He saw a boy, fuzyy and schrouded in mist. Bowin ran after him but the boy seemed unreachable. He sat on the ground, they were in a greenish place, the forest? He didn't know, but a part of Bowin wanted to be with that boy, play with him, have fun.
Everything was so fuzzy. His movements slow and difficult. Yet also inconsequential, airy, like he was underwater.
"you are a coward Bowin." That boy said eventually, Bowin stopped in his tracks, stunned. It started raining red, blood in fact. The forest lost its familiar color and instead started flooding with blood. Then he opened his eyes, it was darkness all around. What accompanied him were the snores of his shipmates, some louder than others. He was in the barracks, were him and all the other shipmates of Sench slept. He checked his whatch, the lights of the device blinded his still tired eyes. He closed one and squinted with the other. It was 20:45, and other 15 minutes and the lights of this section would go on.
Of course, in space there wasn't anything like time, not like on earth, and thanks to a myriad of task not everyone could be a sleep at the same time. So some groups of people would sleep at different times even if it didn't make sense on earth to sleep at noon.
The engine of the ship could be heard, it sounded rusty somehow, in the background of the ship.
Bowin already knew he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore, he knew that about himself. This was something different in his previous life where he slept like a rock. But in this one sleep came hard. It was strange to adapt to the little quirks and ticks that this body had.
Quirks like how he would wake up with a headache if suddenly wooed up by someone else.
It happened a few times these past few days. See the military ship was always accompanied by the navy. The nave was better equipped for space battles. So something's when a enemy ship and the navy would do battle he would be shaken by Rollo or Jace to wake up and to check out the battle.
You couldn't hear them but the soldiers were always notified when something like that was going on. It was in fact a matter of life or death, if the navy lost, they would most probably get captured by the enemy.
Even after a headache Bowin would watch those battles carefully, he enjoyed strategizing potential ways to win the battle. It reminded him of chess. Right now, he would really enjoy something like that.
Bowin looked at his watch again, eyes still tired and blinded, 20:47. His eyes widened in surprise, something that was a bad move. It felt like a eternity, he decided that he was just going to wake up earlier. He stood up from his bed, put on some clothes, sneaking to the bathroom and brushing his teeth.
Then he sneaked out of the room. Like usual the door slid open automatically. This small section of the ship was dimly lit as everyone that usually was here was asleep. Only the ones that attended the restaurant were preparing to open up.
As in about 15 minutes 50 men would be ready to eat.
But Bowin wasn't hungry right now, he walked through the corridors to find the outer most parts of the ship were the windows were.
As he walked the light got brighter and the prevalence of people became more and more. Then he finally arrived.
Infinite space revealed revealed itself separated by a transparent barrier. The with dots that were stars seemed so far away, it was a sight that would never tire Bowin. He saw another person standing at the infinite space. His hands on the glass.
It was Jace, red headed, and a skinny kind of muscular.
Bowin went closer to the window and Jace noticed him, "Oh, your also awake. Couldn't sleep well?" His hands lowered from the glass as he turned to Bowin.
"No, I had a strange dream." Bowin responded.
"Strange dream? I also have those sometimes. " he paused for a minute as if in thought, "I had one tonight."
"What about?"
"My former Squadmates, how they were massacred."
He said it so normally, then his eyebrows collapsed in a terrifying expression, "They killed all of them," his breathing became heavier, "I'm sorry I shouldn't bother you with this." He shook his head before turning away.
"No, no it's alright." Bowin said holding on to Jace's shoulder, "What happened that day wasn't right, I understand. You are angry."
"Angry? I wanna kill each and everyone I can get my hands on!" He clenched his fist, "How can I treat any of them with dignity after what happened."
Normally, Jace was a pretty normal guy, apart from that day when he killed three people. This place is changing you. "We won't let them take anymore from us than they have."
"I'm glad we can fight them together bowin," Jace said eventually, "Your a good friend. The others must be awake now, let's get some food." Jace started walking away. Bowin stood there frozen friend.
Bowin didn't know how to feel about that, friend meant something different in Bowin's previous life. Sometimes after work he would catch a drink with his coworkers. They would talk for a bit and then depart. Most of them would always flatter him, trying to get in his good graces.
He was the ceo after all, he noticed these thing. Sometimes he would suspend his disbelief and indulge in these fake moments. But at the end of the day he knew what it was and what it wasn't.
It was like after college all his opportunities of friendship were lost, exchanged for money and power. A fair deal.
Do I have another chance at these?
A few hours later the stood at the entrance of a small ship. Howl, now in a wheelchair, had difficulty going up a ramp. They stood there for 2 minutes now, when Rollo tried to help him get up he grunted, "No Rollo, I can do this myself."
So they would just stand there and watch. He got on the ship after another minute.
He would turn around to see the boys one last time. "Stanley, if you get rid of that ego you would be unstoppable. Rollo, your perfect as you are but I'm don't let anyone change you. Bowin, life up to your name and grow some Balls." The doors of the ship closed.
Another closed thus sealing the ship in a vacuum, then another door opened which meant he could shoot of into space. Which he did.
Brock again was the only one to not show up.
Then the day came. 60 landing ships were launched from the big one, all of them all aiming to land on Santos.