Oops

(post-titled by John)

Happy thoughts - I remember what those were, so many years ago.

My self-pity wallowing was interrupted by a gurgling voice behind me, telling me to 'think that what makes you smile'. He was my first drill sergeant here at Bliss Camp, as alien as an alien can get without being one of 'em after all we was here to kill them fuckers and when I avenged my family's death, it would be bliss (just like the gov-ad went). So I ground my knuckles into the laser bayonet and aimed just then I saw a tentacle curling around my shoulder from behind. Grateful for the peripheral vision implant, I spun and blasted that Evil Octopus Man into oblivion. Adrenalin surging, pumping, I shot it again and again until there was nothing left but a messy pulp. My eyes teared at the gas it released from its being. I felt relief, momentarily, then I realized I had made a horrible mistake.

"Cadet Zoltan!" the sergeant gurgled fiercely.

"I'm sorry, sir, I wasn't thinking," I said.

"What else is new? Now explain to the other maggots exactly what you just did wrong."

"I put my personal motivations before my orders, sir, and set my blaster on obliterate instead of incapacitate, so now we don't have a prisoner to interrogate."