Remnants of WAAR (Book 2)

This is why we fight

John POV

Dr. Blew, my team, and I all sit around the camp fire in silence. The three newcomers were already asleep. As I stare at the fire, I start thinking of Earth. I remember the dances my father was always hosting. I remember teaching my mother about the different places we learned about in school. I remember my grandfather, and how he was responsible for the terrible rumors surrounding my family.

I remember why I enlisted in the army to fight in the war.

Then that thought elicits an interesting question.

Me: Lads?
Dick: Yeah?
Me: I was wondering... why did you choose to go to war?
Alex: Well... to fight for freedom, and-
Me: That's not what I meant. That's what we do. I was wondering why we do it.

My team is silent for a few seconds. I can see that it's an uncomfortable subject. But they decide to tell me anyway.

Arthur: People were always telling me that no good would come of me. They were always sayin' that us negroes would never amount to anything. Eventually, I had enough, and I enlisted in the Marines. When people caught on to how young I was, I told them that I was drafted.

Alex: Ben and I grew up in Chicago during the Great Depression. That meant a lot of people were desperate. And desperate people make stupid decisions... I was one of those people. I didn't enlist for the same reasons Ben did. Even though we grew up in a dark time, Ben always managed to see the good in everyone. Me? I had given up on everyone but him. That's why, when we had no food left, I... I made a deal with the Mafia. They agreed to feed me and Ben in exchange for stealing money from people who owed them. One day, I couldn't keep my end of the deal, and they came after me. I enlisted to get away from them.

Dick: My dad was an abusive asshat, and my mom was even worse. They always beat the crap out of me for seemingly no reason. One day, I had enough and enlisted in the Marines to get away. Kinda like you, Alex.

Arthur: What about you, John?

Me: I guess you could say my family were the Schnee's of the steel industry. And just Weiss, one of our own dragged our name through the mud. My grandfather made shady business deals and suppressed competition. My father couldn't do anything about it because he didn't know. But I found out. I enlisted in the British army to atone for what my grandfather did.

...

Alex: Damn... so we all came from crappy lives, eh?
Me: Yeah...
Arthur: Well, at least we're looking out for each other now.
Dick: That does make our lives less crappy.