Forgotten

	I crawl through the mud, my rifle in my hands. To my right a small lone stone wall about 4 feet in height, to my left a seemingly endless field of shell craters. I stop and try to breathe, but the filter on my gas mask is old and won't let me, it is like trying to pour water through stone. I listen, the rain has gotten heavier it makes small dinking noises on my steel helmet, then I hear a dragging noise, "Shit." I wince, it followed me. It gets closer, the horrifying creature only looks human from a distance, where its eyes should be, there are only black pits where seemingly all light goes to die. The thing can seemingly sprint despite its limp. I have to make a move, I can hear it get closer. I jump up over the wall, on the other side is a line of trenches, 8ft deep, 2 feet wide. I hear the thing scream as I begin running, I have to get to the bunker before the next atmospheric burst. I run. There, 200ft straight at the back of a trench, a bright red Bunker doors, the door is glaring at me, it knows its my goal. All of a sudden "Fuck!" I scream as I careen into a trench. I can't stop, not with that creature and my goal so close, on the first step a sharp jab of pain shoots up my left leg. I look down and see crimson pouring out of my calf, it stains my olive green pants. I stab a vial of morphine into it, that should keep me going if only for a bit longer. I begin running, no sprinting to the door, I'm half way there when I hear it again, the mortifying thing, it tracked me again. I turn and meekly raise my rifle. I fire of a round *BANG* the thing roars in pain, it starts to charge. I turn again, the door is so close, I can almost reach it. I keep running, every bone, muscle, and fiber of my body going against my survival. Finally, I'm there, I spin the bunker door open, the red valve on the front old and rusty door lets out a vile screeching noise as I turn it with the last of my strength. I rip the steel and concrete monstrosity open and slam it shut, just as that vile thing reaches the door. *BANG* The hideous thing slams on the door, I back up, it will hold for now.

	The airlock of the bunker hisses to life, it exchanges the toxins of the outside for manufactured and clean oxygen. It only takes a minute before *CLUNK* the interior door lock opens, I step in. It is a small room, about 30ft by 30ft. At the back there are rows of bunk bed and foot lockers, they look like they haven't been ever used since they were installed. On the left side a small folding plastic table covered in dust, the right a row of green lockers, all of them open and empty. I remove my helmet, then gas mask. On my helmet I have a pack of cigaretts strapped on by a string of barbed wire, I remove them and carefully inspect the logo. "Apolyuse?" the name always seemed odd to me, it looked Russian, but its hard to say. I light up before I begin to inspect my wound. The morphine seems to have done its job, well I shouldn't call it morphine. I don't know what it is, but the stuff can seal up wounds when ingected, along with acting a a painkiller. I sit down on the concrete ground before I check my watch, the timer shows back to me, 00:04 I pause it, I cant keep cutting it this close. If I had been out the for 4 more minutes I would have been cooked alive in the burst. I greedily inhale more tobacco. I remove my pack, the old canvas thing hasn't been given maintenance in years, its washed out, most of the original green dye has been washed out at this point, if it weren't so muddy it would be white. I remove a can of soup, this language I can read, it is labeled "CHICKEN SOUP" the can is white besides for the black letters. I tear it open with my knife and begin eating, it would be nice if it were warm, but beggars can't be choosers. The soup has little to no taste, it was locked away longer then most though it ever would be. The burst starts, the room begins to shake, dust is unsettled, it is like i'm a mouse in a tin can, being beaten with a hammer. I set the soup down, the bunker will be fine, if it isn't, it is as good a day to die as any. After a minute the burst stops. I am done with the soup now, and I can't waste more than one cigarette per bunker. I must resume my main mission now. By the door of the bunker, there is a large terminal, it stretches from the roof to the floor, the screen of it is covered in dust. I hit the on button and the machine flickers to life. Below the screen there is a small keyboard, I begin to type. "systemRetrieve systemStatus" I'm met with a list
	
       Antenna [ONLINE]
	Radio [ONLINE]
	Power [ONLINE]
	Oxygen Filter [74%]
	Food Stocks [0%]
	Water Systems [OFFLINE] 
	
	Good enough I think to myself. I type again "radioSet 92.37FM".
	
	RADIO SET 92.37FM
	
	I continue to type "broadcastBegin set defaultMicrophone"
	
	BROADCAST BEGUN

	I begin to speak, "Search Light to OverLord, Search Light to Overlord." A automated voice responds "THIS IS OVERLORD, SEARCH LIGHT GOOD CONTACT." I respond "Bunker Charlie Niner in sector Bravo, Alpha, eighty, forty three, full facility functions. I say again Bunker Charlie Niner in sector Bravo, Alpha, eighty, forty three, full facility functions." Overlord responds "SEARCH LIGHT RETURN TO MAIN FACILITY TO REARM AND REDEPLOY." I speak once more "Confirmed Overlord return to main facility to rearm and redeploy, good copy."
	
	BROADCAST END
	


Safe Travels - Part 2
	I stare down at the body of Hans Gruber. He was a good man. Now his lifeless body lies dormant in church, hands together, like he is praying. When the first border skirmishes started, we looked to Hans, in a world of darkness he was our hope and light. Now, he lies dead in this church with the rest of his squad. I turn his body over and remove his dogtag, it is the only recognition this body shall get. His rifle is rotted and burned, the church has done well to protect him from the bursts. I soon turn and collect the rest of the dogtags from the rest of his squad. How many more have I found? Ten men barely add to the list of dead. I cannot stay in the church long, my filter is almost broken and the next burst is in two and a half hours. I take the main exit to the church, the wood and stone monument will lie still for the rest of time. I begin to walk, my M14 at a low ready. Only a couple more miles to the main facility. If I could smoke through the gas mask it would go a lot easier. This far back in the lines there are almost no enemies. They have all been killed by landmines or spike traps by this point, so I have time for reflection. Why did I survive? Why did God choose me over so many others, I was never that religious, nor was I the best soldier. So why did I survive? Maybe it was just luck, or it was divine punishment upon humanity for constantly hating each other. The question flickers in my brain for a little while longer, it is best to forget such silly thoughts. I'm half a mile from the Main Base when I see someone. 200 feet away in a brown field of ash stands a lone figure, it has not noticed me yet. I raise my rifle. I study it for a moment before I notice the bright red flag insignia on its shoulder, I no longer hesitate. I pull the trigger *BANG*. The figure stumbles, I HIT IT. It turns to me and I fire again, *BANG* the figure falls. I run up to it as fast as I can, and when I reach it I gaze down at it. The figure, well the soldier is dressed in a Soviet uniform, its gas mask sewn into its face, I listen, it is still breathing. I raise my rifle to the soldier’s head, and pull the trigger, that is what I have been trained to do after all, right? *BANG*. I have reached the main base, its two big red bunker doors stare at me. The doors are like big iron trees, I walk up to the PA system and push the button, the camera flicks around to look at me, I feel its imposing gaze on me before it turns back off and begins the opening process. The doors flicker and churn like a factory. The noise they make while opening is horrendous, it feels like they are mocking you by how slow they are. The doors slam into the big concrete walls that contain them. Their brakes have long since faded. I walk in just as It begins raining again, the doors slam shut behind me and the airlock begins.