The General was a battle hardened individual, having fought in the last great war. Ten years earlier and 5 years before the 'Climate Collapse'. The war was bloody it ravaged and destroyed the Middle East and North Africa. It came to ahead when half a dozen nukes fell on the region.
Millions died and the war had ended, any and all resistance crumbled and the war ended.
The war on terror took a few centuries to end and when it did humanity thought they could rebuild and put the past behind them.
However, it was not to be as in 2232 five years after the war had ended, Mother Nature began to fall ill, and slowly die. Scientists discovered that the ecosystem was dying and that 20 years was all that was left before earth become uninhabitable.
Reginald Price fought but with a great cost, his comrades, his friends, his loved ones were lost to him because of that war. His wife, his daughters, all the ladies dearest to him killed by insurgents thinking their warped and indoctrinated thinking was justified because they believed it.
All that destruction and all that death. All this has lead predictably to the death of the planet. General Price pondered this as he sat behind a two way mirror looking at Corporal John Hazard awaiting his interrogator.
Corporal Jennifer Collins now dressed in her military fatigues stepped inside the room.
"Corporal John Tobias Hazard," Corporal Collins said in a formal tone of voice.
"Corporal Jennifer Carleen Collins," Corporal Hazard replied.
"I'll save you the questions and instead jump straight to the answers. I headed out there to do the task that was set forth to me. I fortified the power station 20 clicks south of here. I will admit that it took me a few weeks to do that but, I found something, or rather someone."
"Who is this someone?" Corporal Collins enquired.
"A girl, she was hiding in the power station, almost starving and injured. She was close to death, and we decided to save her."
"Corporal, the whole world is dying, humanity is an endangered species. However, you decided to risk yourself and your whole team to save one person?"
John Hazard looked deep into Jennifer's eyes and said "Jennifer, I know I cannot save everyone, it is far too late for that, but I could save her. Humanity has royally fucked up and the fact you and everybody else on this base is building that ship is evident of that. We can't let our humanity disappear now or we will disappear with it."
The general looked on proceedings and realised, he had nothing to concern himself with regarding the actions of his corporal and his men. John's words had brought back some painful memories and reopened some old wounds. However, he knew that Corporal Hazard was clinging onto his last shreds of humanity.
The General remembered when he did not save his wife, even when he could. He let the job come first, he let orders come before common sense. The atrocity which left him the only member of his squad alive led to his commanding officer getting a Court Marshall and shot the following dawn. The insurgents were moved in and a tactical assault would have dealt with them.
It would have bought them enough time to secure the stronghold were their families were being kept. However two dozen insurgents packing bombs stormed the compound and left a trail of bloody destruction. His remaining three squad mates killed themselves upon hearing the news. Price, could not do it, his nature would not allow him. So he was left alone, haunted for years by the deaths of the ones he loved, and fuelled by the hatred for those who had taken them away from him, his commanding officer included.
In the end he let his wife die for no reason other than to appease a mad man that had somehow moved up through the ranks. He had no more tears to shed for his wife, as those had dried up a long time ago.
The General collected his thoughts and cast them aside. He then stood himself up and walked into the room. In an instant both John and Jennifer stood up saluting the general as he entered.
"At ease soldiers," the general commanded.
The two corporals followed suit and lowered the hands.
"Corporal John Hazard, you are an exceptional soldier, and a humanitarian as well. You haven't lost your humanity and that, considering what you and I have been through is remarkable."
The general then turned his attention to Jennifer and said "Corporal, ensure this man and his men are given something to eat and get Corporal Hazard to his duties upon the ships stasis pods, when he is rested and recovered from his mission."
"Ay ay General," Jennifer replied with salute in unison with John.
The General turned to leave but then stopped and turned to the corporals and said, "One more thing, the young girl you brought in is in the med bay, the physicians are tending to her now. She is unconscious for the moment. I will inform you when she wakes up, that will be all."
The General then left room, with the Corporals following suite thereafter.
(The next day)
Jennifer and Jack had just entered the Ships cryo stasis chambers, they were stacked far and high, during the flight this area would be weightless during flight. There were some tests to be conducted.
"Jennifer, how are you . . . dealing with all of this?"
"I am fine John,"
"Are you sure Jennifer?"
"Y-yes, I am doing fine."
John held both her arms and looked her in the eye. "Jennifer, you are not fine, my love, what is wrong?"
"It is everyone, humanity, we fucked this planet up just like you said we did. I am worried, what stops this from happening again?"
"Nothing, there is not a single thing that will prevent this from happening on another planet. Just like nothing stopped it from happening on this one."
