To avoid embarrassment to Kara, Alex and Kelly "voluntarily" went to Sub-Sahara Africa for officer cadet and occupational training. Kelly began officer cadet school in the field of psychiatry to earn her commission in her own right while Alex decided to play life on hard-mode by experiencing the enlisted side of Brainiac 5's system. The two were initially together only to be separated into different classes and locations. As to avoid too much attention to herself, Alex changed her last name to Olsen.

"I am Sergeant First Class Howell, your senior Drill Sergeant. From now on, you will speak only when spoken to. Do you maggots understand that?" SFC Howell asked his class as they stood at attention for him.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" they all shouted.

"If you survive occupational specialty training, you will be a medic, you will be a minister of life, praying for peace, but until that day, you are pukes, the lowest form of life on Earth, you're not even human beings. Because I am hard, you will not like me but the more you hate me, the more you will learn. I am hard but I am fair," SFC Howell told them all.

"Among you all, there are no races, ethnicities, nationalities, genders, or sexualities. You are all brown, dark brown, light brown! I'm here to weed out all the non-hackers who don't pack the gear to belong in my beloved occupation. Do you maggots understand that?" SFC Howell continued.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" they all shouted.

"What's your name, scumbag?" SFC Howell asked a random recruit.

"Private Brown, Drill Sergeant!" he shouted.

"Bullshit, you're Private Raven now," SFC Howell ordered.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" he shouted.

SFC Howell looked up and saw a rather tall slender man. "How tall are you, private?" he asked.

"One hundred ninety centimeters," he replied.

"Private Giant, it is," SFC Howell determined. He then went to the next private in line.

"There's something off about your presentation, private. Your hair is out of regulation, you're wearing an eye patch, your trousers are wrinkled, and your boots are UNLACED!" SFC Howell shouted at him.

"Aye, Drill Sergeant," he replied softly.

"Private Buccaneer, you're the worst pirate I've ever heard of," SFC Howell said to him.

"But you have heard of me, Drill Sergeant," he smiled.

"Private Buccaneer, you best unfuck yourself right now, or I'll throw you into the sea with a millstone around your neck!" SFC Howell ordered and then went to the next one.

"You're part Indian. What tribe do you belong?" SFC Howell asked.

"I'm from Poland," he corrected.

"Are you contradicting me, you piece of shit!" SFC Howell shouted.

"No, Drill Sergeant," he backed down.

"Give me your Indian war cry!" SFC Howell demanded.

"Drill Sergeant?" he asked confused.

"Your Indian war cry, Private Chief," SFC Howell clarified and then proceeded to give him a mock version of it.

Private Chief then gave his own version. "That didn't scare me, work on it," SFC Howell told him.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant," he replied.

"What is your animal spirit?" he asked another. "Are you a gardener snake, a chipmunk, a dancing bear!"

"No, Drill Sergeant," he said.

"Are you contradicting me?" SFC Howell asked with a crazed expression.

"No, Drill Sergeant," he replied.

"Do you identify as a dolphin?" SFC Howell asked.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" he shouted.

"We can arrange to give you a dorsal fin and fuse your legs together, so you flop around on the floor. I can even arrange to give you a hole in the middle of your neck. Would you like that, private?" SFC Howell asked.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" he said to be agreeable.

"Private Dolphin, it is," SFC Howell concluded.

"What the fuck?" Alex muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Who said that? Who the fuck said that!" SFC Howell raged.

"I said it, Drill Sergeant," Alex said calmly.

SFC Howell went over to Alex and suddenly realized she was the only white woman in the group. "Well...no shit," he said as he sized her up. "What do we got here? I think we got ourselves a young colt. Private Colt, I like you. You can come over to my house and fuck my sister," he said pissed off.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" Alex shouted enthusiastically.

"You, eyeballing me, Private Colt?" SFC Howell asked accusingly.

"No, Drill Sergeant!" Alex replied.

"Are you in love with me, Private Colt?" SFC Howell antagonized.

"No, Drill Sergeant!" Alex replied as she tried to keep her military bearing.

"Oh, you don't think I look good in my uniform?" SFC Howell asked offended.

"The Drill Sergeant looks fabulous in his uniform!" Alex mocked.

"Do you suck dicks?" he asked her.

"No, Drill Sergeant!" Alex said honestly.

"Why the fuck not? Are you queer? Do you have a girlfriend?" SFC Howell asked her.

Alex hesitated but decided to get it all out. "Yes, Drill Sergeant!" she said finally.

"Guess again, Jody is banging her right now. Get on your face and give me twenty-five for every time she gets fucked this month!" SFC Howell ordered, not taking her seriously. "Down on your face!"

Alex reluctantly got down and started doing push-ups as SFC Howell went to the next private. "Where the hell are you from, private?" he demanded.

"Texas, Drill Sergeant," he replied.

"Holy dog-shit, only steers and queers come from Texas, Private Cowboy," SFC Howell declared and then moved to the next one.

"What's your name, fat-body?" he asked a particularly fat-looking private.

"Chuck Taine," he replied.

"From now on, your Private Raider. Do you know why, Private Raider?" SFC Howell asked.

"Because I raid the fridge?" he assumed.

"That's right, Private Raider. I'm going to give you three seconds, three fucking seconds, to pull in that gut or I will eye gouge you and skull-fuck you," SFC Howell threatened.

Private Raider tried as he could to suck in his gut without success. "Any fucking time now," SFC Howell demanded impatiently.

"I'm trying," Private Raider said pathetically.

"Bullshit, get on your knees and give me twenty-five for every potato chip you ate this morning," SFC Howell ordered. Private Raider attempted to do a push-up, but his gut was larger than his arm-length. In his struggle, Private Raider began to spin on his gut on the floor. "That's enough! Get on your feet! You best square yourself away or I will definitely fuck you up."

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" he said fatigued.

Kelly

While Alex was being treated as an anonymous private, Kelly was in a bright air-conditioned classroom and was treated with respect and dignity by her instructors. "Today, we went over the failure of democracy and how social scientists brought our world to the brink of chaos. And then our queen took control seven years ago and brought stability to the world ever since," Major Ironside lectured.

Kelly raised her eyebrows at that but kept her mouth shut. "You, why are only Earth citizens allowed to vote?" Major Ironside asked a random student.

"The queen mercifully granted it to us as a reward for service," he said.

"No, no, something given to you has no value. When you exercise political authority, you are using force, which is violence, the supreme authority upon which all authority is derived," Major Ironside said.

"Certainly, there are alternative solutions to violence," Kelly brought up.

"Naked force has resolved more issues throughout history than any other factor," Major Ironside rebuked. "Cadet Olsen, what is the difference between a citizen and a non-citizen?"

"So, then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household," Kelly quoted Ephesians.

"Exact words from the text," Major Ironside said pleased. "But do you understand it? Do you believe it?"

"Absolutely," Kelly said, playing along.

Alex

During the week, Alex was the best in PT and the obstacle course despite being in a class of just men. She couldn't help but notice that she was taller than most of them and that their masculine features were not nearly as pronounced. "Private Colt, are you a life-saver?" SFC Howell asked of her as she navigated an obstacle.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" she replied as she easily got through it.

Private Raider had a much harder time. "Get your fat-ass over that bar," SFC Howell chided him as he could barely jump up and get his gut onto the bar in the first place. "Oh, don't put any effort into it, Private Raider. If God wanted you to get up there, He would have miracled your ass up there by now. Get your fat-ass up there! I bet if there was some pussy up there, you could get up there."

Alex went to do pull-ups next. "One for Africa...one for the world...one for the queen," SFC Howell counted off. Alex intentionally refused to do the third one and jumped down. "I guess the queen don't get there," SFC Howell said displeased as Alex went to the next obstacle.

"Get up there, Raider. Pull, Raider, pull! One pull-up, Raider! You got to be shitting me. Get your ass up there! You telling me you can't do a single pull up? You are a worthless piece of shit, Raider. Get out of my face!" SFC Howell said outraged as Private Raider failed in every attempt.

Alex easily climbed up a wooden ladder and went over to the other side. Private Raider had difficulty getting up and even more difficulty trying to get over to the other side to go down. "Get up here, fatboy! Quickly! Move it up, Raider! Move it up! You climb obstacles like old people fuck. Private Raider, whatever you do, don't fall down! That would break my fucking heart!" SFC Howell chided as he got up to the top.

Private Raider then looked around uncertain as to how to get his gut over the ladder. "What in the fuck are you waiting for, Private Raider? Get up and over!" SFC Howell ordered.

Private Raider merely shook his head fearfully. "Are you quitting on me? Then quit, you, slimy, fucking, walrus-looking piece of shit! Get the fuck off of my obstacle! Now! Move it! I'm going to rip your balls off so you can't contaminate the rest of the world!" SFC Howell shouted outraged.

After the obstacle course, the platoon went on a run with Private Raider falling behind. Alex helped him as much as she could but even he was too much for her to carry. "Were you born a fat piece of shit, Raider, or did you have to work on it?" SFC Howell asked rhetorically. "Are you going to die on me, Raider? Do it now! You're so fat that even if you had a hard-on, no one would see it"

Alex and some of the others had to help carry Raider through a lake a mud to finish off the day.

Kelly

Kelly's class visited the medical clinic on base and found three patients with serious injuries. They were escorted around by Major Ironside. One was a male with a broken arm with a serious open-part fracture. "What happened to you, son?" Major Ironside asked.

"I challenged my Drill Sergeant in combatives," he said.

"Nice," Major Ironside approved.

"Sir, how are Drill Sergeants selected?" Kelly asked curiously.

"A physical agility test, university degree, high IQ score, and a clean moral record. The position is temporary and voluntary, only for enlisted personnel," Major Ironside explained.

Kelly gave a shocked and appalled look as she saw a female recruit with a severely bruised neck. "What happened to you?" she asked her.

"I got tapped out when my Drill Sergeant put his knee to my throat," she admitted embarrassed.

"Is this really okay?" Kelly asked.

"Combative training implies consent. They'll both be fine within a few minutes," Major Ironside said unconcernedly.

To her surprise, both recruits were healed and ready to go, perfectly healed. The last patient had a stabbed wound to his hand. "What happened to you, recruit?" Major Ironside asked him.

"I…accidentally stabbed myself," he lied.

"You know that neglect towards your body is a punishable offense?" Major Ironside asked him.

"Yes, Sir. I'll be more careful next time, Sir," he said.

As the class continued through the medical bay, Kelly questioned Major Ironside on the situation. "He's obviously lying. His Drill Sergeant must have done that to him."

"Possibly, but we're not here to investigate, we're here to listen, nurture, and heal. And we do that by understanding what motivates these recruits. This recruit doesn't want to create a fuss. He wants to learn and graduate," Major Ironside said.

The class then toured the showering systems which were trailers since the buildings hadn't been built yet. Inside, men and women showered together as if it were nothing. Kelly stared, blinked, and stared as she realized what was happening. "Sir, putting men and women together in the showers could lead to sexual harassment, even sexual assault," Kelly said to Major Ironside.

"If it does, punishment will be swift," Major Ironside replied.

"But how do you know unless the victim comes forth with evidence?" Kelly asked.

"Oftentimes, we don't know for sure. But there are drones swarming around this place, perfectly impersonating human beings. If there's a predator out here, the drones will find him or her," Major Ironside said.

"Wow, that's a total invasion of privacy," Kelly said amazed.

"Only for the guilty. I just assume I'm being watched all the time. Some of our recruits have paranoia. You will all have to deal with that," he said to the class. "Now, Cadet Olsen, give me something I can give a shit about?"

"Sir, men and women showering together could create sinful lust. For whomever even looks upon a woman with lust has committed adultery," Kelly quoted.

"Excellent, Cadet Kelly," Major Ironside said pleased. "We're working on it," he assured her. "But let us not assume that all lust is opposite-sex related," he said to the class.

Kelly gave an awkward look wondering if she had already been found out.

Alex

The next morning, SFC Howell called out Alex and Private Cowboy. "Private Colt, Private Cowboy, I want you to clean the latrines. I want the latrines so sanitary and squared away that the queen, herself, would be proud to go in there and take a dump."

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" they both shouted.

"Private Colt, do you believe in the queen's divine right?" SFC Howell tested.

"Negative, Drill Sergeant," Alex rolled her eyes.

"Well...Private Colt, I don't think I heard you correctly," SFC Howell said pissed off.

"The private said negative, Drill Sergeant," Alex repeated herself.

"You, little maggot. You make me want to vomit. You best sound off that you love the queen, or I will stomp your guts out," SFC Howell threatened. "Now, you do love the queen, don't you?"

"Negative, Drill Sergeant!" Alex said fearlessly.

"Private Colt, are you trying to offend me?" SFC Howell accused.

"Negative, Drill Sergeant. I will not reverse myself," Alex replied.

"Well...no shit. I like your honesty. You can be my new squad leader," SFC Howell said impressed. "Private Raider!" he called over. "Private Colt is your new squad leader. She will teach you everything, she will teach you how to pee!"

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" Private Raider replied.

"Private Colt is silly and she's ignorant, but she's got guts and guts is enough," SFC Howell declared.

"Fuck me," Alex realized.

Alex proceeded to teach Chuck how to tie his laces correctly, how to get up and over the ladder, how to make his bed, and how to navigate the obstacle course perfectly. While Chuck never got thinner, he did better with his training under Alex's patient guidance. Finally, they started working on medical training.

"It is your nurturing instinct that must be harnessed if you expect to save any lives. Your tourniquets and bandages are only tools. It is the heart that saves lives. If your nurturing instincts are not clean and strong, you will hesitate at the moment of truth. You will not save. You will have a dead patient and then you will be in a world of shit. Because your patients are not allowed to die without permission!" SFC Howell told them. "Do you maggots understand?"

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" they all shouted.

During an inspection, SFC Howell discovered that Private Raider's footlocker was not secured. "Why is your footlocker unlocked?" he demanded.

"I don't know, Drill Sergeant," Private Raider said lamely.

SFC Howell proceeded to dump Private Raider's footlocker of all its contents. "Holy Jesus, what is that? What the fuck is that?" he demanded of Private Raider.

"A jelly doughnut, Drill Sergeant," Private Raider answered.

"A jelly doughnut? You're not allowed to take anything back from the mess hall! You're not allowed to be eating jelly doughnuts! And do you know why? Because you're a disgusting fat body, Private Raider. You have dishonored yourself and the platoon," SFC Howell raged. He then turned to the rest of the platoon. "You people have not given Private Raider the proper motivation. From now on, whenever Private Raider fucks up, I will not punish him. I will punish all of you!"

SFC Howell proceeded to "smoke" the fuck out of everyone in the platoon except for Private Raider who was made to eat the doughnut in front of everyone.

Kelly

Major Ironside addressed a group of infantry recruits. At his side were his cadets silently listening. "So, you all were stupid enough to join the infantry. What's your excuse?" he asked one of them.

"I come from a family of farmers. I hate farming. Infantry life is a picnic compared to back home," he said.

"What about you?" he asked one woman.

"I'm going into politics and having veteran status will help with that," she said.

"You want responsibility," Major Ironside realized. "Keep it going," he ordered another.

"I want to go to Harvard. Having veteran status will help with the admissions," he replied.

"And you?" Major Ironside asked one woman.

"I want to marry a grunt, have lots of babies, and be a dependa for life," she said enthusiastically.

"Holy shit," Major Ironside muttered but quickly recovered.

"I want to make the infantry a career," one said out of turn.

"Finally, what's your story?" he asked a disgruntled-looking young man.

"I have my own reasons, Sir," he refused.

"Well, okay then," Major Ironside smiled. "Everyone but Private Rico, here, is dismissed." The group of recruits left the room with Private Rico left behind. "You just earned yourself some mandatory counseling…on your own time," he ordered him.

"Yes, Sir," Private Rico replied and then walked off.

Kelly eyed Private Rico wondering what to make of him.

Alex

The next day, Alex worked on Chuck's uniform. "You really look like a shit," Alex muttered as his uniform was barely able to fit him.

"Everyone hates me," Chuck said mournfully.

"No one hates you, Chuck. You just keep fucking up," Alex said sympathetically.

"I can't do anything right. I need help," Chuck figured.

"I'm really trying. Tuck in your shirt," Alex instructed him.

Chuck attempted to do so only for his uniform to split open. "God damn," Alex shook her head dismayed.

Later that day, Alex and the other privates assembled and disassembled a rifle. Despite being an entirely new model Alex wasn't familiar with in her own time, she was able to quickly figure it out. As she worked on memorizing all the parts and pieces, Chuck went on and on about all the ways one could cook chicken.

"Baked chicken, slow-cooked chicken, grilled chicken, roast chicken, braised chicken, poached chicken, instant pot chicken, broiled chicken, skillet chicken, and, of course, my favorite, fried chicken," Chuck listed off.

"Done, Drill Sergeant!" Alex called out.

"Jesus Christ, this is a new company record. Disassemble your weapon and continue, Private Colt," SFC Howell ordered.

"Anyway, as I was saying, chicken is the food of...," Chuck continued.

"Shut the fuck up," she finally told him off.

Kelly

During a live-fire exercise, a recruit was killed. While the infantry was noticeably pissed off over the incident, Major Ironside saw it as an opportunity to train his cadets on the traumatized recruits. "Since you already have psychiatric experience, you'll take Private Rico," Major Ironside told her.

"Yes, Sir," Kelly replied.

Private Rico came into Major Ironside's office looking a bit shell-shocked and dumbfounded. While Major Ironside merely stared intently, Kelly asked all the questions. "Private Rico, tell me what happened," Kelly said gently.

"During a live-fire exercise, I was acting squad leader. A member of my team had a helmet malfunction. I couldn't fix it, so I told him to take it off so I could take a look at it. At the same time, another member of my team was hit by a target. She was startled, negligently discharged her weapon, and shot him in the head," Private Rico summarized.

"How do you feel about that?" Alex asked.

"I feel terrible. I feel like a failure. I'm being told I could be kicked out of the infantry and that my career is over. A man died under my command, and we haven't even engaged the enemy," he said mournfully.

"Anything else?" Kelly probed.

"Ma'am?" he asked confused.

"We know your girlfriend broke up with you the night before. Was that on your mind when you went out there?" Kelly asked.

"No, Ma'am," he denied.

"Do your parents approve of your career choice?" Kelly asked knowingly.

"No," he shook his head.

"Why did you join the infantry?" Kelly asked. "Was it to impress your girlfriend?"

Private Rico suddenly started breaking down. "I sucked at school. I couldn't be a pilot or military intelligence like my friends. I just wanted to be in the military like them and the infantry was the only job I could take. And now, my friends are gone to other places, other planets."

"Rico, you can make friends within your unit, can't you?" Kelly asked sympathetically.

"I'm thinking of just going back home," Ricco said seriously.

"You know, I know someone special to me that was a drunk, a loser, a bit of a slut, actually. But she turned herself around and made something of herself. Now, she's training in the infantry just like you. I know the both of you can succeed," Kelly told him.

"I'll do my best…but I'm scared," he said honestly.

"Of what?" Kelly wondered.

"What comes next," he said.

Private Rico came before a court martial hearing. "As it happens, there was no helmet malfunction. The deceased private simply put it on wrong. Even if he had been wearing his helmet, a direct shot at that distance wouldn't have made a difference," the presiding judge said. "Your psych evaluation and general remorse for the incident are all mitigating factors."

Private Rico stood tall awaiting the sentence. "You are to be demoted to E-1 private, extra duty, and forfeiture of your ration savings. You will also be given ten strikes of the cane," the judge ordered.

Private Rico was then brought out into the square with all the other recruits in formation with his shirt off. His arms were strung up on a bar so he couldn't move. Kelly looked on feeling rather uncomfortable about the scene.

"How would you punish Private Rico?" Major Ironside asked her upon noticing her discomfort.

"Send him to jail?" Kelly suggested.

"What does prison do? It doesn't deter, it's a waste of resources, and it wastes valuable years of a man's time rotting in a cell. Would you rather languish in a cell for 10 months or receive ten strikes in one minute?" he asked her.

"It's just…where I'm from, this is a little barbaric," Kelly replied.

"Putting a man in a cage like a zoo animal is barbaric in my book. I'm glad the queen finally ended the practice once and for all," Major Ironside said.

"So, what happens to violent criminals that shouldn't be in society?" Kelly asked.

"Like murders, rapists, child molesters?" Major Ironside asked. "They get executed. Now, for repeat offenders of petty crimes like stealing and sexual deviancy, they get exiled out of the system."

The military police approached Private Rico with glowing wands. They programmed the wand to Private Rico's height, weight, age, and sex and then struck him good ten times within a few minutes. Private Rico hissed but did not cry out as he was getting struck. He finally was lowered down, taken to the medical bed for treatment, and then reincorporated back into his unit.

"How's that for the queen's justice?" Major Ironside smiled at Kelly.

Alex

That night, disgruntled privates went toward Chuck's bunk to haze him for being a generally incompetent dumbass. As they made their way over to his bunk, Alex was on them in a flash. "What the fuck are you all doing?" she asked them.

"He's a fat fuck-up," Private Cowboy told her.

"Yeah, no shit. He's also a Vindicator and could fuck you all up," Alex pointed out.

"Wait...what?" Private Cowboy wondered.

"He's an incompetent asshole on purpose. He's a fucking spy," Alex said, having figured it out.

"Oh, shit," he said stunned.

"Just...back away," Alex told them all.

Everyone then went back to their beds and Chuck was gone the next day.

The next day, SFC Howell didn't seem to notice Chuck was gone. "The free world will conquer Africa with the aid of God and a few medics. God has a hard-on for medics because we save lives wherever we go. He has His plan. We have ours. God was before us so you can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to queen and country. Do you ladies understand?" he asked them.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" they all shouted.

Later that day, they all went to the range. SFC Howell asked random privates the names of their weapons, all female names. Eventually, he came to Alex and summoned her weapon. Alex checked the weapon and then handed it to him. "How many steps in that movement did you execute?" he asked.

"Four counts, Drill Sergeant," she replied.

"What's the idea of looking down into the chamber?" he quizzed.

"That is to guarantee that the private is not handing the inspecting officer a loaded weapon, Drill Sergeant," she answered.

"What's this rifle's name, Private Colt?" SFC Howell asked.

"The private's weapon's name is Kelly," Alex replied.

"Private Colt, you are definitely born hard...wait...what the fuck?" he wondered.

SFC Howell brought Alex off the range to the company commander's office where she met Captain Glover. "What's the problem?" he asked confused.

"No problem at all, Sir. I'm sexually attracted to women, and I named my rifle, Kelly," Alex said nonchalantly.

"That's not possible. Do you know why that's not possible? Because God doesn't make mistakes. So, if there's a problem, you must be that problem," Captain Glover told her.

"Her file, Sir," SFC Howell said as he handed it over.

Captain Glover glanced at it. "You're conscientiously objecting to our morality codes?" he asked her.

"I'm a conscientious cooperator, Sir," Alex said seriously.

"You, fucking with me, private?" Captain Glover asked confused.

"I have no problem wearing this uniform, saluting the flag, singing God save the Queen, patching up the wounded, and killing the enemy. I'm just homosexual," she replied.

"Is that all?" Captain Glover asked incredulously.

"Yes, Sir," Alex confirmed.

"It's the law of nature to be attracted to the opposite sex to continue the species," he said condescendingly.

"I'm aware of that, Sir," Alex replied.

"She can make an appointment to have her brain treated in Metropolis," SFC Howell suggested.

"Make it so, Drill Sergeant," Captain Glover nodded.

"I respectfully refuse, Sir," Alex told him. "I'm married to a woman, and I intend to remain this way for the rest of my life."

Captain Glover and SFC Howell gave WTF looks. "As long as you're in this company, under my command, you will obey my orders, period. You will follow the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, you will follow moral regulation section 157 against homosexual conduct, and you will make an appointment...to fix yourself," Captain Glover ordered.

"I have the right to freedom of speech, to privacy, to marriage equality, and you cannot force me to undergo medical treatment, Sir," Alex told him off.

"I'm going to put you in for a psychiatric discharge," Captain Glover decided.

Alex was placed before a human chaplain, a colonel. "Do you hear demonic voices in your head?" he started off.

"Wow...what the fuck?" Alex muttered.

"Does God talk to you?" the chaplain asked.

"I pray and stuff," Alex said befuddled.

"Do you regard yourself as queer?" he asked her.

"I'm different. I know that, but I'm not going to pretend I'm something I'm not," Alex replied.

"It seems lonely being the only homosexual on the planet. Are you lonely?" the chaplain asked.

"No," Alex shook her head.

"You sure you don't hear demonic voices?" the chaplain pressed.

"Look, I get it. You want to drum me out of the system and put me into a mental institution, but I'm not crazy. I'm attracted to women just as you are. It's the way I was born, and I don't believe there's anything wrong with it," Alex said defiantly.

"Did God tell you it was okay to be homosexual?" the chaplain asked her.

"Jesus says to love your neighbor as you love yourself," Alex deflected.

"Most interpret that to mean you don't fornicate with your neighbor," the chaplain said condescendingly.

"I don't fornicate with my wife, Sir. I love her with patience and kindness. I love her enough to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things together. And yes, we have sex but that isn't the core of why I am with her. It's a byproduct of my love for her, not the reason for my love for her," Alex said.

"As a good Christian, you must see that Satan will often mix truth with lies, love with sin," the chaplain reminded her.

"I know all too well," Alex said hauntedly.

The chaplain had a talk with Captain Glover. "Her religious views are unique but they're not grounds for psychiatric discharge," he concluded.

"How am I supposed to keep good moral discipline with a lesbian in my unit?" Captain Glover wondered.

"The fuck if I know," the chaplain admitted. "But she's not crazy. I mean, the standard for crazy is the queen, herself. If you're not crazier than the queen, you don't get institutionalized. Bottom line, she must be allowed to train as a combat medic."

"Well...shit," Captain Glover sighed.

Immediately, SFC Howell increased the standard for physical fitness, shooting, and medical lanes to find an excuse to discharge Alex out. To his dismay, she was the best in her class in everything. When it came to the combat medic badge, she scored 80% or higher in every physical event, qualified as an expert on the shooting range, became CPR certified...again, passed a written test, completed a land navigation course, litter obstacle course, and two dozen medical lanes. With her DEO experience and medical knowledge given to her through the Brainiac program, Alex easily surpassed her peers.

While the controversy continued, her peers in the barracks were actually sympathetic to her situation and started asking questions about Kelly and how the two of them actually did it. "Nice," all of her peers nodded with a smile at her.

After completing her medical training, but before graduation, all the soldiers were given the option to go on a pass. Lt. Col. Cooney intervened to stop Alex from going on pass. "Private Olsen, I can't authorize your pass. You're currently flagged pending UCMJ action."

"Respectfully, Sir, I put in for a pass three weeks ago to see my wife," Alex said peeved.

"Show me you can play ball with us, Private Olsen. Deny your orientation and that you're married to a woman, here and now, and I'll sign your pass," Lt. Col. Cooney offered.

"No, Sir," Alex refused.

"I'm not asking!" Lt. Col. Cooney shouted at her. "Sign this letter of understanding. That is an order from your battalion commander!"

"For God's sake, just sign the paper," Captain Glover told her.

"Refuse and I will court-martial your ass. There will be an investigation of your conduct and you will be given the cane," Lt. Col. Cooney threatened.

"I can't. I won't," Alex told him.

"Confine her to quarters," Lt. Col. Cooney ordered.

Captain Glover went to meet with Alex in her quarters. "You probably think I'm a real son-of-bitch that cares for only regulations and not his men, and you're not wrong," he told her.

"I think I hate you...Sir," Alex determined.

"May I?" he asked of her Bible. Alex handed the pocket Bible over to him. "I only converted to the faith a few years ago. Before the faith, this world was divided. This continent was divided into over fifty nations. Now, it's just one and there's been peace, prosperity, and unity on this continent for the first time in human history. And what you represent is a threat to all I hold dear."

"You live in a Christian theocracy, unified and unchallenged, with a queen and a pope that can crush any moral resistance literally. I'm not a threat to you or your way of life," Alex assured him.

"What does it say to our enemy that we allow someone like you in our ranks? What do you think it does to our discipline?" Captain Glover asked.

"I know from experience: not a damn thing," Alex replied.

"Plead guilty, throw yourself at the mercy of the court. I don't want to see you get caned and then exiled," Captain Glover said sincerely.

"I'll think about it," Alex said with false sincerity.

"Well, if I can't convince you, maybe he can," Captain Glover said and then Brainiac 5 entered her room.

"You, alright?" he asked upon noticing her hands.

"Just went a couple of rounds with the wall and lost," Alex admitted.

"If you continue this course of action as an anonymous civilian, they will cane you, discharge you, and exile you," Brainiac 5 told her.

"I'm being treated as a criminal just for being gay. And it's all your fault. Why, Barney? Why did you insist upon this morality?" Alex asked angrily.

"It is considered a defiance of sexual anatomy, against God's intention of procreation and sexual activity. It is sexual arousal with vain results. It can lead a person to abandon their family to pursue a homosexual relationship. It's simply non-procreative," Brainiac 5 replied.

"I'm not defying God. I want to have children someday. And what percentage of sexual arousal in people results in fertilization? Like, really? I'm not abandoning my family. I'm trying to create one, and I will be procreative," Alex told him.

"Meet them halfway, negotiate with them," Brainiac 5 suggested.

"I can't do that," Alex shook her head.

"This is pride and stubbornness," Brainiac 5 lectured.

"Maybe I am prideful," Alex said facing the window. "But I don't know how I could live with myself if I deny Kelly. How could Kelly ever forgive me? I so much wanted to prove to everyone that people like us can have faithful loving marriages, families, and children, and grow old together."

"You won't disappoint Kelly. You're the only woman on this planet who is like her. She will love you no matter what, whether you stick to your principles or abandon them to practicality," Brainiac 5 told her.

Alex gave her a flustered look. "Can I talk to you about the other thing?" she asked.

"Of course," Brainiac 5 replied.

Metropolis

Mara came into the palace wearing her white princess uniform. "I was summoned," she said to a Brainiac 5 drone working the receptionist's desk.

"She's in a meeting," the drone told her.

"I don't like to be kept waiting," Mara said peeved.

The drone alerted Kara to Mara's presence. Immediately, the doors opened and everyone inside the conference room was kicked out. Mara eyed Chuck Taine disgustedly as he squeezed himself through the door awkwardly. "Princess," he addressed.

"Bouncing Boy," Mara replied to him as he waddled down the hall.

"Come in," Kara said to her, also wearing a white uniform with the queen's rank.

Mara bowed her head to her mother. "What is your bidding, mother?" she asked respectfully.

"Alex has managed to create another controversy for herself," Kara rolled her eyes.

"As expected," Mara said, not surprised.

"She wants to be an anonymous soldier without the perks of being a princess. She wanted to know how the average Joe got along in my system," Kara explained.

"Aunt Alex is not blood-related. It is entirely appropriate that you give her a rank appropriate to her skills and experience," Mara said bluntly.

"My policy is to make her comfortable while she is with us in this time," Kara stared her down.

"As you wish, mother," Mara backed down.

"I've written a letter on the matter. It has the force of law. Go to the court martial in person and deliver it to the presiding judge," Kara ordered.

Mara looked over the letter and gave Kara a cold gaze. "I wonder if your thoughts on this matter are clear, mother. Perhaps, your feelings for your sister have left you...weakened."

Kara felt a mixture of amusement, pride, curiosity, and contempt for her half-Insane daughter who appeared to be challenging her. "If your convictions in this matter cannot be overcome...," she threatened.

"I will serve you, mother," Mara replied, bowing her head, and then left the room.

Africa

At her court martial trial, Alex and her defense counsel were on one side of the room. Drill Sergeant Howell, Captain Glover, and Lieutenant Colonel Cooney were on the other side. In front of them, was Colonel Stelzer. "This is a hearing into Private Olsen on the charge of identifying as a homosexual against the orders of her commanding officer. How says the defendant?" Col. Stelzer asked.

"Not guilty," Alex replied.

"What the fuck? I thought there was some kind of plea bargain going on here," Col. Stelzer asked confused.

"I changed my mind," Alex said plainly.

"Just like that? You wish to enter into a court martial?" Col. Stelzer asked stunned.

"Yes, Sir," Alex replied.

"Well, okay then. Proceed," Col. Stelzer gestured to the prosecution.

"Your Honor, Private Olsen waves her homosexuality like it were a badge of honor. She is in contempt for disobeying direct orders to either change her orientation or, at the very least, remain silent about it. Does the defendant deny disobeying direct orders?" the prosecutor asked rhetorically.

"Well?" Col. Stelzer asked Alex.

"No, Sir, I don't," Alex said flatly.

"Then, why are you even contesting this? Why is this so important to you when you could easily get an operation to fix your condition or just keep your mouth shut about it?" Col. Stelzer asked confused.

"Because I'm being asked to deny that I love my wife, that I even have a wife, to deny a part of my identity...and I took that personally," Alex replied. "I know two homosexual men that killed themselves because they were considered unfit by their families, by society. I could have taken a deferment to jump all of your ranks...but that wouldn't be right. It isn't right for people like me to be discriminated against, now, or ever. I have the energy and passion to serve as a medic, to save lives, to be in the thick of things with everyone else. I'm not trying to tear the world apart. I'm trying to put it back together," Alex said passionately.

"Well...the charges appear to be uncontestable so...," Col. Stelzer said unconvinced.

The doors opened with Mara entering the room. "Attention!" her MP escort shouted as she came in. Everyone immediately stood at attention for her. Mara gave Alex a glance and then faced Col. Stelzer.

"At ease," she said to everyone.

"What can I do for you, princess?" Col. Stelzer asked, shaken by her appearance.

"The Constitution protects freedom of speech and that includes speech identifying as...whatever," Mara told him and then gave Alex a condescending look. "East Africa is a nation of laws, is it not?"

"She has confessed to a crime: homosexual fornication, and an invalid homosexual marriage," Col. Stelzer brought up.

Mara reluctantly took out a signed letter and handed it to him. She then glanced at Alex and exited the room feeling morally conflicted and uncomfortable with the situation. Col. Stelzer opened the letter and read it out loud. "The defendant's freedom of speech to identify as a homosexual woman is absolute, and she cannot be compelled to waive this right. The defendant's homosexual marriage is protected under the Constitution's ex-post facto prohibition. The defendant's homosexual sexual conduct now and forever is pardoned. Signed, Queen Kara Zor-El."

"I withdraw charges," Lt. Col. Cooney said quickly, positively spooked by Kara's intervention.

"This case is dismissed. Private Olsen, you are free to run into hellfire. You may return to your duties and graduate as a medic," Col. Stelzer ruled.