A New Kind of Warfare (standard:fantasy, 3140 words)
Author: Daniel Chance	Added: Jul 28 2008	Views/Reads: 3227/2120	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
In a world where the fourth world war is raging, one man takes it upon himself to defend his town during an invasion...

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

was white, but changed to black around his arms, and he had two plates 
of some material on either side of his mid torso. And, uncommon for a 
general, had a sword hanging by a hook on the wall behind him. 

"I hear you scored a victory for the Iron Fist in Russia.", he said.
"Yes sir, my men and I did.", answered York. "Good answer. I will not 
be sending you out into foreign battlefields for a while, as a reward. 
However, I am going to put you in charge of strengthening the militia." 


"Militia?", asked York. "What about my men?" Gun sighed. "They will be
put under the command of Corporal Lewis for the interval you stay 
here." York felt his mouth drop open. "Dismissed.", said Gun. The two 
saluted and York left. -later- York slipped the pass through the 
barrier lock of the tram station. The barrier opened as the electric 
beams for tracks began to expand (signifying that a tram was coming 
in). Then, with a whoosh! the tram shot into the station. The side 
doors opened up, and everyone on the platform stepped into the tram. 

Later, York opened the door of his house. "Mary, I'm home!", he yelled.
Mary came out from the kitchen. "It's really you.", she said. A 16 year 
old boy came into the parlor. "Hey, Johnathon, have you been holding up 
the house like you were supposed to?", he asked. "Yes, I have.", 
Johnathon replied. "Johnathon has been working in several activities at 
school, as well.", said Mary. "Oh, really? Like what?", asked York. 
"Band, ROTC, honors science, just to name a few.", Johnathon replied. 

Just then, the doorbell rang. Johnathon answered the door. It was Steed.
"Just wanted to see how you were doing. Oh, and to see what the 
surprise was.", he said. Mary laughed. "Well, we are having a dinner, 
nay, a feast of York's favorite foods. You are welcome to join us.", 
she said. Steed's eyes lit up. "Sure, I'll join you!" 

The next day, York pulled up o the militia training grounds. Going in,
he got a shock. There was absolutely no organization. The men were all 
slouched, some sleeping, some playing video games (this was in the Rec 
Room), and the room was a mess. To add insult to injury, none of them 
were in uniform. Some were in T shirts and jeans. Others were in 
sleeveless undershirts and jean shorts. 

"All men fall in!", he bellowed at the top of his lungs. They didn't
move. "I said 'all men fall in!'" One man looked up, and asked, "Who 
are you?" Yorks nerve cracked. "I am your new sergeant! I am supposed 
to train your sorry carcasses in case of invasion! Now, all of you, off 
your butts, and get into formation!" 

The men slowly got up and into a line. York went to the first person and
started his inspection. "Straighten your back, lock legs together, get 
that smile off your face, get those hands out of your pockets!" He 
could not believe it! He went on for another couple of people. 

"From this day on, you assemble like this, when I say, the first time."
They all groaned. "I did not give you permission to speak!", he yelled. 


"Also, you will report here in uniform. Speaking of which, where are
they?", he asked. They pointed to the fireplace. York held his anger, 
otherwise, he would be slapped with manslaughter."What, dare I ask, are 
your uniforms doing burnt up in the fireplace?", he asked. "We didn't 
like them.", said one of them. "No matter, I will order some new ones- 
fireproof- from Brigadier General Wayne Gun. But since it is coming out 
of government money, you are going to pay for them with pain." 

Five days later, the uniforms came. York saw an improvement in their
appearance. "Today is the day we begin our training.", he said. "We 
will start with tactics." 

Six months later, he had them trained in tactics, weapon skills,
marching and discipline. "From now on, you will need to do physical 
training one hour every day, and once a week, you will review and 
sharpen you other skills." They saluted. 

"General, I have trained the militia into standards", said York, now in
the General's office. "Yes, I have read your reports. Good job, 
sergeant.", said Gun. "So, do I go back to my old platoon?", asked 
York. "No, they are currently active in the Austrian front. They won't 
be back for a few weeks.", replied Gun. "So, what am I to do, just keep 
the militia trained?", asked York. 

"No, you are going on a break. You will have nothing to do for the
military, until they come back.", answered Gun. "Then what about the 
militia?", York inquired. "They will be put in the command of sergeant 
Hughes, and be placed in 'temporary combat' status." York sighed. "When 
do they go out to battle?", he asked. "In about five hours.", answered 
Gun. 

That night, the York family ate a quiet dinner. York was getting annoyed
at the General. "I will not be able to get used to my old platoon 
again.", he thought, putting the dinner crate on the front porch to be 
picked up. It was late night, and at first he did not know what the 
object in the bay was. When it finally struck him, he was aghast. It 
was a submarine, and a gangplank stretched out to the shore. 

York moved out into the open to see it. He saw several figures moving in
and out of the opening, carrying crates. The submarine had the marks of 
the Neo Powers. He heard rustling in the trees behind him. He looked 
over. In the woods, he saw the face of an enemy soldier looking at him. 
He moved stiffly to the side of his home. The soldier ran out after 
him. York punched him as he came up, and knocked him out. 

"Get into the basement, and lock it!", he yelled to his family. "Do not
ask questions!" Johnathon and Mary went into the basement. "Aren't you 
coming?", asked Johnathon. "No, I have to go somewhere, just stay here 
until I come back.", York answered. 

York jumped into his car and pulled up into the speedway. He had to get
the news to Gun. He pulled up to the military center. "General, 
invaders! Get the military into battle!", yelled York, coming in 
uninvited, and without saluting. "We have no fighting force. The 
militia is in the front., replied Gun. "They will have to just take the 
city." 

Gun was on the first train out. York was stuck with the duty of leader.
He walked into the lobby. There was one man sitting in the seats.The 
man was an Arab. York normally would not be around an Arab. They were 
odd: their hair was worn long, they usually sported beards, had full 
body tattoos, and piercings. 

The Arab looked up. "What is the problem?", he asked. York sighed. "The
Neo Powers are invading, and we have no defense.", he said. The Arab 
stood up. "I can help.", he said. York had been afraid of this. It was 
said that the Arabs possessed supernatural powers; a side affect of the 
nuclear holocaust that was World War III. "I need a car, first.", he 
continued. 

In about five minutes, they stood inside the entrance to the arms
museum. "What are you going to do?", asked York. "I should think it 
would be obvious, I am getting you reinforcements.", replied the Arab. 
"Oh, no!", thought York. 

The Arab went into the very middle of the museum. He raised his arms.
After sometime, he said, "There." 

"What, no magic words?", asked York. "Fine, Abracadabra! Do you want a
dance number with it?", asked the Arab. "No, that's okay. Um, what 
now?", asked York. "Every troop, or I should say,mannequin is under 
your command.", replied the Arab, "All you have to do is start 
commanding them like soldiers." 

"You have to be kidding!", said York. "Hey, I am only trying to help.",
said the Arab. "Okay, fine, I'll try it!", York pushed the man to the 
side. "Okay men, fall in!", he yelled, feeling foolish. At first 
nothing happened. York looked over at the man. "Look!", said the Arab, 
pointing to the flags and banners hanging on the wall. 

Suddenly, over in a corner, a fife rose up. It began playing "Yankee
Doodle", as the drums suddenly started beating out a rhythm. York did 
not notice his mouth open, and his eyes nearly pop out.On a gun rack, 
the weapons rose up and flew to a group of mannequins in 18th century 
uniforms. Upstairs, the clack-clack of marching knights was heard. 

Now every mannequin, empty replica uniform, wax figure, and weapon
imaginable stood before York. "Okay, now, tell them who they are 
fighting", suggested the Arab. "Men, you once were called to fight for 
this country. Now, we have a new enemy in our midst. The despicable Neo 
Powers are hiding in our woods, ready to invade." None of them 
responded, so York said, "Move out men." 

Outside, there were aircraft replicas. "Why aren't they alive?", asked
York. "The one I used only works on lifelike soldiers." York nodded. "I 
can use them.", he said, suggestively. The Arab held up his hands. The 
wind blew hard suddenly. Then the night air was pierced with the sound 
of several engines. There were bi-planes, bi-plane bombers, P-51d 
Mustangs, B-25 bombers, and even a MIG. 

Then the pillars holding them up disappeared, and the planes started
flying around. "I can work with this.", York said "Okay, here is the 
plan!" 

Around midnight, the enemy was preparing to attack the city. The troops
were grouping in the secrecy of the woods. Meanwhile, York was bringing 
the "troops" over to the site. They stopped as they heard the drone of 
bomber planes. York looked up and saw his planes flying overhead. They 
went over the woods. 

Explosions rocked the Earth as the planes dropped their payload. The
enemy was taken completely by surprise. However, their commander was 
not hurt, and he soon had his men on the march out of the woods. They 
stopped just short without his command. They saw their adversaries. 
York's men extended the entire length of a hill that stretched from the 
bay, to the metropolitan area. 

"Cavalry, you go in first.", ordered York. Several horses and riders
pulled in front of the line. Next moment, they played the charge, and 
were the first to make a move in the battle. After five minutes, York 
knew the cavalry had finished their job, and evened the field. "Sound 
the advance!", he called from his tank. The Arab sat next to him on the 
observation.Trumpets sounded, then the drums, and even a few bagpipes 
kept the tempo of the march. 

The Neo commander stood in his tracks, dumbfounded. He could not
understand what he was seeing. Were those dummies and mannequins, or 
were they real people? They were getting close. The gunners were 
starting to load their weapons. His men started backing up. Now he 
could see that they were mannequins, but he still could not understand 
how they were alive. 

An axeman (medieval) was coming particularly close. It raised it's axe
to swing. "Fire!", the commander screamed in desperation. They fired. 
The bullets riddled It's armor (wax)- and that is all that happened. 
The bullets had no effect. They all got up from the machine gun nests 
and ran farther back into the woods. The axe came down and chopped the 
gun in half... 

The other gunners started firing at the line. Bullets did no good. If
they knocked the helmet off a mannequin, it just came back on. Now the 
"soldiers" were within firing range to the enemy. The archers shot 
arrows into the woods. The gunners- ranging from Revolutionary War to 
World War 2, began firing. 

The enemy soldiers jumped up screaming in pain. The ones who weren't
shot ran back into the woods with their comrades. "Good job men! Keep 
charging!", yelled York, following behind them. 

Meanwhile, the knights had gone into the woods. They swung their swords,
chopping the enemy's guns in half. York's tank rolled into the woods. 
They found the commander hiding behind a tree. 

Both sides were hot into the action. The riflemen from the 18th century
marching in columns, the WW2 era marines tossed grenades and crept 
through the woods. A horseman was chasing after a lone enemy soldier. 
The soldier turned around and tossed a grenade at the armor. With a 
bang! the armor flew apart.n The soldier laughed and said, "Guys, I've 
found a way to defeat them!" But after he said that, the armor flew 
back together perfectly. The horseman armor charged after the soldier. 

"You can surrender and leave, or face total annihilation.", said York,
now sitting at a table constructed by some of the axeman. "Never! We 
can still fight!", yelled the commander. "Then in that case, we will 
hold you prisoner.", said York. 

The enemy , now only half of what they had been, retreated back to the
submarine. The "soldiers" still had fight left in them, though. They 
were waiting outside the sub. 

"Fight? Your men are now cowering in your submarine!", laughed York,
getting the news. "No! It is not true!", yelled the commander. "It is, 
I can even see the sub behind the woods."calmly replied York "Well, I 
am not going to leave empty handed!", the commander yelled. He pulled a 
gun out of its holster. York, however, was quicker. Before the 
commander had pulled it out, York had pulled had pulled his out, and 
shot him. 

The sound of clanking and ripping reached them. The battle being over,
the "soldiers" lost the life and will to fight, and became inanimate 
again. "Thank you for your help.", said York to the Arab. "I couldn't 
have done it without you." 

"Well done, sergeant! I was thinking I would have to move the
headquarters to another location!", said Gun, back in his office. "As a 
reward, I am promoting you to Colonel." York's face lit up. "Do I get 
to have my old platoon back as well?, he asked. "Yes, they are back 
from the front. It isn't won yet, but when you get there, that may 
change!"


Tweet