The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken is a short story that was first published in Analog 11/85 (as Eric Iverson). It was republished in the Harry Turtledove collections "Kaleidoscope", Del Rey 1990 and "3 X T", Baen 2004. It was also published in "There Will Be War V: Warrior", edited by Jerry Pournelle & John F. Carr, Tor 1985 and "Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century", edited by Orson Scott Card, Ace 2001.

The story is told by two POV characters: Captain Togram commanding a company of foot on board the Roxolan star warship Indomitable and and Spec-1 Billy Cox a draftee in the US Army.

The Roxolan Empire had long had the hyperdrive and anti-gravity devices and took pride in having invented them themselves. They were also one of the most technologically advanced societies in space having discovered gunpowder, casting iron, smelting steel, manufacturing matchlock muskets and spyglasses to steer their starships.

The empire was expanding in its usual manner by sending an invasion fleet of 100-150 warships into a likely star system. The star system consisted of a yellow dwarf star and usually at least one habitable planet. If the fleet did not detect a hyperdrive signal, they located any habitable planets and invaded it, using their vastly superior technology to overwhelm the primitive inhabitants.

In 2039, an invasion fleet arrived in the solar system. It was first detected by the crew of the Ares III, the third manned mission to Mars. The crew attempted to communicate but their radio signals were ignored and the Roxolan fleet proceeded to Earth since they had not detected any signs of hyperdrive. All vessels landed and deployed their foot to horrible effect.