What happened next for Jiho after the small pep talk by their instructor was a blur. It was a smear of bright lights and swirling hues. It was a lucid dream existing in the wonderland of slumber that permeated into phenomenal reality. Her body had been directly affected by the encroaching dream. She glanced down at the piece of machinery that clung to her navel. It appeared to be sustained by the straps that circled her waist, but she knew it was not the straps.

This odd gunmetal device transfixed her belly by means of a slender cable she could feel writhing within her. Like an inorganic parasite it latched onto her. To say she felt disgusted, or merely uncomfortable, would fail to describe her sentiments regarding the gadget. If she knew the word, the depth of misery and evil behind the term "violated", she would say that it perfectly encapsulates her assessment of it. Her peers, clad in armor identical to hers, all shared this notion. They may not have been outspoken about it but she could tell simply by gazing at their actions, the mood their postures suggested. 

Vivid pictures flashed in her mind and she heard the voice of a spokesperson declare how it works. The voice droned on and on.

"This marvelous circular device which we call the Source injects its special fiber cable into the spine through the navel, fully integrating with the central nervous system, and will elicit the required actions demanded of a soldier, a Peace-Walker, as it reacts to the memory of the videos which will shortly commence."

A whole deluge of voices and images flooded her mind, the instructional programming she absorbed while in prolong sleep inside an incubation tank. She swayed her head to get away from those thoughts. Glancing, admiring the sheen of burnished metal that her fellows donned provided some manner of distraction from those thoughts and the horrible cable worming inside her. Her armor, the "Metal Skin" as it was dubbed, was a thing of wonder and would prove itself thus more sooner than later. 

This particular craft she boarded was brightly lit; whether she liked that or not was undecided. What she enjoyed was the view outside the window. Stars twinkled more beautifully than in her collection of books and planets seemed to be at an arm's length, though quite a gap needed to be bridged before she could ever make contact.

 Knocking her head against the glass in unrest prompted her neighbor from across the aisle to shush her. These were the last few moments before the ship landed after all, and such instances were always the most nervous ones. 

The voice of the pilot sounded across the cabin, "Rocketfellows, we have just broken through the atmosphere. Brace for landing."

Jiho squeezed her eyes shut, clenched her fists, and drowned herself in meditation. "The Motherland gives me strength. By the power of the Motherland I am made indomitable. Her peace the Motherland bestows upon me."

When she opened her eyes from behind the slitted visor of her helm, they beheld a figure, strong and mighty, looming before her. From within the audio receiver of her head gear, she heard the martial voice offer encouragement. 

 "Rocketfellows," he said as he stood her up, "We need not be afraid. Rest assure, I've personally witnessed the success of over a dozen campaigns. This one will be no different. We will bring peace to this alien land and we will come out unscathed- without injury whatsoever. But if one of us should in any way suffer hurt, the Motherland is healing. And should it so happen, an elected amongst us may even be offered early admission into the Promise from within the boundaries of this alien world."

Air hissed from the far end of the cabin. The entry hatch opened and the door lowered to form steps for the troop. Jiho stood frozen as she stared at the black void beyond but was reassured by a pat on her plated shoulder. 

 "It is presently nighttime here, Rocketfellows. Our arrival is flush with our planned sortie, further indication of the perfection that is the Motherland."

 One by one each member of the squadron rose and exited the ship, Jiho following suit. Her heart was quickly beating yet the uncanny resemblance to some remote part of Earth caused her to relax. This appeared to be a forest just like one she had seen on a worn down page years before. The trees were lofty in height, dwindling the size of their box ship which stood some eighteen feet in height, five of which accounted for the landing struts. Unlike their earthling counterparts however, these were flocked with vivid red foliage. A small glance around afforded further signs of distinction between this alien realm and Earth.

 "These black, small and odd slimy things you see extending a tendril at us maybe reckoned as an avian species of sorts- a flying squid, if you will. According to the preliminary survey of the land our mechanoid probe conducted, they glide through the air during daylight hours and find rest in nocturnal hours. They are harmless," the foremost armored man spoke.

Jiho sighed in relief, her teeth having ceased their chattering. For a moment she thought she may have gazed upon the grim face of Death with its lashing appendages whipping the air. No doubt she suppressed her fears as best as she could, but the symptoms of it can occur against all commands of the brain. "The Motherland will aid us," she mentally recited. 

In her brief exposure to fright she failed to imitate the actions of her fourteen companions. All had withdrawn their pistols from their holsters and presently cradled it in their hands. A calmer head would have simply unlatched the strap on the holster and pull out the gun, but not her. She frantically unfastened the strap and fumbled with the sidearm, accidentally shooting a beam that rustled the trees and sent critters off in a loud frenzy.

 "It's okay," the gruff veteran insisted after the din amongst them settled. "Everyone is to be a conduit of love and peace, therefore we are to not judge our fellow," he said as he knelt to pick up the pistol laying amidst the purple sward.

 "I'm sorry," Jiho groaned as she accepted her gun.

 "What is the Motherland, child?"

 "Peace."

 "And what is peace but a substance entirely removed from strife? Follow the Motherland and presently, you must follow me to bring peace to this planet." The heroic figure then directed his attention to the concourse and addressed everyone. "We will conduct a more intense study of the land and eradicate all evil and hate, which are the antonyms of peace, by means of delivering them to their own version of the Promise, one which is separate from ours, through the use of these arms," here he shook his pistol and pointed at the rifle strapped across his back and the hilt of the sword clinging to the strap on his waist.

 "We will distinguish between the savage and the civilized on judgement," he continued. "If they work with tools as all men do, chances are they posses the boon of a rational mind. And wild animal tendencies of course allude to the unruly, which are altogether fit to be purged and healed in the Promise where they will finally experience harmonious existence. Then, after our scouting is finished, a conclusion will be drawn- whether a relationship can be forged with the natives- and if need be, a company of Peace-Walkers will station here and govern the land; a colony of us humans may one day settle here, too."

 "That's all these arms do," Jiho told herself, "they bring peace, not Death and Decay. Those two are just imaginary. Remember, Jiho."  

 With pistol tightly clutched she followed the group moving through the woods, doing her best to not linger behind despite the temptation to despair. She considered the two childhood monsters mere illusions yet never before had she felt their cold talons grip her heart as they did tonight. All she could do was repeat the same ol' prayers and put her trust in them, hoping they actually meant something.

A promontory at the end of the woods welcomed the metal garbed visitors. Purple grass stretched for miles in every direction beyond the point of the river below. The moons and stars were in clear display, no longer obscured by the immense shade of the red trees. It was quite a spectacle which even Jiho could appreciate, putting her in a serene state of mind. Yet, it was at this place where they would prove their mettle.

It was eerily quiet here on the edge of the bluff. Everyone's nerves were on high alert except for the leader's, whose fingers fidgeted with the dial on his casque. It wasn't even ten seconds from when he played with the dial that he redirected his attention from the lowlands to his group.

 "Turn your heat radar on," he instructed in a passive voice.

 Jiho felt an impulse shock her arm and without hesitation accomplished the task. Of a sudden, bright red dots speckled across the display in the interior of her visor. More than thirty of these dots were suggested to be lurking just south of them. Following her instinct, she turned the dial some more until the display revealed just how close and just how big these heat signatures were. They were of about six feet in length and vaguely humanoid with their readings communicating the idea that they moved through the yellow waters of the river below. Doing her best to maintain a level head, she awaited further instructions.

 "The probe failed to record the existence of these creatures. But that's why we're here. It's now our solemn duty to determine just how civilized these beings are."

 Precisely at that moment their leader, Wonho, laid himself flat on the grass and studied the creatures in the waters. Through use of the dials and display of his helm, he analyzed the behavior of the beings and determined that they were like big fish with minor intelligence at best. And then the unexpected happened. The fourteen Rocketfellows that conducted the same research as he did observed another heat reading from across the plain approximating the river. The ones in the river stopped swimming and merely floated in the water with their armlike members stretching out from their side.

 "Prepare for action," Wonho announced.

The land animal slowly neared the bank and just as slowly bowed its head to dunk it in the water. It was as though it acted with caution, privy to the existence of the river mer-men. Jiho could hardly anticipate what was to follow. In the blink of an eye, the weird bovine vanished from the surface of the land.

 "What happened?!" Jiho exclaimed.

Loud squeals, the shrieks of a wild banshee, pierced her ears. A prisoner of fear, she remained with her bosom cleaved to the purple turf as she gazed at her fellows rise to action. Wonho had ordered them all to shoot at the mer-men. 

 "Get up, Rocketfellow," Wonho shouted at Jiho, "and shoot at these hateful creatures!"

 Jiho trembled under such thunderous command. Her legs were shaky twigs that could barely sustain her weight as she crouched and aimed her weapon at the river monsters that now crowded the skies. Wings had sprouted from the backs of these fantastic natives and had enabled them to answer their attackers, the Rocketfellows. They ejected a vile liquid from their ugly fishlike maws which scorched the woods behind the metal troop yet glanced at their armor. Horrific was the scene but short lived. The fight lasted a matter of minutes.

 "Don't be afraid," Wonho consoled Jiho and several others that missed their targets. "Fear inhibits proper response to these situations. The Source, your buckle, mind you, perfects its function when its wielder possesses a calm, level mind."

 He patted their back and guided them down the cliff. At the foot of the bank he told his men to simply jump and imagine themselves hovering in the air- this would activate their rocket ers and enable them to stay mid-air for a short period. This distinct feature of their armor, their Metal Skin, is why they are called the Rocketfellows. Literature had nourished Jiho's imagination, so vividly did she picture herself treading the air that she became the second to cross the river and land on the other side.

 "Good job!" Wonho praised her. "Now if only you could place like conviction in the Motherland and not be afraid."

 "Yessir," she sheepishly replied.

Ten minutes passed until all her peers managed to cross safely without accident. They marched wherever Wonho shepherded them to, leaving behind footprints that attested to the weight of their armor. As long as they breathed and their hearts pulsed, the Source on their navel worked and fueled the Metal Skin; the armor is able to carry its own weight and they walk without burden. If the wielder's heart rate dipped below normal, say below that of a sleeper's, the armor would turn off and become practically immovable- weighing over several hundred pounds. 

 "Rocketfellows, now we will divide into parties of five. This region would take too long to survey if we continue as one body so grouping into fives should allow us to search the entirety of the map we have been given. Other platoons of Rocketfellows on this planet are doing likewise."

 Out of curiosity Jiho fiddled with her head gear until the map the Motherland provided appeared to her. Wonho was correct, the land encompassed an area the size of a large state. Beacons that represented lifeforms with the possibility of intelligence dotted the map: she knew their mission. Soon the platoon separated into three directions, agreeing to meet back at the Arc (their ship) in nine days, communicating regularly via their auditory transmitters. Wonho took it upon himself to remain with the least of his men, Jiho inclusive.

Her group of five commenced their trek by first following a trail of trampled sward. To their leader it appeared to be made by the most rudimentary instrument of all, the wheel. The path this trail made led through another forest whereupon it stopped abruptly at the foot of an odd shaped boulder. Wonho with much precaution knocked at it, theorizing it may be either be a vehicle of sorts if not an animal. It was the latter.

His men shrunk behind him as he pointed his pistol at the head of the furry beast but it failed to understand the significance behind the weapon. The shelled mammalian creature craned its lengthy neck in curiosity to get a better look at Wonho, prompting the commander to tighten his grip on the arm. There was no threat in this queer beast that resembled a grizzly inside the shell of a turtle. It purred like a small cat and withdrew all its members inside its shell, leaving the veteran to tell his men that the beast was just that- an unintelligent animal. He was caught off guard when the same dumb creature rolled its large shell down the woods, prompting him to laugh at being startled.

By the time dawn came the group had hiked up a small hill to meet the first native that managed to communicate a language of purely sibilant sounds. Many questions surged as regarding this alien. What was readily disclosed were the facts that it was knowledgeable enough to build a shabby home, create a small fire by means of striking against a flint and that it carried a sense of community. There was in that area a group of two or three families that stuck close by. Each member bore a yellow reptile hide with slit nostrils and eyes that covered half the face. 

These were small, harmless natives that cowered at first sight of the Rocketfellows. As Wonho attempted to communicate, a child of these beings snuck away from its hut and approached Jiho. She was hesitant to acknowledge it but its grand eyes mesmerized her and she quickly grew fond of the child, petting its reptile head as though it were an earthly pet. She and her peers cooed at it and knelt to its belly as it laid prone on the purple grass.

 "Alright, Rocketfellows. It seems these docile humans, if I may call them thus, have had their peace threatened by another species roaming the plains. That's what I could gather besides the fact that their enemies resemble what is known to us as wolves."

 As they traveled to ascertain the location of these wolflike humanoids, Jiho affirmed the notion that had been told her all along: the occupation of a soldier was a means of spreading peace. As a Rocketfellow, a Peace-Walker, she now marched to reclaim the peace that had been stolen from her reptilian friends. 

Led by Wonho they traveled some miles west of the reptile-men until he concluded it was around this particular area where the wolflike natives resided. This space perfectly coincided with a dot on their map, suggesting the probe detected intelligence in these beings. The theory was made fact as the group gleaned their ability to create controlled fires when Jiho spotted scorch marks on the ground alongside a mound of ashes. She also swore she saw a piece of bone sticking out the ash heap but could not ascertain the meaning of it.

 "Pay it no mind. Bones exist inside our sacred bodies and only there. What reason would there be to have it dwell outside a body, human or beast?" Wonho remarked after she reported her finding.

The small troop left the campsite and treaded west a bit further, spotting a nice hill that would afford clear view of the purple fields. Via their heat radars, they determined large lifeforms existed beneath the surface of the ground. It was deemed necessary by Wonho to remain here until nightfall descended with the hope that these beings would come out by themselves. Everything perfectly fell into plan.

As the nearer moon ascended, it lent its luminosity down upon the fields below. As though precisely timed to match the end of dusk, the heat signatures rose above ground one by one. These natives were extremely tall, a towering ten feet in height, with three pairs of arms, and stood upright. Even from the mile in distance, the Rocketfellows could feel the horror their fierce scowls produced. From narrow shaped skulls, four red eyes gleamed like rubies in the moonlight as silver drool dripped from their tongues.

A party of twenty had retired from their underground burrows, appearing so vividly behind the scope of Jiho's rifle. Wonho encouraged his group and on his mark, the soldiers shot at the strange werewolves. But Jiho froze. It was very brief, yet she felt she could not have been mistaken. Among these monsters she spotted one that leered directly at her, though this particular werewolf resembled a bona fide male earthling in wolfskin. He was shorter than the rest, too, under six feet, yet his snarl was equally fierce as that of his brethren. 

With a gasp, Jiho obeyed her impulse and pulled the trigger on her rifle. Then it vanished just like all of its furry siblings. The sound of doglike whining and whimpering, the deafening howls sung to the moon ceased. Everything was finished. Peace had been reclaimed in this region of the planet and the Rocketfellows cried out in triumph, their worship of the Motherland thundering across the plain. Yet, a sole member remained in her stolidity: Jiho was transfixed by the memory of the human she had shot, whose last action was a wild shout.

 "I hate you," uttered a low whisper, one so close it had to come from inside her helmet. It was a voice she could not recognize, the words spoken clearly and with a distinct coldness, a chilling resonance.