“Once we board our vessel, you are to return to your ship. Your pilot will find that no resistance will be forthcoming. You will leave this place you will tell none of what you have seen here. If you choose the path of the fool, and refuse to leave immediately, all amnesty that has been extended to you and your party will end and you will be subject to the true wrath of God.”

The door to the escape pod opens and they walk, no slink, through the doorway. As I’m watching them, I notice for the first time that one of them has eight hairy spider legs in the place of normal legs. I can’t even remember if I saw her face. Once the escape pod doors close, all four of us breathe a collective sigh of relief. As if on cue, the Messenger interrupts my relaxation with a well-timed “remember,” inside my head.

“Major, if you don’t mind me saying, let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“Yeah, I second that. Let’s go.”

The trip back to the bridge is uneventful and silent. It’s as if there is a black shroud over us, smothering all emotions and thoughts. It’s Gimli who finally breaks the silence

“Well, Major, if we’re going to do anything, we best do it now. The pods just boarded that ship and I’m guessing that those spiny things on the front aren’t just for show.”

There are some times in your life when you feel like you are walking on a tightrope. To the left is the abyss, pure and painful death. To the right, a safety net, put there to catch the patsies who just can’t make the cut. Ahead, is something big. Really. Fucking. Big. Something that might just make a difference. The problem is that most of us aint tightrope walkers so walking ahead is a bloody stupid idea.

But, in all honesty, where does that leave you? You have a choice between being dead, being stupid and probably dead, or being a chickenshit. Well, I may be a lot of things, but chickenshit isn’t one of them. And probably dead sounds a hell of a lot better than definitely dead. So, I grit my teeth, take the step, and ask my crew to go to the bowels of hell with me.

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