A View from the Sidelines
The galaxy was shaken with war. The mighty fleets of the Pleiades Alliance swarmed out to do battle against the Empire of Squarzon and its mighty capital ships. Innumerable laser cannons let loose their barrages into the void of space.
Cal Jennings watched it all unfold with an air of mild interest. “Hm,” he said, shifting slightly in his usual booth so he could get a better view of the TV screen. “The war’s on again.”
“Yup,” said the bartender. The place wasn’t terribly crowded and Cal wasn’t even a drinker, so he was taking the opportunity to wipe down some glasses.
“You gonna enlist? Could be money in it.”
“Nah,” Cal said. “I work for a place here, get paid more ‘n twice what either side would pay me. Plus I got a family I can’t leave.”
“I get that,” the barman said. “I hear Reg might, though.”
Cal nodded. “Kinda has to, doesn’t he? Eldest son, his dad can’t go since he runs the whole place. Someone’s gotta represent the family.”
“Yup,” the barman said.
There was a pause. Cal drank what he had, which wasn’t alcoholic. He wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but it was yellow-green and it fizzed.
The TV reporter was saying that reports of the use of disintegrator weapons had been thoroughly denied by both sides. “Didn’t know they had that,” Cal said.
“I heard they’re not just the usual type,” the bartender said. “They don’t just disintegrate. They do it all slow-like.”
“You mean-”
“When you go, you feel it.”
Cal winced. “Another reason I’m not going.”
“Yup,” the barman said.
Neither of them said it, but they were both quietly grateful they weren’t Reg, who didn’t seem to have a say in the matter.
This story was inspired by this prompt from
:
Also, a bit of inspiration came from the Star Trek: TNG episode The Most Toys.1
Until next time,
Michael
Specifically, Kivas Fajo’s use of the Varon-T disruptor. When it disrupts, it disrupts.
It reads like something that could have been written about the homefront in World War II.