US troops engage in heavy fighting with Hegemony forces in the ruins of St. Louis, Occupied America. 16102064.
When all the world dissolves, and every creature shall be purified, all places shall be hell that is not heaven. – Christopher Marlowe
Shattered Citadel: God in the Fire
Trench V643, Free Missouri, USA (Earth), 0245 Zulu, 15122064
Silence filled the trenches along the eastern river bank. They had less than thirty minutes before they would have to go topside. The soldiers looked for anything to occupy their time in an attempt to hide their anxiety. Some checked and rechecked their gear, some prayed, but most took their time to write a letter to their surviving loved ones. These trenches have protected its occupants for years and withstood hundreds if not thousands of assaults. In the beginning the trenches were simply deep ditches in the ground, but with time it was improved and fortified. These trenches now stretched the entire length of the river. With concrete walls, titanium roofs and heavy weaponry poking out of every hole like a porcupine. The trench on the bank of the river was the first of three and was the first line of defense, with the bulk of the firepower. The second trench was connected to the first by a series of tunnels and housed artillery, vehicles, and the medical centers. The last trench more than a mile behind the first was connected to the second by an underground rail and housed the HQ, barracks, mess, and armory.
Many soldiers visibly jumped when "Angus Dei" suddenly blared on the intercom. The ancient song was sung by a choir of children and women which caused some of the soldiers to cry uncontrollably. Some tried to comfort their comrade in arms, but most stared ahead pretending not to notice. The song filled the silence with its haunting vocals and finally ended after a long six minutes. The intercom went silent for a few seconds and soon a man's voice with a Carolinian accent filled the trenches. "That was the Free America Philadelphia Choir. They wish you all victory and speak for all Free Americans when they say they will pray for you." The man paused for a few seconds giving the soldiers some time to relish the gesture. "Well you all might have noticed all the new bodies in the trenches and your first guess is probably right. This is the big one gentlemen. These trenches have been good to us for all these years. These trenches stopped our enemy's cold and sent hundreds of thousands of them straight to hell, but it's time to leave her behind. This is not just a raid across the river it's a full scale invasion across the entire length of the Mississippi. Every American male not serving on the other fronts… is here. Our allies from across the globe have sent their best to aid us in our last offensive. Yes, I said last offensive. Were getting our asses kicked and if we fail to break through here, the war… the United States is over…" The man's voice became shaky and he cut himself off and returned after a long awkward pause. "You know what's at stake gentlemen. Watch over the new guys and God speed. General Conrad. Over and out."
The lights dimmed and the soldiers moved briskly to their predetermined locations. Silently they moved. Not one soldier spoke. It was no battle drill, but the real thing and everyone was lost in his own thoughts. A small group of soldiers moved away from the rest who were now poised along the edges of the first trench. The small group swiftly entered the tunnels and reached the second trench. Once they arrived they jostled past reinforcements heading to the frontline.
"This is it." One soldier said as he pointed at a truck sized vehicle. On closer inspection the vehicle resembled a tank without the treads. It was sleek, black and from top to bottom was no taller than a man. The tank was equipped with three .33 MAG guns; two protruding from the front and one on top of the main gun turret that could be manned from the outside. The main gun turret sat on a swivel, the cannon itself extended out the length of a jet wing, capable of firing 188mm rounds of depleted uranium shells. Suddenly a hatch on top of the turret swung open and a head poked out.
"Mount up." The man half-inside the tank gestured for them to climb aboard. The soldiers climbed on finding harnesses on top of the tank where they could sit securely. The man in charge of the small group manned the top .33 MAG gun and felt the new weapon up and down like a kid inspecting a Christmas present under the tree.
"Sergeant. This is stupid. How the hell are we supposed to cross the Mississippi in this thing?" One of the soldiers said as he secured his harness. "Where the fuck are the wheels?" The same soldier said irritated and confused at the same time.
The Sergeant on top of the turret on the MAG gun slammed the hatch a few times. "Soldier, how the hell does this thing move?" He got no reply from the men inside the tank. "This is bullshit." Before he could continue the intercom blared out the instrumental "Yankee Doodle Dandy," the signal to launch the attack. The tank immediately rumbled to life and lifted itself off the ground, hovering in midair. The soldiers strapped to their harnesses faces were concealed by their armored suits, but underneath it their reaction was all the same, shock. The roof above them parted to the side and the tank hovered out of the trench. The tank moved silently across the bleak cratered terrain. The moon was concealed behind a dense cloud cover making the night pitch black. The soldiers on the tank strained their eyes trying to see anyone else, but they knew they were camouflaged in their black armor. The Sergeant switched to night vision, UV spectrum and Infrared and scanned the area around him. He saw no one but his helmet mounted computer told him that within spitting distance there was more than a hundred friendlies. He smiled. This could actually work.
The tank reached the mighty Mississippi and silently moved across the huge river. The soldiers on the tank heard the faint sound of something dunking into the water, repeated hundreds of times. They knew the rushing sound of the Mississippi would conceal the sound of the American soldiers entering the water. The Sergeant focused his attention on the west bank of the Mississippi and silently mouthed a heartfelt expletive. The west bank was an angry hornets' nest of guns and soldiers. The Sergeants heart sank and he knew immediately that a lot of Americans would die today against the enemies wall of death. The Sergeant took comfort in the fact that they were almost across the river and they still haven't been detected. Immediately after, as if God was playing a cruel joke on him a flare shot up from the west bank and lit up the entire area in an eerie red glow. The enemy soldier's faces were agape and they stared paralyzed at the massive army moving across the river. The tank lurched in midair as it blasted an enemy bunker straight ahead, tearing it apart. The soldiers on the tank opened fire and instantaneously the entire invading army opened fire. The night became day and the silence was replaced by a deafening roar as it seemed every gun in America shot at the same time. The enemy reeled and recovered. Returning fire and picking off the American soldiers firing from the open. The tank moved erratically trying to avoid incoming fire and fired continuously at the enemy positions on the west bank. The barrel turned white hot from its overuse and the Sergeants gun seemed to have an unlimited supply of bullets. He needed them all since there were so many targets.
Bullets whizzed by the tank as it pitched dangerously to avoid them, tossing the soldiers around in their harnesses. A stray bullet connected with one of the soldiers. It hit his chest detonating exposing his ribcage and internal organs to the night air. The soldier breathed uncontrollably. He released his harness and slipped off into the rushing waters below. The Sergeant's computer screeched an alarm in his helmet at the soldier's death and he silently prayed for his soul. The tank finally crossed the river and the remaining seven soldiers released their harnesses and jumped down ten feet to the sandy beach below. They found cover in a large crater and laid down suppressive fire for their brothers still trudging up from the river. The Sergeant alone remained on the tank, still manning the .33 MAG. The tank hovered in a back-and-forth horizontal line, firing salvo after salvo at the enemy positions. The tank would blast into a bunker and the Sergeant would finish the runners and injured with his gun. He loved his new toy, especially the way it tore through human flesh like rock salt on fresh snow.
The tank lurched forward as hundreds of US soldiers emerged from the water, shooting and running for cover. With every step the soldiers took forward they paid for in blood. Hundreds of automated guns broke the earth beneath them, and shot at the advancing Americans. The automated guns were the lesser of another threat, landmines. The eastern bank was full of them; every step forward unleashed a blinding white light that vaporized handfuls of soldiers. More hover tanks approached and shot at the automated guns, trying to give the advancing soldiers some respite. The Sergeant slammed the hatch with his armored hand and the hatch opened by a crack. "What the hell?!" screamed the tanker who wasn't taking any chances opening the hatch further.
"USE THE TANK TO FERRY THE SOLDIERS ABOVE THE BANK WERE GETTING MASSACRED!" the tanker stared at the sergeant and closed the hatch. The tank moved backward back to the waterline; it lowered and touched the ground. "GET ON!" the Sergeant screamed at a group of soldiers that just emerged from the water. They clambered onboard, as many as could fit on the top. The tank took off at top speed past the American toehold and past the guns, past the mines. The tank settled on top of a destroyed bunker and the soldiers jumped down. The tank took off and returned back to the waterline, taking another group behind the bank. When the tank returned for the third time the other hover tanks began to ferry soldiers themselves past the bank. Now that the Americans began to bypass the carefully planned defenses of its enemies they began to shell their own positions. The entire area began to erupt in a massive fireball. The Sergeant picked up his squad; all seven still pinned in that crater and made off for behind the enemies defenses. A light so strong it blinded the Sergeant even with his eyes closed reached them. Immediately following, a powerful blast of heat and pressure slammed into them, picking up the hover tank and flinging it like a child tosses a matchbox car.
The Sergeant woke up to screaming and prayer in his helmet, the integrated communication was in chaos with people trying to reassert command and screaming in pain. He looked around and found himself alone, the hover tank was gone and so were his men. They must have left him for dead. Another blinding flash and a thousand screams seemed to fill his head as he cowered in a crater. The blast wave rushed right past him in his hole in the ground. He felt like he pissed his pants, but decided not to dwell on it and rushed out of the crater to find his men. The computer was acting screwy and he couldn't tell who was who and what was what. He made it to a highpoint, a ridge beyond the eastern bank and looked behind him and damn near cried. The entire landscape looked like the crater plains of the moon. Hundreds of fires raged out of control everywhere and only shadows remained of what were American soldiers. The entire eastern bank was devoid of life. He heard fighting in the distance so he headed toward the sound, hopefully someone survived. He picked up snippets of what was going on in his helmets comm. "Those fuckers are using tactical nukes? I need authorization to use our nukes," an artilleryman begged over the comm.
"Well I'm Major Depass. I order you to hold off on them."
"Are you shiting me? This is Colonel Magh. Blow those fuckers away. They killed off my entire command."
"Don't listen to him soldier. Magh you lost them all because you're an incompetent commander."
"Major Depass first off that's Colonel Magh. Second I'll make sure they bust you to private and give you the worst shit duty I can think of."
"Both of you shut up, this is General Conrad. They took out our satellites and those nukes fucked up our communications equipment. Listen here. We will NEVER use nuclear weapons on our homeland."
"Sir, were getting our asses kicked, we need to destroy their concentrated positions." Colonel Magh said with desperation in his voice.
"What don't you understand? No nukes. Period. Soldiers on the field if you're hearing me, don't despair. We've broken through on several areas of the front. Continue fighting. This day will be ours. This day will be the day the war turned. This is our Iwo Jima. Reclaim America for your children… for yourselves. As for you two, talk to me on a private line you both fucked up big time."
The communication line filled with hundreds possibly thousands of cheers. The sound brought happiness to the Sergeant, it meant there were survivors. The Sergeant moved forward cautiously with his rifle at the ready. He hit the dirt when he heard the screech of hundreds of fighter/bombers roar overhead and fly into occupied America. He was alone but he realized he was possibly the first American to be in this very piece of land in more than five years. He heard someone in the distance and hid behind a dead oak tree. There seemed to be three soldiers, but he couldn't tell if they were friendlies or not. So he decided to take a chance and screamed out "India!" The soldiers stopped in their tracks and headed towards the sound, once again he screamed "India!" but they just ducked for cover and started shooting in his direction. "Shit, shit…" the Sergeant kept repeating it like a mantra and threw a grenade as the bullets whizzed by him. The grenade detonated in the air and sent all three enemy soldiers flying. Silence filled the area and the Sergeant crawled to their position. All three were splayed on the ground in a pool of their blood.
The Sergeant wasted no time and stripped the first dead soldier of his armor and weapon. He found nothing of value on him, so he flipped him over and crossed the dead man's arms and legs. On the second dead soldier he found a keycard and some paper which he stuffed into his pack to check later. He decided to inspect the yellow and black keycard and discovered a small biological symbol inscribed on it. He brought out the paper from his pack. He searched for clues to what the keycard opened, but discovered that the paper was only poetry, which he angrily crumpled and tossed onto the ground. He crossed the dead soldier's arms and legs after finishing his search and went to the last dead soldier. To his amazement he discovered the soldier still alive but gravely wounded. The Sergeant removed the dying soldier's helmet and asked him, "What does this key open?" The dying soldier blinked rapidly, he was surprised that an American could speak his language so fluently.
"Traitor, you are not them. How can you betray your people?" The dying soldier spat on the uniform of the American sergeant.
The Sergeant punched the dying soldier in the face, "these are my people, now tell me what I want to know." The Sergeant unsheathed his knife, "you're going to die, don't let it end like this." The dying soldier's faced turned white, but he still refused to talk. The next few hours the Sergeant tortured the man until he finally died. He stripped the dead soldier and removed his weapon; an RPG-12 along with its ammunition. The Sergeant gathered the weapons and lined them up in a neat row and rigged them to explode with the RPG rounds. One of the rounds was a miniature nuke which he himself pocketed. He shuddered to think what would have happened if it had gone off.
The Sergeant crossed the man's arms and legs and began to radio to anyone that would listen. "This is Sergeant Ling of the 33rd Armored Cavalry; I need to speak to an intelligence officer."After a long thirty minutes of getting nothing but chatter from other units on the field an intelligence officer finally contacted him.
"This is Captain Denver, go ahead were on a secure line."
"Sir, I have solid evidence that I have discovered a major PLA science facility. I took out a patrol and after interrogating one of the survivors, I got its location. Then I realized all three look exactly alike. Unless I shot triplets, I think the PLA are starting to use clones."
"Are you sure? You know how all them chinks look alike." The Sergeant was taken aback by the comment, but this was too important so he continued.
"No Sir. They are exactly the same except for numbered tattoos I found on their chests. Serial numbers probably. The keycard also has a biological symbol on it so the PLA is probably making more than just clones at that facility."
"Alright sit tight. What is your location?" the intelligence officer asked him.
"I have no idea… can't you triangulate my signals location?" the line went silent and after a couple minutes the officer replied.
"Your way behind enemy lines, reinforcements are enroute and will be there in four hours. I reviewed the data you sent us from your helmets camera and in light of the evidence were dispatching some of our top scientists and the rangers to secure the site, just stay where you are. This could be a huge boon for the US war effort. Good job sergeant, over and out." The line went dead and the Sergeant went to sleep to the sound of heavy artillery in the distance.
The Sergeant abruptly awoke and looked around but saw nothing. He looked at his watch and saw that six hours had passed and still no sight of the promised reinforcements. He peeked out of his crater and saw a full platoon of PLA infantry burying the bodies of their dead comrades. Still naked, with their bodies limbs crossed and stiff from rigor mortis. He crawled out of the hole in the ground and sprinted once he was certain he was out of sight. The entire area was swarming with PLA soldiers so he quietly made his way to the research facility, less than five city blocks away.
The facility was more like an underground bunker. He was amazed that the facility had no guards so he cautiously walked to the door and used the keycard. The massive two ton titanium door swung open and he ran inside. He ran deeper and deeper into the vacant facility, but eventually he stopped to catch his breath. It seemed odd to him that everyone was gone; it was possible that they were outside engaging the Americans.
His radio went nuts he could hear Captain Denver ordering the sergeant out of the facility but he removed his helmet, his attention was focused on the black and yellow door in front of him. He swiped the keycard at the door and he stepped inside with his rifle at the ready. He lowered his rifle and his jaw dropped when he first looked at the human factory before him. The room was the size of a football stadium and full of large tanks filled with glowing yellow water which provided the only light for the poorly lit room. The Sergeant moved closer to the nearest tank and saw lumps of flesh floating in the water with veins and bone bits branching out like a tree. He made his way across the room and reached a door on the far side of the room. This room was totally different. It was brightly lit, long and on both sides were observation windows. He took a peak at the windows and made the sign of the cross.
The Sergeant lifted his rifle and slammed it against the glass, but it didn't even crack. After a few tries he shot the glass with his rifle but it barely scratched the surface. He couldn't stand to see them any longer. There were Americans behind that glass, but they no longer looked human. He had heard of the atrocities being committed by the Peoples Republic of China, but he had never believed it. He had seen the documentaries on the History Channel of Auschwitz, but that was never supposed to happen again. This wasn't taking place at some distant place or to another people. These were his kin, this was his home. His hate burned white hot, but he had to free them first. He found a keycard slot, but his keycard didn't work. "Goddammit," he punched the glass with all his strength. Which did nothing but make him drop to the floor in pain, he could do nothing for them. He continued down the long hallway trying to avoid looking at them. It was impossible for him.
One of the glass windows was missing so he cautiously entered and spotted about a dozen women and children shackled to the wall. They were naked, emaciated and had massive purple blotches on their skin. They all appeared dead, but he came closer to be sure. The first five were indeed dead but one of them was breathing shallowly so he broke her shackles and slowly lowered her to the ground. "Ma'am, this is Sergeant Ling of the US Army. Can you hear me?" The woman's eyes shot open and she took one look at him and screamed. Her blood red eyes were etched with fear. Her scream woke the other survivors and the entire room filled with the screams only the dying could muster. "I am trying to help you!" the woman didn't listen to the Sergeant she just continued screeching.
"Get your filthy fucking hands off me!!!" the woman had no more strength in her and just twitched violently. She died in the arms of the Sergeant. Blood poured out of the woman's eyes, ears and mouth. The Sergeant freaked out and dropped her, watching in horror as her internal organs liquefied and split onto the ground. He backed away appalled, dripping in her blood. The Sergeant left the cell, not daring to get any closer to the prisoners. He turned his head and his heart jumped, a squad of PLA soldiers were staring back at him. They were as surprised to see him there; they hesitated and finally shot at him. The Sergeant was already running away before the first bullets rushed by him. Two of their bullets connected with his back, the force of the impact lifted him off the ground and slammed him onto the door at the end of the hall. His armor automatically retracted into the wound, stemming his bleeding and injected him with adrenaline. The adrenaline immediately went to work and even though he was badly wounded, he picked himself up and opened the door. He shot the control panel, effectively sealing the door shut. His breathing was erratic, he felt no pain and he was certain that his body was in shock. He tried to use the wall for support, but just slumped over and crumpled onto the ground. The adrenaline was wearing off, and the pain came gushing back like water from a broken levee, blinding him in pain. He opened his eyes and it filled with the intense light of the room. His eyes finally began to focus and he noticed two people watching him from across the room, they seemed to be arguing with each other. Both of them carefully moved forward and stripped the Sergeant of his rifle, he didn't resist.
"My colleague here thinks we should kill you, but I say you can still be saved," one of the men informed him in Mandarin. The Sergeant said nothing, as the man sat on the floor right next to him. The man was a Lieutenant General with the PLA and instead of the usual black and red armor of the PLA soldiers outside he wore an old fashioned PLA olive green uniform. His uniform was well cared for and his boots were highly shined. The man grabbed the Sergeants head and forced him to turn it towards him, the PLA general felt the Sergeants face, inspecting it. "You're not one of the inferior races, you are one of us. How can you fight for them?" The Sergeant still said nothing; he was losing too much blood and had no strength left. "Aren't you proud to be a Han? We are the masters of the pacific and soon the entire world will be under one heaven. We are righting the wrongs of the past; the middle kingdom is restored. This is China's new golden age."
"Golden age? How can you call this a golden age, when hundreds of millions of people are dead?" the Sergeant said weakly.
"My brother don't you understand, they had it coming. We were the first to develop paper, the printing press, the compass, and gunpowder, but somehow they became our lords. They humiliated our people for centuries; they stole our resources and did nothing when Japan raped the motherland. Well now we have corrected the order of things. Don't you see that America is a sickness and that it is our duty to purify the Earth?"
"Don't feed me your bullshit propaganda. My grandparents came here to be free and get away from madmen like you. I am Chinese, that's true, but I will never be like you. I am an American first." The PLA General smacked the Sergeant and stood up from the floor.
"It's a damn shame you feel that way. They hate you, they talk behind your back, yet you side with those dogs. You kill your own blood, your own family for a fucking piece of paper written by cross dressers in white wigs! No matter, I will end this sickness on the Earth with a sickness of my own." The General nodded to the second man in the room, a man in a white lab coat who retreated to a computer console at the far side of the room.
"Sir, the agent is airborne, but the there is no wind to help spread it." The scientist informed the PLA General.
"That's not a problem since the Sergeant's American comrades are here." The PLA General said with a smile on his face, as if on cue the facility was rocked by a massive explosion.
"We wear armor that protects us from biological agents." The Sergeant said with much effort.
"You must think I'm an idiot. I considered that. The virus is like none other. It's perfect. It can survive outside of a host for a year, unlike Ebola which dies after 24 hours. Their coated in it, and when they return back to their base it'll spread like a wide fire among them, like a roach motel. The world will be purified from all of them. Every White, Black, Spic, non-Chinese Asian in the world will die. Leaving only pureblooded Chinese untouched, it will be heaven on Earth. I wasn't allowed to use it before, but things have changed." The PLA General walked over to the scientist who was still at the computer console. "Did you destroy all the research and computer files on the virus? The Americans could use that to make a cure."
"Sir, everything is deleted." The scientist said without lifting his view from the computer.
"The test subjects are they all dead?" the PLA General asked.
"The cells have been filled with gas, the last one died a few seconds ago. Everything is taken care of." The scientist said.
"No not everything." The PLA General lifted his pistol and splattered the scientist's brains across the computer screen. After unloading a whole clip into his head he tossed the smoking gun on the dead body and turned toward the Sergeant. The Sergeant fell into despair; the images of the woman who died in his arms filled his head. He could do nothing to stop the apocalypse that would kill billions of people in the most horrific way. The virus would kill soldiers and children alike and he began to imagine children doubling over and their innards exploding. Tears welled up in the Sergeants eyes as the images flashed in head and became even more grotesque. "Tears of joy I assume. It's a pity we won't live to see it, the Americans will kill us both once they come in here." The General chuckled as he picked up the Sergeants rifle and aimed it at the Sergeants chest.
The Sergeant closed his eyes; he mouthed a short prayer and gave up his soul to God. A massive explosion rocked the room and the distinct sound of rifle fire filled the room. He opened his eyes and had five rifle barrels staring back at him. "The son of a bitch is wearing our uniform. We should plug him now." One of the US soldiers said.
"Don't shot he's one of ours! Sergeant Ling this place is a technological goldmine. We have choppers inbound ready to take you and the technology to the rear. Good job soldier." The Sergeant glared at the Lieutenant and kept mumbling to himself.
"What the fuck is he saying?"
"I think he's saying "Don't leave.'" Another soldier replied.
"Soldier we won't leave you behind." the Lieutenant said trying to reassure the Sergeant.
"Sir, the PLA has stopped shelling this entire region with nukes. We have to use this lull in the bombardment to get the hell out of here. We got everything we need packed and ready to go." A soldier reported to the Lieutenant. The Sergeants eyes lit up and he remembered the mini nuke he put away. He used the last of his strength and pulled it out of his pouch lifting it above his head.
"Ok let's move out… holy shit he has a bomb!" the Lieutenant screamed as the US soldiers quickly reacted and pumped the Sergeant full of bullets. The Sergeants arm went limp and the bomb smashed into the concrete floor. The light of a thousand suns exploded from the underground facility and a massive crimson brown mushroom cloud billowed into the sky. The choppers were engulfed and everything and everyone around the facility was gone. Only their shadows remained, etched to the concrete.
DoD Case# 23292-292A Defendant: US Army Sergeant Xe Ling
Reporting Officer: US Army Captain Greg Denver
Charges: Treason, Sabotage, 354 counts of Murder
Sergeant Ling on 07092064 called for reinforcements to secure a PLA research facility, but he in fact lured 354 brave American soldiers to their deaths. The defendant violated orders by entering the facility alone and once reinforcements arrived he set off a nuclear device on the US homeland. A direct violation of the laws set forth by the DoD against the use of nuclear weapons within the boundaries of the United States of America. The explosion destroyed 367 million dollars worth of equipment and 32 vehicles. The explosion also destroyed countless enemy technologies in cloning which could have been reverse engineered and used to aid the US war effort.
Verdict: GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES
Punishment: Sergeant Ling, dishonorable discharge. His remains if found, will not be buried with military honors. Sergeant Ling's immediate family will be imprisoned under the Free America Act of 2060 and all people with any relation to him will be brought in for questioning.
Shattered Citadel: God in the Fire
Trench V643, Free Missouri, USA (Earth), 0245 Zulu, 15122064
Silence filled the trenches along the eastern river bank. They had less than thirty minutes before they would have to go topside. The soldiers looked for anything to occupy their time in an attempt to hide their anxiety. Some checked and rechecked their gear, some prayed, but most took their time to write a letter to their surviving loved ones. These trenches have protected its occupants for years and withstood hundreds if not thousands of assaults. In the beginning the trenches were simply deep ditches in the ground, but with time it was improved and fortified. These trenches now stretched the entire length of the river. With concrete walls, titanium roofs and heavy weaponry poking out of every hole like a porcupine. The trench on the bank of the river was the first of three and was the first line of defense, with the bulk of the firepower. The second trench was connected to the first by a series of tunnels and housed artillery, vehicles, and the medical centers. The last trench more than a mile behind the first was connected to the second by an underground rail and housed the HQ, barracks, mess, and armory.
Many soldiers visibly jumped when "Angus Dei" suddenly blared on the intercom. The ancient song was sung by a choir of children and women which caused some of the soldiers to cry uncontrollably. Some tried to comfort their comrade in arms, but most stared ahead pretending not to notice. The song filled the silence with its haunting vocals and finally ended after a long six minutes. The intercom went silent for a few seconds and soon a man's voice with a Carolinian accent filled the trenches. "That was the Free America Philadelphia Choir. They wish you all victory and speak for all Free Americans when they say they will pray for you." The man paused for a few seconds giving the soldiers some time to relish the gesture. "Well you all might have noticed all the new bodies in the trenches and your first guess is probably right. This is the big one gentlemen. These trenches have been good to us for all these years. These trenches stopped our enemy's cold and sent hundreds of thousands of them straight to hell, but it's time to leave her behind. This is not just a raid across the river it's a full scale invasion across the entire length of the Mississippi. Every American male not serving on the other fronts… is here. Our allies from across the globe have sent their best to aid us in our last offensive. Yes, I said last offensive. Were getting our asses kicked and if we fail to break through here, the war… the United States is over…" The man's voice became shaky and he cut himself off and returned after a long awkward pause. "You know what's at stake gentlemen. Watch over the new guys and God speed. General Conrad. Over and out."
The lights dimmed and the soldiers moved briskly to their predetermined locations. Silently they moved. Not one soldier spoke. It was no battle drill, but the real thing and everyone was lost in his own thoughts. A small group of soldiers moved away from the rest who were now poised along the edges of the first trench. The small group swiftly entered the tunnels and reached the second trench. Once they arrived they jostled past reinforcements heading to the frontline.
"This is it." One soldier said as he pointed at a truck sized vehicle. On closer inspection the vehicle resembled a tank without the treads. It was sleek, black and from top to bottom was no taller than a man. The tank was equipped with three .33 MAG guns; two protruding from the front and one on top of the main gun turret that could be manned from the outside. The main gun turret sat on a swivel, the cannon itself extended out the length of a jet wing, capable of firing 188mm rounds of depleted uranium shells. Suddenly a hatch on top of the turret swung open and a head poked out.
"Mount up." The man half-inside the tank gestured for them to climb aboard. The soldiers climbed on finding harnesses on top of the tank where they could sit securely. The man in charge of the small group manned the top .33 MAG gun and felt the new weapon up and down like a kid inspecting a Christmas present under the tree.
"Sergeant. This is stupid. How the hell are we supposed to cross the Mississippi in this thing?" One of the soldiers said as he secured his harness. "Where the fuck are the wheels?" The same soldier said irritated and confused at the same time.
The Sergeant on top of the turret on the MAG gun slammed the hatch a few times. "Soldier, how the hell does this thing move?" He got no reply from the men inside the tank. "This is bullshit." Before he could continue the intercom blared out the instrumental "Yankee Doodle Dandy," the signal to launch the attack. The tank immediately rumbled to life and lifted itself off the ground, hovering in midair. The soldiers strapped to their harnesses faces were concealed by their armored suits, but underneath it their reaction was all the same, shock. The roof above them parted to the side and the tank hovered out of the trench. The tank moved silently across the bleak cratered terrain. The moon was concealed behind a dense cloud cover making the night pitch black. The soldiers on the tank strained their eyes trying to see anyone else, but they knew they were camouflaged in their black armor. The Sergeant switched to night vision, UV spectrum and Infrared and scanned the area around him. He saw no one but his helmet mounted computer told him that within spitting distance there was more than a hundred friendlies. He smiled. This could actually work.
The tank reached the mighty Mississippi and silently moved across the huge river. The soldiers on the tank heard the faint sound of something dunking into the water, repeated hundreds of times. They knew the rushing sound of the Mississippi would conceal the sound of the American soldiers entering the water. The Sergeant focused his attention on the west bank of the Mississippi and silently mouthed a heartfelt expletive. The west bank was an angry hornets' nest of guns and soldiers. The Sergeants heart sank and he knew immediately that a lot of Americans would die today against the enemies wall of death. The Sergeant took comfort in the fact that they were almost across the river and they still haven't been detected. Immediately after, as if God was playing a cruel joke on him a flare shot up from the west bank and lit up the entire area in an eerie red glow. The enemy soldier's faces were agape and they stared paralyzed at the massive army moving across the river. The tank lurched in midair as it blasted an enemy bunker straight ahead, tearing it apart. The soldiers on the tank opened fire and instantaneously the entire invading army opened fire. The night became day and the silence was replaced by a deafening roar as it seemed every gun in America shot at the same time. The enemy reeled and recovered. Returning fire and picking off the American soldiers firing from the open. The tank moved erratically trying to avoid incoming fire and fired continuously at the enemy positions on the west bank. The barrel turned white hot from its overuse and the Sergeants gun seemed to have an unlimited supply of bullets. He needed them all since there were so many targets.
Bullets whizzed by the tank as it pitched dangerously to avoid them, tossing the soldiers around in their harnesses. A stray bullet connected with one of the soldiers. It hit his chest detonating exposing his ribcage and internal organs to the night air. The soldier breathed uncontrollably. He released his harness and slipped off into the rushing waters below. The Sergeant's computer screeched an alarm in his helmet at the soldier's death and he silently prayed for his soul. The tank finally crossed the river and the remaining seven soldiers released their harnesses and jumped down ten feet to the sandy beach below. They found cover in a large crater and laid down suppressive fire for their brothers still trudging up from the river. The Sergeant alone remained on the tank, still manning the .33 MAG. The tank hovered in a back-and-forth horizontal line, firing salvo after salvo at the enemy positions. The tank would blast into a bunker and the Sergeant would finish the runners and injured with his gun. He loved his new toy, especially the way it tore through human flesh like rock salt on fresh snow.
The tank lurched forward as hundreds of US soldiers emerged from the water, shooting and running for cover. With every step the soldiers took forward they paid for in blood. Hundreds of automated guns broke the earth beneath them, and shot at the advancing Americans. The automated guns were the lesser of another threat, landmines. The eastern bank was full of them; every step forward unleashed a blinding white light that vaporized handfuls of soldiers. More hover tanks approached and shot at the automated guns, trying to give the advancing soldiers some respite. The Sergeant slammed the hatch with his armored hand and the hatch opened by a crack. "What the hell?!" screamed the tanker who wasn't taking any chances opening the hatch further.
"USE THE TANK TO FERRY THE SOLDIERS ABOVE THE BANK WERE GETTING MASSACRED!" the tanker stared at the sergeant and closed the hatch. The tank moved backward back to the waterline; it lowered and touched the ground. "GET ON!" the Sergeant screamed at a group of soldiers that just emerged from the water. They clambered onboard, as many as could fit on the top. The tank took off at top speed past the American toehold and past the guns, past the mines. The tank settled on top of a destroyed bunker and the soldiers jumped down. The tank took off and returned back to the waterline, taking another group behind the bank. When the tank returned for the third time the other hover tanks began to ferry soldiers themselves past the bank. Now that the Americans began to bypass the carefully planned defenses of its enemies they began to shell their own positions. The entire area began to erupt in a massive fireball. The Sergeant picked up his squad; all seven still pinned in that crater and made off for behind the enemies defenses. A light so strong it blinded the Sergeant even with his eyes closed reached them. Immediately following, a powerful blast of heat and pressure slammed into them, picking up the hover tank and flinging it like a child tosses a matchbox car.
The Sergeant woke up to screaming and prayer in his helmet, the integrated communication was in chaos with people trying to reassert command and screaming in pain. He looked around and found himself alone, the hover tank was gone and so were his men. They must have left him for dead. Another blinding flash and a thousand screams seemed to fill his head as he cowered in a crater. The blast wave rushed right past him in his hole in the ground. He felt like he pissed his pants, but decided not to dwell on it and rushed out of the crater to find his men. The computer was acting screwy and he couldn't tell who was who and what was what. He made it to a highpoint, a ridge beyond the eastern bank and looked behind him and damn near cried. The entire landscape looked like the crater plains of the moon. Hundreds of fires raged out of control everywhere and only shadows remained of what were American soldiers. The entire eastern bank was devoid of life. He heard fighting in the distance so he headed toward the sound, hopefully someone survived. He picked up snippets of what was going on in his helmets comm. "Those fuckers are using tactical nukes? I need authorization to use our nukes," an artilleryman begged over the comm.
"Well I'm Major Depass. I order you to hold off on them."
"Are you shiting me? This is Colonel Magh. Blow those fuckers away. They killed off my entire command."
"Don't listen to him soldier. Magh you lost them all because you're an incompetent commander."
"Major Depass first off that's Colonel Magh. Second I'll make sure they bust you to private and give you the worst shit duty I can think of."
"Both of you shut up, this is General Conrad. They took out our satellites and those nukes fucked up our communications equipment. Listen here. We will NEVER use nuclear weapons on our homeland."
"Sir, were getting our asses kicked, we need to destroy their concentrated positions." Colonel Magh said with desperation in his voice.
"What don't you understand? No nukes. Period. Soldiers on the field if you're hearing me, don't despair. We've broken through on several areas of the front. Continue fighting. This day will be ours. This day will be the day the war turned. This is our Iwo Jima. Reclaim America for your children… for yourselves. As for you two, talk to me on a private line you both fucked up big time."
The communication line filled with hundreds possibly thousands of cheers. The sound brought happiness to the Sergeant, it meant there were survivors. The Sergeant moved forward cautiously with his rifle at the ready. He hit the dirt when he heard the screech of hundreds of fighter/bombers roar overhead and fly into occupied America. He was alone but he realized he was possibly the first American to be in this very piece of land in more than five years. He heard someone in the distance and hid behind a dead oak tree. There seemed to be three soldiers, but he couldn't tell if they were friendlies or not. So he decided to take a chance and screamed out "India!" The soldiers stopped in their tracks and headed towards the sound, once again he screamed "India!" but they just ducked for cover and started shooting in his direction. "Shit, shit…" the Sergeant kept repeating it like a mantra and threw a grenade as the bullets whizzed by him. The grenade detonated in the air and sent all three enemy soldiers flying. Silence filled the area and the Sergeant crawled to their position. All three were splayed on the ground in a pool of their blood.
The Sergeant wasted no time and stripped the first dead soldier of his armor and weapon. He found nothing of value on him, so he flipped him over and crossed the dead man's arms and legs. On the second dead soldier he found a keycard and some paper which he stuffed into his pack to check later. He decided to inspect the yellow and black keycard and discovered a small biological symbol inscribed on it. He brought out the paper from his pack. He searched for clues to what the keycard opened, but discovered that the paper was only poetry, which he angrily crumpled and tossed onto the ground. He crossed the dead soldier's arms and legs after finishing his search and went to the last dead soldier. To his amazement he discovered the soldier still alive but gravely wounded. The Sergeant removed the dying soldier's helmet and asked him, "What does this key open?" The dying soldier blinked rapidly, he was surprised that an American could speak his language so fluently.
"Traitor, you are not them. How can you betray your people?" The dying soldier spat on the uniform of the American sergeant.
The Sergeant punched the dying soldier in the face, "these are my people, now tell me what I want to know." The Sergeant unsheathed his knife, "you're going to die, don't let it end like this." The dying soldier's faced turned white, but he still refused to talk. The next few hours the Sergeant tortured the man until he finally died. He stripped the dead soldier and removed his weapon; an RPG-12 along with its ammunition. The Sergeant gathered the weapons and lined them up in a neat row and rigged them to explode with the RPG rounds. One of the rounds was a miniature nuke which he himself pocketed. He shuddered to think what would have happened if it had gone off.
The Sergeant crossed the man's arms and legs and began to radio to anyone that would listen. "This is Sergeant Ling of the 33rd Armored Cavalry; I need to speak to an intelligence officer."After a long thirty minutes of getting nothing but chatter from other units on the field an intelligence officer finally contacted him.
"This is Captain Denver, go ahead were on a secure line."
"Sir, I have solid evidence that I have discovered a major PLA science facility. I took out a patrol and after interrogating one of the survivors, I got its location. Then I realized all three look exactly alike. Unless I shot triplets, I think the PLA are starting to use clones."
"Are you sure? You know how all them chinks look alike." The Sergeant was taken aback by the comment, but this was too important so he continued.
"No Sir. They are exactly the same except for numbered tattoos I found on their chests. Serial numbers probably. The keycard also has a biological symbol on it so the PLA is probably making more than just clones at that facility."
"Alright sit tight. What is your location?" the intelligence officer asked him.
"I have no idea… can't you triangulate my signals location?" the line went silent and after a couple minutes the officer replied.
"Your way behind enemy lines, reinforcements are enroute and will be there in four hours. I reviewed the data you sent us from your helmets camera and in light of the evidence were dispatching some of our top scientists and the rangers to secure the site, just stay where you are. This could be a huge boon for the US war effort. Good job sergeant, over and out." The line went dead and the Sergeant went to sleep to the sound of heavy artillery in the distance.
The Sergeant abruptly awoke and looked around but saw nothing. He looked at his watch and saw that six hours had passed and still no sight of the promised reinforcements. He peeked out of his crater and saw a full platoon of PLA infantry burying the bodies of their dead comrades. Still naked, with their bodies limbs crossed and stiff from rigor mortis. He crawled out of the hole in the ground and sprinted once he was certain he was out of sight. The entire area was swarming with PLA soldiers so he quietly made his way to the research facility, less than five city blocks away.
The facility was more like an underground bunker. He was amazed that the facility had no guards so he cautiously walked to the door and used the keycard. The massive two ton titanium door swung open and he ran inside. He ran deeper and deeper into the vacant facility, but eventually he stopped to catch his breath. It seemed odd to him that everyone was gone; it was possible that they were outside engaging the Americans.
His radio went nuts he could hear Captain Denver ordering the sergeant out of the facility but he removed his helmet, his attention was focused on the black and yellow door in front of him. He swiped the keycard at the door and he stepped inside with his rifle at the ready. He lowered his rifle and his jaw dropped when he first looked at the human factory before him. The room was the size of a football stadium and full of large tanks filled with glowing yellow water which provided the only light for the poorly lit room. The Sergeant moved closer to the nearest tank and saw lumps of flesh floating in the water with veins and bone bits branching out like a tree. He made his way across the room and reached a door on the far side of the room. This room was totally different. It was brightly lit, long and on both sides were observation windows. He took a peak at the windows and made the sign of the cross.
The Sergeant lifted his rifle and slammed it against the glass, but it didn't even crack. After a few tries he shot the glass with his rifle but it barely scratched the surface. He couldn't stand to see them any longer. There were Americans behind that glass, but they no longer looked human. He had heard of the atrocities being committed by the Peoples Republic of China, but he had never believed it. He had seen the documentaries on the History Channel of Auschwitz, but that was never supposed to happen again. This wasn't taking place at some distant place or to another people. These were his kin, this was his home. His hate burned white hot, but he had to free them first. He found a keycard slot, but his keycard didn't work. "Goddammit," he punched the glass with all his strength. Which did nothing but make him drop to the floor in pain, he could do nothing for them. He continued down the long hallway trying to avoid looking at them. It was impossible for him.
One of the glass windows was missing so he cautiously entered and spotted about a dozen women and children shackled to the wall. They were naked, emaciated and had massive purple blotches on their skin. They all appeared dead, but he came closer to be sure. The first five were indeed dead but one of them was breathing shallowly so he broke her shackles and slowly lowered her to the ground. "Ma'am, this is Sergeant Ling of the US Army. Can you hear me?" The woman's eyes shot open and she took one look at him and screamed. Her blood red eyes were etched with fear. Her scream woke the other survivors and the entire room filled with the screams only the dying could muster. "I am trying to help you!" the woman didn't listen to the Sergeant she just continued screeching.
"Get your filthy fucking hands off me!!!" the woman had no more strength in her and just twitched violently. She died in the arms of the Sergeant. Blood poured out of the woman's eyes, ears and mouth. The Sergeant freaked out and dropped her, watching in horror as her internal organs liquefied and split onto the ground. He backed away appalled, dripping in her blood. The Sergeant left the cell, not daring to get any closer to the prisoners. He turned his head and his heart jumped, a squad of PLA soldiers were staring back at him. They were as surprised to see him there; they hesitated and finally shot at him. The Sergeant was already running away before the first bullets rushed by him. Two of their bullets connected with his back, the force of the impact lifted him off the ground and slammed him onto the door at the end of the hall. His armor automatically retracted into the wound, stemming his bleeding and injected him with adrenaline. The adrenaline immediately went to work and even though he was badly wounded, he picked himself up and opened the door. He shot the control panel, effectively sealing the door shut. His breathing was erratic, he felt no pain and he was certain that his body was in shock. He tried to use the wall for support, but just slumped over and crumpled onto the ground. The adrenaline was wearing off, and the pain came gushing back like water from a broken levee, blinding him in pain. He opened his eyes and it filled with the intense light of the room. His eyes finally began to focus and he noticed two people watching him from across the room, they seemed to be arguing with each other. Both of them carefully moved forward and stripped the Sergeant of his rifle, he didn't resist.
"My colleague here thinks we should kill you, but I say you can still be saved," one of the men informed him in Mandarin. The Sergeant said nothing, as the man sat on the floor right next to him. The man was a Lieutenant General with the PLA and instead of the usual black and red armor of the PLA soldiers outside he wore an old fashioned PLA olive green uniform. His uniform was well cared for and his boots were highly shined. The man grabbed the Sergeants head and forced him to turn it towards him, the PLA general felt the Sergeants face, inspecting it. "You're not one of the inferior races, you are one of us. How can you fight for them?" The Sergeant still said nothing; he was losing too much blood and had no strength left. "Aren't you proud to be a Han? We are the masters of the pacific and soon the entire world will be under one heaven. We are righting the wrongs of the past; the middle kingdom is restored. This is China's new golden age."
"Golden age? How can you call this a golden age, when hundreds of millions of people are dead?" the Sergeant said weakly.
"My brother don't you understand, they had it coming. We were the first to develop paper, the printing press, the compass, and gunpowder, but somehow they became our lords. They humiliated our people for centuries; they stole our resources and did nothing when Japan raped the motherland. Well now we have corrected the order of things. Don't you see that America is a sickness and that it is our duty to purify the Earth?"
"Don't feed me your bullshit propaganda. My grandparents came here to be free and get away from madmen like you. I am Chinese, that's true, but I will never be like you. I am an American first." The PLA General smacked the Sergeant and stood up from the floor.
"It's a damn shame you feel that way. They hate you, they talk behind your back, yet you side with those dogs. You kill your own blood, your own family for a fucking piece of paper written by cross dressers in white wigs! No matter, I will end this sickness on the Earth with a sickness of my own." The General nodded to the second man in the room, a man in a white lab coat who retreated to a computer console at the far side of the room.
"Sir, the agent is airborne, but the there is no wind to help spread it." The scientist informed the PLA General.
"That's not a problem since the Sergeant's American comrades are here." The PLA General said with a smile on his face, as if on cue the facility was rocked by a massive explosion.
"We wear armor that protects us from biological agents." The Sergeant said with much effort.
"You must think I'm an idiot. I considered that. The virus is like none other. It's perfect. It can survive outside of a host for a year, unlike Ebola which dies after 24 hours. Their coated in it, and when they return back to their base it'll spread like a wide fire among them, like a roach motel. The world will be purified from all of them. Every White, Black, Spic, non-Chinese Asian in the world will die. Leaving only pureblooded Chinese untouched, it will be heaven on Earth. I wasn't allowed to use it before, but things have changed." The PLA General walked over to the scientist who was still at the computer console. "Did you destroy all the research and computer files on the virus? The Americans could use that to make a cure."
"Sir, everything is deleted." The scientist said without lifting his view from the computer.
"The test subjects are they all dead?" the PLA General asked.
"The cells have been filled with gas, the last one died a few seconds ago. Everything is taken care of." The scientist said.
"No not everything." The PLA General lifted his pistol and splattered the scientist's brains across the computer screen. After unloading a whole clip into his head he tossed the smoking gun on the dead body and turned toward the Sergeant. The Sergeant fell into despair; the images of the woman who died in his arms filled his head. He could do nothing to stop the apocalypse that would kill billions of people in the most horrific way. The virus would kill soldiers and children alike and he began to imagine children doubling over and their innards exploding. Tears welled up in the Sergeants eyes as the images flashed in head and became even more grotesque. "Tears of joy I assume. It's a pity we won't live to see it, the Americans will kill us both once they come in here." The General chuckled as he picked up the Sergeants rifle and aimed it at the Sergeants chest.
The Sergeant closed his eyes; he mouthed a short prayer and gave up his soul to God. A massive explosion rocked the room and the distinct sound of rifle fire filled the room. He opened his eyes and had five rifle barrels staring back at him. "The son of a bitch is wearing our uniform. We should plug him now." One of the US soldiers said.
"Don't shot he's one of ours! Sergeant Ling this place is a technological goldmine. We have choppers inbound ready to take you and the technology to the rear. Good job soldier." The Sergeant glared at the Lieutenant and kept mumbling to himself.
"What the fuck is he saying?"
"I think he's saying "Don't leave.'" Another soldier replied.
"Soldier we won't leave you behind." the Lieutenant said trying to reassure the Sergeant.
"Sir, the PLA has stopped shelling this entire region with nukes. We have to use this lull in the bombardment to get the hell out of here. We got everything we need packed and ready to go." A soldier reported to the Lieutenant. The Sergeants eyes lit up and he remembered the mini nuke he put away. He used the last of his strength and pulled it out of his pouch lifting it above his head.
"Ok let's move out… holy shit he has a bomb!" the Lieutenant screamed as the US soldiers quickly reacted and pumped the Sergeant full of bullets. The Sergeants arm went limp and the bomb smashed into the concrete floor. The light of a thousand suns exploded from the underground facility and a massive crimson brown mushroom cloud billowed into the sky. The choppers were engulfed and everything and everyone around the facility was gone. Only their shadows remained, etched to the concrete.
DoD Case# 23292-292A Defendant: US Army Sergeant Xe Ling
Reporting Officer: US Army Captain Greg Denver
Charges: Treason, Sabotage, 354 counts of Murder
Sergeant Ling on 07092064 called for reinforcements to secure a PLA research facility, but he in fact lured 354 brave American soldiers to their deaths. The defendant violated orders by entering the facility alone and once reinforcements arrived he set off a nuclear device on the US homeland. A direct violation of the laws set forth by the DoD against the use of nuclear weapons within the boundaries of the United States of America. The explosion destroyed 367 million dollars worth of equipment and 32 vehicles. The explosion also destroyed countless enemy technologies in cloning which could have been reverse engineered and used to aid the US war effort.
Verdict: GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES
Punishment: Sergeant Ling, dishonorable discharge. His remains if found, will not be buried with military honors. Sergeant Ling's immediate family will be imprisoned under the Free America Act of 2060 and all people with any relation to him will be brought in for questioning.
1
U.S. HOVER TANK HT-AT1
SC: God In the Fire
Thu, 11th November, 2010
America launches one last counter-offensive into occupied America from across the Mississippi River.
Comments greatly appreciated. Feel free to leave one here.
Comments greatly appreciated. Feel free to leave one here.