Space City

Chapter 1 - Neil's Recruitment

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

SPACE CITY

Copyright © 2018 by Jared Austin

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-1732641211

Published by Thunderchild Publishing. Find us at https://ourworlds.net/thunderchild_cms/

Chapter 1 - Neil's Recruitment

Neil clutched his grandfather's silver coin in one fist and a fake ID in the other as he worked up the courage to enter the Air Force recruiting office. Enlisting now was a long shot, but he had to try. His mother's dying wish was for him to seek help here when he turned sixteen; bizarre advice, considering the Air Force didn't accept recruits until seventeen. He just wished he had something better to wear than a tattered grey shirt and holey jean-shorts to make a good first impression.

The recruiting office was next door to Army, Navy and Marine recruiting offices in a long, beige shopping center. In the corner was a cheap buffet serving seafood and sushi. He had eaten there a few times with his mother as a child. That buffet was one of the reasons why Neil couldn't remain in Huntsville, Alabama any longer. Once a dear home, it was now haunted by the memory of his mother. He knew the cost of living chained to the past, like his uncle.

Standing tall like a young bear, feigning fearlessness, Neil squeezed his grandfather's coin, a gift from Winston Churchill. Roughly the diameter of a silver dollar, but thicker, one side of the coin had the American Bald eagle with the American flag hanging from its talons, representing freedom. On the other side was a lion beneath the British flag, a symbol of bravery. His grandfather had told him the two were paired together because freedom could not truly exist without bravery. Churchill had commissioned a limited number of the coins as personal thanks for American soldiers who heroically aided Great Britain during World War II. The coin was also the last thing Neil's grandfather had ever given him.

His grandfather had only accomplished those feats after first enlisting, and that knowledge compelled Neil into the Air Force recruiting office.

A recruiter wearing a light blue shirt adorned with a silver nameplate on his left breast, ribbons on his right, and the U.S. insignia and occupational badge — sat behind a desk and talked to an old man. The wall calendar, flipped to August, displayed a picture of an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft with the slogan "Aim High" above it.

The recruiter eyed Neil as he entered, but didn't rise. "Can I help you, son?" His voice revealed a slight southern drawl.

Neil's suddenly leaden tongue, like an anchor tied to legs in the ocean, refused to work. What's so hard about talking to the man who can decide your future for years to come?

Straightening in a valiant attempt to add height to his 5'8" frame, Neil attempted to channel his grandfather's confidence. "I'd like to enlist, join the Air Force."

The recruiter rose from this chair. A head taller, and a good fifty pounds larger, the recruiter stared down at Neil. The recruiter asked. "How old are you?"

"Just turned sevenTEEN, sir!" Neil's voice cracked for the first time in quite a while. Was his whole body turning traitor today?

Despite suddenly burning cheeks, Neil stepped forward and offered the fake ID. He had memorized the license number, date of birth, address, and even the expiration date. The photo had come out pretty well — he had always liked his unruly red hair. He could live with the name Rick Sanders. Better that than begging his dad's brother to let him return to his rat-infested hole.