It has been many years since the war between the kingdom of light and the dark matter empire had been fighting. Here in the tenches, it always seems as if we were only just stalling while no progress has ever been made. I always fear that we will encounter something that I hope will never encounter.

  My name is Corporal Stewart, and I’ve been fighting in these trenches for 2 years now. When I was young, I’ve always heard that my nation was at war by a terrible nation known as the Dark Matter Empire. A nation known for spreading strange infections and bizarre war-like mindsets. By the time I turned 18, I’ve enlisted to join the army. After going through boot camp for several months, they finally sent me to the trenches. The fastest routes by these massive hovercopters that can hold 25 men at once and come in packs of 5. I’ve seen medical ones that come in and the medics would bring out the wounded. Many with missing limbs, burn marks, and even flesh melting chemicals.

  We all lined up with our uniforms with special helmets that gives us a heads-up display and smart technology that doesn’t take too long to be an accurate shot. Our drill sergeant gave us one last speech and tells us god speed. The hovercopter lands and we enter.

  Now I am here… waiting… it’s either a matter of time until we charge or they charge. Though, it’s real hard to take these guys out sometimes. They don’t seem give up very easily. Every night, you can hear the Dark Matter soldiers screaming, and hollering, and laughing, like barbarians they’re. When they do charge, we had to kill them all because they don’t ever retreat.

  However, as time go by. I’ve seen strange technology coming from them. Steam powered Juggernauts that’s immune even from rocket launchers, Cloaked Spies, Spider Tanks, and many more. It’s real hard to get some sleep because you never what’s going to happen next.

  “Writing your story?” somebody said. I looked up and it was James, a friend of mine. I sighed and said “You scared me a little.” and James replied “Oh, sorry about that.” He sits next to me and pulls out a canteen to drink. I said to him “How much longer do we have to fight?” he closes his canteen and said “Honestly we could be fighting the rest of our lives possibly.” I replied to him “So we’re going nowhere are we? We’re stuck here are we?” James told me “Don’t worry too much, worrying gives you anxiety. Maybe if we’re lucky something might happen. I actually heard somebody from the Middle Kingdom is getting involved” I became mildly surprised and said “The Middle Kingdom? From who?” and James replied “I don’t know, but whoever he is, he’s been giving the Dark Matter Empire hell. Though, the king from the Middle Kingdom never approved it.”

  Suddenly, one of our bunkers got hit with a massive explosion. Then another bunker got hit and blown into pieces. Paul comes up and we all slowly poke our heads out. We use the cameras on our HUD to zoom what’s going on. Then, we suddenly felt rumbling, like a stampede or perhaps another charge yet we don’t hear screaming. As the fog started to clear up a bit, we notice something… BIG heading towards our way.

  The captain came up behind us and told us to gather as many explosives, rocket launchers, and anything anti-tank. “The Black Centipede is coming!” he yelled.

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  The Black Centipede… the largest tank from the Dark Matter Empire. A true land-battleship armed with 2 150mm cannons on the front with a sponson on each side armed with a 100mm cannon, multiple machines guns mounted as well, along with multiple automated anti-aircraft turrets on the top.

  “Release the drones!” yelled the Captain as we activated the drones and sent them flying. Several of them were gunned down by machine guns but a couple made it through and hit the tracks to slow it down, but the tracks were so thick that it did nothing. One of the guys on Radio is trying to call for air support. Our attack hovercopters went after it but couldn’t get close enough without getting gunned down by those automated turrets. Eventually the Hyper Jets came by and fired missiles by even those missiles couldn’t get close without getting gunned down by those turrets.

  We fired every rocket launcher we can, but the armor is so thick it makes the Juggernauts look paper armor. Then… it stopped! We all looked at it carefully wondering what’s it doing. Did it broke down? Then it started turning on its side, revealing that doesn’t just have a sponson on its side… but 10 Sponsons each armed with a 100mm cannon all ready to fire. “Get down!” one of them yelled as it started bombarding us with 100mm high explosive shells. Then the next minute, it fires again. Then the next minute, it fires again, and again, and again, every minute.

  I had my face down on the muddy ground. I’ve felt something laying top of me, a sandbag, a dead body perhaps? When the shelling had finally stopped. It turned back into its front and started moving towards us again.

  I lift my head, panting heavily, I pushed over what’s on top of me. But the body that I pushed over, was none of then… my friend James, who has the left side of his head blown off. The rumbling and the roaring the Black Centipede was getting louder meaning it’s getting closer. I screamed and cried out of sadness and anger at the same time. I got up and loaded my weapon and decided to risk myself. I climbed out of the trench. The Captain saw me and quickly tried to stop me, but he was too late. He then yelled “Where are you going you fool! You’re gonna get yourself killed!!!”

  I started charging towards the Black Centipede. One of the machine gunners spotted me and immediately fired. I fell on the ground pretending I was shot dead. It got closer until I was underneath the tank. I turned to my back and notice an escape hatch underneath. I quickly grabbed it and open it, then mange to climb inside.

  Inside the tank, is a very large crew. When the crew noticed me. By the time they react, I went into rage and started gunning everyone of them down with my assault rifle and fired my grenade launcher. Destroying everything from the inside. One of the crew members pulled out a laser pistol and shot me in the arm, but I pull out my pistol and fired back, hitting him in the chest and head.

  A door opens “What is going here?” It’s the commander of the crew and to his surprise he didn’t expect someone to manage to infiltrate inside the tank. He stayed and slowly reached his pistol. We drew at the same time by I hit him in the head and he fell backwards. Then I pulled out a grenade into the driver section and of the drivers screamed, but the grenade exploded by the time he got out.

  By then, I was done. I’ve killed everyone in the tank, panting heavily, trying to slowly calm myself. Then a door opens and I quickly pointed my gun at that direction. “Ease up, soldier.” It was the captain and some of the soldiers walked in. To the captain’s surprise, he thought that I was dead. He saw my wound on my arm and he said to me “Would you like to go home?” and I looked at and stayed silent.

  After that, I was rewarded with numerous medals. Then later, I went to a military graveyard and placed some flowers for James’s burial.

  I saluted to him...