mcgrew's Journal: Ghouls

Previously...

"Hey, Larry, can you help me with this?"

"Sure, George," O'Brien answered. "What's the problem?"

"I can't hear Washington," said Private Williams. Williams was new, just out of basic training.

"Let's see," said O'Brien. "Hmmm... looks like none of the 'scopes can see his lips, so of course you can't hear him. Just listen to what the guy he's talking to is saying and sometimes you can deduce what Washington's saying. How's your Venusian?"

"Not that good yet, Larry. I haven't had much practice at this."

"well, just watch the translation crawl at the bottom of the screen. In a couple of weeks you'll be talking ghoulish like you were born on Venus."

"Ghoulish? I don't get it."

"Watch the screens long enough and you will. I hope you don't have a weak stomach, George, because those Venusians are some damned nasty bastards."

"Well hey, Larry, I wouldn't have joined the military if I couldn't stand a little blood."

O'Brien laughed. "You're going to see a lot worse than a little blood. Ever seen a man strangled by his own intestines? Ever see anybody skinned alive and sodomized with his own dick?"

Williams looked a little queasy. "That bad?"

"Worse," said O'Brien. "It won't be long before you find out what those plastic bags are for."

"What are they for?"

"They're barf bags. I don't care how strong your stomach is, you're going to be puking. Just be glad the telescopes don't deliver smells as well as sight and voice."

"Damn, I had no idea. Why didn't they tell us?"

"They tried. Hey, any time you want to resign, well, that's your right. I gotta tell you, though, that even though the Sarge is a gunghole, he's right. The Venusians have attacked us before and they'll attack us again. The bastards just can't keep their pants on, don't believe in birth control, are dumber than boxes of rocks and meaner than a rabid werewharg."

Meanwhile the screen wasn't telling them much. Washington was in a rocket facility talking to an underling, and all that could be heard was the underling.

"Yes sir. No sir. Uh, where, sir? I see, sir, may I ask why? Of course, sir, need to know. I understand. Yes sir, we'll get right on it." Washington walked out of the facility.

"Well, George, what do you think?" asked O'Brien.

"I think those are some damned ugly, evil looking sons of bitches," Williams replied.

O'Brien laughed. "Yeah, they are, but what do you think of the conversation, even if you could only hear one side?"

"Not much, sorry."

"You'll get the hang of it. Washington's up to something, and the only something he's ever up to is no good. It looks like he's going to launch a few rockets and maybe try to take out the satellites we have around Venus. He must suspect that some of his men are traitors or he'd be less secretive; he didn't say anything about this in his council of ministers. That's only a guess, based on what we've seen before. But who knows, he might be planning an attack on Earth or Mars."

"Why Earth?" asked Williams. "They're no threat to Venus."

"Neither are we, and we never have been, but they attack us every time they get enough technology to reach us. They're just evil, bad evil, the worst. They're overpopulated and want to run the entire solar system, and they don't want anybody but Venusians to live, and they don't even care much about their fellow Venusians, just themselves.

"Earth is empty, only a few hundred thousand farmers and no technology at all," O'Brien continued. Hell, the protohumans we were both descended from had more technology. They don't even use electricity, they'd be a pushover if it weren't for us. If they ever took Earth, Mars would be a hell of a lot easier to conquer too, so yes, we're doing it out of charity but we're protecting our own interests at the same time."

Williams said "hey, we can hear Washington now, but he's only giving directions to his driver. They're going to another rocket facility."

"Well, hell," said O'Brien. "Maris should hear about this. Watch those screens close, now, and if you need help just yell, I'll be right around the corner working on a report."

"Wait a minute, Larry, what's this 'hark' shit?"

"Nothing, George, just some Venusian stupidity. When one of their superiors show up they say 'hark'. Sounds like they have a cough or something, don't it?"

Williams laughed. "Yeah, it does. Man, I feel like I'll never understand these guys."

"Don't feel bad, you'd have to be crazy to understand what motivates those fuckheads."

Williams laughed again. "Fuckheads? I never heard that one!"

"Yeah," said O'Brien, "Fuckheads. All they think about is fucking, and when there's nothing to fuck they fight. Watch those screens!"

Continues...