Welcome to Gaia! ::

A Boy Named Andy
Chapter One: The Beginning

I was young, I was foolish, I knew it was coming but I did not do anything to stop it. I didn’t even prepare for it myself. It all started when my unit was dropped back into the fiery pit we called home. The gravel was fresh with debris of the buildings I knew; burning debris fell with each sudden movement one would take. I fell to my knees at the sight. I was filled with rage, and anger, but the only way I could release such stress was through tears. I cried bitterly, wept over the death of the world, over the ones I did not know.
Mars was asking for it since the time we went to war against so called space terrorism of the Mars‘s native creatures, which were large monstrous creatures that living underground and would violently hunt the Martian people. After the war against the native creatures of Mars that would not allow anyone to settle on their land; the Martian people soon found their planet taken from their hands after years of endless fighting, and was enslaved by a powerful government. Soon the planet went to war once again, this time we were fighting the Moon colonies they had a draft and I was a unlucky pick. I soon went to war, leaving my girlfriend and beloved family behind. According to all the rumors I heard, Mars was being attacked daily. I lost the hope to live, but for some reason I’m still alive. I guess it’s because of the child that would come into my life.
His name was Andy, a bright child, his long brown messed up hair gave him the appearance of a starving child, looked at him with pity as I saw his dead dog beside him. I was about to pass him until I heard the voice I thought I would have never would hear again.
“Josh, Josh!” She cried.
“Kate, is that you?!” I relied foolishly.
“Yes, Josh! I missed you so much!” I turned to see the one I left behind.
Her name was Katharine; I can still see the innocence in her eyes. Her love, and her patience, was all I needed in this life. We were going to get married, but the draft stopped everything, soon I was packing my bags. I said good bye my parents and left without speaking to her. I didn’t want to make her cry; I didn’t want that memory as I fought in this horrid war.
“Josh,” she wept in my arms, “Josh, I thought you were dead! Everyone died! Mom, dad, everyone! I’m the last one!”
“No, you’re not.” I looked down at the boy who looked starved and cold.
He looked up and hugged his dog once again. He was alone in this world, I had to help him.
“Hey, kid.”
“Hush, Josh! Just leave him, he’d be ok.” She scolded me under her breath.
“Kid, come with us.” I lent my hand to him.
The child looked up me and took my hand firmly. He let go of the dog rather easily. I didn’t even know if it was his, he just longed for someone to watch over him; Even if it was a dead animal.
“What’s your name?” I asked him in a rather cheerful voice.
He was silent; he only stared at my hand. I looked at him curiously and shrugged. He was probably still in shock, and I’d have to respect that.
Soon, others started to find orphans all over the destroyed city, Red Sand never seemed so quiet. The only thing you could hear was the occasional bang of snipers shooting upon us, and other civilians. It was a race against time but everyone seemed to lose hope. We continued to search and rescue till one of our own died. His name was Dan, which we nicknamed Danny. Danny was a good solider, never fought authority. He was a quiet kid, and always did his best, but he was found by his post with a gun wound to his chest. He fell backwards and passed out, he bled to death.
That day we took off forgetting the past and disappeared in the clouds. We were outlaws, the last Martians.
Soon years pasted, the child I knew became a teenager, his age was fifteen, and he was about to change the world. We were making a stop at Earth, Andy loved Earth. He would talk to the people and look at all the technology. He went to restaurants and got to learn many of the people. He soon earned the friendship of one girl and her family. They were young; he was a lost soul at that point. He never talked, and would only communicate through gestures. It was actually a sweet story, this poor girl was fishing with her father and Andy was watching them silently until the girl offered him a rod. Andy accepted the rod and looked at it curiously. The father soon taught him how to put bait on his fishing pole, and cast into the river. After the day ended I told him we're leaving and he said his first word that made me cry.
“Coming, daddy,”
These words would forever buzz through my head. From then on I would take weekly visits to Earth, with Andy. My crew called me crazy, but I didn’t care. I knew Andy needed people to talk to, and I trusted them.
Soon, the Andy started to become very attached to his friend. They went everywhere together, and suddenly I learned something about this dear child. He was becoming a man each day he came to Earth, so I asked Kate one day if she would mind me leaving Andy on Earth from now on. She said no crossly and that was that. My hopes of Andy becoming a man seemed to dwindle. Until, the father of the daughter came to me one day.
“Would you mind if Jenny came with you?” He asked me.
I looked at him, was he ill in the head? Why would he be asking me of such a favor?
“If you have heard, Earth is again at war with Moon colonies. If you plainly could see what happened to Mars when they declared war on the Moon? Well, I was talking to Sarah and we’ve decided. We’re willing to smuggle her out of the solar system. As we know, she’s the only reason you really come here. There’s no possible profit you can make with such a small supply of cargo each week.”
This was true, I only had a half full of cargo and didn’t make much profit, just enough to pay the trip here and back. So I agreed, and we smuggled Jenny out of the solar system. Earth was soon conquered by the Moon’s elite combat forces the next week. Poor Jenny, she locked herself in her room all night once I broke the news. We never saw her parents again.
After a few months had gone by I started to teach Andy how to use the combat system of our space shuttle. He had a nag at shooting space junk. Jenny was interested also, but did not like the idea of fighting; she wanted to pilot the ship. I slowly taught her everything I knew. They were such a good team together; I didn’t know what I could do with their skills. Cargo transporting did not take much combat skills; space pirates would usually give false threats but never would shot at you.
So I sat them down and asked what they think they should do for a career. They looked at me curiously and shrugged. I sighed and left. Children seemed to only worry about the present constantly, they never made a plan for the future, but this story doesn’t end this quickly my friend, soon these two legends will mold the universe into their own creation.

Chapter Two: Beginner’s Luck

Jen and I were the best pilots in the universe my father would proclaim to everyone he met. I was filled with pride and even though Jen was filled to her neck reading text books I knew she was too.
Jen was the kind of girl who would read, read, and read some more, with no interest with the world around her. He mind was filled with knowledge, but her creativity seemed to dull. She would rather take the more logical approach on things then the reckless and destructive way. I was the complete opposite, I didn’t hate reading just rather day dream all day and waste my time doing nothing, or spending my time shooting targets father set up for me.
Life to me was easy and slow, which I liked. People may call me lazy but at least I finish what I say I’m going to finish. Jen would always start a project then say she’s too busy to finish it. Such a silly girl she was, yet I guess all people are different.
One day father came home announcing that we’re going to be in the space craft battles. A sporting event in which two or more space crafts fight till their ship is too damaged to fight. Now, some fools fight to the end, usually at the end of the sporting season someone dies because they pushed themselves too far. Mother of course scolded father for such an idea, but Jen and I thought it was a great idea. Father backed up that in the younger leagues children fight less intensely then the larger leagues. The younger leagues went through the ages of thirteen to twenty.
Mother finally agreed allow us participate in this dangerous sport. Like mature teenagers we nodded and went to our rooms to either start celebrating to rock music or abuse to phone bill.
On the day of the first battle Jen and I were nervous and excited at once. She would eye me a few times and I would look back only to see her eyes trail off to the side. This only made me more nervous then ever. What if something bad happened and we died slowly, or what if one of us were lost in space?!
I tried to brush such thoughts away from my mind.
We soon were put in the cockpit of Danny, our small space craft father gave to us. Why he named it Danny, I would never know, but for some reason that name brought tears to his eyes.
We were against a veteran pair of fighters, their names Nick, and Paul. Jen started the count down to take off. I knew at that point Jenny was trying to make me nervous. I gripped on my seat for the controls of my aiming system, which was operated by turning multiple dials and pressing certain buttons. The space ships now a days have aiming programs so my job as a combat pilot is now meaningless.
There was a pause that only lasted a second, but it felt forever as the busters started. Jen crackled madly, she was a different person at the controls of Danny. Danny flew marvelous as it looped, dived, at the aimless shots of the other fighter that had all attentions to shot us down. I shot down the large bullets that would come our way with rear guns. This lasted what seemed like hours, Jen dived once again. Not like normal dives she turned suddenly and turned the tables. We were now on the back side of the opposing fighter. I immediately shot with all we had, suddenly we saw what we dreamed of. The wing of opposing fighter snapped and hit the busters of the fighter making it roll out of control. We won our first battle, which seemed to be very easy.
Our fist battle was a win; Nick and Paul gave us one comment.
“Beginner’s luck…”

Wow. I liked it a lot! Good writing.