Eric Spears

Sitting down on the bed in the transient quarters, Eric stared at the wall screen. It was showing the New Rome skyline at sunset. A link request came in from Colonel Spears. Wincing Eric reached for the VR headset and slipped it over his head.

When he initiated the link he appeared in Colonel Spear’s office. The deep space background had the effect of making him feel smaller and more insignificant than he usually was.

Eric stood at attention and rendered a salute. He was in dress uniform.

“Commando Spears reporting as ordered,” Eric said. His eyes focused on the background behind the colonel.

The Colonel remained sitting, staring at Eric. After what seemed like several minutes the Colonel stood and returned Eric’s salute.

Dropping his arm Eric stood at attention while the Colonel sat down.

Frozen and staring at the wall behind the Colonel Eric waited for the tongue lashing he knew was coming.

The Colonel sighed.

“Brawling in a bar?” the Colonel finally asked.

Eric opened his mouth to explain. Then closed it. The Colonel had to have seen the recordings.

“Yes sir,” Eric said.

An uncharacteristic chuckle escaped from the Colonel.

“I thought I taught you not to hit girls?” the Colonel said.

“I did not know she was girl until the mask was removed sir,” Eric said.

The Colonel shrugged.

“Don’t brawl in bars,” the Colonel said. “Sit down. Consider yourself punished. Since I’m not in your chain of command though, your other officers might have more to say. You aren’t off the hook with them.”

“Aye, sir,” Eric said.

The Colonel took off his coat, and the meeting became informal.

“For a blood alcohol content that high, you kicked ass,” Uncle Mike said.

“Thank you sir,” Eric said, sitting down and trying to relax. He would have to find out what the BAC had been. It couldn’t have been that high with just two drinks. Could it? Eric remembered how the floor had been moving though.

“Couldn’t have happened to nicer people,” Uncle Mike said with a half smile.

“Sir?” Eric asked and the Colonel laughed.

“Having committed such a crime they were investigated more fully,” the Colonel said. “They were pawns of a local UE agent, intent on stirring up trouble. A team has been dispatched to arrest that provocateur. Those thugs were put to the task of beating up some Republic military personnel. They were just stupid enough to pick on Marines. They were promised full legal protection by the person who betrayed them.”

“That was fast sir,” Eric said. He had just gotten back to the barracks and already an investigation was reaching final stages?

Uncle Mike nodded.

“Well,” Uncle Mike said. “The wheels of justice move fast in the Republic, especially when violence, subversion and war are involved.”

“Will this impact my chances to be selected for the mission into UE space, Sir?” Eric asked.

“I don’t know,” Uncle Mike said. “Your name hasn’t reached me yet. I’m on the final selection board. You still have three other selection boards to deal with and the Major’s approval.”

“Major, sir?” Eric asked.

“The Marine Commander of the mission will be Major Serenity Moore,” Uncle Mike said. “You didn’t hear that from me and may consider it super classified, but she has final say in the matter and she can override anyone else. Her executive officer will be a first lieutenant Marcus Tucker. They are both top notch Marines but the Major has final say since she will be in command of the unit for the next five years.”

“Aye, sir,” Eric said.

“But that is something neither of us can control at this point,” the Colonel said. “I just wanted you to know what Republic Intelligence has discovered and how it relates to you. Don’t expect to see anything in the news. Those thugs are going to spend some time at a rehabilitation camp.”

“Thank you sir,” Eric said.

“Also,” the Colonel said. “Good job on getting rank five with drone fighter operations. Now you have everything you need for the next phase of selection.”

“Thank you, sir,” Eric said feeling the relief.

A message appeared in Eric’s queue from Lieutenant Bishop, asking for an immediate meeting in his VR office.

“I’ll let you go then,” the Colonel standing up.

Eric stood, saluted and transfered to the Lieutenant’s VR for what was likely to be another ass chewing.

The battle covered walls stared back at Eric as he stood there at attention. Before him and behind his desk sat Lieutenant Bishop. Also in the VR was Bass and Hansen. Standing there at attention, his hand raised in salute, Eric could only assume they were waiting for Wilson.

Seconds later Wilson appeared.

“Commando Wilson reporting as ordered, sir,” Wilson said with a salute.

The Lieutenant remained silent looking at them. Finally he stood up and returned the salutes and as one the commandos put their arms down.

“That was a short and very decisive fight,” the Lieutenant said looking at them. It was hard to read his emotions but there was an edge in his voice.

The commandos remained silent.

The lieutenant sat down and looked at his screen.

“It is very bad policy for Marines to be involved in street brawls,” the Lieutenant said, his eyes glued to the screen. Eric wondered if there was something there or the lieutenant was just acting, either way Eric thought silence was the best policy.

“Turns out, oddly enough, that you aren’t responsible,” the Lieutenant said looking back at them.

It sounded like Hansen let out a sigh of relief.

“Which doesn’t mean you are off the hook and I’m still canceling your liberty pass,” the Lieutenant said looking up at them.

Which didn’t bother Eric so much, but he knew that the others might be severely disappointed.

“Without going into excruciating details,” the Lieutenant said. “You’ve been set up. Recordings of your vicious assault on innocent civilians have been released. You have all been identified and there are certain elements that would like a piece of you for what you did.”

“We were defending ourselves,” Wilson said.

“You still struck first,” the Lieutenant said. Holding up his hand to forestall a response he looked at Wilson.

“I saw the footage that the Rock Republic provided,” the Lieutenant said. “They pulled back their fists to attack you and that is all you needed. Marines are taught to strike first, fast, hard and keep right on hitting until the threat is eliminated, which is what all of you did. Exceptionally well.”

The Lieutenant’s eyes fell on Eric.

“Despite whatever condition you may have been in,” the Lieutenant amended, looking directly at Eric.

Eric said nothing and remained still, his body locked at the position of attention.

“The civilians you pulped were mostly kids,” the Lieutenant said. “They were also wired for video and audio. Whoever set it up had a team ready, willing and able to use that footage making it looked like you attacked the kids. Interestingly enough, in the video released showing your hateful aggression, the kids did not have on masks, nor were they acting aggressively.”

“Shit,” Wilson whispered.

The Lieutenant looked at Wilson.

“Correct,” the Lieutenant said. “So now, spread out everywhere in social media is a picture of you Marines beating the crap out of some sweet innocent kids. It came out less than twenty minutes after the fight and it has gone viral throughout the social media outlets.”

“Why not release the original footage, sir?” Bass asked.

The Lieutenant nodded like he expected that question.

“They released first,” the Lieutenant said. “You all know what it will look like if we release the footage? It will look like we doctored it to show the kids were masked and aggressive. Republic Intelligence is pursuing those who staged it, but regardless of what they find or what we do, there are factions that will not believe or accept what we tell them. They are making a really big stink about big bad Marines punching out innocent young school girls.”

The Lieutenant’s eyes fell on Eric and he remembered the first person he had punched had been a girl and he had broken her jaw.

“That was only two hours ago, sir,” Wilson said.

“And your point commando?” Lieutenant Bishop asked.

“It isn’t right, sir,” Wilson said.

“No,” Bishop said. “It isn’t. But for your safety you will have to return to Wolf Station and we will have to carefully evaluate your off station liberty going forward. Hopefully it will be forgotten in a few weeks.”

“Aye, sir,” the Marines said.

“Pro-peace factions are growing daily,” Bishop said. “I understand they want peace and when people want something enough they tend to ignore any truth or facts they find inconvenient to their desire. If the Republic started the war, we can just as quickly stop it is how they think. If we did not start it then we can’t stop it and they just want the war ended. It is understandable they don’t want to look up at the sky fearing a nuclear strike coming at the planet near light speed. Fear and uncertainty make people dangerous and unpredictable. Our enemies will play to that fear and their ignorance of reality. It is a time honored tradition to use the poorly educated and gullible to tear apart an enemy culture.”

Bishop’s eyes roved over the Marines again and he sighed.

“You are dismissed gentlemen,” Bishop said. “Try to stay out of trouble. I’ve already spoken with the CO and this is as high as it will go with you. I want to see you back here on Wolf Station ASAP. I think there is a shuttle leaving in an hour.”

“Aye, Sir,” the Marines said.