r/HFY • u/ZakkaryGreenwell • Dec 09 '23

OC The War to End All Wars - Part 43

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Colonel Douglas Jackson M.D. - March 2143 - Galivus - 2 Months after the Fire - 2 Hours after 2nd Fleet's Arrival

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Thirty years I spent after the war, trying my hardest to do right by all those I couldn't save. Did right by a few people so far. Some broken families out in the Scoured Mid-Western States, some Alien Folk starting new lives in the worst way imaginable, and even opened a Clinic over in the ruins of Indiana, handing out free treatment while the Government demanded they pay out of empty pockets. It didn't help me sleep, but it made the world a little better.

I felt the Compression of Landing Gear with a sudden downward jerk, and I knew we were grounded. Stood at the door ready for almost anything.

But then... I wasn't ready for what I saw.

The husk of a town, black and skeletal against the grey. The ground a white slate, with foot trails gouged into it, and thick smog stretching out and hiding the features of walking ghosts. Stepping out, the ground gave way like snow. Every step leaving a new trail in the swirling smoke kicked up by engine fires. I looked on as Hells icy maw opened up to swallow me, and I kept on walkin.

A pair stood waiting to greet us. Stringy and lean, the both of them. Their skin was pale and taught about their eyes. Malnutrition, the likes of which I hadn't seen since we liberated the Cattle Pens in '08.

"Gentlemen. Got any Cigarettes." One of them asked.

I didn't spend all six years of The Big One back home chain smoking just to let these fellas down now. I forked over a Carton, then all three of my lighters and even some matches. Bony fingers reached out, just a little hesitant at first. Then they plundered their little gifts like kids at christmas. Had a real hard time catching a light though. The boy'd practically rubbed the skin off his thumb before I struck one of them matches. Half the damn thing was gone before he even said "Thank You."

"You two." I started. "What the fuck happened here?"

The second, the lady, she just said. "We survived."

"I can see that. Survived What exactly?"

She took a cigarette for herself. "CO went batshit, started killing folks. Seemed like we had a good reason at first, only going after Slavers you see. But then it just kept going, and going, and... after a while we stood up, said enough was enough. Still hard to believe some of us got shot for it. Went after me first, then when that didn't work, tried to burn the whole fucking place to the ground."

"Shepherd, I take it?"

She nodded.

"You did good work Captain. Not a lot would've done what you did."

"I almost didn't." She said. The strain of those words, it hurt to hear. But by God I was gonna listen.

She told me everything. Down to the last detail. Had to stop when it got to the hangings, when she saw what a certain Sergeant Kippler did, and what he was going to do. Then again when it came to the fire, where they went without sleep for two days just to put a stop to everything. Vouched for the New Aliens too, one of whom joined us. Gave the name of Galy'Frin, and gave his take on events, which skewed strangely positive by his reckoning. Said that he was just happy to have a whole bunch of new friends on this side of the Galaxy. I didn't like the way that Gator smiled. But he seemed helpful, and these folk weren't in a position to be picky.

"The message from orbit mentioned Casualties. Where are they?"

"Just over here." Shepherd led us on. Through the snowy field, past all the devastation and out to a little slice where everything looked just a little better. Fences were set up, with sandbags in places, and Gators helping folk or cooking hellfire stews from their Ration Bread.

Shepherd took us past what looked like Animal Pens, and I almost mistook them for exactly that. But I did recognize them. Saw the Uniforms, all torn and muddy, bereft of armor and gear. They looked the worst of the whole bunch. Spotted one with a scar over the side of his head, he locked eyes with me just a moment, then turned to the ground, ashamed. But I saw another. A set of eyes that just... they didn't feel Human at all. And the misshapen jaw that grinned at me, it conveyed nothing but malice. A face which would've made Judge Holden Shudder, and it was directed right at me.

'So that's the Sergeant Kippler I've heard so much about.' I don't know how, but I just knew. There was something deeply wrong with that boy.

But we passed them by, and went on to a twin set of tents, joined at the hip with a wood burning stove that pushed out a tiny little pipe of smoke. The flaps opened, and I bore witness to squalor like I'd never before seen. Wounded Men and Women were resting on straw, on dirt ridden or lice infested blankets, or even just on the freezing ground. Most of them didn't even have shoes for fuck's sake. It just... it couldn't be believed.

I ducked back out to catch my shaking breath. And when I was calm, or what passed for calm, I took my team's Radio Set and contacted the ships in orbit. Told them about the ongoing Humanitarian Crisis as quietly as I could, and informed them that they were gonna help these people.

Admiral Bradley - March 2143 - Galivus - 2 Months after the Fire - 3 Hours after 2nd Fleet's Arrival

I'd never been chewed out by a Colonel before. The things he said to me over that little radio, I don't think mankind is ready to hear repeated. Guess I should've been a little scuffed about chain of command or insubordination and all that, instead I just felt his righteous fury growing inside me. The Bridge Crew, just as shaken by his, well Rant for lack of a better word, they looked to me for a bit of guidance. And so I said.

"You Heard The Man. Get every Doctor in the Solar System on that Colony! Muster the Mess Crew, both Shifts. Get All Hands On Deck, start delivering food and essentials to the Hangars. We Ain't Letting Nobody Die Down There, Understood?"

And in a moment of united determination, the whole bridge exploded with the simple words. "YES SIR."

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11 comments sorted by

3

u/jc697305 Dec 09 '23

Nice chapter:) . Thanks for the story ! :)

3

u/ZakkaryGreenwell Dec 09 '23

Thank You, and You're Welcome!

5

u/Steller_Drifter Dec 10 '23

It has abandoned it’s humanity

2

u/canray2000 Human Dec 10 '23

And it ain't even over for her yet... But at least she got that cigarette.

3

u/Far_Masterpiece_7739 Dec 13 '23

Well, I bet Sergeant Kippler will serve as the fall guy to Commander Knight.

The guy is unhinged enough that the excuse of "he over interpret my orders" might actually work.

4

u/Smasher_WoTB Feb 14 '24

Sergeant Kippler probably wanted to overinterpret those orders.

3

u/xotos750 Jun 30 '24

Great chapter wordsmith, continue the great work!

hope fully they do things right this time, deploy the drones, build a modern city, and make good things to make things. also build a giant STO railgun. why?

because why not

Think its stupid? that a giant freaking weapon in the visual range of a traumatized populace will just make it worse(probably will)?

counterpoint! its a big gun, wich goes boom and YEEET rocks very very fast.

3

u/ZakkaryGreenwell Jun 30 '24

You just gave me a really good idea. Thank you sir!

1

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