The Last Cosmonauts

Chapter One: The March to Krakow

My foot stomps down, several thousand men marching with me, our rifles held close to our chest and point up. The cobbled bricks of the streets of Krakow rumble beneath our Iron fist. I grip my MP-40 close to my chest, clenching my eyes shut and tapping my fingers along the barrel of my rifle. My charm moving around in my coat pocket, today was my day to leave.

A man pulls back a chair, I sit down with him. He slides a bundle of papers and files in front of me.

"So. Mr. Sperling? It is? Karl, I'll call you. This is the third partition of Poland, we have drawn our claimed lands, we need you to sign." A cold man in a strong Russian accent says. I flip the pages, reading the conditions and looking at the border split. I knew what I had to do, but I didn't want too. I knew my brothers would be killed. I grip the star of David through the pocket, and pick up the pen. I sign the document and break the tip of the pen, handing both of them back.

"Thank you, sir Sperling." The man stands up and puts his hand forward, I get up and shake it. The damage is done. That was the first time I had ever met Petrov. After this I continued my service through the days.

I'm not sure how I was never caught by the higher ups, I guess my mother died at an early age, in labor, my  father killed himself soon after, I wasn't even aware of my Jewish heritage until I dug through the basement. I had to burn it all- I only kept the single star of David pendent. I was drafted in 1939 for the invasion of Poland, I was noted for my fast pace- I was a former Olympic runner, of course I was fast even with all my tactical gear. I was noted as "The Bullet" by Polish fighters, for my high speed, high fire rate, high accuracy and grey bullet colored uniform. I was quickly taken from my position as a private to a field marshal. But, I guess I should make this entry a bit longer than 400 words- because- well- this was the second World War, the most important time in humanity.

The leaves crunched under my boot, I wandered through the forest, my back arched and my knees bent, keeping low to the ground and scanning the tree for enemy snipers. I was exhausted, I had been wandering these burnt forests for a day straight. It was sunset, 6pm. I needed to sleep.

I dropped down, slouching next to a tree, I pulled the star of David pendent from my pocket and held it close to my chest. I slid it back in a few moments later, I dropped my backpack and my rig, reaching for the buckles that held my sleeping gear to my backpack. I opened it up and set it up, took me about an hour but it worked. 

I had enough food for about 2 days, breakfast lunch & dinner. I slid into the tent, a fire going outside and my machine rifle pointed outside of the tent, half inside half outside, a bowl of rationed soup in my hands, warming my hands.

I slurped the soup down faster than I could with- that's a note I shouldn't write in here. Point is, I ate and it was good. I feel asleep shortly after.

I awoke several hours later to the sound of shelling, I ripped open my tent to see trees around me, fallen and shattered, huge caliber shells dug into the ground. I quickly grabbed my blanket and sleeping bag, wrapped it up and ran. I made sure to swipe for my rifle, grabbing it by the stock and booking it down the old ruined path of the forest.

I had run for several more hours before the sounds of gunfire stopped, it was replaced by a new sound. Leaves shuffling. Shit.

I dive behind a tree, just in time to hear small arms fire rain from above. I grip my rifle and poke it around the tree, firing blindly. I hear a scream and a thud as a man falls from a tree. I toss a grenade in the general area of where I heard the noise and quickly plug my ears. A bang rings out, I rush over to the body, the grenade had missed it but he was already dead. I looked down at him, a star of David hanging from his neck. I swallowed, looking at what I had done. I grabbed the dogtag and the necklace off of the man and tucked it. I hope I can give this back to the mans family, if they survive.

I can't believe what I had done, what I had done so many times. My own people...