Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars Page #4

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ANNOUNCER:

Ladies and gentlemen of

the United Citizens Federation,

Sky Marshal Amy Snapp.

[APPLAUSE]

[APPLAUSE STOPS]

Fellow citizens,

we have ourselves

a problem.

The Arachnid outbreak on Mars is

quickly spinning out of control.

We've lost contact

with her major cities,

and her defenses are down.

You may have heard

that the Federation Fleet

cannot come to the rescue

this time,

because they're busy pummeling

the Bugs in their own backyard.

But rest assured,

fellow citizens,

we have an ace

in the hole.

Ladies and gentlemen...

the Q-bomb.

Planted on Mars

for this very purpose.

No, not everyone

is going to like the idea

of losing a colony

at the press of a button.

But if you've ever been

to the front lines,

then you know that to win

this war,

you need to play

the long game.

Take a look around.

At your friends,

at your loved ones,

and ask yourself

one question:

If we give them Mars,

then what will they want next?

I've assembled a task force

to determine what assets,

if any,

can be recovered

from Mars.

But we must act quickly,

before--

[HIGH-PITCHED BEEP]

[GASPS SOFTLY]

Before sensitive targets

are compromised

by Arachnid incursion.

We can't afford to wait,

because...

[GASPS]

...we're not about to let Bugs

pry into our little secrets.

[TONE BEEPS]

I'm gonna kill

that son of a b*tch!

Johnny.

Johnny.

Johnny Rico.

Wake up, Johnny.

You can't sleep all day.

Come on, Johnny.

[RICO GROANS SOFTLY]

Okay, fine.

[GROANS]

Seriously?

[SIGHS]

Oh, Johnny.

[]

Feeling better?

Am I...

dead?

[MOANS]

What the...?

Are you...

Diz?

[LAUGHS]

I knew that would work.

You died

at Whiskey Outpost.

Wait. Am I dead too?

No, silly.

But the way you sleep,

you might as well be.

Where am I?

Oh, sh*t.

[GRUNTS]

Mars.

I'm on Mars.

Yup.

Mars needs you.

And I need you

to get rolling.

[RICO PANTING]

Right.

The Bugs.

Exactly.

The Bugs.

[CHUCKLES]

You are such a little genius.

What--?

What about my guys,

The Lost Patrol?

Water.

I need water.

[PANTS AND COUGHS]

Well, that shouldn't be

too hard.

I need water.

[PANTING]

I keep drinking,

but I'm still thirsty.

Drink some more.

Are you a ghost?

No.

So I'm not dead.

Can the dead walk?

No.

Then keep walking.

[PANTING]

Get up, Rico.

I...

What's your malfunction?

Okay.

Are you dying on me?

What?

I said, are you

dying on me, trooper?

No.

No, what?

No, sir.

Then move

your candy ass.

Yes, sir.

[]

[ALARM BEEPING]

GEORGE & BABA:

Whoa!

I don't get it, sir.

Where's the Fleet?

Don't ask me. MarsNet's down.

Everything's down.

[MONITOR BEEPING]

GEORGE:
Oh, dang it.

What kind of pilot

blasts off on empty?

I wasn't thinking, coz.

I was scared.

What if the Fleet

isn't coming, sir?

Of course the Fleet's coming.

They have to.

What, they're gonna just

ditch us? And all of Mars too?

We about to ditch Mars

our damn selves.

You think Terran citizens

are gonna care

about a few

stranded Martians?

They'd better at least

pretend to care.

We haven't left

the Federation just yet.

What are you doing, Baba?

I'm trying to get some of

our ass-kicking fight up

on FedBook,

but I can't get connected.

Bug plasma probably fried

the com satellites.

So are you sure

I'm not dead?

Will you stop

asking me that already?

Well, it just...

made sense

that I might be dead.

Made sense?

Not everything makes sense,

Johnny boy.

You're alive and well.

And the Federation's

going to crack

their own colony

with a Q-bomb.

Q-bomb?

You want me

to take care of it?

No. I need you

to take care of it.

Do it for me, Johnny.

Please.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay.

For you.

Good.

I just don't know where

the hell it is.

Oh, that's the easy part.

It's under

an old terraforming tower.

We're already

halfway there.

Yes, sir.

[CHUCKLES]

DIZ:

Do you remember

high school?

RICO:

I remember football.

And enlistment.

That's about it.

Oh, and that

a**hole, Zander.

Heh. Zander.

What a prick.

What about

your friends, Johnny?

Friends?

I don't know.

I had a few.

Not really sure

where they all went.

Well, what about Carl?

Weren't you guys

best friends or something?

Yeah, I guess so.

But that was

a long time ago.

Carl changed.

He's a general now, and it's

almost like he's too big

to be friends with.

I mean,

it's not his fault.

He's busy saving

the whole Federation.

Yeah.

But I guess he could try

a little harder.

Let's not get our hopes up.

DIZ:
Come on, Johnny.

COMPUTER VOICE:
Come on, Johnny.

We are friends, aren't we?

We are friends, aren't we?

Johnny!

What?

[SCREECHES]

[]

[SCREECHING]

Come on!

[GRUNTING]

[SQUEALING]

[GASPING]

[]

[BLOWS STRIKING]

[GRUNTING IN PAIN]

Try any stupid mind tricks,

and we will kill you.

Do you get me?

Yes, I get you

coming and going.

What the hell was that,

Carl?

Classic speech, Amy.

Really sorted things out

for the masses.

"If you love your family,

then you should

let me blow up Mars--"

Shut up.

[CARL GRUNTS]

The people need

an explanation, Carl.

And they prefer one that

tastes good and goes down easy.

This isn't

a popularity contest.

Leading the Federation

is about responsibility.

No. It's all

about ratings, Carl.

And you screwed

with mine.

I guess I know my enemy.

General Carl Jenkins,

you are hereby charged

with sedition

and conspiracy against

the United Citizen Federation.

At 1600 hours,

the Federal Council

will convene

to hear your case

and when you are found guilty,

witness your execution.

Is there anything

you wish to say at this time?

Yes.

I beg you, Amy.

Don't blow up Mars.

Take it back from the Bugs

and return it

to the Martian people.

Show them, show everyone

just how big

the Federation really is.

Too late.

Mars is f***ed.

In a few hours,

you'll be dead, Carl.

Then I can

get back to work

and blow up Mars as a warning

to any future colony

that will not bend

to the Federal will.

It's an epic,

elegant revenge.

It's so you, Amy.

Except you went

and made me the fall guy.

[AMY GASPING]

You broke my nose!

You f***!

Now it's your turn, Johnny.

Johnny.

God, no.

Diz, I kicked ass.

Yeah, trooper.

You kicked ass.

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

Battery's dead.

Can't move.

Let's get you out

of that.

Good idea.

[BODY ARMOR

THUMPING AND CLANKING]

It's good

to see you again, Johnny.

It's been too long,

that's for sure.

DIZ:

The last thing I remember

is that night in Tango Urilla.

You were everything

I ever wished for.

You were everything

and a bit more.

Where'd you learn

to do that, anyway?

Johnny!

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

It's true.

I wish it could've lasted

a lifetime.

Oh, Johnny.

You're making me cry.

You know

I f***ing hate this sh*t.

You started it, Diz.

You got the whole ball

rolling, really.

I just

never picked it up.

Oh, stop it.

You were just fine,

Johnny.

Really.

There.

That old

terraforming tower?

Yeah.

It's there.

Just raring to blow.

Who wants

to blow up Mars, Diz, and why?

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