.:bellow::the::bar:.

-You are my angel…come from way above…
-Who are you talking to?
He turned towards annoying voice of Lucky, and towards his even more annoying face. If anything was more annoying than his face, He was pretty sure it was just his voice. He looked away, hoping that Lucky would take the hint to shub his thoughts and questions down his throat…just to realize once more that all hope is long lost.
-Is that some god of yours you are talking to?
Lucky didn’t get the hint. Everyone called him Lucky because he was obsessed with it…rabbit paws, Indian charms, Buddhist talismans, cabala rings and few of which He didn't know origin, all of that was hanging on Lucky's EV suit, decorated with two huge Chinese fortune signs, and few quotes from a bible
'…even am I to walk thru a valley of death, I shall have no fear because The Lord is my Shepard…'
Lucky was notorious around these people. Lucky has been known of praying to 23 gods, every 23 he has ever heard of.
-Your eyes…from the far-side...-He continued mumbling.
-I asked: Is that some kind of god you are talking to? - repeated Lucky, equally annoying
-I heard you the first time
-So?
-You might call it that...
-How come? - Lucky was confused: -Is it a god or is it not?
-Not in the real meaning of the word ‘god’, but I would say we all depend on it right now...
-Must be some kind of powerful god…I think he deserves a prayer from me, wouldn’t you agree?
-Lucky, u pray to 23 gods already!?
-Anything to get out of this desolate rock in one peace man…
-Do you really think it can help you? Gods turned their eyes away from this place long ago…
-That is not true…-said Lucky, his faith fading and weakening with every single second.
He saw it in his eyes, tears coming together, slowly stating to make their way down his cheeks, holding briefly on his beard, than dropping onto dry dirt…He continued, He didn’t want to, but He had to know it…
-Face it Lucky, your gods have abandoned you, we’re never going to get out of here alive, once you realize it, you will have no trouble accepting the inevitable...some liquor would help too.
-I just have to believe that there is a reason why we all are stranded here…-Lucky was now talking on a brink of cry
-This whole war is without a reason and pointless…
Lucky finally broke, rolling on the ground crying, screaming in pain of realization. It was more than his pitiful human mind could take. Lucky started running, running from cold surrounding of death in this place…and running straight into wall of flames as artillery kept pounding their positions. In just a few seconds, all that was left on the place Lucky was just standing was a scorched fist, firmly holding a cross…
As the dropships landed and opened their cargo bay doors, few remaining marines rushed in to save themselves. He slowly stood up, lit a cigarette, and took one last look around. He shook his head with mild discomfort. Few words, only a few chosen words were enough to break a man’s faith and will these days. These leaps of faiths were starting getting to him. It was much easier in good old days, when he could make some nice fish and wine and that preach to a few guys willing to listen...
-No...-He said slowly, just thinking aloud-There really is no more faith left in Humanity.
With those dark thoughts, Jesus Christ hanged Gauss rifle on his shoulder and boarded a dropship.

The cave in wich the Protoss settlers made their home proved to be just a part of a enourmous maze of smaller caverns and passages that weren’t fully explored yet. Humans were asigned a 'room' of their own. All of them in a single room, just like the band camp. All males, just like the band camp. As the time passed by, some people couldn’t control their hormons, so medic 'The Dutch' had some cases of hemeroid tearings when 'the soap slliped out of hand'. Sarge knew the potential dangers of too much sexual energy, so he turned one-eye blind on such cases. He however, found his first love, his right hand quite comforting when need aroused.
Arix told them that there were going to be few more days before transport shuttle arrives to take them to distant world of Shakuras. As there was nothing to do since Protoss warriors were guarding the cave enternance, Sarge gave his men some time off. They hadn’t have some time off for a long time. His unit was part of the elite 8th fleet, wich took part in all of larger campaigns in last 2-3 years. Yeah, they seen some combat, burried some friends, missed their loved ones, but it was worth wile…or was it? Sarge didn’t allow to be drawn into another debate about this meaningless war with himself yet again. He did it once…it took a full team of psychiatrists to mend the damage his alter-ego did to his conciounse…two of the shrinks went mad in the process and were locked up in some god forsaken sanitarium. With that tought dismissed, he went to his EV suit. Officers EV suit, on first glance just like any others, except the rankings on huge metal shoulder pads, was not just like any other. A small spike was stearing behind his left shoulder pad, an subspace antenna. It also had a bit more sofisticated armour that regular grunt’s suits, but nothing to get excited about…he was mortal as any of them in thos tin-can cages. It had one advantage thou, one side-holster extra than the average suit, probably designed for some binoculars or map or wahtever those ‘serious’ officer keept in them. His contained a sixpack and a cooling unit. He grabbed a beer an poured it down the throat, enyoing it’s bitter taste. Yeah, officers life has some of it’s privileges. He took out his compad and started a letter to Unnamed Mother, whose son was torn by Lurker spines earler this week. He was a dumb motherfucker, went to take a shit in the wrong place even they all were briefed about potentially dangerous places and ambushes. At first they tought that he was laying somwhere drunk, as he used to do most of the time, so no one was really bothered by his disaperance. When the squad moved out, Sarge thougth they left him on a Cruiser that deployed them here, after all, it happened few times before an idiot always got court-marsshaled. Not executed thou, they couldn’t afford to execute anyone at this stage of war. Deserters and other who violated The Core’s law were usually assigned for some strategic suicide missions or send to the Char detachtment, to guard the overmind, worst assigment anyone could imagine. Anyway, they found the guy few clic’s up north, clearing the small forest, Lurker spine entering in his asshole and the sharp top coming out form his mouth. He was probablly the worse soldier Sarge ever had and he died drunk taking a shit. Nevertheless, his mother would receive a letter form his commanding officer about ‘heroic death of her son, who fought gloriously to save women and children from bloodthirsty Zerg invaders, singlehandedly wiping out half of th swarm, saving 345 of his wounded comrades carrying them on his shoulders blablabla…’…it wasn the first damnn letter, and he was pretty sure that it wasn’t going to be the last one…
Outside his quarters, Veni and Nesek played some strip poker. Of the almoast 100 man unit, only this two didn’t get some time off, since it seemed it was their turn for guard-the-chief-we-all-hate duty. Some said that these two were jinxed. They got all the shitty assigments. So they had to kill few days worth of time, and since there wasn’t any soap nerby to drop, they were playing some poker, losing rather theirs virginity than their money.
-Wasn’t I supposed to get it in the ass in this episode?-asked Veni puzzled
-Yeah!?-Nesek said with a trace of melanchiony in his voice-But that mofo Lex…
-What about him?
-He said that wich one of us gaysus pays him a beer or two will walk away with his ass intact in the next episode…

The path they took led them to the small, narrow cavern near the top of a mountian they saw early today flying by. Arix muttered something to himslef, looking around as he forgot the way. While he was turning around to face them, a bright aura of blueish light instantly surrounded him. The humans just stood in awe, wondering. A long moment of silence…
-Now…W H A T the fuck is that?-said the Sarge.
-What do u mean?-sad Felisso as he catched up to the group.
-That…light…or whatever…
-You mean the aura?
-Yeah, the aura.
-I think it's the drugs he found in your backpack.
-Now you've lost me…
-How could I explain this? How is human body getting rid of everything thats not needed?
-I think you are reffereng to 'taking a shit' ?
-Is that what Mujo did behind the bushes?
-Yes
-It stinks like hell
-Bad burek
-Whats a burek?
-Just something to eat. So, whats the glowy thing around Arix?
-Well, u humans take a shit, and we glow, get it?
-Perfectly.-replied the Sarge and turned around just to see faces of disgoust on his men. They all circumveened the dim fog that Arix left when they continued on their way. Arix led them deep into the cavern, daylight diminishing behind thier backs. Humans lit their EV suits flashlights.
-You won’t be needing thoose- said Arix, and as he clapped his hands, the whole cave was overflown with intense brightness wich made Humans blink their eyes. It was large cavern…it was very large cavern, size of a medium footbal stadium, just like 'Maximir' in Zagreb, when it was finally finished in 2135th. Mujo remember how his father took him to see the Finals of a Solar system champions league between 'Želja Sarajevo' and 'Mars prime'. He never did found out why the match took place in Zagreb, after all, it had been almoast 50 years from the time Sarajevo was last nuked…by mistake...by Bosnians…with a rocket that was launched form Sarajevo. Anyway, Želja won with like zillion to one. Colonists from Mars Prime just couldnt handle the earth’s gravitation, most of the Martian team had suffered from multiple bone breaks…before the end of first half. Only goal they managed to score was that one when a defender of Želja was aiming at the goalkeeper because he was pissed by him witholding Rakija from the rest of the team, naturally, goalkeeper was laying pretty shitfaced inside the goal as the ball hit him. Yes, the good old days. He missed his father, they all missed him. Rakija tasted much different since he passed away. Mother said that this was due to unique kind of endemic fungus that grew only between fathers toes. Well, whatever it was, didnt matter anymore. As he looked up to the ceeling of the cave, wondering will he ever see his homewrold again, a familiar smell captured his sences.
-Do I smell homegrown?
-Sure-said Felisso-Wanna shot?
-Dumb question!-said Mujo annoyed, and took the huge joint offered to him
-Now, be carefull, that thing was…-Mujo took a very deep pluge from the joint…-watered with jet fuel, it's a bit storonger than you are used to'-said Felisso, obviouslly too late. Mujo was laying down, showing no intention to get up anytime soon. Medic of the Human platoon quickly made his way towards him, kneeled down and examined his eyes.
-What the fuck did he take?-Medic, also known as The Dutch, said angry
-He took only a shot form this, i tried to warn him but…-Felisso started inocently
-You moron…how could you even think of starting without me?-said The Dutch grabbing the joint