USF Progenitor & Crew: Adventures in Cosmos 01

AoT1P [#61] Truth and/or Care

Tim, his wife, and the other uncles and aunties known as his circle of friends, were all enjoying conversation and watching the big screen television to keep up with their favorite Sports teams. They were no longer on planet Earth, but were enjoying themselves on a hospitable moon that orbited an unreactive gas giant. With many similarities to Earth, they found the environment survivable and far more convenient than the stuffiness and growing epidemics and pandemonium on their planet of origin, Earth.
Tim changed the channel to follow the sporting events and happened on what he thought was a Sports channel from the looks of it.

... venturing far from Mars and with the same passion and virtue. In a universe where anything can happen, joining the STARs should be your first priority for safety and protection. We light the way as we always have for eternity. Join us today!

Dave said, "Next!" Tim changed the channel with the quick press of a button on the remote.
Tim said, "The guy in the commercial had a jersey on!" That prompted the ladies to laugh.

... for years. Capture the stars by force with us as your guide in the emergent future. Fear nothing here and everywhere in the ever-expanding cosmos as we all make ourselves at home... in the USF, United Space Force-

Dave and Tim said, "Next!" Tim changed the channel again. Everyone in the party stared at the big screen waiting for a Sports channel to appear.

... salute you. We give you the opportunity to be exactly who you are, and to change at any moment you desire. This is the mirror you look into every time you wake up. Reflect with us... skills. Devotion. Build your career with us. And take the universe by storm... one galaxy at a time-

The men ooh'd and the ladies woohoo'd at the commercial, laughing together at the magical moment.
Tim and Dave nearly spoke out at the same time. Tim spoke hard and loud in his relaxed manner, "Holy smokes!"
Dave followed up, "Three commercials in a row! Three-"
Tim drunkenly interrupted, "Three military commercials in a row! If that doesn't mean something-"
Mike insisted, "It has to be a sign!"
Dave whistled high-to-low. He spoke loudly and openly, his voice barreling through the airwaves, "That's three commercials all on different channels. Seems to me like there's probably going to be one war coming up."
Mary silenced the pick-up of chattering ladies saying, "Uh oh, don't say that, Dave."
Tim added with a chuckle, "Well, who are we joining?"
"Yeah," Steve agreed, chortling.
Tim continued, "We have three solid choices from the sounds of it. STARs. Space Force USA?-"
Dave began chanting facetiously, "U! S! A! U! S! A!"
Mike chipped in, "It's... the mighty United Space Force. They changed-"
"They changed the terminology from the United States to simply United Space Force," Mary eclipsed.
Tim continued, "Or. Wait. Who was that third one?"
Steve chortled weakly saying, "The third one!"
Everyone fell silent for a moment, and only the clinks of glasses and plates could be heard.
Tim suggested, "Shall I rewind?" He chuckled, pointing the remote at the big screen and pressing the rewind button then pausing it. On the screen was a pristinely clear image of a dark-skinned man, clean cut, wearing a tactical space uniform with decorations, wearing a big grin, and behind him was simply a black background.
"I think it's the... ohhh, what's the name of that-," Steve began.
"It's the lochness monster! Look out!" Tim drunkenly rasped, making Steve, Mike, and the ladies laugh and giggle.
"No, it's the Space Union Militia!" Peter (Audrin's husband, not Byusanov) declared, walking out onto Tim's gigantic porch.
"I thought they renamed it!" Steve stated strongly.
"It's the biiiiiig SUM!" Dave declared.
Tim laughed and said, "The metamorsels!" The ladies laughed again at Tim's drunken talk, Audrin wondering what that even meant. Dave quickly squeaked a clean gap between his teeth while Mike laughed along with the women. "I'm already planning my second retirement, so who are we joining? Second and third retirement options are more prestigious. I guess whoever is willing to take my Roth IRA and double-or-nothing, then."
Audrin, Mike, and Tyrenya laughed.
Steve added quickly, "Ohh, the Roth IRA will last you centuries if you don't touch it!"
Dave declared, "All the taxation! Imagine how much percentage they going tax twenty thirty years from now. They going tax you and me double-or-triple. Centuries later-"
Steve said, "We're not going to see a dime coming our way at those rates." He chortled relaxedly.
Tim said, "Half the time, they're already taking taxes I didn't know existed, and I thought I knew everything! Leave it to the government! Have my job and I'll do your job, so I can pay for all the taxes I owe and make some money on the side! Two hundred percent Federal tax for living longer than was intended!"
Steve broke out into laughter, slapping his knee. Mike smiled uncomfortably and shook his head at the concept while the ladies discussed the idea.
Mary stated, "It sounds like fiction to me, but here we are."
Dave said, "We'll be piss broke at retirement and they'll ask us for one laborer's refund-." All the ladies broke into laughter sounding like chickens bawling, startling Tim and Mike into laughter, too. "A refund for all our hard work, not their hard work. Our hard work. Politics never changes."
Tim agreed and jested, "Yeah! Is there any way we can talk about this? I haven't eaten for a few years, you know?" Tim grumbled jokingly into a laugh as the group laughed with the feeling of absurdity. "I had my stomach replaced with a ventilation shaft, and that cost me years of government food assistance. See? Brand new and everything! I can hear it venting right now!" All of the group was cracking up and getting excited, the ladies pushing around in their own discussion.
Tim unpaused the television and changed the channel while the group was still joking around, entertained by the idea of a bleak-sounding financial future outlook. Even with finances sounding jokingly abysmal, everyone stayed mostly optimistic.