When do you have the right to break a promise?
When you get tired of them?
When you discover the truth of those promises?
These questions were going through this soldier's mind. He had sworn allegiance to his country. Not for any specific reason, he just couldn't find anything else to do with his life.
Since joining the army, he had only shot and argued with his superiors. He was not very good at following orders, but he is good at shooting and strategizing, that allowed him to stay in the army.
Over time, he rose through the ranks from Corporal to Sergeant, until he finally got the authorization to find out about the "Hefesto" project.
The project was intended to improve soldiers with abnormal materials or objects. The project was known only to the soldier's division. There appeared to be certain organizations that disapproved of the use of these materials for any use.
This division had found these materials after attacking an enemy base.
According to certain rumors, the state they were at war had collaborated with some kind of machinery organization.
These materials at first glance looked like pieces of metal, but when they came in contact with a living being, the metal became part of its body.
The process was painful, but gave the best results.
People exposed to this metal lost their hair and their skin was dulled by the metal, they no longer tired and did not need to feed themselves. Some replaced their hands with blades, there was one who was able to replace his entire arm with a machine gun. Those who were present say that the soldier showed no visible emotion, he just tore off his arm and put the machine gun in its place.
The soldier was amazed that this type of material existed. But he noticed something in the eyes of the soldiers used in the experiments. He took it as a silly sensation at first, until he was assigned to check the condition of one of the soldiers.
-Hello Damian.
-Hello. (Looking at the floor.)
-How are you. Since we subjected you to this experiment, your performance has improved quite a bit. But your classmates have reported a drop in your mood and some strange behaviors.
-I'm fine.
-How does it feel to have cold metal in your body, but knowing that you are reaching your full potential?
-(Takes a while to respond) it doesn't feel good, but it doesn't feel bad. But there is something that drives me to continue, to obey without any limitations.
-Interesting.
- There is also something that speaks to me.
-What do you mean?
-Sometimes in my dreams, I hear a voice. It's quite mechanical, and most of the time I don't understand it very well. I only know that it urges me to continue to show my true strength.
-Okay? I think we'd better move on to the last question. Do you know why you and the others exposed to metal suffer from a rejection of meat? I mean, I understand that you don't need to eat anymore, but don't you think you went a little overboard, destroying the whole kitchen for a few plates of roast meat?
-(Stares at the soldier)…… it just reminded me of a bad experience that a …. Acquaintance shared with me.
-Understood. That concludes the interview. You can rest now.
- I can't rest.
- true.
It had already been 5 months, 5 months in which he had to watch as other soldiers had their humanity taken away from them.
(This is a secret project, only my division knows about it, maybe I can tell someone else. They keep it secret for other organizations, what could they be? Will they be able to stop them? Will they help me? But if they find out about me……….). (I have made my decision)
Day 6/7/2014.
Soldier found lifeless outside a military base.
That was the title of a newspaper that was not worth reading.
Clearly, every word in that newspaper was a big, dirty lie.
Interviews with companions of the deceased reporting how they were searching for the body of their sergeant for three days. When the body clearly showed no signs of advanced decomposition.
The sergeant had died from a gunshot wound to the head, with several bullet wounds to the body.
It was just another casualty of the war.
Like his skull, the promise to save these poor soldiers had been broken.