Ashes

By Talmage Cleverly

A short story about a woman haunted by a past mistake from her service in Jupiter's navy.

Roberta Costa, in a tragic accident, killed three-hundred-twenty-one people at New Beijing, a colony cylinder orbiting Mars. Though honorably discharged from Jupiter's navy, she is tormented by her actions. Her sister and a kind elderly woman from New Beijing seek to bring her back from the brink of despair after a failed suicide attempt.

Does Roberta have the strength to overcome her depression, PTSD, and guilt to find, if not happiness, at least peace with herself?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Talmage Cleverly
• Release date: Dec 26, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465768780

Talmage Cleverly

Talmage Cleverly has been playing in the made up worlds in his head since a small child. He likes to write about his imaginary friends and make them suffer for his own enjoyment and that of others. He currently lives in Layton Utah with his wife, two kids, and dog.

Book preview

Ashes

A Short Story

By Talmage Cleverly

Copyright 2011 Talmage Cleverly

Smashwords Edition

Cover by Talmage Cleverly

Copyright 2011 Talmage Cleverly

All right's reserved.

Build No: SWE1.0

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental.

Other books by this author can be found at the author's Smashwords page: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/talmagecleverly

Author's Blog: http://tcleverlylibrary.blogspot.com/

Special thanks to my wife for her patience in letting me explore the imaginary friends and worlds in my head while taking care of me in the real world.

***~***

Ashes

By Talmage Cleverly

Bobbie stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. A shadow of her former self stared back, gaunt and disheveled with a bottle of sleeping pills in hand. It wasn’t a full bottle, but enough pills were left to let her sleep forever. And she wanted to sleep, to escape the painful memories that haunted her night and day.

With one hand she checked the door. Still locked, not that it mattered. Nobody else was around at her sister’s apartment. Gina wouldn’t be home for hours, and by then she would be gone.

It would hurt Gina to find her dead, but she would recover. Unlike Bobbie, Gina was strong. Bobbie couldn’t even hold down a job for more than a few weeks since her court-marshal. They had found her not guilty on all charges, but she had to live with the fact that she had pressed the button that killed three hundred and twenty-one people. Gina never had to live with that kind of burden and never would.

What are you waiting for? Bobbie asked her reflection in the mirror. She knew why. She was stalling, hoping that someone or something would rescue her at the last minute. She held her breath. No rescue came.

She opened the lid and dumped the entire contents into her hand. She set the empty bottle on the counter and picked up the cup she had filled earlier with water. She washed down several pills at a time until none were left. She sat down on the bathroom floor and waited for the drug to take her guilt and pain away. It left her with plenty of time to think.

~*~

Bobbie sat behind the desk next to her attorney, wearing her dress uniform. A panel of military judges and officers with grim faces sat in front of her. The hearings had been long and grueling. But this was the final one.

Corporal Roberta Bernice Costa, please stand, the head judge said.

She pushed her chair back and stood at attention.

The man peered at the screen in front of him briefly before continuing, All of the evidence has been presented. In regards to the New Beijing incident during the Battle for Olympus Station, this court finds you, Corporal Costa, not guilty on the charge of murder against the three hundred and twenty-one civilians aboard the New Beijing Station colony cylinder. Not guilty on the charge of criminal negligence at your post of duty. And not guilty on the charge of treason against the Jovian Nation and its ally Mars.

Bobbie thought that most people would sigh with relief at the words not guilty, but she still felt very guilty. She had killed over three hundred innocent people in that battle. She had to pay some kind of price for that!

The man continued, "It is the court’s recommendation that Corporal Costa receive psychological counseling for the trauma experienced in the battle for Olympus Station, to be paid for by the Jovian Nation, a right given to all individuals who serve her military. She will also be granted six month’s paid leave if so desired.

Do you have any comments for the court, Corporal?

Bobbie swallowed. Her throat was dry and constricted. She said, I thank the court for its mercy. However, I no longer feel fit for service. My time will be up in eleven months anyway. May I please ask that in place of a six-month leave followed by five months of service that I be discharged now?

The judge conversed quietly with the other officers and then spoke, "Corporal Costa, it is the court’s opinion that you receive counseling during your leave, and if your councilor finds you unfit to return to active