A Bit of Sci-Fi

The Tin Man - part two

The image evaporated, leaving the remaining soldiers to gather their items and masks.

“I can’t believe we are going out into the population today.”

Haley snarled, “Yeah well don’t get too excited Monk. I have a feeling this little exercise is meant to ‘cut the fat’ so to speak.”

Monk stopped in shock, turning his gaze towards the other higher end soldiers. He could almost sense the one’s Haley was referring to. While most of them had earned the hardened look by this point in their training, some still showed the small whisper of hope that had linked them to their pre-war lives.  

“Do you think they would really send us out there to be slaughtered Hale?”

“Not all of us, just the ones they don’t want.” Haley picked up his helmet and made his way to the airtight cellars that opened to the poisoned world outside. Monk watched his confident saunter, realizing in that moment that Haley’s last glimmer of hope had died ages ago.

“Now listen here! We are going out into that vermin infested world. They may seem like humans to you but they are so removed from humane you will lose your life just hesitating to shoot them on site. Your life and this cause are in your hands, and if those hands are yellow then you will die! And good riddance, because we don’t need liability’s here, we need soldiers!”

The Sergeant voice commanded attention over the distracting wind fans inside the tunnel.

“You are no longer boys, you do not have the benefits of youth. You are no longer men; you will never be average again. You are soldiers, and you will act as such unless you die.”

“Yes sir!” The concrete walls vibrated with the men’s response.

“The color of the sky tells us that the vermin have managed to shut down at least three of our cleansers, allowing the poison to permeate the air around the base. Your mission today is to go out and reset the machines. Remember that these rats are so desperate they will poison themselves rather than allow you access to their tunnels, so take precaution and wear your masks!”

The snap of hundreds of soldiers strapping on their gas masks in unison brought a slight smirk to the Sergeant’s face.

“In your command group’s soldiers! Venture forward! To not just survive, but to conquer!”

The sound of the door behind them sealing, taking with it all the breathable air, paled in comparison to the wanted snarls of the soldiers. They had been preparing for this moment for months now, this was their battlefield, this was their chance to prove themselves. 

The resounding hoorah shook the rock beneath their feet. Even behind the small piece of thick glass that allowed the soldiers to view out of their helmets, Monk could see Haley’s smirk.

“Let’s go conquer little man.”

“Call me little man again and it won’t be the vermin you will need to worry about.” Monk’s voice gained depth in his warning.

The scorching heat could be felt even through their protective suits. The sky pulsed angry ruby veins, the warning more intense outside the protective walls of the base.

The units disbursed in separate directions, each focused intently on their specific duty. Hale and Monk and ten other soldiers sought out the nearest building and quickly made their way inside.

“Unit D-2 has located structure one, it is code 4, and they are moving on.” The updates flowed from the earpieces for everyone to hear. The closest of the machines had checked okay, which left nine more to check.

“Why are we waiting in here Monk? We need to get out there.” Haley shifted uneasily, the dilapidated structure creaked as each soldier stood ridged at their post, their guns aimed at a wooden panel lying on the floor.

“Our orders are to stand guard at the entrances Hale.”

“Unit D-1 and D-7 have confirmed structure’s two and three are running.”

Some of the men shifted as the sounds of repeated gunfire echoed in the transmissions. They all knew the higher the numbers went, the farther the units would be from the base, and safety.

“Unit D-5 has found structure four and will reset.”

“Four down, six to go.” Monk offered hopefully.

The ground began to rumble, just as a loud explosion resounded around them.

“The vermin is awake.” The men cocked their weapons, hardening their faces, as their gaze remained focused on the wood strips. They knew at any moment a mass of horrors would emerge from the hole and it was their duty to destroy it.

“Structures five, six and seven are secure.”

The background sound became increasingly violent, but Monk was determined to keep his unit strong. “Whatever comes out of that hole you shoot it, got it? No matter what it looks like, you kill it! It’s a trap, a ruse, to get far enough inside to inject the bomb and kill us all. We won’t survive if even one gets access in here. So even if it’s got fucking puppy dog eyes and a kitten face on a baby’s body, you kill it!”

“Structures eight and ten have been reset. Only D-3 has yet to complete their mission.”

“We’ve been ambushed! The vermin injected my troupe after destroying D-13, both units are down!”

The heightened fear in the voice of D-3’s leader sent shudders down all the men’s spines. The tin soldiers could hear the last guttural screams of the two units in their ears, the bodies being torn by the force of the bombs and strewn across the barren land.

“What do we do leader?” The men all turned to Monk.

“We hold our position, our mission is to defend D-7.”

“But what about D-13?”

“Their mission was to defend D-3.”

“But?”

“Listen!” Monk drew himself to his full height, using his weapon to add strength to his stature. “Our mission is to defend D-7, we accomplish that by remaining here, posted at this rat hole, till the primary units renter the station. We only place the other units in harm’s way of we go rogue and they feel compelled to try to save us too.”

The reasoning hit its mark. Most of the men turned downwards, their gaze avoiding the others as they nodded in agreement. They knew their leaders words rang true, even if the sounds of their comrades dying in their ears brought a helpless anguish to their hearts.

“Fuck this!” Hale tossed his gun over his shoulder and darted towards the door.

“Hale! Hale if you leave this unit now we will not go with you.”

“Understood Monk.”

Hale stopped short of the sill, his determination paused by the force of the hand gripping his shoulder. “Be reasonable Hale, you’ll be out there all alone.”

The vermin’s celebration whoops seemed to carry upwards with the black smoke from the explosions, as the men tried their best to shut their minds to fate of their fellow men. All soldiers were advised of the risk from the moment they signed on, but it never prepared fully prepared them for the realization of war.

Haley’s chin jutted out, gaining strength from the callous celebration. “Even if I can bring back just one body, just one to bury properly...” the words seemed to drop the temperature around them.  “You just worry about getting back in one piece, or half a piece in your case.”

The jab was meant to appease his friend long enough for Haley to tear out of the ruins, leaving them behind without a second glance.