Field Commission 17

I click off the com device. The poker games are stalled; everyone staring at me.
I rise, "Intel estimates the Official IRA possesses 29,000 neoSoviet time scatter devices. Considering how many troops are in Belfast, that's two devices with each of your names on em."
Absolute breathless pindrop silence.
"Now a short history review. During World War Six, some 18 million people on both sides fell victim to these. In fact the odd old mine lying around still blows away the odd hiker. No one has ever returned from being blasted into time. Not one. I remind you of army thought on this. Don't try to do anything heroic if it happens to you. Just try and stay alive. The biggest single achievement you could ever make is simply coming back. What you learn would help others. Come back alive, almost guaranteed you win the Silver Star."
I pause, look around, "ok here's what I want. In a few minutes we take up position on Springfield Road. Everyone buddy up. Only one thing worse than being stranded in time, that's being stranded alone. As of the point we walk out that door, you stay within six feet of your bud, including breaks til tomorrow morning. Questions?"
Hatfield leads, "remind people of the two variants."
I blush, "sorry, research by physicists has concluded 2 possibilities. In 99.9% of cases, you stay yourself, same you, same age, just different time and place in history. 1/10 of 1%, you age vary, same person, but could be a baby or in a nursing home."
A Pvt grins wickedly, "bout now there be people kicking their own ass for sleeping through history class."
The howls of laughter break the tension.
Parvana wraps an arm round me, "come with me to the dance?"
"I do declare, thought you'd neva ask."
Laughter.
Her nod tells me to step outside. She starts haltingly, "I had a dream, real powerful vision. I know what's gonna happen."
"Do tell."
"Nope, too scary. Just take this paper, memorize in case you lose it. You'll know what it means when the time comes."
It's a phone number and address back home. Still, I memorize, then carefully file it away in a place I won't lose it.
We're ready to leave when the Brit CO shows. Draws me aside, "someone very famous, and I won't say who, thanks you for saving his life. Your insight led us to cancel his trip. But quietly, the assassin will wait in vain for the limo. So how'd your troops take the news?"
"I ordered everyone to pair up ma'am, better to be stranded with someone than alone. Things were pretty grim til the unit clown delivered a prize joke and now everyone is loose and easy."
"I admire Yanks, can even joke about war. Some interesting rumblings on the Eastern Front. Comrade Ivan has gone to max alert. So if the British Army melts down in Ulster, additional units pulled from Germany, we could be facing WW 7. So, if we successfully hold the city, we could be saving millions of lives on both sides."
I nod.
"Also this bag of mail, seems to have been mislaid, sorry."
I quickly hand it out. Nothing personal for me, one letter for Parvana.
She tears it open, blanches, "that dirty rotten low down son of a *****."
By this, I deduce she speaks of boyfriend.
She looks at me with a lost look, "this wasn't part of the dream, I was ripped off."
I nod.
"That low down ****ard said he'd wait til the end of my draftee hitch."
Now this definitely is not the time to remind her, she's the one who extended the hitch.
"Lily," grimace, "watch me careful or I'm likely to blow away some poor innocent ****ard."