Aftermath of the Reckoning

Chapter 5

Staff Sergeant James Stone served in the US Marine Corps prior to the Reckoning. No one knew him as Howitzer back then. As a drill instructor, they called him Sir.

Over time, his personality rounded...a little. But back in those days, Howitzer had two emotional states: angry and nuclear. His senior officers observed this and persuaded him to become a drill instructor. Howitzer thrived in this position. The ability to channel his constant low grade anger into something of value helped preserve his sanity.

Frequently screaming himself hoarse, he quickly earned the respect of his trainees. He could sense disrespect like a bloodhound. No one understood this better than Josh Pinkerton. Arriving at the recruit depot, Josh nervously stepped off the bus, not knowing what to expect. They’d all heard stories about drill instructors, however no one expected the explosive verbal ambush delivered by Howitzer.

None of the recruits could move fast enough for Howitzer. He tore into a trainee for dropping his wallet on the floor. Watching this, Josh failed to suppress a smile.

Howitzer pounced. “Was that a smile on your face boy?”

“No Sir!” Josh responded nervously but loudly, all levity completely erased from his face. Standing tall at six foot four, Josh dare not look down at the shorter form of his drill instructor.

“Are you calling me a liar boy?” Howitzer visibly strained to speak at a normal tone.

Josh stood at the edge of a volcano, he could sense this. “No Sir!”

“Let me ask you again then!” Howitzer erupted with a fury nearly deafened those nearby. “WAS THAT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE?”

“Yes Sir!”

“DO YOU THINK I’M FUNNY BOY?”

“No Sir!”

“THEN WHY WAS THERE A FUCKING SMILE ON YOUR FACE?”

“Sir, sorry sir!”

“YOU’RE SORRY! YOU DISRESPECTED ME BOY. YOU CALLED ME A LIAR. GET DOWN AND GIVE ME TWO HUNDRED PUSH UPS NOW!!”

“Sir I -”

“THAT WAS NOT A QUESTION BOY. I WANT THOSE PUSH UPS. NOW!”

“Aye Aye Sir!”

Josh quickly slammed through the first thirty and started slowing. After fifty he could no longer push himself up.

Howitzer knelt down and yelled in his ear. “DID I TELL YOU TO STOP BOY?”

“No Sir.”

“THIS IS MY HOUSE!” Howitzer turned to face the room. “YOU WILL NOT DISOBEY IN MY HOUSE! YOU WILL ALL LEARN THIS BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER!”

Later that night, Howitzer took him to the track and ordered him to run eighty laps. He commanded all other recruits to watch.

“I WILL KILL YOU BOY! YOU WILL LEARN TO RESPECT ME! IF YOU STOP RUNNING I WILL KILL YOU!”

That night the old Josh died. Utterly exhausted, he collapsed and passed out somewhere after the tenth mile. His recently shaved head, only hours before replete with thick reddish hair, poured with sweat. He spent the next day in the medical treatment facility. It would be many years before Josh would smile openly again, for any reason.

He respected Howitzer as much as it was possible to respect another human being. Howitzer knew this. Josh survived the Reckoning (though not unscathed) and became the first member Howitzer recruited into the Harvesters. Today, they called him Ice. He unquestionably executed all commands issued by Howitzer. Deadly with a knife in hand to hand combat, he’d frequently hunt on the front lines, killing animal or human on command without so much as blinking.