THE OLD GUARD
STARDATE 02.15.22
SECTOR 50
In a small, dimly lit room aboard the Old Guard, a Counselor interviews Captain Severick for the record. The two are good friends, and yet the task has to be completed as a matter of procedure. They both know the answers that are forthcoming, but the questions still need to be asked.
“And so you felt nothing?” Mitch East asked while staring down at a computer tablet where he was jotting down electronic notes.
“No, nothing,” Captain Severick replied coldly. His stern gaze met Mitch’s eyes whenever they looked up.
“Do you consider that normal when you have just ordered the deaths of hundreds of lives?”
Captain Severick paused for a moment before answering. “Mr. East. Europa is at war with Babylon. As Captain, I did what had to be done. My superiors would expect no less. As a matter of honor, I gave the damaged P3A Battlecruiser a chance to surrender. Their remaining lives would have been spared. We would have transported the survivors to a Babylon Base. But the Babylon Battlecruiser refused to surrender. That is the choice they made. I respected that. So I gave the order to fire.”
Mister East was quiet as he scribbled down more notes. He looked up at Captain Severick.
“Captain, I understand why you gave the order to fire. It has been well documented in the Log. But I am more concerned with how the order affected you internally.”
Captain Severick stared at Mister East without blinking or saying a word. Moments later, he finally spoke.
“I’m not sure what you mean, Counselor.”
Mister East formed a sympathetic look on his face. “Captain, you just took hundreds of lives. Enemy or not, doesn’t that…bother you…at all?”
This time Captain Severick was quick to respond.
“Mr. East. I have taken lives in the past. Many of them. And I will take more in the future. It is not the Captain’s prerogative to pick and choose which lives to take. When the time comes, the Captain must do his duty, as must each member of his crew. If that duty calls for me to take hundreds of enemy lives, so be it. If it requires for me to take thousands of enemy lives, so be it. If it requires for me to take millions of enemy lives, so be it. I will do what must be done.”
Mister East’s eyes bulged slightly. He continued his questioning.
“I understand that, Captain. And your long record confirms your words. But you didn’t answer my question. Does it bother you internally when you take lives?”
Captain Severick paused once more. His stare remained fixed on Mister East.
“In combat, does a soldier regret having to shoot an enemy soldier that is about to shoot him? Does the crew of a tank regret having to blast an enemy tank bearing down on them? Does a fighter pilot regret having to shoot down an enemy jet that is attempting to lock missiles on them? No, Mr. East, they do not. They know that if they do not do their duty, if they do not act, lives will be lost. And so it is with a starship. If a starship destroys an enemy starship that is trying to destroy them, does the Captain feel regret for having given the order to fire? The answer is No.”
This time it was Mister East who went quiet for a few moments. He quickly wrote down the Captain’s response on his electronic tablet. Then he met Captain Severick’s gaze once more.
“Captain, I am very concerned. It is perfectly normal for a human to feel some kind of emotion after claiming another’s life, even if it is the life of one’s enemy. Some struggle with those emotions, some do not. But to deny that you feel such emotions, to suppress them, to bury them deep within your psyche, that is very unhealthy. Over time, it can be extremely self-destructive. Now, as your Counselor, you can confide fully in me. I am here whenever you need to talk. And you can be completely honest with me. I will not judge you. There’s no need for fake facades or tough egoism. It is alright for you to feel emotions.”
“I disagree.”
Mister East choked and coughed, caught completely off-guard by the Captain’s reply. “Ex…excuse me?”
“Counselor, the Captain does not have the luxury of feeling emotions as a normal civilian does. There are lives on the line. My crew is depending on me. I cannot let emotions affect my orders or decision making. To do so would be a tragic mistake. Every situation must be examined rationally, logically, and objectively. Then the best decision possible must be reached. But that decision is not based on or influenced by emotions. Emotions are erratic, unpredictable, fleeting, and chaotic. So, no. As Captain, I cannot allow myself to feel emotions. I dare not, I shall not, I cannot. I refuse to.”
Mister East stared silently at Captain Severick, wondering what kind of man he was interacting with.
“Now, if there is nothing further, Counselor, I have duties to attend to. I will consider this session ended.”
Captain Severick adjusted his uniform, activated the Anti-Grav in his Wheelchair, and then floated out of the room. Mister East was left alone with his thoughts and his tablet.
AND DEEP…DEEP…DEEP WITHIN CAPTAIN SEVERICK, THE SOULS OF HUNDREDS OF BABYLON CREW MEMBERS CRIED OUT FOR RECOGNITION.
