Definite Article

"There is an incoming message from the surface, sir," said the communications officer.

The atmosphere on the bridge of the White Star had been chilly for the last week. Only fragmentary reports had been picked up from below, and no-one had a clear picture of what was happening to the ground pounders.

The Captain ordered, "Put it up on the main screen, Lieutenant."

The attractive communications officer complied with the blunt request, a model of military efficiency.

The image of the green and blue world below was replaced by the face of an exhausted soldier. Beneath his exo-pack his face was drawn and haggard, with deep black circles under his eyes. "Captain, Gunny Boudreaux here," said the soldier. "I have bad news."

"Go ahead, soldier," ordered the Captain.

"The Na'vi have defeated us, and are holding the survivors captive. They have asked me to tell you that if you do not comply with their demand for your surrender, they will kill us."

"How many of you have been captured?" asked the Captain.

"Thirteen."

There was a sharp intake of breath across the bridge crew on hearing the blunt answer. The savages had cut the mercenaries to pieces.

There was no expression in the Captain's reply, "I am afraid I cannot comply with your request, Gunny."

"I told them you would say that," said the gunnery sergeant, resigned to his fate. One of the savages stepped forward and held a bone knife to his throat.

"No!" shouted the communications officer, a pistol leaping into her hand. Before anyone on the bridge could move, she fired two shots into the chest of the Captain, killing him instantly. She grabbed the blood-stained shirt of the dead officer and hauled the corpse out of his command chair, turning around with a wild look in her eye. None of the bridge crew dared to gainsay her - not when she had a pistol in her hand, and had just demonstrated that she knew how to use it.

"This is Lieutenant Boudreaux," she announced. "The Captain is dead, and I have taken command of the White Star. The crew will abide by the terms of surrender, if the Na'vi will guarantee their lives."

Gunny Boudreaux said, "Hello, Marie."

The Na'vi had stepped back from the soldier, out of view of the camera. It seemed her desperate action had met with the approval of the blue monkeys, and the survivors on Pandora would live for a little longer.

The communications officer reached out to touch the console displaying the image of the exhausted soldier, and responded, "Daddy, I couldn't..."

"I know."