A Soldier in Love by A. Petrov Read Free Book Online Page B

her aching
muscles. It seemed like there wasn’t a time in which she wasn’t sore or tired. She
wished for ibuprofen, or aspirin, or a stout drink, anything to take the edge
of the pain.

 
    “Do you think the Cabaka
will attack us here?” Kate questioned.

 
    Michelle remained quiet
for a moment. She was unsure whether to be optimistic or honest with Kate. Hesitantly,
she decided on the later. She wanted her friend to be prepared. “I don’t think
it’s the Cabaka we will have to worry about here.”

 
    “What do you mean?”
Kate asked.

 
    Michelle sighed unsure
of how to explain. She thought for a moment to herself.

 
    “What’s going on? Just
tell me,” Kate said with a worried tone in her voice.

 
    “Why do we run every
day?” Michelle questioned. Maybe Michelle could help her figure it out on her
own instead of outright telling her.

 
    “Because it’s protocol,”
Kate began.

 
    “Fuck that. I don’t
give a fuck about protocol. I care about living,” Michelle said vehemently.

 
    “What do you mean?”
Kate asked in a frightened tone.

 
    Michelle sighed. Her
little emotional outburst caused nothing but stress for the sweet natured
Kate.  

 
    “I don’t think The
Commander knows what to do… Why do we run? It doesn’t seem right. Shouldn’t we
be doing something more productive with our time? Fighting the Cabaka?
Engineering something? Moving to a different planet? You know, one that doesn’t
suck.”

 
    “I don’t know,” Kate
admitted.

 
    “I don’t want to scare
you, Kate,” Michelle said still unable to see her friend in the darkness that cloaked
both of them.

 
    Kate let out a small
laugh. “Michelle, I’ve been scared ever since…” she paused. “I can’t remember a
time I haven’t been worried and frightened. ”

 
    “There’s something else
here on this planet.” Michelle interrupted.

 
    “What do you mean?”

 
    “I’m not sure exactly
but the original explorers who came here, the ones that built this place… well,
they never came home.” Michelle’s stomach turned. She wasn’t sure if she did
the right thing telling her or not. Was ignorance bliss in this case or would
it be more important to know? Should everyone know? She didn’t know what the
answer was. She only knew she could take things day by day.

 
    “Michelle, I promise
you this. I’m with you and we are in this together. No matter what happens I
have your back.”

 
    Michelle was thankful
the darkness hid the tears in her eyes.

 
    “Kate, you’re my best
friend.”

 
    “You’re mine too.”

***

 
    The next morning
Michelle took her place in line along with the other soldiers.

 
    “ A3343Z,”
The Commander called out as he looked down at a list fastened to a clipboard.

 
    “Sir, yes, sir,” Michelle replied stepping forward.
She was just a number, just a soldier.

 
    “At ease, you are to go to the training room instead
of running from today forward,” The Commander ordered.

 
    Michelle nodded.

 
    He scribbled something on a notebook. “You still
have to run when we do drills.”

 
    “Yes sir,” she replied.

 
    “Well, go on then, go!” he barked as he violently waved
his hands in the air.

 
    She turned and made her way to the training room. Her
heavy boots pounded down on the concrete floor. She
entered the training room. It was small but it was reminiscent of combat and
martial classes. It held a thin mat on the floor, an old punching bag, and a
pile of gloves in the corner of the small room. It was dusty and upon further
examination she could see that the equipment was almost ancient. She figured it
could do though.

 
    She watched as a young
black man entered. He was about average height, maybe a little taller than her.
He was muscular but not bulky. He was still lean like a true fighter would be,
maybe a little too lean since the food rations.

 
    “Hey,” he said warmly
as he shut the door