Containment in Skyscrapers

[tankicola 111]

Containment in Skyscrapers

Skyscrapers, 100 years ago

 

The blackened and burning tanks lay docile against the bullet-perforated walls. They stared at the opponent’s shell. Metallic scrapings echoed hauntingly across the ghostly rubble, and the protective domes made the buildings reflect incarnadine, as though it was caked in blood. The charging line of tanks with burning and twisted turrets fired through the eerie light, able to see the remaining stragglers. Fire illuminated rusty alloys, their green colour slowly turning black, the fire bubbling sluggishly. Retaliatory projectiles exploded out of turning turrets, throwing up plumes and puffs of windswept dirt. The bangs continued to rocket the battlefield until only one blackened corpse of a tank stopped, exhausted. Smoke leaked out of the black crevices of the hull. With a burst of orange, blue, red, green, yellow and black, it exploded. But two survivors had already headed North. Pillars of smoke clouded the skyline, as the flag with the ouroboros inscriptions was sliced to pieces, as the original tankers finally re-claimed their land.  

 

Chapter one

 

Skyscrapers in the present

 

Recruit Shaun Leever was woken up by a loud hoot. Marshal Redman opened the door of the garage with inconsequential force, startling some birds in a nearby tree. As a result, reproachful squawks and indignant hooting echoed across the land. Captain Rose, who had been dozing lazily in the heat, quickly started. “ What did you have to open the door like that for?” she asked ruefully. 

 

“We have new recruits”,  Redman said. “And you should not be questioning me. Right, you lot. Get up!” 

 

“You heard him!” 

 

With groans and much clanking, the new recruits dove out of their "beds" --they were really metal cages -- and lined up in front of Redman. “Right,” he said, adopting a maddeningly patronising and stern tone. “Since you are all in the top 100 of your state sector, I assume that you all know what you have signed up for?”

 

There were murmurs of assent, quickly stifled by the look Rose gave them. 

 

“You have all tried to join the SMA and have got through all the stages. Now, today is day one. Rose here,” Redman nodded towards Captain Rose, “will give you a tour of Skyscrapers. You can ask questions or do anything else except wander around by yourself. Okay?” he said briskly. Without waiting for an answer, he continued: “After the tour, I myself will present the ten week course for you.” 

 

Meanwhile, in the Skyscrapers hospital, a man had contracted some unknown disease that had caused him to freeze. He had worked in the SH as a tank surgeon and had operated on a half-decapitated tank only five days ago. This particular tank had a mangled turret topped with a frost coating, uncannily similar to his symptons, which the unfortunate tank-surgeon had touched. The victim of this frosty attack had been travelling North... 

  

To be continued...

[Pythor 1,354]

Article approved! 

 

In chapter one of "Containment in Skyscrapers", t-cola brings us a stunning introduction to his story and raises a wide variety of questions that I, for one, can not wait for an explanation. I have a hunch that this highly accurate piece will be the beginning of a thrilling series! 

Welcome to the AWS!

 

Edits- 

Spoiler

- Fixed a few punctuation issues 

- Minimal tweaks regarding sentence structure 

 

[Lose 881]

Great piece, and welcome to the AWS!

[Person_Random 4,991]

Wow, what a well written story! I’m excited to see a new writer around in the AWS. I hope you continue to write great pieces!

[tankicola 111]

Thanks for the feedback, but I did say that Redman opened the door with 'inconsequential force'. I would hope that this would imply that he opened it in a particularly unusual  or loud way. It's nice to have some crictical feedback, though I do find it surprising that you would focus on such an 'inconsequential' detail. P.S ( thanks for reading so thoroughly )

Edited June 25, 2020 by tankicola