Peter Hodges

We began our deceleration late in the third week of our voyage. The captain of the Relentless was playing it safe, boosting ahead of our convoy and then using the greater power of his engines to shape a fast, tight insertion into the orbit of Saturn. The alarm klaxon sounding general quarters reverberated through the corridors. The Marines assembled in the armory, each standing in their assigned places and waiting for orders.
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The armory was empty except for O’Leary. Tiered racks housed the Miz hard suits on one side of the room, while on the other, the standard combat armor and helmets were racked according to section and squad. In front of each suit was an area painted on the deck for each squad to assemble and dress out for combat. Each Miz and each helmet/armor set had a name neatly stenciled under it. Behind another locked door at one end of the room were the actual munitions, given only to those on guard duty while under way.
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“Hello, Shannon,” I said. I was standing next to her in the cafeteria line. She looked at me and raised a reddish-blonde eyebrow. “Do you have some time? I’d like to talk to you.”

She shrugged her shoulders as she scooped a spoonful of mashed potatoes on her plate. “I don’t know that we have anything to talk about, Sergeant.”

I sighed, taking the serving spoon from her. “Please don’t shut me out, Shannon. It’s been how long, now?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sergeant. I’m just trying to get some chow.” Gravy spilled out of her mashed potato crater, leaking off of her plate onto the tray. She moved down the line, snatching a slice of cheesecake and a glass of tea.
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On behalf of the staff here at http://www.Peter-Hodges.com, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  If you are travelling, please drive safely.

The post bot, Mitch, will be slaving behind the scenes to finish out Chapter Three of Loss and give you a start in Chapter Four. 

I tried to envision what it would have been like to be a shepherd on a night just over two thousand years ago.  After a few minutes of brainstorming, I finally got some thoughts down.  I would be, in no particular order:  terrified, awestruck, joyous, unworthy, apprehensive, nervous, unworthy, dumbfounded, and unworthy. (Did I mention “unworthy?”)  The birth of Christ is good news to all people, as the angel in the account below reminds my shepherd.  In the rush for gift giving, traveling, and completing those last-minute work assignments, it is helpful to remember that Christmas is a season of hope for Mankind.  I would challenge you to take a moment and forget all of the cultural baggage that is attached to our “holiday” season and remember the timeless message of peace and love.

I owe special thanks to two authors from whom I took some source material.  One of them started out as a tax collector and became a loyal friend of Christ, the other was a physician and assistant to Paul on his missionary journeys. 

Thank you, Matthew and Luke.

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“By squads, advance!” It was day seven of our trip outward from the sun. I had kept the squads in my section training in the simulator non-stop, with breaks only for exercise and maintenance.

Our current simulation dealt with the infiltration of a Titan-based Rak’Lan installation. All three of my squads were in what the Marines termed a Mark IX Hard Suit, called the “Miz” for short. It was designed to stand up to the rigors of vacuum in deep space, the vast temperature differences between being in the shade and being in direct sunlight, and non oh-two atmospheres. It wasn’t practical as an armor solution due to its mass in anything approaching a one gee environment, but it served well for low gravity situations.

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The Humane Society of the United States is accusing Macy’s of selling a garment that is advertised as fake rabbit fur, but is allegedly tagged with “Made in China” and “Genuine Racoon Fur.”  This isn’t the first case of this happening; earlier in the week Burlington Coat Factory also was accused of selling items with real fur, even though it advertised it as fake fur.

Let me preface my remarks by saying that I am all for truth in advertising.  It is not only dishonest to falsely advertise, my personal opinion is that it is also an unfair manipulation of our free marketplace.  However, this whole debate isn’t rooted in false advertising, no matter what the Humane Society may claim.  The root of this debate stems from the arrogance of special interest groups believing that they can manipulate personal preference and marketplace trends through impromptu trials in the court of public opinion.  I find it absolutely disturbing that department stores have put policies in place that deny some of their customers the things that they desire.

Let’s be honest with ourselves.  Do the people that shop in high-end department stores want faux fur, or do they want the real thing?  Should consumers settle for an inferior product when their preferred outlet refuses to carry what they want?  The answers to those questions are obvious. 

Whether your believe in evolution or in creationism, Mankind has reached the pinnacle of the food chain.  For better or worse, we have the intelligence and the tools to be the stewards of our environment, and harvesting animals for our comfort or sustenance in a responsible manner is certainly well within our responsibility.  We rely too much on our animal “brethren” for food, clothing, accessories, research, and by-products to stop what we’re doing now.  And why should we stop this when most of it is sustainable? 

Organizations like PETA need to have a reality check.  Militant tactics, legal pressure, and protests only fuel the tide of public opinion against them.  Who, aside from flighty people in search of a cause, truly take these organizations seriously?  Have we stopped using leather?  Have meat sales gone down?  I would call upon the big-box retailers to turn a blind eye toward these special interest groups, letting market forces determine the wares that they sell.  An obnoxious fringe element should not have the power to limit my choices in a free country, and when this happens, all of us, as citizens of this country, need to take a hard look at what causes this.