One of the stranger challenges of writing military science fiction is deciding how realistic the military should be.
In the Bringer of Chaos series, Ghost Corps soldiers can come back from the dead. Their temporary immortality allows them to survive missions that would kill anyone else.
Naturally, this raises an important question.
How much paperwork would that create?
The answer, of course, is: all of it.
Military organizations are remarkably good at adapting to impossible situations. If a soldier can die and return to duty the next morning, someone somewhere will create a form to document the process.
Probably several forms.
One of the running jokes in the series is that death isn't the real problem. The paperwork afterward is.
Ghost Corps soldiers complain, argue, improvise, and occasionally save civilization, but they still have to account for equipment, file reports, and explain themselves to people higher up the chain of command.
In other words, they're soldiers.
The setting may span planets and empires, but some things never change.
Including the universal truth that bureaucracy remains completely unfazed by circumstances that should be impossible.
Especially when there's a form for it.
———
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WATCH YOUR SIX
Arrives August 14
The Empire remembers.
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My characters may be found in multiple books within this story universe.
Pietas images courtesy of Nik Nitsvetov Pietas cosplays.
Transmission complete.
The Empire remembers.
Remain. Endure. Return.
What a terrible but true thought / even death doesn’t get you out of paperwork!
I love the first three chapters. Where do I adopt one of those genetically engineered panthers???
Oh, I am so with you on that JJ. Imagine if your “cat” doesn’t like someone. That person would think at least twice about messing with you!
Your personal experience with the military is showing here!
What would happen if a Ghost refused to fill in the forms?
There’s a scene in this book where a ghost breaks a major rule. Another ghost asks him why – a little stunned at what he did. They are half the galaxy away from HQ, so he says ‘Let them come write me up.’ Might have followed the rules under whatever ‘normal’ conditions were but here… Hah. There’s a certain freedom in knowing no one can force you to stay in line.
I would think that death would get out of bureaucracy! But that is the sort of joke that tickles my funny bone! (I was considering a new series about ghosts in San Francisco late last night, and a little humor would make the story more nuanced.)
UNOFFICIAL GHOST CORPS MOTTO:
Death is just a setback. Report for duty at 0800.
Talk about a tough boss. Captain America once said, “If you get killed, walk it off.” Same.
I laughed at the idea of them still having to do paperwork. It never ends.
If it exists, there is a form for it. They even have a form to fill out BEFORE a deployment for a new body bag. Can you imagine a recruit’s first look at that? LOL