The Dying Day

Captain Alexander Jacobs stood at the edge of the vast plain. He could see, just on the other side, the opposing army. He assessed their numbers, comparing them to his own forces. They were formidable, but he reassured himself that they were from a small, insignificant country, and were probably not well trained.

He turned to his First Sergeant. "Have any idea why this war is actually taking place?" He asked it more to ease the tension than because of any curiosity. The reason of the war made no difference to him and he could make no difference to the war; it would continue with or without his consent. The only thing he could do was fight, and while this could have a significant effect, he would be doing it only because he did not want to die.

"Apparently, sir, at 02h00 GMT this morning a small island was discovered in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It seemed to be very...desirable." It most definitely was. It had an area of roughly 12.3km�, and was a haven of natural resources. Coal, as well as iron ore, was abundant. There was also a fair amount of woodland, and the extensive beaches would eventually attract rich holidaymakers who were tired of sharing their sun and sand with masses of other hot, sweaty people on the overcrowded beaches. Places like these were already becoming scarce and were, therefore, very desirable.

"The people who found it were marine surveyors working for the government of the North Province, but the Western Assembly wanted it. And there's no surprise there," he added, sounding bitter, and then turned forward again, knowing this brief explanation was enough. He was just an average citizen who he did not like the way his country was run, but most others did. Dominating most of the North American continent, the Assembly claimed that it was nearer to their border, and used a number of intricate loopholes and subtle arguments to make it seem like they actually had a right to claim that land as theirs.

The brave and proud, yet seemingly dim leader of the Province made the unwise choice of standing up for his rights, and was instantly shown the power of the Assembly. He quickly established a fortification on the island, and the actual war started.

There were many battles, spanning the entire globe, it seemed, except the island itself. Troops were being flown in to pieces of abandoned land; land belonging to allies and of course the enemy's land. Due to highly efficient weapons, the battles were short-lived, but costly. The Province revealed the fact that it possessed several similar islands that they were able to keep secret until now.

Sixteen hours after the initial discovery, Alexander was on one of those islands, and was beginning to get nervous. His First Sergeant spoke with fear of advanced weapons that the alliance was rumoured to have developed. Now, in a matter of seconds, they would have to face them.

The time had come. Owing either to internal instincts or some unseen signal, both sides charged forward. The Captain led his people, both men and women, forward, and withdrew his rapid-fire electric rifle with one hand, readying a grenade that sprayed sharp iron filings into the surrounding people. There were no trenches, no barbed wire or empty rocky land separating the opposing sides. This was modern warfare, very quick and very painful.

As he ran out tensely, he remembered being told about a series of invasions that had occurred about ninety years ago. These had resulted with the offending country being reprimanded, and later disbanded, ultimately leading to the formation of the Assembly. He was also told about how, in much earlier years, when the European countries stumbled upon the African and American continents, they were hurriedly colonized. It occurred to him that the old adage was true, and that history really does repeat itself.

He soon met the opposition, and engaged them. Lobbing a grenade over some heads, he fired a few quick bursts from his rifle. He watched as the highly acidic bullets burned through his victims' flesh. He mentally referred to the victim as his 'quarry', trying to convince himself that they were not people. He then turned to his side in order to protect his face from a mini-explosion of mercury; the rest of his body was fully covered. As he turned he saw one of his men punch an opponent in the nose and send a high-voltage current through electrically charged gloves.

Already many had died. Fire, acid, electricity, or just plain sharp objects - anything that caused damage was employed. Alexander looked down at a man whose eyes were gouged out, and then at another whose leg had been cleanly burned off, exposing a skeletal thigh and shin. These were people, and they were dying for almost no reason.

He turned forward and dispatched his current 'quarry' with a blast of hot steam from a tank in his helmet. Behind the now dead man stood another, dressed in very heavy armour, except for his scalp and fingers. The man grinned, and ran his fingers through his hair. It caught ablaze.

The man lowered his head and charged like a bull. His hair was intensely hot, and burned right through the Captain's protective clothing. On that battlefield Captain Alexander Jacobs, the forty-seven-year-old veteran, died. His last sentiments were pity and empathy, for all who died that day.

* * *

At the end of the day the war was over, with massive death tolls. The Province had won, using what it called Firemen. These men had their hair soaked in a mixture of naphtha, limestone and tar, and their scalps were injected with an unknown substance causing it to become thick, leathery and fireproof. The hair would burn long and hot after being ignited by asbestos-coated fingernails. They carried no weapons and so could be well protected. One could charge forward and kill or injure everyone in its path.

Strangely, though, the United Nations labelled this as 'Inhumane Tactics'. They placed sanctions on the Province, and awarded the islands to the Assembly. Treaties were signed and arrangements made. All in all, the Assembly benefited the most from this war, although they were the aggressors and the losers. Five years later, they had exploited the islands completely, and left them barren.

People referred to that day as the Third World War, but they were told to be quiet, because it was not as large or as horrible as the other great wars. Rather call it The Dying Day. But the fact cannot be hidden, and maybe Captain Alexander came to the right conclusion; history does repeat itself.

BACK