User blog:Feudy McPlagueface/Terminus

Terminus Pt 1

Grand Central Terminal, once a marvel of human ingenuity, a landmark to the human wish to be closer together, one of the biggest hallmarks of life in Manhattan. This landmark to the American spirit was now a wrecked ruin, now a testament to the ruins of war that had been brought upon the city and its people. The stacatto pops of rifle fire outside the building were only interupted by the occasional large explosion or tank shell Rob could hear impacting some target just down the street.

Rob slunk down against a wall near some sandbags opening up his gear bag. Taking an MRE out he began to pick through it looking for anything he liked but found nothing. Typical he thought to himself, thinking of how awful the food meant to keep him going during this battle was. He was a US Marine in the cultural heartland of the East Coast and he couldnt even get a decent bite to eat. It was something weird to think about at the time but he started to realize his shellshock and his minds haphazard way to getting him back into reality. Most werent as lucky when shellshocked.

Most of the men around him were doing much of the same things, talking amongst eachother, or just checking the overall defenses that had been set up around the Terminal. Rob's thoughts finally shifted to the thousands of people below him under evacuation order from the government. He still couldnt believe that the Soviets had not only managed to brush most of NATO under the rug, but they had launched an Invasion of New York as well. It seemed completely undoable on paper. Rob thought back once again but dropped it.

"Im just a grunt, not something for me to worry about" he said to himself

A Soldier with the name Miller stenciled on his uniform stopped, "Whats not something for you to worry about" Miller said sweat dripping from his painted up face.

"Ah didnt see you there. I was just wondering why, or even how the Soviets pulled off an invasion of New York" Rob Replied

"Beats me kid but i tell you what, you look pretty bad, rest up for a little bit more and ill be back, we can talk about it then" Miller said raising his eyebrow trying to get some sort of reaction out of Rob.

"Sounds good man, lets hope the Terminus is still around for that then" Rob said standing up once again.

The Man came as quickly as he went and Rob bent over picking up a stray M-4 from a pile of rifles. It was covered in blood. Rub in a look of disgust wiped it off on his Fatigues and took a rage he kept in a pocket on his bag and wiped the rest off. The whole building shook and small peices of the roof came down on the ground as did dust. Rob began to regain his sense of urgency and started working his way outside to join what was left of the men defending perimeter. In all other situations he would attempt to find his unit, but after what had happened early Rob was surprised there was anyone left anyways. Stumbling outside into the eerie light-dark mixture that was the city streets the sound of Gunfire was more more audible. The Gunfire was extremely intense as he just felt this air of desperation from the many wounded men he passed as he walked down the steps of Gran Central.

He continued to the street until he felt a yank on his gear behind him "Get down man!" he heard a yell as he fell behind a shot up Taxi cab.

"Thanks man!" Rob yelled over the sound of the more dedicated gunfire coming closer. Rob looked over and saw Miller again leaning over the rear of the cab firing his M-16.

Miller didnt even reply as he yelled pumping out a full magazine. Rob finally realized he should do the same and scooted over to the hood of the Taxi leaning up and sighting down the rifle. He saw immediately something he would never forget. In a small mob in front of him soldiers were desperately fighting hand to hand, Russians and Americans. Rifle butts, and Combat knives. It was brutal, like something out of the old hand to hand battles of medeval europe. He pulled the trigger and felt the recoil of his rifle. The Bullet caught a Russian soldier in the shoulder sending him spinning around backwards. An American soldier Rob noticed under him pulled out his pistol and started shooting as he scrambled back to the cluster of cars that was serving as the US Marines final perimeter against the Soviets before falling back to the interior of Grand Central. Rob continued to pull the trigger aiming for anything that seemed like an easy and profitable target. Aiming into the mob of soldiers seemed like too much of a risky idea.

5 minutes of this mayhem continued until barely 5 Russian soldiers fell back leaving a mass of dead bodies. Only a few more Marines came back to the makeshift American lines leaving a taste of bitter victory in his mouth. Rob turned to talk to miller but didnt see him, just an empty space where he had been standing. Shaking his head and feeling sweat drip off, Rob changed his magazine for a full one and kept sighted down his rifle. He fired a few shots down the street at the adjacent russian lines about 80 yards down the street but he doubted he hit anything.

The sounds of gunfire and other explosions rocking deep into the city were abruptly interrupted by 3 jets flying over the city and meeting up with nearly 7 coming from the opposite direction. Rob watched the exchange and noticed a few other soldiers doing the same thing. The planes met and went higher as what seemed to be a pitched aerial battle over the Terminus. Out of the 7 planes at least 4 were knocked out of the sky and one of the 3 exploded as well. He watched for what seemed like hours until a loudspeaker snapped him out of it

"This is Colonel Taylor to all American troops holding the Terminus perimeter, There have been reports of 2 Russian Mechanized units making their way to seize the Terminus. Im making the executive decision to hold the Terminus at all costs. All Soldiers fall back to the interior and prepare to hold at all costs." The Colonel said the power in his voice conveying a true believable thought that the Terminus could be held.

Various voices to fallback were heard and Rob heeded them working his way back. As he went up the stairs a man in front of him fell over. Unable to discern what had happened Rob got under his armpit and hoisted him to his feet helping him up the steps as American troops flooded into the Terminus's interior defenses. He dropped the soldier off near an elevator further back towards the steps of the building and worked his way back to sandbags near the front.

Rob waited not saying anything as he watched the front door. He felt his body tense up as fear gripped him. The untameable fear that he may in fact die in this very building tonight. Fighting door to door, floor to floor, and refusing to give up any inch if he could help it. The fear however was somewhat overpowered as his adrenaline started to push up through his body. He steadied himself as best he could as he saw men starting to group up near the front entrance of the Terminal. Some soldiers forced them into cover with some supressing fire but Rob couldnt get over the fact that the Russians were crazy enough to try and breach the building and potentially go hand to hand with the soldiers for the second time tonight. Rob's Fear was realized when the entire front section of wall and the doors caved in and a wave of dust filled the room obscuring his line of sight. The dust refused to settle and he decided to sight down his rifle looking for a target if he could. The thick layer of dust did nothing but make the whole situation seem creepier as muzzle flashes and screams filled the air and lit up the dust like a sick fireworks show.

Rob was about to move a bit closer with a few men who had given hand signals to try and help the men further up front of the terminal but a sudden burst of nearly 5 russian soldiers from their front up the steps scared Rob into firing. He completely missed and felt the Russian soldier dive onto him. Rob heard both their rifles clack on the ground and the two men began to wrestle on the floor. Almost managing to get on top the Russian soldier shifted his weight sideways bringing them tumbling down the steps onto the ground floor. The Russian had managed to pull his knife out but Rob managed to force it to the side. With enough of a distraction He pulled his own knife from the spot he kept it tethered to his leg and drove it upward. It hit home and caught the russian soldier right in between the ribs. The man gasped and rolled over breathing heavy. Rob pulled out his knife and then cut the mans neck seeing the blood seep out. One of the other soldiers was in a tense fight over a rifle at the top of the steps with one of his comrades and Rob thought of something. Taking his knife he gave it a full armed throw at the back of the russian soldier. It tumbled end over end until it caught him in the lower left quarter of his back sticking in deep. The man screamed and the American he was fighting managed to take the rifle and put two rounds in his chest. The Russian trooper fell down the steps and stopped right next to his fallen comrade.

Rob was unable to take time to comprehend what had happened as his fellow soldier at the top of the steps threw him a rifle. Catching it he turned and sighted down looking for targets. The Dust had barely settled but it was just enough that he could see that a desperate hand to hand was in fact going on towards the front of the Lobby and more soldiers were flooding into the building by the second. Rob aimed for the entrance and started shooting hoping to catch as many as he could as they rushed in. He saw a few fall at first but it picked up as his managed to adjust his aim for the dust and some of his comrades joined in shooting the stream stopped as fast as it had began.

The dust finally settled and a scene of pure carnage met his eyes. There were dozens of bodies, most of them Russian, but with a good amount of american troops scattered throughout. He could barely look before he felt sick to his stomach. Looking to his side at the two Russians hed killed, he leaned over shaking pulling his knife from the one soldiers back. He sheathed it and fell to his knees next to them throwing up as he was unable to handle the feeling of not just killing one man but 2 definitely with an unspecified amount more further ahead in the Lobby. He backed up against a wall near the steps and shook putting his head between his hands. Whatever all this was he just wanted it to stop.