I wake up in the darkness blindly trying to find my gun, I quickly grab what feels like a handle. I feel the gun until I found the light switch, I look around my area wondering what happened to me. It was a strange flesh like dark, moving cave. It kept moving and the walls were shaking roughly. Quickly I grab my Exo arm suit that appeared behind me flashing a blue light, I press the distress signal with clear understanding an enemy could find me instead. The rocks around me keep shaking vigorously, thrashing on the cold ground.

My codename is Kyo, I am a soldier fighting for the Intergalactic Union and our sworn enemy is recognized as Nova’s. I remember sitting on one of the tanks shooting on the space shuttles that kept landing on the field until a sudden bright star of fire came crashing onto the battlefield killing everyone but me. I spot a moving figure and instantly prepare for a fight, the flashlight didn’t do much good in terms of seeing anything. I reach down for a rock and throw where I saw the figure, something small and fast moves away from the rock. I could barely keep the flashlight on it but it halts to a stop facing me, both of us standing still just showing blank looks at each other. it made a move towards me, the trigger halfway down, I follow its action moving away, the creature is not something you want near you. Nova timers, creatures that have a cosmic body with the reflexes of exploding when scared or shocked. It would be the end of me if that Timer decided now was a good time to blow, slowly I reach out to pull the flashlight out interestingly the timer follows my actions as if it's a dog. Slowly I attempt to feel my grenade belt, I slowly pull the pin behind my back and throw the grenade at the creature. In surprise the Timer attempted to jump but appeared to have slipped unusually, it fell face first just when the grenade touched its nose. I jumped so far away the second it slipped I bet I could win the Olympics, the grenade exploded reducing the Timer into a slimy mess. I collect myself and grab my gun and put the flashlight back in and try to walk my way out of this mess. It felt like hours have passed by endlessly walking in circles in this cave. I felt too exhausted to go on and stopped to take a breather, the ceiling kept convulsing and wriggling like worms. Honestly, i would be surprised if I got eaten by something and I'm just going through its process. , I really had no choice left, I didn't feel like walking circles anymore and decided on blowing myself the hell out of here. I set the gun to launcher mode and set a grenade in its holder. I believe two things will happen I will probably one end up shooting a hole and acid will flow in and I will turn into a puddle of goo in seconds. Or two I will be able to get out of this place without dying, point the gun up and let it rip. A massive hole opened up and bloody rubble and dust came out, this cave must have really been alive but that doesn't matter anymore a battlefield is still going on above me.

“RUN FOR YOUR LIVES.” a soldier screams while just beyond the front horizon of the hole the mother ship was coming to land. The cave suddenly jolted under me and shot me out through the hole onto the field letting me see what I was missing out on, soldiers were getting shot and turned to ashes as the mother ship was releasing a bullet hell. Shots just flying past me I start running but shortly after tripping over a body of a Nova drone falling into a small pool of disgusting blue nova blood.

“Well so much for getting the suit cleaned yesterday!”

I get up to rub the blood off me and keep running. Running tirelessly I felt a huge heat shock on my right leg. I fell over onto the ground. My leg starting to turn into a block of ice freezing while it crawls up my leg. Another shot flies by followed by more shots until I stared directly into a blue charge coming right for me. The freeze already climbed up to my waist limiting much of my movements. I turned myself to avoid the shot but it hit the side of my face, the ice grew and crawled further onto my face there was nothing I could do here the ice felt so cold. I was freezing everywhere the ice took over my lower half of my body, the ice on my face covered my eyes and in mere seconds my body felt frozen entirely. Despite being a human popsicle I still could hear what was going on around me, screaming, explosions so much was happening but the cold was too much to bear I couldn't take anymore. The freezing was fading, warmth flowed throughout my body. My hearing started fading quickly, everything was becoming silent and pitch black, so instead of dying in a fiery ball of doom on a ship while I shoot down these bastards, I will die a human popsicle a pretty non-awesome way to die isn't it?

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

I woke up in my room, it happened again the same dream I've been having for a week now. I look out my window seeing nothing but a starry night and the lights of ships flying around. I get up and shuffle myself into the bathroom and slipped.

“Man, I told them not to wax my floors.”

I continue walking grabbing on the walls, I clean myself up and put on the Exo suit. Exo suits are futuristic battle gears that all soldiers are to wear even on their break, only time we take it off is when we sleep, powerful enough it could destroy a mother ship with enough reactor energy. I grab the suit, put it on and walk out the door to the briefing room.

***

The commander was in the front giving his battle strategy for the next battle, I sit in my place to listen to the plan. The commander was Peyton a short guy with a muscular build, talent in being able analyzing the enemy’s strategy during battle quickly moved him up the ranks. Peyton finished his plan and told us to prepare for battle tomorrow. Ever since this war got more intense, everyone has been suspicious of each other. Only recently did we learn that the enemy we were fighting had the power to control people only minutes after death. Even though we were told that for there to be an enemy in the base the body would have to be as intact as possible and in this war, not a single body is ever found or much less intact. I head out of the Briefing room and head to the gun shop for some modifications.

On the way I meet Ace, the top sniper of the 32nd Squadron.

“Heading to the gun shop?”

I responded “Of course I am the battle is tomorrow.”

Ace said “Well then head to the reactor room when your done then remember you have to charge your suit up.”

“I won't forget.”

Ace turns into the corridor towards the reactor rooms.

“Kyo, back here again are ya?”

“I need the best stuff you have in stock Haichi.”

“Alright, but you know it would be nice if you would at least chat for a bit, it gets boring manning the gun shop all day.”

Haichi is our best gun maker, a short but strong soldier, never once had he lost to anyone in an arm wrestling match.

“Hey Haichi have you heard anything from the testing labs?”

“Oh you mean the live specimen they caught? Yea lets say they messed up and ended up killing it with too many electrons the creates are apparently really sensitive to electrical impulses.”

“It took two convoys to bring a Viridian Nova and they killed it already?!”

“Well as far as I understand they were trying to pierce its body armor you know how thick its skin is.”

“We had to lose two tanks just to take that huge monster down.”

“I'm not the one fighting out there Kyo, you know that I do everything I can just to help everyone in this base.”

“I understand that Haichi but, why didn't tell the rest of us? Did they think we would lose hope since many have us perished to bring that Nova down!?”

“They did tell you, just not directly to the point, the briefing you had was not admitting that they killed it.”

“What are we fighting for then? We are dying for what reason? We already lost contact with two other planets attacked by them we are just next in line.” 

“Remember what Peyton said to us in the speech, “We are fighting for our freedom and the right to live our own life. You all are fighting so that our next generation doesn't have to. The enemy wants to annihilate us for their own gain. If you want to fight for your future, stand straight and march toward the face of both freedom and death.””

“Most of us are going to die and be replaced what future is there if we are just walking meat shields.”

“Kyo I lost too many good friends that never came back to me already, I'm not mourning them like a wolf losing its mother, move on and keep fighting show the dead what they were fighting for is worth it.”

“Thanks, Haichi”

“Good chat Kyo, you probably should head to the reactor rooms, they want all soldiers to be there within one hour after the briefing.”

Alright, Haichi I'll see you when I return then.”

“Make sure you return in one piece with you head still on your shoulder.”

I leave the gun shop and head towards the reactor rooms. I find Ace outside the door waiting for me.

“Took you long enough, Stupid Commander made me bird man watcher and make sure everyone charges up.”

“Oh my bad I was talking with Haichi.”

“Doesn't matter now just get in their and charge up. Once we all wake up from sleep we will be sent on VTOL aircrafts to the battlefield.”

“See you tomorrow then Ace.”

“Don't let the reactor bugs bite.”

I walk into the reactor room, already filled up with others like me. Looked like bees in their honeycombs just waiting to get out. I enter my slot and slip right in, everything cools down and the light starts to dim on me.

SLEEP MODE ACTIVATED

***