The Ghost Brigades (Old Man's War, #2)

by John Scalzi

“See,” Cloud said, “now you are telling jokes. So you are really seventy-one minutes old.” “Seventy-three now,” Jared said. “How is it so far?” asked Cloud. “How is what so far?” “This,” Cloud said, and motioned around him. “Life. The universe. Everything.” “It’s lonely,” Jared said. “Huh,” Cloud said. “Didn’t take you long to figure that one out.”

“It’s not fair,” Cloud said eventually. “It’s not fair you have to mourn this child.” Jared gave a small laugh. “We’re in the wrong universe for fair,” he said, simply.