#Pluto Is Expendable (trope)

[inspectorspacetimerevisited]

The Inspector, Belinay and the security team land on a barren planet that appears to have been completely strip-mined,

yet there’s an operational mine deep inside the planet, which is what the security team has been sent to check into.

[aboyandhisstarship]

Humans are weird: Enhancement/ Ethical...even in the face of armageddon?

It is a common trope in most SCI FI that humans are on the weaker end of most alien species, with the glaring exception of this kind of universe, so simply…the world is slowly uniting and expanding throughout the solar system and you detect ships heading your way…what would you do?  

The woman leaned forward in the cell as the man sighed “doc your attempt to shift blame is not appreciated.”

The doctor spoke calmly “please do not mistake me for some whimpering bug, what I did I did for the human race.”

The man shakes his head “500 individuals and you knew it would kill all of them.”

The doctor sat back “I did, and I would do it again, imagine for a second…that you get woken up in the middle of the night by man in suits informing you that aliens are coming, and we don’t know if they come in peace but more likely they are coming to our world to kill us, would you care about the live of 499 volunteers?”

The man stated “once again, you are over stating the volunteer aspect of the program.”

The doctor smiled coyly

Sometime in the past:

The general looked at the file “are you sure Doctor?”

The woman simply nodded “he is exactly one of the People we need, his skill set plus his compatibility will make him ideal for the project.”

The general sighed “alright, let’s see what he thinks, Send in the Private.” Into his intercom,

Erickson entered standing at attention “you wanted to see me sir?”

The general nodded “indeed private, this is Doctor Vanessa Corbin, and she has a job for you.”

Erickson blinked “sir?”

The doctor spoke clearly “want you are about to be told is highly classified, and cannot leave this room is that understood?”

Erickson stood a little straighter “sir…”

The general briefed “17 hours ago, we detected a fast moving object on radar, moving for the outer edge of the System, officially no comment has been given, however we have been forced to conclude that it is an alien vessel, we are assuming hostile.”

Erickson blinked “why do you need me sir?”

The Doctor smiled “you have a certain rare Gene and the skills Nessacery for what we need.”  

Erickson asked again “what do you need…Ma’am?”

The general cut in “the world powers are in talks to unite facing this threat, and ship building has been on-going for years reverse engineering some crashed alien crafts with the work of Doctor Chekov…what we lack are ground troops. That’s where you and other like you come in.”

The doctor reached out to shake his hand “pack your bags…welcome to Project Centurion.”

 3 days later:

Erickson was in a facility on an island in the pacific ocean, he was the youngest there by at least 3 years, the eighteen year old scout sniper shifted awkwardly as Doctor Corbin appeared “hello to you all, you were brought here from some of the finest special forces on earth, everything from the United states Marine core, to the Special Air service. Time is of the essence so I will not beat around the bush, an group of aliens…possibly an invasion force is inbound and we need to be ready, as such you all be biologically, chemically and Cybernatically enhanced, I need Verbal consent to these procedure’s.”

There was a quiet pause before Erickson spoke up “I consent…”

His consent was followed by everyone else in the new room.

Corbin smiled “well then let’s get started.”

1 month later:

Erickson lay down on a table wearing nothing but his dog tags, as a doctor asked “how are you feeling Private”

Erickson chuckled “my mom is going to kick my ass after this.”

The doc chuckled “if your mom is able to, we didn’t do our job right.”

4 needles lowered toward his arms and legs as Erickson groaned “this is going to hurt isn’t it.”

The doc didn’t sugar coat it “like hell, bite down on this. Putting a piece of rubber into his mouth, he asked “you ready?” glancing over the restraints holding the marine down.

Erickson nodded as the red hot needles entered his limbs emptying their contents as he screamed and bit down hard.

Erickson felt the needles leave his limbs they were numb he could barely feel them as the doc said distantly “how are you feeling private?”

Erickson answered “woozy sir….permission to pass out?”

The doctor laughed “granted son…granted.”

Erickson muttered “thank you sir.” Feeling his eyes roll into the back of his head.

Erickson opened his eyes he was in a hospital bed; all across his body was a series of scars, running down his arms and legs and across his torso, he was muscled before but now he was even more defined he tried to sit up as a nurse rushed in flipping the light switch, wait the room was dark, it looked bright as day as he blinked “uhhh water.” Realizing his throat was dry.

The nurse gave him a glass as he said “I feel weird…”

The nurse nodded “you are not used to your new body, you are stronger faster and enhanced in every way you care to think of.” Erickson answered by vomiting hard.

1 month later:

Erickson was running in full tac gear at a decent pace, 90 kilometers an hour. He was running laps around the island, something that even toughest pre enhancement trooper would not be able to do in less than 3 hours he could due in 45 minutes…if he was taking his time.”

Erickson ran up to the only friend he made in this place, Michelle Galagar was from Australia and seemed to be a fan of all things boom as he accepted her handed water bottle saying “good run?”

Erickson laughed “no is ever going to challenge me to a foot race again.”

Michelle grinned “good feature for our scout to have.”

Erickson ginned “I think so, so you hear?”

Michelle nodded eagerly “they finally built them, power suits! Can you believe it…it’s like a cheesy sci fi show!”

Erickson shook his head “except we are fighting a group of probably hostile aliens.”

Michelle laughed “sure but come on, the rule of cool!”

Erickson shook his head “I’m hitting the showers.”

8 months later, Pluto:

Erickson pulled his fist out of a dead bug looking at the person across from him “you ok ma’am?”

The pilot nodded she was in a blue space suit, contrasting with the larger green suit Erickson was wearing, flight Lieutenant Herndez  nodded “yes, do you have radio contact?”

Erickson sighed “mine got fried on the drop.”

Herndez sighed “well then I guess we are walking back to base camp.”

Erickson grinned “I can carry you ma’am”

Herendez smiled “I will bear that in mind.” As they rounded the corner of a small tunnel they came face to face with the queen with spoke mechanically “we mean you no harm!”

Present day, earth:

The woman in the hospital bed looked like she was in great shape, save for the criss crossing scars across her body, and the oxygen mask on her face.  Erickson plucked down saying “jeez so this is what you got up to instead of doing real work?”

Michelle laughed before coughing “what have I said about not doing that.”

Erickson smiled “sorry Ma’am.”

Michelle dead panned “pretty sure you out rank me now…about that?”

Erickson sighed “they said I had none of the symptoms…yet, but with my luck I will be dead by the end of the week.”

Michelle coughed with a teasing smile “hey I may be dying but no need to be selfish.”

Erickson smiled “what can I say I want all the speaking tours to myself.”

Michelle paused “looks like it won’t be long before you will.”

Erickson nodded “I went to the others, whenever I could, Corbin got arrested after the fifteenth one they tell you?”

Michelle stared like he was an idiot saying “this some kind of cold water memory test, everybody knew about that.”

Erickson sighed “she knew….she knew the older the candidate the sooner it kills us….”

Michelle grinned “how much did they say we cost, a billion per, man the bean counters must have mad as hell.”

Erickson rolled his eyes “yea that’s why they’re mad, not that it was a procedure she knew would kill anyone over the age of 23 within 18 months, and everyone over the age of 20 period.”

Michelle crocked her head “everyone over the age of 20?”

Erickson said lowly “should not tell you this, but apparently part of the reason I was chosen so young…is because it would not kill me, or so she claims…she said the rest of you were…expendable.”

Michelle narrowed her eyes “man I want to kill that bitch.”

Erickson laughed “welcome to the club I have considered using my training but…”

Michelle chuckled “but you got a squad now…you need to take care of them?”

Erickson nodded touching her leg saying “you know what gets me, it was pointless? They wanted peace, it was an accident…power suits alone would have and does do it now…we all died for nothing.”

Michelle pointed out “well it is not known if you will.”

Erickson sighed “I miss them, all of them that war brought us close together…”

Michelle laughed “buck up Ohio, think about it this way, soon you will be the last centurion and that puts you in interesting company.”

Erickson sighed “still never seen doctor who.”  

Michelle grinned “you should watch it with your girlfriend.”

Erickson sighed “Hailey is not my girlfriend.”

Michelle winked “how did you know who I was talking about then.”

Erickson narrowed his eyes “you have been “shipping it” for nine years!”

Michelle coughed “you two were alone in a cave for 3 months, don’t shoot the messenger.”

Erickson groaned “we were with the queen.”

Michelle laughed “Please I have met the queen; she is biggest wing woman in the entire galaxy.”

Erickson “can we please change the subject”

Michelle pouted “hey this is my deathbed, If i want to talk about you pining after a fleet officer I will.”

Erickson countered “I’m not pining.”

Michelle sighed “suuuuurrrrrreeeeeeeee,” Carrying out the word painfully long.

Erickson sighed “you done.”

Michelle sighed “for now, when you shipping out?”

Erickson sighed “tomorrow.”

Michelle smiled “visit me when you get back ok?”

Erickson grinned “wouldn’t miss it.”

 That night:

Erickson com beeped he rolled over in bed answering “Lieutenant Erickson.”

A voice said “hello Lieutenant, this is the nurse’s station at Johnson Memorial hospital….”

Erickson sat up “Michelle!?”

The nurse answered simply “I’m sorry sir Master Sargent Galagar, suffered total organ failure at 0100 hours local time and was declared deceased, she had you as her next of kin…sir.”

Erickson nodded taking a deep breath “thank you nurse I’m sure you did all you could.”

The nurse sighed “she was very sick, but she didn’t suffer at the end, take confront in that.”

Erickson nodded “thank you, I would like her body released for a service with full honors.”

The nurse nodded “we will make the arrangements for her to be released.”

 4 days later:

Erickson was in full dress uniform as he stood at the wake, no one else came of course, she didn’t have anyone else he mused to himself angrily, well that was not entirely true, a few of the big brass made brief appearances but other than that it was just him.

Hailey had been kind enough to extend the crews leave, for him and after 3 hours of standing around in the empty room he left with the coffin to Cemetery.

As the body was lowered he felt a presence behind him his heighted senses telling him who it was saying simply “ma’am.”

Hailey appeared next to him in full uniform as well saying “sorry I missed the wake, ships business….”

Erickson chuckled “thanks for showing up anyway Hailey.”

Hailey sighed “she was my friend to, and you two…I can’t imagine what you went through.”

Erickson sighed “I’m going to talk to her.”

Hailey said quietly “Will….”

Will looked at her “I have to Hail’s this won’t have meaning if I don’t find out why.”

Hailey sighed “you know why.”

Will shook his head “no I don’t, no one but her does, she went through with it knowing it would kill us, and looking back just power suits would have done it…why did she lie?”

Hailey took his hand “the only thing worse than a question is an answer.”

Will returned the squeeze “I have got to do this Hail’s.”

Hailey sighed “just be careful…”

Will grinned “had to eat worms in training, a can of them sounds awfully appetizing.”

Hailey crinkled her nose “Gross….”

Will laughed “talk to you later.”

Hailey nodded “yea will.”

 Prison cell:

Corbin grinned “you consented.”

Erickson countered “you didn’t exactly tell us what we were getting into.”

Corbin smiled “you all joined the military, you don’t do that unless you are willing to die for the greater good…but I doubt you came here to discuss philosophy, so why are you here?”

Erickosn sighed “499 candidate’s you knew would be dead before long, and yet you still went through with it why?”

Corbin sighed “please William such a question is beneath you, you were at the same briefings as me, all those projections…so ask me what you really want to.”

Erickson said simply “why not recruit everyone my age?”

Corbin sighed “no time to train them to be the force we needed, we needed leaders…plus a rare gene profile needed for the chemicals to not kill you instantly, as such a very limited set of population were even valid even fewer in the military and few still with the kind of experice you need to fight an interstellar war, in fact they were exactly 500….”

Erickson scoffed as Corbin smiled “a centurion, the great warrior of the Roman Empire, one of the if not the mightiest on earth.  And that’s what we needed and that’s what I provided, but I was always quite proud of what I accomplished with you…the others were wheat made to harvest, but you I created a true superhuman, healing factor, last projections say you will be able to fight for at least a hundred years if you are so inclined, and if that invasion proved hostile my name would join the likes of Robert Oppenheimer and Werner von Braun! Not being dragged through the mud now.”

Erickson sighed “the Nazi and the man who made nukes, great heroes to have.”

Corbin countered “the rocket scientist that developed technology that kept the cold war cold, and the man who paved the way to unity…yes I believe I would have fit in nicely.”

Erikson countered “but alas, the threat was non-existent and your legacy is paired with the like of doctor Frankenstein and MK ultra.”

Corbin said “did you come here just to insult me?”

Erickson sighed “it seems that we are the last two, Michelle died a few days ago…so just us.”

Corbin nodded “she lasted longer than my projections would have guessed.”

Erickson “sighed so that’s it? Just like that?”

Corbin looked at him “I know about every one of my Centurion’s, I know they all mattered, but we were going to war, and I’ve said it before and I will say so again, 499 deaths are nothing a snow flake on the breeze compared to you, you proved I was right!”

Erickson stood up “you have time to think about that doc…a long time.”

And with that he stood up saying “if they all mattered maybe you should not have thrown their lives away.”

  what do you think?