(GQ Special #1) The Misadventures of Ranger Kim and Ranger Kelly

1. First Impressions

Four star rangers had a conversation, three unaware that the other was living a lie.

Carelessly sailing through space in the Virgo, its crew enjoyed their 2nd lunch period. Jun Kim, a new recruit, sat at a cafeteria table.

"Did you guys hear about the protest in Connecticut?" asked the guy sitting across from Jun. His brown hair and beard were more unkempt than any warrant officer would allow. Though he hadn't mentioned his opinion on the protest, the scowl on his face spoke volumes.

"You mean the one about the IF's gender ban?" A plain-looking guy spoke.

"Yeah, that one." The scruffy man didn't bother looking up from his tray. He angrily stirred his food into a mess.

"Why do women have to make a problem out of everything?" Another guy huffed. He had red hair and a handsome face. At least, Jun thought other people would probably think that. "Watch them complain when they finally do get let in."

Jun and the plain guy exchanged a look of discomfort.

"What, do you think they should join?" Scruffy's scowl bored into Jun.

"I don't see how it would be different from any other branch." The new recruit answered, before eating a forkful of broccoli. It needed salt.

"Yeah..." The plain guy spoke up. "The other branches are doing fine."

"The other branches don't have to worry about an XX mutation." Scruffy Guy replied smugly.

Just then, a tray slammed down beside Jun.

"I heard that the radiation waves beyond Mars would make them infirtile." The tray's owner, a middle-aged man, joined into the conversation as if he was always there.

"Why?" asked Jun.

"It was proven." Scruffy Guy looked at the rookie incredulously. "Does the name Mason Connery ring a bell?"

"Yeah, I know about that guy. I know what he said." The dark-haired ranger ate a spoonful of mashed potatoes. "But it doesn't make sense to me. If X chromosomes were an issue, then we'd all be in trouble.

"You wouldn't understand. Our Y chromosome is what protects us from the radiogenetic alteration."

Our. Us. Good. People were buying it. Jun saw an opportunity to change some minds. If people accepted the rookie as one of their own, maybe they'd listen.

"Besides," added the middle-aged corporal, "men and women already have different organs and hormones. Wouldn't it be possible that based on that alone, women's reproductive systems could go through weird changes if they went past Mars? I wouldn't chance it."

"Me neither." Handsome Guy picked at his food.

"Has it ever been tested before?" Jun asked.

Scruffy continued his condescending looks. "No. Do you think they want a lawsuit?"

"I'm sure there are people willing to try it." The rookie glanced around. "They never said it'd cause cancer or anything like that, right? Just infertility?"

"Just infertility?" The oldest man got offended. "That destroys families!"

Plain Guy appeared to be confused. "But technically the families... wouldn't be--"

"Yeah!" blurted Handsome Guy.

"I knew a girl I went to college with who said she didn't want kids. There's probably other girls like that who'd really want to join the Interstellar Forces." Jun explained, trying not to notice Scruffy becoming increasingly more annoyed.