This is part 2 of my backstory, otherwise entitled "Resignation." Enjoy! Please discuss this in the Killed - Again post.
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RESIGNATION
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Nathan Johan walked into the grayish-brown military office building, and headed towards the office of Colonel Cooke, his commanding officer. Many thoughts raced through his mind as he pondered what he would say. Sayonara. See you later, alligator. It wasn't clear to him what he would say, but this he knew: he was leaving, without the Colonel's permission or not.
As he neared the CO's office, he overheard his CO conversing with someone else. Probably his superior, he thought. As soon as this thought formed, the door immediately opened and General Bixby stormed out of the office. "That had better be resolved very, very soon, or else!" yelled the general. Johan very quickly stood back, stiffened himself, and saluted the general, and the general saluted him back rudely. After waiting for a moment to let his CO cool, Johan stood in the doorway, making his presence known to Col. Cooke. Cooke, ruffling his wavy brown hair, uttered roughly, "What do you want?" "
"Permission, sir, to speak of an important matter."
"Permission granted," replied Cooke in an angry tone without looking up, "but make it quick and to the point because I've got enough pressure as it is without you adding to it."
Johan stood silent for a second, collecting his thoughts together to make his statement. Things were never easy between Johan and Cooke; the both held each other in emnity ever since Johan joined the military. Johan never understood it. What have I done to earn his hatred? the question raced for the millionth time through Johan's mind, It's not like I've killed his family. He supposed it to be because of his stance on issues; or maybe because he was a better soldier; or it could be as simple as Cooke wanting to vent his anger on somebody, and Johan was the unfortunate recepient.
Johan recollected what happened on the first day of his training: he and the rest of his unit were out in formation, and Colonel Cooke came up to inspect them. Col. Cooke then started to say, "Alright, you worthless bums. You think you have what it takes to be in the OWON military?"
"Yes sir!" was the unit's reply.
"Well, you're wrong! I'm here to prove to you two mistakes: one, you joined the OWON military, the toughest military on the planet. Two, you have been assigned to this unit - the one I'm in charge of. If you think you can survive the rigorous training you're about to receive, you've got another one coming!" bellowed Cooke.
Then, for no reason, he walked up to Johan and used him as his punching bag, "The first thing you'll be subjected to is pain!" He kicked Johan in the stomach, putting him to his knees. "Then torment!" He kicked Johan again, this time in the back. The other soldiers started to laugh."And finally; death!" yelled Cooke loudly, and aimed to kicked Johan in the head. But before his foot made contact with Johan's head, in a flash, Johan righted himself, turned toward Cooke, grabbed his leg, and caused him to flip over, and fall on the ground. The soldiers bursted into a howl of laughter. When Cooke gathered himself together, he yelled, "Attention! Back into formation!" The soldiers, including Johan, obeyed immediately. Cooke very angrily looked into Johan's eyes, and screamed at the top of his lungs, as if it were directed to the whole unit, "DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE IN THE OWON MILITARY?!?!"
"Sir, yes, sir!" yelled the entire unit.
"Alright, everyone back into barracks! Grab your designated gear and fall into the training field!" Everyone, including Johan, obeyed. As they did so, Col. Cooke looked upon Johan with an angry look, and Johan returned his gaze.
This memory came to mind, and Johan relished it. "Well, what do you want?!" yelled Col. Cooke.
Better be to the point, considered Johan. "I wish to resign from the military, sir," said Johan in a military voice.
Col. Cooke stopped what he was doing, put down his bifocals, and glared at Johan. A full minute passed before Col. Cooke broke forth in laughter, so loudly that he could be outside the barracks. After calming down, the Colonel said, " You can't just quit the OWON military, son."
"I wish to leave the military, sir" responded Johan again.
Col. Cooke put down his bifocals, rose up from his desk, walked toward Johan, and did not stop until he stood with him face to face, "What makes you think you can just up and leave OWON?"
"Because of the policies and pursuits of the Council, sir."
"Well guess what: you can't. When you joined the OWON military, you did it for life, after taking an oath of loyalty to the to the nation. You swore upon your oath you would 'defend with your very life, the OWON nation and all it stands for,'" replied Col. Cooke, quoting a part of the OWON oath of loyalty. "You and every soldier who has joined the military, present or past, have taken this oath upon your very lives; and if there be any infraction of that oath in the slightest degree, such as treason, insubordination, or desertion," Col. Cooke motioned with his thumb going across his neck, "kkkkkkkkkk!!"
He's got a point, Johan thought. OWON has the strictest military discipline out of all the nations on Rhyldan, yet, he quickly remembered, even OWON has a set of rules and procedures by which it governs itself; amongst them rules for dismissal. Johan posed this question to Col. Cooke, "What if I'm dismissed from the military, sir?"
"Not good enough. There are rules governing that, but they're only a few with certain stringent conditions, and even if they are met, all of that has to be taken to committee, and we all know how long that takes."
Johan grimaced at the mention of the word committee. OWON had an infamous reputation when it came to committees. In the first place, committees in OWON met only sporadically and at the will of the persons involved. When they did meet, they went through a long and laborious process, dragging it out much longer than it should be, and even then, when the "alloted time" of the matter was expired, the committee called it a day, and would meet again only when it was convenient. This could often take weeks or even months for anything to be resolved - and this was just for one committee. Even if the matter were resolved in one committee meeting, which was rarer than fine Rhyldan spice, if someone petitioned that it be brought to the attention of a higher committee, the chances of it being even longer increased dramatically, and could take years if done this way. And this was true for all committees, whether political or military. People in the military and the public sphere, and even Council members had been calling for reforms in the committee system, yet nothing was done, for the Council declared, in summary, "We like it the way it is."
"So as you can see, there is no way out of the OWON military, unless you die - ha, even this is not enough, since you can just be recloned, which in your case, is unfortunate," Col. Cooke stated, enunciating the last part spitefully.
"Well, sir, it would be in your best interest for me to leave," Johan said.
"And why is that?" responded Col. Cooke.
"Because then I could be our of your hair."
"Yeah, that's true," replied Cooke, with a look of hope.
"That and there is the 'Lesoo' incident-"
"YOU KEEP QUI-!" Cooke yelled, but then lowered his voice to almost a whisper, "you keep quiet about that."
Johan couldn't keep from smiling, recalling the night in a valley when Johan caught Col. Cooke trading OWON military goods to the Lesoo for illegal spice. Since that time, Johan kept reminding the Colonel about it discreetly now and then, using it as leverage and protection. Johan agreed to keep quiet about it in return for the Colonel easing up on him. Now Johan was hoping that this might "persuade" him to let him loose.
"I will, sir, but it sure is hard to be quiet when you're under pressure."
Col. Cooke sneered at Johan, "Alright, I get it: if I don't find a way to get you out, I'm in for it." He ruminated on this a bit, and then said, "Fine. Let me think a moment."
"Yes, sir," said Johan. He watched Col. Cooke pacing up and down his office. Then the Colonel paused. His countenance shown as if a ray of inspiration struck him. He motioned to Johan to close the door and come to him. Johan did so, and as he came to him. Col. Cooke said, "I've got a plan. I'll set you up for patrol tonight, and send you into some dangerous area that has a bunch of Setlang, Lesoo, or whatever, and as it happens, separate yourself from the rest of the patrol, and go off on your own into the wilderness to a prearranged meeting place, which will be, uh-"
"The valley where you did the deal with the Lesoo?" Johan said ironically.
"Yeaah, sure," the Colonel hesitated, but then continued, "Anyway, wait there two days, having enough food and ammo packed, and then on the third day, I'll meet you there at noonday, and we'll use mirrors to reflect the sun as a signal between us. We'll meet, and I'll give you the rest of your stuff from the barracks. I'll even go to the trouble of getting your DNA and memory implants from the recloning lab and give that all to you. After that, we'll both go our own separate ways and never meet each other again, for my betterment. I'll have you listed as 'Missing in Action' back at headquarters, and you'll keep quiet about the 'Lesoo incident.' Fair enough?"
"Yes, sir," said Johan.
"Alright, now get out of my office," Col. Cooke said roughly.
"Yes, sir," said Johan again, and departed from the office.
He started towards his barracks. He thought joyfully to himself, If there is a God, He deserves my thanks.