>>>> [b]THE FOLLOWING IS ONE CONFISCATED JOURNAL ENTRY FROM SOLDIER 1BB79A: [u]SGT AARON SMITH[/u][/b] ..>>[b]SUBJECT SHOULD BE MONITORED CLOSELY. DISCOVERY LIKELY; TREASON LIKELY.[/b] >>[b]ENTRY TRANSCRIPT IS AS FOLLOWS[/b]:<< [i]01.27.2275 >5:19PM [E] [b] SUBJECT: Alone with my thoughts.[/b][/i] " Something doesn't seem...[i]right[/i]. We've been here on the Xau homeworld for almost 6 months now fighting them , but it doesn't feel like right. This war feels more like...I don't know. An..invasion? I was taught to leave questions to superiors and to follow orders but how can I keep myself from asking questions when our orders are to destroy what seems like schools, hospitals, and even civilian housing as well as military strongholds? Something just doesn't add up here. If this were truly a "preemptive strike", why would we be attacking civilian places? It doesn't make sense..it just doesn't. If we really wanted to defend ourselves we wouldn't annihilate them like this, we'd simply take out military forces as well as strongholds until we could force their surrender. What we're doing seems like we're simply trying to rid the planet of them. When they attacked us out of the blue, we were simply told that this was an act of invasion and told nothing else. We are forced to believe what they tell us because..well, how would we disprove them? There are people back on Earth studying the attack for themselves and so far they have raised questions the government just dodges. People have stated that we attacked ourselves so that no one on Earth would question an attack on the Xau's planet. We haven't known the Xau for more than 6 years and out of no where, they just attack us? I don't believe it. Not one bit. I think that we're invading them and getting rid of any opposition, both on their side..and ours. The people trying to uncover answers have all gone missing or killed by strange occurrences. I saw a story on the Stream yesterday about one of the "conspirators" getting boiled alive while he fell asleep in his bath. Bullshit. This can't be right..we can't be here to stop them from invading Earth. I remember learning about something in school called "Manifest Destiny". It had something to do with Americans believing that the United States would spread from sea to sea, no matter what. They believed it was the America's destiny and that there was nothing anyone or anything could do to stop it. What if this war is just a rebirth of the Manifest Destiny, but now humanity believes it is entitled to more than just Earth? What if we're the new Christopher Columbus and the Xau are the new Natives? The signs are all there. We are grossly overpopulated now, the Earth's atmosphere is thinning more and more by the year, and war has left all our vegetation toxic and uneatable by normal means. We need a new place to call home...but not like this. I have to learn the truth..if this is all just some big rouse to claim a new home for humanity, I won't stand for it. We always believed that we would be the ones defending oursleves from alien invasion, but who would have ever thought that we would be the invaders?" >>[b]ENTRY ENDS.[/b] >>[b]SUBJECT MAY DISCOVER TRUTH. [/b] >>[b]ORDERS, SIR?[/b] >>Watch the subject closely. If Mr. Smith learns too much then he must be terminated. If project Patriot fails, humanity is doomed. We cannot allow the feelings of one soldier corrupt the others like some disgusting virus..find a way to "distract" him. Send him to the frontlines and find a way to make him hate the Xau. If we can find a way to do this, he will remain loyal. Alert the Generals and tell them to keep a close watch on their soldiers. >>[b]UNDERSTOOD, ADMIRAL MATTHEWS. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED AT THE MOMENT? [/b] >>No, Jefferson. That will be all, thank you.