“He is waking up!”
“Give him some space, let him breath.”
In effect, the captain was returning to reality. As he slowly opened his eyes, his eyelids were heavy, and there wasn’t any sign of a wound on his body.
Weakly, he could sit up in the hard dirt, he saw his shirtless torso.
“That’s weird, I thought that the gays were in Mike’s division,” he said with a jokey smile.
“Well, well. It looks like after all, that explosion didn’t affect you at all,” answered one of the members of his army.
“Don’t even doubt it” answered the captain.
Quickly he tried to stand up, but his body failed and he again fell on the ground. He noticed that he was incredibly weak, and that was strange, he was unconscious for a while and still he was feeling as the day after his first physical training in his recruit period.
Two of his men helped him to get up, carrying and sitting him on one of the motorbikes.
He drank some water from his canteen, until one of his men spoke up.
“Sir, we lost the fugitives.”
Resigned to the notice, he gave the order to go back to the base, but he was interrupted by an incoming communication in his radio.
“Someone who can get my signal, answer please!”
“Here the captain of the infantry's fourth division.”
“Oh, thanks for answering, I am the captain Samuel Corner of the intelligence division, we are under attack!”
“It’s OK, just tell me approximately the quantity of enemies and the place.”
“The number of enemies is around 40 to 50, the place is off of the normal roads, but I can guide you here with a sky light.”
“Ok, part of my division will be going, I will go to the base as fast as I can to send more reinforcement.”
“Understood, we will keep our position.”
“Roger, shoot your light, my men will get there as soon as possible, over and out”
Not so far from there, a sparkly dark pink-colored shine raised quickly. In the max point, it changed to a shiny green color, ending in free fall until disappear.
Richard watched the show, feeling a slight pressure in his chest, he didn’t know the origin of that sensation, but he didn’t have time to think about it, he already had to help the other division.
“Everyone to the motorbikes!”
The eight soldiers that were with him looked at him strangely.
“Captain, I don’t think you should go,” answered one of them.
“Of course I must go, I have to help them!” He yelled while he was trying to turn on his bike by kicking it, but his tired body prevented it.
The group, surprised by his attitude, he really wanted to help them, as if all that division was his family, with difficulty one of them answered:
“Captain, we know you want to help them, but you are very weak at the moment, you would be just a hindrance and an easy target.”
“I don’t care, the ponies need me!” angrily exclaimed.
Everyone lifted an eyebrow analyzing what the captain had said, until one encouraged to ask.
“What did you say?”
Knowing about what happened, he improvised a quick answer.
“I mean… that… the ponies will need help when the reinforcement get there…”
The group still was looking at him confused. Noticing this, Richard breathed in, and he used his wit for excusing himself.
“These are their orders, due to my condition I will retire of this operation. You go and help the intelligence division to survive, keep your position, meanwhile, I will go back to the base and mobilize the rest of the troops to be reinforced.”
The soldiers looked at him. This was the authority figure, the one who was a good strategist and a born leader.
“What are you waiting? An invitation? Move!”
“Yes sir!”
At that, a soldier turned on the captain’s bike while the others also turned on theirs, producing the deafening sound that characterized by these vehicles, motorcycles Vintage MBW R25 with sidecar. For them, it was like the start of a philharmonic that would continue with the shooting of their rifles and machine guns, and it would end with the deadly silence after the cease of the firing, where they could wait a new ambush or a full victory. All that, while they inspect the fallen ponies and they ensure their fallen ones.
“Remember to keep your position and wait the reinforcement to impose a counterstrike… good luck.”
Instantly, the soldiers mobilized and undertook the march to the combat.
Richard stopped for a moment, meditating the words that came out of his mind.
“Were my words honest?” He thought.
“Or it was just the tension of the moment?”
Before going to the base, he got off his transport, took out his pocket knife, and approached one of the trees, and marked it with an X.
Without losing any more time, he started to go back toward the military settlement, the sound of the engine silencing his thoughts, and it keeping him focused on the road, but inside him something was bothering him, not even the deafening sound could ignore that emotion.
Five minutes passed until he arrived at the entrance. The place was full of dark green campaign tents, some of them bigger than others, that were used as storage for weapons and supplies, resting place, dining room, nursing, and residence for the divisions. There was an extended training field, full of obstacles and pony-shaped mannequins, some of them with stolen armor, where the soldiers were learning to “neutralize” in case of hostility, some chemical bathrooms, an improvised baseball field that provided some recreation to the stressed uniformed soldiers, a wide parking place, where hundreds of motorbikes layed, waiting to be turned on, and next to them, a mechanic fixing shop.
In the center, a high altitude antenna seemed to touch the sky, this one provided radial communication both the base and its surroundings.
He parked his vehicle and headed with weak step to a different tent, some soldiers stared at him strangely and others limited themselves to a salute, but Richard was lost in his thoughts, totally ignoring any kind of distraction.
Arriving, he left his trance, and two guards questioned his access to that peculiar tent, after the typical military salute, one asked him.
“Good morning captain Richard, what is the purpose of your visit?” The soldier at his left said.
“I need to mobilize a part of my division for an armed combat.”
“I’m sorry, but the general is in the quarters, we can’t authorize anything until he comes back,” the guard at his right expressed with authority.
“I understand, but all the intelligence division is under attack, please, I know that the general will authorize the reinforcement.”
The guards looked at themselves for a moment and nodded.
“Okay, enter, but later you’ll have to face the consequences of ignoring the command chain,” averted with a serious tone.
“I’ll do it,” he decided.
Ending the conversation with another military salute, Richard entered the place, this was decorated with marked black and white photos, an American flag that was hanging on a small flag pole, and a well accommodated individual bed with a big desk with some paperwork.
He approached the desk slowly, feeling even weaker, he grabbed a silver colored microphone that was connected to a speakers system that was placed in the center of the base and he turned it on, the characteristic and deafening sound of the speakers turned on alerted everyone present.
“Attention, members of the fourth division report in operation center quickly! Thoughtfully, your captain.”
The speakers turned off and tens of uniformed moved to the assigned place.
The soldiers were waiting anxious inside the big tent, meanwhile, Richard approached to the guard who was guarding the entrance.
“Inform me soldier, how many people are inside there?”
“They’re exactly one hundred and fifty, captain.”
“You have a good eye for a simple guard, it would serve us a man like you in the sniper line.”
“Count with me when necessary, captain!”
“That’s the attitude! But I need you to make a favor for me, don’t let come in any more people, and if they ask why, just tell them that they will find out.”
“Sir, yes sir!”
Without losing time, he surrounded the place, and entered from a lateral entrance, going up through an improvised stage, he verified the number of people in the place and without waiting, he yelled.
“Attention!”
Everyone silenced, and stared at him.
“First of all, thank you so much for assisting but…the two bottom lines and the following half won’t be necessary for the mission, you can retire, and if you ask, don’t worry, I know some of you… will fare with the gossip.”
“Now pay attention,” said while he pulled down a small high rope and unfolded a map of the Everfree Forest.
“As you know, the base’s antenna only covers this area approximately,” he marked with a meter length wooden pointer.
“The intelligence division was investigating the intensity and limit of this frequencies to install a secondary antenna that will serve to extend the reaching of our radial communications but…”
The soldiers stared at him bewildered, they knew that now were coming bad news.
“A group of aggressors ambushed them, it’s unknown if they are low, the members that came with me in the chase went to help them, but they won’t resist for long, your mission is to reinforce them and help in the counterstrike, take the medical team to attend the injured, and liquidate the ponies!”
Suddenly, the fatigue that he carried since the incident with the fugitives ponies increased, and Richard shook for a second, this made the everyone present worry, not one of them spoke as their captain clarified.
“Also, secure the area when the intelligence decides to come back.”
“Sir, yes sir!”
“Fine, brake lines!”
But that was the last thing they heard from him.
Without any notice, he collapsed with his back on the improvised stage. With his eyes not totally open he could see in slow motion how the soldiers lifted up from their chairs and went to help him, carrying him from his torso, head, arms and legs, disposed to take him to the nursery, but before fainting again he thought.
“Not again.”
He woke up.
He was lying in the floor and again, everything was gray, like in that dream in the Everfree Forest, but when he sat, he felt a stabbing pain in his left shoulder, taking his right hand to the wound as answer he could perceive the blood running through his arm, with fear, he started to see around. He was in the middle of one big battle occurring in his base, it looked like the ponies had invaded the place but strangely, there was no sound, not of the weapons, or the crossbows that the earth ponies were carrying, or the yelling of the injured in both teams, but the fight was present.
Slowly, the general approached Richard, carrying a Revolver .22 Long, painted totally with a shiny golden color with a black handle. While he has playing with it, he started to say a monologue, and although he couldn’t hear any words, Richard could perceive a strange mix of deception and anger in the look of his best friend, he rarely has saw him in that way.
“I feel that he is reproaching me but… Why he is not helping me? Can’t he see my injury?”
In effect, the only time he remembered seeing him that way was when he discovered that some recluses were organizing to put marijuana in the installations for their own consume. That day he called all the soldiers in, and gave them a long talk that made them feel guilty and embarrassed at the same time, all that, while he kept the serenity that characterized him, it didn’t matter how mad he was. He didn’t show anger at all, but that didn’t take away the fear of those soldiers that were expulsed after his speech.
“Tell me, Richard,” expressed the general.
This pulled the captain out of thought, surprised to hear him. He wanted to ask desperately, but for his bad luck, he was still mute.
“How does it feel to treason your own specie?”
Richard stared with his eyes wide open as plates and constricted pupils. Perplexed of what was happening, he just stayed there, without noticing, that they were pointing at him with the revolver’s cannon. He stood up slowly, looking at the weapon that was in front of him without showing any emotion, the general didn’t alter this, and with his thumb he pulled down the gun’s hammer, the barrel rolled to the left, and without doubting, he pulled the trigger, letting a small sparkle gave way to the bullet that travelled in slow motion to Richard’s head.
He screamed while he was standing from his bed, with heavy breathing, he took his hand to his head and then to his shoulder.
“It was just a dream,” he sighed, relieved.
“Or a nightmare?” he thought.
He saw around him how his soldiers were sleeping placidly even after his little disturbance.
“Mmm…, my men will be efficient but they have a heavy dream,” sighed for himself.
Still with his thoughts, he stayed sitting looking for an answer to the dream he just had, without noticing how one of his men was sleeping in a chair near of the exit, to the side, waking up suddenly.
“A gay president in 2084!” He screamed startled, and noticed how Richard looked at him with one eyebrow up.
“You are realistic, David,” he said with a funny tone and a little laugh.
“My captain!” He said getting up from the chair and standing at his side.
“Are you alright?”
“What? Yes, yes, everything’s okay but, what were you doing sleeping in a chair?”
“They told me take care of you while you were unconscious”
“How much time…?”
“Excuse me?”
“How much time was I unconscious?!” He yelled, furious, but quickly simmered down.
“I, I’m sorry, I’ve got so much to think about now.”
“Don’t worry about that, tell me, do you need something?”
“Nothing for now David, go to sleep that there will be a lot to do in the dawn.”
“And you?”
“I’ll be awake for a while, after all, I’ve been asleep for a lot of time apparently,” he said, seeing the moon’s light entering from the exit.
“It’s okay, have a good night captain.”
“Same to you David.”
They saluted with the classic military salute and David went lazily to his bed, throwing himself towards it, hugging Morpheus’s arms at that moment.
But Richard was far from being asleep. Tormented by his thoughts, he stood up from his bed, and he left the tent to contemplate. The moon was filling him with unknown sensations, and it seem to be confusing him every second he looked at it.
A while passed looking at that wonder, until a strong abdominal pain invaded him. It was unstoppable. He felt a huge pressure in his stomach while something like the acidity presented in his pit of the stomach and quickly going up through his esophagus, with the burning with it.
Quickly, he took out a lamp from the tent, turned on the lighter, with that weak light and with one hand in his stomach he hurried to the nearest chemical restroom, waiting to don’t faint in the road.
He opened the door, hung the lamp on a hanger, he dropped his pants and sat on the cold plastic aperture.
“Son of a-!” he contained his anger.
“It can’t be so cold!”
Even with the pain and the burning, he pushed waiting for “that” as it relieved the pain, but surprisingly, he didn’t seem to want to “evacuate”, which left him at the mercy of the suffering.
“AAAAAAGGGHHH!” He murmured in pain.
Without any notice, a burp provocated the output of a small violet fire. Scared, he covered his mouth with both hands, waiting to contain whatever could come out of his body.
“I don’t think I can resist much longer,” he thought in pain, “well, this is my end.”
Without any resistance, he slowly put his hands down, and without making himself wait, a big burp with a big violet flare came out of his mouth, and so, he closed his eyes and put his arms on his head as instinctive response, waiting for the flames to end his life.