"Got a bogey about 10 Kklicks out." "I. F. F. says...  it's the Bacchus." "Bacchus." "It's like Vegas, New York City and Oz all rolled into one." "Rightnow, I'd settle for a night in Buffalo." "Holdthechatter." "We're still on patrol." "West!" "West!" "West, look alive!" " Damn!" "Damn." "I don't know how that happened." " I do." "Six back-to-back sorties at four hours a shot." "Man, it's getting weird." "I'm seeing rabbits and squirrels and stuff hoppin' around my wings." "Keep your head screwed on." "We're almost home, but it's still hot out." "Scramble!" "Scramble!" "Bandit on my 4:00 high." "West, you got him on my 6:00." "West, respond, man. !" "Respond. !" "He's locked on me. !" "I got him now, Hawkes." "Cooper. !" "Cooper. !" "Go egghead." " Go egghead!" "" "Hawkes?" "Hawkes?" "Hawkes, answer." "Uh, I bashed my head." "I gotta rest." "I gotta sleep." "No, no." "You can't sleep." "If you have a head wound,  you cannot sleep." "Keep control." "Yeah." "Gotta keep... control." "Keep control." "We thought we were alone." "We believed the universe was ours." "Until one night in 2063,  on an Earth colony 16 light- years away...  they struck." "And now we are at war." "My name is Lieutenant Colonel T. C. McQueen." "I'm an InVitro, a race of artificially gestated humans." "I command a Marine Corps squadron" " The 58th." "They call us the Wild Cards." "We fight when called- in space, on land and at sea." "To lose this war means more than defeat." "To surrender is to never go home." "All of us must rise to the call above and beyond." "Saratoga,wehaveawoundedpilot ." "Request immediate attention." "Let's get him out of here." "I want him to sick bay now." "Okay, it's not as bad as it looks." "No loss of consciousness." "Pulse strong." "Respiration a bit weak." "No transient amnesia." "Mild concussion." "Check his pupils every half hour and his pulse rate and give him two pylaphatimines." "Doctor, this marine's an InVitro." "Okay,let'sgetthisguyinside and restore cardiac output." "Hey, just checking you here." "Head up." "All right, swallow." "Nathan, get some rest, buddy." "Our rotation is up in... 12 hours." "I can't sleep." "Maybe you should ask Wang his secret." "Are you feeling guilty about Hawkes?" "I'm a hot pilot." "Best there is on this ship after" " Me." " McQueen." "And if I'm making mistakes" "On a mission,  I can only react at half speed." "My situational awareness is zero." "Lately, in a given situation..." "I'm choosing whatever routes can get me back in bed the quickest." "I'm not myself." "I've lost control." "Hawkes could be dead tonight 'cause of me." "Theenemyis amassing around our position." "We should be prepared to defend our troops holding Iphis." "We'll need the 5-8 down on the ground." "Sir, you're well aware that I'm proud of that fact." "And you know I'd volunteer them for any assignment..." " but they are just" " We are all tired, Colonel." "They haven't had a moment's rest in months." " Because they are the best." " They won't be much longer." "Men and women are joining the Earth forces by the millions and it's still not enough." "Sir, you know how long and hard those kids will fight." "But Roundhammer could go on for months." "They'll just drop." "We will have killed them, not the enemy." "What about you, Ty?" "How are you feeling?" "Me?" "There will be plenty of time to rest when I'm dead." "Okay, everything appears to be on the mend, Lieutenant." "I'm feeling mended, Doc." "I'm releasing you from sick bay." "You're clear free to return to your squadron." "If you feel any discomfort, take this to the pharmacy." "It's Naproxen Sodium." " Any of those, uh, green pills?" " You gave him pylaphatimines?" " Given the nature of his injuries" " He's an InVitro!" " It was a mild dosage." " Are you aware of the addiction rate for InVitros?" "We're-We're susceptible at even limited exposure." " Hey, Colonel" " How much did they give you, Hawkes?" "How much did you ta" "Colonel!" "Colonel!" "Have a seat." "Have a seat." " Nurse, get some water." " I'm all right." "I'm all right." " Okay, lift your head." "Let's take a look." " I said I'm all right." " This man is exhausted." "Okay, lay back." " I said I'm all right." "Colonel. !" "Lieutenant Hawkes reporting for duty." "Hey, 'Phousse." "Wang." "Nate, you're looking geequed." " That's my chair." "  I don't see your name on it." " You know that's my lucky chair." " Give it a rest, you two." "Everybody knows it's my chair!" "You always sit there and you always sit there." "Hey, Wang, man, easy." "You gotta" " Relax!" " Get off me!" " Hey, don't tell me" " Knock it off!" " Attention on deck!" " Knock it off!" " Attention on deck." "Five-eight, you're an outstanding unit." "One of our most prized, both in air and on ground." "We need you primed and focused in the coming month." "You cannot become sloppy." "Therefore, today's assignment... is to report to the Aero-Tech vessel Bacchus for 48 hours liberty." "That includes you, Colonel McQueen." "If recalled to duty, you will report quickly and eagerly." "Combat gear will be stored on board the ISSCV." "Now, I realize this is the first liberty you've had in a long while." "On board a ship like the Bacchus... it's tempting to try to lose yourself." "Don't." "You are United States Marines." "And you will demonstrate proper honor and conduct expected of the Corps." "One last thing." "If you go down there looking for something you left back on Earth... take my word for it, you are not the same person you were when you left home." "Dismissed." "Whew.|" " Give them to me." " What?" " The Green Meanies." " No, sir, they didn't give me any more" "They may not have given you any, but I know you have some." "I know what pylaphatimines can do to a Tank." "Doctors got me hooked once." "After my divorce, I got myself hooked." "They make you feel good now, but they'll hurt you, Cooper." "They'll make you violent, irrational, lonely." "The sooner you stop, the easier it will be to kick." "If they gave you the dosage on the chart, you're in danger." "Maybe you've got some stashed somewhere, maybe you B. S. 'd your way through the pharmacy... maybe you bought some from somebody on board, but I know you have them." "Now where are the ones you stashed in case somebody found these?" "Good." "That's good." "If you need help, I want you to come to me." "You understand me?" "I've been through it." "I'll get you through it." "Let's go get some R  R." "Oh, man." "What's in the bag?" " A dangerous weapon." " A weapon?" "Man, for 48 hours, I ain't thinking about weapons, flight suits or Chigs." "Whatareyou doing down there, Colonel?" " Yeah." "I can't imagine you relaxing." "" "You guys all want to get together for a drink when we first get there?" "No, Wang, as they say on the Bacchus,  it's every man for himself." "Hey." "There it is." "He was the Roman god of the vine." "His followers worshipped wine and song." "The lover of peace and civilization" " Bacchus." "Son ofJupiter and the mortal Semele,  turned to ash by questioning Jupiter's deity." "Here, you are all gods." "Welcome to the Aero" " Tech pleasure ship,  Bacchus." "Where what you can only imagine... we make happen." "In fact, where's Colonel McQueen?" "We have received your request, sir... and, as usual, have honored it." "There's no virtual reality here." "No phony holodecks." "Life on the Bacchus is a hands-on experience." "Your Earth Forces debit cards will be accepted at all events...  however, you will find that cash is preferred at certain venues." "From this moment on...  there is no pain, no heartbreak." "Leave the war behind." "" " Check your uniforms at the door and follow me." "Whoo-hoo!" "Beforeyouenter, check out our fine dress and apparel stores." "Our shop techs are here to serve you." "The Bacchus knows you're Corps to the core." "But you leave it all behind when you pass through that door." "~~~~" "~~" " ~~~~" " This is just like being back home." "What happened to the Colonel?" "What could he be doing with his time off?" "Forget him." "First one's on me." "I ain't spent a dime since boot." " Let's dance, Marine." " Every man for himself." "Hey, Nathan, you got any cash on you?" "I've been sending all my money back to my baby sister for college... and I gotta get my other sister's baby a present and" "Thanks." "Hey, guys, A. M. F." "Down to the boys." "Hey." "Didn't we used to go to different schools together?" "Sorry." "I'll, uh, make it up to you on the dance floor?" "That never worked at home." "Is-Is that how it goes?" "Hey." "Didn't we used to go to the same school... only at different times?" "Is that like where they're girls but they don't like men or something?" "I mean, I'm better looking than Wang, don't you think?" "I'll only answer that after a few beers." "  " "Looking for action." "I'm a dead-stroke player going strong for the cheese." "Won't fade with the nits or sharks." "Got no time for hustles, lemonading or stalling." "Now, who in this room has the heart... to show me their speed?" "They call me Handsome Alvin." "This is my house." "And in my house, attitudes like yours..." "get spanked." "Sounds like you got the plums..." "Alvin." "Rack 'em." "~~~~" "~~~~" "Two shots of tequila and two beers." "You got it." "West." "How does the, um... the" " The girl thing" "The thing?" "All right, I'm an InVitro, right?" "We're born out of the tank at 18 years." "So we got these, you know... feelings that we don't know what to do with." "It's okay, man." "I mean, neither do natural-borns." "No, but" "I ran away from the invitro training facility before they got around to sex." "You see?" "Yeah." "Um..." "Damn, Coop, you know, it's hard- it's hard to explain, but" "All right, let's say- let's say women and sex... are like spaceflight mechanics." " All right?" " I'm with you." "Okay." "So, women, like light, are-are relative." "It's gonna differ depending on your- your velocity and destination." "All right." "No, forget it." "I can see where this is going." "Uh, I'm" " I'm sorry." "I'm not trying to mess with you." "I just" " I've never had this kind of talk before." "I'll have a vodka martini, straight up." " Nathan West." " Suzy." " Hi." "This is my, uh, buddy, Cooper Hawkes." " Hi." "How long are you on leave?" " Forty-eight hours." " Mm." "It's quite a place." "Anything can happen." "Oh." "Anything, huh?" "Mm-hmm.|" "I can offer what I'm sure is the top of your list." "Where's the head?" "I'll be right back." "Excuse me." "You got anything against InVitros?" "It's a little more." "Look, I kind of owe this guy." "He" " He's never been with a woman before, so will you treat him nice?" "It's a little more." "I don't mean like that." "I just- Don't embarrass him and stuff." "Go easy." "It's a little more." " I'll take good care of you." " Then I'll take good care of him." "You've got Green Meanies?" "Oh, yeah." "In that case, I'm gonna take real good care of you." "~~~~" "~~~~" "That's a sweet Szamboti cue." "You can't shark me." "Two in the corner." "It's been in the family a long time?" "Four in the side." "Daddy's stick?" "Ooh!" "" "  Oh, man." "A present to his little girl?" "Nine in the corner." "Or did he leave it to you before you died?" "He left it for me." "His spirit lives in this stick." "How'd he die?" "Artificial Intelligence killed him and my mother." "You know, it's kind of rude, you walk into my house, turn into King Kong, run four straight." "No chance for me to take back the cheese." "Hey, I'll just run the table all night." "You break." "Shame what happened to your parents." "You shouldn't let a couple of rotten apples spoil it for the whole bunch of us." "A stinkin' A. I. ?" "Aero-Tech bought me to be the player here." "Model-Alvin EL 1543." "Programmed to play billiards and do impersonations." "Do you know who Clint Eastwood is?" "Do ya?" "Four in the corner." "Under the spreading chestnut tree, the village smithy stands." " What's with the poem?" " My high school coach wanted me to shoot with the same rhythm... so he made me say this poem." "Now I can't shoot without it in my head." "I lost the Chicago inner-city play-offs because I forgot the line..." ""with large and sinewy hands. "" "With two seconds left, hit nothing but iron." "What are you doing in here anyway?" "I saw that girl you were dancing with." "Pretty cute." "Yeah, but I guess with only two days left..." "I wanted to do something that I'd really do at home, you know?" "Yeah." "I know what you mean." "I was never much for clubs." "I'm kind of a loner." "I spent a lot of time in my driveway just shooting free throws and thinking about stuff." "" " What?" "I don't know." "I guess it's just weird thinking about you at home in a driveway." "I guess I've always thought of you as some long-gone hard charger." "Really?" "Well, yeah, it's kind of hard to think of you in anything other than a flight suit." " What?" "" "I had this really weird thing happen in the club." "'Cause I saw you dancing with that girl... but I didn't recognize you because of your new clothes... and I thought, "Ooh, look at that guy. "" "Then, of course, I got all embarrassed when I realized it was you." "Nothing but net." "You weren't looking at the net." "I probably should be." "Mm." "Mm." "You can do anything but kiss me, Lieutenant." "I got to save something for the men I fall in love with." "Have-Have many men gotten to kiss you?" "Not many." " You kiss many girls?" " No." "I'd really like to, though, before I get killed in this war." "You know how many times I've heard that one, Marine?" "Heard that one what?" "You can kiss me." "Not on the lips, though." "Start there." "Ears are nice." "You know one thing, Lieutenant." "Every girl's weak spot is the back of her neck." "You" " You're- You're" " You're an InVitro." "Believe me, Lieutenant... an InVitro's first time should be with one of their own." "Natural-borns can get squeamish." "And we know just how to treat each other." "No more Meanies?" "Hmm?" "No." " ~~~~ " "~~ Tambourine ~~" "That certainly is a sad song." "Don't cry, Constable." "It is a sad song." "Yeah, all right." "Come on." "Movies aren't as good when you're alone, anyway." "It ain't no place for women gals." " But pretty men go there." "" "Well, I think I'll be a high tailing' it over the rim." "And it ain't a fit night out for man or beast." "Otto!" "Heave!" "" " Otto. !" "Game." "That's your last C-note." "I guess you had enough." "You know, I got you off your game once it wasn't about money anymore." "And now you ain't got no more money." "That's what you get for coming into my house... and shooting off your mouth better than you do the balls." "Lookslikeyougot  some stake horses." "What do you say, one more game?" "Do you feel lucky?" "Bathroom." "Shut the door." "Shut that door!" " Is that yours?" " Get out!" " You got a kid living here?" " I couldn't leave him back on Earth." "Now get out!" "And you're downing Green Meanies?" "Tanks can't handle them." " You do them." " I'm not a mom." " I don't have anybody that needs me." " Just shut up!" "They make me escape myself." "It's the only way I can handle how I make this much money." "Escape from yourself?" "Handle?" "What do you do?" "I am paid to be with men like you." "Three in the corner." " Four in the side." "" "Here." "Let me help." "Game." "All hands, now hear this." "This is Commodore Ross of the U. S. S. Saratoga." "All hands are to report immediately to duty." "I say again." "Report immediately to active duty." "That's game." "Now, where's the gift shop?" "I gotta get out of here." "I'm in a hurry." "All units, liberty is over." "58th Squadron,  report bay 7, shuttle 4." "Hey." "Thanks for the cheese, Alvin." "41 st Fighter Squadron,  your departure is" "Gotta keep control." "Control." "Get out!" " Put 'em back." " I'll give you money for 'em." "" " This time it's going where it belongs." "Escape from myself." "" "  Move, move. !" "That's Bacchus pulling away from the area." "I wonder if we'll ever make it back." "51 st MEU in defensive position on planet Iphis." "Grid coordinates- 5088." "Okay, listen up." "Chig ground forces are moving toward our position, 12:00." "This one's going to be smash mouth." "We hold this line and we advance meeting Third Force advancing on our right flank." "This is important ground, people." "Iphis cannot be lost." "Look alive!" "Ain't a fit night out for man or beast." "Incoming. !" "Hawkes!" "No!" "We need you, man." " Get away!" " I'm not the enemy, man, and neither are you." "This is no time to escape." "We need you." " We need you, Hawkes." " I need one." "We don't need anybody else." "We need you!" "I need one." "I can't get through this." "I got to get through this!" " " "Lieutenant, this marine is out of action." "You keep him buried until we can extract." "I'm with you, Coop." "Just stay down, man." "We're pinned." "I'm right here." "Vansen!" " Are you okay?" " Yeah." "Yeah." "Charlie One to command." "We are in deep serious." "High Angle Hell is at bull's-eye." "Advise." "Can I get you two a room?" "What the hell's going on here?" "No!" "I'm gonna help you ride this out." "Hawkes!" " Hawkes. !" "Hawkes. !" " Get back!" "I could of had 'em!" "Come on, Coop, get up!" "Get up!" "Hear me, CFV." "Liberty is over!" "All of you, get off the Bacchus." "There is there and here is here." "It is not every man for himself." "You cannot lose yourselves." "If you lose yourself here, you lose yourself forever." "Sir, command reports engagement helped us break from undercover." "Third Force has broken through the Chig flank." "We're backing them up." "They are ordering us to move." "Sir, it was Hawkes." "It wasn't anyone else." "It was Hawkes." "He had it under control." "I'm here." "No every man for himself." "Grab your gear." "Send it down the line." "This is it!" "Let's make it happen!" "Move!" "Onyourleft." "There's two on the left." "Forward. !" "Forward. !" " Off to the left." "" "Herearetheoptions." "I'll ship you Earthside." "You serve out the rest of your time behind a desk." "Because of your actions on the planet, however... the commodore is willing to place you on supervised sick leave aboard the Saratoga." "If you kick it, you're back." "Supervised?" "Some doctors... and me." "If you do it, you'll go through hell." "How badly do you want to remain a part of the 58th?" "They're the only family I ever had." "I, uh, I thought you were in more urgent need of one than my niece." " Hey." " Hi." " I was, uh, just on my way to see" " Me too." " Shoot any hoops lately?" " No." "No." "The Saratoga's gym is still set up for volleyball." "Yeah, I guess a lot of things have to be different on the Saratoga than on the Bacchus." "Look, I don't regret what happened for a second, but" "But the moment on the planet, it ju" "It just really wasn't like it was on R  R." "Some R  R." "Come on." "Let's go see Coop." " Hey, Coop." "How you doing, big guy?" " Hey, Hawkes." "You're looking pretty good." "Pretty geeque there, buddy." "I, uh, know we're supposed to leave the Bacchus behind... but I brought something back I thought could make things a little easier... for all of us." "Ialwayssaidsomething to make you split your sides a- laughing." "" " Powerful little gentleman, he was." "Well, I think I'll be a high tailing'it over the rim." "  " "And it ain't a fit night out for man or beast." " Otto. !" "" "Hey, heave. !" "Otto. !" "Hey. !" "Otto. !" "Hey. !" "Watch your hands." "Watch your hands."