Machine Called Human

War

Bombs had rocked the earth and flashed the night sky with crimson lights. Dirt and dust flew and fluttered over the wildlife of thickened trees - most of which had fallen over - and the corpses that stained nature with their blood soaking into the earth. In a small clearing atop a low hill were two individuals. One was laying back in the arms of another, the two dressed in a military full kitted attire. As they were on the hill, with explosions going off nearby along with gunfire and shouting, the crimson lighting in the skies through the trees' branches and leaves gave off the view of blood staining the gear and uniform of the one who was rested in the other's arms. He had pain in his eyes as he stares up into the eyes of the one whom held his weakened form, yet managed a smile across his lips.

"Corporal, I..." He coughed, allowing the blood that escaped his throat to run down the corners of his lips. "I don't understand, Corporal..."

The corporal that held onto this male blinked slowly down at his counterpart's expression, showing a passive look despite all that had happened as of late. "Keep talking to a minimum; you gotta rest easy, Private."

The private simply closed his eyes as a chuckle escaped his bloodied lips, then stares up towards the full moonlight through the branches that loomed over the two soldiers."Corporal, just why? Why did you choose to advance when you knew this outcome, Corporal?" He had averted his gaze from the moonlit and dark, crimson sky towards his superior ranked counterpart.

"We're soldiers, it's what we do." These words spoken quickly as an answer from the corporal, with a dull and straight tone in his voice. As usual. "We follow orders and we see it thro-..."

The private interrupted the corporal with a snicker, followed by coughing of blood. "Corporal... Can you just..."

A sudden barrage of gunfire rocked the earth and ceased the sounds of gunfire and distant shouting. Even with the intensity of danger close bombardment, the corporal never left his gaze from the private he held onto. The private held tears in his dying eyes, his weak smile had yet not left his lips as they moved to speak his final words.

-Two Months Ago-

"What's that letter say, Corporal Polensky?" A uniformed woman asked a casually dressed male, looming over his shoulder as he was seated in his bottom bunk whilst reading a few sheets of paper torn free from its envelop. "From the lady?"

The corporal, or Polensky, we should say, blinked slowly down at the letter he was handed to earlier during mail call. It took quite a few read overs before he looked up at the eyes of the woman trying to read into his letter. "Yes, ma'am. She was just announcing our divorce."

The chatter within the barracks between fellow soldiers had all ceased. All eyes left what they were doing towards Polensky and the ranked officer beside him in a mixture of emotions - shock, surprise, awe. It took a loud cough to bring everyone back to their chatters, reading of their mail, and cleaning of their rifles and assortment of their gear. It was well known and quite a popular subject of their beloved and famous corporal and his wife that flew throughout their ranks. Polensky was well loved by others due to his outgoing persona that brought together various head-butting squads within the company, and his wife was usually the one who managed to sneak in sweets for those that were close to Polensky - ranked officers seemed to overlook such a thing most times for who knows why. So, this was a complete shock. He was already bad due to-...

"Lieutenant Manning, Corporal Polensky", a PT dressed male approached the two at parade rest. It appeared this one was not well knowledgeable of the ethics of positions when approaching an officer.

Polensky stares down at the letter, the sounds around him becoming silenced altogether as he read and reread the letter over and over and over and over again without a shed of tears escaping his dark brown eyes.

-Present Time-

"Can you just be human, Alex?" The private finished with a half hearted smile up at his fellow corporal. A true friend to not only him, but the entire unit that is now fallen. He breathed slow and heavy, which grew raspy from the blood filling his airway. Then, it had finally fell silent; his chest no longer rose and fell, no breath heard from his bloodied lips, and his eyes even showed no life at the pupils enlarged.

The corporal stared down at the now deceased private before reaching down to pick up his rifle. He felt struck by those words, hitting home since the day his wife divorced him for a lousy diesel mechanic. Corporal Polensky checked the chamber of his rifle as gunfire in the background resumed and explosions dimly lit the dark skies in the distance.

"Be human, huh-...?" Polensky had let out a cry of pain as he fell to the ground beside the private. Finally, the delayed echo of the sniper filled the air after tearing through Polensky's shoulder. He had turned over and raised his rifle towards where he thought the source was, firing a few shots from his AK rifle blindly as he kicked the dirt to move further away from the spot. "Fuck, what the hell-...?!"

Boots crunched against the twigs and dirt nearby before a body stood over Polensky's body. Polensky had gasped quietly from the dark dressed soldier that stood right by his head, the face of his mask looking around the surroundings rather than down at the wounded corporal who laid on his back. The soldier moved their sidearm right over Polensky's face and fired before walking off elsewhere from the pair of bodies that laid together.

"North end vector is clear." The soldier said over comms, turning to wave at the sniper in the distance. "Two strays are put down, nothing else to report."