Chapter 1

It is about 8:00 in the morning. The scene is that of a Prussian military base, in Kaliningrad. Inside, a young woman slowly walks down a partially-underground narrow corridor. Dim light filters in through windows, and occasionally other soldiers glanced up at her. Of course, this woman is a soldier. She is also an Asian, a Chinese woman to be precise. However, she isn’t exactly the typical image of a Chinese woman. Her build is that of a bodybuilder, muscular, stocky, rigid. She is decently curved, and didn’t exactly have a Herculean physique, but is still significantly more bulky than one would expect out from most women.

The woman lazily glances down from her view of the dreary hallway to review her appearance. Her dark-grey buttoned uniform was remarkably neat, having been dry-cleaned the day before. A black leather belt stretched around her waistline, keeping her flat-front grey pants firmly tightened to her body. The steel-toe boots she was wearing rhythmically marched along the grey floor of the hall, keeping a constant pace. After surveying all of this, her eyes glanced directly upwards. On her right shoulder, there is a small, faded insignia in the shape of an arched door. At the top, near the arch, there is a small grey circle with a white line beneath it; near the bottom, a single chevron points upward towards the circle. A red rim and a gold outline extend around the entire badge. After making sure that the badge is affixed properly, she looks up, where she sees the rim of a glossy black helmet resting upon her smooth black hair. As she does this, she reaches behind her head to make sure that her ponytail is still in proper shape. “Damn army regulations,” she mutters. “I understand the motive, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hate this uncomfortable stahlhelm…”

Just as she finishes cursing, a stout man approaches her. “Ahh, Annika!” His boisterous Russian voice echoes throughout the halls. The man’s hefty paunch, combined with his slightly below-average height, make him appear quite awkward. His face was similarly built, with large cheeks and an extremely noticeable light-brown chevron mustache. Shaggy hair, the same shade as his mustache, spreads across his head.

“Greetings, Herr Pyotr. I take it you’re planning on accompanying me to my squad? Because I assure you-“

“Don’t worry about that, Anni. I know that you know your way around this place by now, and besides, I have my own issues to deal with at the moment. Still, it’s so amazing… It feels like just yesterday, you were just a little girl, following me around and pretending to be a soldier…” He reaches up to his face and wipes off the tears forming in his eyes.

“It’s understandable how you feel that way, given that you still treat me like one… and stop calling me Anni! I’m too old for that now!”

“Anni, you’re 18. That’s not even remotely old. In fact, that’s the youngest age that a squad leader can be.”

“T-That’s beside the point! Anyways, I have to go now, Herr Pyotr. See you later…”

“Very well, Annika. Go along with your duties, and good luck.”

So they parted. Annika continues on, down the hall, silently fuming in indignation. She was far more mature than most other girls her age; why does Pyotr insist on treating her like a child?
There is remarkably little activity in the halls; there are only scattered groups of soldiers here and there, waiting for their squad to be shipped off. Soon, she nears her destination. In front of a doorway stands an old man, whose thin gray hair and wrinkly face gave off a somewhat eerie aura. His black uniform is that of a higher-ranking position, adorned with several medals and badges. “There you are, Annika,” he calls to her in a raspy, weary voice.

“Indeed, here I am, Herr Josef. I assume that my future squad is in this room?” In contrast to the man’s voice, hers had a softer, though still quite firm, tone.

“You would be right in assuming that. I could bore you with technical terms, but all you need to know for now is that your squad is the 62nd of the 19th battalion. Keep in mind, however, this is not a group of professional soldiers we are speaking about. A good deal of these people are nothing more than miscreants and outcasts whose services we believed would be useful in our hands. As a result, try not to expect too much.”

“Herr Josef, when I was on my ascent through the ranks, I had to deal with crazed psychos and cruel bastards every other squad. I think that I can deal with whatever you have ready for me behind that door.”

“Very well. Also, your squad’s temporary quarters are in the barracks in the eastern part of the complex. The members have already been shown where they are, so don’t worry about that when you want to dismiss them.” He turns around and slowly opens the door, allowing Annika to enter the room.

The room is cramped, dank, and dark. No decorations hang on the bare granite walls, and wooden benches line the bottoms of the walls. The room is L-shaped, with the entrance near the outer bend of the L. As she had expected, there are men and women sitting on the benches, evidently waiting for her.
It was their appearances that surprise her.

In one corner of the long section of the room, there are two men around Annika’s age. One of them appears to be of Asian descent, whereas the other is Caucasian. The Asian man has a white tunic extending down to the thigh, khaki trousers, and gray felt boots with black overshoes. On his head, there is a rusty gray helmet, similar to the stahlhelm but with curvy edges and a more spherical top. The other man is in a blue jacket with white lapels and white trousers. The lapels were covered by two white bands running diagonally from shoulder to hip, and scarlet barrel cuffs ended the sleeves of the jacket. A tall, drum-like cap sits on top of white hair. On its bottom there is a black visor, while around the top there is a red cloth band. A silver eagle with a crown rests in the middle of the cap. Upon Annika’s entry, they had both briefly looked up, with faces of curiosity, before going back to reading a small pamphlet and lounging, respectively.

In the other section of the L, there are two more soldiers- a female, and a figure whose gender was indeterminable. The woman is about Annika’s age and had on a blue-grey jumpsuit, akin to one a mechanic would wear. Her build is slender, her brown hair somewhat scruffy, and she has almost no curves. She fiddles with some rectangular electronic contraption, which occasionally emits sparks. Her position is reclined and relaxed, as though she does not exactly understand that she is in a military base. The other figure has all but the top of their face concealed by either brown cloth or thin leather armor. Said cloth was draped over the leather, vaguely making the figure resemble a monk of some kind. Its stance is in reflective, dignified.
Despite the radically different appearances, though, there are two things that are constant: each has a small grey armband on their arm with the number 62, and on their right shoulders, each bears a small badge similar to Annika’s, but sans chevron and golden outline.

“Attention, ‘soldiers’!” Herr Josef shouts in a mocking tone. “Your squad commander is here. Please show her the utmost respect and obedience.” With that, he left the room, but not before whispering to her, “Good luck.” Immediately after his departure, Annika speaks in a loud, clear voice, “As Herr Josef explained, I am your new squad commander. My name is Annika Herrman. Introduce yourselves in a polite, orderly manner, and please refrain from attempting to attack anyone else in the room; if you do so, I will have to resort to less-than-friendly measures.”

The men and women in the room uneasily look around the room, apparently somewhat intimidated. After several seconds of awkward silence, the young Asian man stands up and slowly approaches Annika, occasionally glancing about the room. Once he is about a meter from her, he gives a short bow.
“W-Well, as no one else seems to want to introduce themselves, I guess that I’ll be the first. My name is Kolya. I promise to serve my new country honorably. I am decently well-versed in the ways of scouting and other such things, and I can do quite a bit of damage as long as I don’t get hit too hard, or, preferably, at all.”

“Very well, Kolya. I’m sure that you’ll do fine. Next.” He nods, then goes back to his place.

Next, the Caucasian man strides up. “The name’s Kaspar Bucia. Of course, I’m the most proficient medic, the most accurate shot with a musket, and the most charming ladies’ man in all of Europe!”

“Never heard of you before.”

“W-What?! Never?! That’s impossible! Everyone’s heard of me! Even the dead have heard of me! I’m the best of the best, and if anyone tells you otherwise-“

“Next. Now.”

He sulks back to his spot. This time, the third teen, the woman, steps up. After making a small curtsey, she says, “Hello, I’m Elspeth! If you need a mechanic, you can count on me! Plus, I have a nice little automated sentry turret, too! I'll do my best, no matter what!”

“Er, very well, Elspeth. I trust in your confidence. Next.”

Up comes the hooded figure. It kneels on one knee before her, as a sign of respect, before standing back up.
“I am Aras Radziwiłł, servant of Dievas and Perkūnas.” The voice is that of a male, deep and bold. “I have unique services to offer. I am an assassin of almost unparalleled skill, especially skilled with knife and poison. If you need any espionage carried out, I am who you want.”

“Interesting. I am sure that your skills will come in handy in the future. Very well. I believe that is enough for introductions. You may all go to your quarters.” The misfit soldiers began standing up and leaving the room. As they did this, Herr Josef walks in, followed by a strange figure completely covered by a white robe, like a Halloween ghost.

“I take that the introductions were fairly satisfactory, Annika?”

“Yes, Herr Josef. They were odd, yes, but they could have been far worse. Is the person behind you intended to be my second-in-command?”

“Indeed, she is. However, I kept her concealed like this for a reason. While I could tell you straight-out,” he says while turning around and shutting and locking the door, “I believe it would be better for you to simply see for yourself.” With that, he takes the robe off of the figure.
When the figure is fully revealed, Annika gasps. The woman is in white, form-fitting body armor, with electronic wirings and such spread across her body. On the right shoulder of the armor, there is a small insignia, similar to the ones the others wore but with a green outline instead of a red one and a gold outline identical to Annika’s. The opened motorcycle helmet on her head is quite similar, white with wires covering it. There is a large visor-like covering across her eyes and circling around her entire head. On it, an orange dot occasionally sweeps back and forth. Her face was entirely emotionless. The reason for Annika’s awe was simple; all of the O.G.F.’s soldiers are effectively slaves to their higher-ups. It was incredibly uncommon for any to be able to escape the chains they were bound in.

“Herr Josef… who is this woman?”

“Her name is Yeva Hoholik. She and several other cyborgs were recently found in a ruined building near our nation’s southeastern border. The scientists who examined them said that they’re completely severed from the O.G.F.’s control, and most seemed willing to fight for us, so the higher-ups made the decision to allow them to join the army.”

“Ah, I see… Herr Josef, could you come over here for a second?” When he walks over to her, she begins whispering to him, “Have the superiors lost their minds?! For all we know, this could just be a plot to gain information on our military! Why have they allowed these ‘defectors’ into the army?!”

“Well, as they, and I, see it, they could potentially be very powerful assets; they’re both a sign that the O.G.F.’s control over its soldiers isn’t quite so powerful as they make it seem, and a sign of our willingness to accept others. A propaganda machine, in effect. Another point is that in accepting them, we have a chance to learn more about the nature of the O.G.F.’s soldiers, which we still know very little about. Finally, we need every trooper we can get our hands on, especially on the western front. You know as well as I do that the Fourth Reich has been pressing harder and harder lately, and we need as many elite troops over there as we can get.”

“Alright, I suppose I can understand that, but that still doesn’t change the fact that these people are suspicious. How are we sure we can trust them? And why did the higher-ups feel the need to assign this one to me?!”

“The rest of them are undergoing a process to remove most of their cybernetic attachments, particularly those in the nervous system. They find it unlikely that the O.G.F. could easily control them without these accessories, so they’re not concerned about them. As for why Yeva was assigned to your squad, well… your incident of violence with that insubordinate young man has not been forgotten by many of the high-ranking officers. They feel that you are the squad leader that is the least likely to tolerate disobedience, and based on how badly beaten that boy was after you were done with him, I’m inclined to agree.”

“W-Would you stop bringing that up?! I know that it was big news at the time, but that happened last year. Besides, it wasn’t just that he insulted the Oberfeldwebel… He… insulted my sister.”

“Perhaps that was the main reason, but eyewitnesses told us about how you reacted when he started badmouthing your superior. You have far more respect for authority and far less patience for misbehavior than most of the fools we have as squad leaders.”

“I suppose that’s true… Very well, Herr Josef.”

With that, they break up their pseudo-huddle and turn to face Yeva, who is still standing near the door.
“Apologies, Yeva. We had to have a small talk regarding some minor details, but we’re done now. I’m afraid that I have some important business to take care of, though, so I must leave you two alone.”

As he leaves the room, the orange dot on Yeva’s visor follows him, like an eye. Once he’s out of sight, it swirls back around towards Annika.

“Well, Yeva Hoholik, it seems that you’re going to be stuck with me. Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself?”

“I am afraid that I have remarkably little trust in you, and I feel as though the feeling is mutual. As a result, I feel somewhat uncomfortable divulging much to you.”

“No need to be so cold; I just wanted to know something about the woman who will be my second-in-command for quite some time. And why is your voice so… flat?”

“I have never been one for conversation, to be perfectly honest, and you haven’t done much to interest me. And I apologize about my voice; it’s simply the way I speak.”

“Very well… As I see nothing will come of conversation at the moment, you are dismissed.”

The cyborg leaves the room. Annika sighs and sits down on one of the benches. “This is going to be a rough squad to handle, isn’t it? Gott, please give me strength…” She clasps her hands in solemn reverence and bows her head. After a minute or two of silent prayer, she stands back up and exits the room. However, almost immediately after she does so, she is approached by a smug-looking man, a little older than her. Rather than a stahlhelm, he wears a grey pickelhaube, adorned with a large spike on top, over his silver hair. He’s slightly taller than her, and is almost as muscular.

“So, Anni, that bunch of crooks, hacks, and delinquents that passed by earlier is your squad? Wow, the higher-ups must have even less faith in you than I thought. That, or maybe they just need someone to babysit the bad ones!”

“I’m not in the mood to deal with you, Beilschmidt. I have more important matters to focus on, and your continued insulting isn’t going to help.”

“Oh? Are you referring to your ‘squad’? Ah, yes, you would have a lot of things to worry about, I suppose. Still, you shouldn’t be worried; it’s not like they’ll blow anything up without you being there, right? I mean, I’m sure they obviously trust you as an authority. I mean, why wouldn’t they? You do look mannish enou-“

“Do you even have a squad yet?”

With that comment, he is almost immediately silenced. Despite his best efforts, he fails to come up with a semblance of a comeback; he’s forced to slowly step back, before finally running off.

Once he’s a comfortable distance away, Annika starts towards her squad’s quarters in the eastern barracks. As she walks, she silently talks to herself. “I hate him so much… Why can’t he just leave me alone? We’ve been playing this dumb game for more than four years… he needs to stop, or else I’m going to end up insane.”

Suddenly, an alarm, and a voice on the loudspeaker.
“Battalions 19 and 20, report to the train station! The Fourth Reich is approaching Braniewo, and we need reinforcements there! I repeat, battalions 19 and 20, to the train station!”

“Shit, that’s us…”

She begins running towards the quarters, ignoring all of the other soldiers trying to get to the station. However, before she reaches them, she runs into Yeva, who is amongst the others in the crowd.

“Oh, you are quite late. Do not worry; I sent the others ahead. I hope you do not mi-“

“No, no, it’s alright for now… Let’s just get going!” With that, Annika runs off, towards the train station.