Re: Starship Troopers
Dan Clemmensen (Dan@Clemmensen.ShireNet.com)
Thu, 25 Sep 1997 22:17:35 -0400
Michael Lorrey wrote:
> I recall that the main character's high school buddy who signed up with
> him went off to a secret research lab on Pluto. I wouldn't call most
> labwork hazardous duty, would you? Yet he was in the "military"
> --
In chapter 2, the recruiting sargent makes it quite clear that all
service is military and all recruits are subject to military
discipline. Non-combat jobs are specifically described as messy,
dangerous, and boring. Later, they mention that since absolutely
every mentally competent person can volunteer and must be accepted for
service, they will create an appropriately messy, dangerous and
boring job if necessary. The example was of a blind parapelegic
being given the job of serving as an experimental subject for
drugs, as I recall. In Carls. case Military R&D on Pluto was
considered dangerous. Carl was eventually killed in a bug raid on
the lab, but the inference was that the labe was a harsh boring
environment with few amenities.