Desertion

By Adrián Gonzalez

A rookie is promoted after performing a great feat by eliminating an alien nest. Ovated by all his teammates after receiving the medal of honor, he is transferred to the special team. His mission, the destiny of humanity. In a last attack forced by the allies to finally finish with the Tungs. But what would become of us if everything they tell us is a lie. To discover the truth in a war. To have in the hands the absolute truth written by an enemy. Could you decide who is the good and who is the evil? We all make decisions, the young legend should make only one, as a result of the extinction of the human race.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Jul 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201992651

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Original title: Desertion

From the text: 2017, González Adrián

From the 2017 cover design, González Adrián

From the 2017 edition: Self-published

Gonzalez, Adrian

Desertion. -1° ed.- Buenos Aires: Self-published

Youth Literature - Science Fiction.

All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part, nor may it be recorded on or transmitted by any information retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether mechanical, photochemical, electronic, magnetic, electromagnetic, photocopying, or otherwise, without prior written permission from Gonzalez Adrian.

1

I make a triumphal entry into the first room of the headquarters. Headquarters of the platoon two four five, in the earthly space. Although the operation was on a large-scale banishing from the moon to the Tungs migration, the soldiers receive me with a cheerful acclaim of my name only. I knew that the rumor would spread quickly and I couldn't stop listening to the exaggerated murmurs of my exploit.

-They say he wiped out more than a hundred Tungs and destroyed the fortress by himself," I heard one say.

-In our squadron they say he eliminated a thousand Tungs and a queen - another soldier interrupted them. He did more than that, he took the colony by himself.

The feat had been quite a feat in the hostile field of the third moon, but the ru-mores were ridiculously exaggerated. I could not deny them or give them the truth that I should, morale was in the air and I would not be the one to say that our casualties were as many as theirs. Nevertheless, we recovered territory by pushing back the enemy, and that was a great victory for humanity.

-Attention! Officer in the area," shouted a private.

We stopped in front of the first sergeant. A thin, middle-aged, gray-haired man in good condition. I lined up with the ten men in my platoon and we saluted accordingly. We hit our heels in unison while taking our hand at a forty-five-degree angle to our foreheads.

-Very good work, soldiers, I congratulate you for taking key territory in the war in front of the Tungs- said the sergeant, after a brief pause, he continued- In two hours we will pay our respects to the fallen and to our hero commemorated with three medals.

We greeted them aloud, gave the order to break formation and moved to our rooms. Mine was empty, I had lost my three companions, lifelong friends where we shared everything. The sadness came from deep inside me and went out of sight. Pietro had fallen in the first week, I witnessed the mine that mutilated Terry and had Camilo's agony in my hands, while the shrapnel pellets slowly bled him dry.

Two knocks on the door brought me back to reality. I wiped the tears with my shirt sleeve before pressing the panel. It scanned and probed the fingerprints, recognizing them changed to a green color allowing access. The four metal panels that formed the door opened, releasing the lock. On the threshold stood my sister Cynthia, her gaze lost on the empty cots of my fallen friends. His eyes became glassy and I felt less like hugging him, in view of some soldiers wandering in the hallway. To show weakness at such a time would only lower the morale of the station, and I could not afford it. I waved him through and closed the door with the same panel.

I dropped into the nearest cot and covered my face with Terry's pillow. The words didn't come out until after a few minutes, we were both affected by the losses and it was difficult to address such a delicate issue for both of us.

-So, you took the entire colony infected by thousands of Tungs by yourself? -said Cinzia, breaking the silence.

-You know that's nonsense. I barely got down to about forty-three," I replied.

-It's not a minor number," she cleared her voice before continuing. They say you're going to get the medal of honor and courage.

-We paid a high price to return the lost lands to humanity, it is not time for formalities," I replied angrily.

-I loved them as much as you did, but...

-I know, I'm glad you came, thank you.

-You need to take a shower, in one hour they are waiting for you in the main room, you must go to the officers' room.

I didn't respond, I never did, not when her formality passed to an officer, she was part of them. I could only keep it informal when we were alone. To anyone else of any rank, I had to treat her as a superior officer. With more than ten years of service, she was an expert in piloting fighter planes. Captain of the front line at nineteen, leader of the special intercept command at the age of twenty-one. Awarded the Hawk and Steel Wing Medals at the age of twenty-four, the youngest ever to receive such medals. In the past three years she has more than earned herself the right hand of the most celebrated admiral in all of humanity. Quantum had fought for more than thirty years and had a casualty of three thousand Tungs. He was a living legend. My highest pinnacle. I wished to be like him one day. Now he would personally witness the presentation of the same medal he won in his first feat. I pushed the pillow off my face and felt the heat rise to my cheeks, the euphoria running through my body giving me goose bumps. Shortly after Cinzia left, I jumped up and went straight to the shower. I felt the great honor that this preceded in my career.

Dressed with elegance and the formality that the case deserved, ten minutes before I sat down at the officers' door. I struck the metal structure with three short blows, thus disarming the person they were waiting for. The door was opened by the first sergeant, we gave the corresponding greetings and he invited me in.

Never before had I been so close or so close