"" " Commodore, I've got a bogey bearing 2-niner-0." " I. F. F. ?" " Negative, sir." "Scope me." " It's a Hammerhead." " Still closing." "Zero target aspect." "All our birds are accounted for, and there's no other ships in the region." "Any, um-Any intelligence reports of Chigs flying captured SA-43s?" "He's headed right for us." "Could be a Silicate suicide bomber." "Deny it." "Warn him." "Unidentified spacecraft off my port bow, you're approaching the U. S. naval carrier Saratoga." " Request you alter course and identify yourself immediately." "" " He's still coming, sir." " Fire a warning shot." " 2. 6- niner off the port bow." " 2. 6- niner off the port bow." "Aye-aye." "Commodore, it's overridden the H. B. D. L." " It's docking." " Security alert!" "" " Master-of-arms, lay it to the third deck." "Allsecuritypersonnel, Code Red." "All security personnel, Code Red." " Pop the canopy." "  - ~~~~ - ~~~~" "He's dead." " ~~~~ - ~~~~" "~~~~" " You all right, sir?" " Watch out!" " -  " "Kind of a bummer gettin' your butt kicked by a dead guy." "My name is Butts, Raymond Thomas." "My rank is lieutenant colonel." "9247158437." "You're not a prisoner of war, Colonel." "No, Colonel, but I've been a P. O. W. -  back in '52, Karakorum." "C. C. 's tortured me for three straight days." "How did you override the hangar bay door lock?" "And I never talked." "I was on the bridge." "It wasn't activated on our end." "I would advise an immediate investigation of the H. B. D. L." " Where are your men?" " My men are my business." "They're the Corps' business." "You recon?" "If I were, I would not be at liberty to address that question." "Butts, I'm not out to bust you." "Joined the Corps at 20." "Never married." "Week out of the Space Aviators Academy in Loxley... you were in Quantico Officers Candidate School, top of the class." "Two Silver Stars in Guatemala..." "Special Forces in the A. I. Rebellion." "We're two lifers." "You got nothin' to hide." "Forget the butter, McQueen." "Maybe we do have the same amount of time in... and maybe we wear the same ribbons from our nipples when we put on the dress blues... but don't you think for one second that we are equals, Tank." " You're hiding something." "You screwed up, didn't you?" " Ray Butts never screws up." "I think Ray Butts did." "I think men got hurt under your command, and you won't come clean." "Think what you want, but you don't know squat." "Then why don't you tell me somethin'... like how you got here and why." "Check out how close this Chig missile burn is." "This zoomey was in a serious hand-to-hand fur ball." " " "Now, look at this." ""The Man in Black. "" " Who's "The Man in Black"?" "" "These readouts indicate that this plane was on the border of the Cerberus Black Hole." "That's Never-Never country." "The optical disc playback should show the flight history." " Hey!" " You touch that O. D. P...  you'll be wearin' your bra backwards after I twist you in half." "Hey, hey." "Look at lover boy.|" "I think he's got it in his mind to strike a senior officer." "Come on." "Come on." "Let's go, Romeo." "Come on." "Come on." "Don't let your better judgment stop you now.|" " Sir, we were just interested" " Hey, man." "You're touchin' me like you love me." "Do you love me?" "Well, hey, man, I love you." "Maybe we should get married, huh?" "" " Maybe you should propose to me." "Hey... why don't you get down on one knee and ask for my hand?" "Oh, my God!" "Another nipple-neck." "This bucket's crawlin' with 'em." "Hey, hey, hey!" "Ho!" "Hey, the 58th." "Hold up." "You silver bars are the 58th?" "The Wild Cards?" "No lie." "You stopped the Chigs at the Battle of the Belt." "That was you?" "Man, I heard of you." "Hell." "Well, I didn't know what I was expectin', but it ain't you." "Chigs must not have wanted it that day." "You can take on the entire Chig army... but let me advise you to stay clear...  of me!" "How come you just can't punch a senior officer- like, if he's got it comin'?" "Butts couldn't have made lieutenant colonel... if he was just some long-gone Hard Charger." "No, man." "That guy is one Colonel Semper Psycho." "Hey, 'Phousse is right." "You guys are overdoing' it just 'cause he gave you a jalapeño enema." "Maybe, it's just-you know- no one is born that mean." "They either put it on for effect, or...  something happened- something turned 'em that mean." "They can never go back." "The worst part is..." "they know it." "My name's Macbeth." "The devil himself could not pronounce a title more hateful to mine ear." "  No, nor more fearful." " Isn't this great?" "I requested it at the beginning of our tour." "Took three months to get it." " ... prove the lie thou speak'st." " I don't know what this guy's sayin', but he means it." " Come on!" "Damned Armed Force censors." "" "We can kill Chigs, we can earn medals, but we can't watch a fight on TV?" "Popped the V-chip." " Come on." "Just in time." "" "" " Hey, you idiot, what the hell do you think you're doing?" "I saw what you maggots did." "Brass says you're not supposed to see this crap." " May I speak freely, Colonel?" " Speak." "You don't care if we see this." "You're just messin' with our heads." "And bein' at war, this could be the last time I hear Shakespeare... and you took that from me." "And if you weren't wearing those oak leaves, sir..." "I'd be kickin' your ass up between your shoulder blades." "" " I'll tell you what." "I'll drop these oak leaves for just 10 seconds... 'cause that's all it'll take to pound some respect into you." "Keep the knife." "It'll make things even." "Okay." "Allright." " He's worse than you said." "" "~~~~" "~~" "I want you gone." "I don't know how or why you're here, or what you think you're doing with my people  abusing subordinates, disrupting morale and unity." " ~~~~" "Whatever you're doing, I take one look at you, and know that it's only about you." "And anyone pulled in is gonna die while you just drive on." " ~~~~" " They all passed my test." "They all came runnin' to help their buddies." "You taught 'em real good." "Don't butter me." "You are gone!" "I don't care if you turn out to be the commodore's "bestest'"golfbuddy...  and you bleed scarlet and gold." "You are gone!" "I will pull every string to get you away from my people and off this bucket... and back to the slime pit you crawled out of." " ~~~~" " Well" "Maybe you can pull every string... but I pull the rope." " I'm on a mission- classified, compartmentalized." " ~~~~" "I'm takin' 'em with me." "Course, they're not the caliber that I'm used to workin' with, but that not might matter." "I've gotta go when the tide wanes on the Cerberus Black Hole." " This ain't gonna happen." " I'm in this so deep, so dark." "The Old Man approves anything I request, including this." "So deal with it." "You are no longer in command of the 58th." "They're mine now." "~~~~" "" " Augh!" "You shot me in the back." "'Cause you didn't cover it." "Damn." " Where'd he go?" " Sorry, Coop." "I'm dead." "Come on." "I think you're on your last breath." " That deck's unsecured." "It's outta bounds." " I know." "Oh, good." "Butts is breakin' his own rules, huh?" " " " Aw." "" "Oh, man, that's cheap." "I ain't goin'out like this." " If it were real, you wouldn't be able to bitch, so shut up." "" "Easy as eating' pancakes." "Cheap." "They were all cheap kills." " He won't have any dishwashers to hide behind in the thick." " I don't get the point." "He's supposed to be training' us to use the skills he knows, not showin' em off." "Exactly." "It felt like he was just using us to sharpen his skills." "We were clay pigeons." " Maybe he was trying to lead by example." " Not much of a leader." "I'm in a squad where I'd rather shoot the C. O. than the enemy." "Knock it off." "You know what I'm sayin', sir." "I mean, I never felt like shootin' you." " Stop it, Hawkes." "You're makin' me all misty." " Sir...  we'd all lay down your lives for you, because we know you'd put down for us." " But Butts" " He wouldn't be there." "Sir, is there something you can do?" "We don't want him." "We want you." "This isn't a dating service." "We're in the middle of a war." "If we stop following orders, there will be no order." "It'll all fall apart." "Sir... would you follow him into a firefight?" "He's an officer in the Corps, trained to care about his marines... and yes, if so ordered,  I would follow him" "But I'd watch my 6:00... and I'd watch each other's 6:00s... real close." "Maybe we won't have to worry about him." "After the way we performed today..." "Butts probably won't want us to follow him." " ~~~~ - ~~~~" "~~~~" "I was wondering if you still want us for the mission after today." "Most of the units I trained eat it in five minutes." "You've all lasted 10." "What do you think about in the dark?" " - ~~~~" " I think about the first man I ever killed." " What about him?" "I wonder what he's doin' now... and if he got the better end of the deal." "~~~~" "I understand your folks were in the Corps." " ~~~~" " A. I. 's got him." "My father'd be about your age." "Least he died for somethin'." "What would you die for?" " - ~~~~" "Sir" "I know you'd kill for us." "Would you die for us?" "I'm already dead, Vansen." " ~~~~ " "Tell 'em to hit the rack." "We ship off at 0130." "~~~~" "~~~~" "Think he'll ever tell us exactly what our mission is?" " What?" "Did he tell you something?" " No." "It's just" " It sounds like he's not planning on coming back." "Well, is he planning on us coming back?" "Damphie." "Parachutes." "We're makin' a drop." "Supplies secured?" "Load up." "Butts." "I know they're not my children." "They're marines:" "Life-takers and heartbreakers." "And I know we're at war, and people die." "But if any of my people die because of you... all your recon skills and black ops training won't be worth a damn." "I'll find you." "  Approaching drop zone, Planet 2063" " F.  -  " " All right." "Listen up." " You are participating in Operation Get Rhythm." "" "The objective is to retrieve six SA- 43 attack jets..." " currently camo'ed deep in enemy territory" " How'd they get there?" "And return them safely to the Saratoga." "To achieve optimum stealth,  deployment will be made...  via high-altitude low-opening parachute drop." "ISSCV exit will be at 30,000 feet." "Chute deployment will commence at 2,000 feet." "We haven't been trained for a HALO jump." "Same as a regular jump." "You just wait longer." " A hell of a lot longer." " It's as easy as eating' pancakes." "On your feet!" "Step up to the hatch." "Heads up!" "We will meet at 30 degrees, five minutes by 75 degrees, two minutes... at 0634." "That'll be just after sunrise." "It is presently 0600." "Ready?" "Ready, hack!" "" " What are you worried about?" "It's dark." "You won't even know you're fallin' 28,000 feet." "  " "Come on!" "What are you waiting for?" "" " You think you're gonna live forever?" "Semper fi." "Do or die." "Come on." "Come on." "Let's go." "Let's go." "Let's go!" "Gung ho!" "Gung ho." "Move it." "Let's go." "Move out." "What is it, Wang?" "You want me to hold your hand on the way down?" "Move o-o-out!" "Hoo-yah!" "Come on, Wang." "Let's go." " What are you doin'?" " I'm waiting for my testicles." "They should be dropping in any second." "" " If I were a Chig, I'd be burying you now." "Sir, what are the coordinates of the Hammerheads?" " I've changed the initial objective." " You've changed it?" " What's the call?" " Classified." "Classified?" "There's six of us in Chig territory." "Think there's gonna be a breach of security?" "We wanna see the orders you're under, Colonel." "We don't believe this new objective's an authorized mission." "A leader can't worry about every order getting the once-over." "You're the one who didn't think he was plannin' on coming back." "You tell us the assignment." "All right." "Vansen, West, stash the mount-out box." "The rest of you cover 'em." "The last thing we need is an ambush." "Then we'll meet back here, and you will be briefed." "Vanessa, drop it!" "He's gone." "He left us here." "Whatdowe do now?" "He's our only way outta here." " " "It's a Chig footprint." "West, we just found some bushes he passed through." "Alter your position 25 meters east." "What the hell is he doing?" "Looks like he's planting some kind of explosive charge." "Maybe he's caching equipment." " Uh-oh." "Whoa." "Whoa." "" "Over here." "I found a body." "No. !" "Get away. !" "Get away from there. !" " Get that weapon off him!" " Move out!" "Get everyone and get the hell away!" " Get that weapon off him!" " Identify his body!" "Explain this, Colonel!" "Was this mission a friendly assassination?" "Did you kill this man?" "They're all dead... because of me." "In my life, I've killed hundreds:" "People, aliens, A. I. 's." "The first life you take is hard." "The second one is harder... but then after that you forget whatever it was that made it tough in the first place." "But then, one day... you come face-to-face with the other side, and it bites back." "My unit was ordered to bomb a Chig C- 3 tower." "The L. Z. was hot with A. A. G. 's, so..." "I ordered we set 'em down and do it,  just like the old Corps." "Well, on the ground, things got real hairy." "I felt they cheesed up, got scared." "Said they wanted to wait for reinforcements." "So I left them... ditched 'em here and went in,  did it by myself." "Onthewayback, I could hear they were under fire." "They call it the "mad minute'"- desperately firing at anything...  a violent prayer that you could kill enough of the enemy so you could get out." "Now, I've killed before" " Close enough so that I can see that look in the target's eyes...  that moment when they know that they have...  one horrified heartbeat left to live." " I never knew how sacred that moment was" " No!" " till I saw it in the lives that I was responsible for." "" "Look what they've done." "Chigs are afraid of their dead,  horrified of ours." "Remove the eyes and the heart." "But all that crap means nothin'." "The finest spirits- six unequaled souls" " Are gone... and that's because of me." "So I came back to lay 'em to rest, because that's how we do it in the Corps." "It's the least I can do for them and their families... and, unfortunately, it seems like all I can do for me." "You shouldn't have left them." "They should've gone with me." "The final marine that we lay to rest is RobertJoseph Grant." "He grew up in Syracuse, New York." "He has a wife, Karen,  and three children." "Bob said, if he could choose how he would die... that he would go down a black hole while listening toJohnny Cash." "Now, I'm not much forJohnny Cash, but... well, that's how he wanted to go." "Science- types say anyone entering a black hole will be pulled in every direction...  that time would be so distorted... that the last second of a person's life would never come." "Bob wanted to believe that you could survive it- even go back in time..." "or forward... or cross over to another universe- a place where you could..." "look in on this one from time to time." "He may have died in a much less glorious fashion...  but I believe" "I-I have to believe, right now- that he lives on in each of these possibilities." "I believe they all do." "You were wrong that night in the bunks, Vansen." "Some people like me are born mean." "But you were also right, 'cause there are some things that happen that make them meaner." "Now, let's get those planes." "Sensors say they're operational." "The planes are scattered about 15 degrees from each other." "Everybody strip down to flight gear." "If the Chigs knew they were here, they would've destroyed 'em." "When we start 'em up, they'll be all over our tails." "All right." "You all know your assignments." "Nothin' fancy." "Just get back to the Hammerheads and take off." "Now, once we get off this stinkin' cesspool... the flight path back to the Saratoga requires passage near the Cerberus Black Hole." "Now, you gotta look alive for two reasons." "First, that sucker's got a mass 20 times larger than our sun...  and the Hammerheads do not have the thrust...  to withstand the gravitational pull up to a half a million miles." "So stay clear." "And second...  the Chig fighters have a capability of skipping across the black hole wash." "This is the hole... and this is the Cerberus wash." "This is no-man's-land." "They have these red fighters." "Chigs can cut across here, cutting off your flight path by a quarter of a million miles... and then they come out ahead of you." "That can be a real brick-passer, unless you're ready." "One more thing." "I never got a chance to tell my friends good- bye." "Odds are some of you aren't gonna come back." "Don't spend a whole life regretting." "Good-bye." "If there is a heaven, I hope the Niners aren't in its Super Bowl." "Six years isn't a long time to be alive... but I'm glad I got to spend it with you guys" " Some of it." "Au revoir. |" " I hope you find her." " Thanks." "'Bye." "I know I speak for all of us, Colonel." "I can't say it was great serving under you, but... we all hope to see you on the other side." "What are you talkin' to me for?" "I ain't gonna die." "I'll be point." "I'm takin' Bob's plane." "Move out!" "Move!" " Mission computer, check." " Master arms switch, safe." " I. R. coolant switch, off." " Altitude reference indicator, engaged." "Clearance 58." "Clearance on request." "Let's blow this joint." "Wild Cards, this is Deuce." "Cerberus, 100 K. S. M. 's, 3:00." "Maintain position." "Home base is 500 K. S. M. 's." "This is Ace." "Got two bogeys, 5:00." "There's a whole squadron coming in from behind them." "We got bigger problems straight ahead." "Closing fast." "They're boxing us in!" "I don't know about you guys, but there's a Bears-Lions game on Sunday I don't intend to miss." " I'll take the Lions and two points for every Chig." "  You're on." "I got your 6:00." " That's a kill." "  Good shooting, 58." " Target approaching, 9:00." " I'm on it." "Nice one, Coop!" "They've locked onto me." " Hoo-rah!" "" "I'm still reading two Bandits at 5:00 in the wash." "Confirm?" "They're corrallin' us to the black hole so the Red Bandits can jump us." "At this intercept angle we will not have enough fuel to maneuver when they hit." "Let's take 'em on." "Red Bandits are worth three points." "Negative." "They're in the wash." "We cannot engage." "If we don't E. A. , we're gonna be target practice for these Chigs." "What to you advise, Deuce?" "Repeat:" "What to you advise?" "Just fly tight." "Your Hammerheads can outrun their fighters... and y'all won't have to worry about the Red Bandits." "Negative, Colonel." "If you go in, you can't get out." "If anybody can wax their tails and pull out of the wash, it's Lt. Col. Raymond T. Butts." " Ho-yeah!" " Yes!" " It's almost pancake time." " Now!" "Get outta there." "" " Come on." "Come on, you son of a" " Come on!" "Come on, darlin'." "Don't let me go." "Don't fall apart on me, now." "Come on!" "You son of a" " Come on!" " Burn 'em!" "Burn 'em!" " Go give it all!" "I'm outta fuel." "Well, I guess Ray Butts has ate his last pancake." "It has been a honor, 58." "Good-bye, sir." "Semper fi,  Mac." "Ride it for Bob." "  - ~~~~" "~~~~" "~~~~" "~~~~" "Negative, Colonel." "If you go in, you can't get out." "Ifanybodycanwax theirtails and pull out of the wash...  it's Lieutenant Colonel Raymond T. Butts." "  - ~~~~" "See you soon, Bob." " Hoo-yah!" " ~~" "~~" "Saratoga, this is the 58th returning... minus one." "Requesting permission to dock." "Roger that." "Permission granted, 58th." "Separation sequence complete." "Crews commence diagnostics, refuel and repair." "Welcome back, Wild Cards." "Welcome back." "I had the galley make up something special for you." "It'll be in the mess when you get cleaned up." "Pancakes." "~~~~" "~~~~" "~~~~" "~~~~" "Watch your hands." "Watch your hands."