Enlistment

For half the day, Emily has repaired the damaged electrical components and connected to the engine. Each and every circuit and wire. Replaced all the burnt and damaged resistors and capacitors which are thankfully colorcoded.

The colorcoded pieces of the circuits made the job easier. Helping her to see where the wires are meant to be connected. All thats left is to connect the wires to their proper sockets.

Felicia has already finished the armor plates with the help of her drones precisely welding each armor plate on different sections of the ship.

Thorn on the other hand is having a hard time with the ship'd computer system's. But all the consoles have been fixed and nothing seems out of place.

"Something wrong?" Felicia asks.

"The dang programs arent working. It keeps saying its not connected to the CPU. I'll either have to replace the systems with up to date programming or replace the computers entirely. But that'll take a month and upset the crew."

"Why not have Newt work on it?" Felicia suggests one of her drones hovering behind her.

"Just because that..." Thorn points his finger at the drone. "...is able to get a ancient holo box thingie working again..."

"Television." Felicia corrects him.

"Doesnt mean it apllies to this ship's radar, sensors, navigation and targeting computers." Thorn gestures with his hand to the console screens displayong 'error, system not connected to CPU'.

While Felicia and Thorn are having a problem with the consoles and computers, Emily listens to the news with her phone's holo projector.

The battle in Cerenia that occured twelve hours ago. According to the news anchors and annoying transmission delays. forced Federation forces to retreat due to the confederates a large offensive.

The view then switches to a recording of a news journalist in the frontlines, a man somewhere between fifty or forty years of age wearing body armor and a helmet. Emily can tell the journalist sounds a bit shaky and tired with the eye bags very obvious with the camera's flash light.

Explosions, laser fire and tracer rounds lluminate the night sky behind the journalist.

The journalist continues on about the timely arrival of the marine corps in stalling the offensive and the view switches to a recording of the marines and army forces battling the confederate troopers.

The clips seem to have been censored and carefully picked as to not show unnnecessary violence and gore, it still gave the bigger picture of the situation.

In one clip of the recordings, a marine stands with some POW's sitting in the mud, helmets and gas masks removed. The marine looks shorter and slimmer than the rest. A girl, surprisingly young with helmet at hand, and she looks younger than her, probably somewhere between eighteen to twenty years old.

The view then switches to another topic. A masscre in one of the cities indiscriminately bombed by the confederate air forces.

It gives Emily flashbacks on the invasion of her homeworld. The sounds of battle, the bombers that killed her family, friends and other people she didnt even know. The confederate soldier that pointed the gun at her face. She feels angry.

Ever since the war began and the broadcast of their leader. Now known as Lady Miranda. Many theories were made. Historians from all over the federation still cant determine if they were really Galvians.

Galvia was a small but influencial nation three hundred years ago. They were so influential they became a galactic superpower. But the king became greedy, he went on to conquer more worlds forcing the Federation and its allies to wage war on the Galvians.

But that was three hundred years ago. Things have changed. If they are Galvians, why do they continue to hold a grudge on the Federation for three centuries straight?

Why continue to squabble for something that is long forgotten by the whole galaxy?

It frustrates her. Her eyebrows begin curving, and gritting her teeth.

She doesnt notice Felicia and Thorn calling her sticking her head from the floor above her.

".....Hey! Earth to Rose! You alive!?!" Thorn yells for the third time.

"GYAA!! WHAT THE!!!" Emily shouts.

"Sheesh! Dont scream like that, my ears are sensitive. Im a deer remeber?" Felicia says rubbing her ears.

Emily blinks silently before responding, still startled by Felicia.

"Anyways. Our shifts over. Arent you going to go to the hospital and pick pick up your girlfriend?"

"Sorry, I was thinking of something." Emily says as she arranges the last wires. "Also. She's not my girlfriend."

Emily connects two purple wires and the consoles suddenly chime the A.I. announcing. 'System connected to CPU beginning doagnostics.'

Thorn and Felicia shooting up their head in confusion.

"But I have to submit my resignation form first to Mr.Merlot."

"Oh yeah, forgot about that." Thorn replies.

Entering to the office section of the shipyard it smells like a shopping mall. The cleaner bots and janitors routinely cleaning the granite floors with scented soap and sanitizing solution. With the sounds of chatter, ringing phones and typing everywhere.

At the end of the hall Thorn knocks on a door three times where the CEO of Merlot Shipwright industries. Mr. Merlot, is working.

"Who is it?" An old mans voice speaks via the speakers in the door. A camera from outside facing them.

"Sir its Thorn Musame. I sent a message last week?"

The doors chimes and unlocks. The three looking at each other before being told to go inside.

Mr. Merlot's office looks large. Every corner filled to the brim with documents and papers. Computer screens displaying charts, tables and ship designs.

Mr. Merlot sitting and working in his desk. She was told he was a very old man in his nineties yet. He looks like hes in his fifties. Wearing a blue suit and a white lab coat. 'What kind of CEO wears a lab coat in his own office?' Emily thought. And he didnt look happy

"Mr. Musame. Ms Niada good to see you two." Mr. Merlot stands up and shakes hands with Felicia and Thorn. "Nice to see you. Are these two with you?"

"Its a pleasure sir." Thorn replies

"And you must be Emily Rose.

"Yes sir." Emily hands out her hand but he doesnt shake her hand and just looks at his console.

"So you are here to submit your resignation form. yes?" Mr. Merlot asks Emily.

"Yes sir." she holds her digi tabs and show the resignation form. "I also have a printed version just in case."

Mr. Merlot stares at her silently. Leaning on his chair. Before gesturing both Thorn and Felicia ourside, he shows Thorn and Felicia a letter sent by the marine corps.

Reading it, the letter told them they are getting reenlisted and to report for a shuttle ride in the next three weeks.

"Shame. I wish you could still work here. You are very talented Miss Rose. According Mr. Musame's daily report. Repair time that takes months is reduced to a few weeks and even a few days depending on the ship. "I heard alot about you from Proffesor Zen." Mr. Merlot looks at Emily."

"Proffesor Zen?" Emily tilts her head. She did not expect him to mention Proffesor Zen. Proffesor Zen used to work for Merlot Shipwright Industries but that was a long time ago.

"Yes. In fact. You were supposed to be an OJT here. He recommended you. You may be bad at mathematics..."

Emily winces. Remembering how many times she almost had to repeat the same semester in calculus and chemistry.

"....but you have talent with machines in general. Its a shame youre wasting it for the military."

"You have issues with the military Mr.Merlot?" Emily asks.

"Its not that I have issues with the military Ms. Rose." Mr. Merlot stands up and looks out the window into the city. "Its the fact that you could use your talents other than the military. Other than killing."

Mr. Merlot presses a button in his digi tab and shows Emily an image of her home made hover board. Her holding a trophe in a scinece fair. Surprising Emily.

"Proffesor Zen sent this photo when he recommended you. You built your hoverboard yourself did you not?"

"Yes Mr. Merlot."

"And you built it out of spare parts from old hover modules and some scrap from a junkyard. And miniaturized them." He shows more images of other people with miniaturized hover modules and systems in vehicles much more advamced than Emily's hoverboard. "Its not the first ive seen a miniaturized hover module. What 'IS' a first however is that you miniaturized a hover module in your small little shack. With no advanced tools and with your own money. You made it work hours on end. Miniature hover modules by other companies are still struggling with R&D. Whats more impressive is that you were able to fix a titan's leg motor when your hoverboard smacked its motors during your test run."

Mr. Merlot shows a video of her, Paxy, Arthur and Link in a field testing her hoverboard, when it suddenly flew like a bullet out of Emily' feet and smacking into a titan leg so hard it literally caused the titan to stop. Emily smiles remembering that moment. But frowns.

"You really dont want me to enlist. Dont you?"

"Emily. It disheartens me to see young peole like yourself with big talents fight and die in some planet youve never even been or know. There are people younger than you already forced to fight. You however are not. You have the luxury of choice. It may be your decision. Nothing I can do."

Mr. Merlot sits down in his chair crossing his hands. "But I still care. So are you really sure you want to enlist?"

Emily stays silent not uttering a word.

"I can give a promotion. A raise in salary if you reconsider your decision?"

"Thorn said I could resign if I stayed for atleast two years. That was the deal. Sir. " Emily steps forward. "I'll still be here in a few days to finish some paperwork for my resignation. My decision is final."

Mr. Merlot sighs. Opening his email and orders her to send her resignation form to be signed.

Before Emily can leave Mr. Merlot calls her. Her hand on the door knob.

"Emily. I know, you lost alot of people that day. Proffesor Zen told me. But do you really really want to fight that bad?"

Emily doesnt answer and only stares him. Mr. Merlot sighs and continues on with his work.

"Thank you for your time Ms. Rose you may leave. And good luck."

"Thank you Mr. Merlot." Emily opens the door and walks out. The light thud from the door echoing inside Mr. Merlot's office.

The bells ring in the factory. The three making sure to check every nook and crany of the gunships before being approved for redeployment and heading for the locker rooms.

The crew of gunship 115 were impressed with the repair work. And laughing at the fact that Emily accidentaly disconneced the CPU cable.

Taking off her gloves and wiping off the grease from her face, Emily enters the password for her locker. The locker makes a clicking noise and opens showing her clothes and small bag. Taking a look at Paxy's necklace before changing her coveralls for her jean jacket and green skirt. Placing her coverall and helmet inside.

Walking out into the exit, Felicia and Thorn waits for her outside the security gate. They both wore a polo shirt with Thorn in grey pants and a light khaki jacket, Felicia in a yellow skirt.

"So how did it go?" Thorn asks

"He tried to convince me not to enlist." Emily answers."I already decided."

"Welp. Good thing me and Felicia are getting reenlisted. You wont be alone out there in basic."

"It'll be a cake walk for us so we'll help you all the way no biggie." Felicia adds.

"Can we go to the recruiting station then?" Emily ask. "I wanna get it over already."

"Sure. Lets hitch the train then." Thorns says to both of them.

"I'd rather take the bus." Emily says as they walk towards the exit gate.

•••

The bus ride is uneventfull. Just passing through the city area and dealing with rush hour. Then the rain started to pour.

Upon stepping off the bus and into a very short line of people, they are greeted with one of the applicants literally getting kicked out and into a trash bin for some reason and yells at the line to leave if they were signing up because of some stupid unnecesary political bullshit.

The yell is so loud she feels like her bones cracked just from the sound wave. Thorn wondering why the pink haired girl got kicked out and what the recruiter meant. Felicia on the other hand is rubbing her ears.

Felicia's ears ringing like a very broken hearing aid and loud speaker combined.

"By the Gods how loud did he yell!" Felicia asks but Thorn and Emily doesnt give an answer.

"Well Emily, good luck in there. Were gonna wait outside. Call us when your done okay." Thorn says to Emily as both Thorn and Felicia walks to a convenience store in the other side of the road.

Stepping in front of the recruiters desk, the recruiter she faces has no legs and sits on a electric wheel chair with prosthetic arms. Deep black scars scatter all over his face, missing an eye and a piece of his skull replaced with a metal shell.

"Good afternoon sir." Emily greets him. Shaking his hands.

"Good afternoon Ms. Rose." he greets back with a smile, reading the information and confirming if Emily's papers are accurate.

"It seems your papers and documents are alright. Citizen status and medical. Service waiver. You graduated from Dunkirk university, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Most Dunkirk university graduates enlist for the navy or apply for jobs in industry. Which you did. Applied for internship in Merlot shipwright Industries and became a mechanic for two years. And then you resigned. Today." the recruiter looks at Emily.

"Why did you resign Ms. Rose?"

"To enlist sir." Emily answers.

"Yes, I am aware. So why are you enlisting?"

"I want to fight sir."

"So its why you chose infantry. Correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Why did choose the infantry Ms. Rose? You couldve chosen the expeditionary units. Best suits your degree, far from the action."

"I want in on the action sir." Emily says to the recruiter.

"And why do you want to fight?" The recruiter types in his console and sees Calhoun Alpha in the monitor tagged as 'occupied'.He looks at her with his smile dissapearing and with a straight face.

"So you can take your home back?"

"Yes sir." Emily answers with a stern face.

"Calhoun Alpha is four hundred lightyears behind enemy territory. Do you think it will be worth it though? Risking your life for a farm world thats probably being sucked dry for its resources?"

Emily lifts her eyebrows. Not understanding what he is talking about. Why he is asking these questions. The marines are a fighting force, what else do they do other than explore other worlds? The recruiter then goes on asking her why not find another job far from the fighting. A job where her talents might be more suitable and help her skills grow, contribute to the war effort some other way.

The recruiter sounds like she doesnt want her to enlist. It irritates her.

"Are you dissuading me sir." Emily asks cutting off the recruiter in the middle of him speaking of other opportunities other.

He looks firmly at her.

"You see my state dont you?" The recruiter spreads his arms.

Emily nods, looking again at his missing body parts.

"You know why I am here without my prosthetics, showing off my battle scars here to you and others? Yes, its to dissuade you into enlisting. Many people have died and wash out in basic training without even seeing battle because they arent mentally prepared nor actually fit to do so. Do you have what it takes to complete the grueling training? The stomach to go out there in the battlefield and see all the horrors of war? The will to sacrifice a part of you hold so dear? Like your leg for example."

Emily flinches but she hides from the recruiter but the recruiter noticed. The recruiter pauses and leans close to her using his electric wheel chair connected to his spine.

"...Kill another man?"

The words struck her. She has seen death first hand. Nearly humbled by death. But killing is different than seeing people die.

"Ms. Rose. We the marines have one job. To wage war when the government says we should, where and when we should. And when we see it necessary." The recruiter continues. "We are not an organization that just accepts random individuals like the army. Especially individuals with a grudge on their enemies. We are more than just armored warriors who drop from orbit and rain death upon the enemy. Whoever and whatever they may be."

Emily is silent for almost a minute. Her head facing down. Thinking and thinking, taking in all what the recruiter said. But it doesnt stop her.

"Sir. Im enlisting." Emily persist. Surprising the recruiter. "Those scars of yours wont stop me. I've already seen it happen to people with my bare eyes. I bear those scars too, and its not just the ones you can see."

Emily shows her scar on her chest. A shrapnel wound directly in her heart.

The recruiter is silent. Looking at his console again at her medical record he confirms she did have surgery during the evacuation of her homeworld. And then her education data with her Bachelors Degree in Interstellar Engineering. He closes his eyes and looks at her again.

He types into his console and approves her enlistment. A medical sheet printing beside his console.

"Here Ms. Rose". The recruiter gives the medical sheet to Emily. "Get in the medical room and once your tests are done and have been approved for service I'll give you a certificate of enlistment. And a ticket to basic."

"Thank you sir." Emily nods.

"Good. Now get on with it." The recruiter says to her like a captain to a soldier.

Entering the medical room the doctor asks for her medical sheet and tells her to strip except her under wear, revealing her scars all over her body. The doctor and nurse are taken aback by her scars and tells her to take a seat in the medical bed.

The doctor examines her bones through an x-ray for any defects in her bones. The nurse taking a blood sample and checking her blood type, DNA and gene print while the doctor checks her teeth, eyesight, and strength. The results is analyzed by the conputer and prints the data into her medical sheet.

The doctor examines the results in her medical sheet and opens a holo console. Comparing her test results and some form of compatibility of some kind. All she could make out is the standard issue marine power armor in the doctor's console before shutting it off and stamping her medical sheet. 'Fit for service.'

Before she could dress the doctor tells her to be careful and alert while in basic. Telling her the training there will make her want to quit.

Going back to the recruiter's desk she hands bacj her medical sheet. The recruiter scans her medical sheet and gives her a certificate and ticket to a shuttle and the marine transport carrier, 'FSS C-11 Moana'. And tells her she has a two week leave to think things through if she really wants to see combat.

"Moana?" Emily looks at the name in her ticket. Having heard thr word before.

"Its an ancient term for ocean. Marines were an amphibious assault force before the start of the intersolar age in Nazar." The recruiter explains.

"So what happens if I dont show up in the shuttle? Changed my mind to not be a marine?"

"Nothing, except your enlistment will be revoked. Anything else?" The recruiter asks.

The recruiter types on his console and sends her data to a multi planet server.

"None sir." Emily shakes her head. "Thank you sir"

Exiting the recruiting station she heads for the other side of the road where Thorn and Felicia are waiting for her on a bench beside a fast food restaurant 'Chinglicious' eating sandwhiches.

Felicia and Thorn gives her a sandwhich before riding a bus towards the central hub of the habitat. They ask her how the recruitment went and explains to them every detail of what happened. And that she hasnt told Jenna she planned to enlist. Not like she need her permission anyways, she's an adult like everyone else.

Thorn and Felicia look at each other with worry.

Then a scream echoes outside as the bus stops at a red light.

Everyone looks at the side. A little girl in a jacket telling a man standing over her to leave her and her father alone, her father laying on the sidewalk holding his abdomen and puke all over his mouth. Felicia with her deer ears hear man yelling at them to back to whatever planet they came from and calls them colored haired freaks.

The bus driver is about to call the police when Emily suddenly runs out of the bus, Felicia and Thorn try to stop her.

The man is about to punch the little girl screaming he is a bad ugly jerk. Emily suddenly pushes the girl aside and the man's fist lands dead center on her face making her fall on her knees. Blood drips from her nose.