Speculative-Fiction

A war of attrition depends on supply and drawdown, how much you have and how much you use up. With personnel, the balance concerns the influx of recruitment versus the outflow of casualties, deserters, invalids. There is only so much loss that a fighting force can sustain and still fight. Pilot Claude Archer was the first to challenge his invalid discharge. "I don't need legs to fly," he said, patting the healed stumps of his thighs. "My Osprey runs on elbow grease." The members of the discharge board paused and looked at each other. What he said was true.   The Osprey-class fighter jets relied on hand controls, and a sharp eye and iron n