Through the Eyes of the Faithful Soldier
Semper fidelis. The mantra of the armed forces. Always faithful. This was the ideal I tied my mind to as I forged along my path of life. Funny how the most loyal of people are betrayed most often. I guess the world is cruel in this manner, as it is in many. It is our jobs as decent people to move on and grow from failures, I know, but sometimes you need a boot in the side to teach you how wrong you've been. This, along with many others, is what has been forgotten for the less favorable millennial rout now taken with today's youth. I am not here to lecture about that, no, but to show the world through my eyes. Through the eyes of Strike Commander John "Jack" Morrison.
I was born and brought up in Indiana under the care of a farming family. As such, I grew with traditional values of morality and an inert sense that one head is never better than two on the same page. Of course, as is the way of life, all these things came in to question as I grew older. As I grew wiser. The greatest lie you'll find is the easy way, and trust me, there is no easy way to wisdom. All of it is earned the hard way. Through suffering and pain. So when I part the wisdom I've gained, just know that it is the pain of life in which I say it. If you think you can brave the storms I couldn't, however, be my guest.
I joined the military at the young age of eighteen due to a terrorist strike that threatened to shatter the ground beneath the very foundation of who I am. I remember the day clearly, almost as if it was yesterday. Life has a way of doing that, forcing down the memories you don't like till you drown in guilt and sorrow. I couldn't do anything… that was the problem.
It was a normal day, I remember. I got up at the standard five in the morning, my alarm blaring at me in the old style it was created in. with a harsh groan, I cast out my arm to shut it off. I sat up to the protest of every muscle in my body telling me to take another five minutes of rest. The blue sheeting of my bed slipped down my body to reveal a relatively toned torso and dark grey shorts. I grew quick in my youth, so there I stood at a strong six feet and two inches with rounding. Sitting was always the hardest step. From there, I could shut my mind into the morning drone routine without my body bickering at me anymore. After my shower and breakfast, I found myself at five thirty ready for the day's work.
I stepped from the house to hear the rooster crow, meaning that a new dawn had risen. With a happy sigh, I smiled and placed my hands on my waist. It was a simple life to lead, I know, but sometimes the simplest things yield the best results. Besides, someone had to do it. I had a loving family, good friends, and a rapidly forming education along with the gift of the body I was born with. When the cards are dealt in your favor, sit back and enjoy it. That was what I had planned to do, to get a degree in agriculture and expand my family's property to be able to grow more and produce better results. This year we grew wheat.
Waves of shiny tan grain swam through the wind, running from my family's house in all directions, excusing the driveway of course. This was the place I grew. This is the place I learned a lot of my lessons. You reap what you sew, growth takes time, and the grass is always greener in the spring time. Little things like this built the foundation of my mind. It was a calm peacefulness that encompassed my mind that morning and filled my day as I worked. Until it hit midday. This was the turning point, I remember, of not only my life, but my moral build up.
I remember the look on my mother's face as she raced through the fields to me. She bounded to me with what seemed like extreme joy, come to find out moments later that that was far from the truth.
"Jack!" she yelled to me. I ran to meet her and when she stopped before me, I took her arms in mine, concern filling my mind.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Some terrorists just blew up the omnic factory in Detroit!" she replied frantically. My eyes widened at the thought of the news she had just brought to light. No doubt she and the rest of the family were watching the news, meaning the TV would be showing the story. Without a second thought, I let go of my mother and took off through the fields. Eight acres is what I ran across to get back to the house. I didn't stop, would not stop, nor slow down. A deep resonance in my bones had begun to form as every footfall led me one step closer to the truth that was unfolding. I burst in the front door and was greeted with the sight of every one of my family members looking at me with tears and anguish present in their eyes. Dad stood behind the couch where my younger brother and sister sat, along with my older sister who was visiting from collage for the summer. He was the first to speak to me. He gripped my shoulders tight and looked me dead on with a hard seriousness. His posture mirrored mine and his eyes were just as intense as mine would soon grow.
"A terrorist group just blew up the omnic creation center in Detroit…" he said low and gruff.
"Yeah, I know, mom told me. What's going on? What's the casualty count?" I asked hurriedly. I may have just ran a long distance, but I didn't feel winded.
"Son… it was a large blast. Over a thousand are dead and another thousand omnics destroyed." my father informed me. My mind went blank. How could someone murder so many innocent lives? Who could be so morally improper to do such damage to others?
It should be noted beforehand that I believe that, sometimes, something immoral should be done to save another. I know these people believed that what they were doing was correct, but they did not seem to understand how to properly weigh moral with moral. I know my morals. I know what I can and can't do. But what these people did was purposefully against all human values. They could have done this at night, but no, they had to go and break society's morals to show that they were not to be heard, but to be obeyed. This kind of moral breakdown is inexcusable and, in my mind, is a forfeit at life. Your rights end where others begin, not after.
At this point, a mix of emotion flooded through my system. Hate fused with anger in a melting pot of horror and disgust all swelled through my system, leaving my ears ringing. A single thought was all I had, and it took all of thirty minutes to think of what I was to do. Someone has to do it. That little phrase echoed within my mind as I left my home, signed up for the armed forces, and promptly started my military career. It was time for me to step it up and protect all that I loved in the world. And so began my tale, the most unplanned route turned into the most glorious downfall.