4 Years Later
Present Day
June 21, 2075
0710 CDT
Northern Hades, Olympia
Captain Ho Vắn Duy's Point of View
Me, Lieutenant Sonya Grey, Sergeant Luke Miller, Corporal Drew Howard, Private Rachel Cooper, Private Billy Cooper, Private Ruby Redheart, and Private Teresa Young. The mighty Squad Zeus, all lined up at attention. Four years of training together and now we’re looking at four years of surviving together.
Eagle Brigade, the nineteenth Infantry Brigade, consisting of 2500 soldiers, three battalions, and a total of 312 squads, all patiently listening to General Brian Farrington finish his speech as the nimbostratus clouds soar above us. I don’t envy his position. How do you motivate 2500 teenagers to charge into death?
Wait a second. This is the first time we’ve all seen him in person! And I was just starting to believe the rumors of him being a made-up person. Standing far atop Hades, about fifty meters from our twelve is a Caucasian man with dark brown hair and a scruffy beard who appears to be in his mid-forties. His entire face says “fatigued,” but his voice contradicts his appearance. It’s no wonder he’s a leader, and if I had to guess, he was probably a businessman, accountant, or a male model in The Old World.
“We’re supposed to die for Chad McMacho here? Scoff. He ain’t even that hot,” Ruby loudly whispers among the squad. “Ow,” Ruby whispers in pain after Teresa elbows her.
“Shush, Ruby,” Teresa demands.
You haven’t grown at all, Ruby, but your honesty has a good point. Dying for someone we hardly know is ludicrous, but it’s just another fact we must accept in our lives. At least he prefers to fight among us on the front lines. General Farrington receives a lot of understandable hate, given how little progress he’s made in his expeditions. Additionally, his most infamous defeat of losing Brackettville to Scorpius and the undead didn’t do much to help with public opinion. He must be in the most pain out of everyone in Olympus, regardless. Some of the rookies have no chance of surviving, and he knows this but has no choice but to send them to their deaths. That’s too much death to have on your conscious. Being a leader sucks.
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“…as you all know, you’re only required to serve four years in our army. After those four years are up, you have the choice of continuing service, or you can choose to live inside the capital or in a settlement, find a job, and be with your loved ones,” General Farrington reminds us.
Four years? We’re still worried about the first days, General.
“Now for our battle plan,” he continues.
Finally.
“We’ll be retaking the town of Winner, South Dakota, located roughly 643 kilometers northwest of Olympia. Troops are clearing a safe path to the town as I speak. Our reliable source has reasons to believe that it has not yet been scavenged, due to the thousands of undead that control the city. We’ve recently gained the possession of powerful weapons capable of annihilating every single one of those bastards.” General Farrington states loudly.
A new weapon? The soldiers below him are taking the tarp off of a large truck.
“We call it, The Deathbringer,” General Farrington reveals. “It’s a minigun built with 100 caliber rounds, capable of firing 2020 bullets per minute, instantly destroying flesh upon impact!” The General explains with pride.
Mini is the last word to describe it. If these are the small ones, then the non-portable ones on top of Hades must be the regular-sized version.
“Four of our most powerful armored trucks will transport one Deathbringer each in Operation: Aurora! We’ll be escorting the Deathbringers into Winner’s western outskirts, where we will then form a blockade and light up every zombie son of a bitch in our sight. The Battalion responsible for this task will be known as Alpha Battalion. It will take some time to safely prepare the Deathbringer’s for use, due to their weight and rapid consumption of ammunition. This is where the Bravo Battalion steps in. Bravo Battalion will serve as a distraction to allow Alpha Battalion enough time to make the necessary preparations for the Deathbringers. Bravo Battalion will occupy the zombies in the city by fighting their way to the rooftops, where they will then take shelter and illuminate the skies with flares. Stairs are difficult for the zombies to traverse, notably in groups, and our scouts have spotted zero mutated in the city. The roar of the Deathbringers will attract the zombies to the Alpha Battalion’s location. Bravo Battalion will then attack the roamers from behind and lure the remaining undead toward the Deathbringer’s path. However, this means that the Bravo Battalion will not be able to escape until the Alpha Battalion is ready, and the Alpha Battalion will be unable to do the same. I will end my briefing on this note. Don’t forget that you’re fighting for your comrades and loved ones. If you find yourself in despair, think about the ones waiting for your return. You’re all courageous soldiers, and I’m proud to lead you into battle!”