4 To Ganymede 3

The Starship crossed the galaxy through these jump points called wormholes. I already said that but I am going to say that again. Lately, I've been rather irritated about the conditions of the starship but that has been fixed with the solution that was given to me by Captain.

"Thank God for Condiments!" I praised the flavor as it enhances the flavor of the garbage of a food that I've been told to endure ever since boarding the passenger Starship. The trip has been tolerable with the Captain giving me that injections. I say that the Captain is the best and she knows how to take care of her aide.

There was nothing to say about the situation about the starship. All you could hear was the news and the chatter of the passengers talking about the war against the Xeno races that we are ready to kill. You see, humanity is really a rage-driven race that would destroy planets to demonstrate a point that no one should fuck with us.

Humanity's usually divided and that we always fight something for someone or for old fools that want to profit against this war. I don't know the hell are we winning this war, but all I know is that the alien bastards are going to be NUKED to death by these people. They call the plan to nuke the whole capital worlds of the aliens as the HAMMER OF JUSTICE.

The name for the plan was quite great in the people's opinion. I don't know when did this war started but I am glad that we are going to get some resolution from this war that killed men and women who thought they were fighting for some greater good, when in reality they are just sending us repeatedly to die, hoping that we'll be able to do what they want. 'Just nuke them' was the first thing that came to humanity's mind when we faced the enemy you know? Then the uranium vaults got depleted and we realize how much of a foolish notion it was. We were losing grounds and our resources were being demolished. Humanity went for the cloning program and yet they are sending those clones to whatever shithole and make them kill as many as possible with their limited lifespan of ten years.

Duplicated by force, and their original's memories within them, they fight because they were told to. Many of them die every week and I think they are sacrificed heavily in order for us to win some meager victory. I praised them and there was a news that they will be freed in the name of reward.

I wish it was that easy but there are already people around that want to continue the cloning program just in case of another attack from alien races that might just want to murder all of humanity for the same reason we stomp on cockroaches out of disgust and fear.

I am glad that I am out of the war and is now a pseudo-freelancer without a ship. I have a Captain and I might just make it in life or die a gruesome death because a freelancer's job is dangerous too. But it is better than dying because of some battlefield that no one really knows what we are fighting for other than that we need to kill the aliens for the glory of humanity.

The starship arrived on the milky way galaxy. I was able to see the planets and was quite fond of watching the cosmos while trying not barf on someone or something. I became emotional seeing the home galaxy that I have longed to see again. I am not sure if I was a spacer or a colonist from some planet on the solar system. But all I know is that this place is the dear home that my mother told me so.

I spent years on guard duty and was then thrown into my first orbital drop where I realized how bad things are. I somehow lucked out and here I am gazing at the sun of my home system with watery eyes. I think many inside the starship is gleeful that they are finally back here. The despair and suffering that we experienced are enough to make the hardest man alive to cry tears of sadness and joy.

I am finally here. I am back to my home system where I once lived and smiled happily. I bet the Captain is overjoyed about her return after the years she spent saving people around the galaxy. She's hailed as some idol for some yet I bet the Captain only wants to be free from the burden of saving lives. No matter how good you are, you'll get tired eventually. I am not a good person. I am not that sympathetic to others plight. But I can understand the feeling of despair as you watch everyone you know die.

My first drop ended as a nightmare. I cannot forget the feeling of seeing the folks that I have grown to know just die easily as if they didn't have any chance at all. I watched their heads pop like balloons and their entrails coated me as I crawl hoping that I'll survive this.

Most would hate the enemy and rage against to eliminate them and fall for the ruse that the old fools want for us to happen. Some are like me who realized how bad things are and thought of many things. I am not a proactive person, and so I was stupid enough to be dropped down in an orbital drop which made me meet Captain Regina. I was lucky to be foolish about meeting her. Now I am back here in this solar system with a happy yet melancholic heart.

I am eternally grateful and despite Captain's behavior. I am willing to do anything just to repay what she gave me. She gave me hope and the freedom of choice.

...

...

There are two types of cities in this future. There are old cities that are built from the cities of old, and there is the neo-cities where everything was built anew. Ganymede is a neo-city that has been build through hardships of terraforming. The city has thousands of light that it formed a dome around it. There were many flying cars powered by fusion batteries, the same power that allows a starship to run without needing fossil fuel.

It was said that the fusion batteries were created out of negative density energy and the 'sparks' born out of that fusion allowed humanity to traverse the skies and achieve faster than light travel by jumping through wormholes with enough speed.

Ganymede is a city filled with lights and spectacles. I was on the bridge with the Captain when I was holding my bag, ready to get out of the starship and take a step on a firm ground. The crowd already formed around us and Captain was close to me. I could smell the feminine scent of the Captain, her nape was so beautiful that I was lost for a moment. Luckily, she didn't notice my stare and continue being aloof as usual.

There was a sound coming from the entrance. The crowd slowly followed through this narrow passage until we heard the speaker. "Please exit through the passage calmly, avoid hastening your paces," said one of the attendants who wore a rather neat skirt.

"Let's go, Nix," said Captain. She pulled my hand and interlocked our fingers as she casually drags me out of the narrow passage and out of the starship where we descended down and took a step on the firm grounds of Ganymede. The neon lights were almost blinding outside, there was a trace of strange fresh air around that I felt so euphoric for a moment.

Captain Regina tightened her hold on my fingers and nodded in a direction. I pulled my hand back and put it on my coat as we trudge through the crowd who were crying like babies around. I smiled at the scene and continued forward, Captain Regina saw my face.

"Happy?"

"Yes, who wouldn't be happy?"

"I see," she nodded. "I am glad that you are happy, Nix. Although you look like you are always having this gloomy face but seeing you like this makes me think otherwise?"

Was I really making such face? I could tell that the smirk on Captain Regina's face genuine. She was so charming at that moment, that along with the background of lights of Ganymede that I felt quite happy to look at her. I smiled back at her, she then said,-

"We are a million miles away from the battlefields. I wouldn't be here if you didn't join me in that attempt to get away from that planet. I thank you for joining me on this new start, can I count on you, Nix?"

"Of course," I said sternly. "You saved me, Captain. You gave me the chance to have a choice other than dying for some war I don't know the reason how it started. I thought that it would be my life to take a drop down from spaceships and hope that I live another day. But yet you appeared like an angel before me, Captain. In my eyes, you are my savior and I promise that the day you die, I'll accompany you, and no matter what I will follow you even if hell comes after us."

"That's quite the statement," she said with slight reddish cheeks. Anyone would feel embarrassed about that kind of proclamation but I was just speaking my heart out.

"I am just being honest here. Although I might not be that good at anything or a master of whatever, I will do my best to follow those who I owe. If you didn't save me on that planet then I wouldn't be standing in this colonized moon with a stupid smirk on my face."

"I'll be relying hard on you, Nix. Although I promised us some ship we don't have it because of accidents. We'll have to work hard to get our ship and it makes me feel better that someone's willing to say that to me. I'll trust my back and I'll trust mine to you, partner."

She extended her hand towards me. I took that hand firmly and felt her callous hands once more. I stared deeply into her eyes and said, "You can rely on me, Captain. I may not be much but I'll do my best to make sure that your back's well protected."

"That's good, I guess I was lucky enough to meet someone who says that."

She nodded her head. I nodded mine as we continued towards Ganymede with hope blossoming in our hearts. There was a building that was meant for Freelancers and we showed them our passes to make sure that we will be fully authorized. After that, we left to find a place we can call home and rented a nice flat around the 06 Street of Ganymede. There are about one hundred streets and that doesn't even count the streets that belong to the government.

The flat was nice and comfortable. There was a view of the city of my room and we could see the blinding lights of Ganymede. Ganymede is a mega-city with endless lights, many come here to seek freedom and there are about thousands of fleets and freedom-loving mercenaries and Freelancers that are willing to defend this colonized moon.

We are now a part of this colonized moon and I know that we still have a long way to go to be truly free. If we have a ship then it would have been simple. But I don't want to fret how we have to start from the bottom. Although we don't have the ship to use, we are free to join mercenaries and freelancers willing to let us board their ships until we could have one.

Of course, I know at that moment that it will be hard and tiring. But I didn't know that I would be thrown back to the war without a choice, although we are free, there are still many conflicts around that would force us to act and risk our life.