Starship Troopers Part 5

"What? Sure - yes, sir."

"Then you've heard the answer. But I'll give you my own - unofficial - views on it. If you wanted to teach a baby a lesson, would you cut its head off?"

"Why . . . no, sir!"

"Of course not. You'd paddle it. There can be circ.u.mstances when it's just as foolish to hit an enemy city with an H-bomb as it would be to spank a baby with an ax. War is not violence and killing, pure and simple; war is controlled violence, for a purpose. The purpose of war is to support your government's decisions by force. The purpose is never to kill the enemy just to be killing him . . . but to make him do what you want him to do. Not killing . . . but controlled and purposeful violence. But it's not your business or mine to decide the purpose or the control. It's never a soldier's business to decide when or where or how - or why - he fights; that belongs to the statesmen and the generals. The statesmen decide why and how much; the generals take it from there and tell us where and when and how. We supply the violence; other people - 'older and wiser heads,' as they say - supply the control. Which is as it should be. That's the best answer I can give you. If it doesn't satisfy you, I'll get you a chit to go talk to the regimental commander. If he can't convince you - then go home and be a civilian! Because in that case you will certainly never make a soldier."

Zim bounced to his feet. "I think you've kept me talking just to goldbrick. Up you come, soldiers! On the bounce! Man stations, on target - Hendrick, you first. This time I want you to throw that knife south of you. South, get it? Not north. That target is due south of you and I want that knife to go in a general southerly direction, at least. I know you won't hit the target but see if you can't scare it a little. Don't slice your ear off, don't let go of it and cut somebody behind you - just keep what tiny mind you have fixed on the idea of 'south'! Ready on target! Let fly!" Let fly!"

Hendrick missed it again.

We trained with sticks and we trained with wire (lots of nasty things you can improvise with a piece of wire) and we learned what can be done with really modern weapons and how to do it and how to service and maintain the equipment - simulated nuclear weapons and infantry rockets and various sorts of gas and poison and incendiary and demolition. As well as other things maybe best not discussed. But we learned a lot of "obsolete" weapons, too. Bayonets on dummy guns for example, and guns that weren't dummies, too, but were almost identical with the infantry rifle of the XXth century - much like the sporting rifles used in hunting game, except that we fired nothing but solid slugs, alloyjacketed lead bullets, both at targets on measured ranges and at surprise targets on b.o.o.by-trapped skirmish runs. This was supposed to prepare us to learn to use any aimed weapon and to train us to be on the bounce, alert, ready for anything. Well. I suppose it did. I'm pretty sure it did.

We used these rifles in field exercises to simulate a lot of deadlier and nastier aimed weapons, too. We used a lot of simulation; we had to. An "explosive" bomb or grenade, against materiel or personnel, would explode just enough to put out a lot of black smoke; another sort of gave off a gas that would make you sneeze and weep that told you that you were dead or paralyzed . . . and was nasty enough to make you careful about anti-gas precautions, to say nothing of the chewing out you got if you were caught by it.

We got still less sleep; more than half the exercises were held at night, with snoopers and radar and audio gear and such.

The rifles used to simulate aimed weapons were loaded with blanks except one in five hundred rounds at random, which was a real bullet. Dangerous? Yes and no. It's dangerous just to be alive . . . and a nonexplosive bullet probably won't kill you unless it hits you in the head or the heart and maybe not then. What that one-in-five-hundred "for real" did was to give us a deep interest in taking cover, especially as we knew that some of the rifles were being fired by instructors who were crack shots and actually trying their best to hit you - if the round happened not to be a blank. They a.s.sured us that they would not intentionally shoot a man in the head . . . but accidents do happen.

This friendly a.s.surance wasn't very rea.s.suring. That 500th bullet turned tedious exercises into large-scale Russian roulette; you stop being bored the very first time you hear a slug go wheet! wheet! past your ear before you hear the crack of the rifle. past your ear before you hear the crack of the rifle.

But we did slack down anyhow and word came down from the top that if we didn't get on the bounce, the incidence of real ones would be changed to one in a hundred . . . and if that didn't work, to one in fifty. I don't know whether a change was made or not - no way to tell - but I do know we tightened up again, because a boy in the next company got creased across his b.u.t.tocks with a live one, producing an amazing scar and a lot of half-witty comments and a renewed interest by all hands in taking cover. We laughed at this kid for getting shot where he did . . . but we all knew it could have been his head or our own own heads. heads.

The instructors who were not firing rifles did not take cover. They put on white s.h.i.+rts and walked around upright with their silly canes, apparently calmly certain that even a recruit would not intentionally shoot an instructor - which may have been overconfidence on the part of some of them. Still, the chances were five hundred to one that even a shot aimed with murderous intent would not be live and the safety factor increased still higher because the recruit probably couldn't shoot that well anyhow. A rifle is not an easy weapon; it's got no target-seeking qualities at all - I understand that even back in the days when wars were fought and decided with just such rifles it used to take several thousand fired shots to average killing one man. This seems impossible but the military histories agree that it is true - apparently most shots weren't really aimed but simply acted to force the enemy to keep his head down and interfere with his shooting.

In any case we had no instructors wounded or killed by rifle fire. No trainees were killed, either, by rifle bullets; the deaths were all from other weapons or things - some of which could turn around and bite you if you didn't do things by the book. Well, one boy did manage to break his neck taking cover too enthusiastically when they first started shooting at him - but no bullet touched him.

However, by a chain reaction, this matter of rifle bullets and taking cover brought me to my lowest ebb at Camp Currie. In the first place I had been busted out of my boot chevrons, not over what I did but over something one of my squad did when I wasn't even around . . . which I pointed out. Bronski told me to b.u.t.ton my lip. So I went to see Zim about it. He told me coldly that I was responsible for what my men did, regardless . . . and tacked on six hours of extra duty besides busting me for having spoken to him about it without Bronski's permission. Then I got a letter that upset me a lot; my mother finally wrote to me. Then I sprained a shoulder in my first drill with powered armor (they've got those practice suits rigged so that the instructor can cause casualties in the suit at will, by radio control; I got dumped and hurt my shoulder) and this put me on light duty with too much time to think at a time when I had many reasons, it seemed to me, to feel sorry for myself.

Because of "light duty" I was orderly that day in the battalion commander's office. I was eager at first, for I had never been there before and wanted to make a good impression. I discovered that Captain Frankel didn't want zeal; he wanted me to sit still, say nothing, and not bother him. This left me time to sympathize with myself, for I didn't dare go to sleep.

Then suddenly, shortly after lunch, I wasn't a bit sleepy; Sergeant Zim came in, followed by three men. Zim was smart and neat as usual but the expression on his face made him look like Death on a pale horse and he had a mark on his right eye that looked as if it might be shaping up into a s.h.i.+ner - which was impossible, of course. Of the other three, the one in the middle was Ted Hendrick. He was dirty - well, the company had been on a field exercise; they don't scrub those prairies and you spend a lot of your time snuggling up to the dirt. But his lip was split and there was blood on his chin and on his s.h.i.+rt and his cap was missing. He looked wild-eyed.

The men on each side of him were boots. They each had rifles; Hendrick did not. One of them was from my squad, a kid named Leivy. He seemed excited and pleased, and slipped me a wink when n.o.body was looking.

Captain Frankel looked surprised. "What is this, Sergeant?"

Zim stood frozen straight and spoke as if he were reciting something by rote. "Sir, H Company Commander reports to the Battalion Commander. Discipline. Article nine-one-oh-seven. Disregard of tactical command and doctrine, the team being in simulated combat. Article nine-one-two-oh. Disobedience of orders, same conditions."

Captain Frankel looked puzzled. "You are bringing this to me, Sergeant? Officially?"

I don't see how a man can manage to look as embarra.s.sed as Zim looked and still have no expression of any sort in his face or voice. "Sir. If the Captain pleases. The man refused administrative discipline. He insisted on seeing the Battalion Commander."

"I see. A bedroll lawyer. Well, I still don't understand it, Sergeant, but technically that's his privilege. What was the tactical command and doctrine?"

"A 'freeze,' sir." I glanced at Hendrick, thinking: Oh, oh, he's going to catch it. In a "freeze" you hit dirt, taking any cover you can, fast, and then freeze don't move at all, not even twitch an eyebrow, until released. Or you can freeze when you're already in cover. They tell stories about men who had been hit while in freeze . . . and had died slowly but without ever making a sound or a move.

Frankel's brows shot up. "Second part?"

"Same thing, sir. After breaking freeze, failing to return to it on being so ordered."

Captain Frankel looked grim. "Name?"

Zim answered. "Hendrick, T. C., sir. Recruit Private R-P-seven-nine-six-oh-nine-two-four."

"Very well. Hendrick, you are deprived of all privileges for thirty days and restricted to your tent when not on duty or at meals, subject only to sanitary necessities. You will serve three hours extra duty each day under the Corporal of the Guard, one hour to be served just before taps, one hour just before reveille, one hour at the time of the noonday meal and in place of it. Your evening meal will be bread and water - as much bread as you can eat. You will serve ten hours extra duty each Sunday, the time to be adjusted to permit you to attend divine services if you so elect."

(I thought: Oh my! He threw the book.) Captain Frankel went on: "Hendrick, the only reason you are getting off so lightly is that I am not permitted to give you any more than that without convening a court-martial . . . and I don't want to spoil your company's record. Dismissed." He dropped his eyes back to the papers on his desk, the incident already forgotten and Hendrick yelled, "You didn't hear my side of it!"

The Captain looked up. "Oh. Sorry. You have a side?"

"You darn right I do! Sergeant Zim's got it in for me! He's been riding me, riding me, riding me, all day long from the time I got here! He - "

"That's his job," the Captain said coldly. "Do you deny the two charges against you?"

"No, but - He didn't tell you I was lying on an anthill!"

Frankel looked disgusted. "Oh. So you would get yourself killed and perhaps your teammates as well because of a few little ants?"

"Not 'just a few' - there were hundreds of 'em. Stingers."

"So? Young man, let me put you straight. Had it been a nest of rattlesnakes you would still have been expected - and required - to freeze." Frankel paused. "Have you anything at all to say in your own defense?"

Hendrick's mouth was open. "I certainly do! He hit me! He laid hands on me! He laid hands on me! The whole bunch of 'em are always strutting around with those silly batons, whackin' you across the f.a.n.n.y, punchin' you between the shoulders and tellin' you to brace up and I put up with it. But he hit me with his hands - he knocked me down to the ground and yelled, ' The whole bunch of 'em are always strutting around with those silly batons, whackin' you across the f.a.n.n.y, punchin' you between the shoulders and tellin' you to brace up and I put up with it. But he hit me with his hands - he knocked me down to the ground and yelled, 'Freeze! you stupid jacka.s.s!' How about you stupid jacka.s.s!' How about that?" that?"

Captain Frankel looked down at his hands, looked up again at Hendrick. "Young man, you are under a misapprehension very common among civilians. You think that your superior officers are not permitted to 'lay hands on you,' as you put it. Under purely social conditions, that is true - say if we happened to run across each other in a theater or a shop, I would have no more right, as long as you treated me with the respect due my rank, to slap your face than you have to slap mine. But in line of duty the rule is entirely different - "

The Captain swung around in his chair and pointed at some loose-leaf books. "There are the laws under which you live. You can search every article in those books, every court-martial case which has arisen under them, and you will not find one word one word which says, or implies, that your superior officer may not 'lay hands on you' or strike you in any other manner in line of duty. Hendrick, I could break your jaw . . . and I simply would be responsible to my own superior officers as to the appropriate necessity of the act. But I would not be responsible to which says, or implies, that your superior officer may not 'lay hands on you' or strike you in any other manner in line of duty. Hendrick, I could break your jaw . . . and I simply would be responsible to my own superior officers as to the appropriate necessity of the act. But I would not be responsible to you you. I could do more than that. There are circ.u.mstances under which a superior officer, commissioned or not, is not only permitted but required required to kill an officer or a man under him, without delay and perhaps without warning - and, far from being punished, be commended. To put a stop to pusillanimous conduct in the face of the enemy, for example." to kill an officer or a man under him, without delay and perhaps without warning - and, far from being punished, be commended. To put a stop to pusillanimous conduct in the face of the enemy, for example."

The Captain tapped on his desk. "Now about those batons - They have two uses. First, they mark the men in authority. Second, we expect them to be used on you, to touch you up and keep you on the bounce. You can't possibly be hurt with one, not the way they are used; at most they sting a little. But they save thousands of words. Say you don't turn out on the bounce at reveille. No doubt the duty corporal could wheedle you, say 'pretty please with sugar on it,' inquire if you'd like breakfast in bed this morning - if we could spare one career corporal just to nursemaid you. We can't, so he gives your bedroll a whack and trots on down the line, applying the spur where needed. Of course he could simply kick you, which would be just as legal and nearly as effective. But the general in charge of training and discipline thinks that it is more dignified, both for the duty corporal and for you, to snap a late sleeper out of his fog with the impersonal rod of authority. And so do I. Not that it matters what you or I think about it; this is the way we do it."

Captain Frankel sighed. "Hendrick, I have explained these matters to you because it is useless to punish a man unless he knows why he is being punished. You've been a bad boy - I say 'boy' because you quite evidently aren't a man yet, although we'll keep trying - a surprisingly bad boy in view of the stage of your training. Nothing you have said is any defense, nor even any mitigation; you don't seem to know the score nor have any idea of your duty as a soldier. So tell me in your own words why you feel mistreated; I want to get you straightened out. There might even be something in your favor, though I confess that I cannot imagine what it could be."

I had sneaked a look or two at Hendrick's face while the Captain was chewing him out - somehow his quiet, mild words were a worse chewing-out than any Zim had ever given us. Hendrick's expression had gone from indignation to blank astonishment to sullenness.

"Speak up!" Frankel added sharply.

"Uh . . . well, we were ordered to freeze and I hit the dirt and I found I was on this anthill. So I got to my knees, to move over a couple of feet, and I was. .h.i.t from behind and knocked flat and he yelled at me - and I bounced up and popped him one and he - "

"STOP!" Captain Frankel was out of his chair and stand - ten feet tall, though he's hardly taller than I am. He stared at Hendrick.

"You . . . struck struck . . . your . . . company commander?" . . . your . . . company commander?"

"Huh? I said so. But he hit me first. From behind, I didn't even see him. I don't take that off of anybody. I popped him and then he hit me again and then - "

"Silence!"

Hendrick stopped. Then he added, "I just want out of this lousy outfit."

"I think we can accommodate you," Frankel said icily. "And quickly, too."

"Just gimme a piece of paper, I'm resigning."

"One moment. Sergeant Zim."

"Yes, sir." Zim hadn't said a word for a long time. He just stood, eyes front and rigid as a statue, nothing moving but his twitching jaw muscles. I looked at him now and saw that it certainly was a s.h.i.+ner - a beaut. Hendrick must have caught him just right. But he hadn't said anything about it and Captain Frankel hadn't asked - maybe he had just a.s.sumed Zim had run into a door and would explain it if he felt like it, later.

"Have the pertinent articles been published to your company, as required?"

"Yes, sir. Published and logged, every Sunday morning"

"I know they have. I asked simply for the record."

Just before church call every Sunday they lined us up and read aloud the disciplinary articles out of the Laws and Regulations of the Military Forces. They were posted on the bulletin board, too, outside the orderly tent. n.o.body paid them much mind - it was just another drill; you could stand still and sleep through it. About the only thing we noticed, if we noticed anything, was what we called "the thirty-one ways to crash land." After all, the instructors see to it that you soak up all the regulations you need to know, through your skin. The "crash landings" were a worn-out joke, like "reveille oil" and "tent jacks" . . . they were the thirty-one capital offenses. Now and then somebody boasted, or accused somebody else, of having found a thirty-second way - always something preposterous and usually obscene.

"Striking a Superior Officer - !"

It suddenly wasn't amusing any longer. Popping Zim? Hang Hang a man for that? Why, almost everybody in the company had taken a swing at Sergeant Zim and some of us had even landed . . . when he was instructing us in hand-to-hand combat. He would take us on after the other instructors had worked us over and we were beginning to feel c.o.c.ky and pretty good at it - then he would put the polish on. Why, shucks, I once saw Shujumi knock him unconscious. Bronski threw water on him and Zim got up and grinned and shook hands - and threw Shujumi right over the horizon. a man for that? Why, almost everybody in the company had taken a swing at Sergeant Zim and some of us had even landed . . . when he was instructing us in hand-to-hand combat. He would take us on after the other instructors had worked us over and we were beginning to feel c.o.c.ky and pretty good at it - then he would put the polish on. Why, shucks, I once saw Shujumi knock him unconscious. Bronski threw water on him and Zim got up and grinned and shook hands - and threw Shujumi right over the horizon.

Captain Frankel looked around, motioned at me. "You. Flash regimental headquarters."

I did it, all thumbs, stepped back when an officer's face came on and let the Captain take the call. "Adjutant," the face said.

Frankel said crisply, "Second Battalion Commander's respects to the Regimental Commander. I request and require an officer to sit as a court."

The face said, "When do you need him, Ian?"

"As quickly as you can get him here."

"Right away. I'm pretty sure Jake is in his HQ. Article and name?"

Captain Frankel identified Hendrick and quoted an article number. The face in the screen whistled and looked grim. "On the bounce, Ian. If I can't get Jake, I'll be over myself - just as soon as I tell the Old Man."

Captain Frankel turned to Zim. "This escort - are they witnesses?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did his section leader see it?"

Zim barely hesitated. "I think so, sir."

"Get him. Anybody out that way in a powered suit?"

"Yes, sir."

Zim used the phone while Frankel said to Hendrick, "What witnesses do you wish to call in your defense?"

"Huh? I don't need any witnesses, he knows what he did! Just hand me a piece of paper - I'm getting out of here."

"All in good time."

In very fast time, it seemed to me. Less than five minutes later Corporal Jones came bouncing up in a command suit, carrying Corporal Mahmud in his arms. He dropped Mahmud and bounced away just as Lieutenant Spieksma came in. He said, "Afternoon, Cap'n. Accused and witnesses here?"

"All set. Take it, Jake."

"Recorder on?"

"It is now."

"Very well. Hendrick, step forward." Hendrick did so, looking puzzled and as if his nerve was beginning to crack. Lieutenant Spieksma said briskly: "Field Court-Martial, convened by order of Major F. X. Malloy, commanding Third Training Regiment, Camp Arthur Currie, under General Order Number Four, issued by the Commanding General, Training and Discipline Command, pursuant to the Laws and Regulations of the Military Forces, Terran Federation. Remanding officer: Captain Ian Frankel, M. I., a.s.signed to and commanding Second Battalion, Third Regiment. The Court: Lieutenant Jacques Spieksma, M. I., a.s.signed to and commanding First Battalion, Third Regiment. Accused: Hendrick, Theodore C., Recruit Private RP7960924. Article 9080. Charge: Striking his superior officer, the Terran Federation then being in a state of emergency."

The thing that got me was how fast fast it went. I found myself suddenly appointed an "officer of the court" and directed to "remove" the witnesses and have them ready. I didn't know how I would "remove" Sergeant Zim if he didn't feel like it, but he gathered Mahmud and the two boots up by eye and they all went outside, out of earshot. Zim separated himself from the others and simply waited; Mahmud sat down on the ground and rolled a cigarette - which he had to put out; he was the first one called. In less than twenty minutes all three of them had testified, all telling much the same story Hendrick had. Zim wasn't called at all. it went. I found myself suddenly appointed an "officer of the court" and directed to "remove" the witnesses and have them ready. I didn't know how I would "remove" Sergeant Zim if he didn't feel like it, but he gathered Mahmud and the two boots up by eye and they all went outside, out of earshot. Zim separated himself from the others and simply waited; Mahmud sat down on the ground and rolled a cigarette - which he had to put out; he was the first one called. In less than twenty minutes all three of them had testified, all telling much the same story Hendrick had. Zim wasn't called at all.

Lieutenant Spieksma said to Hendrick, "Do you wish to cross-examine the witnesses? The Court will a.s.sist you, if you so wish."

"No."

"Stand at attention and say 'sir' when you address the Court."

"No, sir." He added, "I want a lawyer."

"The Law does not permit counsel in field courts-martial. Do you wish to testify in your own defense? You are not required to do so and, in view of the evidence thus far, the Court will take no judicial notice if you choose not to do so. But you are warned that any testimony that you give may be used against you and that you will be subject to cross-examination."

Hendrick shrugged. "I haven't anything to say. What good would it do me?"

"The Court repeats: Will you testify in your own defense?"

"Uh, no, sir."

"The Court must demand of you one technical question. Was the article under which you are charged published to you before before the time of the alleged offense of which you stand accused? You may answer yes, or no, or stand mute - but you are responsible for your answer under Article 9167 which relates to perjury." the time of the alleged offense of which you stand accused? You may answer yes, or no, or stand mute - but you are responsible for your answer under Article 9167 which relates to perjury."

The accused stood mute.

"Very well, the Court will reread the article of the charge aloud to you and again ask you that question. 'Article 9080: Any person in the Military Forces who strikes or a.s.saults, or attempts to strike or a.s.sault - "

"Oh, I suppose they did. They read a lot of that stuff, every Sunday morning - a whole long list of things you couldn't do."

"Was or was not that particular article read to you?"

"Uh . . . yes, sir. It was."

"Very well. Having declined to testify, do you have any statement to make in mitigation or extenuation?"

"Sir?"

"Do you want to tell the Court anything about it? Any circ.u.mstance which you think might possibly affect the evidence already given? Or anything which might lessen the alleged offense? Such things as being ill, or under drugs or medication. You are not under oath at this point; you may say anything at all which you think may help you. What the Court is trying to find out is this: Does anything about this matter strike you as being unfair? If so, why?"

"Huh? Of course it is! Everything about it is unfair! He hit me first! You heard 'em! - he hit me first!"