Old Nightmares and New Places.
Perspective: Staff Sergeant Martin Hamson
Gunfire, explosions, the screams of the wounded, it all was happening so fast around me. Just like it always did, I put my back up against the bolder I was taking cover behind, I could feel the bullets hit the top and sides of the two tons of rock and feel the pieces that had broke off hit my face, legs, and arms. It was just another day as a Marine in Afghanistan.
My squad was assigned to a recon mission of the local mountains for any hostile forces that may have been patrolling our basses perimeter, we had come across a small narrow canyon. From our topo maps, it looked like the perfect trail to the other side of the mountain range, and to the nearby village. The canyon had numerous caves running along the sides. It was the perfect place for an ambush, tall rock walls, a clear path, lots of cover, pretty much a death trap for any normal soldiers
Thankfully my squad and I were force recon, we lived for these kind of missions. And we were prepared for anything. We split up our squad into our normal fireteams (four man teams that make up a squad, usually there are three fireteams to a squad). Fireteam Bravo went up the left side of the canyon wall and hugged the edge of the cliff as fireteam Alfa (my fire team) walked inside the canyon. Fire team Charley did the same as Bravo but on the right side of the canyon. Our sniper and his spotter where a half a klick ahead of fireteam Charley.
We were about a mile into the canyon when our Sniper who's codename was 'Tweety Bird' radioed in. "This is Tweety Bird to Piece Maker"
"This is Piece Maker Tweety Bird," I say into my radio. Waiting for his response.
"We have multiple Tangos setting up for an ambush about a half a klick from my position." He responses almost immediately.
"Have they spotted you Tweety Bird?" I ask.
"Negative piece Maker, they have however spotted fireteam Alfa, how should I proceed?"
"Make your way around them and stay out of sight, radio back when you're in position. Fireteams Alfa, Bravo, and Charley will stay put until then and we'll atack on all sides. Do you copy that Alfa, Bravo, and Charley?"
I get a "Yes sir." From all of my squad before we set up to wait for Tweety Bird to take his position.
Our snipers real name was Corporal James Edwardson. He wanted to be called "Soaring Eagle", but the squad got to pick the code names. He always had way with animals, and on his first mission as a sniper, he was high in the mountains where there were actual trees and birds all around. He was bed down deep in enemy territory when several birds started landing on his back. His spotter who is codenamed "Angle" was terrified that the birds would give away there location a soon as he fired of his first round. However Edwardson was able to softly wisper to the birds, and one by one they flew away, just in time for him to take his first shot. The last Bird to leave was a small brown Bird that was resting on top of his scope, when it flew away it left behind a brown tail feather, afterwords he stuck the feather in his cover and hasn't taken it out since. From then on his official codename was Tweety Bird.
We sat waiting for Tweety Bird to radio in for about fifteen minutes before we started to hear shots going off not to far from our location, only the shots wernt being fired at us, they were being fired towards the right side of the canyon wall. We all sprung to our feet and ran towards the sound of gunfire. I radioed Tweety Bird as soon as I got to my feet.
"Piece Maker to Tweety Bird." I said trying to not be to loud.
"This is Tweety Bird Piece Maker, I'm pinned down, I slid on some loose rocks and twisted my ankle, I can't move and Angle got hit in the arm and he can't shoot. We need Sparkle to get her ass up here now!" He practically shouted int the radio.
Sparkle was the navy corman assigned to my squad, she was one of only two girls on the team. And she earned her codename from how she seamed to Sparkle when she got a new book from home. She loves books a really big nerd, but she's also the best damn metic I know. Thankfully she was with fireteam Charley, or else getting her to Tweety and Angle would be a nightmare.
"Fireteam Charley, you herd the man. Get Sparkle to there position. Fireteams Alfa and Bravo, give them lots of cover fire." As I barked out orders we soon came to the firefight.
As Tweety said, he was pinned down with a group of about thirty Tangos firing at him from all over the canyon and canyon walls, there was already several bodies of the enemy in the bottom of the canyon. As we approached we started laying down cover fire. I and two others slid behind a massive bolder for cover as the firefight unfolded. We had taken down about half of the opposing forces when Sparkle was about fifteen feet from Tweety and Angle, when a man stood up with a RPG in his hands aimed for Tweety. I moved as fast as I could to take him out, but I was too late. He had already fired. I manage to hit him in the head with a bullet, but the damage was done. Time seamed to slow as I watched the rocket propelled grenade launch towards my friend, no not my friend, but my brother. And I couldn't to anything to stop it, as it hit it through Sparkle back away from the explosion. Then...
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP... BEEP, BEEP, BEEP
I feel the sweet release of consciousness pull me from my hell. I roled out of of my rack to turn off my alarm, ah four thirty in the morning my old nemesis, we meet again. I look in the body mirror that my bunk mait was able to talk his way into getting shipped with him. As I stare at my own reflection I think back to the events following my nightmare. The RPG was a direct hit, what little remains we were able to drag back to base where boxed up and shipped back to his family with an American flag draped over the pine wood box and where given a proper burial. Angle died from the explosion as well, he took a piece of shrapnel to the head, he was given a proper burial as well. Sparkle made it, she's back home now. She can't hear out of her left ear and a piece of shrapnel got her in her left eye, she was lucky it didn't go all the way through. Over the past few months of our deployment we've lost more then a few good men. Tweety and Angle where just the first, there deaths hunt my dreams more then any other. We've lost five altogether, and that's five too many. The only good news is that even with that many deaths, not one of our missions have failed.
I shake my head and take a second to look myself over. I'm still the same 5'6" that I've been since I was a sophomore in highschool. What I lack in height I make up for in muscle. I turn and look at my stomach from all angles to see if I still can't see my abbs clearly, but with not luck. It doesn't matter how much I run or how much time I spend on my core I still have a layer of fat that won't go away, although I've never have had a six pack before, I still look very fit. My hair is dark brown, and I have green eyes that tend to change color.
"You can look at yourself in that mirror everyday all day and you still won't have a six pack like me or anyone else in the squad for that matter." Says my bunk mate from the top bunk as he drops down to the ground.
He isn't very bulky, but he is almost all lean chiseled muscle and he has an eight pack not a six pack. Lucky bastard. He is a few inches taller than me and looks like he always just got back from the barber, in fact, he is the squads barber. His code names is Dimonds because he comes from a fairly well off family which owns a clothes department as well as a jewelry shop back in the states.
"You also need a haircut, make sure to come and see me after your done eating lunch." He says as he grabs his towel and heads to the showers, or as we like to call them, the sprinklers. I grab my towel as well and head for the showers before our morning inspection.
It was a normal day, nothing to eventful, it came, then it passed. I got my hair cut during lunch. I was just about to hit the rack when I was called to the Colonial's office. I went through the motions of entering his office. I banged on the wooden plank to the right of the door and said "Staff Sergeant Hamson requesting promotion to enter."
However, I didn't get the response I normally would. "Hamson, get your ass in here and don't make any more fucking noise." I herd the Colonial wisper from the other side of the door.
I was a bit surprised, but did as ordered, when I entered I was greeted by the Colonial standing by the door. However, he wasn't the only one in the room. Standing in front of the desk was a odd looking man in a lab coat, half of the hair on his head was black and slicked back. While the other side was white and looked like he had slept only on that side and never combed that side of his head. He wore glasses that were taped in the middle and had one of the lenses cracked. He wore a watch on each wrist, one was black leather the other was brown. He had a white goatee and eyes with two different colors. He was holding a strange device in his hands that looked like a small trampoline.
"Hamson, I'd like you to meet," started the Colonial when the man interrupted.
"I am Dr. Frankfurt, and it is a pleasure to meat my new test subject!" He said almost dropping his machine. "I'm sorry if I got you into trouble, you just frightened me when you banged on the door, I don't like loud noises, unless I make them. You see I almost dropped..."
"What do you mean test subject? I'm not going to be tested by Dr. Frankenstein over there, I didn't join the Marines to..." The Colonial swiftly and angrily cuts me off.
"That's enough, before you start getting upset hear what we have to say, now then, as I was saying. This is Dr. Frankenstein, I mean Dr. Frankfurt." The doctor stared him down a bit after that. "He has been working on a new way of transportation"
"Oh yes, I almost forgot. Why I was even here. I'm sorry I don't interact with people very often." He says as he places the device on the ground, poles facing up. "This is my pride and joy. I call it my thermo nuclear molecular deconstruct/reconstruct anator."
The Colonial then looks at me with a blank face and says "In English that means he built a teleporter pad."
"It is more then just a teleporter pad it breaks things down moicule by moicule and transports them across space and time!" He says as he practically jumps for joy. "And it works!"
"So your telling me that, that thing can not only teleport, but also time travel?" I ask.
"In a way yes, but it can only take you into the future. I haven't figured out how to go back in time yet though." He says looking at the ceiling while stroking his facial hair. "And your going to help me test it!" He says looking back at me.
"I never agreed to this." I said looking at the Colonial.
"I have orders that should you do this, then you will receive the rank of capital your own platoon and get a large bonus." He replies flatly.
"Okay, but why me?" I ask.
"You are the youngest Staff Sergeant in the Corps and have completed every mission you have been given. This new technology could be game changing, and we need someone to lead a new branch of recon Marines, even better then force recon. But we need the leader to be able to say that he was the first to use this new tech. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir." I say as I step onto the platform.
"Splendid!" Said the doctor as he started to press differet buttons an a control pad he pulled from his coat. "I'm only going to send you a few feet from the pad. Oh, and in going to send you two minutes from now, see you in two minutes!"
The the poles extended up over my head as they began to spin. The device was very loud as it spun faster and faster. All the while the doctor was laughing hysterically, almost crying. Then the poles emitting a blue light. I start to feel my feet start to tingle, I look down at my boots to find that they're glowing blue before disappearing slowly, the blue glow creaps its way up my body. All I can do is stare in wonder as my finger tips start to disappear. Until I'm finally gone. And everything turns black.
...
As I feel my body being reconstructed I feel a slight breeze cutting through my uniform. When I'm all put together again I gather my bearings. I'm definitely not in the Colonial's office anymore. I find myself is a large dark forest. My survival instincts kick in and I immediately look to see what I have on me, not thinking twice of how the hell I'm in a forest. I'm still in my uniform, on my belt I have my M4 MEUSOC (the standard sidearm of force recon) with a flashlight and laser attachments as well as an extended magazine that holds fourteen rounds, as well as two extra magazines and extra batteries. I also have my MTeck pocket knife with the Eagle Globe and Anchor etched into the colapsable blade, I also have my tactically KaBar that has a basic survival kit hiden in the handle, it has a leather sheath with an EGA tooled into it. I also have two canteens one cup and one empty. Lastly I have my flint striker tucked into my boot. And people say I'm over prepared.
It's too dark to see properly, I look around and I can see the moon in a clearing in the trees. However, its not the same as I remember. Instead of the oh so familiar man on the moon I've come to know. I see a unicorn on the moon. I shake my head and convince myself it's just my mind playing tricks on me.
I grab my side arm and find a flat spot of ground using the flashlight. I then put large rocks in a circle and build a fire for myself, as I don't think I'm getting out of these woods tonight, not to mention the temperature keeps dropping. I even had to unroll my sleeves. I then build a shelter to block the wind and gather a good pile of leaves for a bed.
Once I lay down and give myself time to think about what just happened, it hit me. That fucking mad scientist could have sent me anywhere. Or even worse, to any time in the future. I don't know how far forward in time I am...
I swear if I missed this year's Superbowl I'm going to kill that Doctor. I try not to think to much about it, because the more I think about it the more I'll worry and the less sleep I'll get. And I'm going to need my strength tomorrow. Who knows how long it will take me to get out of here.
When I fell asleep I didn't have a nightmare or even a dream for that matter. I was greeted with a blank nothingness that was quite soothing compared to the nightmares that had plagued my dreams for months.
...
I wake up to the sound of twigs snapping and people talking. I'm groggy at first and can't see straight, groggy or not I grab my all of my gear as fast as possible and conceal myself under a nearby bush, I can't see anything, so I try and listen in. There still a ways away, and it sounds as it there on horseback and going really slow
"So what are we looking for again Twilight?" I hear a very Western sounding female voice say.
Okay, so they speak English, and they have American accents. I must be somewhere state side.
"I'm not sure Apple Jack, all I know is last night I went to go lock the castle up for the night and the map in the thrown room was telling us to come here. But I don't know who or what would be in the Everfree Forest that needs our help. Not only that, but Princess Luna came to me in my dreams last night saying she saw a new creature dreaming, it's dream was blank so she wasn't able to see what it looked like. But she new for sure it wasn't a pony, and she told me it was dreaming in the same spot the map showed." Said a second voice. I could hear whoever it was get closer.
What the hell? Castle? Everfree Forest? And did she say something about watching peoples dreams? Where am I?
"How does that work? If it's dream was blank then how could she see it dream? And how did she know it wasn't a pony if she couldn't see it?" Asked a scruffy sounding female.
"I asked her similar questions, and she told me when she watches over dreams she uses her magic to look at our dreams like stars. Every species dreams take on a different shape of star, all pony dreams have the same shape of star. She also said she can't make dreams, only change them."
Now there talking about magic and ponies?
"Yes but that doesn't explain how she was able to see this creature's star in the first place darling." Said a very refined voice said.
"She explained this too she told me that dreams are like a role of film, even if the film is blank you can still put it into a projector. You just can't see anything. I know it sounds confusing, but even she doesn't fully understand it sometimes, and that it just works."
"Hey guys it think I see something!" Another voice yells. As now hear the sounds of springs.
"Pinky! Do you want to scare the new creature away?" Says the second voice again, I believe they said her name was Twilight.
"Sorry Twilight" says the previously loud voice who is called Pinky, are these supposed to be codenames?
"It's a camp, that's strange. It was able to build a fire, a bed, and even a shelter. Do you know any animal that's smart enough to build all this Fluttershy?" Asked Twilight.
"I don't, most animals would just sleep on the ground. But I do hope this new creature is friendly, so I can take him home and feed it and give it a place to sleep and befriends with all of the other animals and me." Says a soft, kind voice.
I silently crawl under the bushs around me and keep myself hidden. I make my way to the nearest tree and stand up behind it. With my back against the tree I draw my gun and pull my KaBar out, and I wait for a second more. I still don't know how many people there are so I wait a bit longer, so far I counted six on horseback.
"Or maybe it will be a cool monster that we have to fight and we'll have to knock him out and drag him down to Tartarus! Ya, that'd be awesome."
"Ya, that would be awesome, but this devil dog only bites if you attack first." I say as I come out from be hind a tree with my gun ready... "Ponies?" I say as I see six ponies standing in and around my small camp all of them staring at me rather frightened. "Your all..."
ZAAAPPPP
I hit the ground hard as a bolt of lightning hits me in the chest, I've been tased before. But this was about five times worse. I hear the ponies talk a little more, but I couldn't make out what they were saying before I black out.
