A short sequel to The Republic of Athens--The Battle of Tokyo

[civman2000]

THe first installment (there'll probably only be 2):

The snow fell all around me. It was beautiful. So white, so joyous, so perfect. SUch amazing perfection of nature that cannot be imitated. It reminded me of when I was a small child, and would play in the snow for hours every day in the winter.

Then the snow would hit the ground. It would go on top of the vast pile of perfection, and add another piece to the beauty. But not on that day. There is no beauty in a layer of snow red with blood, a giant red blanket that was miles long.


I had joined the army 14 months earlier. Unlike my father who was unfortunate enough to be living in Kyoto at the time, I was not drafted. I volunteered and became a part of the 1st Tokyo Rifleman Division after 2 months of training. After just 7 weeks, the army began using machine guns and I had to have 3 more weeks of training.

Oh, by the way, did I forget to tell you that this was during a huge war? A few years earlier, Tokuwaga, our leader, had, on a whim, decided to bring back the quarreling between Japan and Persia. Unfortunately, this caused most of the world to attack us in retaliation, creating a huge invasion force. It was mainly led by the Athenians and Romans, and by the time I joined the army Russia had fallen to the attackers. Before long only the heart of Japan continued to resist.


I was sitting in the main Tokyo barracks, trying to think about something other than the siege of Kyoto. My father was defending the capital, but I'd rather lose the capital than him. We had already lost the war. What I couln't unerstand is why Tokuwaga hadn't cavced in to the Athenians' demands earlier. THe Athenians had offered peace in exchange for a small piece of Japan beyond what had already been conquered many many times, but every time the Emperor refused. He would not give up anything that wasn't forced from him. And now, Athenian artillery shells had landed right outside of the palace, according to the last telegraph update.

"News from Kyoto!" yelled the telegraph operator. Everyone in the barracks rushed toward the telgraph. "Athenian cossacks are...are attacking infantry outside of the city. They...they successfully ambushed...infantrymen building trenches. After losses, infantry have repelled cossacks! Now...now we believe that the...the Athenian troops number approximately 130,000. We are outnumbered but better equipped." He stopped. "There doesn't seem to be any more." Then, he suddenly began to record and read more words: "Central telegraph station just hit by artillery fire. News just in from the...battlefield. Atheinian cossacks have destrowed the infantry defense, but the 1st Japanese...Cossack Army has pushed them back. Estimated casualties: Japanese 37,000 Athenians 74,000. So far only...387 infantry survivors have been found. MEssage over."

I ran from the barracks to my home and cried. This could not be happening. My father had to be one of the survivors. Had to be.


"OK boys," said the colonel. "Athenian cossacks have been sighted a few miles away. This is your chance to defend Japan! This is your chance to keep this wonderful nation alive and not be split into random pieces by Rome and Athens. We think there are about 100,000 of them, and there are 19,421 of us, but we can take them. From the trenches with our machine guns they'll never have a chance to get us!"

At the time I believed the whole pep talk he gave us. The bright green cossack uniforms could be seen a mile away, even through the thick forest! THe horses would be easy targets. And my father would be avenged.

Just after he finished the talk, there was a deafening boom! Athenian artillery shots had hit the barracks! THe building was evacuated and every headed to the trenches a little less confident.

[steelehc]

Interesting. I expect more!!!

Steele

[curlyboy24]

Very Nice, keep it up

[civman2000]

second installment should come this afternoon...though I may be pretty busy. But I promise the rest by Monday night, at the very latest

[curlyboy24]

kool, can't wait!

[civman2000]

I sat nervously in the trench. I held my gun firmly and put on my helmet. Then I heard galloping. The cossacks were coming. The colonel said nothing, everyone knew.

THen they appeared. From the forest, a large mounted mass charged toward us. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I thought. I raised my gun and fired. THe sound was deafening. I looked up. Cossacks were falling everywhere, without firing a shot. Fallen men and horses were everywhere. A few of us were shot, but not many. That first wave of cossacks was destroyed, and the battlefield was covered with blood.

We just waited in the trenches for a few minutes. THen more galloping. I prepared to fire, everything had gone perfectly the first time. At this rate, we would easily win. Then, suddenly the galloping stopped. I began to sweat with the anticipation.

SUddenly, there was the sound of many gunshots! The cossacks had dismounted and were hiding behind trees! I looked around in the trenches and saw that they had made many hits. As the firing continued, I aimed for a tree that shots were coming from.

Suddenly, artillery shells fell right behiind the trenches! THey did not hurt many, but the trenches were now on the verge of collapse. There was no choice but to abandon the cozy shelter and have an open battle. As I saw more and more people leaving the trenches, I finally got up.

More artillery fire fell near the trees where the cossacks were! The Athenians had apparently had some major miscommunications! Most of the trees fell, and there was no more protection anywhere from the bullets that were everywhere.


And so the battle continued. Men fell everywhere, but because of our better weapons most of the dead were cossacks. Blood ran thickly everywhere. THere seemed to be an endless wave of cassacks coming, some on their horses, but most having abandoned the animals. The the snow began to fall. SUch purity in the realm of death and destruction! As it built up, the ground became invisible below the bloodred carpet of death. I could see no other Japanese within 50 feet of me. THe attacking cossacks grew thinner and thinner. THen the snow fell heavier and heavier, until nothing could be seen through the blizzard. Nothing but red and white, and black blurs of bullets. I began to cry.

There was plenty to hear. Screams, everywhere. The loud rattling of machine guns. THe quick firing of the cossacks' rifles. BUt mostly the screams. Screams of death, screams of pain. Screams of lives that would never exist again, that were gone forever.

And in this hellish lonely cold I began to ask questions. Why? Why should thousands die for the death of five in a skirmish with PErsia? WHy should thousands die for the power of one man? Why should thousands die at all? For a few popular rich people in Athens? For an egotistic emporer who flees the capital to Kagoshima rather than ending the suffering of his people, just to protect his own power? FOr "freedom"?? How can you be free if you're dead???

And I decided it would be better to die than live with this memory. I stopped indiscriminately firing into the unknown. I turned my gun toward myself. BUt there was no more ammo. I could not kill myself. I began to sob, and curled up on the ground. I sobbed and sobbed and just hoped I would die.


I did not. I was the only Japanese survivor that day. The only survivor, out of nearly 20,000. Of the hundred thousand cassacks, just 2000 survived. FOr miles, only corpses annd blood could be seen. The cossacks were just as grievous as I was. They had never been in such a battle. There had never been such a deadly battle. At first a few of us resisted the Athenians, but there was no reason. There was no reason for anything. The twon was dead, even if most of its people lived. Not one more Japanese was killed by the Athenians. They could not bear to cause any more death. Nor could I. But for some reason I di not kill myself. I could not ever create any more destruction. I could stop it, though. To everyone who ever passed near the town, I could tell the story. I could got to Athens, Rome, everywhere and tell my story. It might save lives, it might not. But nothing, nothing would ever bring back the 115,000 who died that day. Nothing.

[aneeshm]

I want more !

[civman2000]

I said it was short!! I didn't promise anything more!!!!!

PS: Japan got killed. Now there's a huge world war eith three sides:
1. England
2. Iroquois
3. Everyone else except
4. The babylonians, who are neutral.

I'm crushing the brits because I'm 5 techs ahead of everyone and i have tanks

[Kingof the Apes]

What Civ are you?

[civman2000]

Athenians...modified greeks

[curlyboy24]

I liked it! Were you trying to make it shorter by having him kill himself? Just wondering, anyways, i thought it was "Excellent"