Dear Reader,

The tragedy of war is one of the things the human race knows all too well. Our planet seems to be in a state of constant conflict  and suffering. But, despite how prevalent war and military are in our television, video games, and literature, it seems we are less and less aware of it.

As a point of fact, I am not a soldier, nor would I ever be of my own free will. I simply lack the emotional strength. But the inspiration for this story didn't come from nothing; it came to me while I was watching TV, of all things. I was flipping channels when I landed on the Military Channel and saw a veteran telling a story of how scared he was in the field, with mortars landing all around him, as he ran trough the jungle trying to reach his evac point. But the fear wasn't just words, it was all over his face and his body. You could almost feel his muscles tense up even as he thought about it. Even when he wasn't speaking.

After that, I began seeing that same sort of thing everywhere. While watching Star Trek, I saw Cheif O'Brian explaining to a cardassian about the first time he killed a man during the border wars. I must have watched that episode a half dozen times before, but never had it affected me like it had that time. There are even examples of this in My Little Pony fan-created content. In the parody series "Friendship is Witchcraft", Rarity suffers from nightmares about "the war".

I base this story very loosely on the "Conversion Bureau" universe only so that Twilight can research human history. This story is completely independent from "Sidelines" or any other "Conversion Bureau" story. There will be, in fact, no conversions in this story whatsoever. Consider it more like a treatise on war at a personal level. After the first two or three chapters, it will be largely episodic; each chapter being self-contained with the occasional chapter being part of the over arcing plot.

I hope you enjoy this story, but I hope, even more, that you take away something from it. A better appreciation for those who served your country, whatever country that may be, and defended the lives of others in the theater of war.

Sincerely,

Victor Frost Next Chapter: Chapter 1: A Single Step Estimated time remaining: 19 Minutes