Title: Water Planet

[swirlsofpurple]

 

Once the ship reaches a sensible coasting speed of fifty light years per hour and everything seems to be running in a stable fashion, the captain goes to check their supplies. They hadn’t been allowed access to check before-hand and they’ve got suspicions as to why. Opening the boxes labelled suits, their hunch is confirmed: there’s no real protective gear.

They are going to a water planet. The place has oceans filled with the stuff, and even on land, the rain is water. The sentient species on the planet, is mainly water, can spit water and has water flowing into their homes at the opening of a tap.

They had been assured that they would have appropriate protection for this.

Budget cuts had been running rampant and they’d heard rumours of poor, unimportant, infantrymen, like the ones on this ship, being used for canon-fodder. To gain intel and measure the planets reaction to a conquering force. But this wasn’t just going into battle without sufficient armour, this was going to a place which could burn them to death if the skies opened up suddenly. 

The stuff in the box is okay for lab-work using water, but is definitely not enough for what these soldiers are going to face.

It turns this into a suicide mission.

 

*

 

There are those who would say they should blindly carry out their orders regardless. The captain is not one of those people. They refuse to throw away all of their peoples’ lives so carelessly.

There are also those who would say the captain must be the one who makes the decision on what to do next: that is the burden of their station. This is a notion they spend some time thinking on. They decide to hold a vote. After all, it’s everyone’s lives which will be affected.

 

*

 

They gather their people in the main atrium and lay out the options. They can’t go home: they would be killed as deserters. One option is to run: they would still be hunted as deserters, and would be looking over their shoulders their entire lives waiting to be found. The other down-side is how it affects the loved-ones back home: they would lose any benefits and pensions they were due and would be cast out as deserter-kin. The other option is to complete the mission.

They look at their people. There are many grim stone-faces, some teary-eyed. The youngest, not even of age yet, a child really, has tears running down their cheeks.

Wiping them away, the kid says, “I heard the beings on that planet cry tears of water.”

“They get burns every time they cry?” the soldier beside them says, before realising their mistake.

They all know. It’s a nightmarish thought: these water creatures, drinking and swimming and thriving with water.

 

*

 

In the end, the decision is made to complete the mission. Too many are worried about their families to do otherwise.

They set out a feast, trying to lighten the mood, knowing the food likely won’t be needed for a return journey. Some laughter, some joy, is managed.

But as they approach their destination, a sombre silence takes hold.

They stare in awe at the planet: terrifyingly blue.    

Comments

[swirlsofpurple]

That's such a lovely compliment, thank you :)