Story

“Red 4, Red 4, this is Prism Light 6, give me a situation report, over!” My company commander voice buzzed through my CVC helmet amongst the sea of chaos.

“This is Red 4, we have enemy contact at phase-line Indigo due East. Alpha and Bravo Companies are engaging now, over!” I haste-fully reported back. Damn, it had to have been over a hundred degrees in there. I sat in the gunners seat of the cramp little compartment in my assigned M-3A1 mobile fusion refraction engagement system. a.k.a. “Prism Tank.” The fighting that night had been fast and furious and Yuri’s forces had been hammering the left flank of our task force heavily throughout the night. Only now did the right flank start seeing some action. Panicking ratio chatter cluttered my SINCARS radio.

“Prism Light 6, this is Rattlesnake Actual, dammit where’s our prism support, we’re getting murdered down here!” The infantry Lieutenant called our CO.
“Red 4, what’s going on!?”
“That last shell knocked out the coolant tank for our damper system, sir, we have to wait for the deflectors to cool or we’ll burn out our firing circuits the next time we fire!” I replied.

“Twenty one million %$#@ing dollars and it can’t even shoot!? You worthless %$#ing sack of...,” Rattlesnake’s commentary was interrupted by a mass shelling. Thousands of tracers from machine guns and tank guns flew down range, baring their orange streaking light as they penetrated the darkness of the night, toward the enemy, who was masked by the pitch black environment. Explosions shook the ground the percussion from the tank rounds shook the very armor of my vehicle. All I could do was sit behind the sand dune and watch.

I stared at the various digital displays in front of me, which illuminated the dark interior. The micro-fusion core that powered the engine and weapons systems hummed loudly as we charged the refraction panels. The prism Tank used a magnetic distortion radar system to acquire targets based on their metallic composition, in short, the prism beam was attracted to metal, even that of a single AK-47. The deflectors could be shaped so only certain targets would be hit, which made it useful when friendly troops were mixed in with enemy troops.

My name was Staff Sergeant Nathaniel Rivers, member of the 8th Battalion, 65th Prism Regiment. My unit had been attached to an infantry battalion for this mission at Neustahdt Pass in this African desert Hellhole. Our operation was to destroy enemy forces guarding the Psychic Dominator in Egypt, and pave the way the special agents and some new hot-shot commander to go and take it out, but no one anticipated this ferocious of a resistance. Yuri took the initiative and attacked our staging area before we could advance into Egypt....and so here we were....

The fighting heated up, and the dying screams from many were screaming for help over their radios. It was unnerving...
“Forward defense line has been breached, all units fall back to phase-line Oscar.“ The automated female EVA voice sounded. 
“You heard her, let’s go!” My driver yelled from the driver’s compartment. He had been driving hatch open the entire time and was blazing away with his front-slope mounted .50 Cal.
“Rodger, moving time now!” I complied and the driver began to pivot us around. The rumbling treads vibrated the tank even more. Just then I saw a could of dust emerge from over a nearby dune, and the silhouette of a Lasher tank appeared from within it.

“Contact right, contact right!!!!!”
“Identified....negative! Panels are cooling!” I warned.
“I don’t care if you burn out all the circuits, waste that son of a b%$ch!”

“Rodger, re-adjusting stabilizers... engaging!” I yelled. The targeting system had already tracked the tank. I watched it creep forward through my thermal view. “Range- one thousand meters! On the way!” I squeezed the trigger. The world outside lit up bright yellow, the whole tank jolted back from the recoil of the blinding light of the prism beam shot through the air, kicking up massive clouds of dust in it’s wake and impacted against the Lasher’s armor. Fire spewed out of every nook and cranny on the tank. The turret was torn off from the pressure and crashed down next to the unit. Flaming debris showered down and the still-moving hull crashed into the neighboring dune. “Yeah!!! Target! Target, cease fire! Driver, keep moving!” I cheered.

“All stations this is Rattlesnake Actual, close the ranks! Close the &%$#ing ranks! They’re encircling us from behind...AAAHHGG!!!” The radio went dead.

“Rattlesnake! Rattlesnake, this is Red 4, do you read me!?”
“Contact, Gattling Tank! Dead ahead and closing!” My driver shouted.

I looked ahead to see the silhouette of a Gattling Tank...with it’s barrels already spinning... “Oh..%$#&.” That was all I could squeeze out before thousands of rounds tore through the vehicle. Sparks flew all around me and all the power went dead. The engine caught fire and quickly enveloped the tank in searing hot flames. “Dismount, evacuate vehicle!” I ordered and I heard my driver jumping out. I tried to open my hatch, but a gattling shell had sent a piece of shrapnel though the hinge, and wouldn’t open. The flames spewed into the gunner’s compartment. The deadly orange radiance surrounded me. I was trapped. I couldn’t get out. “Help!” I screamed as I pounded against the interior, “Heeeeelp!”

I woke up hours later. I was laying face down in a dusty, burnt crater. The pain flowed through me like the surf on a smooth sandy beach. Groaning, I lifted my face up. It was already daylight. Thank God. It seemed like the night went of forever. Much had happened since I dismounted my tank, and now it looked like it was all finally over. 
I noticed the body of a dead conscript next to me. That operation, Operation: Dirt Devil, was the first joint Allied/Soviet mission since the defense of London. It was amazing. It was in fact a Soviet conscript that rescued me from the burning Prism Tank...a man I never knew...a man who wouldn’t have hesitated to shoot me during the last war, risked his life to save me....I would probably never even learn his name, but I owed him everything. I watched him save several more of his fellow conscripts before he got killed.

I got up and looked at the surroundings. It was dead silent. Only the howling of the wind and crackling of the fires composed the noise. I wasn’t even sure who was victorious. At first I thought it was mist, but the massive amount of smoke created a congested haze over the battlefield. I couldn't see more then twenty meters ahead of me. The distant thumping of the blades of a Siege Chopper could be heard somewhere within the smoky gray sky as it scanned for remaining enemies. That alone let me know who won. I was relieved.

Burnt wreckages of Grizzly and Rhino tanks were sitting next to each other, aiming toward the same direction- toward a common enemy...Yuri. All the Allies in that fight had previously fought against the Soviets and vice versa. Now we risked our lives for each other in a second and equally meaningless war.

A horrible burn covered a large section of my body. It wasn’t from the Prism Tank, but an Initiate. Yuri’s Initiates didn’t use conventional firearms, but some sort of weird psychic magic that burned people alive. I shuddered at the thought of how horrible of a way to die that was. The battlefield was the most gruesome and sight I’ve ever seen. A sea of bodies sprawled over the rolling sea of sand dunes. Wreckages of vehicles crested every IV line. I could hear the moaning of the dying and the shouting of those trying to find them. This scene would no doubt forever live in my mind. I kept on walking, out of my own morbid curiosity.

Someone ran up behind me and said something in Russian. I didn’t know what he said, but when I saw that he had a patch with a red cross on it, I figured he was a medic asking “Are you alright?”
I said I was okay, and he nodded and ran off in search of more wounded.

Life was such irony...from one bloody, pointless war to the next. This time it was different, though, this time we were facing an enemy like no other. I gazed upon the carnage one more. It was sad, all that bloodshed and Yuri only dedicated his conventional forces to that fight....not one ounce of his mind-bending technology was used...the battle would’ve ended up much different if there had. I gazed upon a group of dead Initiates...Yuri’s loyal followers. Those who actually joined Yuri’s army of their own free will usually got the more prestigious jobs, such a disk pilots, Gattling & Lasher tank crewman, Initiates and Virus Spreaders, while those who were mind controlled usually got sent on some horrible suicide mission. He...he could turn any ordinary civilian into a suicide terrorist. That was what bothered us the most. The casualties of that war were inflicted mostly by our own civilians then Yuri’s organized army. This battle...dare I say...was a refresher from killing our own...

I came upon a destroyed Yuri transport. A gaping whole was blown in it’s side and its occupants were obviously flung all across the ground during the explosion. It was an ugly mess. As I looked closer, to my surprise they were all women! Every last one of them! A hundred of them, at least. It was a heartbreaking sight, to say the least. I heard that Yuri intentionally put women on the battlefield to distract men’s minds from aiming accurately. After all, a man had a harder time pulling a trigger at a cute girl then an Initiate in one of those ugly uniforms, all the while arming them with sniper rifles with virus darts. I could tell that had to be the case by the way they were dressed. They were wearing gray leather tank tops and rugged brown jeans. It was obviously a uniform since they all wore it.

I clenched my fists in anger. Yuri...he made us kill our own, he brought this horrible carnage upon us, he brought seduction onto the battlefield....he was truly fighting the mind on all fronts. My concentration broke as I heard a faint groan from the group of dead. One of the virus snipers was still alive and sitting up against the transport, grasping a deep but non-mortal wound. I immediately drew my 9mm. Taking a closer look, I saw that she had lost a lot of blood and was in no position to fight. She had short brown hair, brown eyes and a slim but well developed figure. Despite her affiliation, she was rather beautiful, I’d have to say.

We made eye contact. She looked at me with mixed emotions- disgust, fear, curiosity...even hope...the same feelings I was experiencing.

“W...water...” Was all that flowed from her dried lips.
I lowered my weapon and pulled out my canteen from my pistol belt. I didn't know why I was doing this. She was the enemy, and probably would kill me as soon as she got enough strength to. If I was doing this only because she was a cute girl, then I probably deserved whatever consequence was waiting for me.
She finished off my canteen and gave me a weird look. “Why...?” She asked.
“Exactly. Why. Why do you fight for Yuri...why do you fight for someone who’s trying to enslave the world!” I had the chance to ask, so I took it.
“You stupid Allied scum.” She hissed in response.
“Watch it.” I placed my pistol to her temple and cocked the hammer, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. I warn you, I bite back very hard.”
“You don’t understand anything, do you!”
“What are you talking about!?” I snarled.
“Master Yuri...he’s not as bad as you are all told he is. Your stupid Allied propaganda only makes him out to be a tyrant...,”

I interrupted her, “No, no propaganda can hide what he has done and what he’s doing. C’mon, he’s grinding up innocent civilians alive in horrible machines for nothing more then spare body parts...he’s brainwashing people to become suicide terrorists...he’s even nuked cities! What has he promised you people for fighting for him, what makes you want to be a part of all this!?” 

“We had no choice!” She argued.
“What’s that supposed to mean, you weren’t brainwashed!”

“That’s not what I mean! We were on the street, we were deteriorating away as victims in war-ridden third world countries, we were the starving, the homeless, the poor...we all had no future...but Yuri gave us a future, he have us a home and a purpose in life! We owe everything to him!”

I motioned to the carnage around me, “Enough to kill and die for him? Is what de did for you really worth being a part of all this? Hurting others wont fix your personal problems, and killing damn sure wont solve anything! He doesn’t care about what happens to the world or how he appeals to it, so why the Hell should he care about you!”

“You’re wrong! Image means nothing to him...the world and it’s people are the most important thing of all to him! Why do you think master Yuri is doing all this!? He’s trying to unite the whole world under one flag, no matter how tarnished his reputation gets, all for the continuous peace and prosperity of the people in the future. So what if they're all mind controlled, people are too stupid live for themselves. Look how messed up this world is all because people’s “Rights” and free will...people only take advantage of the right that were made to protect them. World leader worry more about holding their positions in office then they do about fixing the problems in their countries! Who the Hell cares who’s in charge as long as everyone’s life is good...life is too good for imperialist profiteering narrow minded planet killing pigs like you to rule the world!” The strength of her emotion in her speech sapped her of her strength and she dropped the canteen and took a few deep breath, like the weight of reality just fell on her shoulders and she buckled under the weight.

“Yeah, I’m sure life feels great for you right now.” I sneered. The woman just glared back at me. Taking a step back I realized we both were really in the same position. We were lost, wounded, not knowing if anyone in our units or chain of command was still alive...sand both staring into the eyes of an enemy, not knowing if they should fight or simply walk away. I watched as she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the transport hull. “You won’t last that long with that wound.” I cautioned.

“I merely await my atonement for failing the master.” She replied, but her words didn't sound sincere.

I stopped and stared at the ground. I wondered why I shared no expression. I stared at the dirt and soot the covered the back of my hand, and wondered why it stung so bad when I sweat. I wondered where my life turned that brought be to such a peculiar encounter. However I did not wonder why I drew my sidearm again and pistol-whipped the women across the face. She fell to the side and grasping her new-found facial pain. She returned a gaze that bared mostly shock. “You have got to be kidding me!” I growled. “You’re no different then those idiots blinded by their religion who go and throw away their lives in the name of some higher power. I fight for my country and for freedom. No one should have their lives taken, not on a bloody battlefield like this, not while sitting in their homes and damn sure not by someone wanting to use them as puppets so he could call the world his own!” I argued loudly. My shouting echoed like a wind tunnel in the desolate void of smoke that lingered around us. “You say you owe him your life because he saved you? Is that all it takes to win your spirit!? Well then here...,” I threw down his pistol and extended my hand, “If you stay here, you’ll surely die. Let me take you from here. Far away from here, where you can have the opportunity to re-contemplate why the lord has placed you on this Earth.” He looked at the shifting emotions in here eyes, “How ‘bout it?” I asked.

Words could not describe her reaction to that proposal. Her jaw slightly dropped and she stared at me in disbelief. “Why....I’m your enemy...”

“Should we be? Look at our situation. we‘re both in the same boat. If you wanted to, how would you get back to your unit? Non one is going to come looking for you other then allied patrols looking for prisoners of war...Yuri doesn't keep tally of his casualties, he throws his people away like soiled toilet paper. An expendable troop, is all you are... no one will look for you, no one will care for you, no one will miss you. No more lives should be needlessly lost today.”

The woman just looked at me, then stared at the ground again. Her frayed sweat-laden hair just seemed to dangled in front of her face, covering her expression. Her whole posture spelled defeat, and looked as if she’d just pick up my pistol and shoot herself in the head...but to my surprise, that’s not what she did. She looked at me again, moisture forming as the base of eyes. He reached out and firmly grasped my hand. I helped her up and caught her as she staggered a bit. It was then I noticed she had another wound on her leg. I had a sudden school-boyish sense of excitement as she pressed up against me for balance, and I even caught myself looking down her shirt for a very brief second. She blushed a bit as she, too, felt the same sensation as me. That little display at least let us know we were still human in such an inhumane place. It was time to get serious and stay focused. “What's your name?” I reflexively asked.

“Y...Yuka...” She spoke with hesitation.

“C’mon, Yuka, let’s get out of here.” I said. We continued on, slowly walking away from all the carnage around us. All we could hear were the sounds of our feet pressing against the sand and the sound of are tired breaths. The walk seemed endless, even though our distance traveled was slight. We didn’t know how we were going to make it through it, but in war people have always had to rely on one another. At that point we were no longer enemies, no longer soldier, but two people trying to survive. I took off my BDU top and draped it around her to help disguise her affiliation.

Both our hearts skipped a beat as we heard the sound of an approaching wheeled vehicle. “Gattling Tank!” Yuka hissed. We had no where to run. Nowhere to hid. It was inevitable....the vehicle was going to spot us. It’s silhouette emerged from the haze and stopped right near us. We both stared mortified. Was this it? Were we hardly going to start out journey before getting cut down?

“Hey....Natheeeeeen!” A very familiar voice cheered. The hatch on the turret opened, and my old friend, Sergeant Emilio Alcarez, exposed himself from the short, round turret, “Hey, you’re still alive!? Check this baby out....it has Nathaniel Rivers written all over it!” His wide and obnoxious smile could have never been more welcomed.

“Th...that’s the one that got me...!?” I spoke. Emilio was the resident Jokester and prankster of my unit, even though sometimes we went a little over the edge. He was an excellent soldier and did great in terms of keeping spirits high with his warped sense of humor.

“Hell yeah! It was hit by and EPS round. Turned the crew into complete mush, leaving this baby completely unscathed.” He slapped it’s exterior metal with pride, like an athlete displaying his trophy.

Finally, after seemingly forever, I let out a laugh. EPS, or Enhanced Pulse Sonar, was the same technology Allied force had been outfitting special trained dolphins with, originally used to combat Soviet maritime biological experiments with sea life, mainly giant, ship-sinking squids. “What are you going to do,
turn that in as a captured vehicle?” I asked.

“No way! This is going to my private collection!” He laughed.
“So that means you going to split from here nonchalantly, eh? If that’s the case, can she and I hitch a ride?” I felt Yuka tense up as I said that. I looked over at her and whispered for her not to worry.
“You bet, buddy! Hop on. Jeez, you look like you’ve been through Hell!” Emilio lightheartedly commented. It wasn't going to be pure Hell until I had to pay statement of charges on that Prism Tank...

Yuka and I climbed aboard and Emilio revved up the engine and sped across the sand dunes at an incredible speed. We didn’t say much on the way. We dropped off Yuka in a distant town that were sympathizers with the Allies. She looked like she was going to be well taken care of. There, we parted our separate ways.

Three months later....

Late evening. The victory celebration was held at the newly constructed Kranoyarsk Palace in Moscow. There, top dignitaries from both Allied and Soviet nations gathered to formally celebrate Yuri’s defeat after the long and bloody struggle. Yuri’s demise was sealed when the Soviet Union repaid him for everything he had done to their nation by dropping a nuke on his castle in his home country shortly after his forces had been wiped out. All Allied and Soviet armies had returned home for a well deserved and long awaited rest. The atmosphere was relaxed, an unusual sensation because most had not felt it for so long. The palace ballroom, where everyone was assembled, was ripe with loud, cheerful voices and conversation as gray haired senior military and government leaders shook hands and thanked each other for a job well done. Everyone was formally dressed. Military figures wore their Class A uniforms, brilliantly decorated with medals and other shiny awards. Both President Dugan and the newly appointed Soviet Premier posed for many photographs, and were, as well, dressed for the occasion. Everyone brought their spouse and there was elaborate dancing going on in the vast hall. Black marble floors with white marble and gold lined tiles were cluttered with footsteps moving to the slow harmonic melody set my the live musicians. White marble pillars extended to the ceiling and beautifully pained portraits of former Soviet leaders decorated the walls. Golden chandeliers lit the whole place.

I smiled as I viewed the scene from the doorway. I was on security that night. I had A formal tuxedo on and stood at parade rest next to the main entrance and snapped to attention and saluted while greeting the guests that came in. I listened to the lengthily speech as the two leaders shared their visions for a united future. The world was going to change soon, and it was all starting in that room. Once over, the dancing continued. I mingled around a bit, but after a while I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see what was probably the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I assumed she was a dignitaries’ wife who got lost. She had fine combed hair done in an unbraided pony tail and a sparkling white dress.

“It’s nice to see you again!” She smiled and spoke.
I stared at her with a puzzled look. I had never met this woman in my life. 
“D...don’t tell me you don’t remember me.” She looked disappointed.
It was then I suddenly remembered. I nearly lost my balance in the shock, “Y...YOU!!” It was Yuka, of all people. I didn’t even recognize her, because she was actually dressed like a lady. I couldn't speak. She looked breathtaking. “H...how have you been.” My shaky words were reflexively and mindlessly spoken.

Yuka chuckled, “Can I speak with you, outside?” She motioned me to follow.

It was cool outside. The amber streetlights lit the cobblestone streets. Only a few limousines drove by as more guests arrived. The trees gently swayed in the evening breeze and the crickets did their best to drown out all other noises. Yuka stopped and turned to me as we stood under a tree. “I never had the chance to thank you.” She said. “You saved me, and I had a long time to rethink my life. I turned myself around and I look forward to living the rest of my life in peace.” She said. Her gentle smile was fitting. I could still hardly believe it was the same woman that was drenched in blood and sweat in that Hellhole three months ago.

“That’s nice to hear. I wish you luck on your years to come.” I replied politely. “May you experience what we've been fighting for this whole time- peace and prosperity, and a world with no fear and no violence.”
“And I am forever grateful,” She continued, “But...I was wondering.” She looked rather nervous, and had a hard time keeping eye contact, “I was wondering if I could share those years...with...”

I tensed up...I knew where she was going. I usually had a hard time understanding women, but that time it was crystal clear...without saying a word, I stepped closer. Was it impulse or was it my true feelings? I could hear both our loud heartbeats. She moved in closer.. we moved our faces closer...we could feel each other’s warm breath in the cold air...and then...

“Hey, Natheeeeeen!” A loud cheer was hear that startled the daylights out of the both of us. I noticed we were no longer standing next to a tree, but the sleek exterior of an Allied Mirage Tank. Emilio stood out the hatch and saluted us. “Hey you two lovebirds!” He smiled.

“Emilio!? What the Hell are you doing here? You on security, too!?”
“Well, not officially....I just got this baby and decided to make sure no one tried anything funny tonight.” 
“Just got...?” I repeated.

“Yeah, there was a typo in the military equipment return shipping annex to the US. They offloaded this and were about to mothball it. It’s existence wasn’t on any records because of it so...” He rolled his eyes, “I liberated it for my private collection.” 

We all shared a quick laugh. Emilio motioned to us, “Hey, how about a night in the town? When my friends ride, they ride in style!” 

Agreeing, we jumped up onto the back deck and hung onto the back bustle rack. Emilio proceeded to speed out of the palace grounds. I felt like a teenager again, hauling butt down the city street in a multi million dollar piece of highly sophisticated equipment, and the wind blowing through our hair. An important chapter in the world’s history had come to a close, and everyone who had fought and gave their lives, and those who fought and survived had the right to celebrate. Yes, the world was going to change that night, but especially mine. Finally feeling the sense of peace we’d fought so hard for, we sped off into the night horizon, eager to start our new life.

The Day I Met You - The End

War Stories Index »