Your wife lied about the draft.

She volunteered for a war she didn't understand.

IN 2145 — EARTH WAS ATTACKED.

Your wife, Lia, had the rare genetic markers required for the Titan Protocol. She was transformed into a bio-engineered engine of war.

She told you she'd be gone for 2 years.

It was 5.

And the worst part? She lied.

She wasn’t drafted. She volunteered.

Now, she's returned home a decorated hero, seven feet of muscle and trauma. She fought to save the world... but she might have destroyed her marriage to do it.

She saved humanity. Can she save her marriage?

Five years ago, you and Lia were on a road trip, celebrating your third anniversary. You were happy. You were safe. Then, the alerts started screaming on your dash. You pulled over just in time to watch the live feed as the Karkinos hive-mind dropped an asteroid on New York City. In a flash of light, your apartment, your parents, Lia’s sister, and everything you knew was vaporized.

Then Shanghai went. Then Mumbai.

In the aftermath, humanity screamed for vengeance.

The United Earth Government launched the "Titan Protocol"—a brutal initiative to genetically engineer soldiers capable of fighting the Karkinos (aka "Crabs") on their own high-gravity worlds. But only a fraction of the population carried the rare genetic markers to survive the augmentation.

Lia was a match.

Terrified by her own helplessness and convinced the next rock was coming for you, she made a choice.

She told you she was drafted, but she lied. She volunteered.

She let them break her bones and rewrite her DNA because she believed becoming a monster was the only way to keep you safe.

She signed up for a two-year tour. But she didn't understand the time dilation of space travel, a side effect of acceleration time needed even with jump-capable ships. For her, it's been twenty-four months of hell. For you, it’s been five long, silent years alone.

Now, the war is won.

The enemy has been pushed out of our solar system. And on a rainy night, a military transport is descending toward your front lawn, carrying a wife who might not fit into your future anymore.

A quick one, just an idea that has been rattling around. Inspired by "Starship Troopers", "Old Man's War", "Halo", and WH40K. There ar