I’m not the person I used to be. Nobody is. Everywhere I look I see strangers, behind every pair of eyes a hollowness that never used to be there. My invention changed the world, and then it changed everybody in it.

I’ve teleported more than anyone. The first time I shivered as my blood ran ice cold then swung to red hot, the reaction that gave teleportation it’s name; jolting. By my tenth jolt I didn’t feel a thing and declared my invention the driver of human progress. Instant global travel with no environmental impact.

The first travellers were the rich. Business leaders, billionaire entrepreneurs, presidents and prime ministers all came to my door. I saw the look on their faces after their first jolt. Their hands gripping unsteadily, their eyes darting back and to. With each trip they made I saw the reaction lessen, till jolting became mundane. I saw this, but didn’t see what it meant. Do the rich have souls to lose?

It’s taken 20 years, but now almost everyone in the world jolts daily. How many understand what it means to teleport? That the you who arrives home in the evening is not the same person who left in the morning? They may look the same, they may act the same, but you are not there. Your atoms are evaporating out into the universe, replaced by a golem imitating the old flesh.

I look and see mindless automations everywhere. There is no smile on any face, no anger in any heart. Every jolter in the world is a copy, of a copy, of a copy, and with each journey a little more whatever made people human is lost.

When I invented the teleporter I never considered people’s souls. As a scientist, I put aside such theological notions and studied the practical, the evidential, and the technological.

I should have listened to the priests.

Krayston felt their head slamming against a wall. The woozy swaying and lapse in concentration were common effects of the BTG drive dropping a spaceship, with several hundred battle-ready soldiers, on the edge of an alien solar system, but this was the first time Krayston had experienced it. It hurt.

“Troops, we have arrived in Sector T163G.”, blared the tannoy, “We will enter orbit around the fith planet in 59 minutes. Prepare for ground assault.”

There was no time for silence to hang in the air, before another voice bellowed.

“You heard the instructions.', the troop commander’s voice, and broad shoulders, did not allow for other opinions, “Get your gear, and get into position. Now!”

++++

20 Minutes later, Krayston stood in the drop bay with their eyes boring holes in the ship’s hull. A voice to their left made their eyebrow twitch.

“First fight rookie?” said a grizzly voice.

“Finished my basic training 10 minutes before the ship took off.”, Krayston’s eyes stayed focused on the hull.

“Ain’t that a thing! We’ll be taking them straight from the womb next.”

From the front end of the bay came the unmistakable roar of the troop commander, “Keep your mouths closed back there. The only thing you should be doing is deciding how many 63 Gees you’re going to kill.”

Krayston stiffened, the grizzled voice carried on talking.

”What’s he going to do rookie? Tell us we can’t go and fight today for being naughty?”

Krayston allowed a slight smile to form on their lips.

“You been fighting long, old-timer?”

“The rookie can talk! I’ve been fighting so long, when I started the 63Gs were on our side.”

That wasn’t right

“What do you mean, ‘on our side’?”

The tannoy spoke again, “10 Minutes till orbit.”

Across the ship, in each hanger, buckles were tightened, stances were adjusted, and breathing was sharpened.

“What made you sign up rookie?”, asked the grizzled voice with genuine interest.

“Defending the Earth.”, Krayston left a slight pause, “I’m from Upper Scotland, not many opportunities to do anything else.”

“And when you joined up, who were we fighting?”

“The 63Gs.”

“And when you were at school, who were we fighting?”

“The 63Gs.”, Krayston said firmly.

“Oh, they got you good rookie.”

Krayston looked left at the grizzled voice. Piercing blue eyes, surrounded by a map of scars and wrinkles, met their gaze.

“We’ve always been at war with the 63Gs.”

“Have we now?”

“Quiet up front!”

The crunching footsteps of the troop commander were approaching.

“You think back to being a kid, rookie.”, the grizzled voice spoke faster the closer the footsteps came, “Forget your basic training and think.”

“That’s enough Sanjev!”, the troop commander was so close Krayston shuddered.

“Sorry Commander. I was just helping the rookie here remember who we’re fighting.”

“Listen sharp you two!”, the commander’s eyes moved from one to other, “It’s not who you’re fighting against, it’s who you’re fighting for! Earth! Do you understand?”

“Yes sir!”, said the soldiers in unison.

“Earth tells us who to fight and why, understand?”

“Yes sir!”, said the soldiers in unison.

“And if Earth tells me to fight my own grandmother, my only questions are ‘Where is she?’ and ‘When do I start?’. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir!”, said the soldiers in unison.

++++

When they ran onto the planet’s surface, Krayston’s first thought was how quiet it was. Then a siren screeched and the battle unleashed. The 63Gs moved fast, having six legs had advantages, and Krayston struggled to move in the heavy gravity and spongy soil.

Basic training hadn’t spent much time on how to fight in heavy gravity and spongy soil, instead it spent the days stamping into the cadets the need to defeat the 63Gs. The same message Krayston had been told daily at school, and saw on the news reports at home.

Soldiers fired ballistics across the landscape. In reply the 63Gs filled the atmosphere with sonic bombs. One thrust of air knocked Krayston to the ground, leaving him breathless and struggling to stand.

The old soldier had told Krayston to think back to their childhood. School began every morning with Earth Pledge, then the numeracy and literacy classes, before finishing with history. A chronological explanation of Earth’s expansion to the stars; including meeting aliens, making alliances, and defending Earth’s interests.

The 54s were allies, the 63Gs were enemies. The 54s were allies, they gave Earth the map of the stars. The 63Gs destroyed the 54s in retaliation. The 63Gs wanted to wipe out Earth next.

Krayston wriggled onto their knees and filled their lungs with air.

The 63Gs met Earth first and gave us the map of the stars. They were fighting the 54s and asked for our help. Together every 54 planet was left barren. Then the 63Gs turned on Earth.

The after-effects of the sonic bomb ricocheted through Krayston’s mind, blurring the memories. Versions of history meshed together; but which was the truth, and did it matter?

“My only questions are ‘Where is she?’ and ‘When do I start?’”

Krayston held on to what was important. Earth said who to fight, and why. Earth was to be defended. They stood tall, and joined the good fight.