Kovich

Room: AA28

        Alexander sat on one bed while Rey sat on the other. They faced each other, the distance between them comfortably large for, what they called their dorms, a pit such as their own.

        “You’ve had this room to yourself for how long?” Alexander asked, fiddling with the thin bed sheets beneath his hand, like paper to the touch.

        “Just a year,” said Rey, glancing around. “My other partner was injured in a training accident – a bullet to his left thigh, they told me – but he didn’t return. I know they're lying bcause we don't use bullets anymore. Those are antiques now.” He leaned back, resting on his hands behind him as he considered Alexander. “Can’t say I missed him much, though. He was a pain in the ass, I’ll tell you that much. But I’ll admit, It’s gonna be fun having a roommate again.”

        “Fun, you say?” commented Alexander.

        “Sure why not?”

        Alexander took in the room, a spacious den fit for a maximum of three people, precisely. Two beds on opposite walls, a large computer base in between, complete with a levitating touch screen – perfect for midnight strategy planning if you were devoted enough, a bathroom to the left, and a wardrobe to the right.

        Rey pointed to the computer. “That’s a state-of-the-art Magnoresonant File. Tracks everything a soldier would ever need to know. We call her Maggy.” He then leaned in and whispered, “I’ll have you know I created the name, yes I did. And when she freezes, she’s Laggy Maggy.” Rey concluded that statement with a wink, then sat back.

        Alexander shifted from where he sat on the bed so his back could lean against the wall. He watched Rey from across the room as he finally made a vexing question of his, vocal. “Rey, would you mind explaining what happened today?”

        Rey thought for a moment then looked up. “The memorial?”

        Alexander gave a quick nod and surveyed Rey, who gave a sigh and stood. He walked towards Alexander, causing him to stiffen from where he sat in question of the approach. Rey took a seat on Alexander’s bed, scooting back against the wall as well, until they were side by side.

        “I joined the military three years ago,” Rey said after a lingering moment of silence. “I went through training for a year – intense training too. You see I didn’t want to be the kid who worked behind the desk and barked orders at everyone. Call it selfish reasons, or call it pride, but I wanted to be a soldier. On top of that, I wanted to be the best.”

        He shifted his glance to the bed beneath him – a bed that hadn’t been used in a year. He fixated his gaze on a piece of lint and continued to speak.

        “That was also the year four of our regiments fell flat in a desert wasteland. Spent as long as I can remember, maybe before I was born, fighting the bastards – the Ugotholli – until one day, they all disappeared. Vanished like sugar in hot coffee.” Rey squirmed where he sat, sliding his hand behind him and into his back waistband, where a box lay hidden along with a lighter. He removed them both and knocked out a cigarette, lighting the end then hiding it all away again – though the cigarette remained in his mouth.

            “Want one?” asked Rey.

            Alexander only shook his head politely and waited in silence.

        “Well,” Rey sighed, blowing out a long breathe of smoke, “The entire base here was pretty freaking subdued and dejected and whatnot, running around hollering Mission Failed, and Mission Incomplete!” Rey shook his head and chortled. The only thing they could think about was sending navigator after researcher out there, whatever out there is, in hopes of finding the Ugotholli again. They wanted so badly to kill them, and us newbie soldiers, fresh from training, could only sit back and watch without a single hope. The Ugotholli were gone.”

        Alexander blinked at Rey who let out another breath of smoke. “The Ugotholli…” Alexander murmured, “What are they?”

        Rey gave a short laugh. “If I knew specifically, I’d tell ya. But all I’ve got for you is,” Rey straightened his back, holding his cigarette classily between two fingers while holding the ends of his ponytail to his upper lip like a mustache as he said in a perceptive voice, “The Ugotholli. The ugliest-ass, straight up alien fuck up to walk this Earth.”

        Both Rey and Alexander laughed. Alexander pushed the locks of hair from his eyes behind his ears as his smile faded. He looked to Rey again.

        “And, now?”

        Rey stopped smiling too. He pressed his cigarette against the wall until it died, then crushed it in his hand. “And now they’re back. Lucky year for you to join, you know. Because this time… we’ve declared war.”

        Alexander stared longingly out at the room, joined by Rey. They sat in silence, basking in disastrous thoughts. Alexander knew that the statue he saw today was, no doubt, Ugotholli. If it was anything in real life like it was in marble, Alexander sure looked forward to blowing them up, though his mind was coated in so much sarcasm he could almost taste it in his mouth.

        Alexander, himself, had gone through his time in training. He was adequate for the job, but it’s often when you’re already knee deep that you decide you want out.

        Rey abruptly gripped Alexander’s knee, giving him a wide smile that pulled his cheeks into his eyes. “But no worries. What happens, happens.”

        Alexander looked towards the hand on his knee and repeated. “What happens, happens.”

            “Damn straight!” Rey hollered. “We’re clocking in early tomorrow. Ain’t a second to waste, as I’ve been taught. Four months of sitting around this dump is going to be heaven compared to the hell I’m gonna put you through.”

        Alexander mockingly sulked. “Won’t you please be kind to me?”

        “Like hell! We’ll talking about being nice to you in the morning.” Rey hopped off of Alexander’s bed, clapping twice and the lights went out. Alexander watched Rey’s outline point to the bathroom. “Hurry it up, B00034. I ain’t got all night.”

        Alexander pulled himself up from the bed and sauntered into the bathroom, glancing over his shoulder at Rey, who’d made himself comfortable at Maggy. Slowly, Alexander shut the bathroom door behind him and locked it.

-- 

        A man, of light complexion but dark locks, stood deeming before a mirror in a lacquer, metal bathroom, which was pleasantly illuminated by bright, florescent lights around the mirror, ceiling, and walls. He blinked at his reflection occasionally and drew back the hair that continuously fell past his eyes and onto his cheeks, tickling the pale apples with their uneven ends.

        He removed his leather suit, forcefully unzipping it from the front until the zipper ended at his crotch. He peeled his arms from the sleeves and slid both legs out, like one takes off stockings. He flung the suit away from him, removing his black, leather gloves all the same and tossing them aside as well.

  He practiced breathing and sighing loudly as he gazed into the mirror, lacking a single smudge, watching his bare chest rise and fall with each exhale. He placed his hands on the polished sink and leaned forward, studying his own dark eyes. In that mirror he searched for something within himself, even squinting to locate it.

        He sighed again and leaned back. He gave one last longing stare before he closed his eyes. His mouth began to twitch at the ends as he took another intake of breath, his lip beginning to quiver. He bit it, rather harshly, before a cowardly voice croaked from between them.

            “What happens, happens…”

        Alexander dropped to his knees, cushioned by a small mat on the floor, and took his face into his hands. As quietly as possible, he began to sob. His exposed back shook with grief as silent whimpers filled the lonesome bathroom.