Marines on the trip start to complain about their fate as they remain sober for longer periods. They act scared about what they could face out here as we trek through the frozen forests. God, what is wrong with them? I can’t wait to be able to fight more Herculeans, and any rebel bastards that want to hinder the Cause.
On the morning of the second day, far out from the frontline and shield domes, Jack is told to return with all of his higher officers. Only Blake and a few other platoon leaders remain to lead the forces. Jack reassures everyone he will return shortly before we engage any enemies. A native auxiliary force of allied locals leads the convoy through the forest now.
As it hits evening the convoy is halted. After a while of no word why, Blake in frustration leaves our carrier to reach the natives up front. On his way there all the natives break for the trees, and a horn bellows out followed by more throughout the forest on either side of the convoy. The armored vehicles and carriers in the front explode into fiery balls of metal and human that are hurled against the white snow and falling trees.
“Contact!” says Conal from the carrier behind me. “It’s a fucking ambush!”
Finally a new fight! Let’s see what he can do before we snuff him.
My carrier is hit by a rocket, blowing apart the front and taking out most of the unit I was riding with. Marines hop out of the carriers to find cover farther down the convoy line. Rebel fire breaks out along the tree lines on both sides mowing marines down. I place the LMG eagerly against a port and fire at advancing rebels. More explosions erupt throughout the tree line as additional waves of rebels charge the convoy. “Focus on—” a sharp pain engulfs my entire body as I am thrown out of the carrier. I can’t move. The visor blinks off and on and the armor is frozen in place.
“The fucking Herc’s are here too!” says a marine.
I see more blue orbs falling, the ones the Herculeans used in the last battle.
Shit! They got more of those? They immobilized him.
“Someone come here!”
More Herculean ordinance strikes the convoy and rebel positions in the forest.
I see a marine dragging a fellow man nearby. “Vance, come on Vance, hold in there,” he says.
I call out to him, “Over here brother!”
He pauses by me. “What happened?” he looks terrified. I’ll never understand how these stims seem to work so poorly on them.
“I am stuck marine, get me out of this armor! There is an emergency release lever on the rear of my neck.”
He comes over and pushes me to the side. A burst of bullets pepper the ground around us. The marine that was being dragged flops about, then lies still as his blood reddens the snow around him.
“Oh god! No, fuck!” says the marine helping me. He rolls over grabbing him by the head. “Vance! Vance!”
Goddamn it! Finish getting him out of here.
“He is dead! Now get me out so we can avenge him!”
He turns back to me, his face a mess of tears and snow, and pulls on the lever. “We are retreating man, Jack’s orders. He gave us NT, it’s a lost fight. We got to go!”
Retreat? Where is a Commissar when you need them?
My armor releases, and I push it aside as I rise freeing myself. I take my interior helmet off as it has been damaged by the explosion and fall. I glance at the marine, “Coward.” I spot a carrier, with an HMG on the top probing out just calling for me to use it.
“Peter!” the marine yells at me as I move towards the carrier.
I pause. What?
No! You are Ram, strong hero of the Cause. Back to fighting!
He grabs and turns me around. “Oh my god! It’s fucking you!” he says. “You’ve got the birthmark and everything! I thought they killed you! Let’s go!”
My head hurts. Who is that? Stop! I push him away and move for the carrier.
He grabs me again. “It’s me Peter, Isaac! Your fucking roommate!”
Shove him off, and crawl up the carrier!
I get up onto the carrier and place my hands on the HMG.
The marine cries at me from down on the blood soaked snow. “Come on Peter. We got to leave! We’re supposed to look out for each other! I’m sorry Peter! Come on!”
Ignore him. They are cowards to not fight to their dying breath. He continues to beg. Pathetic this regiment is, just a bunch of losers and failures, that would rather run and hide than confront the enemies of the Coalition.
I feel pressure on my vest cuff. The marine is pulling hard on it.
“Let go!” I say.
He pulls harder. I look over; he’s placed his feet against the side of the armored carrier for support. “Let go or I’ll kill you!” I’m now bending backwards over the edge with my arms flailing above for balance.
“Peter I am sorry! I am sorry I didn’t show I still cared when they beat you! Please come with me, we got to leave!”
There is a sharp pain on my lower neck followed by a snap and I fall backwards—and I swear I could hear another person’s voice inside my head screaming.
“Peter, go!” says Mom. Creon starts calling from his room upstairs.
“What’s wrong? Is Snap okay?”
“Peter, now! Check on Creon!”
I run upstairs. I tell Creon Mom just broke a plate so he can calm down, then run to my room that overlooks the roof of the front porch. I creak open my window and crawl out. The moonlight shines onto the shingles showing me where to step. My pajama bottoms get caught on a loose shingle. I pull on my legging with palm trees so I can reach the edge faster. Below me is dad caring Snap in his arms, his wheat colored fur covered in red.
“Is he alive?” says Mom.
Dad shakes his head. “That damn owl got it. This is horrible. He was only a puppy. Supposed to grow up with Peter, teach him death at an older age when he was ready for it.”
He lowers Snap by the doorstep and Mom kneels over him. “How are we going to tell him?”
There is a screech behind me. I stumble. I look back as I fall off the roof. Above me is the black owl—it killed him! I fall without any power to change my course, uselessly against the ground. Powerless to bring Snap back.
“Call the ambulance!” says Dad.
I lie motionless on the stone pathway up to the door. Dad stands over me feeling my body, trying to ask me where it hurts, but I feel all numb, like I am not inside myself anymore. Right by my side is Snap, and I do feel his fur against me, something warm gushes onto my chest. The black owl screeches in the night. “Snap,” I gasp weakly, crying.
Then his fur is cold.
Isaac screams. Everything changes.
Time is slow as I fall upside down towards the snow. And I feel useless, powerless as I descend. I watch the ambushing rebels slaughter helpless marines as they try to flee towards the sound of reinforcing choppers. I watch as they fall to the ground into fits of bloody deaths under bullet fire. I watch the rebels as they come up to their bodies and shoot away at them even though they are already dead. Injured marines raise their hands begging as other hands cut them apart with knifes and swords. Others shove their barrels into their bodies and fire away, exploding flesh out their exit cavities. The complete terror on their faces as they crawl away and are gunned down. Like the terror of the faces when I gunned down the innocents at Khaf’Jadeed.
War is a cycle of fear and ignorance.
I remember the guilt, the pain, the sorrow and self-hatred I have for myself. Of once being an actual human being. I remember it all as I crash against the snow with Isaac. The world in all its ugly and evil fully revealed and before me—invading—I am forced to accept it.