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20.22% The Martyrs: the Generation that Burns / Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Blood of the Martyrs

章節 18: Chapter 18: Blood of the Martyrs

Three days later. Eagle's Nest.

Three hundred recruits walked into a large stadium in the training facility. Some of them walked and acted with more confidence than others. They were here since the program started a month ago. Others were more like civilians, which was normal because they have been here for just a few weeks. Most of the Phasewalkers were soldiers, but not all of them. A number of Phasewalkers were non-combatants who had minimal training with weapons.

They were the first products of Project Phasewalker. They were Generation I Phasewalkers.

When all of the recruits were seated, a figure walked up to the elevated stage in front of them. She was wearing a black suit that was given to every recruit when they joined the project. She had blonde hair, but unlike that of most girls, it was cut short in a tom-boy fashion.

Caity stood there, in front of four hundred people. The past Caity Hunter would get some stage-fright, but after killing at least a dozen people and confronting multiple man-devouring monsters and surviving, public speaking was nothing.

As the recruits got ready, she slowly tapped her short hair. She got the haircut three days ago after she was told to leave the house by her father. She has always enjoyed her long, straight hair. Even after joining Project Phasewalker and realizing how much her hair hindered with wearing helmets, she kept them long. Perhaps at that time, there was still a strand of hope left in her head that sometime soon, she would go back to school and return to her normal life. At that point, a head of short hair would be awkward.

Not anymore. As the sound of razors echoed and severed blonde hair covered the ground of the barbershop, she felt a strange sense of relief. Now, she was definitely not going back.

When all the recruits were silent, Caity raised her microphone and started speaking.

"First, let me introduce myself. My name is Caity Hunter, and I am a Phasewalker, just like all of you. Six days ago, I was part of the vanguard squad that ventured past the Portal, led by Captain Hemley Shane."

Some of the crowd started whispering, but those whispers quickly died down as Caity continued.

"A lot of you have been wondering what happened on the other side of the Portal. Well, let me give you a summary." She took a deep breath. "Fifteen Phasewalkers went over the Portal in three Humvees. One Humvee returned, with four of us. Survival rate? Less than 27%."

The crowd exploded again. Already, some recruits were considering bailing the program, but most were silent with their brows darkened. Caity went on.

"Of course," She raised her voice to bring all the attention to her. "in case numbers don't fully describe the horrors of that world, I hope video footages can do a slightly better job." Her dark humor only added to the dread in the heart of the Phasewalker recruits as the lights across the stadium suddenly snapped off, leaving the entire room in darkness with the only light being a giant screen on the stage behind Caity.

The first set of videos played was from Christian's and Ava's camera. Each perspective took up half the screen. Caity watched silently as, in the video, a pack of wolf-like creatures leaped out into the open and forced the Humvee to a stop.

"What the hell is that?" Christian exclaimed in surprise. "Some sort of local animal?"

Meanwhile, Ava turned to the back of the Humvee. Caity felt her face twitch slightly as she heard the medic's familiar voice, but she kept her straight face. "Sit back!" Ava told the women in the back in reassurance.

Wait happened next was a slaughter.

One of the Wolves jumped forward and crashed right through the bulletproof glass windshield of the Humvee. "Shit!" Christian swore and raised his M4A1, but it was too late. The creature removed his head straight from his neck with a single swipe. The camera's perspective shook violently before landing on an angle that had a clear view of the Humvee. There, in the driver��s seat, blood spilled out of the decapitated body like water out of a fountain in the malls.

Some of the Phasewalkers turned and threw up on the ground at the bloody sight, right there in the auditorium.

Ava quickly pulled out her handgun. The battlefield was truly a great forge, and the medic whose mind would go blank as soon as she heard gunfire has learned to react properly. Unfortunately, the odds were just stacked against her. The wolves first removed her gun holding arm before slicing off her head, ending her chilling screams. Only then did they leave the two battered Phasewalker corpses behind and turn to the defenseless women in the back.

Caity felt her fist go tight, digging her fingernails into her palm, as a familiar scream cried out. Katherine.

In the end, when all the passengers in the Humvee were reduced to bodies, the two cameras recorded as the Mutated Wolves devoured the human remains.

Half the Phasewalkers had faces as pale as printing paper.

But the videos kept on playing. This time, a wave of engine sound approached. The 400 recruits watched as the perspective switched to a new one, one that Caity was familiar with. It was the recordings of her helmet camera.

The ambush wasn't as bloody, but the chilling screams of dying men, bloody roars of the Mutants, and the endless gunfire still struck deep into the heart of the recruits. When Captain Hemley and his Humvee diverted the creature horde away, many recruits lowered their heads. A few girls even had tears in their eyes.

Finally, the recording ended, and Caity was the center of the stage once again. This time, almost all of the recruits turned to her with respect. Many sat up straight or uncrossed their legs. Before, she was just a fellow recruit. Yes, she saved some people and was admired by some, but that was about it.

Now, after seeing how ferociously she fought in the field and how willing she was to sacrifice herself, the recruits looked to Caity in utter admiration. Most of the Phasewalkers, even some of the most arrogant, asked themselves, and realized they couldn't get as far as Caity did.

"Those creatures were Wolves. Mutated Wolves. And despite what you have seen, they are not the most terrifying foes we will face in World Alpha." The short-haired blonde woman scanned her audience.

"Soon, I don't know if it's a week or a month, everyone here will march through the Portal. Some will not return. In fact, perhaps all will not return. The fallen will be ravaged. Devoured. Mauled. They will die alone, in the darkness, with legions of hostiles as far as their eyes could see. Their bodies will never be returned to their families. Perhaps the only thing they will leave in the world...will be their helmet cameras."

She took a deep breath.

"I know we are all here for different reasons. Money, mostly. For some, glory. There's no shame in admitting it." She scoffed. "I was here for the money, and I know what you're thinking. Why the hell is Section X sending us to die? Why? Why why why? Well, here's the answer. Whether we like it or not, we are not the only world! This time, the Portal opened up to a waste world, fine! And if we leave it alone, then perhaps nothing will happen. But tell me, Phasewalkers! What happens if those beasts do come over the Portal, huh? Or even worse! What happens if another Portal opens, and those on the other side decide to take Earth for themselves?"

"What happens if the guests from the other world decide that they need slaves? Should we go down on our knees and watch as our people are put into shackles? And worse! What if they decide we don't deserve this planet? Should we just all shoot ourselves? Before someone says that will never happen..."

She waved her arm, and the screen behind her changed to the interrogations of the locals, done by Ryan.

"World Alpha thought they were safe! And they looked like they were! They had space travel! They took over the Moon and Mars. They had super-tanks and gauss rifles and entire fleets of starships! Guess what happened to them?" She waved her hand again, and the screens showed the wreckage of the super-tank and confiscated gauss rifles.

"Their government was overthrown! Their military, gone! Their population, decimated! That is what the Alpha-virus did to World Alpha! If we sit back, then sooner or later, this will be what happens to our world!" Caity was practically screaming. "We! The Phasewalkers, we are the only chance! It is up to us to cross that Portal and do everything we can to strengthen our nation! Our world! We are the only hope!"

The stadium was dead silent. Not a single one of the 400 Phasewalkers made a sound as Caity continued.

"Whether we like it or not, we are part of a cause much greater than ourselves! This is a war we cannot lose, no matter the cost!" She turned and pointed at the door of the stadium.

"Now, if you still want to leave, fine. General Kennedy has notified me that anyone who leaves here will not be punished. Yes, their compensations will be ceased, but they will not be charged for desertion. If you want to leave, now is your chance. Walk out that door and never come back." She smirked mockingly. "Now or never."

No one moved, so Caity added some flames.

"Go on! Do the smart thing and get the hell out of here! If you stay, then know that from this day on, you give up yourselves fully to the cause!" She put her hand over her chest. "If you are told to hold the ground, you hold the damn ground! If you are told to charge into an enemy horde, then that's what you will do! Anyone who refuses to obey an order, anyone who tries to flee after today! They will be summarily executed as traitors to the nation!"

The room was silent again. Finally, a teenage girl stood up. "I'm sorry. This is a mistake. I don't want to die so young." She dropped a whisper before turning and running out of the door, tears flowing out of her eyes.

With the example, a handful more Phasewalkers stood up. One of them, a boy, sighed as the others fled in shame.

"I didn't sign up to die. I have a family business to succeed." He stated matter of factly. "I'm sorry."

Caity tilted her head, but the mocking look on her face was obvious. "Get out." She said explicitly, as if wasting another word on the teenager was a sin. The man blushed before dashing for the door.

Alex sat among the audience in silence. She was disturbed by what she saw and heard. This, she could admit. But when Caity called for people to leave, she didn't move an inch. Her pride prohibited her from bailing on her friends now.

Unfortunately, one of her friends didn't share her decision.

Alex's eyes widened in shock as, right next to her, another girl stood up.

"Jessica!" Alex couldn't help but cry out. Not Jessica! How could she? Jessica was not just her friend. She was her girlfriend! How could she do this to her? She wasn't even in a combat role! Alex herself was more likely to die on the battlefield than her!

Jessica looked away from Alex's gaze and turned and left the stadium without another word. What could she tell Alex? Her parents were old and she was their only child. If she died...her parents would lose any hope to live. When she joined the program, she was after the money. Yet, after what she saw and learned, she realized a cold, merciless reality.

Program Phasewalker just wasn't for her.

Finally, after eight Phasewalkers jumped ship, Caity found herself looking down at barely over 400 Phasewalkers. Suddenly, she cracked a smile.

"In that case, let us carry the torch of the fallen. Let us honored the dead with our actions!"

She saluted.

"May the blood of the martyrs guide our paths!"

Across the stadium, countless Phasewalkers stood up and saluted.


next chapter

章節 19: Chapter 19: The 1st Phasewalker Battalion

"We are our world's only hope!"

"May the blood of the martyrs guide our paths!"

With a single warcry, the entire Phasewalker Corps was transformed. Ryan was right in that teenagers were stronger than they looked. Yes, they had flaws here and there. Yes, some of them were soft or cruel or uncaring, but when they had something to fight for, something to honor, then their efficiency and determination were astonishing.

The Phasewalkers have never been so united. Recruits spent every second they had to refine their skills. For straight days, there hasn't been a single open shooting booth in the shooting range. Every day, there were countless requests to the Section X High Command on when the invasion of World Alpha would be.

A new section was added to Eagle's Nest. The Hall of Martyrs. There, Section X placed eleven sub-sections, with space for thousands more. In each section, the name of the fallen Phasewalker was engraved in stones, along with pictures, the helmet camera footage if available, and a brief summary of the Phasewalker's accomplishments and when and how he or she fell.

Perhaps their lives have been extinguished and their bodies have been lost, but their names would live on as long as Earth itself.

If these were adults here that witnessed Caity's declaration, then they would immediately jump to anything but what was intended. Some would simply turn and leave to save their own skin, while others would conspire on how to stay and reap the most benefit without actually putting themselves under threat. They would refer to themselves as 'geniuses', for they were too smart to be manipulated. For those who were rallied by Caity's declaration, they would call them 'idiots'.

Only idiots would fall for such a simple scheme.

But in the end, like many things, Earth wasn't saved by 'geniuses'. No. Earth's survival and eventually, its ascension to glory, was forged by the blood and death and sacrifice of millions upon millions of 'idiots'.

If it was just Caity's speech standing alone, then sooner or later, the zealotry would wear off and reality would come in, but Section X solved that problem with material backing. Compensations doubled across the board for those who stayed. With its actions, Section X told the Phasewalkers they would honor their end of the deal as long as the Phasewalkers honored theirs.

Hemley's parents in the military, both of them, were promoted for their son's sacrifice. Ava's mother was moved to a hospital usually reserved for heads of states. The parents of most of the martyrs received so much money that they didn't have to work a day in the future, that was unless they squandered it all. There was nothing Section X could do to help people like that.

Seizing this period of high morale, General Kennedy organized the Phasewalkers from a group of recruits into a professional military unit. 300 Generation I Phasewalker combatants became the 1st Phasewalker Battalion, with 5 Companies. Each Company held 60 units of Phasewalkers.

The first company in the 1st Phasewalker Battalion was the 1st Armored Company. Its major component was a group of 5 M1A2 SEP tanks. These formidable beasts of war used armors reinforced by depleted uranium layers. Its main gun, a 120mm battery, was enough to rip through any obstacle. They were designed to be the fist of the Phasewalkers. Their function was simple. Charge forward and rip through anything in their way.

2nd Airborne Company. They included Phasewalkers trained in using parachutes to be mobilized onto any battlefield with absolute speed and accuracy. Their armored arsenal included a single C-17 military transport plane. Given the complexity of paratroopers, the Phasewalkers in this unit needed a lot more training to be ready for that role. Right now, they had to settle with operating with Ch-47F Chinook transport choppers, each capable of holding 50 men.

3rd Artillery Company. They utilized 15 M109 Howitzer Self-propelled guns with the objective of supporting their comrades by raining down fire and fury on their foe. These were pretty much tanks, except instead of having cannons and machine guns mounted on their turrets, they had gun batteries capable of blasting enemies to dust from 10 miles away.

4th and 5th Motorized Company. These were the basic general-purpose infantry. Of course, the obvious question was why didn't Section X make them into armored divisions as well. They certainly had the resources. But the fact was, there were different units in a battalion that served different purposes. When trying to crush through a line of defenses, armors were definitely useful, but if the Phasewalkers were trying to mobilize quickly, or if they had to pursue or evacuate, then heavy tanks weren't as helpful. Each Company was equipped with 5 LAV-25 light armored vehicles that provided mobility and firepower.

Another weapon incorporated into the Phasewalker ranks was the AH-1W Super Cobra attack chopper. The 2nd Airborne Company had four of them while the other four companies each had two. How they would do with more advanced Mutated Animals was unknown, but as far as the Mutated Wolves, these attack choppers were pretty much invincible.

The U.S. government and Section X were dead serious in making the Phasewalkers as powerful as possible. The stronger they were, the more profit they could reap from the other world. Unfortunately, in forging an army, training was as important as the equipment. The Phasewalkers were doing the best they could, but there were so many technical pieces in the army. Tank drivers. Helicopter pilots. Artillerymen. Despite the best hopes of Section X, it would be a few weeks until the 1st Phasewalker Battalion could march out.

---

Caity walked through the hallway in Eagle's Nest that led to General Kennedy's office. A few Phasewalkers were rapidly walking by. As soon as they saw her, they nodded at her with respect. Caity returned a polite nod.

After her speech, Caity was practically made into a hero. She could sense more and more responsibility placed onto her by General Kennedy and the rest of the Section X High Command as well. For instance, she has never be summoned by General Kennedy alone before all this.

She stopped in front of the office before giving it a slight knock. "Come in!" The general's voice called out, and she promptly walked in and saluted.

"Sir."

"Ms. Hunter," General Kennedy looked up and nodded for Caity to sit down. He no longer called her 'Recruit Hunter' like he did before. "you did well with that speech. The impact it has made on your comrades is obvious. We are impressed."

"Just giving voice to my thoughts, sir."

General Kennedy nodded before going straight to the point of why he called her here. This was a critical time for Section X and the Phasewalker Corps. Neither he nor she had much time to waste. "As you know, Ms. Hunter, we have been working to craft the 1st Phasewalker Battalion into a real army ready for combat. We have implemented a system of units. We have put in place weapons and training, but we are still missing a critical component."

Caity frowned. She still couldn't see where all this was going, but she remained silent as the general continued. Patience, after all, was a virtue.

"The Phasewalkers are missing...a leader."

The nature of the Phasewalkers meant professional military personnel like General Kennedy could only remotely monitor their movements. The Phasewalkers couldn't constantly send messengers back and forth to ask for orders, and no one has found out a method to make phone calls across the Portal. Someone capable of actually stepping into the alternate worlds had to be the one doing the leading. In the past for the vanguard, that role belonged to Hemley. Now, it was Caity's turn to lead.

She was the most experienced and the most skilled, and she definitely had the respect of her peers. More importantly, psychological analysis on her determined she was fit for the duty.

General Kennedy took out a small box before reaching in and pulling out a carefully crafted insignia and laying it down on the table in front of Caity.

"After careful consideration, Section X has decided to promote you to the rank of Colonel. You, Caity Hunter, will be the field commander of the 1st Phasewalker Battalion."

Caity was speechless. For a second, she sat there, frozen. Really? She was made to a Colonel? For what? How old was she? 16! She was in school two months ago! What...how…

General Kennedy went on. "The U.S. Marine Corps uses a yellow insignia. The Air Force, blue. Army, green. The Phasewalker branch," He tapped the piece of clothes. "is bright red."

Bright red. The color of blood and fire.

Caity looked down. In the middle of the blood-red insignia, a black eagle spread out its wings. She snapped back at General Kennedy. "Sir, I can't take it. I can't just go from a recruit to a Colonel! I didn't earn it! All I did was do my job and follow orders..."

General Kennedy couldn't agree with that more. In the U.S. military, to become a Colonel, by law, one had to have at least 22 years of cumulative service and at least three years acting as a lieutenant colonel. 22 years. That was longer than the time Caity has been in this world. Yet, the fact was they didn't have a choice. The United States had countless units made up of millions of professional soldiers and competent officers, but the only unit that mattered had to be made up of these teenagers. Completely untrained, inexperienced teenagers. And among the teenage recruits, Caity was perhaps the only choice.

Well, she wasn't exactly the only choice, but Ryan Carlson has made it clear that he would never stand in the spotlight and lead an army. Plus, he had another task to attend to. One as important as the commander of the 1st Phasewalker Battalion.

"We have no choice. You are the best person for the job."

Caity bit her lips. "I don't deserve it." Just the notion of surviving and advancing in her career by stepping on the bodies of her comrades made her sick. What right did she have to climb up the chain of command when the others didn't even have the fortune to make it back to this world?

The general's answer was cold as he tapped the insignia. "Make no mistake, Ms. Hunter. This is not a reward. This is not a privilege. This is a responsibility. A burden. You said it yourself, Ms. Hunter. The fate of our world depends on the Phasewalker Corps, and the fate of the Phasewalker Corps," He pushed the insignia forward once again. "depends on its commander."

"Are you willing to accept the responsibility, Ms. Hunter?"

Caity bit her lips before finally nodding.

"Yes sir. I am willing to do my duty."

The news of Caity's promotion to Colonel was quickly spread through Eagle's Nest, and it was followed by another series of promotions. All of the five companies got a Captain as the commander. Two of those Captains were the two other survivors from the trip to World Alpha. Jack Nelson and Henry Fox.

The other three were picked from recruits who have shown virtue, courage, and tactical-mindset during training.

Strangely, Ryan was the only survivor who wasn't promoted. This raised many questions among the Phasewalkers. All of them have seen Ryan on screen. His skills and determination rivaled that of Caity's. Caity also asked Ryan a few times, but even she couldn't get an answer.

Each Company had 5 squads of 12, with each squad led by a Lieutenant. The rest were mostly Privates for the moment, but their ranks could rise as time pass. Section X has made it clear that these promotions were by no means permanent. If she screwed up, even Colonel Hunter could get removed from her position. If he or she performed well, even a Private could climb up the hierarchy like riding an elevator.

The message here was straightforward: the Phasewalker Corps was constructed as a meritocracy. Here, it didn't matter if you came from a poor family or if your parents were of the lower social class. Whether you were a man or a woman or gay or straight or trans was irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was performance. Show strength both at home and on the battlefield, and you would get power, money, and whatever you wanted.

Fail, and you would lose everything.


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