Echoes of Invasion
#2 of Cripsen's Overflow (Standalones)
Castan finally has a moment's reprieve to write an honest letter to his lover about the end of the invasion. But how honest can he really be? And what has fundamentally changed in the world since the war started?
Welcome to Crispen's Overflow, where I post everything that isn't a main series while I am waiting for inspiration or for my beta readers' feedback. Here, you will find one-offs, short stories, and maybe a poem or two. Be warned though, everything posted here is raw: typed, proofread, and edited by only me in one day so mistakes may follow.
~Stay Crispy
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Echoes of Invasion
20181111
To my dearest love Katharina,
Its official now, we are coming home in a week. We will be doing another routine operation or two in that time, but I should be home to see you by the 18th. I can only imagine that your aunt will be making her famous roast beef in celebration of our return. I have to ask that you don't let her.
This is the first and only unrestricted letter we have been allowed to send since before we volunteered. My love, know that I have never lied to you of my own will. That said, there are simply some things we cannot discuss. Even the highest field grade here will only permit so much.
When the invasion started three years ago, you held me with tears in your eyes and pleaded for me not to go. You and I both knew I had a duty though. The combat unit needed experience men, so it only seemed natural for me sign on with the others. My best friend Klaus, Markwarzh, and your cousin Ferdinand all had a duty. It was not a patriotic or prideful duty like before like serving the Fatherland, but a necessary duty for all humanity. It pains my heart to think of how young we still seemed.
I haven't told you everything and I probably never will. There were things too much for any one person to bear, but we've since still cope with. Searching, fighting, ducking, fleeing, shooting, chaos. No one is the same, too many have seen death or died themselves. I feel my own palms stained with their blood. Being a combat medic is the most brutal of professions.
Tell your aunt not cook when we return. Your cousin, Ferdinand died years ago. The project is still above top secret, so you probably never received a letter or a message of any sort. You probably never will. Many of us with deaths they cannot explain or bear to explain are simply labeled MIA.
I know what happened, though I cannot explain much. Klaus, Markwarzh, and I were on that mission with him. Remember back in 2015, when the X-rays were burning New York? The project sent a small team to combat them in that first grueling year. We thought we were well prepared with our new advanced weapons and armor.
No one was prepared for Chris. Just know that designation: 'Chris' is one of the worst X-rays we ever had to fight. Your cousin died instantly and there was no pain. There was no syringe or bandage I could apply, and only when Klaus pulled me away did I stop trying. I'm sorry I can't bring your aunt any of your cousin's possessions. They are vaulted away for fifty years until they are declassified. Tell your aunt not to cook.
I am frightened to return home. While I am here I am familiar with these homicidal men and women wielding immensely powerful weapons, but back home... Home has changed. You've seen the laser and plasma marks staining the streets. I worry for you while I know your work is filled with the wounded. Katharina, hospitals like yours are still one of the worst. I've seen it filled with the blasted, the burned, the bombed, and the blistered.
Homicidal men and women are different here. We all trust each other with our lives almost daily, but it's different back in the streets. Despite our secrecy our technology has left our hands and entered the public. The rumors are that certain Chinese organized crime groups stole and replicated our equipment for profit. Now almost any organized crime, rebels, militia, and even street gang can get their hands on almost any of our technology.
Our weapons were supposed to save humanity. At least that's what Dr. Scharfner says. He warned us that we may end up just as horrific as the X-rays themselves. It was only after the first psion came out of testing did he realize we've gone too far. When even Herr Doktor thinks we went too far that means we overstepped the line long, long ago. We tried to use our advancements to save humanity, but we destroyed our own.
Klaus was the first psion to come out of that testing chamber, Markwarzh the second, and I the third was last. We were supposed to be the next generation of soldier, completely armed to fight the X-rays with their armor, their weapons, and now their minds. I was trained to use my powers to protect my packmates, Markwarzh was trained to bring destruction, and Klaus was something in between.
Now with the war over, there are victory banners, huge parades, and flags flying as they sing and drink to our triumph. I say we have lost. We signed up to defend humanity and though our contracts are nearly fulfilled, we failed to protect Humanity in the end.
Psions are appearing in the public now in more and more frequent numbers. They are too young, too undisciplined, and too inexperienced. They die within the first week to exposure to what we call the 'immaterium.' Even now I can feel it scraping against my mind, attempting to claw its way in and devour my soul. It itches constantly.
Markwarzh was the only of our number to succumb to its teasing and taunting. For a week he was bedridden from battle wounds until he was forced to join us on our next mission. I pleaded with the commander to have him stay. I told him he still was not fully recovered, but the commander needed our best for the next mission and wouldn't heed my warning.
Some of the flyboys had shot down an unknown contact flown by the X-rays above South Africa so we were sent to clear any remaining crew and extract enemy materials. We ran into Echo there. No one had seen one before, though the three of us had heard them scratching at our minds when we first exited psionic testing.
Designation: 'Echo' it was a terrifying fight. The shadows danced as streams of hot plasma flew through between the air. You could only see the X-rays in a glimmer of green light as they shuffled around to flank our position. Markwarzh must have seen what they were doing because he sprinted out behind Echo and dispatched it point blank. When Echo died, we all felt it slashing at our minds. It was clawing and fighting its way to escape its death. It drove us insane for almost a week, but with Markwarzh so close I couldn't help but feel it hit him the worst.
Katharina, you remember Markwarzh back in secondary school right? He was always cheerful and talkative. Even after he was first wounded he never lost his positive demeanor. After meeting Echo he changed though. Markwarzh never spoke more than a whisper after that.
He was allowed two weeks leave to recuperate. We missed him dearly, but a week later Markwarzh returned to us saying he had stayed at a young couple's house. He said that he felt something growing, something very young, but potent. Markwarzh had asked if the couple had a child, and they said they were expecting one within a month. He told us what he told them. The child would grow to be more inhuman than even him.
A month later he was charged with three counts of murder and sent away. Apparently, he had snuck into the hospital and dispatched the entire new family while on another leave. We couldn't believe it. A week passed we received word on his 'death.' It was simply labeled MIA.
As the papers have reported, on March 13th2016 a special team of select individuals was sent onboard the X-ray flagship. Klaus, myself, and the other best soldiers the program had produced all led the assault into the very innards of our invader's forces. We were assailed by every front, but despite taking some causalities Klaus, myself and one other, who I will not name, arrived at the X-ray control room.
While even a person of Grade 7 rank, such as me, is not allowed to disclose what happened there, I can say one thing. Klaus is dead. He died on the bridge saving me and one other. He killed himself to save the entire world and destroy the X-ray ship. He used his inhuman powers to save all of humanity. It was the bravest thing I will ever see, but it was also the naivest. It was only after did we realize humanity was already gone. I wasn't able to request any of Klaus' belongings either as they went to the vault with the others.
In fifty years when they open the classified files, I'm sure you'll be able to see the whole report. Perhaps Katharina I'll be there to watch them on TV with you, but for now just remember how I love you. I will not allow my psionic ability affect us. Even now I am listed as Aptitude 3 which is the highest anyone except for Klaus ever achieved.
I have a patrol I need to lead now, but I'll mail this letter out after we leave Sydney. With Klaus gone, team leadership has fallen on the project's oldest paw. I have hope this old paw my one day reach across the aisle toward yours sweet, sweet Katharina.
Your endearing lover,
Castan Ostlander
+++++
Probing X-ray Combatant profile database...
...
Searching...
...
Colonel Castan "Commissioner" Ostlander...
...
Species: Eurasian Lynx...
...
Role: Combat Medic...
...
Officer training school: Passed - Grade 7...
...
Psionic Testing: Positive - Aptitude 3...
...
Assignment: Squad Leader...
...
Last report: Combat patrol in Sydney, Australia...
...
Status: MIA...
...
Action required: All personal belongings to classified Vault 3 for fifty years sequester...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And there you have it dear reader. This is a stand-alone, but I thank you for your time and I hope you enjoyed your stay. Again this date, I am working on communicating to my beta readers to get my 21,000 word story feedback, but again I am too restless to stand by idly. As a side note anyone who can guess the significance of the dates (without googling) I've chosen get all of my love. I'm open to any and all feedback but comments are preferred.
~Stay Crispy