Chapter three: to war
Caleb could not remember ever being this happy. His whole body was permeated with a euphoria that came from hope for the future. Caleb was going to war. That day had started out rather ordinary, with him working out and training with combat simulations, when Anton came into his room. He had just received a telephone call from the higher ups, who had cleared Caleb for deployment. he would ship out in three days. In those three days, he would be familiarized with some new equipment, and given a mission briefing. He could take nothing with him except what the military issued him, and would only return to the island after the war was over, or if he was given rest and relaxation leave.
"Since you are one of our best soldiers," Anton said proudly, "the military has seen fit to give you some special equipment."
Caleb smiled, and surveyed the large piece of metal before him. Anton told him it was armor, and that it was a very expensive gift from chairman Gorbechev. After about ten minutes of sealing the pieces of the armor around his body, Caleb began to get used to moving around in his new armored shell. Thanking both Gorbechev and the country he represented, Caleb happily inquired as to how the armor worked.
"it's electrically powered, so you can only use it in combat for about two hours before it needs recharging, and you'll need
help to take it off an put it on, but it is shock absorbent, and entirely bulletproof," explained Anton. It had been six years since he took Caleb in and the project had begun. He remembered that day and how it all began very clearly.
He had heard reports of an incredibly dangerous child, who had taken down three Russian soldiers with ease, and was anxious to see him for himself. Ascending the stairs of the penthouse that was now the child's prison, he had opened the door to a room with a small boy tied to a comfortable chair. Utilizing the little english he had, Anton gave Caleb a meal, and apologized for having to tie him up. He had told him that everything would be okay now, and that he was safe from the evils of America.
Caleb only spoke occasionally for a while after he was captured, and that was usually to shout in english at Anton. After almost a week, he had become docile enough to be let loose to wander the penthouse. A month after that, he began to believe bits and pieces of Russian propaganda, and started to see Anton as a father figure. Soon, Caleb succumbed to Stockholm syndrome, and immersed himself in soviet culture. He forgot his parents, who Anton had told him were secretly evil people, who were planning on selling him into slavery. When he asked about why he had never seen any of this evil, Anton told him it was mainly in the mainland of America, and that Alaska wasn't nearly as bad because of how close it was the Soviet Union.
After learning russian, Caleb began his training. Introduced originally as a series of games, both physical and video simulations, Anton eventually told him that he was ultimately training to be a soldier for the motherland. With visions of glory and victory, he centered his life around being a soldier, and for six years he trained and learned.
Anton was sad to see him go. Even though he would never admit it to anyone, Anton had actually grown to love Caleb like his own son, and was pained to part with him. Struggling to push his fond memories of the past six years from his mind, Anton reminded himself that this was nothing more than a job. A government project. That Caleb was a weapon, and that he shouldn't be getting emotionally attached to the boy.
"Make me proud, son," Anton said, hugging Caleb, who had finally been extracted from the armor with the Anton's help. The words didn't seem strange to Caleb, for Anton had been calling him 'son' for a while now, and he had always seen Anton as a father. Well, almost always.
After saying goodbye to his mentor and teacher, Caleb took the ferry to the other island to bid farewell to his friends. After saying a tearless and unemotional goodbye to the only two boys who didn't hate him, he found Eva to tell her the good news.
"Eva, I'm going! They're finally deploying me!" announced Caleb excitedly.
"Oh. I'm happy for you," Eva said sadly, looking down at the ground. A wave of sadness and pain washed over her.
"you don't seem very happy."
"I know this is what you've always wanted, but I... I don't want to lose you Caleb," remarked Eva, tears forming in her eyes. Caleb hated to see her upset, and as they stood on the hill and gazed at the ocean, he put his arm around her comfortingly.
"I'll come back, I promise you Eva, and then we'll see each other every day," said Caleb. He had tried not to think about it, but the news of his deployment was indeed bittersweet. While he was ecstatic to be going to war, he would hate to be away from Eva for so long, and would miss her dearly. He had been both hoping for this day, and at the same time dreading it.
"Caleb," she said, "please be safe." He nodded, and then held her in his arms for what felt like hours. Neither of them wanted to let go, but regardless, they had to. "at least I'll have something to look forward to when I return," thought Caleb to himself as the ferry slowly took him further from the island. When it arrived, he found a helicopter waiting for him. Soon he was flying away from what had been his home for six years, and despite being sad for all that he was leaving behind, he felt ready to embark on a glorious campaign for the motherland.
link to next chapter: viewtopic.php?t=73924
) 
x
Gender:
Points: 262
Reviews: 73