Having no idea what a uniform should look like, Russell went to call on the police commander first. As the chairman had said, his library of military history was staggering. When Russell told him the task he’d been set, the commander gave him a wide grin and indexed one file in particular, then said, “this plays in that old microfilm reader over there.” Russell looked at the title under some yellowed plastic coverings, ‘The Common Man in Uniform 1900-2200 a Pictorial Collection’. Russell pored over each picture carefully not wanting to miss anything important, he dismissed the hats and chest plates the very earliest soldiers in the pictures wore, after the commander told him they were a form of armor. After viewing most of the film, he began to make a sketch and filled the borders with notes. About an hour later Russell handed the film gently back to his host and said, “look this over and then tell me if it looks okay.” The commander looked closely at the sketch that Russ had drawn. The uniform as Russ saw it, would be a close fitting jump suit of black cloth and a silver disk fixed to the right breast of the suit. Thin lapels and a V shaped neck, calf high boots, with the black pant legs tucked inside them. A belt with a round silver buckle cinched in the waist. UWSS was embossed into the buckle face. Officers wore a ship shaped pin at the lapel. Enlisted men wore of the same metal a smaller silver disk meant to represent any member colony of the United Worlds. Completing his design with the lanyard and side arm of the UW military police.
Russell felt quite proud and satisfied with his work. “I’ve never seen a Commanding Officer more in need of a Sergeant Major,” said the Police Commander. “I volunteer to plan your drill and ceremonies, protocol and rank structure,” he said to Russell, “If you’ll have me?”
“Gladly” Russell said.
“Call me Ted,” said the Police Commander, “Ted Harmand, let me take your design over to our tailors factory and get it rolling.” With that, he spun quickly on his heel and exited the office. Russ spent the remaining two hours struggling with an acceptance speech.
The council chamber of the seat of the United Worlds was hushed with expectation as Dr. Hopewell and Prof. Sachett laid out the particulars of Russell’s findings, and his plan for rescuing the hostages and destroying the sphere. “I’m very confident” Hopewell said, “this man’s intuitions are correct and we will succeed in destroying this invader. We, on the other side of the issue, must also face some harsh facts. Our military consists of nine large companies of military police on Terra, Venus, Luna and Mars. We have not gone to war in sixteen hundred years, we have no conscription system. We will be accepting, volunteers for all positions, at first until a normal draft can be enacted.” “It is my solemn duty to announce that open enlistment into the United Worlds Space Service begins at 18:00 hrs solar time, on Terra and at the same time for all space stations and colonies.” This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
The chairman of the Security Council stepped toward the podium. Linette Hughes faced the full membership of the United Worlds General Assembly, augmented by six to ten emergency delegates from each colony and some representatives of the far-flung mining stations. Taking a slow sweeping look at the hundreds of faces before her, she thought to herself, ‘If I can win these people over and get them to believe the treat is bigger than one ship, then humanity will have a fighting chance, at least. If only enough agree to form a temporary pact to destroy this ship, we will be destined to repeat this scene one day, and perhaps with very few options at all. Not only that,’ thought Hughes, ‘but we’ve become peace conditioned, not having to fight for anything for so long, makes people believe that peace is the natural state of things.’ She looked first at the podium’s top as she stepped behind it, Then raise her head and eyes and waited a second for the noise to diminish. Everyone who saw the chairman was immediately able to begin quieting down and start listening to her. “Thank you, Dr. Hopewell for the briefing,” she began, “the man who provided those insights and the evidence you spoke of is here with us today. He has come from the farthest colony on Pluto’s moon, Charon to aid our defense against this alien craft. He has, I must tell you, a very personal reason for wanting to attack and destroy the sphere by himself if necessary. Argus’ engineer Debra Hilds, one of the four trapped within the sphere when the Argus was destroyed, is Russell Carlin’s fiancee. For his work in uncovering some possible weaknesses in the craft, and volunteering to lead a rescue and sabotage mission against it, under the Emergency Power Act granted to me by this assembly, he is commissioned as our first Captain of a vessel belonging to the United Worlds Space Service on this the 122 day of the year 3960. His ship of assignment is now within about thirty hours of completion and as yet has no name. Perhaps he will tell us his choice. Captain Carlin will you and your Sergeant Major attend us at the dais.” said the chairman.