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A Kind Punishment

I sat in the dank and decrepit room. A single bulb lighting the ominously dark room as it swung back and forth, back and forth. It’s really marvelous when you think about it; the mechanics of a pendulum are mind-boggling. I still couldn’t believe it. I knew they were going to process me, it was only a matter of time, I’m certain this is how it happens. I need a distraction to keep my mind off of it, thinking about it to much can’t be healthy. Keeping myself occupied would be a lot easier if there was any more than a light-bulb and a chair.
Those dictator dirt bags, they let you sit there, wait until you go mad, I won’t let it happen; I wouldn’t let those fools get to me.
I knew joining the Enforcement was a bad idea, I knew the risk of getting “processed” but my arrogance seemed to have gotten the better of me. I’m scared. I would have felt lonely if I didn’t already know the entire room was chock full of cameras and microphones. Damn them, damn them to hell. I can’t stand being here any more. I knew the Citadel was a bad idea; nobody is stupid enough to actually bring the destruction of the entire planet.
I bet everyone outside is laughing at us. Us “Survivors” and our tiny fortress of steel. I bet that everything is fine, nothing happened to the planet in the last 10 years and we are just crazy.
The government claims the outside world is a “Dystopia”, that there is nothing left for us outside.
I think hat’s a bag if lies. The outside world is fine; we don’t need to be in here. Those billionaire fat-cats were probably lying to us from the start. I mean damn, they are probably getting ready to abandon us here, let us run out of food, starve. I won’t let it happen, I’ll get out of here somehow, they can’t keep us locked in this god-forsaken place!
Someone is coming, I hear footsteps. Maybe I’ve won! Maybe they are finally letting me go. They’ve probably I’m no use to them and they’re finally letting me go!

The dark room lit up and the door behind me opened.
“Sergeant Conwell?” said a dark silhouette.
“Yes? Have you finished playing games?” I responded.
“Not quite, come with me, Conwell, the general wants to speak with you.”
This can’t be good, this obviously isn’t any normal processing.

I walk into the next room and my jaw drops. The walls are literally draped with surveillance cameras. The room appeared to be divided in half, one side had pictures of the inside of the citadel while the other side taking surveillance of… Something else. It appeared to be some sort of outside terrain but I couldn’t be sure as my attention is now fixated on the table in the middle of the room.

“Have a seat, sergeant.” Ordered the General as he was sitting on the far-side of the table.
I sat down on the opposite end of the table and asked, “This is a little out of your way to process someone, isn’t it General? If you want me to become a bloody marine I’ll do it.”
“Oh no,” exclaimed the General, “this isn’t ‘processing’ or whatever your Enforcement slang calls our recruitment. No, we have something special in store for you.”
As I was smirking I replied, “Really? Well you always were so very ‘mysterious’, are you finally going to let me go back on duty now? Or am I going to be a part of some freak experiment?”
With a huge grin on his face the General replied, “No, we were thinking something a little different for you. You see, we’ve been monitoring you, and…”
“Hold on,” I said while interrupting, “you’ve been watching me? Well that definitely makes me feel safer.”
The general does not look pleased, “Son, I am your General and I suggest showing a little respect, I could have you dead if I wanted. Now pay attention. We have been monitoring you for awhile now, and we have determined you have what it takes.”
After listening I said, “I have what it takes? For what?”
“Well,” said the general as his grin grew larger, “to join the marines, of course!”
“Well I don’t accept, the marines are nothing but trouble.” I explained.
“But Conwell, you don’t exactly have a choice in the matter now do you?” Replied the General as his grin grew into a smile, “We need you to lead one of our squads! I’m sure you’ve heard of it, I believe they call themselves team Omega.”
“What?” I exclaimed, “But I don’t know anything about the marines! You can’t just expect me to lead a squad without any training!”
“Why do you think we’d do that? Of course you will be trained. We would never think otherwise.” Explained the general, “Private Banks?”
“Sir!” Said my escort.
“Take this man to the vault; we need him out there learning the ropes.”
“Out there?” I said, “Out where?”
“Conwell, the outside world isn’t as dead as we tell the public, and it sure as hell isn’t as lively as you think it is. Now hurry up, your squad is getting restless.”

And that was my life for the next 5 years, training. I still couldn’t believe it, the outside world was nothing like I imagined. There were no trees, nothing was green, and not a single little animal existed without some sort of mutation. To be honest, going outside the Citadel for the first time was an extreme shock. I knew that the world wasn’t totally destroyed, but I had no idea it was in such bad shape. Was the whole planet like this? Is it just here?

We were just doing another training mission, me and my squad. We were to do some “reconnaissance” in one of the empty caves. We did the regular routine; Marshall went in first, assault rifle at the ready, followed by me and Cormack, sub-machine guns at the ready while Bravo kept us covered from behind. No problem, just another reconnaissance mission right? That was until Marshall claimed to be hearing panting.
“It’s nothing,” I assured him, “just your imagination.”
The panting was getting louder and louder, now me and Cormack were beginning to hear it too.
“Should we go back?” asked Cormack with a look of fear in his eyes.
“No Cormack, we keep going. We need to finish this training routine or corporal Sanchez will be angry.” I explained

We were still moving on, it’s been at least 10 minutes. I could still hear the wild panting coming from ahead. Then I realized-
“Bravo?” I asked.
“Yes sir?” He replied.
“Have you seen Marshall?”
“Hmm, now that you mention it is awfully quiet, he hasn’t radioed in awhile.”
I turned on the radio and said, “Marshall? Marshall come in! Are you there? Do you read me?”
No answer, only a low pitch crackling emanating from the ear-piece of my helmet.
“Uh, sir?” Said Cormack, fear trailing off his voice.
“What is it Cormack?” I replied.
“I think I found Marshall”
I ran over to Cormack and, to my horror, found Marshall, soaked in a crimson red.
“How could this happen?!” I exclaimed, “How could a trained marine just be….. Murdered like this! He couldn’t have fell with a whole damned suit of armour! What happened?”
“Sir,” said Cormack, “Is it just me or has the panting stopped?”
He was right, the panting did stop. It made me scared, what the hell was this place?
“Okay, let’s get out of here.” I told the squad.
“But sir,” explained Cormack, “The mission…”
“Screw the mission! Marshall is dead by God knows what! I don’t want the same happening to us!”
“But—“
“That’s an order Cormack! Bravo, lead the way.”

We left as quickly as we could, whatever the hell that thing was we didn’t want anything to do with it. That’s when we heard the panting once again.
“Hold up!” I ordered, “listen…”
The panting grew louder and louder.
“Omega, guns ready!”
It ended faster than it started. First to go was Bravo. You could hear him wail as his life was taken away. Then went Cormack, poor guy, he was a good kid. One moment he was behind me, the next he was behind a rock, screaming at the top of his lungs. Only I remained, I fired gun wildly. Whatever it was it was not going to take me, not while I still had a breath in my lungs.
A shadow in the corner, I fired. The other side, I fired. It was hopeless, I was doomed. I would die in this god forsaken cave and nobody was going to even know. They’ll report me MIA and not care one bit. I wasn’t giving up without a fight. Another shadow, I fired. Another shadow, the gun made a quiet click. Damnit, out of ammo. I was doomed. Who knew fate could be so cruel?
A quick pain in my neck and then I felt nothing.

It was just another morning. Tonnes of paperwork, too many commissions to file. It wasn’t until I read the letter of decease.
November 17, 2317

Sergeant Avery Conwell has been found to be KIA after a reconnaissance of Archaic Cave. Along with 3 of his squad-mates, Conwell had been found to be brutally murdered. Who or what murdered him is unknown, but what we do know is he was not killed by a blunt object, or even metal, but rather something organic had gotten through his neck-guard and cut his neck.

I stopped reading from there; there was no reason to continue. Damnit! I lost him. Damnit, I lost the man who meant the most to me. I thought that signing up for the marine force would be a good thing, he would be safe from the rebels, I thought he would never be hurt. I was wrong. I never even had the chance to tell him…

To tell him he was my son.