The USS Quad Damage

Dead and bleeding

We were there. With nary a sound we had infiltrated the highly guarded ship, undetected... or so we thought. Under flickering lights we scampered like mice, about to take a bite out of that precious, precious cargo. A small buzz, a flash, a distraction, and all the guards were out. Undefeatable, but with our training, we could expect no less. We were there.

Flicker, buzz, flick. This time we were the ones caught unawares. Lights everywhere saturating our night-vision. We pulled off our visors to discover the reason. We'd been tracked the entire time. A large man with a monocle greeted us: "Welcome, gentlemen... to the U.S.S. Quad Damage". It was admiral von Schauser. An ironic name for the captain of an American naval vessel.

Bullets streamed through our bodies and our blood flew in little droplets, eventually hitting the shining metallic floors. We followed. A moment that took forever. I'm certain I can remember every bullet, every face of every guard, and that of the good admiral. Faces interleaved with those of our families and friends, as our lives passed us by. Strange re-unions with high school friends and the guards in the background, sipping wine. I'm sure I remember every one of those faces.

We should have died...