Standing in the Guff

In the perfect town everyone knows each other. There are no rumors, quarrels or bad deeds. This is Pleasantville, white picket fences lined the dirt roads.

Kelsey sighed as she looked out her bay window, the universe whipped by at the speed of light.

How far from reality that story was. She re adjusted her harness and turned to look towards her room door. So sad that ,that was all women did in the 20th century. Sitting around having babies and ironing for a living, she couldn't help but laugh as she imagined her mother doing such trivial things.

The door slid open and ensign Jackson entered. His face stern, military pressed. Kelsey had been through many young troopers. They feared her mostly but all respect and admire her. The first off worlder to ever land no the miserable rock of Khalila Sampur in 12 years .Of course it was an accident she landed here, but to them it was a miracle. Khalila was a small planet in the shadow of a giant . Their larger neighbors constantly bombed and savaged the poor planet out of spite.

Jackson, stood in the door, the light from the Corridor behind him illuminating his sliver hair until it looked like a glowing halo around his boyish face.

"The Commander will see you now." He said almost sheepishly, his large turquoise eyes downcast. "Sure thing" said Kelsey grateful for the change in thought. "Will you wait for me outside Ensign? "

Kelsey un-harnesed her self and checked her reflection in the mirror. She had thick tangled red hair that seemed to take over her head as she tilted it from side to side. Her face was rather elfish and pale, but her eyes like her fathers were Green and alluring at times or brilliant gold. She sighed at the tiny red freckles like constellations thrown across her nose bridge.

Ensign Jackson was waiting in the hall. From the look he gave her she knew she should have done something about her appearance ,but she didn't care. The Captain deserved to be embarrassed for once. Thought Kelsey taking the ensigns arm and strutting down the corridor. Besides, she was always being told to be herself , "and this is who I am" she said defiantly to no one in particular.

The meeting with the Commander was brief ,very brief, after one look at his daughter the captain had dismissed her with a harsh look and two demerits, not that those mattered to Kelsey one bit. Instead of reporting to her chamber she took the back tube to the mess hall and then the Ensigns officers hall. There she met up with Tromph Vheng Beng . She liked Tromph very well. He was from the lower world, or the bottom continent of Khalila Sampur. They were roughly the same age ,which was approximately 14 ,the legal age of Khalian males to join the Legion .They joked about their home worlds and how different it was to be in space. Tromph still was unmarried, which was not common amongst his people. He had been disowned by his mothers people and it was very taboo to live with a fathers family. So he joined up to get away from the oddity of land life. Kelsey couldn't help but laugh at his jokes and puns, he was a great impersonator and loved to learn everything there was to know about Tera Firma .His planet was mostly water the 1st time he saw dirt was when accidentally knocked over a potted plant in the commanders office. That earned him 15 demerits and a week in the galleys but it was worth it to him. He kept a small sample of the stuff he swiped in his hat for luck. "Some day "he would always say "Someday I am going to Tera Firma and I will walk on this stuff just like the Ghazien .That'll prove that my people are no less than their own. With a flourish of Silver rope like hair he would pose ,his almost blue body silhouetted against the backdrop of the universe.

They would all laugh, Kelsey , the other young officers and even the captain when he would over hear this. As long as Kelsey was smiling ,the Guff would remain intact. And her Mother the Head of the United Task Forces of Ghazi would hold back her battalions. The war would be stayed for just a minute more.