Chapter 9: Shadows of the Past
The stillness of the evening had settled over the base. After the grueling training and the constant tension of their first mission, the soldiers were granted a few hours of rest. However, rest was hard to find. The fear of what lay ahead seemed to freeze everyone's thoughts.
Ray sat alone on a bench near the edge of a hangar, cleaning his weapon with precise but slow movements—more to occupy his hands than out of actual necessity. In the quiet of the night, he could hear the echo of his own breathing and the faint noises of distant bases.
"I always find you here after missions," Mia said, appearing from the shadows with a steaming mug in her hand.
Ray looked up but said nothing.
"I brought tea," she continued, placing the mug beside him. "It's not much, but it's warm."
Ray offered a faint smile and took the mug, feeling the comforting warmth of the ceramic against his fingers. "Thanks. Did you manage to sleep?"
Mia sat down next to him, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Not really. I keep thinking about what happened today. About how... we were so close."
"But we made it," Ray said, keeping his voice calm. "We got the data. And we're all here."
"We're still here," Mia repeated, with a trace of sarcasm. "But how long will that last? You know, Ray, I'm starting to wonder if what we're doing even matters. Are we really changing anything?"
Ray was silent for a moment, staring at his reflection in the mug. "I don't know if we're changing anything, Mia. But I do know that if we give up, everything the humanoids destroyed… everyone we've lost… will have been for nothing."
Mia sighed and leaned her head back, staring at the dark sky. "You're right. You always are. But that doesn't make it any easier to live with."
Greg: A Mountain of Silence
Elsewhere, Greg sat in the mess hall, where a few soldiers had gathered around the tables. Most were laughing nervously, trying to shake off the day's tension. But Greg was quiet, chewing slowly on a piece of stale bread.
"You know, Greg, you should try being friendlier with the others," Ethan said, sitting across from him with a full plate.
Greg raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm not friendly?"
Ethan laughed. "Not that. But you don't talk much. You're like a mountain. Big, solid, but no words."
"I don't have much to say," Greg replied simply.
Ethan took a big bite, chewing quickly. "Then let's talk about something else. Where are you from?"
Greg hesitated, placing the bread down on the table. "I was a farmer. Had a farm on the edge of a forest. Wife, two kids..."
Ethan paused, surprised by the unexpected words. "You had?"
Greg nodded, saying nothing for a few seconds. "When the humanoids came, I fought. But they're not like us. They don't tire, they don't stop. They destroyed everything. My family… my home… it's all gone."
Silence settled between the two.
"I'm sorry," Ethan said quietly.
"So am I," Greg replied, standing up. "But I've learned something important: if you want to survive, to keep your mind together, you have to be like a mountain. Solid. Don't let the storm move you."
Ethan: The Shadow of Hope
After Greg left, Ethan stayed alone at the table. His gaze lingered on the nearly empty plate. He didn't feel like eating, but the silence bothered him more.
Later, he wandered to the training area, where a few weapons were left on the tables. He picked up one of them, a training rifle, and approached the automatic targets.
"Do you think we're still on a mission?" a voice asked behind him.
Ethan turned abruptly and saw Mia.
"Couldn't sleep," he said, shrugging. "So I came to practice."
Mia stepped closer, watching him prepare the rifle. "You're scared, aren't you?"
Ethan laughed bitterly. "Yeah. I'm sorry, but yeah. I've never done this before. I've never been in a war."
"None of us were soldiers before," Mia replied. "But look where we are. We're learning as we go."
Ethan nodded, staring off into the distance. "I don't know if I'm good enough. Everyone else... you, Ray, Greg... you all seem so strong. I'm just... me."
Mia put a hand on his shoulder. "You know what? We're all scared. Every single one of us. But courage isn't the absence of fear. It's choosing to stand up, even when you're terrified."
Ray: The Past That Won't Fade
Later that night, Ray returned to his quarters alone. He sat on the edge of his bed, pulling a small photo from his pocket. It was old, slightly worn at the edges. In the picture, his parents smiled widely, holding a younger version of Ray in their arms.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, clutching the photo tightly.
His gaze drifted to the walls, where the shadow of his uniform seemed to dance to the rhythm of his memories. He remembered the day the humanoids destroyed his hometown. The fire, the screams, the pain… they returned night after night, like a ghost refusing to leave.
A soft knock on the door pulled him from his trance.
"Come in," he said.
Mia stepped into the room. "I just wanted to check if you're okay."
Ray smiled faintly. "I'm fine. You?"
Mia sat on the edge of the bed beside him. "Today was hard on everyone. But you, Ray… you have this strange way of staying calm. How do you do it?"
Ray sighed. "I'm not calm. It's just that... everything I've lost… my parents, my home… it changed me. I keep telling myself that if I let it overwhelm me, I've already lost. And I can't afford that."
Mia studied him closely. "You know, Ray, we all have something that keeps us going. You're the one who holds us all together. But don't forget: you're allowed to fall apart sometimes too."
The Team's Pact
Later, the four of them gathered around a small table in the shared dormitory. Ethan held a small notebook, Greg sharpened his combat knife, and Mia cleaned a pistol.
"I have an idea," Mia said, looking up. "What if we make a pact? A promise to each other that no matter what happens, we've got each other's backs. No matter how hard it gets."
Ethan smiled timidly, closing his notebook. "That sounds good. But… what kind of pact?"
"Simple," Mia said, placing her pistol on the table. "We promise not to leave anyone behind. Not in battle, not outside of it. If one of us falls, the others do everything they can to lift them back up. We're a team, and that means we stick together."
Greg looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. "Makes sense. In today's fight, if it weren't for you all… who knows?"
"Especially me," Ethan said softly, remembering how Mia and Ray had shielded him during the ambush. "I'm the weakest here, but if you're doing this, then I promise to try harder. To not let you down."
Ray, who had been listening quietly, stood and looked at each of them. "You're not weak, Ethan. None of us are. If we were, we wouldn't be here. The fact that you're still breathing after everything we've been through proves you have what it takes. And Mia's right. We're in this together. If someone falls, the others lift them. No exceptions."
Greg extended his hand, palm open in the center of the table. "Then let's make it official."
Mia and Ethan placed their hands over Greg's, followed by Ray. A thin layer of doubt melted between them, leaving room for a genuine bond.
"We promise," Mia said.
"We're a team," Greg added.
"And no one gets left behind," Ethan finished.
"So be it," Ray said, and their hands clenched together.
A Step Closer
That night, each of them slept better than usual. The pact they had made and the stories they had shared seemed to have laid a solid foundation beneath their feet.
But they all knew that the next day would bring new trials. They were just humans, fighting against relentless machines. And yet, for the first time since the fighting began, it felt like they weren't entirely alone.
Tomorrow would be harder. But tomorrow, they were a team.