Gardens of Destruction

Lieutenant Lipov stood in the bungalow, ostensibly packing his bag, yet he was deeply lost in thought.

“Andrey, what’s on your mind? Aren’t you happy we’re finally going home? We leave tomorrow!” a familiar voice jolted him from his reverie.

“Yes, yes, of course I’m happy,” he responded, his voice a muted echo amid the euphoria of his comrades.

“You’ll see your wife, your kids. Why so gloomy?”

Andrey rose from the bed and walked over to the bungalow’s window.

“This is what worries me, Vanya!” he pointed at the colossal structure standing in the field.

“So what? We’re leaving, let the Americans deal with it,” his comrade gestured dismissively.

The lieutenant waved away the comment with a scornful gesture, as if to tell his battle companion how naive his statement was.

“Look, think deeper about it. We’ve all heard the rumors about the incident,” Andrey said gravely.

“Yeah, about that town, supposedly deserted, and aliens being blamed,” the other replied, continuing:

“Do you believe those stories? I suspect the Americans staged it all to clear out the scientists and us, so the military can do whatever they want. We’ve seen this before. You know we can’t trust them; they despise us enough.”

“As if we love them back home!” Andrey retorted sharply. “I think now, more than ever, we need to trust each other and unite before it’s too late.”

“Too late for what?”

“Vanya, don’t be short-sighted,” Andrey cast a reproachful look. “That object is a threat to us all. Today one town disappears, tomorrow another, and who knows, soon it could be Moscow. Just because it’s far from here doesn’t mean the problem doesn’t affect us! After all I’ve seen and the facts I’ve gathered, I don’t think those inside mean us any good.”

“But Professor Mironov says...”

“Forget the professor!” Lipov cut him off sharply. “He’s living in the past, a senile old man lost in his former glory. Don’t you see, Vanya? I have a lump in my throat. I’ve got this feeling that things are terribly wrong; my intuition rarely deceives me.”

“Calm down, Andrey, don’t get so worked up. How about I make you some tea?” his comrade offered timidly, intimidated by the lieutenant’s anger.

“Don’t worry, I’m hardly dangerous to my own! But I won’t say no to tea.”

The others hadn’t joined in their conversation but gathered around the table for tea, steering the discussion towards lighter topics: old exploits, women, wounds, and grand drinking tales. Most were in high spirits, knowing they were leaving the next day, except for the lieutenant, who remained somber.

“Boss, what’s up? You’re not yourself today,” someone asked.

“Nothing, I’m fine,” he replied listlessly, then added:

“I’m going to take a walk. Something about the air here doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Alright, boss, get some fresh air. We’ll play some cards.”

Of course, he wasn’t truthful; the air wasn’t the issue. His mind was troubled by something far more significant. If the rumors were true and the town had indeed been deserted, it meant only one thing: an invasion. His thoughts turned to his family. What would happen if those from the asteroid weren’t just visiting their lesser brethren but had come to stay? How would he protect his children from the unknown?

Pacing the yard restlessly, Andrey glanced through the bungalow’s window and saw a woman standing there like a ghost. Recognizing the young scientist, he immediately thought of the rumors that her child had vanished in that town. She stood motionless behind the glass, her gaze fixed on some distant point. Andrey knew what she was looking at. She believed her little one was still alive out there. He cursed the damned things, wondering why they had to come now. He was about to retire, hoping for peaceful twilight years.

Lipov sat on a bench, gazing at the grass swaying in the wind’s gentle caress.

“Still not tired of the view?” a voice emerged from behind.

He turned to see Captain Davidson, the head of security. Both knew their roles extended beyond merely guarding the scientists. They had sensed a shared kinship, representatives of their respective services, though it was never spoken aloud. Their exchanges were often sharp but within the bounds of military normalcy.

“No, but I’m tired of you appearing every time I step out for a walk!” Lipov retorted gruffly.

“Can’t help it; the base isn’t that big. Seems we always bump into each other.”

“Sure, it’s all coincidence. Never thought otherwise,” Andrey continued the banter.

“Mind if I sit?” Davidson pretended not to notice the barbed tone.

“Be my guest,” Lipov gestured reluctantly to the empty space next to him.

They sat in silence, each lost in his thoughts, staring into the distance.

“Will she ever recover?” Andrey nodded towards Jana at the window. “Losing a child is the harshest punishment anyone can endure.”

“We never know what He has in store for us, Andrey!” Davidson surprisingly used his first name.

A silence ensued. Lipov never imagined his name was remembered. This man intrigued him, clearly more than just a soldier. He pondered how prejudices can cloud one’s judgment.

“You know, fate is an interesting phenomenon,” Mark broke the silence.

“Just when you think you’re in control, it elegantly spins around and kicks you from behind!”

“Or grabs you firmly by the balls!” Lipov laughed.

Andrey turned to look Davidson in the eyes, surprised by the friendly turn of the conversation. He hadn’t expected such candor from the captain.

“What’s up, Davidson? Something happened? You sound... ominous. Is there something I should know?”

“I can’t share details, Lieutenant. But I can afford to bid you farewell.”

Andrey bristled at the statement.

“Glad to have met a true warrior. Might not understand my sentimentality, but I’ve always had immense respect for real soldiers. We didn’t know each other long, but I can quickly gauge a man,” the American continued in a somber tone.

“Captain Davidson, why not tell me what’s going on? I’m fully aware of the shared threat. We should be united against this new enemy if we are to survive. How can I help?”

“That’s the right mindset, but please don’t ask further. Just know that we might not see each other again. Such is the soldier’s fate.”

Another uncomfortable silence followed. Lipov ran through possible scenarios, trying to deduce from the captain’s words what might be happening. He settled on a guess.

“They’re sending you in there, aren’t they?” he ventured.

Davidson smiled faintly and stood up from the bench.

“I didn’t say anything like that!” he shook his head and walked towards the building.

“Of course, I didn’t ask anything like that!” Andrey called after him.

Lipov sighed heavily, his gaze lingering on the retreating figure of Davidson.

“It’s all starting!” he murm ured to himself, eyes returning to the imposing colossus in the field.

He wondered if any of the men being sent inside had a chance of returning alive. While he didn’t know all the facts, he suspected this was a doomed mission. Davidson’s conversation seemed nothing less than a friendly farewell between adversaries. Although he hadn’t confirmed it, the implication hung in the air, suggesting the truth. Clearly, the General had lost his senses; a remote attack should have been the first course of action, considering the high-tech weaponry at the disposal of both the Americans and Russians. But sending commandos into an unknowable risk was madness. These were living men, not pawns on a chessboard. Yet, from his bitter personal experience, Lipov knew there was no price generals wouldn’t pay, no life they wouldn’t sacrifice.

Andrey realized the day had progressed, and he hadn’t made the decision that had been haunting his mind: to venture to the asteroid. That was his main mission. Tomorrow they were to be sent home, yet he hadn’t fulfilled his part of the deal. He was promised bliss and substantial money if he could retrieve an artifact from the object. Failure to comply meant he might not live to see his pension. But no one had foreseen the rapid development of events. This night was his last chance to decide. His military honor left him no choice but to go. Fully aware of the risks, fate was offering him an opportunity. He knew Davidson was leading a team into the asteroid. His plan was to follow them, grab the first thing he could, and disappear. He sighed heavily, accepting his fate, then slowly rose from the bench, his large hands cracking as he stood, and headed back to the bungalow.

“Hey, Andrey, where did you vanish to? We were getting worried!” Vanya teased him.

“What, am I going to be harmed by the fresh air?” he replied in kind, feigning cheerfulness though his soul felt clamped in a vice.

“Maybe the aliens will take you, but I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes when you get angry!” someone joked, and everyone burst into laughter.

Andrey waited for the laughter to die down before returning the jest.

“I’m too big; I won’t fit in that small asteroid. They’ll need to bring a bigger one for me.”

Laughter filled the room again, and the lieutenant’s heart sank. He couldn’t even bid them farewell. He needed to find a way to slip away. He didn’t want to do it so abruptly, but it was inevitable; orders were orders. His secret mission had to remain just that, at least until he returned... if he ever did.

“Hey, boss, why so quiet? Something bothering you?”

“No, Vanya, all is well,” he forced a smile.

“Just not in the mood today. Worried about that thing out there, and the rumors about the town, the missing scientists, the child.”

“Yeah, she has two of her own, I guess you feel sorry for that scientist lady whose kid’s gone. But she’s to blame, why bring it here?”

“Don’t be like that, Vanya. No one’s to blame; no one could’ve known what would happen. We need to be alert; tomorrow it could be us. Leaving doesn’t mean we’re safe.”

“Ah, boss, you’re back to the dark thoughts. Lighten up. You know what’s going to happen. They’ll study it, then, when the Americans get bored, they’ll just drop a nuke and that’s it!”

“I don’t know, kid. What if it doesn’t work? Then what?”

“Andrey, you’re impossible to talk to today. Everything’s gloomy in your head. Come have a drink with us. Look, we’ve got a little left of our stash. We need to finish it; can’t take it back home, they’ll laugh at us.”

“No, Vanya, thanks, I don’t feel like drinking anything, maybe another time, when we get back home safe and sound.”

“You talk as if you’re off to war. We’re going home tomorrow.”

“Yes, yes, that’s it, I just... just suggested a reason for a get-together back home.”

“You’re acting really weird today, let’s go to the mess hall, maybe we’ll hear some gossip, eh?”

It was the perfect moment for Andrey to slip away from them. The dusk had settled in.

“I won’t join you, I need to pack my things, got some stuff to sort out. Don’t make noise when you come back, if it’s dark, I might have gone to sleep.”

“Age spares no one!” his comrades commented as they left the bungalow.

“Looks sturdy, but already acting like an old man,” their voices faded into the distance.

Andrey sat on his bed and began to organize his bag in earnest. But he also prepared his combat gear for wearing. While he wasn’t allowed to bring firearms, they had left him his cold arsenal, his favorites. With them, he felt even more secure than with a rifle. Necessity had made him master these weapons almost to perfection. Of course, he wouldn’t have minded having something more heavy-duty, but it wasn’t possible. He prepared everything slowly and methodically, as if arranging his house for guests. He meticulously cleaned all his knives, particularly a machete-like blade, checked their sharpness, and adorned his combat uniform with them. After finishing his preparations, he decided to catch some sleep. An exhausting trek awaited him, followed by who knows what. He lay down on the mattress and covered himself so that his uniform and weapons were hidden. Sleep didn’t come easy; gone were the days when he could force himself to sleep in seconds. His training didn’t help stop the trembling beneath the blanket. Not from fear, not from cold. It was tension that made his muscles contract. With sheer willpower, Andrey stopped trembling and gradually drifted into sleep.

An indeterminate amount of time had passed when he was awoken by the drunken shouts of his comrades returning.

The door banged open.

“Oops!” someone exclaimed. “The Lieutenant’s asleep, quiet down, or he’ll beat us all with one hand. Stop yelling, you idiots.”

“No problem!” another slurred, not lowering his voice.

“Quiet, I said, go to bed without turning on the lights!” Vanya’s voice, which Andrey recognized, continued to scold.

“Yes, right away, we’re going to bed, just like that, without undressing, because why bother? We’re going to bed!” the drunken voices babbled on.

Everything soon quieted down, and it seemed his comrades had fallen into a deep alcoholic slumber. He hoped that the guard outside their professors’ bungalow wouldn’t think to check their quarters.

“Time to go,” he whispered to himself.

He slowly got out of bed, careful not to make the bed creak too much. But the deep, drunken sleep of his comrades ensured they didn’t stir. He had slept in his shoes, so there was no need to put them on. He stealthily made his way to the door and with soft, measured movements, slipped outside. The fresh night air hit him, fully waking him up. Andrey looked around. The base seemed eerily quiet. He knew the posts and the guards that Davidson had set up. He had already figured out where to sneak out. Fortunately, all the guards were looking for threats from outside, not inside. This would allow him to slip away unnoticed. And as for the return... he would worry about that later. Slowly, crawling, he made his way to the fence of the base. He knew where there was a small hole he could squeeze through. No one noticed him. He hoped they wouldn’t shoot if they did detect him.

“Just a little more, just a little more...” he kept telling himself, psyching himself up.

Before long, he was outside the reach of the spotlights and dared to stand up. He paused a few seconds to let the blood flow back into his limbs. There was no gunshot; they hadn’t seen him.

“Now, Andrey, it’s all on you!” he whispered to himself and began to jog.

He picked up speed and soon established a decent pace. His training should allow him to cover the miles with marathon-like endurance without overexerting himself. As he ran, his mind was clear, focused only on the mission ahead. He was a soldier, trained to adapt and overcome, and this was just another challenge, albeit a potentially fatal one. The darkness of the night was his ally, concealing his movements as he made his way towards the enigmatic asteroid that held not only his fate but potentially the fate of many others.

As Andrey ran, he soon stopped noticing the act of running itself. His legs had found their rhythm and were moving on their own. The clear moonlight illuminated his path, leaving him to his thoughts, and he did just that. He reflected on times spent with his family, wishing he could embrace his wife one last time, the woman who had blessed him with two wonderful gifts. He joyously recalled his children. He remembered how adorable they were as kids, and despite his constant missions, he never failed to give them his full attention upon returning. For him, it was a respite, a way to detach from the brutal world where he earned his living. He would give his life for those two innocent beings. They had grown up now. Time had slipped by unnoticed, but he never tired of them. He had hoped to retire, to spend all his time with them, rewarded for his service to the country. But the country had asked for one last favor. It wanted his life in exchange for alien artifacts.

“Is a human life worth so little?” he pondered.

He thought about Captain Davidson’s mission, another soul sent to certain death for the whims of some high-ranking military official. Human life should be valued above all.

“Bastards!” he cursed under his breath and unconsciously quickened his pace.

He couldn’t tell when he would arrive. The colossus was so immense that it was hard to gauge whether he was getting closer or not. It seemed to grow larger, but perhaps that was an illusion. At least he couldn’t mistake the direction. Fatigue began to set in. He had lost track of time, feeling as if he would have to run forever.

“Just a little more, just a little more!” he repeated to himself.

His strength slowly waned, and soon running turned into walking. He felt very tired but couldn’t afford to stop. He wouldn’t let despair take hold. Soon, he realized his efforts were not in vain. He reached the fence surrounding the asteroid. Andrey looked for guards. None were in sight, thankfully. He sat down for a moment to rest before the final effort. He sipped water in small gulps and pulled out his night-vision goggles. Nothing appeared in the viewfinder. Just as he was about to put them away, he spotted something in the distance. His heart raced. He zoomed in with the binoculars set to night vision mode and calmed down when he saw they were humans. They were passing through a gate in the fence and headed in battle formation towards a crack in the object.

“Good luck, Davidson!” he whispered quietly and readied himself to follow them into the unknown.

***

They didn’t understand, didn’t realize, didn’t know. The newcomers didn’t want to be included. But they should, they could, it was necessary. They would do it, but not yet. When they awaken! All of them!

They felt! The Garden already tingled with anticipation for their touch, or did it?