IMAGINATION'S PLACE
FICTION
JOURNEY TO THE LIGHT
By; Speaker Gerald Polley
All rights reserved.
Chapter 38
When Carol got into the ship she found to her relief
the leg had not really been cut off, just about, but not quite.
She put her hands over the wound. Blood that had run down the
chair onto the floor began to flow back up. Bits of bone came
flying back. Finally the wound sealed up. "Go easy!" Carol
warned. "I had to take a little bit of bone from other places to
replace some that's gone." She looked up to the ceiling.
There was a large piece of metal sticking in it. "Ship," she
asked, "should that be removed?"
"It is at this time presenting no danger," the ship
answered. "Actually, if you could take a welder and secure it, I
would be grateful."
Carol quickly got one and secured it. Putting
the welder back she came back to Eastwood. "That didn't happen!"
she snapped. "The metal caught your space suit, gave you a little
scratch that healed up, that didn't happen."
"You really think anybody's gonna believe that?" Eastwood
sighed. "I'll tell them, ma'am, but nobody's gonna believe it."
"Ship!" Carol snapped, "That goes for you too. Erase
any recordings you have of that. I was never on the ship."
"Yes, ma'am!" the ship answered.
Carol touched Eastwood's shoulder, got back to her
own ship and they separated, loaded up, and headed back. As far
as she was concerned they were getting too close to Mars. "I'm
going after their engines!" she snapped. "We've got to finish it
here and now! Any loss of life will be regrettable but they
cannot land!"
She swung around and got in position. The enemy
fighters were doing all they could to defend the carriers.
Suddenly the carriers turned, headed away from Mars. The fighters
followed, pulled in close around their ships. Suddenly there were
two flashes of light and they were all gone.
"What the hell?" someone cried.
"Yeah!" somebody else put in. "Where did
they go? There's nothing on my sensors, nothing! The debris
behind us is gone! The escape pods and damaged ships,
everything's gone!"
"Circle the area," Carol remarked, "standard
search formation. I'm getting a headache! That light! It
seemed to come right through the sensors."
"Me, too!" another voice answered.
"Ditto!" somebody else put in.
"Commander," the ship announced, "it also bothered my optical systems. Really strange!"
They searched for several hours. Carol was
satisfied there was nothing left. What had ever happened they were all
gone and she had a feeling they'd never be coming back. They
headed for home. For them it had been a good day. Quite a
few minor wounds, no casualties. It had been a good day. They
were going to have to build some new ships, but that was better than
replacing people.
Carol was muttering something that had been going
through her head, and the ship asked "What's that, commander?"
"I'm not sure!" Carol answered, "Just something that keeps going through my head. I've gotta write it down."
"Tell it to me!" the ship requested.
"Well, I can't tell it," Carol explained. "I'd have to sing it. It's a song."
"Well, do so!" the ship insisted.
Carol sighed and began to sing. "We're
Republic Marshals, we lead the way! We're Republic Marshals, we
saved the day! When there is danger we never stray. We're
Republic Marshals, we lead the way!
We don't seek glory, we don't seek fame.
We do our duty each and every day. When there's danger we never
fade away. We're Republic Marshals, we lead the way!
Tell our stories, never let them fade!
Tell the stories of those that paid. With faith and glory they
led the way! Republic Marshals, they saved the day!
When there's injustice we make a stand! When
there is evil we save the land. We fight for honor each and every
day! We're Republic Marshals, we lead the way! We're Republic
Marshals, we lead the way!
It's just something that keeps going through my
head," Carol explained. I can't understand where it came
from. I don't think I've ever heard it before, but I can't get
rid of it. I've gotta have somebody put some music to it. I don't
think the service has an anthem. Maybe that would do."
"Yes!" the ship agreed, "maybe that would do."
Carol got busy. One of the ships had lost its
provisions and she docked up with it giving the pilot enough to get him
in. She also treated a couple of minor wounds in the normal
manner. When they got in she landed, got out of her suit, put her
clothes on, and came down. "Full cycle of rest," she ordered,
"then we'll have prayers for those we were forced to kill. To
each and every one well done!"
"Thank you, ma'am!" everybody answered. Carol shut
off the intercom and wearily went to her quarters. The children
didn't ask questions just made sure she didn't fall asleep in the
shower and helped her into bed. In the morning they got on their
best clothes and came down to the hangar bay with her for the
ceremonies. As Carol came up to the podium, she snapped "At ease,
ladies and gentlemen!" Instead the assembled parties began to
sing as music started to play. It was Carol's song! She
listened in bewilderment. When they were done Eastwood stepped
forward.
"My comrades," he announced "wished me to thank you
on their behalf, ma'am. They are deeply honored by the words that
you put forth. Thank you!"
"How?" Carol asked.
Eastwood grinned. "Your ship, ma'am. It put music to
your recording and passed it around to the other ships. The ships
gave it to their pilots. Brought some of us to tears, ma'am!"
"Well, it wasn't meant to be anything official,"
Carol remarked, "but let us continue with why we are here. Oh,
Holy Lords," she began, "devoted Fathers and precious Mothers, we thank
you for your strength and your guidance in this bitter day that has
passed. We ask, oh Lords, the forgiveness of those whose lives we
were forced to take. We did not do so in hatred, we did not do so in
anger, but in defense of the innocent. We hope that wherever they
have gone they have found peace, and that in time they may return to
the living and become our friends, not our enemies. For they
fought us with honor and distinction. We can report no dishonor
from any of them. So may they find peace before they journey
again. May their loved ones that have been left behind be cared
for and no misfortune fall upon them. This is our wish, oh Lords,
for the circumstances of the day that has passed. So must it be!"
"So must it be!" everyone declared.
Carol went to leave the podium, then stopped and
turned back. "Would it seem inappropriate of me," she asked, "to
have you sing it again? It sounds so beautiful when you do it?"
Eastwood answered "No, ma'am, it would not, and
every voice rose. This time Carol joined in. She never
enjoyed anything so much in her life, except maybe the birth of her
children.