My name is Sam Junior Malhotra. That is my father in the recruitment video. And following in the father's footsteps, I am going to join the armed forces. Not that I have much of a choice.
Every able human being, not of old age or pregnant, is required to join one of the many branches of the military. There are other jobs as well like administration, population support, space research but a very small number of elite people can join those fields. Some consider them lucky, as they never will go beyond the moon.
I consider them unlucky. 'Even on the moon you want a desk job?'
In comparison, the armed forces offer a much better and exciting life of travel and adventure. Not to mention you get to meet and kill aliens. 'Doesn't sound so bad does it!'
If only life were like a bed of roses.
'The Cornelian Armed Forces are to be used in the war. That is its entire purpose, so get ready for a lot of pain!' A human may be able to be saved but the pain cannot be avoided.
'And working hard.' A soldiers life is hard or that's what I have been told. Which actually brings me to point the second disadvantage of being in the military. 'You don't get holidays.'
There is only one condition under which you are allowed to return to Earth. When you are about to start raising a family. The Cornelians support our reproduction and hence understand the need for an optimum environment for it. A military personnel gets 5 years before he and she, have to rejoin their duties. 'That is if you do not have more.' The raising of children after that, is left to the ones who have retired.
So I only have a vague memory of my parents. NOT!
I see them everyday, just not in person. I can always communicate with them, and even see them, just through a monitor. Unless I join the military, it is nigh impossible to meet them before they retire, at the age of 60.
"Junior, your graduation is today. Wake up. Oh and your mum is on, come and talk to her."
"Yes, grandma. Be right down."
This is my house. A simple duplex building, with two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor. The living room, dining room, kitchen, another bathroom and a small guest room forms the ground floor where I am headed right now. We also have a basement. My grampa uses it as wine storage.
That said, it is one of the richer housing places. Not surprising considering my family is one of those military families. Since the Cornelian Armed Forces were formed, every member of my family has been in it. Well, considering half the population of the planet have the same circumstances, it is not so shocking. It is just that my family members have actually done well in the military.
Whereas most soldiers end up their careers as lieutenants, my family has been fairly successful. My father is a captain. My mother is ship captain. My grandfather was also ship captain. My grandmother was bridge officer. My maternal grandfather was dock officer. My maternal grandmother was ensign lieutenant. 'So on so forth.'
"Hi Mama.."
"Hey Junior. Congratulations on graduation. Are you eating well?"
"Yes mom. What do you mean by eating well? Can't you see how strong I have become?" I showed my muscles a bit.
"Haha...*smile. Yes you have grown strong. Well, hurry up now. Mom's gotta go kill some bad guys."
"Hey, where are you right now Mama? Where is Papa?"
"Oh we are visiting a planet in the Horus 41 system. Papa has gone to check things on the surface. I will tell him to call you later."
"Horus 41?....Um...where is it..."
"Well you will find out soon enough. Now hurry up, you are losing time. Bye. Love ya."
"Love you too mom! Be careful out there!"
"Righto! You take care as well."
That said, enough about me.
Today is the day I graduate from school. After ten days, I will be part of Administrative Division 52, The Sky Lark Training Academy. Every human being, after reaching the age of 12 and finishing basic education, will join one of the training academies where they will spend the next 5 years being trained to join the military.
"Hey Emily, I am leaving. Bye Grampa...grandma!"
With a whooshing sound a bot suddenly arrives at the door. This is my salvage bot. EM1L1 or in short Emily. The EM series bots are like the basic salvage bots available on the market. Other than the primary functions of keeping a record of the owner's, in this case, my genetic structure, it is also equipped with communication and recording facilities.
With a few modifications, like attachable screw drivers, the uses can be increased, but for now, I don't have any such inclinations. 'Maybe after I join, I might change it a little.'
Well the primary function of the salvage bot is actually to salvage humans. In case of a fatal accident, it is responsible to capture a living tissue, which will be used to restore the human. It also acts as a black box, capturing events happening around me till I upload my memory.
Yes, there is a machine I have to use every night, which records my brain wave patterns, or my memories. 'I have never experienced it, but this record is what is used to implant memories into the restored human.'
By regulation every person who has chosen to join the military academy is required to have one. 'Though every person keeps one anyway.' I have had mine since the day my parents left me.
'Which makes it a very old model. *sigh.' That said, I have never used a bot for anything other than communication, so Emily is enough.
"Hey Erika, good morning!"
"*Yawn! gr....mor..yawn."
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"Wake up sleepy head! Don't tell me you were awake last night as well. Don't do anything crazy I tell ya."
"Hmph! I will do what I will do." Erika replied.
"Morning Sam3."
"Good Morning Sir! Sam3 is glad to be your slave and polish your toes!" A mechanical voice replied.
"............."
"Sh..SHUT UP MORON! Do not use that greeting for anyone other than me. That is a COMMAND!" Erika shouted.
"Command confirmed. Lady Erika, the beautiful and intelligent!" The mechanical voice replied.
"JUST SHUT UP!" Erika shouted now completely awake.
"*stareeee............"
"Hmph! Mention it and I will launch you to the moon!" Erika smiled.
"Yes doc!" I shuddered.
This was Erika Nichols. I call her Mad Scientist. Or Doctor Frankenstein. Or doc for short. Please do not let her know why I call her doc. If you think the launch to the moon was simply an empty threat, think again.
Her parents are working aboard ISS 13 space station. One of those rare few jobs in which you work in space and are not part of the military. Their work actually involves studying Cornelian technology in order to advance our technology. Very important work which demands a lot of their time.
That said, they shouldn't have forgotten their daughter's birthday. Cardinal sin!
The mad scientist actually made a rocket. 'Out of scraps I tell ya! How do I know....cause I was there!' She combined her bot for the navigation system and the dog as the payload and launched it.
Thankfully and most luckily, it didn't cause an incident.
The dog is living happily in ISS 13 nowadays, under her parents care. Possibly as repentance and also to keep the incident quiet. Though everyone aboard knows. 'Oh and she got another bot as a birthday present.'
Now why is her bot named SAM03 and what happened to 01 and 02 is another story. Though her naming it Sam, maybe, has to do with why I am her first friend and experimental subject, probably.
Not to mention SAM03 is an expensive personalized bot with advanced artificial intelligence which gives it the ability to talk as well. Other than that, in Erika's hands, it has transformed into a lethal weapon. 'Perverts beware!'
"Hey Max! You are late. Didn't we agree to meet at 8?"
"Sorry sorry. I kinda overslept. Why did they have to put a graduation ceremony between holidays?" Max grumbled.
"Yeah...well let's hurry." And I start running.
"Come on, Erika, you need to run as well. We are going to be late." Max said.
"Do not order me around!" Erika replied.
"Hurry Erika!" I say.
"Aye aye."
"..............." Max said.
This is Max Mathur. Another friend. I call him The Mechanic. Or the Tinker. Like Erika, he is also a genius, I think. He is an absolute genius with mechanical stuff.
Often times, Doc and Mechanic make a great team. Doc with her imagination and Mechanic with his skills. It's just that they both have a tendency to ignore the normal. And oftentimes I am along for the ride. Result - launching the dog.
But other times, they are like chalk and cheese. I always had this feeling that if I was not around, probably one would build a nuclear bomb and the other a Mecha and bomb each other. 'Anyways, definitely some intense feelings there!'
Ah, his bot, which is following him, is called ME8A4. I call it Metaphor. ME series bots are specially designed for mechanical duties. Other than salvaging which is the requirement for every bot, it comes equipped with tools and intelligence to dismantle/repair/create many machines. 'I am sure Max must have added many more programs since then.' A truly apt tool for the mechanic.
Well, if one was thinking that I was the protagonist, then they would be wrong. This is actually about those two. I am simply the narrator of their adventures. The guinea pig of their experiments. The fall guy of their failures. The glue of their friendship. The reason for their success?
The world has changed. There are no countries anymore, no empires, no politics, no conflicts. There is just the military and war. And people are painfully aware of it every moment of their lives. From the good morning to my mother who is in Horus 41 or my father who is walking on a strange planet, to the stories of my grandparents who retired from the military. People have changed.
Oh, countries still exist. There is still China, France, India, USA but those remain as a name only. Like nicknames to make remembering it easier. What really matters are administrative divisions. They define which training academy you go to, what instructors you get, what friends you make, what life you will have.
Like Erika's parents. Her father is half british, half ukrainian. Her mother half indian, half chinese. Yet they chose to settle down in administrative division 52 because of the Sky Lark training academy. I can definitely say that being the part of Sky Lark was a big reason why my family has done so well in the military. 'Guess that's what you call being a better academy.'
Though that doesn't really matter. My grandfather often told me, 'in war what matters more than what you know, is what you do!'
I often look up at the stars wondering and dreaming. When I feel sad, I look at the stars. When I miss my mom and dad, I look at the stars. If I have to classify people, I would call myself as a dreamer. Using the same scale, Doc and Max would be the doers.
When they miss their parents, they build and send a rocket. I take care of the dog while they work. *sigh!