A Coin Flip

Prologue

Delta

~~~~

"Alright maggots, line up, today is a very special day for you!"

Deployment day, the worst day of every month.

"You all know the drill by now. Some of you will be selected to go out on the battle field."

Always the same speech every month. Really tired of it. been doing this ever since I was a kid.

"You know your numbers. When I call your number you exit to the armory and out to the launch pad."

I really hate our drill Sergeant.  He thinks he's better than all of us just because he's a big scary gorilla. I'd like to see how scary he'd be if he had to be sent to the front lines.

" E.G. 1976, L.V. 4089..."

Every day was just the same here at camp. Wake up, train, eat, get harassed by one of the sergeants, sleep, repeat. herd us like we're some kind of livestock.

"O.P. 7890, V.T. 0744..."

Calls about two hundred of us each  month to the front lines. The funny thing is there's only two types of us, the hardened front line survivors, and the scared new recruits. 

"I.J. 8054, Y.R. 6209..."

I used to be one of those new recruits, but that day I was chosen, changed how I see all this. I used to think we were fighting for a good cause, fighting an enemy, but when I got on that front line, I was just fighting my own kind.

"P.M. 4702, K.B. 1007..."

That's when I realized all this is bull shit. Pinning protogens against each other, and for what? To get more land? More money?

"D.T. 9889, U.F. 6521..."

Ever since I got back from that front line two years ago. I tried to encourage others to step up, to try and make a difference. But every time they did, they would always be taken to a 'meeting' room, and not come back.

"D.T. 9889, you better got your sorry ass up here right now."

I can't believe this is what my life is, to be used as a weapon and nothing more. No rights, no freedom, and definitely no escape.

"Well well, if it isn't the trouble maker again."

I'm suddenly woken up from my train of thought to see my drill sergeant with a not too happy face right in front of me. Guess I was spacing out again.

"Do you think this is some kind of joke 9889!?"

"No drill sergeant!"

I had a little bit of a reputation around camp. Known as the guy that was always defiant of the higher-ups. Never served me any well of course. Got into some big trouble quiet a few times.

"Then you better get your mechanical ass down to the armory before this room becomes the battle ground!"

"Yes drill sergeant!"

And I was off to the front lines once again, I got lucky for the past two years but I knew my luck would run out eventually.

I made my way through the halls along with the other recruits that were chosen this month. The sight of all of us going to one place really made the atmosphere dense, because we all knew many of us here would not return.

I look to my right and I see a scared young protogen, easily 15 or so. It made me sick to see protogens so young be chosen to go to war. I was 16 myself when I first got chosen. I was lucky to make it back.