LYCCYX Episode 1: The Declaration
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Authors: Brian Barber
Copyright © 2012, 2013 Brian J Barber
Third Edition
All Rights Reserved
This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used whatsoever without the express permission of the author except for brief quotation necessary for review.
All characters in this publication are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
To learn more about the world of LYCCYX visit
http://lyccyx.us
For more books by Brian Barber visit
http://www.amazon.com/Brian-Barber/e/B008RH0P1C
To my sweetbabe.
Beginnings
On Earth
ON EARTH
January 7, 2041 – We have known for some time that petroleum would not last forever. We have now realized that all of our “clean” energy initiatives were about fifty years too late. The world’s population has now grown to nearly thirty billion and our food production cannot keep up. Wars and skirmishes have broken out in various regions, all over natural resources. Since NASA was disbanded in 2022, we knew our hopes for a colony on Mars would not come from a government project and that the private space sector had so many agendas and no real direction that even a one-way journey to the planet was out of the question.
However, there is a possible, albeit temporary, solution for both our lack of resources and the population problem: colonize the moon. Scientists believe our moon contains more than enough resources to make the trip to Mars possible and can also serve as a temporary base while other colonization options are explored. In the late 2020’s, when NASA’s remaining personnel found themselves out of work, a group of them got connected with a few military contractors and established the Asteroid Mining Corporation with the intent to capture and mine near-earth asteroids for precious metals and other valuable elements. With the backing of several technology firms, AMC began operations and grew at an alarming rate. The company’s exponential growth enabled them to quickly acquire nearly every remaining aerospace and defense contractor and their assets grew to those of a small nation.
Due to budget cuts, the Department of Defense consolidated the five branches into one military force: the United Continents Military, or UCM. By uniting the sea, air, land and space forces the UCM now operates much more efficiently – especially during times of conflict. By 2036, when the President ordered the opening of the Strategic Petroleum Reserves, the world was engaged in a full-scale Energy War. AMC had been building security forces to protect its holdings and now supplemented the United Continents Military at a ratio of 1:1. The influx of cash from AMC hasn’t hurt either. Our troops now have full armor and the best weaponry and training on the planet. With the development of AMC’s ShockSuit – which absorbs impact from enemy fire and the soldier’s movement and converts it into electrical energy, warfare is becoming more of a technology competition than ever. The black market has produced some passable copies of AMC’s gear including some of its energy-based weapons like pulse rifles and mini-EMP grenades (MIPS). Recently, a large shipment of supplies was captured by rebels and there has been talk of some former engineering talent now working for opposing forces.
Unmanned warfare continues to grow as technology advances. Since the Weaponized Robotics Act of 2018 lifted the ban on robotic weapons, both sides are pushing the envelope to deploy new types of products. Congress has been pushing for more oversight into AMC’s operations and involvement with the UCM but few can argue with AMC’s contributions to the United Continents and the ongoing effort toward global stability. My name is Luke Xander, and this is my world.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I know you both have had high hopes for me returning to the University in the fall but I feel like academics may not be the best thing for me. Since my injury during the playoffs, I have done a lot of thinking. Did you know that UCM will pay for corrective surgery as an incentive to join and serve a few years?
I have been talking to MSgt Masterson the last few weeks and I really want the full use of my leg again. That is why I have decided to join and pursue a career as an officer with the United Continents Military. With my GPA and athletic talent (at least up until I got hurt) they say I would be an ideal candidate for the Academy.
Well, I have to go for now. Sorry this is so sudden. My airbus leaves in the morning for in-processing. I’ll write you as soon as I can.
Love,
Luke
Four months later:
Dear Mom and Dad,
We just finished our first week here at the Academy and man was it tough! We met our instructors and were organized into units. Mine is the Alpha Unit, which is made up of the most athletic trainees, isn’t that exciting? My leg is awesome; I have been running consistent 5.5- minute miles.
Next week we start combat training. The Alpha Unit will spend more time training for combat since we are the best of the best. I can’t wait for the advanced weapons course. Hopefully, I will qualify on the Mk5 pulse rifle and earn a few extra credits. I am sending you part of my earnings to help cover the tuition cost you paid. When I finish here, I will get a bonus that will more than pay off the rest.
Well, gotta go for now. It’s almost time for lights-out and we have a busy day ahead. Love you so much and can’t wait to graduate and see you again.
Luke
“Wow, so you made Captain – Impressive,” John said with a bit of jealous sarcasm.
“Yep, but you didn’t do so bad yourself, First Lieutenant,” I replied. The UCM awards advanced rank for exceptional performers – like us.
John and I had been friends since middle school. He was one of the first kids who even talked to me when we moved to town – probably because his family moved here from London so he knew what it was like to be the new kid. Everyone else just stared at me like I was some kind of alien. For that reason, John and I were close even though we often seemed like polar opposites. I was a cautious young man who always wanted to know what the rules were so I could be sure to follow them. John Stephan had to know the rules so he could bend them until they broke.
We were very competitive, as most guys are, and used to race home just so we could say, “Beat ‘cha!” In high school and college, we tried to impress the same girls and to outdo each other in sports. Football was never my favorite sport but the ladies seemed to pay more attention to guys on the team so I figured I’d try out. I not only made the team but did surprisingly well. That’s how I got hurt.
It was the last game of the regional playoffs and we were down by seven points. I tried a move I had seen John execute countless times called the “Twistenator”. He tried to teach it to me and I only got it right about sixty percent of the time. But it was John who came to see me in the hospital and handed me a brochure about the UCM and how they paid for surgery to fix guys like me, who aside for minor injuries, would be great for the Service.
Mom and Dad never really liked the idea of me in uniform. They would rather me become a scientist or engineer and make some kind of groundbreaking discovery. I figured I might be able to do both. Tomorrow morning at 0800 John and I, along with the rest of our class, are graduating the Academy. I can’t wait to get my diploma and my title of Captain. Captain Lucas Xander… I like the sound of that.
Our team was on patrol a few clicks from LB127 (Lunar Base 127) when something shiny caught my eye. As curious as I was to discover what this item might be, I also knew we were running low on oxygen and couldn’t stray too far.
“What are you looking at Captain?” John asked impatiently.
“Some sort of metallic object – could be valuable.” I replied.
“If you want to check it out, you better hurry. We are running out of air and I’m starving.” He was grumbling.
Lately, it seemed like a lot of the guys complained about being hungry. John’s theory is that the UCM were putting something in our food. I think we are all just burning a ton of calories out here on this rock.
“I’m going to check it out and then we can head back.” I assured him.
“Fine.” He reluctantly agreed.
As I got closer to the object it became clear to me that it was made of a golden material. I knelt down to dig it out of the lunar dust and grit and realized it was a coin, about the size of a challenge coin we learned about in Military History back at the Academy. Caked with dust but still giving off quite a shimmer, the coin had some strange writing on it. So I decided to keep it. How on earth… wait – the moon did this thing make its way up here?
By now, the hunger gnawing at my innards was almost unbearable. It was the kind of hunger pain that make you want to punch something, or worse, someone. We better get back and get some chow or John is going to get a beating; I get so tired of his whining sometimes.
Dear Lucas,
Your mother and I want you to know that no matter what, we are very proud of you. We always knew you were a fighter. Not just some brainless brute but a cunning and decisive warrior. You come from a long line of servicemen. Your grandfather, three uncles, and many generations of Xanders have fought to preserve and protect our freedom.
While we are glad to see you pursue your dreams, please be careful. Pay attention to
your commanders and comrades. Stay in the moment. There are times to daydream and use your imagination but be sure to keep your wits about you when you are in the field.
Don’t worry about the tuition money. We had that set aside years ago so as far as we are concerned that money was yours from the time you were born. We have had to help your sister quite a bit in recent years and are always glad to help you too.
Keep us informed about your adventures. We understand that you probably can’t share
everything about whatever it is you guys are doing up there, but we would still like to hear from you and hope to see you when you have some time off.
Love,
Dad and Mom
“I’m telling you guys, they are putting stuff in our food…” Stephan announced at random.
“What do mean?” asked Dyas in a sincere yet inquisitive tone. “Like poison?”
“No, I mean performance enhancers, they’re doping us… making us stronger and faster than normal.” Stephan complained.
“So you think that’s a bad thing?” Baaz asked in that articulate manner of his – the guy was usually all business but tonight seemed a bit more laid back. “Isn’t that the point of our training? We’re supposed to be stronger, faster, and better than the enemy.” Baaz and I had been friends for years. He was a really neat guy, tall and lean, like a young Clint Eastwood.
“You guys have way too much time on your hands,” I interjected. “They put extra nutrients in there for sure, but that is exactly what we need with all the physical demands we face on this rock.”
“Why so testy, Captain?” Stephan sneered in that condescending British tone that you couldn’t help but like. “Did you lose your lucky coin?”
Silence filled the mess hall. I wasn’t quite ready to tell anyone about the coin, at least not until I found out what the inscription meant. It looked like an Earth language, probably prehistoric. The thing was old and worn, but still very readable. It was thick and heavy, about an ounce or more, and most likely solid gold or some kind of alloy.
“No, I… I’m just tired. Need some rest after being up the last 22 hours walking in circles,” I replied somewhat distantly. “You guys better get some rest too. We have a big day tomorrow.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” said Dyas. “Sleep well, sir.”
“Thanks, Dyas. Get some rest, gentlemen. 0500 will be here before you know it.”
The last good night sleep I had felt like eons ago; I felt myself starting to unravel. It just wasn’t like me to snap at my men like that. I’m supposed to be their leader but lately it seems like I’m losing my edge. Dyas, who is the youngest of our group, is so eager to please – almost to a fault. It seems like I have to constantly remind him that he is an Alpha Trooper with SEF (UCM’s elite Space Expeditionary Force) and deserves to be here just as much as anyone else.
Perhaps we have all found ourselves in that place. Feeling like we don’t quite measure up; that we are just one mistake away from being cut from the team and sent home. Lately, I’m wondering if that might be a good way out of this mess. Then again, I might just be tired. As I got to my quarters I remembered the coin. It was in my left chest pocket. Somehow, it made me feel a little more confident… a little stronger.