2010 Retrospective - Sear

I don’t like this. It seems… unethical.

You know damn well this is the only way to get accurate information, ever since they launched those  blasted WAILERs. Here he is. Alright, bring him in. Strap him down, properly this time.

Wait, what? Hey!

We don’t need another 7714.

What do you mean? What was-

Have you got the Tricholyxide 322?

Yes, it’s right here.

What is that? What are you-

Good. 30 milligrams should do it. Hurry, it could start at any moment.

No, don’t- ow!

It’s in. I’ll start the timer. What’s your name?

Me? I’m-

No, don’t bother with that. Just write down his number. Yes, 7739. It’s right there.

Okay, we’re ready. It should take effect in a couple seconds.

Alright. Now, speak to us. Just say everything that comes into your head.

Anything, no matter how small.

Now.

Er, okay. Well, I’m sitting in a dark room. This chair is metal, hard and cool. My arm is itchy, but you’ve tied down my wrists. I’m starting to feel a little nauseous. Would you mind telling me just what- oh… The darkness parts. It is dark, but getting lighter. Early morning. Rolling hills, green and grassy. A natural basin, with mountains to the north.

Good, we’ve got the right place this time.

Army on each side, ranks upon ranks. Waiting. One side, unfamiliar. Strange weapons, alien vehicles. Must be enemy. Armor markings, green and gold. Banner too, is foreign. Sinuous.

That must be the Ursocracy.

Quiet!

The other side, our army. Blue and black. Still, quiet, ready. Sky is bright now, sun rising over hills. Sunlight glitters on guns and tanks. Hills are alight, everything shining. A ripple through the ranks, both sides stirring.

Ah, it has begun.

We run at each other, faster and faster. The enemies slow, and stop. Crouch, aim, shoot, next line. Leapfrog, leapfrog, and we are dying. Black and blue fall in waves, and are trampled.

What’s going on? We shouldn’t be taking such heavy losses so early on.

Their weaponry must have greater range than we were led to believe. God damn it!

Now we hide, under the bodies of the fallen, green and gold moving forward. Black tanks surge down the hill, saving us with explosions and fire. Greens and golds crushed under treads, blown apart. We dance in savage glee, their line ragged and breaking.

Well, that’s a bit better.

No, this is all wrong! What are they doing?

Getting some results, it seems.

They deployed too early! They’ll be-

Black tanks swarm the valley floor, quashing and shattering. The golden ones retreat. Ah! The… and… Tolling of thunder, in the golden hills. Trails of smoke. A screeching whine heralds…. AH! It… it… it… A murderous flash, a wall of fire. Our tanks are destroyed, charred carcasses. Men are screaming, aflame. Burning. It’s… going dark, blackness on the edges…

What is he talking about? What is that?

It’s just what he’s seeing. Damn, I didn’t think he’d wear out so soon. Dose him again. Half the amount, he’s already there.

Blackness creeps in, screams and smoke. Ah! Ice in my veins. Spreading, spreading. Tendrils of cold, seeping, reaching… Oh, how it hurts! It- The darkness parts but the valley is black. Smoking craters and ash, everywhere. In the middle a roiling mass of bodies. Glints of green, bursts of blue, quickly covered by ashen mud. We are crushing each other, grinding inexorably. Golden thunder sounds again, a mighty crash. Corpses spin through the air, gold and black alike, tumbling end over end. The ragged hole, swallowed as we clash yet again.

A stalemate? Damn. Well, better than defeat, I suppose.

To the north, a shape. No, many. Sharp-edged shadows, gliding above ground. Blacker than black, absorbing the light as they sweep down… Gahh! The pain… Ice… crystallizes in my brain… it hurts! The-

He’s blacked out.

Well, wake him up. Give him another dose. Double strength.

More? Are you out of your mind? Can’t you see it’s killing him already?

It doesn’t matter. We need to see what’s going on.

Doesn’t matter? He’s not even military. I’m not going to have civilian blood on my- whoah! What the hell are you doing? Don’t you point that thing at me!

I will do whatever needs to be done for the war to be won. If that means a couple civilians die so that millions may live, so be it. Even if it means I have to shoot you and drug him myself. Now, are you going to do it, or not?

You’re crazy, you know that? You’re fucking insane. If you think I’m going to- okay! Okay, I’m doing it.

…

Nothing’s ha-

Shadows! Pouring down the mountainside. Silence, but for the battle below. They flit through us without pause, blood spraying amidst our screams. We fall, our faces stricken with surprise at the death we never saw. Still they flow, silent death. We are all dead, but their angular darkness is untouched. Blood, light, all absorbed. They course through the valley unchecked, now- ah! South… and east. For us. They… they… it hurts! They are coming! Gahhhhh….

He’s fading again. Hell if they don’t become immunized quickly.

I hope you’re fucking happy now.

Vision is cloudy, but the valley is empty…

This is bad… they move so fast.

He’ll be damaged for life, even if he survives. Which is unlikely.

The ravaged earth slowly drinks our blood…

Never seen anything like this before. Who would have tech like this?

My veins are melting…

Are you even listening to me?

Quickly, go to the high command. Tell them what happened here.

Oh, I’ll tell them. You can be sure of that.

Just remember. We have to win if you want to survive to court-martial me.

Fucking asshole.

Too much ice… all gone… dripping away… cells… ruptured…. I am dissolving… dying… again… I… everything is broken… help… me…

Send in the next one.