Alarm horns cut through REM like a tri-laser through a Kleg attack ship. I sleep in the ball so I don’t have to waste time running or strapping into the hot seat.

“The ball” is my battle station – Ball Turret USRQ-21. Mine is the lead gun set to a 21 gun auto array that protects the stern underbelly nearest to the thrust ports of the main engines. In shorthand, I’m a Ball Turret Gunner. Because of me, more than 3000 Kleg have been blasted to atoms and before they finally get me, I hope to reach 10,000 kills, the magic number for a 3 month R&R in a Kilgarian Pleasure Dome.

Why are we fighting the Kleg?

Who cares? Nasty scorpion-looking bugs. Who needs a reason. Gunner pay will buy me a house on the home world and a pension. That’s all I need to know. Kill ’em all – let the gods sort ’em out.

They say automation’s coming. Pah! No bot can take the place of a Manned Phased Array Ball Turret Gunner. They tried already. That ship is scrap now.

Oo-RAH!

Here they come.

Eat fire and die, BUGS!