Mercs on Mars - Logan's Log 9 - Man to Man
Logan converses with Luther, one of the band of 12 and the husband of Val, Logan's second in command.
TRANSCRIPT OF LOGAN’S LOG 9: “Man to Man”
.BEGIN RECORDING>
[Deep breath]
LOGAN: We gotta talk…it ain’t gotta be long, but we do have to exchange words… er um… So listen up!
[32.1 Seconds later; Deeper breath; Clears throat; Sniffs.]
INTERVAL. Time between recordings: 5 minutes and 15.75 seconds
[Sounds of birds chirping in trees]
LOGAN: When I see them trees, and I hear them birds singin’, it’s hard to remember what, what life’s like outside the ‘Dome, y’know?
LUTHER: Yeah…
LOGAN: Outside the dome it’s just nothing but… ahhh, I know it’s brown, but sometimes I see this Red Planet as Black. You know, there have been so many dark, lonely nights, out in the Wilderness.
[Sucks on cigarette and puffs. Deep sigh.]
Anyway, intelligence reports that after the big dust-up in the gulch—in the Mariner Valley—we, uh,—our next mission is, uh, to take care of a—Gosh, I can’t even remember the name of the town—I think it’s ‘Jasper’?
LUTHER: Somethin’ like that.
LOGAN: Some such! The comm-jockeys are always gettin’ it wrong, and they—[chuckles]—then they go, “Why aren’t you there?” And I say, “Well, because you keep gettin’ the intelligence wrong, comm-jockeys!”
[Puffs.] So… [Sighs] I’m talkin’ to you, man to man, because Val’s sick and tired of me, and I understand why. I know exactly why. But… just… y’know–
She’s your wife an’ all, uh, she’s second in command, and I’m tryin’ to talk to you so that there’s nothing between us that’s weird.
LUTHER: That’s perfectly fine.
LOGAN: [Sighs Deeply] I appreciate that, man. Wellp… umm… Anyway, Jasper is about to have a “Roosky” problem… pretty fast, according to intelligence. Umm… [huffs and puffs on smokes] It’s a small band, kind of like ours. it’s not gonna be 12. They’re guestimatin’ in the range of six or seven.
[Short sigh.]
There’s gonna be *at least* 2 or 3 very well-trained hover-pilots, aaand possibly a mech. Now, if it’s Maria Svetlana… like it was at the big battle? Uhh, we’re gonna be toast.
[Dark, exasperated chuckling.] And I don’t want to butter that toast! I don’t want to make that bed! Umm, what I *don’t* wanna do is croak!
[Clears throat] Excuse me. So… Luther…
Y’know, take care of your wife and tell her there’s nothing really to be worried about any more about me. I’ve had–sleep, I’ve… taken everything that I’m supposed to take. I occasionally booze it up, like i used to, and no one cared about that… And you know, what? Me and the quartermaster have a sweet deal on cigarettes!
[Laughing]
They aren’t regulations! I keep getting more than my share! Well, that’s not—We’re not in the Army, dangit! We’re the Lonestar Colonials Mercs, am I right?
LUTHER (muffled): Yeah.
LOGAN: We work under Blue Sword Company! Under the big ol’ Millitech of Earthcore, corp, Corporation! All rights reserved, dang it all!
LUTHER chuckles.
LOGAN: Anyway…
LUTHER (muffled): Well, I’ll make sure to tell her that.
LOGAN: Yeah, just just just–yeah, just tell her. And uh, yeah.
Our, our plan tomorrow is, we head out from Muleshoe, and we trek East. And then South. To Jasper. And some of us go Inside–the Dome. To make sure that it does not get *penetrated*. Because the Russians are turning this cold war really Hot.
The Truce has always been that we Don’t Mess With The Domes! Because that’s how Xenos get into 'Domes, and that’s how Xenos get into *human beings*. And that’s how Xenos turn human beings In-Fected.
LUTHER: Yup.
LOGAN: You and I have seen it plenty of times! I mean, back at Dirtmouth, Val and I almost… I mean, Val almost Bought It! She got very close to, to the Guano–spray! That Black…Goo!
And you know, Jane, Jane took one, with [sic, i.e. bringing down] the Goliath Mech, and it. It breaks my heart now, but… y’know, we, we, we, we raised a tombstone to her! So what else are we supposed to do?
LUTHER: It is what it is.
LOGAN [puffing]: It is what it is; that is what they say.
Alright, soldier. Good talk! Glad you could be there for me.
And uh, you know, it’s time to go! Get rollin’. So…
“End of Logan’s Log number Whatever-This-Is!”
[Spontaneous prayer]
Dear Lord Jesus, save us!
Save the planet Mars!
Amen, amen, forever and ever, Amen.
LUTHER (joining in, saying it with a salute): AMEN!
<END RECORDING.
[END OF LOGAN’S LOG 9]
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