I opened my eyes and felt it all flood back to me. Pain. Everywhere hurt. I tried to move and winced as a jolt of pain fired in every nerve of my body. I started to check things over. Two legs, two arms. I put my hand over my crotch and breathed a painful sigh of relief. I slid my hand down over the top of my head. Something wet and sticky seeped through my fingers. I felt the darkness slowly take me.

When I awoke again I felt the hardened blood that matted the back of my head. I looked around at the cracked walls,  twisted metal and shattered glass. This didn't make sense. Last thing I knew my platoon was advancing on an enemy position then... No, they wouldn't, not in their own capital. I slowly dragged myself forward grunting against my bodies stern protest. I pulled myself up onto a broken window sill and held my breath. They had.

I looked out over the desolate land scape, a shattered mirror image of what it once was. Not a soul in sight. The lonely sound of fires burned through the silence. Ash and embers fell liked rain. My gaze rose and settled on the mushroom cloud rising thousands of feet into the air. I should be deaf... Then again, I should be dead. Then it hit me.

Every one of my company, every single one dead. I let myself slid down and rested against the cracked wall as this sunk in. Out of habit I looked for my rifle. I knew it was useless, even if i did find it, it would have been fried by the EMP blast from the nuke. I justed wanted to feel the familiar weight in my hands. I checked for my side arm. It was no where to be found.

I had to get away from this city. Not only because the radiation would kill me but because the ghosts of my company would soon haunt me.

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Author guidance for This story

Hundreds of planets have been colonized. Wars rage for so long no one is quite sure what they are fighting for. Main infantry weapon is a high tech pulse rifle with an M109 pistol. Some conventional weapons still exist.

updated Jun 28 '09 by Elemental