yes yet. Let me think about it okay. Dad what do you think?"
"I will support you either way. It is not like its much of a difference in work its just that we might not be able to see you. It is your choice."
"I need to think about this. I'm going for a walk." Mitch then walked outside onto the street and for whatever reason went next door to visit his grandfather.
After entering his grandpa's house which was only a few blocks away, Mitch immediately heard his grandpa's loud and belligerent voice yell, "I know that's my grandson so got over here now."
"Hey, grandpa." They both hugged.
"Whats wrong your grandpa always knows when something is wrong."
He then told his Grandfather all about his predicament.
"You know what I say, its ones greatest duties to serve his country or in this case planet."
"I know that's why I accepted. I mailed the IF a few minutes ago."
"Great for you, but there's something you need to know. This is from when I was Hegemon so you can't even act as if you know it."
"Yeah"
"The whole defense thing is a farce. We know when the next attack is coming. It will be in about twenty years. That's why we have to get ready now"
"Really?
"Yes, so be very careful out there and remember that peoples lives are resting in the balance of your work"
"I don't know what to say."
"I don't think I even should have told you that but you needed to know. Be careful and think twice you never know what results your actions will really have." On that note Mitch left and began his career in the IF.
At first Mitch and the team of engineers he was put in charge of were stumped. They were given one goal. Create a Molecular Detachment Device. It was supposed to cause a chain of reactions that had the potential to wipe out whole groups of ships. It took two years but they finally develop a working warhead.
During those two years Mitch probably averaged five hours a sleep if he was lucky. When others stopped to break, he kept on working because he knew that this device would save the lives of the soldiers already poised to defend against the buggers. The only problem with the warhead was delivery but that was solved two months later when they realized that it didn't need to be put on a missile, it just had to be aimed at the generator of the enemies ecstatic shield.
Upon completion and his return home, Mitch couldn't help but feel used. Was his only life purpose to create a weapon of never before seen destruction? The guilt was overbearing but Mitch was able to deal with it. However that did not last long as a four years later while teaching a physics class a student came up with the same idea as the doctor device except the students was to be used on a planet.
It was then that Mitch realized the device wasn't meant for ship to ship combat but for destruction of planets and extermination of a race and that what his Grandpa told him was just another lie. We were really attacking them or even worse, the IF was taking advantage of Earth's fear of the buggers to stay in power and that he had handed the IF the ultimate weapon that could keep all of Earth in check. As a result of this discovery Mitch swore that he would never have children because he knew the natural talent he probably would pass on to them would just be used as another weapon just like him.
THE END.