Lt. Jan Maico marched down the hall. Her uniform clean and pressed as per the military’s regulations, and bright red hair cut short also per regulations. Every step, every motion she preformed said “Military.” As she turned the corner she encountered her friend, Lt. Eric Salbre, nearly bumping into him.
“Whoa, there Red. Were are you headed too?” Lt. Salbre asked as he grabbed at Lt. Maico’s shoulders out of instinct.
“Capt. Booker has ordered me to his Ready Room. Something about a special mission.” Replied Lt. Maico as she deftly navigated her way out of Lt. Salbre’s grip. “Sorry I can’t stay and chat, but as you saw I am in a rush. I’ll see you in the Mesh for lunch, ok.” Before Lt. Salbre could reply she had already headed off.
Lt. Maico stopped just out side the Captain’s door. She took a moment to make sure her uniform was to regulations, straitening her sleep cuffs and checking each button. When she was finally content with her appearance she pressed the button to announce herself. After a second the door opens and Lt. Maico enters.
The Captain sat at his desk looking over a folder. Lt. Maico stood at attention until Captain Booker acknowledged her presence. “At ease, Lt., as I’m sure you have already figured out, I have an assignment for you. Do you know anything about the solar system we are presently in?”
Trying her best to hide her surprise at such an unusual question to be asked of a solider with no training in navigating or planetary studies, Lt. Maico began reciting facts. “Well, sir, it’s a consists of a single star with 9 orbiting planets, with an asteroid belt dividing the inner 4 from the outer 5. Due the asteroid belt long range scan have always been fuzzy, so nobody ever bothered to investigate the inner planets…..”
“Yes, yes I see you read the facts given in the assignment papers. What I’m about too tell you hasn’t been entered in the standard school books.” Capt. Booker handed the folder to Lt. Maico. “It appears the third planet is actually inhabited.”
Lt. Maico studied the folder’s contents, reviling neither interest nor disinterest. “Sir, Permission to speak freely?”
“Granted.”
“What does the military, or for that matter, the Government, want with some underdeveloped planet with no real resources to speak off, no useful technological advancements, or military use?”
“Excellent question, the answer is ‘NEED TOO KNOW.’ Which, as it would seem, you do. Read this.” The Captain handed Lt. Maico another holder, this one with the words “TOP SECRET” stamped across the cover.
As Lt. Maico read the contents she realized why this planet was of such interest to the Captain. According to the file the third planet, which was called ‘Earth’ by its inhabitants, though undeveloped, held one of the most precious recourses in the known universe. Earth had a Clairvoyant.
“Your mission starts at 0600 houses, I suggest you get some sleep.” With this Lt. Maico saluted and left. Her mind wondering how such a backwater planet could have developed a Clairvoyant.
************************
An alarm blares, followed by a sudden BAM, as Kyle roles over in his bed. “Dude your gonna be late again if you don’t get up.” His roommate, Myles, told him, as he was finishing up brushing his teeth.
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Replied Kyle as he reluctantly got out of bed.
After a quick shower and getting dressed, Kyle grabbed his bag and left with his roommate. As he stepped outside of the dorm Kyle looked up at the sky, almost searching for something. The two friends began walking towards the building their classes were located. As they neared the University Center, Kyle veered off the path and headed to the UC’s main doors.
“Hey Kyle Miss another class and you’ll be too far behind to catch up!” Called Myles looking back.
“Oh don’t worry, I want some breakfast before class, don’t worry I won’t miss today.” Kyle lied; he clearly had no intention to go to class today. Myles just shook his head as he keep walking to his class.
As Kyle entered the cafeteria he noticed his friends, Tyler and Jamie, sitting at a table. He simply grabbed a small jug of milk, paid, and headed over. “Hey guys, what’s up?”
“Nothing’ much” they both replied in tandem.
“So you skipping class too?” Jamie asked.
“No, we got out early.” Kyle answered.
“Oh really? And when does this class start again?” This time it was Tyler who asked, with a bit of skepticism in his voice.
“About 5 minutes form now.” Kyle told him, mocking offense the question.
The three friends sat and talked for a few more minutes.
What!? Were am I, now? Ok it looks like I’m still in the cafeteria and there I am talking to Jamie and Tyler still so it can’t be that long form now. Ok look around what am I seeing, why am I seeing this time, this place? Hrm…nothing looks out of place. Wait that girl, damn she’s HOT oh and I love red hair. Wait she’s heading towards my table. She’s stopping God I hope I don’t say something stupid, and please God don’t let Tyler say something even stupider.
“Hey, HEY, Kyle you there?” Tyler’s face was less then two inches form Kyle’s own face.
“Whoa, dude, little space. Yeah I’m here I just had a vision.” Kyle said as he leaned as far back as he can get with the chair back in his way.
“WOW dude what’d you see?” Tyler’s look becoming very interested.
“Huh, oh well…” Just Then Kyle noticed the Red Haired Girl form his vision walking into the room. “Uh…I was your teacher, she’s giving a quiz today.”
“WHAT?? BUT THE SYLIBUS SAYS THAT THE QUIZ ISN’T UNTILL NEXT WEEK.” Tyler franticly grabbed for his bag
“Guess she changed her mind.” Kyle laughed.
After Tyler had left earshot, Jamie asked, “Dude she really giving a quiz?”
“NO.” Kyle said unable to hold back a laugh. “But there is something I want to see happen.” As he finished his sentence the Red Headed Girl walked up to his table.
“I have to speak with you.” She stated, looking almost as if she had been paid to ask that question. Kyle looked at Jamie, inquisitively.
“Well I guess I should be going. See ya later man.” Jamie said catching Kyle’s intention.
As Jamie left Kyle turned to the Red-Haired Girl, “So you wanted to talk with me?” Kyle smiled a mischievous smile.
“Not here, come with me.” She stated, Kyle thought that it sounded more like an order, rather then an offer.
“Well usually I don’t just run off with strange women, but you seem nice enough. Lead the way.” He grabbed his bag and followed after her.
************************
“UHHGG.” Kyle awoke with a splitting headache. He awoke to a blinding darkness. For a minute he just sat there, not understanding that he was in a place totally alien to anything he has ever known.
Once his mind finally pushed away the last bit of grogginess, Kyle finally noticed his surroundings. “What? Were am I? Smart move Kyle, falling for a pretty girl. DAMNIT!”
The last think he remembers is heading to a very private area on the university campus with the pretty Red-Haired Girl. “She’s obviously done something to me.”
Just then a door opens, and a single man walks in. “My name is Lt. Salbre, and you are to come with me.”
“Were?” Kyle asked as he stood up an faced the man, “and what’s with your hair, its all bristly, like grass, and its green?”
“I am a member of the Willian race. We like all sentient races in the known universe evolved to this Humanoid form. Willian’s are plants, my ‘hair’ is merely the leaves that I use to sustain myself through Photosynthesis.” Lt. Salbre stated, though Kyle wondered if the Lt. said all that to inform him or because he was ordered too. “Now as I said, you are to come with me.”
“Looook, I’m sure this is all good, and you probably spent a lot of time to get your hair like that, but funs over. Tell me what’s really going on, and get me something to eat.” Kyle demanded, though figured he wouldn’t get very far like this.
“As I said, you are to come with me. You are aboard the Battlecraft Haven’s Rain. As for what you are doing here, that will be explained later.” Lt. Salbre stated, again in a tone that made Kyle think he had merely been ordered to say it.
“Yeah, Battlecraft, sure. Ooook, um let me guess you don’t have any real proof about this though do you?” Kyle’s voice ringing with a strong tone of sarcasm.
“If its proof you want just turn around.” Lt. Salbre pressed a button on the outside of the door.
Kyle gave a ‘yeah right’ smirk and turned around. It took him about a minute to register what he was seeing. When his mind finally figured out what he was looking at, his knees nearly gave way form under him. He was in space. Truly in space. Orbiting around Saturn if it wasn’t wrong. Even as he thought this part of his mind told him that he was wrong, he couldn’t be in space.
“Yes you really are in Space.” The voice was unmistakable; it belonged to The Red-Haired Girl. “My name is Lt. Jan Maico. Welcome to Heaven. I assure you it sounds much better then it actually is. We are about to embark on a war that will most assuredly get us all killed. And you’ve just been drafted.”
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