Issue In Doubt by David Sherman Page B
Authors: David Sherman
Tags: Aliens, Military science fiction, space battles, stellar marine force, space marines, starfist
Ads: Link
what he had before. This time some were angry, others stunned. Then he hit them with what he knew would be a real shocker.
“Eight Force Recon squads landed on Troy. Only one made it offworld with only one dead. Two didn’t make it off at all, because all five Marines in each of those squads were killed.” That drew gasps; Force Recon hardly ever lost anyone, they were too good at snooping and pooping.
“Now you have a good idea of what we’re up against, so I’ll give you back to your officers and senior NCOs. Captain Sitter?”
“Thank you, Master Sergeant,” the company commander said as he marched to the front of the classroom and mounted the stage.
“Thank you , sir,” Kates said, and left the classroom. He had to give the same presentation to another company.
“Now you know everything that I know about the aliens.” Sitter looked over his company. “Make no mistake, we’re likely going to be in the toughest fight any of us has ever seen, maybe the toughest since the world wars of the twentieth century.”
Alpha Troop Barracks, 1st of the 7th Mounted Infantry, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, NAU
Second Lieutenant Theodore W. Greig carefully watched his men from his position at the side of the classroom while they watched the vids of the attack on Troy. He and the other officers of Alpha Troop had already seen them at an officers’ call at Tenth Brigade’s headquarters. He didn’t know whether the troops would also be shown the vids from the Marine Force Recon mission. He hoped that collection of vids wouldn’t be shown until the troops were aboard the Navy transports and on their way to Troy. Not that he thought any of the soldiers would desert if they saw those vids, but he thought it was better if they saw them on the way, psych them up for the coming mission when there’s no possibility of finding a way to get out of it.
The vids of the attack stopped and Captain Henry C. Meyer, Alpha Troop’s commanding officer, took the stage.
“Men,” he said, “as you just saw, we are going up against a manic alien enemy. Nobody knows who they are, where they came from, or why they attacked without warning.” He didn’t know how many times that sentence had been said by officers and noncoms throughout VII Corps, and wouldn’t have cared if he did—it bore repetition, and he was certain he’d say it many times more.
“It doesn’t matter how manic these aliens are. The Marines are going in first to secure a planethead for us. Let me guarantee you, after those aliens chew up the Marines and spit out their bones, they’re going to find out what a real fighting force is like. We will make them regret they ever attacked Troy.
There were hoots and catcalls at mention of the Marines. “Hey diddle-diddle, straight up the middle!” one soldier called out. “Show offs!” another shouted. “Marines!” someone cried, and gave a Bronx cheer. “Better them than us,” a more thoughtful soldier said quietly.
Captain Meyer let them go for a moment, barely repressing a smile. “All right, all right,” he said at last, “quiet down and listen up. Now, all intelligence services, both military and civilian, are working hard and fast to learn everything they can about this enemy. As we learn more, you will be told everything you need to know to help us defeat them. When you are dismissed, you will return to your quarters and prepare to move out. We will be heading into space via the elevators in Kenya.”
He looked over his men, seeming to look each of the one hundred and twenty-five of them in the eye, and stepped off the stage.
“Troop, a-ten- shun !” troop First Sergeant Powhatan Beaty shouted as Meyer marched out of the classroom, followed by the other officers. When the captain was gone, he said, “Platoon sergeants, when I dismiss you take your men to their quarters and take care of last minute preparations. There will be an inspection in two hours. We will board transportation for the
“Eight Force Recon squads landed on Troy. Only one made it offworld with only one dead. Two didn’t make it off at all, because all five Marines in each of those squads were killed.” That drew gasps; Force Recon hardly ever lost anyone, they were too good at snooping and pooping.
“Now you have a good idea of what we’re up against, so I’ll give you back to your officers and senior NCOs. Captain Sitter?”
“Thank you, Master Sergeant,” the company commander said as he marched to the front of the classroom and mounted the stage.
“Thank you , sir,” Kates said, and left the classroom. He had to give the same presentation to another company.
“Now you know everything that I know about the aliens.” Sitter looked over his company. “Make no mistake, we’re likely going to be in the toughest fight any of us has ever seen, maybe the toughest since the world wars of the twentieth century.”
Alpha Troop Barracks, 1st of the 7th Mounted Infantry, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, NAU
Second Lieutenant Theodore W. Greig carefully watched his men from his position at the side of the classroom while they watched the vids of the attack on Troy. He and the other officers of Alpha Troop had already seen them at an officers’ call at Tenth Brigade’s headquarters. He didn’t know whether the troops would also be shown the vids from the Marine Force Recon mission. He hoped that collection of vids wouldn’t be shown until the troops were aboard the Navy transports and on their way to Troy. Not that he thought any of the soldiers would desert if they saw those vids, but he thought it was better if they saw them on the way, psych them up for the coming mission when there’s no possibility of finding a way to get out of it.
The vids of the attack stopped and Captain Henry C. Meyer, Alpha Troop’s commanding officer, took the stage.
“Men,” he said, “as you just saw, we are going up against a manic alien enemy. Nobody knows who they are, where they came from, or why they attacked without warning.” He didn’t know how many times that sentence had been said by officers and noncoms throughout VII Corps, and wouldn’t have cared if he did—it bore repetition, and he was certain he’d say it many times more.
“It doesn’t matter how manic these aliens are. The Marines are going in first to secure a planethead for us. Let me guarantee you, after those aliens chew up the Marines and spit out their bones, they’re going to find out what a real fighting force is like. We will make them regret they ever attacked Troy.
There were hoots and catcalls at mention of the Marines. “Hey diddle-diddle, straight up the middle!” one soldier called out. “Show offs!” another shouted. “Marines!” someone cried, and gave a Bronx cheer. “Better them than us,” a more thoughtful soldier said quietly.
Captain Meyer let them go for a moment, barely repressing a smile. “All right, all right,” he said at last, “quiet down and listen up. Now, all intelligence services, both military and civilian, are working hard and fast to learn everything they can about this enemy. As we learn more, you will be told everything you need to know to help us defeat them. When you are dismissed, you will return to your quarters and prepare to move out. We will be heading into space via the elevators in Kenya.”
He looked over his men, seeming to look each of the one hundred and twenty-five of them in the eye, and stepped off the stage.
“Troop, a-ten- shun !” troop First Sergeant Powhatan Beaty shouted as Meyer marched out of the classroom, followed by the other officers. When the captain was gone, he said, “Platoon sergeants, when I dismiss you take your men to their quarters and take care of last minute preparations. There will be an inspection in two hours. We will board transportation for the