Cruz Chronicles - Operation Chronos: Shadowfall (Epilogue)

The continuous shaking motion of my bed kept me awake for more than an hour now. And I thought I’ve drowned the sound of nuts and bolts yanking at each other, but it resonates the minute I return my senses to where I’m at right now.

It’s been a week since the campaign at Leboux was finished. I can still see the flashes of the gun fires when I close my eyes. I can still hear every explosion, every scream, when I try to drift away from reality. I can still feel the bullet that hit my left shoulder. I can still taste my own sweat and blood after I took that hit. And worst, I can still smell the rotting flesh of those God-forsaken creatures. Still makes my guts turn upside down.

That’s it, I said to myself. I stood up from my bed and put on a shirt. I need some air. Some fresh scent, not this confined combination of wood, metal and sweat I’m getting inside my quarters. Not that I’m complaining, I've seen worse. I just need some breathing space.

It’s night time outside, probably. Everyone’s supposedly asleep. You can tell by the moderately lit hallway I’m facing now. This locomotive must be one of the newer models, I guess. Can hardly hear any noise from the machinery and the wheels, unlike those older, steam and coal powered ones.

I decided I’ll walk further into the next cabs. I reckon they will not allow me inside the main machine room. Could be radioactive, especially if this train is running on VK. I've gone past the other quarters. Everyone must be having a good night sleep except for me. I could use some spirit, maybe they got some stored in the kitchen. But where’s the kitchen? We really weren't toured into this train. We were picked from the eastern outskirts of Leboux, shown to our rooms and that’s it. They said the debriefing will be tomorrow morning.

I must have walked several steps when I saw a door right at the end of the now poorly lit hallway. Straight towards the door I continued. It’s a heavy iron door. Not the type you’ll want everyone to have an ease getting in or out from, like the kitchen for example. But my curiosity is nagging at the back of head right now. “Open it!” I can hear myself yelling, repeatedly, in my mind.

I gave in, I looked behind me, and no one’s followed. Nobody’s here except for me, I deduced. My hand gripped the wheel on the door, it was cold. And heavy. It took a serious effort on my end to turn it and open. I slowly pushed to the heavy door inwards, as I do, I made another quick glance around me to check for witnesses. I swiftly dragged myself in to the mysterious room as soon as I confirmed there was none.

“Welcome, Sergeant.” I almost had a heart attack when I heard someone greeted me. When I turned around, I can’t believe who was standing in front of me. Of all people that would catch me, why Bazooka Joe?

“At ease, soldier. I’m not gonna spank you or anything for being such a curious cat.” His words were enough to assure me I’m not in trouble. But something tells me I can’t really relax. “Here, you could use this” he tossed me his personal flask. I obliged and opened the cap, rum. I took one sip and the alcohol drew a warm, stingy line down to my throat.

“Where are we, sir?” I asked. And I immediately regretted what I just said. I shouldn’t be here in the first place and now I’m asking our highest officer questions?

“These are the fruits of our labors, of our sacrifices!” he mocked. He turned around, and even before I completely examined, he pulled the cloth covering a massive object in the room. And what was revealed was more surprising. It was a walker. And not a standard ASOCOM-built one, I’m not looking at a Mickey or the newer Rattler. It’s a KV-47. And then I realized, there’s more in the room. At least four from where I’m standing.

“Why?” was the only word I was able to throw out in response to my awe. I saw Joe threw a clever grin in return.

“This is Shadowfall.” He began explaining as he rubs the exposed Howitzer of the machine. “Our entire operation in Leboux was set with the purpose of achieving these walkers, and that’s what we did.”

What? We traveled all the way to that forsaken city for these? “I can’t understand, sir.” I replied. “We were banking that we were sent there to secure more KV.”

“In a way, yes, we did. But mainly, that was Ozz’s job.” He continued, “by the time the Axis sent in their retaliatory forces after the Zero Division took over the city, Ozz and his men were done packing most of the mined VK from the city. What was left there was merely bait. Bits of cheese to attract the mouse.”

 Joe took the flask from my hand, “you see, soldier, we were sent to Leboux, not to defend it. We were there to intercept the Reds.” He further explained.

“And the Zero Division’s ‘disappearance’, Ozz being gone, that was all a plot, sir?” I uttered, still in total shock of what I've learned.

“All part of the plan.” He confirmed.

“How about these Russian walkers, sir? Where are we going to use them?” it took all of my remaining courage and audacity to ask that. I need to know. After everything that happened, I deserve the truth, I thought.

Joe took slow steps, moving closer in front of me, still wearing that devious smile on his face. Looks me straight in the eyes and then taps me on my right shoulder, “Well, soldier, that’s another story for some other time. What do you say we get that drink you were looking for in the kitchen?”