The Dark Somnium - I'm a Soldier in an Alien War

Episode Date: March 13, 2024

Checkout the original story here and support the author: "I'm a Soldier in an Alien War" https://www.creepypasta.com/i-am-a-foot-soldier-in-a-war-against-an-alien-race-this-is-my-story/Special thanks to  @DusklightRadio  and  @RomNex  for joining me in this Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There's some message to the citizens of planet Earth. I am speaking to all races and creeds to people of all nations and religions. Our petty differences in disputes, they mean nothing now. We must unite under a common cause or face the prospect of annihilation. My name is Jamie Wallace, and I am a soldier in an intergalactic war, which our earth-based governments have gone to extraordinary lengths to hide from the public. Well, I'm here to tell you the truth. Your leaders have been lying to you all for decades, and they're not keeping you safe.

My story is one shared by countless others. An invisible army of tortured survivors thrust into a bloody war we never asked for against an enemy we didn't know existed. But despite all the horrors I've been through, I'm one of the lucky ones. After my abduction, I was thrown into the midst of a prisoner uprising, a rebellion which saved me from hideous torture and a violent death. But it was a case of out of the pot and into the fire, as I joined a mob of desperate prisoners and fought back against our alien captors, a monstrous and sadistic reptilian race known as the Astri. Our rebellion was successful as we fought and killed the entire ship's crew of Astri soldiers

and torturers before taking control of the bridge. But victory came at a high price as dozens of humans and alien prisoners died during the battle, including our leader, a long-suffering but philosophical human called Gideon and his mysterious alien friend named Abel. Unfortunately, these two were the only ones who knew how to pilot the Astri ship, and so we survivors were left stranded in deep space, having transmitted a desperate SOS message we didn't think anyone would ever receive. The next few days were a time of fear and desperation, as we split the survivors into two groups,

One of which tried in vain to operate the baffling Astry ship's controls, a task that proved to be impossible due to our limited understanding of their advanced technology. Meanwhile, the second group were tasked with exploring the huge Astry slave ship to find the food and water we needed to keep our band alive. Natasha and I were assigned to this second group. We'd first met during the madness of the uprising on board the slave ship. She'd saved my life and we fought side by side, developing a close bond in the process. Natasha was a brave young woman, no doubt about it.

She'd fought and survived against the odds, but Natasha had been the Astri's prisoner for several months before the rebellion and had suffered unspeakable physical and psychological torture at their hands. The horrors she'd suffered through had changed Natasha. She'd developed a deep-seated hatred of the Astri and wanted to see their entire race wiped out. I could understand where her anger came from, but it scared me to see how far she'd fallen. Unfortunately, our exploration of the huge astry transport ship only exacerbated her anger as well as my own,

as we discovered yet more evidence of astry atrocities. Within the dark, winding corridors and multiple torture chambers, we found many more victims, some human and others being members of various alien races. Some of those were already dead, strapped to metal gurneys, their ribcages cut open and internal organs removed. Natasha grimly told me how the Astri liked to perform unnecessary surgery upon their captives without using anesthetic. Other victims had been mutilated in equally horrifying ways, their heads and limbs removed with surgical precision.

Sometimes their dismembered corpses had been carefully stitched together in grotesque displays. Astry art is what Natasha called it. But worse still were the living victims, those on the edge of death who had been purposefully kept alive by the Astri to prolong their torture. We saw human beings who were barely recognizable as such. Their bodies desecrated and mutilated in ways I could never have imagined. I witnessed heads severed from their bodies, the brain still functioning, as eyes filled with madness scanned the room.

They tried to scream, but their mouths had been stitched shut, but it didn't matter because they had no lungs to scream with. But the Astri's ghoulish experiments didn't end there. As we explore deeper into the guts of the spaceship, Natasha and I bore witness to fresh horrors. Abominations resulting from the enemy's twisted science. Human bodies chopped up and stitched back together with those of alien species. These poor wretches clung to life but had no understanding of what had been done to them, screaming in horror and unimagined agony when we found them.

There was only one thing we could do to these tortured victims, put them out of their misery. We went from cell to cell, firing bullets into the heads of those who begged for death, the final relief from their tortured existence. By the time it was over, we were both sickened, but also seething with anger. If I had a living astry before me in that moment, I would have gladly inflicted torture and violence upon it, making it suffer as I sought vengeance on behalf of their many victims. We had sufficient supplies to keep our party alive, but although we had sufficient food and water, We had no idea how long the power and life support system would last.

And so, every hour that passed was marked by an almost unbearable tension. But then, after several days adrift in deep space, we saw a needle-shaped ship appearing upon the monitors in the bridge. The control panel suddenly coming to life as the ship's sensors detected the incoming vessel. I vividly recall the look of cold terror in Natasha's eyes as we watched the smaller ship dock with ours. You must understand that we had no idea who was aboard the spaceship and suspected it was an Astry vessel bringing an assault force to reclaim their property and punish us the rebel

hijackers. Natasha clutched a tight hold of her pistol. The fear behind her eyes replaced by a stern defiance as she turned to me and gave her orders, a fiery intensity entering her voice as she spoke. If it's the Astry, we'll fight them to the last man. But promise me this, Jamie. If the bastards are going to overwhelm us, just put a bullet in my head. I'm not going back to the cages.

Never again. I looked into her eyes and knew that she meant it. And frankly, I couldn't blame her. I made no effort to talk Natasha out of her desperate plan, instead merely nodding my head in the affirmative. Within minutes, we'd mobilized all of our ramshackle army, hastily building barricades in the docking bay and arming ourselves with salvaged astray. weapons as we waited for the interlopers to come. I felt a rush of adrenaline as the mystery

ship docked with a heavy metallic clunk. Moments later, and the airlock was sealed before the shutter door slowly slid open. I kept my finger poised on the trigger, ready for whatever horror emerged from the other side. I think we all expected a squad of Astry shocktroopers to burst through the breach. I'm relieved that no one got trigger happy and opened fire prematurely, because the single being that emerged from the airlock was not an astry. Far from it, the figure that stepped out was not human, but nor was it a red-scaled reptilian, which would have marked it as our enemy. The being was humanoid, tall, slim, and standing about seven foot tall. Its skin was pale and entirely hairless, although it wore dark robes to cover its elongated body. Its egg-shaped

head held two large dark eyes, which surveyed us all with fearless curiosity. When its mouth slipped open, it spoke to us, and somehow we all understood its words without the need for a translator. Citizens of Earth, I come in peace. It said whilst raising its four-fingered hand in a passive gesture. My name is Uriel, and I am the representative of the Galactic Confederation. I am unarmed and come to you as a friend. Natasha and I glanced each other, sharing the look as we considered our

our next action. It was possible that this was a trick, but I didn't believe so. The being before us appeared peaceful and genuine, and so I decided to trust it. Slowly and carefully, I lowered my weapon before ordering my comrades to do the same. Natasha looked reluctant to comply, her finger still on the trigger, and a fiery intensity remaining present in her dark eyes. I had to repeat my order and shoot her a stern look before she eventually complied. The alien who You introduced itself as Uriel, shaped its slit-like mouth into what might have been a smile before saying, My new friends, I cordially invite you on board our ship where we will provide you

assistance and medical attention. After your people are rested, we can discuss our next steps. There was still some reluctance amongst our number, and so I led the way, holstering my weapon and walking forward towards the strange being, smiling as I greeted my savior and entered into a new alliance. Our rescuers were good to their word and provided us with fresh clothes and food tailored to our needs,

allowing us time to rest and wash and providing medical assistance to any who needed it. The interior of their spaceship was in stark contrast to the astries. Instead of dark, featureless, twisting corridors, we were treated to aesthetically pleasing colors and light, and instead of torture chambers and cells,

we were greeted with comfortable cabins and friendly aliens of various species, working in unison for a common cause. This was the Galactic Confederation, the antidote to the cruel and twisted empire of the astry. Natasha and I were recognized as the leaders of our small party and were invited to a meeting in what looked like a conference room located in the guts of the ship, sitting around a circular table with an assortment of exotic and bizarre aliens. The being called Uriel was present and seemed to be chairing the meeting,

but he was the only one present from his species. The rest of the motley crew included a werewolf-like creature with six eyes from the same race I encountered during the rebellion. Beside the wolfman sat a small, stumpy being covered in thick brown hair with wide, wandering eyes. And most bizarre of all was a black eel-like creature contained within a six-foot-long exoskeleton, as presumably they could not survive outside of its natural aquatic environment. Our alien hosts supplied us with electronic devices, which we inserted into our ears,

allowing us to understand what was being said and communicate with our new allies. Uriel opened the discussion by welcoming Natasha and I, whilst congratulating us on our victory on board the Astry spaceship. Your successful rebellion has struck a blow against the enemy, but it has not significantly reduced their capacity to operate inside your solar system. The problem is here. He tapped his long fingers on a control panel to reveal a holographic display in the center of the table. Suddenly, I saw a representation of Jupiter and noted the smaller rocky satellites orbiting the planet, which were surely its moons. Aurel zoomed in on one moon in particular.

A rock which should have been uninhabited, but when the image is sharpened, I noticed the ugly metal structure built into the moon's surface. The Astrid's Alpha facility, their forward operating base for this system, located upon the moon that the Earthlings call Europa. Recently we deployed a substantial flotilla in an attempt to destroy this base, but the Astri detected our assault and deployed countermeasures to destroy our fleet in orbit. We understand that the Earth-based governments also made an attempt against the base, using a diplomatic mission as cover for a biological attack. This operation also ended in failure, and the human leaders on Earth have since submitted to the Astri pirates, providing tribute to the enemy, by handing over their own citizens from mutilation and murder.

My jaw dropped as Natasha and I shared a look of shock and disgust. We had heard rumors of government complicity in the Astrid's atrocities, but now the awful truth had been revealed. It is clear that another conventional attack will not succeed. Therefore, we must resort to unconventional tactics. The holographic image suddenly changed, showing what I guessed was a 3D image. of the base's interior, revealing elevators, tunnels, and chambers deep below the moon's surface. Our allies have taken considerable risks to bring us these schematics. We have identified the command center which coordinates the base's orbital defense systems. If we neutralize this system,

we will be able to attack the facility from deep space with impunity. He paused to zoom in, focusing upon a chamber located deep below the ground. This is our target. It cannot be able to be able to be. be hit from orbit, but we have a secret weapon which the Astri cannot defend against. Teleportation. The image showed a group suddenly materialized deep inside the base and behind enemy lines. We can insert a small assault team here and neutralize the Astri defenses, allowing us to carry out our final assault.

I was just about following the briefing. Talk of teleportation and orbital assaults were clearly beyond my understanding, but the basic strategy the alien had described. seems sound. I had one question, however. That all sounds good on paper, but why do you need us? Oriel smiled through his slit-like mouth before answering. Our assault team will be greatly outnumbered once we teleport into the facility. We have the element of surprise on our side, but our projections predict this will not be sufficient. Therefore, we needed a distraction to divert astry forces away from the control room.

The vast majority of the prisoners held in the base are human. You both have already led a successful prisoner rebellion and can do so again. We are asking you to set your people free so they can join the fight and defeat our mutual enemy. The alien paused before continuing. I realize we're asking a lot of you, given all you've already suffered. It didn't even get a chance to finish a sentence before Natasha interjected. We'll do it. I glanced across at my companion in shock,

astonished that she'd committed us both to this dangerous mission without even consult. insulting me, but deep down I knew she was right. We were the only ones who could carry out this part of the operation, and we had to go in to save our fellow humans. We were soldiers in this war now, and there was no turning back. During the next few days, Natasha and I were subjected to intense training and preparation for the attack. We weren't exactly novices since I was a combat veteran, and Natasha had survived months

of abuse in the Astry Torture Chambers. Nevertheless, we had to learn to use advanced Confederation weapons and how to fight effectively against Astri warriors. This was done through the use of full immersion VR technology, which literally placed us in a replica of the Astri's moon base, where we had the opportunity to fight scarily realistic digital representations of enemy warriors. It was after one particularly intense and draining training session when Uriel came to see me, addressing me as I was removing my headset and equipment.

How is your training progressing? The alien asked. It's dark gray eyes focusing upon me with a curious intensity. Good, I repeated, not really knowing what more I could say. The attack will commence tomorrow. Our assessments show you are as ready as possible for combat. Unfortunately, there is no effective way to prepare you for teleportation. It is not a pleasant process, but I can assure you that the necessary safety protocols are in place.

I gulped in dismay, feeling a cold terror run through me as I considered the alien's words. But I maintained my tough front, replying with typical bravado. Well, I'm looking forward to killing a lot of Astry. Uriel produced what I believed was a frown before he asked his next question. You have hatred for the enemy. Of course. I shot back in surprise. Didn't you see what they did to the prisoners?

Yes, indeed. We have documented the atrocities committed as ever. evidence against the Astri Empire. Sadly, these are scenes we have witnessed all across the galaxy as we take the fight to the enemy. They're animals. I cried. Worse than animals. Violence is the only language they understand. Yes. Oriel said thoughtfully.

You were the Astri's prisoner for only a short space of time. Isn't that right? Your female companions suffered worse at their hands. I thought of Natasha and the anger rose up inside of me. You can say that again. They tortured her for months, murdered her friends. You'd understand if you'd suffered what she had. For the first time, I noticed a glimmer of emotion in the alien's eyes before it answered. The Astri killed my entire family.

They executed them one by one and made me watch. My jaw dropped. I was astonished by Eriel's admission and couldn't find the words to respond. Our enemy has carried out many heinous acts, and it is a bit of. It is easy to succumb to blind hatred as we fight back against them. But have you ever considered the Astry perspective? What the hell do you mean? I shot back in dismay.

You want me to feel empathy for these bloodthirsty psychopaths? In order to effectively fight the enemy, we must first understand them. We have learned much from the few Astry prisoners that have fallen into our hands. Our neural technology has permitted us to monitor their brainwaves, to even tap into their memories. If you will indulge me, I would like to share one last simulation with you before the mission. I believe you will find the experience helpful in the battle to come. He nodded at the headset in my hands. I was reluctant to comply, given how exhausted I was after the intense training of the past few days.

However, I was intrigued and thought that whatever Uriel wanted to show me must be important. So I nodded, putting my headset back on and linking up my equipment before I was thrown into yet a another virtual scenario. I found myself falling, the ground coming at me fast. There was no time to do anything as I rapidly descended from a height, but thankfully thick vegetation broke my fall before I hit the forest floor with a heavy bump. Glaring up through the foliage, I saw a drop ship briefly hover in the sky above before it moved on, slowly flying off into the horizon.

I soon realized that I'd fallen from the aircraft, or more accurately I was tossed out like a piece of garbage. My avatar had been dropped into the middle of what looked like a tropical rainforest, but this wasn't the weirdest part. I looked down at my hands and saw claws. My torso was covered in red scales. To my horror, I realized Uriel had put me inside in Astri's body. I had no idea why he had done such a thing, but I guess this is what he wanted to show me. Something else was wrong, however. I wasn't a fully grown Astri, like the seven-foot-tall warriors I'd previously fought with. Instead, it seemed like I was a mere child, not fully developed. I felt small, vulnerable, and frightened. Who would have thought Astri could feel fear? I nervously explored

my surroundings, walking forward awkwardly upon stumpy legs. The atmosphere was stifling and the vegetation thick. I heard the harsh buzzing of what I assumed were insects and used my claws to cut through the foliage. It seemed like I was deep in a jungle, but the plants and trees were strange and unfamiliar to me, multicolored and potentially deadly. My progress was slow, but finally I fought my way to a clearing, looking up to the sky above. I was astonished to see two sun shining down upon me, one large, the second, much smaller. I wondered whether this was the Astry homeworld, recalling how they had once lived in a jungle-type environment.

I didn't have much time to ponder this, however, as my attention was drawn by movement close to the tree line. I turned around, instinctively on edge as my instincts told me I was in danger. However, I lowered my guard when I saw another Astry child just like me, a red-scaled reptilian with fear in his eyes as he nervously emerged into the clearing. For a moment, I thought I'd found a friend, but then I saw the crude spear in his claws, a homemade weapon fashioned from a tree branch with a sharpened end, and the Astry youth roared before he charged me, quickly closing the gap as he came at me.

I reacted on instinct, discovering that my alien avatar had physical attributes well beyond my own. Waiting to the last possible moment, I ducked and avoided my enemy's thrust, simultaneously slashing out with a large claw on my right hand. I sliced the astry across his arm, making the youth squeal in pain, his dark blood falling on the grass below. The other astry glared back at me, pain and anger in its yellow eyes, as it prepared to launch a second attack. But suddenly, all held back.

broke loose as the ground we stood upon began to shake violently before it collapsed completely, throwing me off my feet. As I lay helpless on the grass, I witnessed a hole emerge in the ground in front of me and watched as a huge creature emerged from its subterranean layer. I recoiled in horror at the sight of the monster, a huge spider-like being with a sharp stinger attached to its mighty tail. I crawled backwards in a frantic attempt to escape, but thankfully I wasn't the beast's target. Instead, the predator went for the other Astry, striking him before he had a chance to react

and burying its stinger deep into his back. I watched an impotent whore as the young Astri screamed and was dragged back down into the hole by the monster, still alive and facing what could only be a horrific fate. I didn't wait around for the beast to come back for seconds, however, soon getting up on my clawed feet and running as fast as my stumpy legs would carry me, heading for what I naively thought was the safety of the forest. I don't know how long I ran for, but I was exhausted and utterly lost by the time I finally stopped, now finding myself deep in the alien jungle.

I looked around and saw a ravine leading down to a narrow river and heard war cries and the sounds of pitched battle. I should have run, but confess that I was curious, electing to climb down into the ravine to get a closer look. There I found a scene of bloody anarchy as a dozen or more astry youngsters fought one another, with claws and improvised weapons, stabbing, biting, and tearing as they went for the kill. I noticed how they were roughly the same age and size as my avatar. They were also a mix of male and female. I'm not sure how I could tell the difference, but somehow I could. Both sexes

were just as vicious as the other, however, fighting for their lives as they spilled the blood of their compatriots across the four's floor. I stood and shocked off for a time as I watched the bloodbath play out. But I was brought back to reality when a female astry jumped me from behind, knocking me on my feet. A brutal struggle ensued as she viciously tore at me with her claws and teeth. I felt the pain of each blow and responded in kind, biting deep into her exposed throat, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth as my fangs bit down into tough flesh. Once I withdrew my teeth, I saw the female astry slowly bleeding to death on the ground, a fatal bite wound in her throat. Stunned and in shock, I staggered away from the battle and towards a small watering hole running

off from the stream, and apparently calm body of water where I hoped to find some respite. I approached the shoreline with the intention of drinking and washing my wounds, but my instincts failed me, and I didn't see the dark shape below the waterline until it was too late. In an instant, a new horror emerged from the water, grabbing me in its mighty jaws before I could react. Suddenly, I was under the surface, teeth biting deep into my torso as my lungs filled with water. I felt immense pain and thought the beast would rip me in half. Instead, it spun me in the water like a crocodile would to its prey, and my pain became so great that I lost consciousness. I awoke some time later, coughing out water from my lungs as I tried to sit up, only to reel in agony.

The beast had nearly bitten me in two, and I'd lost a lot of blood, but somehow I was still alive. and back on the shoreline. But I knew I wasn't safe. I heard rustling in the bushes behind me and realized the predator was returning to finish what it had started. Fighting the pain, I prepared to defend myself, but then it all ended.

I gasped for breath, grabbing at the headset and ripping it off my face. Looking down, I searched for wounds on my body, only to find I was unharmed. The sweat was pouring from my every pore, and my head was pounding. Everything I'd experienced had seemed so wrong. real, and yet it was merely a simulation.

And when I looked up, I saw Uriel watching over me, his black, emotionless eyes observing my reaction with cool indifference. I angrily tore the various appendages from my body while confronting my alien companion. What the hell was that? That was a digital representation of the early memories of a captured Astry warrior. He replied dispassionately. Why did you show me this? to help you understand.

An Astry upbringing is not an easy one. They are taken from their mothers as soon as they are able to walk and unceremoniously dumped into the savage jungles where they have to fight tooth and nail to survive. They are not permitted to return to civilization until they have killed a fellow Astri youth. Only 20 to 30% of Astry children live through this brutal initiation. And this is only the beginning of their induction into a whirl

of pitiless, never-ending violence. My God, I exclaimed, astonished by the brutal realities of Astri society. Please remember this experience when you go into battle. The Astri may well be monsters, but they are also products of their environment. We cannot let hate consume us. Otherwise, we are no better than they are. I nodded my head thoughtfully, finally understanding the message Uriel had so bluntly delivered. The alien had given me much to think about, but my focus had to be on surviving the coming

fight. I can't even begin to understand the technology we used to teleport our team into the enemy base. All I can say is that the process was horrific and isn't something I ever want to experience again. One moment I was standing in my combat gear, holding my rifle on board the Confederation ship, and suddenly I was engulfed by an all-encompassing light, temporarily blinding me and feeling like every atom of my body was being burned.

But the light and heat didn't just surround me. It entered me, creeping through my pores and deconstructing my fragile body from the inside out. I screamed an absolute terror as it felt like my flesh was being shredded into a million pieces. For a moment, everything went black, and it was the most terrifying feeling in the universe, because for a time my consciousness existed, but my physical body didn't. I was trapped in the nothingness between point A and point B, and for a chilling moment, I believed I could be stuck in this hellish limbo forever.

But thankfully, this didn't happen. The process of my rematerialization was equally horrific. As all my pieces were merged back into one, the light fading as I found myself inside a dark tunnel. My head was still spinning, and I felt the bile rising up in my throat. To my shame, I vomited all over the metal gangway. Keeling over as my whole body shook. It was Natasha who came to my aid, placing a firm hand on my shoulder before helping me back up to my feet.

Adjusting to my surroundings, I saw that our whole assault team had made it through the teleportation process. Our squad was indeed a small one, consisting of Natasha and I, Uriel, and a warrior from the werewolf race who we called Axel, and three automated war machines, which seemed to do most of the fighting within the Confederation military. I looked to Uriel and noted how the alien carried no weapon. When I questioned him on this point, his answer was typically philosophical and fatalistic. I am a diplomat, not a soldier.

I have a role to play in the fight to come. If the enemy take my life, then so be it. Our party was split in two, with Uriel leading the group heading to the subterranean control room, while Natasha and I followed a single aerial war machine, which led us through the twisting tunnels and towards our objective. I looked to Natasha as we ran, noting the dark look behind her eyes and knowing she wanted to inflict brutal vengeance upon the astry enemy. I saw the hatred in her heart, and it terrified me.

We eventually reached the end of the final corridor and waited while our robotic drone forced the door open, revealing a vast chamber on the far side. I was hit by a familiar stench of unwashed bodies and slow, creeping death. We slowly crept into the chamber, looking up at the masses of huge. human prisoners contained within cages, stacked up to the ceiling high above. We stayed in the shadows, praying that we wouldn't be detected before our task was completed. The hovering war machine made its way to the control station, where it began the process of disabling the security system and releasing the prisoners, while meanwhile Natasha and I kept

a lookout. The attack came like a bolt out of the blue. The astry guard leaping at us with a blind fury in its cruel yellow eyes. He went for Natasha first, thrashing. out and knocking her to her feet before she had a chance to shoot. A moment later, the astry stood over Natasha with its war spear poised against her throat. I reacted on pure instinct, aiming my gun and pulling the trigger. A barrage of needle-like rounds tore through the red-scaled astry, almost cutting it in two and throwing its body backwards. I charged forward, reaching out to pull

Natasha up. Are you okay? I exclaimed with concern. I'm fine, but those bastards will have heard the gunshots. We're running out of time. As if on cue, siren started to blare, and red lights flashed. The base was now on alert, but thankfully our robotic guide finished its work, and each and every cage door automatically swung open, much to the shock and surprise of the emaciated and tortured prisoners within.

The first brave few emerged, with one thin and heavily scarred naked man walking towards us, a glimmer of hope visible in his bloodshot eyes. You're humans! He stuttered in near disbelief. Are you here to rescue us? Natasha responded by pulling a knife from her belt and handing it to him. You're going to need to fight for your freedom.

Now's your chance for revenge. The freed prisoner smiled through his cracked lips, men eagerly accepted the blade. Others soon followed, filing out of their cages one by one as they joined the resistance. Just then, a shutter door at the far end of the chamber shot open, and two astry guards emerged, opening fire with their rifles as they came. Natasha and I returned fire while stucking for cover, but the freed prisoners charged forward like a human wave, screaming with a berserker fury as they flung themselves at the two astry.

The guards continued shooting, killing several before they were overwhelmed, stabbed and beaten by a dozen vengeful prisoners, who literally ripped their abusers to pieces. As Natasha and I watched on, we were suddenly shaken by a mighty explosion from below our feet. A moment later, we heard, Uriel's monotone voice through our earpiece, as he said. The central command has been neutralized.

The Astri's orbital defenses are down. Reinforcements will be with us shortly. I looked to Natasha and we shared a smile, and for the first time I truly believed we were going to win this. The reinforcements arrived soon after as Confederation ships entered Jupiter's orbit and numerous fighting drones were deployed throughout the Astri's base. It seemed the enemy were totally unprepared for the attack, and they proved unable to defend the base once their security systems were down. There were pockets of resistance as surviving

warriors fought frantic battles against the robotic invaders, but their outposts were all gradually overrun. Meanwhile, Natasha and I led a group of liberated prisoners as we move deeper into the facility in search of other survivors. Natasha showed a frightening zeal while dispatching wounded astry soldiers, her eyes lighting up as she pumped bullets into their limp bodies. It seemed that her lust for vengeance had consumed her, and I began to fear there was no way back for my friend. And Natasha's anger only grew as we descended deeper underground, navigating the dark, twisting corridors, and discovering fresh horrors and further evidence of the enemy's atrocities. In one vast chamber we discovered a substantial amphitheater. A circular arena of seats looked down upon what could only be described as a killing zone.

The ground covered in blood and viscera, which stood as a lasting reminder of the slaughter which had occurred here. And it got worse. On the next level down, we discovered several artificial habitats containing savage alien beasts. In the first was a crocodile-like predator, swimming in a tank of murky green water, greedily feasting upon severed limbs and assorted body parts from its many human victims. Next, we observed an enclosure from a viewing platform above it, watching and sickening Hor, as dozens of small spider-like creatures burst through the ribcage of a still-living

man, feeding on his innards as he screamed in absolute agony and blind terror. But when Natasha and I reached the bottom level of the hellish facility, we found something we could never have anticipated. The room we entered stood in contrast to the bleak and dark metal corridors we traveled to get here. Instead of darkness, we were confronted by bright light and white walls, walking into what looked like a hospital ward and noting the incubator-type transparent cribs lined up in rows of three.

And inside of the incubator were astry infants, squealing little red-scaled reptiles staring up at us with their big yellow eyes. I remembered my time in the VR simulation and what Uriel had told me about the Astry youth, saying they were thrust into battle as soon as they were old enough to walk. But these infants appeared to be newly born, unable to look after themselves. and so still needing protection from a hostile universe. I stood in the doorway, awestruck and taken aback by this latest unexpected development. But Natasha didn't miss a beat, confidently marching into the room and proceeding to the nearest incubator.

Before I got a chance to stop her, the woman lifted her rifle and fired a single round. The bullet smashing through the transparent covering and exploding inside the infant's head, killing it instantly in a horrific and bloody manner. Jesus! I screamed in shock dismayed. may. Why the hell did you do that? Natasha simply shrugged her shoulders and answered in a matter-of-fact tone. Their astry, our enemy. But they're only babies. I protested. They're harmless. They may be babies now, but they'll grow up to be cold-blooded murderers. I won't allow that to happen.

She moved on to the next crib, raising her gun again. I heard the high-pitched scream of the Astry infants and couldn't bear it. As I remembered my time in the simulation, I realized that the Astry weren't born evil. They were made into monsters, and these children cannot be blamed for the sins of their fathers. I slowly raised my own gun, aiming at my companion as I spoke firmly. Don't do it, Natasha. Put your gun down and walk away. I saw the hurt in her eyes as she glared at me, and I heard the raw anger in her voice as she spoke.

You damn traitor! It's either them or us. Don't you understand? This is a war of extermination! I doubled down, tightening my grip on the gun as I repeated my order. Put the gun down, Natasha! Fuck you! She screamed back.

A second later she fired, killing a second Astri infant, and in an instant she swung around and I knew I was her next target. I acted on pure instinct, pulling the trigger and feeling the kickback as it fired. The round tore through Natasha's chest, propelling her body backwards. I ran forward, reaching out to catch her as she fell, but it was already too late, the spark disappeared from Natasha's eyes, and her life was extinguished. I cradled my comrade's dead body in my arms, and was near maddened by the screaming of Astri babies as the tears rolled down my cheeks, and when I looked up, I saw the alien

Uriel standing in the doorway, a hint of sympathy now apparent in his large black eyes as he observed the bloody scene. He didn't utter a word to me. What was there left to say? The battle was over. But had the heavy price we'd paid for victory been worth it? That's the question I continue to ask myself as I record this message for broadcast. Nevertheless, I'm here to tell you that the threat few on Earth knew existed has been lifted,

for now at least. The Astri's base on the Europa Moon is now in the hands of the Galactic Confederation, and therefore the enemy will be unable to abduct human beings for the first time in generations. Thousands of lives have surely been saved, but the war is far from over. The Astry Empire is still powerful and dangerous, and there is no guarantee that their forces won't return to our solar system. Denial and complacency are no longer an option in a universe full of deadly threats,

and if our governments aren't prepared for this fight, then we're going to need new leaders. But this is a matter for the citizens of Earth. I will not be returning to my home planet, not for a long time anyway. My fellow survivors and I have joined the Confederation Forces and will continue the fight against the Astry Empire in every corner of the galaxy. But I will never forget Aureel's lessons. We will not lower ourselves to their level, and we'll never lose our humanity. There will be no victory parades for our unknown army, no salutes or commemorations. But to those listening, please remember us and know that we are fighting and dying.