StarGazing ...
Apr. 18th, 2004 03:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deannawolIts a fic that I wrote a while back ... but I was reading it and well, reworking it distracted me from something else I was working on, i.e. a LexFic.
Before reading, bear in mind, it is the human view of space. Of course everything out there is going to align with our ideals. Everyone is humanoid, naturally.
Star Gazing
"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight,
Star light, star bright, I wish I may,
I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight."
A simple children's rhyme but stop, think, that single star shining brightly in the sky, visible for only a few hours each night. Have you ever stopped to think about how many others are looking up at that same star? Each star is old, but not old in our sense of the word. They are, sometimes, millions, billions of years old. What stories could these celestial timekeepers tell us? What secrets could they share with us mere mortals as they silently watch each and every one of us?
***
Jim stared up at the stars. He knew that he would soon be up there amongst them, doing the maneuvers that he had only done in virtual reality simulators up until now. He could not wait. He was finally getting his fighter jet. His squadron had been put on an accelerated learning program. There was another race out there somewhere, he knew, whose only objective was to annihilate every single person on Earth. It was for this reason that Jim had opted to join the United States Marine Core when the chance had arisen. He remembered the look on his mothers face as he told her. She had been so proud but still fear had crossed her face. Sitting here on a hill outside the base he was reminded of the nights he had spent with his brother just staring up at the night sky.
***
On a distant planet, Dennielen, also, stared at the stars. He had a different reason though. His religion led him to believe that the souls of his parents were up there with the Gods. He prayed to them. He had just received his orders. He was flying out tonight to attack one of the colonies that the Earth people had set up. The colony was in their space. The elders had told them that the people of Earth were evil and must be destroyed. Dennielen wanted to know why but nobody could tell him. He had not wanted to join the military force but he had no choice.
***
Jim had such a sense of freedom as he spiraled and turned in his new attack jet. He could not wait to test it out. He wanted to fly out past Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto and explore the vast unknown, but he had to report to the USC Kennedy, a space carrier vehicle not unlike a large air craft carrier. He should be reaching it within a quarter of an hour, he knew. An emergency alert had been announced only four hours ago. The enemy had passed the outer alert buoy and were, even now, speeding towards one of the outer colonies. It was not long before Jim had safely docked and was on his way to the mission briefing. He could not be late for this.
***
Dennielen waited. He waited for the order to attack. He looked out at the stars in front of him. How many of those souls had perished in war? How many had died for a reason that remained unclear to them? He was brought back from this train of thought by his superior officer giving the signal which so many waited for. Deep down, Dennielen dreaded what might happen. He was only a boy, no more than eighteen years old and now he held the power of life and death in his hands.
***
Jim stared out the window of the Kennedy. The stars twinkled as they passed, as if they knew something he did not. They were nearly at the colony. An alarm sounded throughout the ship, startling Jim. The alarm was followed by cries of "Battle stations! All pilots to the launch bays." Jim ran towards the launch bay. Thoughts ran through his head. Had the unthinkable just happened? Were the enemy attacking the colony? He would find out soon enough, he supposed. He was soon ready to launch. He got the green light from the controller and left the bay. He was embraced by the stars and followed their guidance until he reached the rendezvous point. The planet was visible from that point and to his horror, Jim could see the twinkling lights of hundreds of bombs exploding on the surface. He could also make out the tiny dots swarming around the planet like flies on a dead blackbird.
***
In one of those ships, Dennielen carried out his sworn duty. He centered his target and pressed the little red button that ended the lives of whoever happened to be in that small area, be they man, woman or child. He was just clearing the backwash of the explosion when he felt the ship lurch beneath him. He had been hit. He swung around to see who had shot him but before he could, another volley hit the side of his ship. He remembered a maneuver he had learned back in training. He pulled straight up and came down right behind his pursuer and …
***
Jim felt the shots hit the side of his own jet. The sense of elation was gone. In its place was fear. His fuel tank was ruptured and he knew that he would have to land soon but he wanted one more shot at his target. He rolled suddenly to the left and at the same time pulled up and did a loop until he was back behind his prey. He waited for a target lock and fired.
***
The shots hit the side again but this time one of the engines. Dennielen felt the engine shut down. He was good, Dennielen had to admit, this pilot had pulled off a move which Dennielen could not hope to achieve in his fighter. Dennielen would have to shake this pilot off his tail before he could land the ship safely. He tried without success. He could not shake him. Then, Dennielen heard familiar sounds as the other engine started to close down. He angled for the small clearing just ahead and made it just in time.
***
Jim saw the ship go down. He tried to find another clearing but this was the only one he could see. He would have to put his jet down here. He landed perfectly. He took his gun in his hand and exited the cockpit. There was no sign of the other pilot and he was just about to relax when the pilot walked out from behind the wing and into Jim's line of sight. The pilot was the picture of Jim's own brother.
***
Dennielen saw the other pilot. He had his gun outstretched before him. He was no older than Dennielen himself. Dennielen look closer at the face of the boy. It appeared that he was troubled. Dennielen did not move. He did not want to kill the boy. He fought bravely and with honor. He looked up at the stars and prayed silently.
***
Jim saw the boy look upwards and close his eyes. Was he expecting death. Jim wondered? In battle, the pilots were anonymous, but here was different. It was more real, tangible. He could not do it. How could he ever have thought that he could? He dropped his arm and he also raised his face to the stars and prayed to whatever Divine Entity resided among them to forgive him for even considering the heinous act.
***
As Dennielen looked again at the boy their eyes met and in that instant an unspoken agreement passed between them. They both turned and walked off in opposite directions. It was now long before he heard a scream from the direction towards which the boy had walked. He turned and ran towards the sound. When he reached the boy's side, the boy was badly injured. Dennielen saw animal tracks leading off into the forest. Dennielen saw the irony of the situation. The boy had survived the battle, only to be killed here. He took off his own coat and placed it under the boy's head.
***
Jim saw the other pilot standing over him. At first, he was afraid, but as the boy put his coat under his head, he calmed down. He knew that he was going to die but it was nice that someone was there with him, that he did not have to die alone. He looked up and again remembered the nights spent camping with his brother. It was during the memories of their happy, carefree nights that Jim breathed his last breath and the life passed from his body. However, he still stared sightlessly up at the stars.
***
Dennielen quietly prayed for the soul of this brave and courageous boy whose name he never knew. He reached down and closed the boy's eyes. He looked up at the stars and vowed never to fight again.
Years later, Dennielen still lived by that vow. He had passed it on to his children. Every evening after the children were in bed, he went out and looked up. As he stared at the stars, he remembered that day and the needless death of one brave boy. He was sure that one day he would tell his children this story as he took them out star-gazing.
The End
Before reading, bear in mind, it is the human view of space. Of course everything out there is going to align with our ideals. Everyone is humanoid, naturally.
Star Gazing
"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight,
Star light, star bright, I wish I may,
I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight."
A simple children's rhyme but stop, think, that single star shining brightly in the sky, visible for only a few hours each night. Have you ever stopped to think about how many others are looking up at that same star? Each star is old, but not old in our sense of the word. They are, sometimes, millions, billions of years old. What stories could these celestial timekeepers tell us? What secrets could they share with us mere mortals as they silently watch each and every one of us?
***
Jim stared up at the stars. He knew that he would soon be up there amongst them, doing the maneuvers that he had only done in virtual reality simulators up until now. He could not wait. He was finally getting his fighter jet. His squadron had been put on an accelerated learning program. There was another race out there somewhere, he knew, whose only objective was to annihilate every single person on Earth. It was for this reason that Jim had opted to join the United States Marine Core when the chance had arisen. He remembered the look on his mothers face as he told her. She had been so proud but still fear had crossed her face. Sitting here on a hill outside the base he was reminded of the nights he had spent with his brother just staring up at the night sky.
***
On a distant planet, Dennielen, also, stared at the stars. He had a different reason though. His religion led him to believe that the souls of his parents were up there with the Gods. He prayed to them. He had just received his orders. He was flying out tonight to attack one of the colonies that the Earth people had set up. The colony was in their space. The elders had told them that the people of Earth were evil and must be destroyed. Dennielen wanted to know why but nobody could tell him. He had not wanted to join the military force but he had no choice.
***
Jim had such a sense of freedom as he spiraled and turned in his new attack jet. He could not wait to test it out. He wanted to fly out past Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto and explore the vast unknown, but he had to report to the USC Kennedy, a space carrier vehicle not unlike a large air craft carrier. He should be reaching it within a quarter of an hour, he knew. An emergency alert had been announced only four hours ago. The enemy had passed the outer alert buoy and were, even now, speeding towards one of the outer colonies. It was not long before Jim had safely docked and was on his way to the mission briefing. He could not be late for this.
***
Dennielen waited. He waited for the order to attack. He looked out at the stars in front of him. How many of those souls had perished in war? How many had died for a reason that remained unclear to them? He was brought back from this train of thought by his superior officer giving the signal which so many waited for. Deep down, Dennielen dreaded what might happen. He was only a boy, no more than eighteen years old and now he held the power of life and death in his hands.
***
Jim stared out the window of the Kennedy. The stars twinkled as they passed, as if they knew something he did not. They were nearly at the colony. An alarm sounded throughout the ship, startling Jim. The alarm was followed by cries of "Battle stations! All pilots to the launch bays." Jim ran towards the launch bay. Thoughts ran through his head. Had the unthinkable just happened? Were the enemy attacking the colony? He would find out soon enough, he supposed. He was soon ready to launch. He got the green light from the controller and left the bay. He was embraced by the stars and followed their guidance until he reached the rendezvous point. The planet was visible from that point and to his horror, Jim could see the twinkling lights of hundreds of bombs exploding on the surface. He could also make out the tiny dots swarming around the planet like flies on a dead blackbird.
***
In one of those ships, Dennielen carried out his sworn duty. He centered his target and pressed the little red button that ended the lives of whoever happened to be in that small area, be they man, woman or child. He was just clearing the backwash of the explosion when he felt the ship lurch beneath him. He had been hit. He swung around to see who had shot him but before he could, another volley hit the side of his ship. He remembered a maneuver he had learned back in training. He pulled straight up and came down right behind his pursuer and …
***
Jim felt the shots hit the side of his own jet. The sense of elation was gone. In its place was fear. His fuel tank was ruptured and he knew that he would have to land soon but he wanted one more shot at his target. He rolled suddenly to the left and at the same time pulled up and did a loop until he was back behind his prey. He waited for a target lock and fired.
***
The shots hit the side again but this time one of the engines. Dennielen felt the engine shut down. He was good, Dennielen had to admit, this pilot had pulled off a move which Dennielen could not hope to achieve in his fighter. Dennielen would have to shake this pilot off his tail before he could land the ship safely. He tried without success. He could not shake him. Then, Dennielen heard familiar sounds as the other engine started to close down. He angled for the small clearing just ahead and made it just in time.
***
Jim saw the ship go down. He tried to find another clearing but this was the only one he could see. He would have to put his jet down here. He landed perfectly. He took his gun in his hand and exited the cockpit. There was no sign of the other pilot and he was just about to relax when the pilot walked out from behind the wing and into Jim's line of sight. The pilot was the picture of Jim's own brother.
***
Dennielen saw the other pilot. He had his gun outstretched before him. He was no older than Dennielen himself. Dennielen look closer at the face of the boy. It appeared that he was troubled. Dennielen did not move. He did not want to kill the boy. He fought bravely and with honor. He looked up at the stars and prayed silently.
***
Jim saw the boy look upwards and close his eyes. Was he expecting death. Jim wondered? In battle, the pilots were anonymous, but here was different. It was more real, tangible. He could not do it. How could he ever have thought that he could? He dropped his arm and he also raised his face to the stars and prayed to whatever Divine Entity resided among them to forgive him for even considering the heinous act.
***
As Dennielen looked again at the boy their eyes met and in that instant an unspoken agreement passed between them. They both turned and walked off in opposite directions. It was now long before he heard a scream from the direction towards which the boy had walked. He turned and ran towards the sound. When he reached the boy's side, the boy was badly injured. Dennielen saw animal tracks leading off into the forest. Dennielen saw the irony of the situation. The boy had survived the battle, only to be killed here. He took off his own coat and placed it under the boy's head.
***
Jim saw the other pilot standing over him. At first, he was afraid, but as the boy put his coat under his head, he calmed down. He knew that he was going to die but it was nice that someone was there with him, that he did not have to die alone. He looked up and again remembered the nights spent camping with his brother. It was during the memories of their happy, carefree nights that Jim breathed his last breath and the life passed from his body. However, he still stared sightlessly up at the stars.
***
Dennielen quietly prayed for the soul of this brave and courageous boy whose name he never knew. He reached down and closed the boy's eyes. He looked up at the stars and vowed never to fight again.
Years later, Dennielen still lived by that vow. He had passed it on to his children. Every evening after the children were in bed, he went out and looked up. As he stared at the stars, he remembered that day and the needless death of one brave boy. He was sure that one day he would tell his children this story as he took them out star-gazing.
The End
