{"id":2798,"date":"2025-07-27T13:38:32","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T20:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2798"},"modified":"2025-07-27T13:38:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T20:38:32","slug":"pick-a-side","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2025\/07\/27\/pick-a-side\/","title":{"rendered":"Pick a Side"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Write a story with an open ending that leaves room for your reader\u2019s own interpretations.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a UN Peacekeepers force commander to \u201cChampion\u201d \u2014 whatever that was supposed to mean \u2014 was not a career trajectory retired Major Panit Ziegler expected. She\u2019d planned a more realistic path of retiring young and starting a second career as a social worker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a warm April, and Panit was close to the end of her stint in the Bundeswehr, forgoing the proffered promotion to Oberstleutnant. The UN was processing the paperwork to release her back to the Bundeswehr, and she was training her replacement from France, Commandant Pierre Cole of the Arm\u00e9e de Terre. Then it happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe best laid plans, they say,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you still on about that?\u201d Pierre asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course I am. This whole past year I could\u2019ve been finishing my certification as a counselor, instead, I\u2019ve been stuck here with\u2026,\u201d she pointed at the cube that floated impossibly a few centimeters off the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith me? Mon Dieu! How unfortunate.\u201d Pierre laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, you idiot.\u201d Panit sighed. \u201cWho thought first contact would be such a \u2014 what is the American word? \u2014 clusterfuck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnyone could have foreseen that. Their demands, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panit looked at the area around the alien ship that had hung there unmoved for a little over a year. The UN Peacekeepers had built semi-permanent barricades and security corridors around it. By nearly doubling the size of the military arm of the Peacekeepers, they were able to devote thirty thousand troops to keeping the civilians safe from anything coming from the ship, and the ship safe from any rogue actors that wanted to attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the security zone, a tent city expanded, moving out from the center as new buildings went up. The Tunisian government had put in a road to this patch of desert despite the amount of labor required to keep it from being buried by shifting sands. What had started as a staging and resupply area for the security forces at the end of the road had turned into a small town, or at least village by that point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy do you think I was chosen for this?\u201d Panit asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou were the most qualified, and closest,\u201d Pierre said, \u201cor at least, that\u2019s what I think. Dual citizenship with Germany and Thailand means you have at least a little concern for the welfare of Asians and Europeans. You worked closely with US forces in multiple training exercises, so you might be willing to consider American concerns. Finally,\u201d he said, \u201cyou have made many close friends across the African continent while a force commander.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know about that,\u201d she said with a frown. \u201cI\u2019ve made plenty of enemies, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pierre shook his head. \u201cWith warlords and traffickers, yes. Every local military leader I ever talk to asks about you. General Mbebe of Malawi said you owe him a visit so he can show you around the wildlife preserves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce this over, I\u2019ll probably take him up on that. I wonder what they expect me to\u2014\u201d Panit was cut off mid-sentence by a long, low rumble from the ship. An opening appeared on the side nearest her, large enough to drive a truck through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s your signal that it\u2019s time to go,\u201d Pierre said. \u201cThe world is counting on you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCh\u0131\u0300 c\u0304h\u1ea1n r\u016b\u0302.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat does that mean? I don\u2019t speak Thai.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt means \u2018yeah, I know.\u2019\u201d Panit blew out a deep breath. \u201cNo pressure. Don\u2019t let anyone blow up the ship while I\u2019m on it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that, she began walking toward the ship and found herself quoting the twenty-third Psalm in German. She hadn\u2019t thought about religion at since childhood, but it came unbidden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She stepped up into the ship, barely more than stepping over a standard threshold. No sooner had she stepped fully in than the light became blinding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The light in the drop ship dimmed and turned orange. Panit knew the stakes. \u201cListen up, troops! The Conglomerate wants to take our colony for themselves. We\u2019re not going to let that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She began checking her harness while she spoke, entirely on muscle memory. \u201cCity Thirteen is the last to finish evacuation. We need to get the civilians off world and hold the installations at cities Nine and Twelve. If we lose this world, we lose the system. If we lose this system, we lose the quadrant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo or die!\u201d the troopers called out in unison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The history of the Sylkar replayed in her memory. They hadn\u2019t chosen a side. Neither Coalition nor Conglomerate. Still, the Coalition had tried to protect them from Conglomerate aggression, but they were unsuccessful. Since then, the former Sylkar system had been colonized by the Coalition to create a border system on the edge of unclaimed space. If the Conglomerate took it, they would be in range to jump straight to other Coalition systems in attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Conglomerate claimed that surviving Sylkar were being held captive in City Thirteen. The reality was that all surviving Sylkar were living in a system far inside Coalition space. City Thirteen, however, contained the most advanced weapons research in the galaxy. Panit knew what had to happen if the Conglomerate troops managed to land in the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drop ship touched down and the harnesses released. The troops flowed out into a defensive formation until the ship was once again bound for the mothership in orbit. Panit led the troops to the rally point, where the troops from the other thousand drop ships gathered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She took command of a battalion, with the mission to flank City Thirteen to the east and secure the communications tower at City Twelve. Even in the lower gravity of the planet, it was a slog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They encountered no resistance and secured the tower before setting up the rear HQ there. Communications with the mothership and the field commanders were established just in time to hear that the last civilian lift had left City Thirteen and the other battalions were being pulled out to safe range as the Conglomerate drop ships were popping out of slip space just above the planet to land in the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBackstop, this is Mother. Status, over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panit picked up the handset. \u201cMother, Backstop. All evacuations complete. Field commanders report all units outside the city. Conglomerate shielded drop ships phasing in from slip space just outside atmo, AA is ineffective. Already landing in City Thirteen. Over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBackstop, Mother. Go or no-go for orbital bombardment of City Thirteen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMother, Backstop. Orbital bombardment, City Thirteen, is a go. I say again, orbital bombardment of City Thirteen is a go.\u201d Panit held the handset as she felt the tremors from antimatter missiles hammering the next city over with two megaton explosions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The remaining Conglomerate drop ships that hadn\u2019t touched down burned back to orbit where they were whisked away into slip space by conveyor ships that never stuck around long enough to be targets. The rest of the day was spent putting out fires in City Thirteen, accounting for the Conglomerate drop ships and collecting their dead and verifying \u2014 in person \u2014 that the research labs were completely destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panit, along with most of the other troops, fell asleep on the return lift to the mothership. She was woken by a blinding light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cabin light was a rude awakening, but Panit began stepping out of bed to pull on her uniform. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe got a transmission from the Sylkar system, ma\u2019am,\u201d the young runner said. \u201cYou\u2019re needed in the command conference room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cTell them I\u2019m on my way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was less than a minute behind the runner and sprinting through the ship to the conference room. The door opened as she approached, and she slowed down to take a breath. She stepped through as the door closed behind her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without preamble, the fleet commander began, showing the decrypted text message on the main view screen. Approx. 150 Sylkar held: L-247-3, city 13, used for labor \/ weapon testing \/ medical experimentation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow sure are we this is legitimate?\u201d Panit asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur intel indicates it is,\u201d the Intelligence commander answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is not an invasion, not an invitation to war but a rescue mission,\u201d the fleet commander said. \u201cAs such, the only ships that will touch down on L-247-3 will be rescue lifters. The only ships other than the lifters that will emerge from slip space in the system will be one observer platform to oversee the operation and provide holographic proof of nonaggression, and the unarmed conveyors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have to tell you how dangerous this is, but it\u2019s up to us to rescue them. The Coalition has gone too far, and we cannot stand by and let this happen. That said, volunteers only.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panit nodded. \u201cI\u2019m in. I\u2019ll run the observer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others spoke in turn as they worked out the logistics. She had time while they moved close enough in unclaimed space for the conveyors to ferry the observation platform and lifters into low orbit below the Coalition platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panit spent the time in transit thinking about the Sylkar. They\u2019d decided not to side with the Conglomerate or the Coalition. Less than a week after their refusal to join a side, they were attacked. The Coalition blamed the attack on the Conglomerate; one of their common tactics when responding to anything negative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reality was that by the time the Conglomerate heard of the attack, the Coalition had already claimed to have \u201csaved\u201d a small portion of the Sylkar population and taken over their system. If there was any attack aside from the Coalition, it was likely the freebooters that hid out in unclaimed space. Conglomerate intelligence was still divided on whether there was any attack outside Coalition actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWatcher, this is Conveyor Seven, status to slip space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panit picked up the handset. \u201cConveyor Seven, Watcher, all go for slip space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWatcher, C-Seven, roger all go for slip space. Insertion to burn-assisted geostationary orbit over City Thirteen. Hold on to your socks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conveyor weaved a slip space bubble around the observation platform. The stars warped, spun, and flashed until she found herself above the city. She went to medium magnification to watch the city. \u201cLift Command, this is Watcher. Civilian emergency lifts leaving City Thirteen. Looks like they\u2019ve evacuated most of the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRoger, Watcher. Lifts coming through now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She watched as dozens of rescue lifts popped in from slip space, only to be targeted by anti-aircraft fire from soldiers outside the city limits. She turned on thermal imaging, and increased magnification. The soldiers were farther away from the city than they would be for securing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLift Command, Watcher. Coalition forces are arrayed two to three kilometers outside the city. I suspect orbital bombardment imminent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She swept the view through the city. More than a dozen lifts were on the ground, and the rescue crews were spread out, sweeping the city. She didn\u2019t see any other moving heat signatures on the ground, but any of the buildings with their varying heats could contain people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An alarm sounded. The Coalition ship in orbit was firing missiles. Panit raised the handset. \u201cAll lifts, abort, abort, abort. I say again, abort, abort, abort. Get out of there, orbital bombardment incoming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was still watching when the orbital strike began. The Coalition were using anti-matter bombs on one of their own cities. The flash from the first burned out the platform\u2019s optics before the second, third, fourth, and more struck as she could see from the energy spikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two dozen explosions in, a conveyor pulled her back to the fleet. Panit sat stunned in the platform as it was towed into the ship. Nearly two hundred killed in a matter of seconds. All because the Coalition wanted to maintain their secrecy around what happened to the Sylkar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the lights in the docking bay was mis-aimed and blinded her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The room in which she stood was lit from everywhere and nowhere at once. Before her, a cube floated in the same way the cube she was in floated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The voice came from the cube. \u201cPanit Ziegler, you have experienced the same event from the memories of two people who were there, both judged to be psychologically compatible with you. As the Champion of Earth, you must choose. Earth will either align with the Conglomerate or the Coalition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd if we decide neither?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Sylkar are just the latest in a long string of civilizations that chose neither when discovered. Unaffiliated civilizations are often targeted by the criminal element \u2014 those called \u201cfreebooters\u201d by the Conglomerate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow am I supposed to decide based on one event?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou will find in the memories shared with you the entire lives of those individuals. You can experience what it is to live in both societies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd we have to what, just change the way we do everything or else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo. Earth will continue to be administrated as it currently is by humans, with the addendum that it will become a member state of one of the two powers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panit sat cross-legged on the floor. \u201cHow do I access those memories?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you find yourself unable to access them, let me know. I will use the same light I used to expose you to the event.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panit tried for a few minutes. \u201cGo ahead and hit me with it. Start with the Conglomerate then the Coalition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The light flashed, then flashed again a few seconds later. Time for Panit, however, seemed to stretch for eternities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She opened her eyes. \u201cI\u2019ve made a choice,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the box, the flags of the Conglomerate and the Coalition showed. \u201cTouch the flag of the power to which Earth will be attached.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panit took a deep breath and stood. As she walked across the room toward the cube she said, \u201cHere goes nothing \u2014 or everything.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

prompt: Write a story with an open ending that leaves room for your reader\u2019s own interpretations. available at Reedsy From a UN Peacekeepers force commander to \u201cChampion\u201d \u2014 whatever that was supposed to mean \u2014 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[208],"tags":[210,228,209],"class_list":["post-2798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trunk-stories","tag-fiction","tag-science-fiction","tag-short-story"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pxT7i-J8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2798"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2799,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2798\/revisions\/2799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}