Wrote this Story recently. Initial reviews have been good.Tell me what you think about it. Titled Red sands
Omobolaji Ogunsola@omobolajiogunsola718723
10 months ago
#NircleStories
1#
A thousand of us landed on Mars.Only a quarter of us survived. More than half of us died without even seeing war. They died of Infection, the medici called it the red death. I remember holding on to the toilet bowls as I shat my bowels out. The stuff that came out was so devoid of food material it was almost entirely blood and I am sure some intestine lining. It was then I met Aurora. Perhaps it was the delirium of sickness perhaps it was not; She looked like an angel to me.I remember her having those smoky eyes always almost drifting close as she spoke. Her white latex hands were always pressing for tenderness in my side. And most of all her lips, a smile was always dancing on her lips and it was always teasing a grin. When I was healthy I longed to be sick again so that I could see that smile blossom on her lips.
Rat said she doesn't even think of me, that I must be mad to think she likes me. Perhaps I am.But on Mars, if a man must be mad let him be mad for love.
I remember in my youth eating from the engineered fruit gardens of Mars and thinking how much sweeter than Earth's it was. I always dreamt of living on Mars. Perhaps I would be so rich I could get a ranch on Phobos. But I never thought I would be a soldier defending Mars from the onslaught of The Accord. But today I stand in the harsh Martian desert, 15 mph winds blow sand in my face. The sun glares down menacingly on my skin, I am red all over like a true Martian. Yesterday Rat told me he has kept some Mars soil in a glass bottle. We are nearing the end of our service. He said he would like to remember Mars.I don't need to take any sand about. I will always remember Mars. The sands of Mars are in my Dna, my bowels where the doomsday biological weapon racked my body. When I get on Earth various scientists will vie over my body to get the chance to study how I survived a pathogen with a fatality rate of 99 percent.
Every time I remember that I feel superhuman. My immune system has always been strong,but I never thought it was that strong enough to survive an Accord designer Bio weapon. That's the difference between Rat and I. I have the sand in me.
It will be unjust to not say how fortuitous it is that Rat and I became friends and are also one of the only survivors of the red planet. Rat isn't much to look at. He is a Weasely little man and this I mean in the most generous manner.
The groundsmen always said he was more feat for the assassin adept than the rifle troops. And truth be told most of his confirm kills of the enemies have happened by him sneaking in on the enemy and getting stabby. Honestly he scares me sometimes, but I have discovered he has the mind of a sociopathic baby and he fancies me so I keep him around. Also he is the only of my friends to survive Mars. Every other one died in the plague or in battle.
The pages man had informed us last week that the transfer of out of service troops back to earth would start in 3 weeks.
I have been counting the days since then. And because of this lately I have been hanging around the infirmary more. I hope to catch Aurora between work and talk to her about our life after Mars.
She must know by now I fancy her.I hope the smiles she gives me means she fancies me too. Naturally I would love to know which city she is going to on Earth, and keep in contact with her. But I have had no luck, it seemed the logistics of ferrying soldiers who may be infected with a doomsday bioweapon is very strenuous on the mediçis.
Today I sit in the waiting room of the infirmary. And like always the lady receptionist looks at me like I am a fly in her tea. I have been waiting for an hour or two and no sign of Aurora, but I decide to wait one more. There is a magazine I am flipping through, it has a front cover depicting the new star cruiser built by a company. The company is called ShipRight, it's a mega company one of the great backers of the Society's resistance against the Accord. The ship is supposed to have one of those new weapons that was just developed, the Atom Cannon they call it. Even though the ship debuts as a passenger ship not a war ship.
I am reading the write up on the ship when I notice someone in the corner of my eye. I look up and it's Aurora with the biggest smile on her face.
I couldn't help but start to grin like a mad man in return.
" How long have you been standing there?" I say
" Not long soldier". She replies.
" My colleagues say you have been coming here everyday like clockwork asking for me". She enthused
" Here I am, what do you want?"
For some moment I sit there unable to speak, I am lost for words. I notice the receptionist lady is looking at us from down her eyeglasses.
"Aurora, can we go someplace private to talk please?" I ask
" Actually I am afraid not. I am still on duty, but if you can wait one hour more I will be done with my shift, then we can talk."
" Okay I will wait one hour more."
"Okay then." She says.
She turns to leave but just before she gets to the door she turns to look at me. Of course my eyes are on her the whole way so I get a premium view of how she smiled when she saw me looking at her. Then she ducked out of the reception room.
How can i describe Aurora, it's not so hard actually. She is just stunning. Imagine a beautiful princess from Africa that is how she looks. She is tall for a woman and she had clear smooth olive skin. Her dentures are perfect and her smile is blinding. Her lips are full and pink. She is a woman in her prime. And her eyes? So dreamy every time she talks they pull me in. And her hair is black, full and luscious. She must be some reincarnation of some goddess I think.
