Millennia: Beginning

by Thunderblast

14. A Marine's Night Out

The days that followed the torture interrogation test only got colder and shorter. It was only the beginning of September and winter was already coming in like a lion. Thankful to own some issue gloves and a watch hat, they kept my hooves and ears toasty against brutal oceanic breezes.

That week, I was assigned a temporary station along the northern wall to a stretch between where a couple of watchtowers were situated. Basically, my job for the time being was to patrol back and forth along the wall from near the water line to about one sixth of a mile inland, armed with an M16 hanging around my neck by a strap. It was far better than staying in a barrack all day, and certainly more so above a desk job, but with fall almost in full swing, it was one of the worst positions.

Every day passed with no action, and every night after dinner was spent sleeping until my shift that started at 0600 every morning. I kept it in my hopes that somepony would approach and finally tell me whether or not I am cleared to begin the classes necessary to work a radar which, by then, I would finally be able to serve aboard the Eclipse.

When Friday morning came, I stepped out into the frigid, breezy air, dressed fully in uniform, complete with the wool watch cap that nestled atop my crown and shielded my ears from the cold, along with an M16 around my neck. It was about a five minute trot from the barrack to my station on the far northern end of the base, which would then be followed by a ten hour stretch of patrolling roughly thirty yards of solid concrete separating an area of brush and trees, Bronclyn to the east, and the inside of Joint Base Manehattan.

I strolled over to the ladder that led up to the top and began to climb. The wall itself was at least two and a half times my height, and thus the climb was fairly short. About halfway up, however, I was stopped by the sound of somepony whistling for me. I paused where I was and glanced back down to the ground. There stood Sergeant Hardstaff, with black shades over his eyes.

"Hey, Private, come down here," he called, gesturing while staring directly at me.

I stared back momentarily before sliding down the ladder and landing on all fours. "Yes, Sergeant?" I threw up a firm salute.

Sergeant Hardstaff waved his hoof. "At ease." I lowered my hoof. "So, a little birdy tells me you've already been offered a rate on the Eclipse. Is this true?"

I nodded without hesitation to the question. "Yes, sir. It is."

"Radar and SONAR position?" he added.

My head cocked a bit. "Er... Sonar?"

"Sound Navigation And Ranging," the sergeant explained. "It's about the same thing as a radar but it is only used on the open ocean. But, as I was saying, is that your position?"

"Well, if the Academy would let me in before the Eclipse ships out in a month, yes," I waved, nodding.

Hardstaff suddenly dug into his uniform pocket and produced a folded note, then slapped it against my chest. "Boom, you're in. Carry on with your duties."

I took the folded piece of paper and looked at it, then up at the sergeant, who was now trotting away without another word spoken.

"Er... thank you?" I said just loud enough for him to hear.

"Don't thank me, thank your commanding officer! Now, read it!" he shouted back without stopping.

I shifted my attention back to the piece of paper and carefully unfolded it.

---

To: Private Star Shooter, New Lunar Marine Corps.

25th Battalion, 4th Marines

From: The Lunar Naval Academy of Radar and SONAR Tracking.

We are pleased to accept a newly-graduate into our three week classes that will teach those who take them what to do in the event of being put in the position of a Radar Operator. In the three weeks beginning September 7th, you will be taught the basics of weather tracking, as well as identifying blips of objects on radar whether they be fishing vessels, merchant ships, or even an enemy in the event of warfare at sea.

On behalf of all of us at the academy, welcome aboard, Private Star Shooter.

---

I stared at the letter for a full two minutes in disbelief, all before a big grin widened across my muzzle. I was accepted into the Academy! I was officially going to be a part of Shadow's crew, on the Eclipse! But then, I began to ponder just how difficult these classes might be, especially around the start.

Choosing to shrug it off, I tucked the letter after folding it back up into my uniform pocket and climbed back up the ladder to the top of the wall. It shouldn’t be too hard, I thought, remembering the classes on meteorology that I had taken back in the sixth grade. Needless to say, weather fascinated me as a colt, and to this day it still did. Hopefully it wouldn't be too much different in the coming class.

The thought remained fresh on my mind the rest of my shift, and even after I exchanged with the night watch officer who covered for me during the night hours, I started having mixed feelings about the Academy—which classes started on Sunday. Anxiety of both the excited and nervous kinds took firm hold on me as a result. I didn't know which of the two I was most of.

That night was fairly clear with little clouds off in the distance. Up above, stars that blinked and twinkled far above the world and for once that day, it made me think of something other than the Academy. When I was younger, there were few nights I went outside just to look at the sky, and every night I did was beyond enjoyable. As I stared up, all I could do was smile, even if it was faint.

Smiling wasn't much of a thing I have been doing lately, not that I really put much thought into.

Thus the remaining distance of the walk back to the barrack was spent staring forward with the blankest of expressions and little thought.

***

Saturday morning couldn't have come any later, and it felt like just five minutes from the moment I fell asleep where I already found myself waking to the warm light of morning. I winced at the bright rays flooding into the room, reflexively throwing up a hoof to shield my eyes for a full minute while they adjusted, where I then sat up steadily. My mane was like an untrimmed bush with thick and thin strands of sky blue hair standing or curled in all directions. A good shower would likely rid of that.

Everypony else was either showering or already out and about doing Celestia knows what. Not all of us shared the same days off, and a few of the other privates had their respective shifts. Thankfully, I didn't. Today was a relaxation day, probably the last one I would have for the next three weeks. I wanted to make the most of it as best as I can, though at the same time I wasn't in much of a mood to go venture too far.

With going into the city out of the question, I laid back on my bed and stared upwards at the ceiling, thinking of what I could do to spend the day.

But as I did, somewhere in between, I closed my eyes and ended up falling back unconscious.

My lids opened once more some time later. Instead of bright sunlight flooding into the barrack, it was no longer sunny outside. Strangely enough, I wasn't even in the barrack anymore. I was laying on the bottom of a bunk bed inside a small room, closed off by a watertight door beside my hind hooves. Beside my bunk sat a wooden desk, across from it, a mirrored bunk-like bed, except the beds were inside of a wall. I was on a ship, and outside, I could hear the faint wail of an alarm going off.

I pushed a thin blanket off of me and carefully stood up, studying the room for a moment and walking up to the small rounded window above the desk. I looked through it, immediately seeing there to be sizable white-capped waves slowly drifting by the window, one crashing against the hull and splashing up. It scared the hell out of me initially, enough to where I leaped back instinctively and put a hoof to my chest, relieved moments later to find the wave hadn't caused any damage to the bulkhead.

Turning and walking to the door, grabbing hold of the lever, I tried to pull it open. It didn't budge. I kept working on it with all of my might, only to be met with the same result. Finally, I pulled the lever upwards. It moved, and the loud screech of steel rubbing against more steel pierced the air and made my ears pin back just a bit. I held the lever and pulled the door inwards, stepping out under a swirling red light flashing on the wall across from where I had emerged.

I walked out into the passaged and looked up at the light. At that very moment, a pony who I presumed to be the commanding officer came on the public address system. The voice didn’t precisely belong to Shadow, but sounded awfully similar.

"All hooves on deck, I repeat, all hooves on deck. We are being boarded on the starboard side, and they're taking our deck ponies!"

My eyes grew wide in shock when a sudden rush of sailors and Marines rushed down the hallway around me towards the front of the ship when, out of nowhere, a bright flash of yellow and orange immediately followed by an eardrum-bursting blast, then the screeches and straining of metal threatening to break, and a shockwave that forced me onto my back. My cover had fallen off and now was laying on the floor upside down some inches above my head.

I pressed myself up on my elbows and stared down the hallway where the others were running to. Instead of seeing an extensive wall extending down for two corridors, a massive, gaping hole where it looked like a torpedo had gone right into the side of the ship and blew it completely into the water took its place. Severed beams of steel and snapped, sparking wires hung from the jagged rim of the hole on each level, while the debris that had been blown off now floated in the rough seas outside while some waves splashed their way into the corridor.

I stared in absolute shock, watching as pony after pony fell into the water as more of the upper decks collapsed, pancaking on top of one another. I was too horrified to move, realizing none of the sailors that had fallen were resurfacing. I sat there helplessly as some type of jet slid backwards off of the upper deck and slowly sank into the water, with someone inside screaming and beating on the windshield in an attempt to break it, but to no avail. I watched helplessly as the pony, as well as the craft that trapped him disappeared under the frigid white-capped surf.

Then, finally, a loud bang, followed by an extremely powerful surge of pain that raced through my nerves stemming from my chest. My gaze lowered slowly to a bloodied hole in my chest, having cut effortlessly through my clothes and flesh. My heartbeat even hurt. The hole had opened my chest so much, I could hear my heart beating outside of the throbbing in my ears. I could even see it, with the bullet lodged in it. Eventually it pumped hard enough where the bullet was pushed out, and blood gushed from the wound.

My ears pinned back at the sight as the ichor then dribbled out of my mouth. I hacked excessively and wiped a trembling hoof over my lips, finding it to have been soaked with the amount of blood I had coughed up. Then my vision began to fade in and out, along with my entire sense of perception.

A shadow loomed across my weakening form, compelling me to look up. In that instant, a large yellow claw pressed against the floor beside me, the other holding up a type of rifle I had never seen before in my life. The creature's hinds appeared as if they belonged a cat. More specifically, a big cat. A lion, perhaps.

Above the screeching and straining of steel from the ship struggling to hold together, I could hear the dark chuckle of the creature as it grinned sinisterly down at me. It strapped the rifle around it's neck and took out a revolver pistol and pointed it at my head and soon pressed it against my forehead. My pupils shrunk to pinpricks and I slowly shook my head, begging silently that it wouldn't end my life. Not now. I was too young.

Surely enough, the creature pulled the trigger with a sharp finger pressed downward, and right as the loud explosion of the gun firing could be heard, everything turned black.

Then I woke up, panting and sweating.

I scanned my surroundings, still cautious of them. I was back in my bed, in the barrack, and the bright sunlight shone into the room. It brought great relief to my chest upon coming to the realization that it was all just a dream, and I had simply fallen back asleep.

I brought my hoof up to my chest, finding my heart continued to beat rapidly; quicker and harder than what would be considered healthy, and my chest heaved with deep gasps caused by pure adrenaline, fueled by gripping fear that permeated my essence. Finally, some moments after jolting, I managed to very gradually calm myself down and bring my mind back to thinking straight again.

"Some dream..." I muttered to myself as I rubbed with a hoof along my temple and climbed carefully out of bed.

"About time you're up," chimed in a voice, causing me to jump and snap my head to the side in surprise. I saw it was Silver Edge, dressing himself in his own blouse. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

I glanced at him and relaxed myself once more. "Close. I saw myself turn into one."

"Really?" he started as he buttoned his jacket and stared at himself in a mirror. "It's rare to have dreams of yourself dying in them, you know. At least, that's what I hear. It's not common for ponies to dream of themselves dying."

"You've said that twice," I remarked, steadily rising to my hooves.

"Well, it's true. What was it about?" Silver turned to me, finishing the last button on his jacket and sporting a genuine smile.

I stopped and gazed forward, then at him after a moment. He still stared at me, head tilting. "Uh... I got hit by a train."

Silver bit his bottom lip and inhaled sharply. "Ooo, ouch. Fast train or slow?"

I furrowed a brow at him suspiciously.

"Fast, then? Sometimes in dreams you can actually feel pain, and when you wake up, it's gone."

"Uh... huh..." I nodded slowly in response. Hopefully I change the subject some time soon.

"Anyways, I've been meaning to ask you. Since I hear you're going to be at the Radar Academy for the long while, want to hit a bar or something later on?"

"A bar?" I looked at him and blinked. "I can't drink."

"Aaah, come on. They won't ask for an identification if I'm buying for you! You’re 19, aren’t you?" His grin grew.

"Silver, I don't want you to do that. Even if I could drink, I wouldn't let you buy drinks for me," I smiled a bit sheepishly.

"Hey, I do what I want for a friend. Besides, don't ya wanna let go a little bit before you hit the classes?"

"Hmm..." I raised a hoof to my chin and tapped it. A few moments later, I shrugged. "Oh, all right. I'm cool with that."

"Great!" Silver smiled as he trotted past me, gently nudging my chest with his elbow playfully. "Eight tonight?"

"Sure thing. But..."

"But what?"

"I won't drink much. And I'm not going to stay late. I have to be up early tomorrow, you hear?" I poked a hoof towards him.

"Affirmative. I'll be sure to get the little colt home before his curfew," he chuckled. "I'm joking."

I tossed a fake glare his way and smirked. "You'd better be. See you later."

***

That evening, I sat waiting on my bed, still dressed in uniform, excluding my cover. It rested on the sheets next to me the whole time I waited, and even though I was off duty at the time, I was unsure if I really needed to wear it or not. With how cold temperatures dropped to at night in Manehattan this time of year, the beanie I had would be more suitable... and comfortable.

Just after a quarter 'til eight, Silver trotted into the barrack, laughing with two other ponies who were all also in uniform. One of them wore Marines camouflage, the other donned a uniform with dark blue and grey camouflage. The devices on his collar stood out predominantly above the different color, and unlike those worn by Marines in dress blues were complete an anchor patch above it. Navy. "Hey, Star. Ready to go?"

I stood up and grabbed my beanie rather than my cover, slipping it snug over my ears. "You bet," I responded with a smile.

"Oh, by the way." Silver shifted out of the way of the two stallions behind him. The Marine was a taller and more muscular greenish-grey earth pony, while the sailor was a pegasus and frankly less built than the earth pony. "Meet Ashfall and Anchorage, my brothers from other mothers. And guys, this is Star Shooter."

I trotted up to them and shook their hooves individually with a warm smile. "Pleasure to meet you both."

"The pleasure is all mine, Shooter." Ash smirked as he shook my hoof firmly, but then was punched in the shoulder by the white pegasus. "O-ow, prick!" he rubbed his shoulder and glared right at him.

Silver chuckled softly. "Easy, you two. I'd hate to see a fight break out away from the bar."

"It's his fault, he punched me!" Ash rubbed his shoulder with a hoof and glared back at Anchorage, who glared right back with daggers.

"Quit bein' a baby. Ya gotta take a hit if ya wanna be who ya are, Corporal," Anchorage spoke with an accent. An interesting accent, to say the least. My guess was he originated from somewhere up north.

"Shut it, mutt," Ash muttered.

"Oi, I'm not a mutt, I'm a sea dog! Two different things!" Anchorage snarled.

“Right. A Prench-speaking, sea-mutt.” The Marine retorted.

The pegasus sailor flashed Ashfall a dirty look. “Sucer le clitoris gauche de votre mère, douchebag,” he responded.

All I could do was snicker, even though I hadn’t a clue of what he just said. Silver simply rolled his eyes and let off a groan of annoyance.

"Can we just go, please?" Silver pushed the door open with a hoof and stared at them with a cocked eyebrow.

"Ugh. Yes," muttered Ash, who pinned his ears back and trotted out of the barrack, still rubbing his shoulder.

Anchorage scoffed, rolling his eyes. "He is such a baby," then walked out after him.

I followed suit, walking side-by-side with Silver. "They always like this?"

"Occasionally they butt heads. A couple of times a week, I'd say. They'll be talking to each other like brothers again once we get there, maybe sooner."

I shrugged. "I'd hope so. Speaking of which, do you know where we're going?"

"Oooof course I do! The place isn't far. It's not exactly in the city but it's still outside the base. Just a couple of blocks down in the town is all."

"Well, I trust you on getting us there," I smiled to him. "Remember, I'm not staying late. Big day tomorrow. And after that… and after that."

"I know, I know," Silver waved his hoof and grinned. "Off we go!"

***

Following a thirteen minute walk, we approached a three-story structure, old and built up with brick. The first floor occupied the whole tavern, the floors above were presumably apartments or a management office and a storage room, whichever. The place maintained a decent crowd and many tables and booths everywhere.

The bar itself was fairly large and above it sat numerous flat-screen televisions broadcasting different channels, whether they be local news or sports or weather. In there were a couple others from the base kicking back, but much to our surprise, they didn't notice us. Or they pretended not to. Either way, that was an immediate relief.

We sat down at the bar and Silver promptly placed ten bits on the counter. Shortly after, ciders poured into tall glass mugs that fizzed and bubbled to the top slid our way from the bartender further down. Immediately, Ashfall and Anchorage began downing their drinks like they were in some sort of competition, while Silver sipped politely at his and watched the television broadcasting a sports talk show, which was discussing the upcoming hoofball season, among other stuff I didn’t care too much for.

I looked at the drink the moment I caught it in my hoof and proceeded to take a very small, careful sip. The taste was bitter and sent a chill up my spine. I swiftly put the mug down and threw my head to the side, wiping at my tongue. "Blech..." I spat quietly.

When the taste settled, I turned back to the drink and stared at it, then I turned to Silver who didn't notice me cringe at the taste. I didn't want him to feel bad, and began slowly, and hesitantly, taking a few small gulps of the cider.

The second time wasn't as awful. In fact, it tasted quite good! I took some more sips and happily gulped them down, with lots of the alcoholic drink still left in the mug.

"Taste all right?" Silver threw a smug grin my way.

"Sure does!" I sipped again, surprised at this sudden change of taste. Why was cider so damn good?

"Better get used to it, we'll be doin' this more often," Anchorage flatly commented as he gulped down the rest of his drink, then set it down hard onto the table, turning to the bartender. "Can I get another?" he requested, who took his mug and began filling it again.

I sipped more and more of the beverage until half of it was gone, enjoying the taste of alcohol-infused apple juices as it slithered down into my stomach. I didn't have one care in the world about my age or what the legal drinking age was. I was having a good time!

I finished my cider quickly after, and proceeded to order another.

Comments

[Gizmo Gear]

Ah sheit. Gotta baaaaaaad feeling.........