Unogal
15-03-2006, 23:57
I wrote a short story. I know its a big time investment, but if you could take 5 and read it and tell me what you think, Id be grateful.
A Defensive Tactic
Albert knew what he was about to do could be considered ‘wrong’. He reconciled himself with the fact that his target was not of his own race. His had not been the aggressors.
Albert was one of the species that was known to the inter-galactic community as Humans, and his target was of a closely related species from within Albert’s own solar system.
Physiologically, the Martians were very similar to the Humans. There was a difference in the shapes of the heads and eyes of the two species. Their skin colors were also different; the Martians’ skin being green and the Humans’ skin ranging in color from charcoal black through chestnut to yellow and white.
The two were largely similar otherwise. In fact, their brain mass and functionality were virtually the same. That was one of the first things that the Martian scientists had established after their takeover of the planet Earth in the year 2113, as it was recorded of Earth’s calendar.
Having noted the shocking coincidence that both Humans and Martians had appeared in their fully evolved forms around the same time, it was, Martian scientists decided, socio-economic factors that had caused Humans to develop more slowly than their Martian counterparts. Humans had developed a system known as ‘currency’, so that they could keep track their individual discrepancies of wealth: something that was unique to humans among all the sentient creatures of the universe. It was, the Martians decided, not surprising that the corruption, inefficiency, inter-racial wars and ‘social class’ caused by the pursuit of currency that had caused the Humans to develop more slowly than the nearly-identical Martians on a similar time scale.
The Martians, owning superior technology to the Humans, were able to make the invasion of Earth a startlingly quick affair, not that it had been a battle in the traditional sense. The Martians simply gave their outdated Ray-Guns, which were hundreds of years old at the time, to pro-Martian Human sects in the hopes that those humans, with superior weaponry, would pacify the rest. However, when the benevolent Martians did realize the necessity of a Martian invasion, they tried to minimize casualties, on both sides. They themselves only suffered 1311 casualties in the invasion and occupation of Earth.
Albert knew all this. He also knew that the Martian occupation of earth was not an overly harsh one. The main change that occurred after the Martian’s invasion of earth was the removal of the Humans ‘capitalist’ system, also unique to humans, which forced those humans who were born with less natural skills were forced to work harder and live in worse conditions than those with more natural skill.
Yes, the Martians, for the most part, had let the Humans live in peace, even educating and training humans in crafts with which the Humans were not familiar. As it turned out, all the Martians had wanted on Earth was water, which, the Martians said, there was not nearly enough of on Mars.
Albert didn’t care that the Martians were taking Earth’s water. He often forgot why the resistance movement in which he was about to involve himself existed. He just had to remember that it was his duty, nay, his honor, to fight the Martians the only way he, or any other Human, could.
Albert was to drive his hover-Ford into the Martian troop supply base and detonate the bombs that were strapped to himself and the craft he drove.
When the explosion sounded, no Martians were hurt. The only casualties of the explosion were a dent on the building’s supply gate, a pot-hole in the road and two Humans who had been standing near the explosion.
The mother had died clutching her son, Sam. Sam, the human child, would never again go to the fair and ride the Ferris wheel, his favorite ride.
A Defensive Tactic
Albert knew what he was about to do could be considered ‘wrong’. He reconciled himself with the fact that his target was not of his own race. His had not been the aggressors.
Albert was one of the species that was known to the inter-galactic community as Humans, and his target was of a closely related species from within Albert’s own solar system.
Physiologically, the Martians were very similar to the Humans. There was a difference in the shapes of the heads and eyes of the two species. Their skin colors were also different; the Martians’ skin being green and the Humans’ skin ranging in color from charcoal black through chestnut to yellow and white.
The two were largely similar otherwise. In fact, their brain mass and functionality were virtually the same. That was one of the first things that the Martian scientists had established after their takeover of the planet Earth in the year 2113, as it was recorded of Earth’s calendar.
Having noted the shocking coincidence that both Humans and Martians had appeared in their fully evolved forms around the same time, it was, Martian scientists decided, socio-economic factors that had caused Humans to develop more slowly than their Martian counterparts. Humans had developed a system known as ‘currency’, so that they could keep track their individual discrepancies of wealth: something that was unique to humans among all the sentient creatures of the universe. It was, the Martians decided, not surprising that the corruption, inefficiency, inter-racial wars and ‘social class’ caused by the pursuit of currency that had caused the Humans to develop more slowly than the nearly-identical Martians on a similar time scale.
The Martians, owning superior technology to the Humans, were able to make the invasion of Earth a startlingly quick affair, not that it had been a battle in the traditional sense. The Martians simply gave their outdated Ray-Guns, which were hundreds of years old at the time, to pro-Martian Human sects in the hopes that those humans, with superior weaponry, would pacify the rest. However, when the benevolent Martians did realize the necessity of a Martian invasion, they tried to minimize casualties, on both sides. They themselves only suffered 1311 casualties in the invasion and occupation of Earth.
Albert knew all this. He also knew that the Martian occupation of earth was not an overly harsh one. The main change that occurred after the Martian’s invasion of earth was the removal of the Humans ‘capitalist’ system, also unique to humans, which forced those humans who were born with less natural skills were forced to work harder and live in worse conditions than those with more natural skill.
Yes, the Martians, for the most part, had let the Humans live in peace, even educating and training humans in crafts with which the Humans were not familiar. As it turned out, all the Martians had wanted on Earth was water, which, the Martians said, there was not nearly enough of on Mars.
Albert didn’t care that the Martians were taking Earth’s water. He often forgot why the resistance movement in which he was about to involve himself existed. He just had to remember that it was his duty, nay, his honor, to fight the Martians the only way he, or any other Human, could.
Albert was to drive his hover-Ford into the Martian troop supply base and detonate the bombs that were strapped to himself and the craft he drove.
When the explosion sounded, no Martians were hurt. The only casualties of the explosion were a dent on the building’s supply gate, a pot-hole in the road and two Humans who had been standing near the explosion.
The mother had died clutching her son, Sam. Sam, the human child, would never again go to the fair and ride the Ferris wheel, his favorite ride.