It's Really Not So Sweet

It's Really Not So Sweet--Part 4

John W. Gilmore

The Real Enemy--Chapter 7

I have never had such horrible dreams in my life. My God! I had been doing this since the Last War. My wife and children had died. I was distraught. I wanted revenge, but I didn't know who was at fault. Was it the enemy who had dropped the bomb? Was it the creators of the bomb shelter? Who was it? I began to look for answers.

Even as I mourned, I studied, I worked hard, I joined the Army and began to fight against the enemy combatants of the other nations, but that wasn't enough. I had to find out who the enemy really was. Who was the real enemy? My anger and hard work took me into Special Forces, and Intelligence. My coldness and drive pushed me forward as I climbed the ranks higher and higher and then one person, Senator Burkham, who had had tragic experiences in his life almost exactly like mine took me under his wing. His wife and children had also been killed in the bombing. He had pushed and pushed, but his avenue was politics. Not only politics, but the acquisition of real power. He saw that I was searching for the answer, and one night he gave it to me.

We were at his country home sitting by the pool having a few beers. Everything was quiet. The sky was almost cloudless and bright stars were puncturing the night. He turned to me and said something unexpected.

“I know how much you have been hurt and I know that you will never get over it. Knowing what is happening and why can at least alleviate a little of the pain. But many people can't bear to hear the truth.” He looked at me waiting for a reaction. I smiled a little.

“Oh, the truth,” I said. “And just what is that?” He sipped his beer.

“This is highly classified and on a need to know basis.”

“Oh really. You aren't telling me something that can get me killed are you?” I asked jokingly. He was serious. The look on his face shook me up a little. He took another drink and tilted his head, slightly.

He smiled. “You don't have to worry about that as long as you can keep your mouth shut for a few weeks anyway, but there is a price when it comes to knowing the truth. That price is that you have to do something about it.”

“To do something about it. What would that be?”

“To go after the real people who caused the war and especially the ones who caused your family to be killed. My family was killed by accident. Yours was murdered. You've been fighting like hell trying to find out what happened and trying to get revenge, but you don't know how to even do that. I can tell you how, but you have to be willing to do it and keep your mouth shut until you do.”

“Really?” I thought about it for a moment. “Tell me.” He looked up at the stars.

“Sky's beautiful, isn't it? More stars than we can even count and some of those things are actually galaxies. Do you realize that?”

“Yes.”

“We are starting to colonize other planets you know. We have become a space fairing people. What makes you think others haven't?” I was silent. “What makes you think there aren't people who are more developed than us with better technology out there who have influenced just about everything on Earth. Politics, religion, the economy, and even the development of technology has come at a price. That price has been government officials beginning with chiefs, kings, senators, and presidents working along with businesses and other entities to trade labor and resources for knowledge and technology. We are not alone and haven't been for thousands of years. We've had leaders selling us out for centuries in order to stay in power.”

“Selling us out to aliens,” I said. “Are you serious?”

“Yes. I am serious. Haven't you ever wondered about it? There are competing groups out there in space and here on Earth. They create wars to kill off surplus populations and to drain the treasury so they can go out there, in space, and fight, and kill, and build their empires out there.”

I know it sounds crazy, but that is who was responsible for the so-called Last War, and taking the money that was supposed to be used to create bomb shelters, skimming it from the top, and investing in off world slavery. They are the ones who caused your family to die and hundreds of thousands, millions in that war.

They destroyed most of the people, the atmosphere, and many species in that war because they wanted to get us out there into space where they could do just about anything they wanted with no accountability. Eventually, when the Earth dies enough some alien race that can live with the atmosphere that will be left and drink the contamination in the water will move right in and take over an old burned out world. That was the plan. Right now they are still out their doing their dirt and we keep falling for the same old tricks over and over again.” I drank my beer again. It went down hard. He continued.

“This has been kept secret. What could anyone really do about it? So year after year I go to these secret debriefings and it seems insane. I am hearing about aliens, and ships, and people withholding technology. I hear about people creating wars and famines to kill off the surplus population, and I just have to sit there being quiet because I know nobody would possibly believe this shit, and because I am being blackmailed.”

They set me up in compromising positions, secretly took pictures, and now they have me. They've made campaign contributions and have set it up so they look dirty. They have told me about what they can do to my new family and relatives. They only have to do that once, you know. I can't say a word. They can discredit me so easily and the general public is stupid enough to believe anything they say!” He frowned and sat there for a few moments. He sighed. “This world is not run by nice people, John. It isn't even run by people who are completely human. They are cruel, and we are their animals. The ones who are terrible and who will do anything to cull us and keep us in control are given positions of power just like the overseers on the plantations. There is very little we can do about it, except...a war is going on right now.”

The aliens who are at least a little decent are in a pitched battle against the ruthless ones who have had control over the Earth for thousands of years--for tens of thousands of years. If you want your revenge, that's where you should be fighting, out there in space.”

“I don't understand what you are saying,” I said. “This just sounds crazy, Senator Burkham.”

“Just call me Berry. When someone shares something this crazy and classified at such a high level, I think it is time for us to be on a first name basis, and I think we will be working together a long time. That is if you want to avenge your family by fighting the right people.”

“I would, but is this true?”

“Yes. But to do this you will have to enter the Secret Space Program. The SSP has been around for years. You will take trips into space and protect the Earth on the frontiers. Before you return your memories will be erased and you won't remember any of it at all. You will be given a false memory and think you were somewhere else.”

“I don't know. You are throwing a lot at me at one time. Is this for real?”

“Do I look like I'm joking? Let me show you something.” He reached over and picked up the phone. “I'm calling your general right now.” He hit the speed dial and than sat there with the phone to his ear. He hit the speaker button when it was answered. “General Benjamin,” He said.

“Yes. This is Benjamin”

“Berry. How are you General.”

“Good. Good to hear from you. I'm surprised you called me this late and on my personal line. What's going on?”

“John Crenshaw is a friend. He is here right now. He will be part of the group,” He said.

“John? Major Crenshaw? That's too bad. He's one of our best.”

“Well maybe he can work for both of us, George.”

“I sure hope so, Berry. And he knows about it all and has agreed?'

“Yes he has.”

“OK. I'll give the order to adjust the records first thing tomorrow.”

Thanks, General. Good night.”

“Good night, Senator.” He hung up the phone and turned to me.

“Now you know its real. I can call him back and you can change your mind.”

“No Berry. I want to do it.”

“I'm glad. Maybe you'll stop being pissed off so much now when you can strike back at the real problem. I'm just too old to do it myself.”

I rolled over in my sleep. Memories of the many campaigns I took part in began to flow through my dreams as just snap shots, and short little pieces. When I awakened I remembered it all. I had signed up for it. Shit! What was I thinking? I rolled back over and went to sleep.

It was morning--early. I could just feel it. I woke up and looked out the window. Stars streaked by. I still couldn't believe it. An alarm went off calling us to Mess and then to work. I was sure it was early morning because I remembered how we got up super early. I hit the switch on the alarm and rolled back over in bed. I locked the door and shut off the override code. I went back to sleep. I didn't want anything to do with this shit.

I was awakened by banging on the door, which I ignored. I heard several override numbers being keyed into the door until it finally clicked. Gus came rushing in with a look of panic on his face. I just looked at him. I was pissed. “You all right? Are you sick or something?” He asked. I just glared at him and then rolled over again and pulled the covers over my head. “He hit the com button on his watch.

“Franks here,” Came back.

“I'm in his room right now,” Gus said, with a lilt in his voice. “He's fine Captain. He remembers.” They both began to laugh as Brian snatched to covers off of the bed.

“You are in this man's space force! He shouted. “Time to get up. We have got a lot of work to do.”

“Damn it!” I shouted.

The End