The Entrance to the Bunker

     The trek to the sole building in the marsh was harder than they anticipated. Mines and turrets were scattered strategically and haphazardly throughout the wetlands. If Cato’s mental break was a genuine act to fool the Republic, then he might haven’t been entirely faking it. Some of the mines were affixed to the sides of turrets, or hung from tree branches by ropes. Turrets were planted in blindspots, out in the open, even atop mines, ready to blow should the Brigade shoot the turrets off.

     The aggravating thing was that some of the mines weren’t even active. They’d turn on. They’d beep. They’d fill the entire team with dread, anticipating an explosion. Then nothing. Frederick wasn’t sure if Cato had failed to prime all his defenses in time, or if it was a deliberate goad. I could have killed you. I didn’t. Cato seemed to be saying.

     Whatever the reason, Fred was going to make sure he’d regret it. Immensely.

     And oddly enough, there were mounds of dirt placed at odd angles, slapped haphazardly along the route they were taking.

     Click.

     The team tensed. Eyes darting around for the idiot. They finally settled on Henry, who gave a sheepish grin as he pointed at his feet. The mine trilled, but otherwise was inert. Of course, they would never trust that the mine was another dud in the first place. That was how idiots got killed, and the Faz Brigade were anything but idiots. Roger moved over and began tinkering with the mine wielding a small hammer and some other tools Freddy hadn’t bothered to learn the names of. The newbie was the explosive ordnance expert, not him.

     “It's no big deal,” Roger had said the first time this happened. “Either I take care of it, or it's not my problem anymore.”

     Frederick hadn’t pegged Roger for having a grim sense of humor. Not yet at any rate.

     It had been Kaia who activated the first mine. She spotted a different one that Ann was about to step on, and in her haste to pull the private to safety, became the first one to put her life on the line. Everyone had winced, anticipating her to explode into bits and pieces. But nothing happened.

     “Usually there’s a boom,” Kaia said sheepishly. “Not that I’m ungrateful, but there’s usually a boom.”

     Roger inspected the mine under Kaia’s feet. “Normally they’re rigged to blow the moment pressure is applied to the top, driving the firing pin into the detonator cap.” He babbled. “But it seems these have been modified to imitate mines from movies.” Shaking his head, Roger quickly worked his magic and saved Kaia from a grisly fate.

     Ann couldn’t help but snort. “This Cato really is crazy,” she cackled.

     Now, their handy explosive ordnance specialist was doing the same for Henry. “So what was life like at home,” Roger asked while he was fiddling with the mine. “Any girl or guy you were seeing?”

     “I hardly think this is the time or place, private.”

     “That may be,” the private conceded. “But you’re also standing on an Argist Nova Mine, which has an explosive yield large enough to destroy a small building. Chatting will help calm the nerves, at least that’s what my drill instructor said will help in basic.”

     Henry sighed. Frederick noted that Roger didn’t specify whether chatting would help the human or himself. “I lived on the border between the Republic and the Electorate,” he answered. “Signed up the moment the war started. Told my wife and daughter to get out of town as fast as they could.” His eyes darkened. “They weren’t fast enough.”

     Roger whistled. “Yeah, that’s the best of a worst case scenario.” He said in a conversational tone. “Now you’re stuck working with us robots, the enemy who killed your family.”

     “You’re not robots,” Henry protested, spotting the derogatory slur Roger used in self deprecation. “Anyone with eyes can see that.”

     “Everybody does have eyes, but they see what they want to believe.” There was a click, and Roger grinned. “Safe and sound! Let's get a move on.”

     The unimus clapped Henry on the shoulder as the team began advancing towards the hut again. Fred was impressed. Bigotry was something they had had to contend with ever since getting co-opted by the Republic. For the most part, they had been treated relatively well. Treated like tools. But never inhumanely. Perhaps the bare minimum at times, but that was to be expected, considering the TechnoWar. Conflict was the inevitable conclusion between groups of people when the former desired something belonging to or was repelled by the latter. And in the Unimus’ case, it was their desire for expansion that led to humanity’s repelling them. Time heals all wounds, except for the ones we refuse to let it mend. And some days, Frederick wasn’t sure if humanity would allow the wounds the Unimus inflicted on them to heal.

     But then there were moments like this. Moments that gave him hope. Moments that told him Cato was wrong.

     They had to defuse another three mines on the way to the hut, with an especially dicey situation when it was Roger’s turn to step on a mine – making all five of them to have now made the mistake – forcing him to walk his sister through disarming it. At the last wire, however, she botched the disconnect. Everyone tensed, expecting Roger to explode into a million pieces, taking Ann with her.

     Instead, they got showered with confetti.

     Henry called for a five minute break to clear everyone’s nerves.

     “He has to be insane,” Kaia commented as Ann began helping wipe the particles off her brother. “Maybe he faked it back then, but if he’s setting up confetti mines for his defenses, then he isn’t right in the head anymore.”

     Frederick agreed. “Insanity is never a good ingredient when it comes to science.”

     Kaia pulled him aside, her eyes concerned. “What do you think our odds are?”

     “Of accomplishing the mission?”

     “Surviving the mission. Moving to a Sanctuary City. Earning a livelihood that doesn’t involve hunting down traitors.”

     He frowned. “What’s wrong with hunting down traitors?”

     She gestured around them. “We’re killing people. Our own people, Fred. They freeze us and every couple weeks or months they thaw us out and sic us on Unimus, some we know. Doesn’t that bother you?”

      “Our people lost sight of what it meant to be an Unimus,” He argued back. “They aren’t Unimus. Not anymore. They’re Argists. Monsters. Willing to fire on their own people just to hurt the enemy.”

     “Then what does that make us?”

     “What are you saying?”

     “Don’t you think what we’re doing is the exact same thinking the Argists thought when we defected?” explained Kaia. “Take away the politics, the emotions, the motives, all we’re doing is killing. We killed for the Electorate. And now we’re killing for the Republic.”

     “The Electorate died a long time ago, Kaia.” Frederick whispered tenderly. “The Argists don’t realize or care about that. And they’re hurting people who didn’t do anything. I can’t let that slide, can you?”

     After a moment of hesitation, Kaia shook her head. “No, I can’t.” She agreed. “I was worried you were going to do something stupid.”

     He grinned. “Pretty sure the only stupid is being done by the regs, Kaia.”

     As if in emphasis, Ann began chasing her brother around, wielding the used confetti mine, now attached to the end of her rifle like a club. Fred and Kaia restrained a laugh, whilst Henry grumbled to himself at their immaturity.

     “They’re still just kids,” Kaia smiled with her eyes. “I miss when we were like that.”

     Frederick turned away from her. “Yeah, I do too.”

     Life had changed so much when the war broke out. And it changed even more when it ended. Could Frederick adapt, could the Brigade continue on in spite of everything it's endured? Or will they be relegated to footnotes in the world’s history, spoken of only as some vague explanation for a war’s end that will be taught in classrooms?

     Ending his life during a mission had seemed like an inevitable fact of life, of his station.

     But maybe…

     Maybe he could keep on living. If not for himself, than for the ones he inspired. Frederick made a silent prayer to the Divinity, not the first he’s made, but definitely the most fervent.

     “Hallowed Divinity, creators to all, hear my prayer. I am an unworthy servant,” he began, his voice barely a whisper. “Enraptured by thy mercy and grace, I beg of thee to protect my comrades and friends. Lift them up in thy care that they may become exemples unto others. And if it so be that we perish, let us be remembered for our heroism in this world and the next.”

     “Alright, let’s move out!” Henry called out.

     And just like that, business as usual.

     The hut was unmanned, unguarded, and devoid of mines and turrets. Maybe Cato believed his minefield was deterrent enough. Maybe he really was crazy. Or maybe it was another trap. Henry pulsed light out of his eyes, making a natural flashlight as the rest of the Brigade switched on their ocular thermals.

     No signs of life. No signs of habitation. All evidence pointing to a wild goose chase.

     All except one.

     Dust enveloped the single room of the hut. Except for one three foot square a little bit above the center of the room. Henry examined the anomaly. “I’m feeling a current,” he announced. “The trapdoor is electronically powered, but I’m getting some kind of interference. Probably mythril.” he glanced over at Fred. “Think you can open it for us?”

     Frederick von Bjorn grinned. “Affirmative.” He plunged his hands into the microscopic creases between the door and the floor and heaved. Sparks danced then quickly faded as whatever gears and mechanics were keeping the door locked burst from his strength. With the gnashing of steel against steel, the trapdoor broke loose, exposing a dark column with no sign of the bottom.

     “Must be an elevator,” Kaia remarked, gesturing towards some axles near the lip of the hole. “Wonder how far it goes down?”

     Henry placed the palm of his hand against the gears. “The current goes deep,” he reported. “A click, maybe two.” A burst of static arced from his fingertips, and the sounds of machinery began to groan from within the elevator hole. It wasn’t long before a platform fitted itself against the outline of the hole.

     “Looks like we’re back in children’s school,” Frederick mused. “Gonna have to go down one at a time.”

     “I’ll go down first, then send it back up for the rest of you.” Henry instructed. “I’ll give a signal if something happens.”

     “Don’t take this the wrong way, Chaplain,” Ann growled. “But I want to tear something apart. So I hope something happens.”

     Henry eyed her, then the dimensions of the lift. He sighed. “There should be room enough for the both of us. Won’t be comfortable, but doable. That way if there is trouble, you won’t have to wait.”

     The private’s eyes sparkled. “Just don’t think you can cop a feel.” she snarled.

     “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

     The elevator began to descend, leaving Frederick, Kaia and Roger alone.

     “Last I recall, you didn’t seem overly fond of us when we first met,” Kaia remarked to Roger.

     The private eyed the lift and the door. “Could you blame me? Military was all mom and dad cared for. We were just happy accidents.” He grimaced. “Then they left for a mission and never came back. And just when I thought life wouldn’t get any more complicated, you lot showed up and inspired my sis, gave her hope throughout the TechnoWar. Didn’t want to lose her the same way we lost our folks.”

     “Do you resent Ann for joining?” Fred asked.

     Roger glowered. “Maybe a little. But I don’t blame her for this. She made her decision, and if I can help her odds of surviving a little bit better, I’ll give up anything to keep her smiling.” He smiled without humor. “That’s my dream now.”

     Kaia clapped him on the shoulder. “Dreams are what the future are made of, Private.” she crowed. “We’ll help you keep it alive as best we can!”

     “You aren’t like normal military units, you know that right?”

     “Normal units don’t last as long as we do, kid.” Frederick grinned. “Welcome to the family.”

     As if in emphasis, the lift returned. Roger and Kaia both gestured towards Fred. “After you, fearless leader,” Kaia said with a smile.

     Stepping atop the platform, the floor automatically began its descent. Fred nodded to Kaia, who returned the nod with an even larger grin. Then the two were gone. And he was enveloped in darkness.