‘And that’s when you woke up?’ “No, for the umpteenth time, that’s when i must have passed out. I think” ‘And for the, as you call it, umpteenth time, that never happened. I understand it feels real to you, it’s not uncommon at all for people who have experienced traumatic events to have an altered sense of reality’ “For the love of god” The man sighs heavily. He had heard the same god damn thing for weeks now. “Just get me a phone, any god damn phone and i can call her, she will confirm everything i’ve said” ‘You’ll call who, Lily Nibelung?’ “Yes, of course!” ‘You’re a security threat and you’re not allowed to make calls to the outside. Especially not to someone who is a character of your imagination’ “You are prohibiting me from proving i am right! Just give me a phone, you can have it on speaker or something” ‘I have told you time and time again, you have to cooperate with me for that. Start by telling me your fucking name’ The woman in the suit was in her mid to late 40s. Wearing a suit. She had identified herself as “Agent Lynch of the CIA”. The man didn’t trust her one bit. And they had had the same conversation every day for three weeks straight “My name is Anon, i’ve told you this” ‘Anon isn’t, as i have said 20 times, not a name. It is an abbreviation for Anonymous. And you have failed to provide me with a last name’ “Give me a break, my parents were weird, and I genuinely don't remember, I'd have told you ages ago if I knew, cause this place blows. Besides, think i believe your actual name is “Lynch”?” ‘Think i actually believe your little story of a tank battalion?’ “I believe Mrs. Spook would have the easiest time in the world finding that out. I also believe Mrs. Spo- oh wait, Ms Spook, no ring, guess you’re not too good at making friends. At any rate, i believe you already know i am telling the truth” Hatred was glowing in Agent Lynch’s eyes. She did, as “Anon” pointed out not have too many friends. But this wasn't the time or place to let her emotions get the better of her ‘That's not what I am here for. You are here because you are going to face justice. For a long line of offenses. The first being stealing nuclear weapons from the United States of America’ “I've sat here for hour upon hours and told you what happened. And you only listened to the nuke part? Why would that part be true if everything else wasn't?” ‘That's my job to figure out. But it seems it's time for you to meet the doctor. Goodbye, whoever you are’ “Goodbye, Spook” Lynch stood up and left the room, leaving the man with no name alone. He wasn't that remarkable of a figure. Not particularly tall, nor built like a house. But he was also not one who had pushed papers around for a desk for a living. Signs of calluses remained on his hands. His hair and beard was longer than he would like it. Especially the beard. Even in his mid 20 it still wasn't dense enough to look decent. But his immediate problem was getting out of the confinement he was held captive in. Worst of all was they didn't allow him any contact at all with the outside world. They believed almost nothing he did during the war. The aliens, or the “Adversary” as the Spook called them, got into people's minds. They had told him that time and time again. That first time he saw the Jagdtiger and got shot at, everything from that point on was just a product of his imagination. The adversary had turned him insane. His chest wound? Two and a half inches deep he said. The doctor inspected it and said that deep would be nigh on impossible, considering how extremely clean and narrow it was. The knife would have had to go in with no angle or movement at all. And no human hand was capable of that. Not even his Austrian fairy tale princess. They kept asking for explanations. Did he really believe the nazis tied women to tanks? Did he really believe said woman would have fallen for him right away? Or that she did all he claimed she did? Did he himself believe that was Heinrich Himmler’s daughter? In the single heaviest and most impractical tank mankind had built? As the months passed he was taken further away from it. Every time he told the story, told it again and again they looked at him with doubting eyes. Listened with questioning ears, responded with tired sighs and wrote it down And it worked. The man who claimed his name was Anon showed more and more signs of fatigue over the months. His skin got pale and brittle. His eyes dull and lacking life. He slept more and more. Staying in bed two days in a row was not uncommon. Didn't go out to his permitted walks in the courtyard, didn't read the books they had allowed him to read. A weakened spirit The bomb went off the 29th of March. He found himself in his new confinement sometime in the end of April, and was conscious enough to ask the question of time on the 2nd of May During the daily speak with the doctor he first started doubting things in his own story as August drew to a close The third of September was different from the other days. It was a weekday, but no one visited. No one came it at 11am or 3pm as had been the case for the last four months. Not the doctor or Lynch Alarms sounded, sirens screamed and screams were heard from outside. Anon didn't leave the bed. Surprisingly, not even the gunfire made him get up. Maybe one of the other inmates tried to escape? He had tried to get away a few times, and it yielded him absolutely nothing. Something was by the door. Not easy knocking as the doctor would do, or nonchalantly just walk in, like Lynch did. Indistinguishable shuffling, and then the door was opened. But not by the normal guards. Six men with automatic rifles stormed in. He was handed a T-shirt with a five digit number in big red letters on the front. It was the number they called him when they were particularly irritated with him calling himself Anon He was never much for arguing with people who were better armed than he was, so he got the shirt on, allowed himself to be cuffed and followed the men. Out the room, down the hall and through the many, many doors. He followed them out through the courtyard, which was completely empty. And oddity for this time of day The man followed the soldiers out of the compound itself to two tan Humvees. He was put into the back seat of the lead vehicle. No one said a word for the first two hours of the drive. A very tired man accused of very bad things and a couple of soldiers were never going to make much of a conversation. The man was dozing off, resting his face in the bulletproof glass, but quickly took interest in a radio message coming from the trailing vehicle ‘We got a car approaching’ One of the soldiers slammed the top hatch open and manned the large MG they had there. Anon thought it was just some routine thing. Just in case something happened. But it just seemed to be one car, what could that possible do? ‘What is it?’ The driver shouts up to the man now standing at the machine gun ‘Just some crappy old wagon. Grandma car. Or you know, your girlfriend’ ‘Fuck off man, you go play with little girls, i’ll stick to real women’ ‘I just might’ The wagon flies by at a speed way over the speeds once considered safe at days before the way. It was painted in an absolutely hideous light yellow “You know…” The man began, opening his mouth for the first time this day. he looked at how the car sat on the road, the lowered ride, the slightly exaggerated camber on the wheels and the bounciness of the whole thing. This car was under its non-saying body something very well set up. It reminded him of something he had driven before “No, never mind. It’s nothing” The journey goes on for another hour. Endless rural roads leading from nowhere and going nowhere. The soldiers got bored of being quiet and started trash talking each other and discussing baseball results Baseball? When did that start? Anon knew there was nothing going on during the war. Was the war over? Were they all dead? Gone? “Guys, have we won?” As mad of a question as that may have sounded to anyone else, Anon had heard absolutely nothing about the outside world since he had woken up. Why did they even do that? “Can’t you tell me that at least? if we won?” ‘Just be quiet’ “Man, am i really that bad? Can’t even tell me if we won the possible planet ending war or not?” The soldier sitting on his left side dug in a pocket and waved in the air with a plastic device making loud electrical noises “What’re you gonna do, taze me?” The soldier pushed the plastic device firmly into Anon’s ribcage and let ten million volts flow into him. He shook, spasmed, muscles forced to contract by the stream of electricity spreading through him. He felt weak, felt vulnerable, helpless. And above all else, he felt hatred. He tried to fight the tiredness, the fatigue, but didn’t have any strength left in him. He broke the one rule he had had before. Never to fall asleep too close to someone he didn’t trust. ‘The fuck did you do that for?’ ‘He was bitching, man!’ ‘He’s cuffed you fucking sadist’ ‘As if you don-’ ‘You fucking touch me again and you will eat through a tube for the rest of your life. You know what happened to Mikey’ The soldier in the back seat knew very well what happened to Mikey ‘You hate fun’ ‘No, i just hate you’ ‘Jesus christ man, did you eat barbed wire for breakfast?’ ‘No, but this whole thing is just fucked up. Like, that guy didn’t even know we had won the war. And according to this one internet thing i found, he basically made that happen. Like the nukes and all the tanks and shit? He did that. And he’s getting treated like Hussein did. This is fucked’ ‘You need to get off the internet, man. Besides, we’re six guys in two clapped out Humvees. Not like he’s gonna feel special’ ‘Fuck me, you’re slow’ ‘Guys, just shut the fuck up and have a look ahead instead’ The driver had gotten enough of his squadmates’ arguing ‘Well look at that…’ ‘Don’t even think about it. We’re supposed to stop for nothing’ A few hundred yards down the road stood a young woman by the same light yellow wagon from earlier, with the hood open. She was waving, jumping and shouting to get their attention ‘She’s wearing daisy dukes’ ‘What part of “nothing” did you have difficult with?’ ‘Man, it’s a sexy little girlie with mommy’s car. In daisy dukes. Maybe her car broke, fuck do i know?’ ‘Yeah, i see it! The “i’ll do anything just get my car working!” shit!’ ‘Hell yeah! Come on man, we gotta stop’ The driver sighs heavily, picks the radio up and tells the trailing car they will try and see what’s wrong with the car. ‘Thank you so much! I’ve been here for hours now! It just stopped!’ The driver walks in front of the other men and approaches her first. One of the two punches the others shoulder and speaks with a lowered voice ‘Like an ironing board, a plank. Just like you like ‘em?’ ‘Hell yeah’ But they didn’t get further than that. The girl took two steps away from the car and dove for a little hole in the ground. Two seconds later, trees gets turned over on both sides of the convoy. The soldiers now stare down the barrel of one massive tank gun while another has cut off their retreat. The girl in short jeans peeks her head up and screams + Put all weapons by the car and then walk twenty steps forwards and get down on your knees! They quickly realized there was one violent and one non-violent solution this could get solved by. The latter would end with them slaughtered like lambs One at a time, they put away all their weapons by the bright orange muscle car and sat down on the tarmac further up. Unbeknownst to them, what they were looking into was a 130 mm S-70 gun, not unlike what one would find on an old russian destroyer. Now it crowned what was possibly the most fearsome machine on tracks anywhere: the IS-7 Natalya Chelyabinsk surveyed the six men deciding not to fight with a cold, piercing look. Not too far away from them was someone that had become a little bundle of joy and energy as of late Miranda was truly fueled by emotions, much more so than pizza or diesel. She was the kind of girl that could be cheerful for an entire afternoon because of a kind touch. Natalya thought a relationship closer than “colleagues” or “sisters in arms” between two caretakers were an oddity, even if it was enjoyable for the host part + He doesn't have it Natalya picks up the radio, thoroughly surprised by what Miranda said ¤ Asked him? + No, he seems pretty knocked out ¤ Not on his hands? Pockets? Chain around neck? + No ring ¤ That would explain a thing or two Natalya growled a little and then asked for Miranda to come back to the tank. The soldiers compliantly lifted the sleeping man out of the Humvee and were sent on their way with promises of bad things happening if they told anyone what happened they would pay dearly. The man was left leaning against the old wagon, sitting on the ground. Three figures stood around him + We can’t do this right away, look at him… ¤ We don’t have a choice. I’m sure he would agree, considering, you know + He’s too weak… ‘Sorry Miranda, but she’s right’ That was a third voice. One with a distinct british accent ‘This is a now or never deal. We have to take it even if he ends up suffering for it’ + He has suffered enough… “Ugh…” the man started showing signs of life. Groaning and clutching his aching head ‘Hello there Anon, if that is what we should call you. I’d love to say we are here on pleasant business but things are…’ ¤ He’s not getting you. Put him in the car and help us load up the IS. We have very little time Miranda follows Natalya back to the IS-7 to get it prepared for being loaded up to a truck + Natalya… ¤ Yes? + Lily is going to be okay, right? Natalya thought back to earlier that morning. Lily’s skin was pale and dry. Her eyes had been closed for over a month, and yet they were leaking. She was fragile, weak and had been slowly fading away for almost 4 months. This morning Natalya had put the back end of a spoon to Lily’s throat, which to the Austrian might as well had been a knife. Lily’s barely reacted and made absolutely no effort to defend herself. She had very little time left ¤ Yeah, She will be fine. Lily will be okay An hour later Anon sat next to Helen in the old wagon, heading back to the facility he had spend four months in. ‘I just need to make sure you are completely honest with me, do you not remember’ “Helen, please. You're the first one to tell me something happened after the first blast. I've been telling the fucking Lynch for I don't know how long, the first blast knocked me out” ‘It didn't. Actually, feel above your right ear’ The man didn't think too much, but raised his hand and felt something he had no memory of being there ‘It looks like curiosity got the better of you. Peeking up over the hatch and watching the blast’ “I thought that knocked me out…” ‘It didn't. We think you passed out about an hour after that’ “What happened…” ‘We got fucked simply put. Long and hard fight until help arrived’ “I was in this?” ‘Yes. Yes you did. When the dust settled you were put in an ambulance helicopter’ “I was?” ‘It probably wasn't that. I've heard about accusations about theft of nuclear weapons’ “Yeah they gave me that…Anyway, where is Lily?” Helen shifts uncomfortably in her chair. She was unhappy about the subject ‘We're heading to help her now’ “Help her? Where is she? Is she okay?” ‘We're helping her now…’ “Please…” ‘We found her in the Jagdtiger, she was…’ “How is Lily?” ‘Before that, rings’ “Rings?” ‘You and Lily’ “She made a pair. Out of steel. Kept them in her inside her jacket” ‘I swear to God if you're lying to me’ “FUCKING REALLY? I've told the truth for months, and people are trying to make shit up, telling me i’m crazy, I'm lying, fucking shit, but I really, really want to do what I can for Lily” ‘We found her in the tank a little later, since we thought she put you in the helicopter. Anon, why was she wearing a ring?’ “What…?” ‘Anon. It's not like she's going with someone else. She's wearing a ring and you're not. Why?’ “Why does this matter? Can't I just meet her?” ‘Lily is grey. And fading away’ “The fuck? Are we going to her?” ‘No’ “Turn around. Right now” ‘I've taken a decision for you. Her soul is taken from her, she will die. We know it can be transported, carried, it can live in metal. The jagdtiger won't help her, but we thought you had a ring that might. You don't have it. When we discovered that, there was two options. Either we can drive you too Lily and see you helplessly try to get life back into the unconscious, incapacitated, thin, weak, grey haired… thing Lily has become. You won't save her, you’ll just see her die. Option two is flooring it, trying to get that ring. Fuck if I know it will work, she might die, we might die, this might end up as a dumpster fire in Berlin. But we will try’ “Sorry Helen…” ‘That's for later, Lily first’ Yet another hour later, the old car is parked outside the “containment facility”. It wasn't actually as big as it looked, a few houses, a two story concrete building, a few guard towers and an ungodly amount of barbed wire. Helen waited a little, until she got the confirmation call from Natalya. Helen shoved an Enfield No. 2 revolver down her pants and covered it up with her leather jacket. Anon follows suit with one of the many handguns in the back seat. Helen took the lead, since the man was weakened ‘Excuse me, this man was previously n inmate here, we need his personal belongings’ ‘He escaped earlier today…’ The guard reaches for the charging handle on his M16. But as he raises the rifle, a sound is heard It sounded like when time ends. An ungodly scream, a wrath like the heavens were split open with nuclear fire. It increased in insensitivity until the ground itself shook. The guard turns around just in time to see the building behind him being reduced to rubble as 70 tons of Soviet made steel steamrolled through it at over forty miles per hour. The tank loses speed in its fight against the concrete, and builds up the boost pressure as thick black diesel smoke billows out of the exhausts. It turns around, pointing itself and its gun on the main building. The IS-7 was just on another level Helen clears her throat and looks at the guard ‘Right this way mam’ Nobody had the mind to question anything that had displayed a show of violence as that machine did. And yet five armed guards stormed out of the building, aiming at the man and Helen with the rifles. Unfortunately for them, 130mm high explosive rounds care little for cinder block walls. Nor did any of the three forward facing MGs on the turret that lit up at the first sight of trouble. Unfortunate for them, but sadly necessary. ‘Are you going to waste more of our time?’ ‘Absolutely not, mam’ Anon and Helen follows the guard up to the first building. As soon as the door closes the roar of the IS-7 is heard again. Or circles the little building, prowling like a hungry animal and crushing anything it's way. Fences, guard towers, cars. The man looked out at it. He didn't have a clue what engine that machine had, but it was terrifyingly quick for something that was almost as heavy as the jagdtiger. The guard was now very scared. He fumbled with the keys, trying at attach them to his belt. Helen stepped in, and relieved them from him. Revolver in hand, she followed him to the next building. Two doors were unlocked before they reached a big room ‘I need his number’ “74021” The guard nods and jogs away down the hall and comes back with surprisingly small metal box. Helen opens it with the keys she has. The contents is one cell phone, a fistfull of dollars and a backpack. Out falls some clothes, a handgun some canned food and a bit of metal tools. And a little red cloth bag. Anon threw himself over the bag and tore it open. In it was not a ring, but two. One was a simple one, one he recognized. Made from steel, and completely plain. The other one was shining of gold with runes carved into it. Very ornate, and masterfully decorated “I don't remember this one” Helen glances over at them both ‘Take both, let's go’ Anon puts everything in the backpack and heads for the car. The IS-7 immediately puts itself between them and the building, acting as an additional few meters of spaced armor. That combined with the many many machine guns made sure no one decided to try their luck and attack. Anon and Helen reached the car and sped away. One final message from Natalya was heard ¤ You have everything you need? ‘Yes. Thanks for the cover’ ¤ Any time The tank turns around for the drive back to the big truck. They would be back later that night. “Helen, mind telling me what happened? As much as you know” ‘I wouldn't be able to tell you much. Our German friends might. Ask them’ “Yeah. You know the little one is-” ‘Little miss Himmler, yes. But whatever Lily did to her worked. I'd barely be able to tell her from a regular girl’ “Right” Up front the little engine sang into the night. The sun had long set when it stopped “Where is she” Anon asked in a voice that tried to be flat. It was in fact very worried. ‘Ground floor, right, past the glass door and right’ He jumped out of the car, not even both in to close the door and rushes inside. Helen follows, slowly. She arrives later outside the room Lily lay in. The door was closed, and Irma sits outside. Her head was usually held high, but the gravity of the situation had got to her as well ‘[How is she?]’ Helens german was very basic, something she had taught herself in her spare time. It didn't sound pretty, but it was with a little help enough to hold a conversation ‘[Alive, but little more. The only positive sign we have is a heart rate. Did he have the ring?]’ ‘[Rings. There were two rings]’ ‘[Tell me more]’ ‘[One in steel, probably made from metal taken from the Jagdtiger. Another one was ornate and made in gold. SS ring?]’ ‘[I'd doubt it. Lily was not in the SS and I don't think she would keep something like that. Please stop him, we must know what it is]’ Helen walked into the room. Lily remains in her bed, in her extremely weakened state. The man stood on his knees next to her. Crying ‘Anon, don't put the ring on yet’ He managed to ask why through his tears. ‘We don't know what the golden one is. What it does or if it harms her’ “g-gold is new. She wears one Natalya gave her…” ‘Yes, Natalya gave her the one she is wearing. Steel from her tank’ Anon held up his hand, the two rings in it. Steel or gold? ‘[Irma, get in here!]’ The German strides into the room and is pointed to the rings. She shakes her head, shrugs, she's doesn't recognize the one in gold ‘[I think the gold ring is just a decoy. Like in Indiana Jones 2]’ Helen looks up at Irma with a look dazzled confusion ‘Sod it. Anon, your guess is as good as mine’ He nods, sets the golden ring aside and slides the few grams of krupp made steel over the fourth finger on his right hand. Three sets of eyes turn to Lily. They wait a few seconds. A few more. A minute “Heard that? Didn't she breathe a little harder just there?”