TWO MONTHS LATER

Justin's life had been greatly changed by his last trip to town. It had gotten him laid for the first time, albeit in a way he'd rather soon forget entirely, and after returning home, his family life had been altered irrevocably.

His parents had been quite angry with him, and understandably so. He had returned home with almost none of the food or materials they'd needed, and when he'd explained the rough details of the previous night's events and what he'd spent their food money on, his case was not helped in the slightest. Justin's father had begun to yell, talking about how irresponsible it was to waste the family's money on something so selfish as that. This time, though, Justin didn't back down and their argument had quickly become physical. The kitchen was trashed and his mother shrieked at them to stop during the entire incident, which wasn't truly all that long. His father was still much larger and heavier than Justin, but Justin hadn't hesitated to target his old man's bad leg. Neither had given any particular thought to fair play. Justin had ended up with only a black eye and bloody nose to speak of, while his father had lost a tooth and couldn't walk for several days after. The fight hadn't been particularly vicious and neither could say for certain he'd won it, but that didn't matter to Justin. He was his father's equal now and someday soon he'd be his father's superior. They were on equal ground and he wasn't going to be his father's slave any longer. Finally all of the responsibilities he'd taken on received the power that went along with it. The father had checked with the son to see if he could take the truck into town for the day. This day, the father could not, because Justin was taking it himself.

There was little change in the seasons — always dry and dusty — meaning that tralfur could be grown all year without negative effects, so long as the fields were properly rotated. Unlike traditional farming crops, it allowed farmers to keep a much more steady income throughout the year, though the actual prices differed greatly depending on demand. Justin had harvested this cycle's crop too early this time, but his family needed the money. They were becoming poor, even by Bieta standards. Last time Justin had wasted money they'd needed, but he felt no guilt for it. He rationalized that his father had done the same thing far too many times before, so it was only fair that he do it himself — once.

He managed to get through town without going through any black lights or running anyone over, so he considered it a success. He parked the truck and went inside to sell his crop, then received poor money for poor quality, but Justin wasn't going to spend any of it this time on anything but necessities.

He started going through the store to pick up what his family needed back home. Their clothes were of poor value, but his mother mended them well enough and anything new was a luxury anyway. Hmm. He browsed the food section for half an hour carefully checking to see what he could get for the least amount of money. They could probably use a bag of flour, assuming it was still priced low enough. It wasn't. Rice would fill them up and a lot could go a long way. More importantly it was in their price range. As he picked a sack of it up and slung it over his shoulder, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Justin, we gotta' talk," Jenny said quietly as she walked up next to him.

"We ain't got nothin' to talk about, woman. Not a damn thing," he said, keeping his shoulder to her and moving on.

"Yeah, we do. Justin, I…" she sighed and then just blurted it out, "I'm pregnant."

"You're what?" he nearly screamed as he dropped the sack of rice to the floor, his outburst drawing the attention of nearly everyone else in the store. Justin looked around, then grabbed her by the arm and led her over to a far corner out of the way and out of public eye.

"Just what in the hell do you mean 'I'm pregnant'? " he demanded in a harsh whisper.

"What in the hell else do you think I mean?" she hissed back at him. "You may not have been able to do anything right that night, but I'll be damned if you wasn't able to get me knocked up. Your boys must be real strong swimmers or somethin', 'cause you sure didn't give 'em no help."

"Hmph, you're one to talk. I was the one who had to do all the work while you just laid there like a dead fish or somethin'. 'Course that would explain the stink, you smelly bitch. I was lucky not to blow chunks while I was down there on you, you know."

Her eyes narrowed.

"You're a real piece a' work, you are. Just my luck to get pregnant by a stupid, worthless bastard like you."

"Yeah, I guess you was that lucky, and I was just lucky enough to get my life ruined by a such a lovely girl like yourself," he said before he paused for a moment. "Wait just one second. That was over two months ago, me and you. You even sure the thing is mine?" The last word in the sentence was left unsaid, but they both heard it: whore.

"Hell yeah I'm sure it's yours," she answered. "I don't spread my legs for just anybody."

"Sure fooled me," he muttered.

"You son of a bitch—"

"Who you talkin' to? Me, or that kid inside you?" he asked. He'd struck the nerve he'd intended. She began to shake and sputter, turning red.

"Fuck you. You're a good for nothin', piece of shit, small peckered, little man! 'Save the galaxy' my ass. You ain't never go be nothin', and you ain't never gonna' go nowhere, and you don't deserve no better, neither. Now, I didn't plan on getting' pregnant, but you done this to me, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you just walk away from this!

"You listen here," she ordered, jabbing a finger into his chest, "my own ma got left by my pa after he got her pregnant, but I ain't gonna' let you pull that shit on me. You gonna' marry me and take care of this baby, and if you try an' run off, I'm gonna' track you down and nail your dick on the wall so my kid can know where he came from."

"Is that right?"

"That's right."

"Well, you know what? Fuck you. Yeah, fuck you, fuck that kid, and fuck your goddamn sob-story, cause I don't want nothin' to do with any of it. You don't want that thing inside you, get a damn abortion and get rid of both our problems," Justin said. "I had a bad appendix once when I was little; I don't see how this is any diff'rent."

"It's diff'rent to me, alright? And you know I ain't got the money for something that, and neither do you. Not that you would anyway, you cheap asshole," she said, the last part as though under her breath, but loud enough to hear.

"Cheap asshole, huh? I'll tell you what, I pay for it right here and now," Justin said turning to push aside some shirts on a rack. "I mean whaddaya figure a fuckin' clothes hanger go for these days? Two credits? Three?"

"You're a goddamned monster. Why don't you go stick a piece a' wire up your piss hole, you sadistic bastard?"

"Fine, fine. You're right. It'd be a waste of money for the hanger anyhow. Shit woman, how much does a flight a' stairs cost? I don't mind pushin' you down if you ain't got—"

Before he could say the next word, Jenny drew back and punched him in the nose. His eyes began to water, and for a second he thought his nose was broken. But he didn't think about it for long. A pain exploded in his groin and he gasped, clutched himself, and sank to his knees. He felt nausea from the pain, and the blood continued to gush from his nose.

"I'm surprised you even felt that. Guess I'm a good shot," she said, adding insult to injury. "Now you listen here, I'm gonna' have this baby and you's gonna' help me raise it, you hear?"

He nodded, feebly.

"Good. Now I'm gonna' go home, and we's is gonna' talk more about this later. Next time you's is in town, you call me at extension 15, and we'll take care a' this."

He couldn't concentrate enough to notice her go, but when he was sure she was gone he fell over on his side, stuck his hand down his pants, and, ignoring all onlookers, began to massage his sore genitals, no pride left to salvage.

"Stupid bitch."

Justin limped his way out of the all-purpose store, moving as gingerly as possible for the sake of every part of him. He felt the need to get away from the witnesses in the store and recoup and think. As he made it outside, he ran into yet another person he'd hoped not to see.

"Justin!" Dylan said enthusiastically as he slapped Justin on the back, before noticing his friend's bloody nose. "Hell boy, you don't look so good. What happened to you? You lose a fight or somethin'?" he said, standing on his toes to look behind his friend.

"I don't wanna' talk about it," Justin said, as he watched Jennifer Reese walking several blocks away from the store. Dylan followed the other's eyes, then noticed Justin holding his groin.

"Ha ha, women, eh? 'Xactly what'd you say to get her pissed enough ta' do all that?"

Justin explained the situation, the pregnancy, and his initial reaction to it. He left out the part about her punching him in the nose and smashing his nuts.

"I can't stand that woman," Justin said, finally.

"Well, you wouldn't be in this sit'iation now unless you standed her just fine before, now would ya'?" Dylan laughed.

"Nah, not even then."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I was a bit inebr'ated at the time so I can't remember much, but things didn't go 'xactly as I hoped they would. It didn't even feel that good, really. Kinda hoped my first time would go a little bit smoother, ya know? Don't help that she's a royal cunt, neither."

"Look, first a' all, you know I been 'round the block in that department for a little while now, and I can tell you there ain't no time anything's gone ''xactly as I hoped they would' with me, alright? Short of the jerk off flicks on the visual, I don't know a' no one who ever had things go off without a hitch. Course you ain't gettin' outta' this mess without gettin' hitched yourself, is you? 'You're what!?' " Dylan mimicked with a laugh. "The tradish'nal Bieta marriage proposal, yassir.

"Hey," Dylan continued, "it was yo' first time, so don't be so hard on yourself. First time I was with a woman, we had to wait for another hour on account a' I blew a load in my pants 'fore we even got started. Bein' a virgin's tough sure 'nough; losin' it just may be tougher. 'Course, way I figure things, your hand's been taking your virginity for years now, hadn't it? If all sex is to you is gettin' yourself off, grab a magazine and a tissue and have at it, says me. But if you's is doin' things right, it don't get better than makin' love to a woman. I says that, too."

"Ah hell, please don't tell me this shit now, Dylan," Justin said as he limped his way over to a bench and sat down. "I don't need it or any more a' your know-it-all lectures, as a matter a' fact. I'm still tryin' to get used to this idea a' bein' a father, alright? I don't need this crap, at all. I was finally startin' to work things out for my own self, and finally startin' to figure out a way to get off this damn planet, but now…"

"Now you's is stuck."

"'Xactly. It ain't like I really hate Jenny or what's inside her, but damn it, once she has that kid, my kid, that's it for me. I ain't gonna' be the kinda sumbitch to just run off on his woman and leave her to fend for herself; that just ain't right, 'specially on a place like this, but I ain't gonna be happy here. I can't be. I'm gonna' hate this place and hate the both a' them for what they done to me. I fuckin' hate kids."

"Even yo' brothers?"

"'Specially my brothers. Always gotta' hear about how I got ta' be nice around the children. Don't talk that way around the children. Help clean up the children. Fuck that. I don't got what it takes to be a good father, anyway. I's too young for it, I reckon, but I just don't know if I could ever be 'sponsible for another person like that. It's just too much pressure for somebody like me to take right now. But what other choice've I got?"

"Learn to play them cards you's been dealt," Dylan answered, bluntly. "Just a'cept what I been tellin' you, an' tellin' you, for years. You ain't goin' nowhere. Why you ain't a'cepted it by now is beyond me. Why you ain't realized that by now is, too."

"I ain't 'realized' that 'cause I ain't stayin' here. And I ain't stayin' here because nobody can ever get ahead here, and that's really all I wanna' do with my life: get ahead. It don't matter how good or bad the crop is, the Man changes 'is prices all the damn time to match 'em. On that rare 'casion we got us a good crop, the Man raise his prices. He owns the only store; he can do whatever the hell he wants and he knows it. He follows what's goin' on; he knows them prices better'an the farmers and how much money they got to spend. If things is bad, why he lowers them prices back down so people can afford to pay him, and they think he's a saint for it. He ain't. He just wants his money, and he knows dead people can't afford to pay nothin', and the live ones got no other choice but to buy from him. He bleedin' us all dry, all right, but slow like, so he can get as much as he can out us, before we gone for good." He looked back at Dylan. "That's why I'm gettin' out of this place. I don't wanna' get bled dry. I just want a chance to get ahead."

"Ha ha, you's is always lookin' at things the wrong way, man," Dylan laughed. "In the end, ain't none of us gonna' get out of life ahead; whether we be rich or po', young or old, it ain't gonna' matter none. No, way I sees it, in the end, best any us can manage is to break even. And 'ventually, I figure we all manage that, one way or a'nother. It all gonna' even out"

"Look at you now, some big philsopher or somethin', tellin' other people how they oughta live. Well, maybe you can be happy, livin' here the way you're gonna', but I can't, all right? I just can't do it."

"Look, now this might be a bad idea," Dylan said, looking behind both shoulders, "but I know a way you can get offa' this here planet and away from your soon-to-be-wife without bein' thought of as a worthless scoundrel. I know you's ain't never been outside a' this here county, but over in Glyndale I hear they's got a recruiting station for the Mechanized Infantry in the center a' the town. It ain't permanent, but it should be there for the next week or so. You sign up there, you'll get offa' this planet and go places ain't none of us even heard of 'round here."

"And Jenny?"

"Ah, she'll still have ta' fend for her own self, but if you send back part yo' monthly stipend, I reckon that should support her just fine. I mean, a guaranteed thousand credits a month, why that's just as good or better 'n most anyone's makin' now. You enlist and get them papers to prove it, you's can get a loan to buy a house an' a plot a' land from pretty much anyone. Ain't no money surer than guv'ment money, that's what they say."

"Hell, that's not a half bad idea. I might just try that," Justin mused.

"Yeah, sure man, whatever. I don't know that it's the best idea to leave yo' woman by her self on a planet for a couple a' years," Dylan said, frowning. He shrugged, "But hey, it's yo' life."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I's just sayin', woman's got needs, too, 'specially a woman like that. She starts gettin' lonely, her lil' eyes start to wander," Dylan said suggestively as he shifted his eyes back and forth, "and you may just find yourself married to the best little whore on Kal'on."

"Hmm. You may be right. I mean, shit, I don't love her or nothin' so I don't really care what she does, but how would it look on me if she was jumpin' on every cock that came near the house?"

"Wouldn't look good a'tall, I don't imagine. Then again, I'm the jealous sort."

"I can't be doin' nothin' about it if I'm a couple million kilometers away. Hmm. You think you could check up on her for me?" Justin said asked tentatively, "Maybe I could send you back some a' that check as payment."

"Aw hell, that's mighty generous of you. I'd a' done it for free, but now that you made the offer…"

"Yeah, yeah, I can't take it back. So you promise you'll do this for me?"

"Justin, I promise, ain't gonna' let no man touch yo' woman short of a handshake 'til you's get back."

"You always been a good friend to me, Dylan, you know that?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do."

And so after giving himself some time to recover, Justin Bailey went back inside and paid for two bags of rice, ignoring the snickers and smirks of the men inside as he did it. He didn't care. He knew he was going places, and those sons of bitches were just going to waste away. He drove home, not truly happy, but somewhat relieved to finally have a clear plan for his life. He was going to leave his home and family and never look back. He would marry Jenny, then enlist in the Federation military and not have to deal with her or the child for the next five years or so. It made perfect sense, and it worked out for everyone.

The next morning, he woke up early so he could take care of most of the day's chores in time to get to the recruitment office. By noon he'd finished everything that couldn't wait, and he drove over to Glyndale County. As near as it was, only 75 kilometers, Justin had never been there. Though Glyndale City was no larger than Bieta, he got lost several times before he reached his destination, due in no small part to the poor directions he'd received. But he did indeed make it. Justin had expected a line going around the block full of young men taking this opportunity, but instead there was just an empty street and a humble little shop with black tinted windows. Had the words "Mechanized Infantry" not been stretching across one of the windows, Justin would have thought he was in the wrong place.

Even so, he entered cautiously. Perhaps Dylan had been wrong and the sign-ups were already over. Maybe the Federation had already moved on. The building was empty except for a muscular, middle-aged man in a simple uniform sitting at a plain wood desk. The military man was very dark skinned with close-cropped, balding gray hair and a thin, pale scar stretching from his right cheek to his ear. The man seemed out of place in an office. An oscillating fan sat on the desk humming softly as the man looked over a small stack of papers and placed each sheet to the side. He looked up from his desk with a disinterested expression on his face, apparently waiting for Justin to say something.

"Uh, this here the place to enlist in the Mechanized Infantry?" Justin asked, stupidly.

"Why yes, son, it is," the man said neutrally.

"Uh… can I join up?"

"I don't know. Can you?"

"Sir, I don't want to be disrespectful or nothin'," Justin tried to keep his anger from crawling from his belly into his throat, "but it don't look like you got a whole lot a' people interested right about now, and I am. I'm one a' the few who'd like to sign up, and if you'll just be kind enough to show me where, I'll make my mark."

"Well, I have the documents right here, son," the Federation man said as he pulled a simple sheet of paper out of one of his desk drawer, "but I don't know how much good they'd do you. You see, by law a volunteer has to be able to read it himself and sign his own name in order for his enlistment to mean anything. If not, it's just a worthless scrap of paper. Perhaps that's one of the reasons the pickings are scarce on this planet."

"Sir, I don't know who you been talkin' to, but there's a lotta' people here who can read an' write as good as anybody. Now, I know in some places y'all talk kinda funny and proper so you think we's is stupid for bein' relaxed, but that don't mean we ain't smart."

" 'Ain't smart,' " the man echoed contemptuously before going on. "Well, perhaps, perhaps not, but if you say you know how to read and write, that's very good. Read over this, and if you still find yourself willing to the agreement, sign your name."

The man handed Justin the form and Justin began reading over it.

I, the undersigned, hereby swear to report for a physical examination to be performed by a trained Federation doctor no less than three days and no more than seven days from the date on the present document, to determine my fitness to serve the Galactic Federation and its citizens. If accepted by my government, I do solemnly affirm that I shall protect and defend the Interterrestrial Treatise of 2001 against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I shall be faithful and true to the principles espoused in said document; that I shall follow all orders of those officers appointed above me without question, according to the Code of Federation Military Justice; that I shall remain bound in said service for the next five Standard Years, as defined by the Interterrestrial Standardization Act of 2015, unless otherwise discharged by my government before such time. I swear that I am willing to put my body in the line of fire, suffer pains and wounds of temporary or permanent nature, and lay down my very life to defend the lives and freedoms of my fellow citizens.

(signature)_x

Justin had more problems reading though it than he'd thought he would, but didn't want to give the military man the satisfaction of letting him know that. Justin also had no idea what the "Interterrestrial Treatise of 2001" or "Interterrestrial Standardization Act of 2015" were, but he didn't want to ask something like that. It probably wasn't important anyway. He signed with little thought, and even though he wasn't the best of spellers, he could get through his name just fine.

"Okay son," the military man began, "now that you've signed that, you understand that we don't want to see you until at least three days from now. We want you to go home and think about what you've done, really think about it. Talk with your family about this decision, and see if you want to change your mind. If you do, and you think that this just isn't for you—and believe me, it isn't for everyone—then don't worry about coming back by the end of the week. I've been doing this recruiting nonsense here and on other planets for almost four standards, and only about half of the volunteers ever come back like they're supposed to. You know what we do to the other half that doesn't?" the man asked, as if he was about to reveal a vital secret. "We throw away their documents and pretend they never even came in. That's it.

"It's your life so I really don't care what you decide," he went on, "but from me to you, on something like this, you have to be sure about it. If you have any doubts about this whatsoever, do not join up. No matter how bad you think you have things right now, there's nothing worse than going into the Infantry half-assed. You got me? You can half-ass a lot of things in this life, but the Infantry isn't one of them."

"Sir, I don't really need no three days to take care a' things 'cause I'm sure as can be, and I really don't care what my family has to say about it. I'm gettin' away from this shit hole no matter what it takes, and that's a fact."

"Look, son, I'm going to tell you something right now that I wish someone would have told me a long time ago. Out of everything you could accomplish in life, none of it is more important than family. If you fill your life with money, success, and experiences but don't have family and loved ones, it won't mean anything. Without someone to share your life with, without someone to experience your triumphs and failures with you, all you'll end up with is misery. As bad as you think this 'shit hole' is, I can tell you there are many places worse out there. If you do join up, you'll likely see many of them. But it doesn't really matter where you live. What matters is how you live." The man stopped and restudied Justin's face, then smiled. "But then you don't really care about what I have to say, do you? To you, I'm just some foolish old man at a desk who talks too much. That's okay. Maybe one day you'll think back to this conversation and agree with that old man, or maybe you'll prove him wrong. I don't know, and I don't really care. But your mind is made up, and I can tell it won't be changed. So get out of here. Leave. I know I'll see you in a couple of days. But I hope I won't."

Justin left the recruitment office and returned home as he'd been told. He informed his mother that he was going to be a father himself, something she took far better than he would have expected. His mother smiled sadly and said she was sorry he had to become a father so soon but that she was sure he'd make a fine one and raise a fine child. Then Justin told her of his other news. He was going to give the next five years of his life to the Federation military. That, she didn't take so well. When he left the house again several hours later, she still hadn't quit crying. Justin never asked where his own father was.

Justin then drove into Bieta, contacted Jenny, and told her to meet him at the all-purpose store for a license. Amazingly, they managed to sign all of the necessary forms without getting into an argument. He didn't inform her of his plans to join the military just yet. No reason to push his luck. They gave one another a ceremonial kiss, then she was on her way, and he was on his, trying to get a loan to buy some property. It didn't take much. As Dylan had predicted, the bank teller's eyes lit up when he saw the copy of the enlistment form Justin had taken with him. Justin got a loan for six thousand credits and bought a five square kilometer plot of land for five thousand, then contracted a building company to build a house on that land with the thousand he had left. There was only one company who did it anymore. Once there had been dozens of such companies, each working non-stop to expand the city and provide living quarters for the newly arriving farmers. After the economic bust of the area, one by one they had shut down until now there was only one company left, a family that farmed when it wasn't getting any business, which was the norm. They worked anywhere for almost anything; everyone needed extra money. The price of the overvalued land more than made up for the cheap builders. There was plenty of unused land to be had, but the government owned the planet and hadn't paid enough attention to the economic situation to adjust prices to more affordable levels for its citizens. But none of that mattered now. The land was his, and the government would be paying for him to buy it all anyway. His home would have an official number, an address, and his wife would have a place to collect his money for their child.

All forms and documents relating to these things he left with his wife; it would be her problem to take care of. Meanwhile Justin needed only to finish tying up loose ends.

SIX DAYS LATER
ZANDA SPACEPORT

A teenage boy looked up at the craft that would be taking him into space, and could feel nothing but awe. His heart pounded at the sight, feelings of joy welled in his heart. He had watched the vessel from afar so many times before, poured all his hopes into the object countless times, and yet here it was before him now. He was speechless for many moments until the words finally found him.

"I'm gonna' get away from this place today, you know."

"Shit yeah, I knows Justin," his friend said with a loud laugh, slapping him on the back. "You done proved me wrong finally, but ya' don't have ta rub my nose in it. Still, I 'magine I had just a little bit ta' do with that, now didn't I?"

"Yeah, I figure you did. And with you watchin' Jenny and helpin' her out while I'm gone, I'm sure everything'll be just fine 'til I get back. So thanks. Thanks, and don't think I won't repay you in full for everything you done for me and're gonna' do," Justin said as he grabbed Dylan's hand and gave it a shake.

"Think nothin' of it, man," Dylan said, shaking back, "You's is like a brother to me. What else could I do?"

Minutes later he was in the sky, being pressed back against his seat, feeling as if the very fabric of the universe was being ripped apart. Justin was afraid for his life but as he looked around at the others in the shuttle, they did not cry out in fear, so he tried to do the same. Instead of thinking about what was going on, he put his thoughts to what he was leaving behind, the world of dust and despair. He could never return to his home with his mother and father again, but Justin didn't really want to or care anymore. His bitch of a wife might have gotten used to the idea that he was going to be out of her life for five years by now, but she hadn't liked it very much when she'd told him. Probably would have, if she'd thought about it. Whore.

The jolting ride was forefront in Justin's mind again. He thought of something more recent.

He'd been afraid he was going to fail his physical. Knowing what he knew now, he realized how silly that was. He'd been asked, "Can you hear me?" to which he'd of course responded, "Yes." Then he'd been asked, "Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?" to which he'd responded, "Yes." Lastly he'd been asked, "Do you have any kind of mental deficiency that severely impairs your ability to perform simple tasks?" to which he had answered, "None. Well, none I know of." Then he'd been given a sheet of paper and told to go on. Seeing the look of amazement on Justin's face, the doctor had explained that everyone passed his physical. The Federation military had a position for everyone, even the blind, deaf, and mental deficient. Had Justin been more inquisitive, the doctor could have informed him that due to the large number of species applying for Federation military positions, any type of specific physical guidelines would automatically reject entire races and thereby disenfranchise large segments of the population. But then Justin was never an inquisitive person. He'd merely taken the plain uniform and basic supplies he'd been issued, amazed at their quality, and gone out to look at the ship before he'd gotten on it.

Finally the journey out of the atmosphere was completed, and he allowed himself back into the present. Unfortunately, Justin's sense of fear was quickly replaced with one of nausea. He vomited in spite of all attempts to stop himself, but noticed that several other passengers had done the same, so he felt little shame. Justin pushed the floating bits of semi-digested food out of his way and looked out the window at the ever-shrinking ball of dust behind him. He gave the single finger salute to everyone still on that pathetic shit hole and smiled.

Bastards.