Chapter 3: Prologue

My name is Alan Weiss.

The book you hold in your hands at this very moment is a chronicle of my life. Which also includes excerpts from multiple other sources as well to give you who is reading this the broad and fullest scope of events as they came to pass.

Now I'll be the first to admit, never in a million years did I think I would write something like this. But after my thinking about it quite a bit and talking it over with my wives and the rest of my friends and family, and  for a number of other reasons I'd rather not get into, I decided to say screw it, and tell my story.

But before we get into any of that let me tell you a little bit more about myself.

I was born in the year 232 of the Interstellar Era on Earth. My hometown and place of birth being San Diego, California. Which will always have a special spot in my heart.

Growing up I can't say I was anything remarkable. I was just average. I got average grades, had a good number of friends, not too many like a popular kid but I wasn't some sort of loner either. I grew up in an average household with two very loving parents. Both of whom were serious eggheads.

My father was a mechanical engineer, while my mother was a biomedical engineer.

So because of this I was surrounded by science all the time. Even at the dinner table. When my parents started getting into a discussion about certain topics they got into their own little word. So much so I couldn't follow what they were saying half the time when they got like that. All I could do was simply smile and nod along with my head.

But just to be clear my parents were not bad or neglectful towards me. They both loved me very much, encouraging me to do and be whatever I wanted, even if it meant I didn't follow the path of science like they both did. It's why I loved them with all my heart. And still do, even to this day.

Ok, forward a few years.

Eight specifically.

The United Earth Federation, and by extension the entire Earth Sphere, got involved in the first war since the Interstellar Era began more than 200 years before. Our enemy, the Martian Confederation.

At the time I didn't really understand why the war was happening or what caused it in the first place. All I did know was that I was scared.

And I wasn't the only one.

My classmates at school, my neighbors, even in my own parents. Everyone was filled with fear of what was about to take place.

Our government, the Federation, tried to downplay events. Told us there was nothing to worry about.

But there words went to shit almost three months after the war began and we heard the new of what happened at Lagrange Point 2. The Martian Confederation forces not only wiped out all Federation forces, but they destroyed all the space colonies situated there except for one and began occupying it.

This news sent everyone into a full blown panic. We were terrified the Martians were going to come to Earth and do the exact same thing to it as they did to the colonies at L2. Even though they allowed almost all the residence of those colonies to flee before destroying them. It didn't matter. We all now knew what was out there, and that it might show up on our doorstep without any warning.

Two years after the Federation/Martian war began my parents and I moved out of San Diego.

Not because my parents were that scared, but because they both got a new job working together at the same place. One that took my family to Lagrange Point 3 to become residents of its one and only space colony, Solomon.

To say I wasn't shocked at the time would make me a liar. I was. Seriously, my parents never mentioned anything about moving and then just suddenly sprung it on me. I was upset. I was leaving behind the only home I had never known as well all my friends. But in the end I was just a kid then and had to go along with my parents decisions. So I said a tearful goodbye to my friends on Earth and headed off for my new life in space. Which wasn't so bad after a while. I made new connections despite being a Terran.

Given the tenuous relationship Spacian's and Terrans have. But I didn't believe I was superior just because I was born on Earth. Besides, my own mother was a Spacian and if anyone ever badmouthed her I would beat them to a bloody pulp. So yeah, my new life on Solomon soon gained a nice rhythm to it.

That is until I turned fifteen years old.

It was during this year of 247 that the Federation Government instituted a practice that hadn't been seen since the old era of the Anno Domini calendar, which I learned about in history class, a forced military draft.

Which stated that any person between the legal age of adulthood, 17, and 100, thanks to advances in medical technology expanding the basic human lifespan to 200 years give or take, had to join the war effort and sign up for one of the various federation military branches.

To say there was outcry would be an understatement.

People were protesting out in the street for weeks. But eventually everything died down and the military draft happened. Reason being the Martian Confederation was beating us badly.

Despite them having a smaller overall force than us their human-shaped robotic war machines known as Mech Driver gave them an advantage that allowed them to push the Federation far enough to dust off an old and decrepit policy.

I had a hand it to the Confederation on that one.

But I certainly didn't do so when they dropped a colony from space onto planet Earth. 

Learning about this action made me question why the war was still being fought in the first place if shit like that could happen.

How naïve I was then.

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Moving on, the reason the military draft was instituted in the first place is because in 247 the Martian Confederation landed forces on Earth itself, turning it into a battlefield.

And due to the immense loss of life on the planet during the previous year event which eventually became known as the "St. Valentine Slaughter" because of the fact the Martian's preformed the colony drop on February 14th, the Federation forces were severely low on manpower.

Thus they started scrambling to grab any able and warm body they could to place into the war machine.

Thankfully I avoided that at the time due to my age, but I knew in just two short years if the war didn't end I was going to be sent to the battlefield whether I wanted to go or not.

And by the way things were looking I knew the war was not going to be over.

So taking that into account I decided if I was going to go to war I would do it on my own terms. Which is why I applied to the Solomon Military Academy. A place where after three years of intense schooling and training I would come out a commissioned officer in the Federation forces. Which I figured was a little better than taking the chance of ending up some nameless grunt.

Not that there was anything wrong with that. I just wanted more, and I'll be honest I felt like being an officer would give me a better chance of surviving.

So I applied to the academy and got accepted.

Soon after I found myself joining the piloting department. Since from what my instructors told me my entrance exams and other tests scores showed I had a natural ability in that regard. Which I was honestly surprised about. But I will admit after I started the piloting courses I very much came to enjoy them. Being a pilot became almost as natural as breathing to me.

Which just went to show me that joining the academy was a good decision on my part.

But it didn't come without its downsides.

Those born on Earth showed blatant discrimination towards those born in the colonies. Just looking at it made me want to vomit. That's why I did what I could to deal with situations like that. Earning me the hate of a lot of the Earth-born students. But I really didn't care. I'm not the type who could ever turn a blind eye to bullying.

And I wasn't the only one.

I made several friends who shared my views on the matter. Including two very special ladies.

Satuski Mikazuchi and Valeria Laundry.

Though at the time I didn't know Valeria's real name for various reasons.

The moment I met these two girls I felt a spark inside of me. Though I didn't realize it at the time it was for both of them. Instead my gaze was only focused on Satsuki.

I fell for her hard shortly after we met and I'm not afraid to admit that.

Eventually I worked up the courage to ask her out and she agreed.

We then became a couple and shared many firsts with each other.

Many if you get my meaning.

Being with her, and having my friends by my side my time at the academy all the more enjoyable.

However all good things must come to an end.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye before any of us knew it.

Our time at Solomon was coming to an end, and the war was still going on entering its tenth year with no end in sight.

But little did we all know that things were about to turn a massive corner, and we were all going to be smack dab in the middle of that turn.

Me especially.

So let me tell you all about it. Hold onto your seats since this is one crazy ride.

Diary of The Angel of Death

Written by: Alan Weiss

Published: December 9th, Interstellar Era Year 400

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