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Duty Bound.

I signed on for two years. This is not what I wanted, true I was in space in a relay station between Mars and Earth, but travelling long distances and discovering new planets, this was a much different matter. Life was easy enough. A well stocked library with film materials that I had often wanted to see but somehow never had the chance. The small gong sounded, I made my way to the observation turret. Nothing had changed the powerful telescopes were all in position and It was my duty for the next twenty-four hours to keep a sharp lookout for any thing that looked as if it might be harmful to the earth. It was on these periods of working with the telescopes that many an idea flashed through my mind. My main grudge was why had I of all people been trained as a spaceship pilot it seemed ridiculous for me to sit for twenty four hours looking for God alone knows what that might attack the Earth. I am bored stiff looking at a new Galaxy that somehow looked like all of the other galaxies that I had in the last months seen. What dangers could come from a huge pile of gas, stones and other rubble that the galaxy had picked up on its way through the stormy cosmos that we call space? I decided to quit the service and get a job as an engineer after all I had six such certificates in my safe at home, it should not be too hard to get work with my qualifications.

Then my eyes opened wide no more day dreaming my hand immediately pushed the alarm signal. I changed positions and now sat behind a new type of laser that I had been warned not to play with it or take it apart. Someone must have been on a trip manning this station, how many times have I wanted to see what this death weapon would or could do.

Now my full concentration was concentrated on what looked like a huge chunk of rock. Rock does not make corrections it is pulled or attracted to the nearest planet or sun. This rock was being steered and its course was direct towards the Earth. My time of patiently waiting to report any thing strange was now over I had given the alarm and come what may whatever the rock was hiding this laser and this observer is going to do their best to make sure that it does not reach the Earth.

A shot whistled past my observation bubble. Much too close for my liking, I aimed my laser and gently almost lovingly touched the trigger.  No backlash no noises just a line stretching from my observation to the huge rock. I was not prepared for what happened next. The huge chunk of rock just disappeared leaving a large gas bubble, it could have been dust I was certainly not going over to have a look. After this episode I was inundated with medals promotion and the best of all I am now a pilot for space ships. You see it sometimes pays off to play a waiting game and just put up with those boring menial jobs that sometimes get thrown ones way. Who knows what is around the corner. In my case it was promotion and the chance to do that what I joined the space corps for, to become a pilot.