Snowball Effect

The area we were in smelled of wet grass. On the tip of each blade of grass were frozen drops of water. Mia had already set up a sniping point while Viktor checked his gears. The duty of a weight-bearer was to make sure that the striker and shield were constantly supplied. I can take heavy punishment and my shooters were good enough to take down targets. Not to mention that the reason why I had this role was to make sure that I would survive this world. My previous thoughts depress me.

I cocked my shooter and tapped on my gauge. My batteries were working and my oxygen was filled nicely. I withdrew my shooter, pulled the cocking mechanism and made sure that all systems were green. The technology in this world was certainly a mix of the renaissance and the world war two era. I never questioned it once. I was too busy trying to fit into this world. At that time I thought that this world was going to present me a story. That I would be led to grand stories. But as days and months passed those thoughts vanished.

I falter at the thought of that day again. That day where all my delusions of grandeur and greatness vanished. I had thought that I was someone special once. That I mattered to someone or something. But I found out that among the crowd of rangers who were trained. I was just another Ranger born to fight until I die. I came close to giving up so many times. The enemy was overwhelming and their numbers are beyond hopeless. It was a world swallowed by profound darkness. I'd abandoned my delusions and fought. I fought until one day my heart was just blank.

But one day a miracle happened. Not by chance but through the hands of those trio. In a world that seems so dark, a ray of light pierced through the clouds and I saw it. It wasn't just any ray of light. It was hope that mankind still had a chance against the aliens. That in the end, we weren't alone.

In this world, I was a nobody. Even though I have my own circumstances. I wasn't special enough to warrant greatness. Even when I look at the back of Mia and Viktor. I know that one day they'll be leaving me behind to follow the trio. The Shielder and The Sniper of Humanity — people who are to be the vanguard of humanity the moment Kruger reaches that place. It wasn't hard to believe that they'd be retaking humanity's lands.

We clambered higher until we reach the plateau leading to those ruins. As I climb up my reflexes moved on its own and I swatted a mutated bug with my melee gear. I drew the blade on my forearm and stabbed the bug on the ground. Viktor turned and Mia pointed her shooter at me. I retracted the blade and my heart was filled with terror. I wasn't supposed to kill that bug. Mia was supposed to kill it. There's no way that this would change things, right?

Anxiety filled me as we continue our hike up. If it wasn't for the helmet covering my face. They would have seen the anxiety in my face. This road we took was rough and the soil sinks my feet past the heel. It was easier for Viktor and Mia with their gear while it was hard for someone carrying a week of supplies. My gear was made for this hike alone and although it isn't battle worthy like Viktor and Mia. It was the best gear for me who was used to this gear.

All weight-bearers are glorified baggage carriers. Those who knew nothing of the weight we carry thinks that we are exactly what we are. In truth, they were right in a way that most of the weight-bearers do nothing other than carrying. However, not until that day happen that the weight-bearers will show their worth to the canyon-cities. That we were given that position for a reason.

If the shield acts as protection and the strikers with the task of offense. The weight-bearer carries the whole team. Most of our engagements are nothing but small skirmishes. The aliens are past the valleys and the true rangers were assigned to that region. That hopeless land that no one would dare to venture. The homeland of Val — the world that has lost its meaning other than giving death to those who venture it. I looked at that side. I saw that the veil of electricity that keeps the horde of aliens out.

That event will happen again and there's nothing for me to do. It was inevitable that the wall that protects us would subside. I know that this slight peace we had wasn't going to last. When your enemies are those that resembled monsters. You would expect that some of them can fly or dig tunnels. We thought safely and tried to live on when our enemies were numerous and unending. To live in this world where hope seems to abandon.

How do you dare try and change things when you have seen the victory of mankind? When mankind itself pulled the impossible at the cost of the lives of the greatest people of this world. How can you stomach the thought of changing the miracle that happened? Knowing that you could change things at the cost of those lives being trampled upon. I cannot stomach it. I often ask myself how the trio managed the task of saving the world. How they could stand on that same battlefield with the courage to face those monsters. When even the bravest men crumple in despair. How I could think of changing the world from being nothing in the first place?

I had my role to play and yet my heart seems empty. Or is it because I am about to relieve the same hell again? The same tragedies and the same heartache?

*****

"How many eternities did it take for mankind to stand up in the face of extinction?"

*****

Val Sol was a fortress ruin. It has four barbican walls and a curtain wall that stretches on the steep of the mountain. There were parts of the wall that has been knocked down. The winds and the constant cold weather had preserved the stronger parts of the wall. There was debris all over the place, and the gatehouse had been struck down by something.

Above the fortress of Val Sol was the cone-shaped mountain hidden by the clouds. We came up the stairs leading to the gate and peek at the courtyard. There were fallen parts as well and grasses of all kinds started growing on the courtyard. Target dummies were placed on the side while there was a circular ring. Weapon racks were placed next on the ring. Above the wall was a flag riding the wind. The double-door of the fortress was pried open. Dirt was painted on some of the parts of the door. The dirt was a few days old and to untrained eyes it meant nothing.

The Rangers were here. Dirt on the side and the lazily hidden bootprints were all I needed. I hadn't noticed this before and somehow I just noticed the seemingly hurried steps. I didn't understand that. Or were they just hurrying out of this place? My instincts shouted and I call do was calm that instinct down.

"Someone's been here," said Viktor. He pried the door open and made sure that his shield was pointed inside. Mia mounted her shooter on his shoulder. She turned on the lamp of her shooter and pied the room. I saw cobwebs, fallen decorations, and estranged armor that had no use. It had been drilled on the lectures that most of the technology the three sister cities have come from the previous era. An era that should have produced the peacemaker of the world. I always wonder if the atom bomb was produced in this era, then maybe peace would have been easily acquired. No need for the sacrifice of soldiers. The sister cities only have a few planes and they are nothing compared to the enemies. Most of the planes are purposed for delivering supplies on the other side. They had to fly low and pass through a route that had been scouted by the Rangers. These routes were cleared of spotters and leapers that would jump on the plane.

"Life is hard," I said. Mia casually looked at me before turning her eyes back to the insides of the fortress. She tapped Viktor on the shoulder and the two moved deeper inside the hallway. This hallway was forlorn and the floor had molds growing on it. I saw a hole on the ceiling and light passed through it. When we arrive inside a chamber the two set their gears and pushed their bodies out of the exoskeleton. The exoskeleton was an engineering marvel and was precious. However, it was also easily destroyed, and field repairs needed hard labor. It was like a body and not giving it any attention will lead to disaster.

"Fix it," Viktor said. "We had to scout ahead."

"Roger," I dismounted my exoskeleton and went to the packs behind it. I took out the troubleshooting tools and inserted a coaxial cable. I operated the diagnostic tool. I had no interior knowledge of how the exoskeleton work and the diagnostic tool reveals what needs tuning.

The diagnostic displayed results. The higher the output means that there was trouble in certain parts of the exoskeleton. Viktor and Mia's exoskeletons were tuned and the only problem was the battery output. I adjusted the battery output and then returned the diagnostic tool to my pack. This chamber I was in smelled of dust and dirt and corpse. There was a sickly smell of blood in the air.

That was the problem. There was no sickly smell of blood. No, I should be imagining things. My body tried to move but I saw Mia and Viktor coming out of the door. They looked at my half-standing posture and knitted their brows. Viktor was the first to one plod to his exoskeleton and hang his rifle. Mia kept hers while looking at her exoskeleton.

"Did you look at it? Hey, don't be too lenient, Frowner," Mia said.

"I agree," Viktor eyed his gear. "This is our lifeblood and the Instructor would be grading us. Hence, we can be Interior or Exterior Rangers depending on our grades."

"I had done it," I said to them. "The diagnostic tool showed trouble I mended them. The battery output's tampered."

The battery problem happened at the same time as well. I just know that they would mock me here and now. I readied myself and turned my mind into steel.

"Well, aren't you lazy?" Mia snorted. She diagnosed her exoskeleton and said nothing else. Viktor eyed his machine as well and said nothing as well. It was an odd situation that made him stop thinking. I widened my eyes and the two found the look on my face as odd.

"The fuck are you looking surprised, Frowner?" Mia asked. "You're capable and it would make no sense for me to doubt someone who has that kind of reflex. It makes me wonder why you'd settle to be a weight-bearer when you can be a striker. Your run in the pits was good as well and I saw you take down targets faster than anyone. Even better than the trio and surprisingly, me, so it kinda pisses me off that you are doing so little work as a weight-bearer."

Viktor nodded, "Agree, it sounds like you are being lazy, friend. When you have skills like this you shouldn't bear this weight at all."

My pupils dilated and my heart pounded madly. There was something wrong about their heads. No, it was more like they had been impressed by me? I find it odd because this never happened. How could the little things change their views on me so much?

"So what should we do with that open chamber behind?" Viktor asked.

"What do you mean?"

"There's another passage. There's a scent of blood in there too," Mia said.

My heart felt like it was going to jump. I stared with horror and the two looked at me. Their hands extended towards me. I stopped them and held my head. I stared blankly on the air and I couldn't focus my eyes. It was the same as being disoriented.

"Should we go?" I asked them. Viktor looked at me with an unhurried look on his face.

"Of course, it is part of the test," Mia said as if it was obvious. I hurriedly recall the memories of the past and there was no memory of this. I shut my mouth and listened to them.

"The passage seems like it was opened or accidentally cleaned out. I heard stories that most of the Rangers have already scouted the areas around sister cities. How could they miss this ruin? It's impossible for them knowing that the fate of our cities. It would be obvious that they won't send the trainees to death so easily. So, there should be no problem. However, that passage, it smells dangerous and we need to check it out."

"The Rangers should find no trouble, but it would be best if we check it out."

The two weren't stupid enough not to notice the signs. And they were people who would soon be one of the vanguards of humanity. To not notice the smell of blood would be impossible for them. Mia had a smile on her face that was close to grinning.

"I say that we find out whatever is inside that place. If there is trouble inside that passage then we can only hope that it isn't something to be concerned about. Rogue Rangers are appearing and had been trying to reach the errant settlements in hopes that there were people alive out in the world.

Idealistic people that believed in mankind was still around. They are people that refused to believe that humanity would lose so easily. This country, no, this continent was so far from being alone, humanity wasn't easy prey and beyond this place were people that held strongly against the aliens. It had been years ever since we had contact outside the nation. But until the Springs Joy then there would only be the loneliness of an island facing the wrath of aliens. I had seen this miracle once. I believe that this will happen again.

God was cruel in a way that he had made me repeat this. I admit that I rather not redo this pain. But alas I had no choice but to follow the road again. That is the way and it will never change. I had reached my understanding and I wish for nothing other than to watch humanity's triumph again.

"So we are all in agreement then."

"I agree," I said. I mounted my exoskeleton and made sure that all systems were green. I tapped the gauge on my wrist and made sure again that I was ready. Viktor took point. Mia scanned the passageway and led us to this moldy passage leading down. On the side of the walls were green line patterns. Familiar line patterns that made my heart tremble as we took each step. There in that wet chamber, we found what we feared. Hanging plants above the ceiling, lights from the plants, and dotted alien organisms. Under this garden of alien plant life was a ranger with a spore and mushroom type of plant-sucking off the alien juices of this creature. The ranger's gauge on his wrist showed no reaction and his battery was shut down. Brass casings were on the floor and not far from him where the skeletons of strange organisms were laying. I hurriedly took his recorded logs.

"Aliens!" Viktor bellowed. "This isn't good we need to get out of this place now!"

When he said those words Mia tripped on something. This plant-like creature she stomped on released this sharp-pitched sound that bounced on the walls. It was like green and purple eyes were staring at the three of us. My senses told me to run. It told me to run as far as I could if I want to get out of this place. There was something menacing and something horrid about the place. But the chamber wasn't going to let us out so easy. Before I could even release my thoughts to them. The Chamber acted first.

The chamber started rumbling. My head ached. My heart pounded so loudly that it drowned the noise of the shaking walls. In this time we should have been out. Why was there an extra chamber inside this place? What happened to this place that led to this? My only clue was the dead ranger whose audio log I collected.

"Hurry!" I demanded from them. I've lost all my sense of calmness. My head won't turn into steel. I've done something wrong and this had resulted in this chamber to be opened. This chamber seems to lead to an extra tunnel that cuts through the mountain. It was bad. If that tunnel cuts through the mountain then it would mean that this tunnel and chamber were connected to Val Mali. Near a horde of aliens that would immediately occupy the mother cities.

How come such a thing existed? Did no one remember this passage? I doubt that aliens could not find this chamber so easily. It was a strange place where I would have knowledge about. It was impossible for me, not to find out about this passage when I spent months in this place. The dead rangers and the traces of fighting. I would have smelled it. I would have seen where it would come. But the fact that I could not smell it despite my months and years here. It was absurd. It was improbable but I had my theories as well.

This world had similarities but it seems this was a different world or that I had done something that affected this timeline. I had lost this timeline. I had failed already. I had failed and created a snowball effect. I had done a sin not even a thousand deaths could atone.

What I have done was unforgivable. The thought of my actions causing the world to lose to the aliens. No, that can't be, an insignificant ant like me could not possibly change something.

"Run!"

The chamber was falling apart. The passage's entrance outside this place was closing. I could hear the sound of gears tearing apart. There was an old rusted smell that made it hard to breathe despite the mask's filter. "Hurry!" I demanded from them. Viktor had already abandoned his heavy-gear and Mia was running with half of her pack gone. The exoskeleton was fast and enduring but the passage wasn't slowing. I untied the pack, and threw it past the passage, the pile got spread out. Without the pack holding me back, I changed gear and accelerated my exoskeleton, cruising past the debris, and barely catching the passage door.

Lord, it was heavy. The weight of it was crushing me and my exoskeleton and my muscles were screaming. The weight-bearer was capable of lifting half a ton but this door was like a hydraulic press crushing a car. "Go past me already damn it!" I shouted. Viktor and Mia slid past me. I tried getting out of the passageway but my exoskeleton was stuck.

"Get out already!"

I looked at them, "I am stuck! Go! I can't move now!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Viktor tried to come but I glared at him with murder. "Go! The place's falling apart already!"

I had no time to think. I could only focus all of my attention on the weight. Mia clenched her teeth and pulled Viktor. They started running forward while picking up the packs I threw. Good. They should not die here and the world needs the two of them. I am nothing compared to them.

I had to get out. I locked my exoskeleton's joints and used the gears to eject me backward. I felt joy but the moment I saw debris almost crush me. I rolled to the right and started running in a different direction. I didn't think much other than run. Hey wait, I need to run, that was all I thought as I ran through the falling debris and jumping and clinging to edges. I pulled myself up and saw that the location was closed off. All I had was my mask and the folded rifle that comes with my pack.

I examined myself. The frame that helps me move my exoskeleton was useless. I unlocked the frames off my body and checked all the ammunition I had. Ten mags with forty-five rounds and ammo for the launcher. I was fortunate but the place was falling apart. I don't know if the ground would remain stable. All I know was that I was alive and that this didn't happen in my memories.

I punched a wall. I was seething and a boiling feeling was rising on my chest. I couldn't hold back this sense of loss. I felt like I was thrown into the fray without knowing anything. I collapsed on the side and clenched both my eyes. I thought of something. I had to act on whatever had happened.

My senses calmed and I held on tightly to my rifle and attached the light on it. I checked on my gear once again and saw that there were only minor faults. I double-checked and sorted out what could help me. There was a slight rumbling on the floor. The dust gathered and I had to make do with the visibility getting lesser. The dust was keeping my eyes from seeing and all I had to do was follow this hallway where it took me to another chamber.

Above the ceiling were the same monsters that were chasing after us. Their buzzing wings gathered my attention and I had to make sure that I would not be spotted. But it was too late. I had to sprint past obstacles, vaulted and was tired of running by the time I got the order. I was getting deeper inside the chambers and by the time I caught up to where I was. I was already lost. The area around me was stable so I choose to lean on the wall of the place and close eyes. I felt every bone in my body aching and if it wasn't for the adrenaline then I know that would have not been standing.

The lights went out. My aching body forced me into moving and behind the darkness, I saw the eyes of the creatures that I fought for my entire life. I was all alone in the dark with only my rifle with lights gone. I was in a dark chamber surrounded by enemies that were going to devour me.

"This should be fine," I said to myself. Mia and Viktor were gone and that should matter the most. If they are defeated here easily then it would mean that humanity would lose its heroes. I stared at the abyss. However, there was something else that nudged me.

Do not gentle. Not today. Never. Not until the day you die. Scream. Fight. Never surrender. Do not despair until your last air. Move until you could not. You are a damn ranger. You do not die so easily. You give them hell.

I smiled in the face of danger. My body kicked in and I sprinted, turning my back against that horde. Not until I could not move any longer. Not until my heart stops beating. I convinced myself that while a horde of alien chases after me.