Ingo Potsch
Base 18 on Planet DN-DU-144/5 was a place that could only be found on detailed military maps. This planet was circling a sun situated at the border between our Local Bubble of stars in the Milky Way and the much bigger Loop 1 Bubble, another assembly of suns and planets. DN-DU-144/5 was the fifth planet in outward direction, when counted from the local star as centre. Base 18 now consisted of a dozen bunkers, a few deep wells and a couple of cisterns appendant to them, a makeshift front-line spa, and most importantly a maintenance station for fighter robots and combat drones. Base 18 on planet DN-DU-144/5 was in principle a bleak place. Though at that moment it was officially day-time at the location of base 18, there was actually just a little twilight. The far sun, going by the less-than-poetic name of DN-DU-144, illuminated only the abundant clouds enfolding the planet decently. Little light ever made it through to the surface. ‘I just love it’ Master Sergeant Koon had sarcastically said when arriving at this place, together with all the other soldiers of the 5th company. They had taken this base over from a unit that had suffered such heavy casualties that it had to be withdrawn entirely. When the 5th company had arrived, the base was in terrible shape; even the important wells had to be made useable again. The previous troops did not even have enough stamina any more to take care of these. They immediately left with the same troop transporter that had brought the 5th company to Base 18. There was neither time nor vigour for any meaningful, extensive transfer of duty with all of the to-be-relieved soldiers wounded, sick, shell-shocked, and deeply demoralised as they were. The formalities were quickly dealt with; that was it. When the Army had finally decided to move them out they had been too weak to enjoy the news. With empty eyes they looked like ghosts into the faces of their relieving troops. Not, that these were fresh, either. The 5th company was equipped a
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