I Monstrum

Chapter 5 -Background

"Hey Sam. Where are you from?"

"Earth."

"Very funny."

"Well, I could have said the moon, Mars, Titan, Europa, Ganymede, Jupiter Station and many other places."

"True, but where on Earth?"

"Canada."

"Where in Canada?"

"You probably haven't heard of it."

"Tell me anyway."

"The province is called Nova Scotia and the place is on the coast. Along the eastern shore north of Halifax, there is a Harbour called Jeddore Harbour. I grew up on the west shore of that harbour in a house on West Jeddore Road. It's a rural area away from all the big cities. I grew up in the country."

"Wow, it sounds like a really nice place."

"Yeah, I have some really good childhood memories."

"What caused you to leave such a good life, to join the military?"

"Excitement. The area there still has a low stress environment, but to a young person it can be boring. I wanted to get out of there and explore the universe."

"Wow, you sure did that. Right now, there's plenty of excitement here, on this asteroid. Dangerous excitement."

"Yeah, well like I said, that was when I was younger. Since then, I think I've had enough action for two lifetimes."

"I guess being a space marine will do that. Why did you leave the space marines?"

"Something bad happened."

"Sam, you don't need to tell me, if you don't want to. I'm just making conversation so we can understand each other more. That's all."

"I know, but I'll still tell you because I think it is something you should know."

"Okay."

"Something terrible happened to my brother."

"You have a brother?"

"Yes. Well, I used to have one."

"Oh, Sam I'm sorry."

"Yeah, so am I. He and I were close. I was two years older. Big sis' was protective of her little brother. When we were kids we would sometimes fight, like all siblings. When we grew older though we became best friends. He was proud of me as I was of him. He used to call me Sammy Whammy. I hated it, but I'd give anything to hear him call me that again. He also became a space marine. He would tell me about his missions and I would do likewise. One day, he described a certain mission that he was getting ready for. They were being sent out the next day. The night before, he tells me all about it and it didn't sound good. So, I warned him to talk to his superiors about rethinking the tactics. He said he would. That was the last and final time we spoke. I couldn't stand not knowing what happened. No one would tell me anything. So, I broke into the records program and read all the classified files about what happened. Steve, it was all completely unnecessary. The entire mission, the tactics, everything. Six marines died including my brother, for nothing. This disheartened me and I resigned."

"I'm really sorry you went through that, Sam. I can't imagine how you must have felt and probably still feel. It makes the reason I left look insignificant."

"Why did you leave?"

"It no longer felt like I was making a difference for the better. I wanted to go on missions that helped people, not unnecessarily controlling them. Some of my superiors were only in it for power. All of this caused me to question the whole system. I know that some good is accomplished at times, so don't get me wrong. I just lost my taste for it, so I left."

"You've gotta admit though, that all this, sure gets the blood pumping again."

"Yeah, there is that. I enjoy this, because I know I am making that difference for the better. I'm doing my part to help save people's lives."

"Where are you from Steve?"

"I was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, but we moved to New LA when I was four. I grew up there."

"Wow, what was it like to grow up in a colony?"

"I don't know... I felt... confined. It is a large colony, but I felt like I was trapped there. Unlike the big wide-open spaces that you grew up in, I spent my time wanting to escape."

"The view of jupiter must have been amazing."

"Yeah, but it was a constant reminder of the vast universe, while I was stuck in a bubble on a moon. Joining the space marines was my ticket out of there."

"Have you ever gone back?"

"A couple of times. To see my parents. I guess I should go back to visit them again. They probably miss me. As soon as this collecting mission is over, I'll spend some time with them. What about you? Have you seen your parents since that... happened to your brother?"

"I have gone back to see my dad. Mom died in an accident before my brother. So at least she didn't have to go through the pain of losing him."

"I'm so sorry, Sam. It must have been very difficult to lose your mom and then your brother.

"Yes, it was, but my dad and I have grown closer. He seems to worry about me more than he used to. He'd hit the roof if he knew I was doing this."

"Yeah, it is a good thing he doesn't know now. Although, I think he would be proud of you if he knew, after-the-fact."

"True. I'll tell him the next time I see him."

"Can you believe that we have already traveled 5.7 kilometers without finding a living miner? At this rate, it's going to take weeks to find everyone."

"How far should we go before we turn back?"

"I think we shouldn't travel further than ten kilometers, before we return to the shuttle each day to sleep for a few hours. Any more than that, would exhaust us without enough time to recover."

"That sounds about right."

"I'm glad you agree."