THREE MONTHS LATER.....
Military training exercises: Otherwise known as a boring waste of time. I find them to be pointless and a good excuse for the officers to order people about. This particular exercise I was currently driving my beloved T80UD around in was a “friendly competition” between the various tank units in the Division. The only reason why my tank is not knocked out with a 125mm paint round is because the best man in the best crew gets a prize.
This prize got my attention:20 BOTTLES OF VODKA were to be awarded and when I heard, well I just made sure that I would bother.
“DRIVER GET YOUR FOOT IN GEAR, THERES A T90 AIMING AT US ACROSS THE ROAD”.My commander shouts at me and I kick the tank in the fastest gear. I look around a find a deserted house...and drive into it. A second later the paint round from the “enemy” T90 hits the space where we were a few seconds ago.
Naturally it has been said that I have amazing fast reactions,many people comment on that and I didn’t prove them wrong this time as I continue driving through the house, bits of concrete and other stuff falling on the T80UD like rain.
“Driver, engage that T90”.The commander orders, he somehow expects me to find that T90 and ram it to death. Fucking idiot,I remember saying that the armed forces are being swarmed by fan boys, this is one of them.
Anyway I exit the house and burst through a hedge that somehow survived the harsh winter, but it didn’t survive a 40+ton tank with Nexus driving through it.
I ignore my commanders useless ranting as I open the hatch and survey the landscape with my own eyes. Before me is a paint ball match with tanks...stupid way to go but I’m winning that Vodka.
I continue to glance at the blasted scenery.
“NEXUS YOUR GOING THE WRONG WAY”.The rookie fan boy screams like a little girl, I can hear his little voice crack.
“Shut up fool and let me do my fucking job”.I say back and he shut up.
I stop the tank and breath heavily, then debate on where to go.
Should I engage the forces duking it out on the plains below or search for that T90?.
My answer is cut by the appearance of the T90, my commander whimpers.
I can see its gun barrel point, the 125mm shell being loaded.
I never give it the chance to get a hit. Throwing the tank into third gear before flanking to the right, I avoid the shell by inches and my gunner reacts fast enough to fire his own shell into the T90.
The round goes true and soon a red paint mark is present on the “enemy” tanks turret.
“Good job Nexus”. The gunner says and I allow myself a brief smile.
The past months have gone quickly, There are talks about promotion for me.
But I don’t care, my little Pushka is with me.
She is the only thing I really care about, hell even my alcohol obsession is weaker. Every time I come back from a hard day she greets me by hugging my leg or squeaking excitingly.
We sleep together now, I wear a shirt and shorts anyway as she cuddles up to me like I am the only thing that protects her from danger....cute is it not?.
My secret weapon then kicks into sense and I recoil back from my thinking and throw the T80 forwards just as a another T90 fires. The metallic shape of a 125mm round ejects out of the gun barrel in a plump of super heated smoke.
It misses as my T80 leaps down from the ridge that we were fighting on.
Seeing that the slope obstructs us from the T90s view, I then turn the engine off and wait.
“Gunner,load a shell”. I whisper quietly into the crew intercommunication set.
“Da loaded but I dont have a good aim, suggest we move backwards a little bit”. Comes the reply.
This is where it gets tricky,I can turn the engine on and risk detection or...I can put the brakes off.
I go with the latter and turn the brakes off.
The tank tracks slowly retract down the hill and the wheels squeak quietly
as we pick up speed.
Soon we hit the bottom off the ridge and I hit the brakes as the tank comes to a sudden stop.
Just in time as the T90 crests the ridge, it then thunders down quickly before the driver slams on the brakes having noticed my T80UD sitting on the bottom of the ridge,barrel pre aimed and waiting for it , he brakes too quickly and it flips over comically.
I then close the drivers hatch for good measure and to protect my ears as the huge cannon above me roars.
I see a massive pillar of smoke eject before a red hot paint round slams into the overturned T90 and “kills it”.
My secret weapon is sixth sense that allows me to react before something happens. This happens again and I get a sudden feeling of being fired upon by several tanks.
Aware that this would happen in a few seconds I turn on the engine again. It kicks into place with a massive roar and we are off again.
My sixth sense was right again as a pair of T72s appear, they fire and miss like all the others.
Now going to 50+kph I twist and turn to disrupt their aim. The first one fires in front and misses, a column of mud bracketing the area around it.
The second just rockets past, how these fools passed basic training is beyond me.
“Ready to fire”.My gunner reports and I slam on the brakes, the ground comes closer as the tank rears up and then settles. Little more than a second later our own shells “kills” the nearest T72.
The second wiggles its turret from some strange reasons, ironically it somehow manges to miss a stationary target.
My gunner punishes them with a select piece of paint filled 125mm justice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We lost eventually as we got surrounded by something like ten of them. I think that was because my cry baby of a commander refused to help. I slugged him in the face when I realised what he did and after we got out of the tank.
I think he’s still in hospital.
“Fucking idiot fucking idiot fucking idiot”.I repeat to myself over and over again as I walk down the long winding corridor that leads to my own quarters. I look forward to seeing Pushka again.
I open my door and Pushka meets me as usual, happy to see me and her mane in a curl?.
That s new I think, and its a purplish colour too. Wow she really likes to decorate now, ever since I got her a little sewing machines she’s been making her own little clothes to wear. Cute I think.
Anyway we do the usual hugging as I bend down and peck her in the cheek.
I sense something, looking at her mouth I begin to observe that she is about to say her first word.
That’s when she says something...something I’ve always hated.
“Daddy”.