Date: December, 21rst, 2027
Time: 11:53 pm/ 2353 hours
Place: south Saint Paul, Minnesota,
Climate: 13 degrees Celsius, light to heavy snowfall.
If there's anything more depressing it's the day the mothers and fathers realize their children aren't coming home. The day the fathers salute their children as their passed from man to man to their final sleep. The day when brothers and sisters realize it's their time to take up the mantle.
If there's anything an MP could do, is release their pain. And officers in any branch could do is hand their child back safely, not a scratch on them.
But tonight's not an exception. Tonight, one mother would find grief as two marine corporals walked up the steps to the front door with a folded flag and a box in tow.
Inside said house.
The mother looked at the soldiers turned bloody mummy's from the bandages. "How?" She asked looking at the older of the two.
"Valiantly, he died with his squad, their sergeant having been killed in the crossfire, took charge and fended of the others as the helis and AC-130's took off. Made a mad dash for an antique B-17 with a payload of napalm and bombs, rest of the squad followed, took respective seats. Choosing to rather fend off the enemy with the payload, took charge of an aircraft he'd never used before, blew a good chunk of the soldiers up . . . Before a stolen STINGER missile took out the back end and another ripped the left wing off. . . He asked us to tell you, 'he's sorry, for everything' before handing the codes to his locker to us and said hand everything to you. He landed directly dead center of the enemy's waves and ranks. With half of his original payload, he detonated them then and there. Decimating the biggest load of them before the fires caught them. We suspect his whole squad died instantly or from small arms that punctured the hull." Said the older man. ". . . The marines can't begin to say our thanks and our sorrows. They were the best squad around." He said as he held the flag out for her, inside the flag, jingled several medals
She took the flag then ,got the box from the younger of the two. "Lieutenant Jackson, sniper support helix, I was with your son for the time my squad had him. I got to know him as a great man. Sacrificial, and loyal to the last drop." He said, a forlorn look etched into his face.
"Heh, Nikoli , was always loyal to those he deemed friends. One of his letters said he had a family outside my family, his squad was the family." She said sorrowfully. " gunnery sergeant Dukhanov was a damn good soldier, it's a shame he died the way he did. Shoulda got on the planes instead." Said the older man.
HEAVEN
"Wha? Where am I?" A man said. Shaking his head. 'you, young one, along with your friends, are in heaven' a mysterious voice came from everywhere but seemingly nowhere near him. " I...I'm dead? And my friends?" The man said, looking around him, seeing his whole squad laying around him, unconscious. "Bu-but...how? I was an atheist, if this is heaven.." As he trailed off God picked up on it 'then Christ is real and you think your wrong. Am I right?' Said the heavenly voice, taking hold in the mans memory as something he thought he heard before. "Yeah, but how? I mean, you, you could help everyone on earth get along and stop all this needless bloodshed!" He exclaimed, getting jittery in the process as h didn't want a fierce deity of sorts hounding him. ' True, true. But it's a hopeless cause. Humans, for as long as time will allow, will always kill for what they believe is right. You fought for the protection of others and to protect you "family" as you marines call it.' This being proclaimed. Then another being appeared, looking like a form he knew all to well. "S-sandman?! You're real?" Exclaimed the man. 'No, I'm god just in a form you may take to, well, more easily. No sense in being afraid of someone who's friendly, right?' The man, now known as God, said in sandman's voice. "...okay, a bit weird, but nonetheless cool. But what am I and my squad doing here, and why is my sergeant missing from the bunch, why are we in...purgatory I'm guessing." The man asked quizzically, puzzled as to why he and his friends weren't in heaven. ' well the fact, of where you are is wrong, by 56% really, you're in a waiting room in heaven. I've used this room maybe, out of all my eternity, seven times, not including this group. Second question is, your sergeant, did a lot of bad things, a few rapes and two murders and he shot his best friend in the head to get to his position. He's currently learning lucifer Isn't a nice being to be around.' God spoke solemnly and calmly, a hint of rage, pure unbridled rage, behind his eyes '
The last question is quite a task to ask in and of itself.' God quietly spoke to him ' well I guess there's no way around it now, knowing you your interest is perked. The question is are you ready to be in a different world, where naught a single war or squabble has happened in the passed thousand years, being completely friendly to all they meet.' God said as he placed his left fist on his hip, giving a stare that could rival the thousand yard stare. "A world, without war, without hatred and your asking me if I'd like to go there?" He asked making doubly shore to know what he heard was true. 'No there will be a war, soon but it has naught but a guard to protect the ruler's and those who protected their lands from the one born of jealousy. And they have maybe 20 or 30 of them who have seen a small war that wiped out a race of their kind completely. . . But that's where you and your friends come in, your a group. Inseparable at that. I'd give you the twenty most important items to use ,food will be provided as one thing not of the original twenty.' God said solemnly, showing signs that he didn't like the idea at all, but it had to be done. looking at his friends like there was a point to it. . . . as if they'd feel needed in heaven. " God I'd like to accept your offer. But I'll need some info on this place, economy, dictatorships, history, geographical landmarks to let us know where we are..." He trailed off as God quickly picked up the conversation ' well for starters their pony's and they have a dyarchy* even though there's four princess's.' God said with the best poker face that could rival slender-man's faceless features. " . . . Your joking right?" God shook his head 'eenope, 'fraid not.' " damn and here I thought you were." God just lazily gazed at him and then just shrugged. ' meh I didn't choose it fate did. You don't go, millions of deaths will takes place, but if you go, billions of lives will be saved.' God explained.
3 heavenly hours later.
Everything had been talked about between God and his acquaintance, they had settled the whole of the planet they'd be brought to. Apparently there would be no guns there except for theirs. "Alright now should we try to get the list made for the trip?" He asked. 'Yes, of course. Pray tell what would like to bring. It can be anything, just name it.' God said a small amount of relief came to his 'borrowed' face. For the last hour, it was confusing for him to understand what was going to be done and how things were to go down. So it was a good sign that he hadn't pissed off a deity. " well, do vehicles count?" He asked, and after a brief moment, God nodded, albeit, slowly and paced. ' of course, just don't go using them until the local populace have learned to accept you and your friends.'God said, visibly tense.
" well lets see... ODST armor with color differences for the rank and position they hold, M7S caseless, MA5C, BR33SR battle rifles, grenade launcher, MG36 with a red dot sight, Spartan laser, duel-tube rocket launcher, M6C/SOCOM, Mosin-Nagant with a PU scope, PPSh-41 with drum magazine, M1911, TT-33 Tokarev.
That clears up the guns. We'll need a scorpion tank, T-34, a warthog for battle and troop deployment and an H1 'huey' iraquoi helicopter with the SX-7 system. I'd like it if all vehicles ran off of water. If my calculations are right, I should have two more slots left. 'True, you have two left, leave 'em, lose 'em or use 'em. Your choice.' God said, nodding in contempt.
" well I was wondering if I could use those two to get a small base on wheels." He said shrugging and putting his arms out. 'Well I could give you a C.R.A.B base. Would that work?' God said bringing up a 3D image of the beast of an armored track vehicle. "Cool, but what does crab mean? Just for future reference, of course." He asked puzzled as to why it would look like that mobile command center in the campaign of halo 4 but name it an animal name. Especially one he was deathly allergic to. 'Its acronym stands for .Build base, meant for exploration in dense forest and wide open areas. It's hull is resistant to both fire and freezing temperatures. Has a wide variety of MRE's ,both healthy and non-healthy. And a water system that can purify and filter water as well as last you 2 months of heavy water usage. It also come with a fully stocked work bench for cutting wood and smelting small amounts of metal.' God explained, getting a little sentimental as he spoke of something he made for exploration in the first cycle of human life, created In 2077 after Mars and the moon were colonized. "Wow that's a lot of necessities." He said. After saying that he felt a little dizzy and began to stumble as God watched on as he continued his transdimensional rift in space, side effects were dizziness, nausea, and a change in bodily form to fit the customs of the ponies In Equestria. The land he let a lot of dead from a hundred and fifty eons of recycled human spirits, given a second chance at life.
' l, ' 's. l.' Was all corporal Nikoli Gregori dukhanov, of the 118th shock and awe infantry, heard from God as his body disappeared and all was replaced with darkness.