Classified Memories

Posted on Fri Oct 28th, 2022 @ 9:18am by 1st Lieutenant Kyle Walken

Mission: The Goddess
Location: Walken's Quarters
Timeline: Before 'Getting a team ready'
553 words - 1.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Walken was drenched in sweat as he tossed and turned in his bed, it had been a year since Canterra IV but the memories of what they had discovered still haunted his dreams. Walking through the frozen fields of the snow-covered planet, Walken was in his combat BDU, weapon slung over his shoulder, and standing next to Bolingbroke. The bodies littered the field as they removed the snow from the shallow graves. The then Staff Sergeant could only stare as they discovered the mass burial site.

It was filled with the bodies of the colonist who couldn't work in the mines, the Gorn slaughtered them. Kyle had seen his fair share of death but now he was staring into a grave of the old and the young. Kyle had been a POW of the Gorn twice during this, once when the Wyoming was destroyed, and again when they faked their capture to sneak a team into the mines. All the horrors he saw on the Gorn ship, all the torture he went through, and watching other survivors slaughtered. It was the mass burial that truly haunted the marine.

With one last frozen breeze, the marine's eyes opened as he shot up from his bed, heart pounding as he gripped his chest. Looking around he grabbed for his rifle to find himself back in his quarters. It was at a time like this he was glad to not be in the barracks anymore as he took deep breaths. "Get it together Walken." He spoke to himself quietly as he stood up and began to pace around his quarters. "It's not like I can talk to anyone about this."

For once it wasn't because of his mistrust of Counselors, the mass graves, and the people inside had been buried under red tape. The fleet chooses to cover that part of the incident up the only people outside of the upper brass that knows about the graves are him, his former CO, and the now ex-Captain Bolingbroke. He looks at a picture on his counter as he finally stops pacing. The picture was of Kyle, Emma, and their younger brother Tony. It was the last time the three of them were on Earth together.

"I can only hope you're tour of duty goes smoother than mine Shortstack." He whispers quietly to himself as he opens his storage and lifts a bottle of whiskey from his personal stash. Following that he grabbed one of his glasses, opening the bottle he was quick to pour himself a glass of liquid medicine. "To you Tony." With that, he downs the whiskey. Sitting down on the bed he places his hands on his head as he once more feels the frozen breeze of Canterra IV, closing his eyes once more he is standing in front of the grave as one of the corpses reaches their hand out to the marine as if they are begging to be saved. 'I'm sorry.' He tried to speak but he couldn't speak.

His eyes open once more as the marine gets up, putting away the bottle and the glass he grabs his changes into his workout clothing and gathered up his duffle bag. He couldn't escape his past, for now, so he figured he would go hit the heavy bag in the gym.