keep them from overrunning the ship. We didn’t have particle beam weapons at the time, and our Pulse blasters were overheating.”
“Tim’s laser canon overheated on the ship, and he came out to cover the rescue with his pulse blaster. The kid didn’t even have any armor on,” Jake said, shaking his head at the recollection. “He may be young looking, but he’s been to hell.”
“Where was your air support?”
“On the other side of the planet with First Division. They joined the party a little late. We underestimated them, and they made us pay the price for a long time.”
“How could one Queen birth so many?” Adrian asked. “You did say there was only one Queen, right?”
“The scientists on the command ship studied the corpses we dragged out of there for their labs. They told us eventually how these things could keep coming in the thousands. The Queen created more eggs in times of threat to the Bugs. Somehow, the Queen could sense if its colony’s existence was in danger of extinction. She would then go into a super procreation mode. The maturation time accelerated too. That was the way they finally located her nest.”
“So, that’s when you met Tim?”
“Yep,” Jake answered. “Russell, Stassinas, and Corey were all on Omaha too. They crew on the Tennyson, and they all did time on one of the Drop Ships we had flying back and forth from Omaha’s surface. Thousands of our casualties happened during the time we were learning the way they attacked. The Bugs could come up right underneath our troops, and disappear before the cruisers could vaporize them.”
“You were telling me about Tim. He came out after his gun went bad on the ship without armor, to cover the men coming aboard.”
Jake nodded. “Yea, the cruiser finally made it to the action, and began wiping out the Bugs. They disappeared underground, as usual, but one came up underneath Tim, knocking him twenty feet in the air. He lost consciousness when he hit the ground. I made it to the Bug before it made it to Tim. I pulled him up on my back, and headed full tilt back to the Drop Ship, with my squad covering us. Tim came to while I was boarding. We had already met, but he and I were pretty close after that. We’ve kept in touch. He came to visit me on the Med ship a couple of times before I was shipped out. Imagine my surprise when I saw him aboard the Tennyson about six months before I met you. He introduced me to the other vets from Omaha.”
“Jake, did they make any vid discs of the war on Omaha? I’d like to see them, if I can get a hold of any.”
Jake smiled, and shook his head with a look of resignation. “Funny you should mention that. When rumor began circulating, a board of inquiry would be convened at base over the way the war was handled, somehow all record of the battles disappeared.”
“So much for research, but still a great story, Jake. I better get you the package the General gave to Tim. You’re supposed to see it first.” Adrian went to retrieve the package while Jake began dressing. She returned with the packet, and handed it to Jake.
“I’ll be right back,” Jake said, going into the other room. There were three discs in the packet, and one said see first, eyes only, Major Matthews. One was marked Lieutenant Byers, while the third disc label read Starship Troopers. Jake sat down at his desk, putting on the audio headset attached to the viewer. He put in the first disc. General Risling’s face appeared, and Jake heard his familiar voice.
“Well Major, I have a surprise for you,” Risling began with a smile, Jake did not think had anything to do with happiness. “Here’s what I want you to do. Take this old movie, Starship Troopers, on board the Tennyson, and play it for the ship’s crew. Make sure everyone gets to see it. I want you to comment on it to the ship’s crew after everyone has had a chance to see it together. I think you’ll understand why after you see it.”
Risling paused,
“Tim’s laser canon overheated on the ship, and he came out to cover the rescue with his pulse blaster. The kid didn’t even have any armor on,” Jake said, shaking his head at the recollection. “He may be young looking, but he’s been to hell.”
“Where was your air support?”
“On the other side of the planet with First Division. They joined the party a little late. We underestimated them, and they made us pay the price for a long time.”
“How could one Queen birth so many?” Adrian asked. “You did say there was only one Queen, right?”
“The scientists on the command ship studied the corpses we dragged out of there for their labs. They told us eventually how these things could keep coming in the thousands. The Queen created more eggs in times of threat to the Bugs. Somehow, the Queen could sense if its colony’s existence was in danger of extinction. She would then go into a super procreation mode. The maturation time accelerated too. That was the way they finally located her nest.”
“So, that’s when you met Tim?”
“Yep,” Jake answered. “Russell, Stassinas, and Corey were all on Omaha too. They crew on the Tennyson, and they all did time on one of the Drop Ships we had flying back and forth from Omaha’s surface. Thousands of our casualties happened during the time we were learning the way they attacked. The Bugs could come up right underneath our troops, and disappear before the cruisers could vaporize them.”
“You were telling me about Tim. He came out after his gun went bad on the ship without armor, to cover the men coming aboard.”
Jake nodded. “Yea, the cruiser finally made it to the action, and began wiping out the Bugs. They disappeared underground, as usual, but one came up underneath Tim, knocking him twenty feet in the air. He lost consciousness when he hit the ground. I made it to the Bug before it made it to Tim. I pulled him up on my back, and headed full tilt back to the Drop Ship, with my squad covering us. Tim came to while I was boarding. We had already met, but he and I were pretty close after that. We’ve kept in touch. He came to visit me on the Med ship a couple of times before I was shipped out. Imagine my surprise when I saw him aboard the Tennyson about six months before I met you. He introduced me to the other vets from Omaha.”
“Jake, did they make any vid discs of the war on Omaha? I’d like to see them, if I can get a hold of any.”
Jake smiled, and shook his head with a look of resignation. “Funny you should mention that. When rumor began circulating, a board of inquiry would be convened at base over the way the war was handled, somehow all record of the battles disappeared.”
“So much for research, but still a great story, Jake. I better get you the package the General gave to Tim. You’re supposed to see it first.” Adrian went to retrieve the package while Jake began dressing. She returned with the packet, and handed it to Jake.
“I’ll be right back,” Jake said, going into the other room. There were three discs in the packet, and one said see first, eyes only, Major Matthews. One was marked Lieutenant Byers, while the third disc label read Starship Troopers. Jake sat down at his desk, putting on the audio headset attached to the viewer. He put in the first disc. General Risling’s face appeared, and Jake heard his familiar voice.
“Well Major, I have a surprise for you,” Risling began with a smile, Jake did not think had anything to do with happiness. “Here’s what I want you to do. Take this old movie, Starship Troopers, on board the Tennyson, and play it for the ship’s crew. Make sure everyone gets to see it. I want you to comment on it to the ship’s crew after everyone has had a chance to see it together. I think you’ll understand why after you see it.”
Risling paused,
Similar Books
