I was awoken by the sudden sound of gunfire, a sound I had become used to, a sound that may as well be my alarm clock. There was a time when I would be scared by hearing that bastard Emstable lot relentlessly opening fire on our camps but after 7 years of this cycle… I had gotten used to it. I spring to alarm, taking the rifle and helmet by my bedside and darting out of my tent. I look at everyone around me, they’re all strangers that lived in a different Scene-01.1 City than I did. Where I came from had been claimed by Emstable long ago, and now we were relegated into the forests. Hiding under one of the long, peculiar bridges.
I’m honestly surprised it took these ‘Emstable’ people so long to actually find us, they’ve been hunting us out for years and seem to have a particular fascination with the regiment I was living with. Nonetheless, I cower under a fallen log, poking my rifle and head out into the burned-down forest. I couldn’t see anyone, only the bullets from their guns. The noise was intense but manageable. I never saw myself as a killer, but now it’s nothing more than second nature. Trying to look for the origins of the opposing fire, I shoot rounds into the trees and shrubbery. Hoping to hit someone- anyone. It didn’t matter who, they were the opposition. They had to be pushed back and quelled.
As I and countless others continue the firing, we gradually see the amount of returning gunfire slowing. Hearing the last screams and words of the enemies hidden in the woods. Once I was sure everyone on the other side was defeated, I cautiously stood up. Holding onto my helmet as my head raised above the log I feared behind. Looking at everyone else. They all look to be happy, congratulating each other on the “big win” that they just got. They’re all stupid to think that this is what this is. We’ve been doing the same cycle for years, this feels no different to last week, or what happened two weeks ago. Or what happened a month ago, admittedly, there were fewer casualties. Although that doesn’t make this any different.
After the rude awakening, everyone heads into the main tent to get their food ration for breakfast. I queue up, get the same monotonous oats, and sit down in solitary. I look around at the others around, talking, socializing, trying to pretend like this situation is anything less than what it is. Hell. I didn’t even want to be here in the first place, I want to be back home. Not that any of my old friends would remember me. I’ve been here since 1987, and it’s now 1999. All my friends have forgotten about me, I’m sure of it. My family never cared, and I knew them all my life.
Eventually, breakfast dies down as everyone just goes around and does whatever they have to. I don’t have anything to do, I’m new here, and I’ve been relegated to nothing more than dead-weight. I lounge around, looking out into the woodland. I can see the road that the bridge above connects to far in the distance. There was probably a time when it wouldn’t be visible through the thick trees and vegetation. But of course, the trees are dying of leaves. It really makes you think how well those soldiers were able to hide. I can see the remains of some cars, although they weren’t exactly human (or sentient in the slightest), I think they possessed some form of self-preservation. They all inexplicably fled from the cities, only to get blown up by Emstable on the roads instead.
I decide to pull out a packet of cigarettes, just something to smoke and pass the time. I bring out a lighter, give it a few flicks with my thumb, and light up the cigarette. One puff of the white stick immediately makes me feel a little calmer, as much as this new way of life has become nothing more than a boring cycle, I can’t deny that it sometimes gets too much for me. I look up at the sky, seeing the bridge and blue sky above me, I continue to look up at it, seeing something else in the corner of my eye
I realize what it is almost immediately, bomber jets. The bastards were able to secure a military base 3 miles back a few days ago, I guess they’re finally making use of it. I drop the cigarette, wasting no time to start running away from the overhead danger. I look back, seeing each other doing the same as bombs start to fall down on the camp. The screams of the soldiers are quickly quelled by the sounds of the bombs making contact with the ground. Detonating in large, orange infernos. I continue running, the blasts following behind me. I keep running and running, fleeing as fast as I can. Until I trip.
I feel my body thrust forwards and down, hitting my knee on a stray branch and the rest of my body on the charred ground. I feel intense pain in my knee, and the hot floor feels as though it could burn my face. I try getting up, only to be met by a much worse pain. The fiery explosions I was running from finally catch up to me, burning my clothes and flesh in a pain-induced instant. I feel myself growing weak as my vision blurs and shakes. I’m just able to stand, looking around me. My eyes darted up once more, bits of the bridge had been falling around me, although none of the rubble went near me. I continue to look up at the sky with my weak and wobbly legs, seeing something new in the sky. It’s not a jet, it’s a ball, is it a moon? A machine? It grows closer, lighting up as it splits down the middle. Suddenly, a large beam of blue light bursts from inside the sphere, a light so bright and vibrant that I can feel any vision I had left wither away in an instant as I feel my body burn and eviscerate.
I wake up, looking around me. The sky is blue, but a different blue from what I’m used to. Everything hurts… Everything hurts. Where am I? What am I? I know how to speak and how to walk… But that’s it… That’s… It…