Soon, the pilot followed the guidance of the "Steel Fortress," the Federation's lunar base control tower, gradually slowing the ship and approaching the civilian docking zone facing Earth.
From inside the ship, Ryan, Maggie, and the others could see Earth's blue atmosphere in the distance through the portholes. They also observed the civilian docking zone, bustling with a variety of ships—luxury liners, freighters, and colony vessels of different sizes and designs.
Even in the civilian sector, there were numerous fixed cannons and close-in defense systems in place. After all, Earth was the heart of the United Citizens Federation.
It was not only humanity's cradle but also the most densely populated center of economics, politics, and culture. Unsurprisingly, customs and security protocols were extraordinarily strict.
This level of vigilance was common to Earth across many universes.
In the main universe, Earth's defenses were undergoing significant development on the Moon as well. Vulcan and Flame Salamanders were transforming the Moon into a steel fortress while establishing defensive lines on Mars and Jupiter to guard against hostile intelligent species from the main universe.
The engineering division, with support from the Forerunner AI Serene Shores, was also working on a massive 3,000-kilometer-wide device in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter—a replica of the Halo.
The known intelligent species in the main universe, like the space-pirate-like Reapers, posed little threat to the Human Empire. For the Empire, the Reapers represented more of a resource opportunity: enslaving any number of their soldier and worker ants to bolster humanity's workforce.
For example, the rapid transformation and development of Mars in the main universe were attributed not only to the Pure Flower's technologies but also to billions of Reaper worker ants forced into labor.
In the Starship Troopers universe, despite two centuries of interstellar colonization and humanity's disregard for weaker civilizations and the Arachnids, Earth still required tight and thorough defenses.
Ryan, Maggie, and the rest needed to pass through customs before proceeding from the civilian port to the orbital station near Earth.
At this moment, the pilot guided their civilian vessel into a smaller docking bay. Mechanical arms extended from the port's sides to secure the ship, and a retractable bridge linked itself to the starboard airlock.
Clunk. Clunk.
Inside the ship, the passengers clearly heard the sound of the bridge attaching to the airlock.
Ryan, Maggie, and the twenty-plus investigators stood in their Federation Army recruit uniforms, waiting patiently behind the starboard hatch. Two pilots and four engineers stood with them, prepared for the next steps.
Whoosh—Clang!
A short burst of air escaped as the airlock doors swiftly opened to either side.
Clomp. Clomp.
The sound of boots on metal rang out as a squad of fully armed mobile infantry quickly marched into the cabin, followed by two customs officers holding tablets.
Watching the scene unfold, Ryan felt a wave of familiarity. The situation reminded him of their infiltration into Arcadia aboard a freighter in Universe "08" (Halo).
The main difference, however, was the AI. The artificial intelligences in the Starship Troopers universe were nowhere near as advanced as the Halo universe's Smart or Dumb AIs. Thanks to this disparity, the forged identities of Ryan and his team were indistinguishable from real ones to the customs officials.
Moreover, the mobile infantry in Starship Troopers were far less capable than the UNSC's Marines.
The UNSC's standard infantry possessed individual systems with assisted targeting and miniature radar. In contrast, the mobile infantry of Universe "14" looked like ordinary soldiers from the late 20th century—Kevlar-style helmets, carapace armor, and bullpup rifles. Ryan thought it was clear who would win in a head-to-head confrontation.
"Ryan Scott, Maggie Shaw, Galorian..."
One of the customs officers, a woman, read their information aloud while reviewing it on her tablet as she approached Ryan and the group.
Meanwhile, the other officer directed the mobile infantry to search the cabin thoroughly, ensuring no smuggled items—especially animals or insects—were present. Biological invasions posed a far greater threat than illegal weapons.
After verifying the documents, the female customs officer glanced at the investigators with psychic potential and then shifted her gaze to Ryan and Maggie. After a few seconds of silence, she asked curiously:
"The total population of New Hope Colony is only about 200,000, and people there are generally against the Federation. You're an interesting bunch—not only unaffected by local sentiment but even volunteering for the Federation Army. Why?"
Her curiosity was understandable. The investigators' forged identities depicted them as academically outstanding individuals, capable of thriving as civilians. Furthermore, New Hope Colony was notorious for its anti-Federation stance.
For young talents like them to join the military instead of aligning with local dissenters was puzzling.
Hearing this, Ryan—who was nearly thirty years old but had the fake identity of a recent high school graduate—put on a convincing performance. His face contorted with anger as he replied:
"To kill bugs, ma'am!"
"To kill bugs!" echoed Maggie and the others in unison.
"Bugs?" The customs officer seemed momentarily stunned by their fervor but quickly pieced things together and asked:
"Is there an insect infestation on New Hope?"
"Yes, ma'am." Ryan's eyes reddened as if recalling a painful memory. "The Arachnids attacked New Hope, and both my parents died at their hands! I joined the army to kill bugs—every last one of them!"
"Condolences," the officer said after a moment, nodding in acknowledgment. Ryan's fabricated profile indeed listed him as an orphan. Although she wasn't well-versed in New Hope's situation, the officer chose to believe his story.
By this time, the other customs officer and the mobile infantry had completed their search. Finding no contraband, and with all documents and military applications verified, the female officer prepared to leave. Before exiting, she offered a suggestion:
"You're cleared to proceed to Earth. By the way..." She paused before adding, "I noticed a few of you applied for the Intelligence Bureau or as Navy pilots. If you'd like, you can come with us to the recruitment office on the lunar base. It'll streamline the interview process and save you some time."
Her helpfulness stemmed partly from sympathy for their "losses" but primarily from their impressive qualifications. Candidates like these were almost guaranteed to pass the interview. Who knew—she might even have to address some of them as "Sir" in a few months. Helping them now was a win-win for her.
The investigators who had applied for intelligence or pilot roles quickly agreed and began gathering their belongings.
After parting ways, the civilian ship resumed its journey, transporting Ryan, Maggie, and the remaining investigators to Earth.
---
Upon arrival, the investigators disembarked and took the orbital elevator to the planet's surface. The civilian ship, having completed its task, prepared for its return trip to New Hope Colony.
In the spaceport's bustling central hall, the group encountered numerous Federation officers and non-commissioned officers interacting with new recruits and their families. Recruitment centers were conveniently located at every starport, airport, and orbital station, particularly during the graduation season.
Ryan led his group to the recruitment desk, where he handed his documents to a veteran officer—an older man with prosthetic legs and a metallic right arm.
"Hmm?" The officer skimmed through the papers and raised an eyebrow. "Perfect grades? Impressive. You're enlisting in... the mobile infantry?"
Upon reading the "voluntary assignment to mobile infantry" section, the veteran looked up at Ryan, his expression perplexed.
"Kid, do you understand what joining the mobile infantry means?" the officer asked, clearly puzzled.
"Yes, sir! It means I get to kill bugs—lots of them!" Ryan replied enthusiastically.
"..."
The officer sighed, his expression betraying a mix of pity and disbelief. Still, he refrained from warning Ryan or advising reconsideration. Ryan's demeanor suggested his mind was made up.
With a resigned shake of his head, the veteran stamped Ryan's documents and handed him a copy. "Good luck, kid."
"Thank you, sir," Ryan said, saluting.
The officer proceeded to process the rest of the group's applications, gradually shifting from confusion to reluctant acceptance. He viewed their choice to join the high-casualty, low-promotion-rate mobile infantry as a grave mistake.
Once all recruits had their deployment orders, officers organized an oath ceremony, where the recruits pledged loyalty to the Federation Army.
---
Two days later, on September 10th, Ryan and Maggie—now in training uniforms and black berets—stood in formation at a boot camp in North Africa. The tropical midday heat was oppressive as the recruits listened to their drill instructor's speech.
The instructor, Sergeant Sims, paced in front of the formation with a baton in hand. He barked:
"I am your instructor, Sergeant Sims! And you will—legs together!"
With a swift motion, Sims swung his baton to correct a recruit's posture, eliciting a yelp of pain and a wave of fear among the others.
Sims sneered. "You're all a bunch of cowards and apes!" He stepped back, glaring at the recruits. "I've never seen anyone with guts since I joined the Federation. Now! Who here thinks they can take me down?"
"Sir!"
Before Sims could continue, a female recruit stepped forward, backpack slung over her shoulder.
"Recruit Frost reporting for duty, sir!"
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