May 13th 2008
Posted to
Fan-Fic
- Xanog
I stepped up onto Visari’s speech platform, followed by another man…
I’d been here before, this was the site of Visari’s coronation, after he stole the power from our
Senate. Everything was more peaceful before that moment; sure, we’d lost the war, and the Vektans forced us to pay for their expenses, but there was no violence, no death, no accusations. Our scientists were hard at work trying to find cures for the diseases that the atmosphere gave us, and our military was busy rebuilding our great cities and aiding the people.
This platform was also the site of public execution for traitors against the throne. A symbol of all the corruption and greed that had plagued our people over these past few years. Scientists were decapitated for “conspiracy”, doctors were hanged for “poisoning” the people, and members of the military, such as myself, recieved the “honor” of death by headshot. Ask anyone on the street and they’d claim such ideas as lunacy, but deep down, they all know it is true.
“Here’s your traitor!”
The crowd screamed like a torrent of water, cheering and jeering at the events which were to unfold.
Another man approached me, with a “ceremonial” pistol in hand. He came closer, and closer, and the nearer he got, the louder the crowd yelled.
What was I doing here? How did I get into the mess? Was everything I had done worth the effort? Worth the pain? Worth the loss? And why didn’t I leave sooner, with my brother?
For me to explain this state of affairs, let me return to the beginning…
Chapter One: The Good Ol’ Days
I didn’t sign up in the military for active duty. Ater all, I thought that we were done after how badly we’d been beaten in the first War. I wanted to help the people of Helghan, specifically those near the Corinth River, where I grew up. My brother, on the other hand, who you might know as “Gregor the Deceiver” was eager to get into the fight and earn his medals. Funny how quickly he changed. For you see, after spending one year in the army, he realized how foolish we were and ran away to Vekta. When last I’d heard from him, he was trying to join the ISA in their pursuit of peace. I initially thought that he was crazy, but perhaps I’m the one who was insane for staying.
Growing up in an area that had been ravaged by the first War was rough, but it was all that I knew. There weren’t many food shortages until shortly before Visari came into power, but hazards littered the land. It seemed like once a month that a building collapsed due to the damage it has sustained. Bits of barbed wire were always turning up in the river, making it hard to swim in or drink from. Every now and then some unlucky fellow would find a land mine, and the undertaker would be able to eat again. One of our local heroes from the war, Sgt. Karter, unearthed one. Needless to say, he’s got two statues of him in town now. The funeral was packed with people from all over the province. I couldn’t make out many specific faces in the crowd, but they were all filled with pain. I did manage to meet someone who suggested that I write my feelings down in a Journal, so that people would remember me when I’m gone. You may have heard of him, his name is Remus Aldano. I don’t know what he’s up to now, probably off trying to kill my brother.
At the age of 25, I signed up with the military, hoping to help clear out the mines in my hometown. Three months later, and the continent of Carthage was mysteriously destroyed by nuclear fire. Everyone blamed it on Vekta and allowed Visari to take control over everything. I know it wasn’t an attack.
I was taken from the reserves and transferred to the Geist Platoon. We were told that our sole purpose was to dishearten the enemy, give them the same fear that we have of Hell. Our armor was designed so that we’d all look like the same person, convincing them that we were ghosts of the battlefield. Now that I think of it, perhaps that’s one of the reasons why we call ourselves the Helghast. Anyways, the Platoon was filled with interesting people…
-Hubris: Hubris is the most macho guy I’ve ever met. He looks as if he worked out every day of his life, and probably took a good deal of steroids, too. He’s the kind of guy that would get shot in the chest and keep running towards the enemy, gun in one hand, knife in the other. I don’t even need to say he’s that kind of guy, he’s already done it a few times. He seems to ignore all pain, which can be pretty useful in battle, however, he also thinks too highly of himself, even disobeying orders just to get in more kills.
-Iago: Iago is a sly, cunning man. I really think he’d be better off as a mole within the ISA, but his lack of hair and inability to breathe oxygen would make him stand out too much. He’s incredibly effective at convincing the higher ups to go his way, and he always seems to choose the right path. He seems to hate Othello, though. Don’t really know why.
-Othello: He’s usually silent, but occasionally blurts out some shit when things get hectic. He is also very skilled in tactics, and even manages to hold it together in the middle of a firefight. Despite Iago hating him, he seems to love hanging out with everyone in the platoon.
-Delphi: Delphi is very superstitious. He carries a flower in his pocket, which he thinks will protect him from harm. He also seems to think that everything is an omen. I recall him freaking out over a grenade being a dud, claiming that he was chosen by the gods to lead us to victory.
-Ahab: Ahab is an older soldier, who lost his arm during the first War. He hates the ISA more than any other member of the platoon. His desire for revenge leads him to disobey orders, even if he wouldn’t normally. He really pisses me off when that happens.
-Alighieri: Alighieri is extremely pessimistic about most situations, yet, is very skilled in his speech and writing. Although he is not as superstitious as Delphi, I seem to think that he takes interest in our hellish personas.
-Hal: Hal is our orienteer. He always seems to be right on track towards our objectives, which is his biggest flaw. He really hates it when people talk about anything other than the mission, and becomes enraged when we are off-course by even a few yards, or if we arrive mere seconds later than when we were told.
-Deckard: Deckard thought that he could retire and live a peaceful life, but after the “attacks” on Carthage, the military called him back to help us out. He seems to be a good mentor at some times, and really knows how to fight, yet, at the same time, doesn’t seem very human.
-Lente: Lente was our Platoon leader for a few weeks, but he was promoted to General after claiming the credit for capturing a Vektan politician, which we all did together. He treated us like crap during his time, despite being no better of a soldier than anyone else. That son of a bitch will get what’s coming to him, I swear by it.
We’ve been together for about two months now, stationed as an elite pre-invasion group on Vekta. The combat isn’t too extreme just yet, but I have a feeling we’re in for one hell of a ride…
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