Alive

The Only Part

One lesson you learn when you go into war. A lesson that is so profound but absolutely true no matter who is in question. That lesson is that human life has a value greater than the whole of reality.

Okay, I will admit, that was a hook. But hey, how're you going to get people to read something that could change their lives without a good hook? Luck? Yeah. I don't believe in that.

Sorry.

Enough bull. Let's go to some of the boring ass, stupid ass, exposition. About twenty years ago, in 2018, I was your old average military bastard. I was a tough one, really couldn't be swayed by violence. My personnel, who I guided and mentored, (maybe even cared for... maybe) were some of the best men on the field. They knew what to do in every situation. Too bad they're all dead from the war.

The war started in early 2017 after a massive oil reserve was found. In order to obtain money, the politicians in the Middle East devised a way to limit the oil coming from their home. They were trying to up the prices of oil.

I was one of the first responders to go into there, and it was hell. I and merely five others had to capture and interrogate the one who watched over all of it, and it went horribly wrong. He died and it started a clash between all the superpowers of the world. A war broke out and America became one of the worst off countries. After all this, we eventually resorted to chemical warfare after money was pushed through to make it legal in war.

I hated it but my home country was still amazing, so I stuck with it. In early 2018, Texas and the surrounding territories were sick of the bullshit and they split off from our own country, and the north didn't like it. Not only did we lose a lot of our military and navy supporters, we lost our only source of oil if the war in the Middle East failed. They refused to give any of the supplies back. This sparked a lot of civil decent. We attempted to negotiate but it completely failed, and we had to move in.

Our first tactic was to send in some expendables on the front line and flank to the left of the country, straight through Las Vegas, where someone wouldn't expect us to be. It was the most catastrophic event in the whole war, on America's part. 2,000 soldiers on our side alone completely slaughtered and merely 500 soldiers on the Rebel's side. That's what I'm here to say, because those events changed my life in so many ways. I really don't know how to start this story... I guess we'll just see, now, won't we?

I guess this is where we start.

I feel myself awaken, and the hard bed greets me. For a fleeting second there... I thought I was home.

"Get up, pigs." I say. The day before we're to go through Vegas. I open my eyes and the hot, dense light of the sun greets me. "I said get up, A-holes." No one answers. I look around and realize that the sun shouldn't be greeting me. I'm outside. I sit up quickly and look around. What I am presented with is the hundreds of visible bodies and fiery Humvees and the rubble of bullet-ridden buildings. I'm baffled, and the memories of the past events flood back. We were attacked by the Rebels, and they had used every little hidden detail to their expense. Trip wires, RPG's, hidden snipers, shotgunners, and dogs. I can't remember how we crashed, but our Humvee is visible, it's seared paint very faintly showing the government printed ID on it. I attempt to stand up but realize quickly that my legs will not comply. I try again, but my muscles disobey. Becoming frustrated, thoughts flood through my brain before I come to the horrible conclusion that my spine is most likely broken. I lift up my padded shirt and feel my back, and large bump protrudes from my lower part. I must have landed on my ass or been hit by something at a weird angle. Suddenly the cold air becomes disturbingly noticeable.

A loud groan comes out from a man next to me, and I look at him. Through his ash and rubble covered face, I see the face of Banzai Boy. He's one of the best soldiers I've had but he's also incredibly naive. I look at him as he opens his eyes. The eyes of corrupted innocence look back, and he tries to mutter something but nothing comes out. Still sitting defeated, I smile.