Living on Borrowed Time
Chapter Two: A Friend
By PolarNegetiveZero
I've been chugging along for a while now – kind of like those old locomotives from before the Shell hit – and I've noticed something behind me that's been following for a while now. I'm not exactly concerned, since it sounds like a German tier three. However, I won't rule out the possibility that it might be an ambush, so I'm staying on edge until it goes away, or until the trap springs. I have a feeling it'll be soon, as it was originally about a quarter of a mile out, now it sounds like its fifty meters away. Swinging my turret to face my engine deck, I peer through the foliage surrounding the roadside, rewarded with a glimpse of gray metal – A cannon barrel, about thirty meters behind me, and not facing me. Perfect.
I then rotate my tank until I'm sideways on to the road, and begin backing into the side opposite of where I was the barrel. I kill my engine, and keep backing up until only my gun is visible, and only a close range. I stay on edge for about three minutes, but my mind begins to wander anyways, thinking back on my life before the Shell hit. The Shell was the mechanism that gave tank sentience. It hit in Northwestern Europe, and spread across the globe. I wasn't born at this point, but a Conqueror in my old team had told me about the event. It intrigued me more than my current predicament, so much that I almost was found because of my idleness.
The StuG IV was nearly nose-to-nose with me, facing to my right, giving a low growl with its engine as it swept the road back and forth. I assumed that it was trying to find me, and this was confirmed by the muttering of finding that "Churchie". My irrational half wanted to plant a shot right into the engine deck of the – Now female – StuG, but I held my temper in check and watched for what might happen. The StuG was now in a minor panic, speaking aloud to calm herself. "Don't worry. Just find that Churchie, and he'll help you." I wasn't so sure of that myself, but I debated with myself about showing my position, but rationality won out, making me stay hidden. It was only for the moment, anyways. I couldn't stay here forever. She eventually worked herself up even more, and started giving her engine more fuel to go faster as she tried seeing where I'd went up the road.
I started my engine once more, confused at this behavior. Maybe I should have shown myself, or at least planted a shot across to get her to back off. I shrugged, giving my engine fuel and telling it to march me forward on the road. I internally checked my grease levels, alarmed at how much it had taken to start my engine again. The StuG might have a repair kit or at least some extra grease on hand… I decided to get her attention the only way I knew how, and that was using a shot to clear the area of even more wildlife.
The HE shot that I fired rocketed up into the air, disappearing from view of my optics after a moment. I sat back, in the middle of the road, and waited. I wasn't disappointed, for I could hear another engine over the sound of my own, the tenor growl of the German engine making me internally cock my head and wonder. But that lasted all of a moment, as she soon came into view on the side of the road, in the bushes. I pretended to look the other way, as I was feeling shy due to my scavenger behavior. Eventually, she came out into the road, and I continued to pretend to ignore her, humming an old song from before the Shell; My Country, Tis of Thee. Finally, she spoke: "Hi." I rotated both my turret and gun to get a fix on where her gun was, unconsciously aiming for her cannon breech to destroy the gun if I needed to. I looked at her through my optics, and internally grimaced. She was in as bad a shape as I was. Gun barrel heavily damaged without some serious grease – more than my engine needed – and her optics were damaged, as were both of her tracks. I gave a little wave of my gun, and spoke aloud for the first time in a while.
"Hi. Do you know your way around this place? I ask, because I don't." My voice came out of my turret like a horse after sickness, crackly and hoarse. I cleared my radio and repeated the message, much clearer this time. I spoke in a tenor voice, with a touch of baritone, while hers was definitely an alto, with about a quarter of tenor in there. Of course, this included the Germanic accent she spoke in, making it relatively tenor-ish more. All this took place in my head, and I didn't hear her response. "I'm sorry; I was thinking about something, could you repeat that?" I say, slightly embarrassed at my social fuck-up. She didn't seem to notice, and repeated "No, I don't. In fact, I was following you since you seemed to know your way around." She seems embarrassed as well, making me feel a bit of pity for her. I said nothing for a moment, and then blurted out:
"Do you want to travel together?" She looked at me sharply after this, and I waved with my cannon barrel, trying to dispel her suspicions. "No, not like that, I mean, we're both in- I mean, we're both lost and I thought- Well, maybe we should stick together?" I stumbled over my words as I tried to explain the half-baked idea, and eventually get the message to her. She looks at me for a few seconds, and then shakes her cannon barrel up and down, making me internally sigh with relief. Truth be told, I just didn't want to be alone with my mind anymore. It scared me sometimes.
I nodded back at her, and rotated my tank back down the way I had been going before getting sidetracked by her, letting her get alongside me before feeding my engine fuel and getting myself moving. "What's your name?" I ask, slightly curious but also trying to break the awkward silence between us. She eagerly seizes the lifeline I give her, stating "Ensighein. Most people call me Sig. What's yours?" She gives me a questioning look after saying that, and I stare at her, stumbling over my words again. "I… I never really needed a name, being a scavenger." I went silent as she took this information in, and then said "Call me Jay." I'd looked around for something for her to call me with, remembering the bird that had been on my turret a while ago. He'd left after I'd started my engine.
Well, I made a new friend today. Better now than never, huh?
Well, I had fun writing it last night, so I did it again tonight. I'll be honest, Fulfilling my dream of being a legitimate writer makes me happy, even if nobody reads or reviews my story. I'm continuing the experiment now, and I have the basic plot laid out. I write the details as I go, making corrections for ideas I assume are brilliant from when they appear like lightning into my head.
So, cheers.