Space Danger! Space Marines' Graveyard (Short Story)

By Doug Strider

Each ship in the fleet has a team of five resident Space Marines.

It's not easy getting that job.

The training alone is enough to deter the hardest of candidates. But some have no choice.
Unless they don't want to prove themselves to their mothers.
But they all do.

~

This is a standalone story set in the Space Danger! universe. Well, galaxy really.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Doug Strider
• Release date: Mar 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301805914

Doug Strider

I’m currently working on a pulp-ish sci-fi book to be released in four novella sized parts. I call it 'Space Danger!' and it’s going well so far I reckon. I hope you will eventually enjoy it. About me? I’m human, with a nose, arms, legs and all the other regular bits and I’m male (so include those bits in the previous list if you would). I’m a fan of ale, wine, sci-fi & fantasy type stuff, food, writing in pubs, laughing and loads of other things. I live in London with a more prolific writer, the bane of feet (cat), some of the more interesting sentient teddy bears around, door-slamming thunderous neighbours who I believe to be anger demons and, because it’s a poor old building, a bit of mould.

Book preview

Space Danger!

Space Marines’ Graveyard

By Doug Strider

Published by Douglas Strider at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Douglas Strider

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this free eBook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

The bell sounded long and hard, almost to the point where hands were hovering over jackets in case this was a fire alarm. The staff of the training facility relaxed as silence flooded back for a moment until the roar of three hundred freed commandos burst forth as they stampeded out of the doors. Each of them clutched in their hands a carefully coloured-in battle plan of a fictional fortress, which they would dutifully send to their mothers, and a token to redeem at the Royal Space Marine Outfitters for one green beret.

This didn’t mean that they could call themselves Space Marines just yet but at least now they could proudly declare themselves King’s Squad and get discounts on ale and put posters up in their new digs in the leafier side of the village.

Their training was almost complete. Basic training was dull but tough. Endless hours on the parade ground, countless rifle range practices and muscle-developing physical and endurance trials. Very thorough, mind numbing stuff with the exception of Battle Swimming which was really popular. There were also sessions on everything from tying shoelaces All proper like to conflict resolution When odds is impossible. The highest scoring class, for the fifty-second year running, was Effective Profanity because