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Space Above and Beyond - Part One

© Tanya M. Blakeley

"We thought we were alone. We believed the Universe was ours, until one night in 2063, on a Earth colony sixteen light years away. They Struck. And now we're at war.

"My name is Lt. Col. T. C. McQueen, I'm an In Vitro. A race of artificially gestated humans. I command a Marine Corps Squadron, the 58th. They call us the 'Wildcards'. We fight when called. In Space, On Land and At Sea. To lose this war means more than defeat, To surrender is to never go home. All of us must rise to the call, Above and Beyond!"

With those opening words, one of the greatest Science Fiction war dramas, Space Above and Beyond, was formed. Space Above and Beyond is not your typical war drama, where they blast'em up, shoot'em down, simply because the effects looked cool or for the sake of blasting someone. Space Above and Beyond is mainly about the characters and how they relate to each other. Each and every one of the characters has an intensity that draws you in, and with each episode the characters continue to progress and to grow.

Space ABove and Beyond is very much like another of my favourite Sci-Fi shows, Babylon 5. They are alike in that they are both similar to a great novel, one with chapters that are written one each week on television. So every week you tune in to find out what happens next in the storyline/chapter.

The cast of characters are a group of USMC Air Aviators fresh out of Boot Camp. All are members of the 58th Air Wing Squadron. Although they're all rookies, that's about were the similiarities end, for the five of them each joined up for very different reasons. However, as they train, fight, live and work together, they are transformed from a group of individuals to an elite fighting force known as the Wildcards.

For those of you not familiar with Space, here's some background info for you. The show begins in the year 2063, when, after achieving world peace, Earth has begun to explore and colonize the Galaxy. Two of those colonies, Vesta and Tellus, were attacked and most of the colonists were killed. The rest were either scattered and then later rounded up and taken prisioner or remained in hiding. The attackers were a unique and unknown raace, later called the "Chigs." Earth, after learning of the attacks and believing the Chigs to be a threat to Earth, declared war. Unbeknownst to Earth the Chigs has formed an allegiance with a group known as the A. I.s (Artificial Intelligence), or the Silicates.

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