The Forever War

During a briefing, the commodore in charge offers what little information he has about the damage to the ship. After they destroyed the pursuing Tauran vessel, two small objects struck their ship, the Anniversary, at nearly the speed of light. The objects were self-guided and small enough to penetrate the Anniversary’s defense barriers. The Commodore speculates that, because of relativity, humans are trapped in a loop of the past while experiencing—and being victimized by—future Tauran technology. The plan is to return to Stargate 1 while avoiding any contact with the Taurans. While they could assault a nearby Tauran base with a decent chance of destroying it, returning to Earth to assess the current Tauran technology, he feels, is the more prudent course of action.

After the meeting, Mandella visits Dr. Harmony’s quarters for an update on Potter’s condition. Harmony informs him that, in normal conditions, she would be on the way to full recovery; a pressurized environment in a constant state of deceleration, however, complicates matters. She tells Mandella, bluntly, that Potter may not survive. Tired of the killing and the heartache, Mandella resolves to retire when they reach Stargate. Harmony suggests that the military brass may manipulate him into re-enlisting.