Chapter 191: (The War) (2/2)
Probably a Black Box system, he thought.
”Of course, should you turn us down, this meeting will be erased from your memory. Standard Confederate Intellectual Rights do not apply in this situation,” the woman said.
Bobby just nodded.
”I'm in,” he said.
”Excellent,” the woman said.
Everything dissolved and Bobby knew nothing else.
The armored digital stasis box beeped that it was fully loaded and locked down. A robotic arm swooped down, removing it and pulling back so that the box was held close. The arm whipped down the railing, handing the box off to other systems, until it was loaded into an armored container with its own integrity fields and long term reactor, entirely encased in warsteel.
The container was locked into a cube of other containers.
The container was loaded into the storage bay, in between two armored cryobays.
Overproject Dandelion continued.
-----------------
Haviton City, Planet Letmiria
Algheminon System
Clone Worlds Directorate
Rebecca-883712 scrolled through her options. She kept adjusting the display sorting functions, removing what she had no interest in or what she really wanted to avoid.
She stopped when she saw an interesting one.
Internment Camp Postal Worker
She tabbed that and examined it. Sixteen week basic combat training, nine weeks advanced individual training, ten year commitment. Full Citizenship upon acceptance.
”I want this one,” Rebecca said, pointing at the screen.
The Clone Worlds Military Recruiter looked at the screen.
”That's a priority one. I'm surprised though,” the Recruiter said.
”Why?” Rebecca asked.
”Most of your line that have volunteered wanted aerospace interceptor pilot,” the recruiter said.
Rebecca shrugged. ”I don't really like flying. This one looks important though.”
The recruiter nodded. ”Well, let's start your paperwork.”
Rebecca looked at the poster.
SERVICE BRINGS CITIZENSHIP
DO YOUR PART TODAY!
-------------
Tantamawk City
Rigel-7
Sarwak leaned back in her chair and stared at the screen. One of her mates put his head in her lap and she lovingly petted his neck.
She had discussed it with her pair-bond.
Sarwak intended on signing up.
She had taken the selection tests, done the intellectual categorizing, completed the psych profile, cross referenced her employment and educational history, and signed up for Space Force for a ten year hitch.
Still petting her duck's neck she looked out at the skyline.
Gone were the thick clouds of pollution. The lake just barely visible glittered and gleamed, the water fresh and pure, no longer clotted with pollutants and industrial runoff. The soil was no longer toxic, no longer thick with acids, radioactives, chemical stews.
It had all been cleaned thousands of years ago, but it was still thick in her genetic memory.
The time when the thick leathery eggs had slowly become thin and brittle. Where ducklings had been born malformed or never hatched at all. When ducks had lost their feathers due to pollution.
Her people had been a generation, at the most, from dying. Choking on the pollutants put out by unconstrained industry and agricultural runoff. Thousands of years of factory complexes, strip mines, heavy pesticide and chemical fertilizer use had destroyed the water and soil.
Then the Terrans had arrived.
Within a decade the damage had started to reverse.
Now, unless one did a deep archeological dig specifically looking for it, all evidence of the damage was gone.
Sarwak sighed, scratching her duck's neck, making him peep in pleasure.
If the cowtaurs got their way, they would crush her little ducklings, kill her ducks like the one sighing in happiness, burn her world to a cinder.
We will not be gentled. We will not behave, she thought.
She looked at the blinking icon.
FIELD ARTILLERY
Still petting her duck she hit send.
--------------
Across the Confederacy beings marched into the recruiter's office or answered the call for the Citizen Recall. They took different jobs, for different reasons. Not because they had to. No, they could have turned down their citizenship.
They did it because they wanted to.
Because they consented to.
From riveters to welders to infantry to planetary assault robot combat armor to aerospace fighters to mechanics, the ranks of citizenship and the military slowly began to fill out and swell.
Not the billions the Unified Military Council possessed.
But each one knowing, somehow.
This was more than just a fight for their way of life.
Like the Mar-gite Invasion, this was different.
This was a fight for survival.
------------
TELKAN FORGE WORLDS
No, I have no idea where he is.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
MANTID FREE WORLDS
Eh, he'll show back up.
He always does.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
Less that 6% of Citizens voluntarily surrendered their Citizenship when the recall sounded.
I think everyone remembers the Mar-gite Invasion.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
Yeah, same here. It's been the number one searched historical string in my territory.
Lots of people watching the eVR historical documentaries.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
Still, I wonder where TerraSol is.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
Jeremy-854721 sat in the corner of his virtual office and did his best to ignore his 'guest' and pay attention to his paperwork.
The Terran Descent Human made up of swirling and rippling code, who didn't even bother with overlays or textures, watched the camera feed like his life depended on it.
On the display little bladearms were being pushed from hexagonal egg chambers and small mantids pushed their way free.
”I see you, little one,” the visitor whispered. ”Welcome, little one.”
Jeremy just pretended the visitor didn't exist.